Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Jonathan Majors to Play Kang in ‘ANT-MAN 3’

    Jonathan Majors to Play Kang in ‘ANT-MAN 3’

    According to Deadline, Jonathan Majors (Da 5 Bloods, Lovecraft Country) has signed on for a lead role in Marvel Studios upcoming Ant-Man 3. Sources close to the project have indicated that Majors will play Kang the Conqueror, one of the Avengers greatest villains.

    Marvel Rumor: Kang The Conqueror To Make MCU Debut In Loki - LRM

    The possibility of Kang appearing in Ant-Man 3 not only fits with the continued buzz that Peyton Reed’s third Ant-Man film will be a much bigger film than the previous two installments, but also might lend further credence to rumored appearance of the Young Avengers, first reported on Murphy’s Law Podcast. In the comics, the Young Avengers formed when a younger version of Kang traveled back in time to avoid becoming his evil, future self. That younger version, under the name Iron Lad, helped bring the heroes together to take on his future self.

  • ‘TENET’ Box Office Sees Slight Drop as Warner Bros. Delays Its October Releases

    ‘TENET’ Box Office Sees Slight Drop as Warner Bros. Delays Its October Releases

    Tenet was supposed to rejuvenate cinemas. Production studios were hoping that this blockbuster could bring people back. Yet, its opening weekend was at the lower end of expectations. On labor day weekend, Christopher Nolan‘s film only drew in $20 million. Warner Bros. got nervous about how it would be reported. Not all cinemas were open, so they worried it would’ve been portrayed as a major flop. No one was expecting the film to surge like it was pre-pandemic but it was understandable. At one point, the studio didn’t want to release the numbers, which led to rival companies to call out the lack of transparency. These difficult times are leaving their mark.

    Now, everyone was anxiously waiting for the second-weekend results. Tenet has no major tentpole rivals so it could hold steady, or even increase as more cinemas across the country open. This weekend saw the opening of 100 more cinemas. As such, Tenet managed to remain somewhat steady and only drop by 29%. It’s a good hold for the current situation with $6.7 million. Internationally, the film did reach the $200 million mark. China is currently the top-grossing country. If you’re wondering if this is somewhat of a success, keep in mind that Warner Bros. just postponed Wonder Woman 1984 to December. Their other October release Candyman was delayed into 2021 without a specific release date.

    In the grand scheme of things, cinemas won’t see a resurgence anytime soon. Warner Bros. and Sony have a strange obsession with only releasing in cinemas. It’s a noble gesture but we have no idea when “normalcy” will return, or even if. Numbers have been increasing once again in countries that saw a strong decrease. My own hometown has been hit hard lately with renewed restrictions. There is a good chance cinemas will have to temporarily close again. Tenet‘s performance is a reminder of rushing out a film in these times. It just continues to confirm that a potential digital or hybrid-model will become the new standard.

    Source: Variety, IndieWire

  • ‘Doom Patrol’ Renewed For Season 3 at HBO Max

    Many have been wondering when Doom Patrol would return for a third season. The critically-acclaimed comic book adaptation had just ended its second season as an HBO Max Original series. Originally, it premiered as an original production for the streaming service DC Entertainment before being added to HBO Max’s line-up. After an amazing second season, it was just a question of time before it would get renewed for a third season. Thankfully, Executive Producer Jeremy Carver finally confirmed its renewal:

    On behalf of the wonderful cast, writers, and crew, we are thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to return to Doom Manor. And we are especially thankful for our partners at Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, DC Universe and, of course, HBO MAX.

    Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey has also confirmed that the show is one of the streaming service’s most-watched Max originals. Hopefully, this creative and wacky show will see plenty more renewals in the future. It is also interesting to note that this renewal confirms that all shows are migrating to HBO Max away from DC Entertainment.

