Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • The Hierarchy of Power in the MCU Is About to Change (?): Dwayne Johnson Is in Business with the House of Mouse

    The Hierarchy of Power in the MCU Is About to Change (?): Dwayne Johnson Is in Business with the House of Mouse

    The Rock is cooking…and while we can’t quite smell just exactly what it is he’s cooking quite yet, it’s likely to be something special. Through his Seven Bucks Production company, The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment has struck a first-look deal with Disney that will see The People’s Champ develop films for both theatrical and streaming release.

    The agreement cements what’s been more or less a handshake deal between the Seven Bucks and Disney for quite some time. Dwayne Johnson has starred in several Disney films including 2021’s Jungle Cruise and has been leading the promotional charge for Moana 2 as it prepares for its November theatrical release. Johnson’s deal provides the marketable star the opportunity to collaborate with all of Disney’s major studios, including Marvel and Lucasfilm.

    The move is the latest in a series that has seen Johnson grow his brand to unimaginable heights. Johnson spun a successful pro wrestling career into an even more successful acting career and has become a social media icon. The actor has his own tequila label, his own energy drink, his own line of men’s skincare and is part owner of the UFL. Following the major restructuring of Warner Bros. plans with DC Comics characters–which no longer included Black Adam–Johnson now finds himself back in the market for another comic book movie. Interestingly enough, a recent rumor had Johnson in the running for one of the X-Men’s most formidable adversaries, Apocalypse, though no further word has come of that since. While there’s no word just yet on what Johson will tackle first, it’s hard to imagine the star doesn’t have something in mind that would see him move into one of Disney’s major brands fairly quickly.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Funko Box Confirms Multiple Variants Set to Appear

    ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Funko Box Confirms Multiple Variants Set to Appear

    As seen in Loki, Marvel Studios’ infinite Multiverse allows for infinite variations of characters to exist. Old Man Loki, Alligator Loki and all the other Lokis gave fans a taste of just how wild and diverse Variants can be throughout the MCU’s Multiverse but as it turns out, an alligator Variant of Loki is nowhere near the most ridiculous twist on an MCU character fans will meet.

    Deadpool & Wolverine is set to take full advantage of the Multiverse, introducing not only a new Variant of Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine but also multiple absurd and comic-accurate Deadpool Variants that have been revealed via marketing and promo art. While none of the Variants’ names were included with the art, fams used their comic book knowledge to predict the names of the Variants of the Deadpool Corps. Now, thanks to Funko packaging, fans can check their predictions against the answer key.

    “Correct.”

    -Kevin Feige when asked if Hugh Jackman was playing an all-new, all-different and previously unseen version of Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine

    As most had already assumed, Babypool, Kidpool and Headpool at the names of the Variants who will join Dogpool, Logan and Wade in their fight to save… whatever it is they’re saving. While these are certainly not the only Variants fans will meet in Deadpool & Wolverine, they will likely stand among the most outlandish.

    Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th.

  • ‘Blade’ Now Hunting for a New Director

    ‘Blade’ Now Hunting for a New Director

    Nearing the five-year mark since Marvel Studios’ One Above All, Kevin Feige, surprised the crowd at SDCC ’19 by bringing Mahershala Ali on stage to announce a Blade reboot was in the works. It may be another five years before the vampire film sees the light of day. The film has been delayed multiple times as original director Bassam Tariq left the film in 2022 and at least five different writers have taken a turn on the script after original scribe Stacey Osei-Koffour parted ways with the project. Now, the project has taken yet another stake to the heart.

    According to a new report from THR’s Borys Kit and Aaron Couch, director Yann Demange, who took over for Tariq, has exited the project.

    According to THR, Marvel Studios and Ali remain committed to bringing Blade to the screen but given all the delays, they are in no rush. Though Michael Green was the latest reported scribe to give Blade a pass, THR reports that Marvel’s finisher, Eric Pearson, has taken a cup of coffee on the film.

    Currently slated to hit theaters on November 7, 2025, Blade could be one of the first casualties of the studio’s mandate to cut back on the number of projects released per year. While it was expected to enter production this Fall, there’s no telling how long a search for a new director may take which could see the film move to 2026.