    Doom Patrol Season 1 and 2 are now streaming on HBO Max with season 3 set for a 2021 release date.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’ To Be Delayed Yet Again

    ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’ To Be Delayed Yet Again

    Warner Bros. is reportedly delaying the much anticipated Wonder Woman sequel one more time. Originally set to hit theaters December 13, 2019, the film will is now being rescheduled for the fifth time. Christopher Nolan’s Tenet served as the studios canary in the coal mine for theatrical releases and while they haven’t publicly expressed disappointment, tentatively moving Wonder Woman 1984 to December 25, 2020 certainly gives us all the insight we need.

    The film debuted a well-received new trailer at DC’ FanDome event and has consistently been among movie goers most highly anticipated releases for 2020. Warner Bros. remains intent on giving films like Wonder Woman 1984 and Dune big, theatrical releases rather than distributing them via PVOD, but with the COVID pandemic still very much in play, there’s no telling when we might see these films.

     

    Source: WSJ

  • Chris Hemsworth Wants to Do More Thor Films

    Chris Hemsworth Wants to Do More Thor Films

    Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor is the first character to get a fourth entry in his franchise. After Thor: Ragnarok took the character into a bold new direction, Taika Waititi will continue him on this path with Thor: Love and Thunder. There was the looming question, however, if Hemsworth would slowly end his time with Marvel Studios to focus on other projects. A while back, he was almost ready to hang up the hammer and cape. Luckily, Waititi‘s unique vision reignited his passion for the character. The Direct got their hands on a Swedish article by Elle Man, where the actor discusses his character’s upcoming film Keep in mind, these quotes are translated by The Direct through Google Translate, so there may be some mistranslation.

    After reading the script, I can say that I am very excited. For sure there will be a lot of love and a lot of lightning in this production (laughs). I’m glad that after all that happened in Avengers: Endgame, I’m still part of the Marvel Universe and we can continue the story of Thor. Of course, I can’t tell you anything about the plot, but to satisfy your curiosity, I’ll say that I had a lot more fun reading the script than on “Thor Ragnarok”, and that proves something, because this movie was brilliant.

    It is great to know that Love and Thunder could be even better than the last entry. Waititi‘s style is a standout within the franchise and its always great when an actor falls in love with the script. In the interview, there was also the discussion if Chris Hemsworth was planning on officially retiring from the role anytime soon. Luckily, he reveals

    Are you crazy ?! I’m not going into any retirement period (laughs). Thor is way too young for that. It is only 1500 years old! It is definitely not a film that I say goodbye to this brand. At least I hope so.

    Who could beat old King Thor? - Battles - Comic Vine

    If there is a character with endless storytelling potential, it would be Thor. After reading up on the latest run, I would love to see them explore stories around the Midgar Serpent or Black Winter. He also is a great character to lead a new generation of heroes into battle. He also might have to guide Jane Foster, as she takes over the new role as Thor in Love and Thunder. We still don’t know where the franchise is heading in its fourth phase but the potential seems endless. It is great to see Hemsworth still enthusiastic about his role and maybe the latest entry will be the beginning of a brand new trilogy.

    Source: Elle Man via The Direct

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Set Videos Hint at New Team Joining the Series

    Earlier this week, a video taken on the set of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier seemed to show Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes liberating some people from NYPD vehicles while Wyatt Russell’s John Walker fought a group of masked thugs. Though exciting, the video came without much context. Now, in footage, photos and a firsthand account obtained exclusively by Murphy’s Multiverse, we are able to get a MUCH clearer picture of what we were seeing.

    At this point, I would caution anyone who is spoiler sensitive from continuing on as what follows my very well revolve around a major plot point. Also, I offer my gratitude to @Loburger for being generous enough to share these pics, videos and details exclusively with Murphy’s Multiverse and to @MsLizzieHill for her tireless work to help provide our readers with the best content!

    Image result for captain america mjolnir

    Twitter user @Loburger was on set Saturday, February 29th and managed to snag several set photos, including one below that seems to add some context to what we see in set videos.