    Source: THR

  • Netflix No Longer Moving Forward With ‘Power Rangers’ Series

    Netflix No Longer Moving Forward With ‘Power Rangers’ Series

    Sadly, it seems like one of my personal fan-favorite franchises is no longer moving forward. After 2 years of investment, it appears that Netflix has decided no longer to start moving forward with a new Power Rangers TV series. Jenny Klein was attached as showrunner with Jonathan Entwistle set to overview an entire “cinematic universe” for the streamer.

    Sadly, no reasons are given as to why exactly Netflix is no longer moving forward with the franchise. TVLine claims that Hasbro Entertainment is interested in taking the series into a new creative direction (heavy considering they invested two years into this vision to begin with) and is looking for a new partner.

    It should be noted that there’s no mention of Klein and Entwistle. So, we don’t know if they are still attached as part of this new creative direction. The positive aspect to this is that the franchise has a bit of a higher chance for a longer runtime given Netflix’s track record but it also opens up the question if it even finds a new home. For now, we can just keep an eye open for any updates on this cinematic universe.

    Source: TVLine

  • ‘The Penguin’: HBO CEO Reveals When ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Will Hit Max

    ‘The Penguin’: HBO CEO Reveals When ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Will Hit Max

    As fans sort through the latest rumors about what’s happening over in Matt Reeves‘ DC Elseworlds universe, one of the director’s spinoff projects has long been expected to stream this year. The Penguin, which will see Colin Farrell reprise the role of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, was previously reported to make a Fall 2024 debut on Max but with Fall not too far away, fans have been hoping for some more concrete details. Now they have them.

    While discussing the future slate of HBO’s streaming service, Max, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, Casey Bloys, revealed that The Penguin will begin streaming in September.

    Just like ‘Peacemaker’ came out of James Gunn’s ‘Suicide Squad,’ it’s a really good example of what you can do. That”ll be in September.

    -Casey Bloys

    Bloys views Max as a perfect platform for the IPs the company has access to through their deal with Warner Bros., which includes access to the rich history of stories and charcters at DC Comics. “One of the advantages that I think we have as a company, putting aside HBO for a second, is all the Warner Bros. IP. So after ‘House of the Dragon,’ the next big tentpole series that we have coming up will be the ‘Penguin’ with Colin Farrell,” said Bloys. “That is coming out of Matt Reeves’ The Batman and it’s fantastic.“

    The streaming service is known to be a a large part of the plans for the new DCU with shows such as Creature Commandos and Lanterns set to tell stories as part of DC Studios’ main continuity. It’s also been made clear that Reeves’ Gotham-verse will be allowed to continue to expand via Max though as a series of Elseworlds tales.

    Source: Variety

  • Mystery Marvel Streaming Series to Reportedly Have the Highest Live-Action Episode Count in the D+ Era

    Mystery Marvel Streaming Series to Reportedly Have the Highest Live-Action Episode Count in the D+ Era

    From 2013 to 2019, fans grew used to Marvel Television churning out seasons of traditional and streaming TV series that mostly consisted of 22 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) or 13 (Netflix’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage). As Marvel Studios began to produce their own series for Disney Plus, episode counts dropped significantly as did total runtime. The studio’s first series, WandaVision, was made up of 9 episodes that added up to only just about six hours of content. To date, with the exception of the five-episode Echo, the studio’s live-action series have had either six or nine episodes that have been structured more like films than TV series. Moving forward, the studio’s production practices are said to be changing and a series that the studio has hardly addressed at all may be one of the first examples of those changes.

    First reported to be in development in June 2022, Wonder Man will finally introduce one of Marvel Comics’ classic Avengers to the MCU. Yahya Abdul-Mateen ll will play stuntman turned super hero Simon Williams in the series which was written by Community and Brooklyn Nine-Nine scribe Andrew Guest and overseen by Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton. Despite photos of the production making their way online, fans have questioned if the series truly existed or if they were experiencing the Mandela Effect. Now, another trade has provided an update on the series that should help alleviate any concern.

    According to Deadline, Wonder Man—which was produced under the Marvel Spotlight banner–will consist of ten episodes.

    In February 2023, Stephen Broussard provided the only official comments by the studio about the series.


    [Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.

    -Stephen Broussard

    While there’s no timeline for when fans can expect the series to hit Disney Plus, it seems possible that it may not debut on the streamer until 2026 as it was left out of the studio’s Upfront presentation this Spring.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios Targeting a Familiar Face to Direct ‘Avengers 5’

    Marvel Studios Targeting a Familiar Face to Direct ‘Avengers 5’

    The road to Avengers 5 has been bumpy but it seems as though things are smoothing out as Marvel Studios begins the march toward production. First introduced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty at SDCC ’22, the project quickly gained momentum with Jonathan Majors set to lead the way as the titular villain, Destin Daniel Cretton signing on to direct and Jeff Loveness set to draft the screenplay. Originally slated for a May 2nd, 2025 release as part of the studio’s Phase Six plans, there were rumblings that the production on the project would kick off in late 2023. However, rather than see the project come together, late 2023 saw it fall apart entirely.

    I have this opportunity to write a vast, American epic–I’ll use American in a general term–but a big, American movie. I don’t take it lightly and I want to make it this big, sweeping and exciting, funny movie and I think we have the best actor in the world as the most complicated villain in comic books. So I can’t say too much, but we’re really swinging for the fences and I can’t wait for you to see what Jonathan does.

    –Jeff Lovenss on Jonathan Majors, February 2023
    Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is revealed as part of Phase Six at SDCC ’22

    As part of a complete overhaul of the theatrical slate due in part to the WGA strike, the release date for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was bumped down the road into May 2026. In order to focus on a pair of other projects at Marvel (Wonder Man and the Shang-Chi sequel), Cretton stepped down as director in November 2023. Just a couple of weeks later, Loveness–whose work on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania was the target of intense scrutiny–was replaced by Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron. Finally, just ahead of Christmas, Marvel cut ties with Majors after the actor was found guilty of reckless assault and harassment. With Majors gone and Waldron on the script, the studio dropped the subtitle The Kang Dynasty and went back to the drawing board, leaving the project draped in uncertainty. However, with the studio aiming to move into production on the project early next year, things are starting to come together quickly.

    According to Deadline, Marvel Studios has offered Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Shawn Levy the opportunity to direct Avengers 5.
    (L-R): Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Director Shawn Levy on the set of Marvel Studios’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

    With Levy’s first collaboration with the studio looking to be a sure hit, Deadline reports that Marvel has given Levy first crack at taking the job and provided him with Waldron’s latest draft of the script. While Levy ponders where the project could or could not fit in his very busy schedule and the studio waits for his decision, they are reportedly scheduling meetings with other talent to helm the project should Levy decline the gig.

    Despite a rough couple of months at the end of 2023, recent reports indicate that Marvel Studios fully intends to have cameras roll on the project early next year and have the film in theaters on May 1, 2026. To that end, Marvel reportedly started reaching out to talent earlier this year in the hopes that they’d clear their schedule to star in Avengers 5. Should everything come together, it would not be surprising to see the newly-retitled film be at the center of the studio’s convention circuit this summer, whether that be at July’s SDCC ’24 or August’s D23.

    Source: Deadline

  • Robert Downey’s MCU Return Sounds…Inevitable

    Robert Downey’s MCU Return Sounds…Inevitable

    It’s been made clear by all parties involved: Tony Stark’s heroic sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame will never be undone. But in an infinite Multiverse in which Stark himself invented time travel, the opportunities for the character–or a Variant of him–to show up seem truly infinite. And Robert Downey Jr. is starting to sound increasingly like someone who knows he’s going to return to his career-definig role sooner rather than later.

    Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, “Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.” It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.

    Robert Downey Jr., Esquire, 2024

    Since Endgame, Downey‘s career has reached all-new heights thanks to roles in projects such as Oppenheimer, for which he won an Oscar, and The Sympathizer. While some might think the success would lead him further away from the MCU, Downey has been quite forthcoming recently about his willingness to return to work with Marvel. Now, in a new interview with Jodie Foster Variety, he’s at it again and this time, the hints seem stronger.

    “It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” said Downey when asked if he’d think of suiting up as Iron Man again. Then, as if he was reliving Tony Stark’s speech at the end of Iron Man but deciding to stick with what’s on the cards, Downey added “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea.”

    While that’s stopping short of saying “I am Iron Man…again,” Downey’s rhetoric around his return has continued to sound more and more it’s a when and not an if. The TVA playing a large role in Deadpool & Wolverine provides one interesting possibility as do upcoming projects such as Ironheart and Armor Wars and, of course, Avengers: Secret Wars. It sure sounds like it’s only a matter of time before fans see Downey back in action in the MCU.

  • ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Trailer Teases Major Implications for the MCU’s Multiverse, ‘Secret Wars’

    ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Trailer Teases Major Implications for the MCU’s Multiverse, ‘Secret Wars’

    Sony’s third installment in the Venom franchise, Venom: The Last Dance, will land in theaters on October 25th. While it looks as though The Last Dance will indeed be the last dance for Venom, the first trailer for the project just teased some major implications for Marvel Studios Multiverse which could open the door–or did it shut it?–for Tom Hardy to continue on as Eddie Brock.

    As the trailer opens, Hardy’s Brock is seen to be wearing the same outfit he was wearing in the post-credit scene to Spider-Man: No Way Home. As a quick refresher, that scene–which followed up on the post-credit scene to Venom: Let There Be Carnage–was seemingly set in the MCU’s main 616 timeline. In it, Hardy’s Brock/Venom learned all about the MCU’s “superpeople” and their tangle with Thanos from Ted Lasso actor Cristo Fernández’s friendly bartender but, as he was transported back to whatever universe he counts as home, a bit of the symbiote was seen left behind at the bar. While online rumor and speculation has led to the belief that the symbiote bit would eventually find Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, the trailer for The Last Dance seems to indicate otherwise.

    In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

    Official Synopsis for Venom: The Last Dance

    At the 1:28 mark of the trailer, Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s character can be seen trapping the symbiote as Fernández’s character is interacting with it. Given Ejiofor’s character is shown interacting with Juno Temple’s character in the presence of a large collection of symbiotes, it would seem that he’s capturing the bit of Venom for study and, presumably, removing it from the 616.

    The scene has some fairly large-scale implications beyond the removal of the symbiote from the 616. Unless there’s some serious subterfuge at play, Ejiofor’s character will spend at least some portion of Venom: The Last Dance in the 616 in the immediate aftermath of the post-credit scene from Spider-Man: No Way Home. This means that someone from Brock’s universe has discovered a way to travel the Multiverse and the fact that a door has been opened between that universe and the MCU could tie directly into Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Secret Wars. Whatever the case, this seems to indicate an all-new level of cooperation between Marvel Studios and Sony and that can only benefit both moving forward.

    Venom: The Last Dance stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.

  • First Look at Giancarlo Esposito’s ‘Captain America’ Character Generates Fan Frenzy

    First Look at Giancarlo Esposito’s ‘Captain America’ Character Generates Fan Frenzy

    For MCU fans, discovering the identity of Giancarlo Esposito‘s mystery character in Captain America: Brave New World has become their latest obsession. While many roll out uninspired guesses like Doctor Doom, Magneto, Mephisto and Norman Osborn, others are digging deeper to figure out who the “antagonist agent of chaos” played by Esposito might be. Now, the first look at the character’s costume has fans’ heads spinning.

    Photographer Atlanta Filming, who has a long history of capturing photos from the sets of Marvel Studios’ projects, has given fans some interesting details to chew on in their Wiki searches for the identity of Esposito’s baddie.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/C7nKVaFgoR2/?igsh=MXRtZjV2N3YwZ3pnYQ==

    From his sketch of the character and the look at the stunt double, it seems clear that Esposito’s character is decked out in tactical gear. That likely indicates he’s an assassin or mercenary hired to take out one of the film’s main characters. Recent reports from the set have centered around Sam Wilson being involved in a car chase which was comparable to those seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Could Captain America be in Esposito’s sights?

    By Esposito’s own admission, his character is unlikely to have a major role in Brave New World, calling it a “tease” before the character returns for a presumably larger appearance in a streaming series. With that in mind, Esposito’s time on set may be coming to and end shortly, which may mean we’ve seen all we will see of his character. Perhaps, just maybe, the identity of that character will stay under wraps until the film hits theaters on February 14th, 2025.