    The set photo below indicates that at least one major set piece in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will revolve around a hostage situation taking place at the 2023 G20 Summit in New York. G20 is an annual summit that was first held in 1999. Representatives from 20 countries assemble to discuss means to achieve international financial stability. Recently, actor Demi Castro was added to the IMDB Page as “G20 Leader #1” and, if I’m processing all these videos correctly, it seems that the villains of the series will mount an attack on G20! Scroll through the images below to see some exclusive set videos.

    The four new set videos below give us much more complete picture of just what’s happening in this scene. According to @Loburger:

    “The 2 armored vehicles come to a stop and 4 people run toward them. You can’t tell from the this but all 4 of them appeared to be females and they all wore masks. One of the ‘bad guys’ with the masks had brilliantly bright, long red curly hair.”

    And so, as you can see in the first video, the 2 NYPD SWAT vehicles pictured above are stopped in the road by the gang of females.

    The next video is similar to the video from the other day, but from a different angle. It gives us another look at Walker’s brutal fighting style and also shows him taken down by the gang of women. This gang of women look like brawlers to me and that’s something I’ll speculate on shortly.

    The final video shows Bucky rushing to the aid of Walker after liberating who we assume to be G20 hostages from the SWAT vehicles.

    There are 2 major takeaways here:

    1. At this point it seems safe to say that Bucky and Walker are indeed working together to rescue the G20 leaders.

    2. Are we seeing the Grapplers? In the comics, the Grapplers are a group of female wrestlers who, similar to John Walker, are powered up by the Power Broker, but then went on to pursue a life of crime. The group consisted of Titania, Letha, Poundcakes and Screaming Mimi, aka Songbird! Like many other characters and plot points from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the Grapplers were created by writer Mark Gruenwald, so it’s not entirely unreasonable to think the might show up to cause some trouble for our heroes.

    Image result for marvel comics grapplers

    While there are still MANY, MANY questions about what’s going on here, there’s no doubt that these new photos and videos shed a little more light on this past weekend’s production! Please feel free to sound off on what you think is going on in the comments!!

  • Extreme Sports Multiplayer Game ‘Riders Republic’ Revealed

    Extreme Sports Multiplayer Game ‘Riders Republic’ Revealed

    Ubisoft Forward has offered a look into the brand new multiplayer experience titled Riders Republic. This game will offer another addition to the ever-growing market of battle royale games. This one seems to be closer to Fall Guys, as you will have to race to the finish with multiple players. They also teased that most of the game will take place in U.S. national parks based on real GPS data. The trailer teases races featuring BMX, snowboarding, squirrel suits, and much more. So, anyone can play in the style they prefer as they race to the finish line.

    It’s an interesting concept that seems strongly inspired by games like SSX. The idea of different playstyles all leading to the same goal is a cool idea. You aren’t restricted to just one style, so if you get bored of driving the bike, maybe just give snowboarding a chance. Each gameplay style seems to offer something unique and they could always add new gameplay styles in the future.

    It seems this game will also feature some free-roaming mode to explore the environment and take it easy after a chaotic race. The focus on extreme sports doesn’t restrict them, so curious how this game might expand in the future.

    Source: Ubisoft, YouTube

  • First Look At “Dune” Funko Pops Leaked

    First Look At “Dune” Funko Pops Leaked

    A recent leak courtesy of anerdydad on Instagram has offered fans their first look at the Funko Pop Vinyl line for the highly anticipated feature film Dune. The lineup includes lead Timothee Chalamets Paul Atreides including a hooded variant. Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho, the loyal bodyguard to the Atreides family andOscar Isaac’s Duke Leto Atreides have their figurines. The Vynil line is rounded out with the ghastly Baron Harkonen and Gaius Helen Mohiam.

    The vinyl figures currently have no set release date. It’s unknown if any other retail exclusives will release alongside the wave. There is always the chance that some additional pops are released in a second line to build up hype when the film would eventually release. The film has quite a large cast, so it wouldn’t be too surprising.

    Dune is currently set to hit theaters December 18th, 2020 but that is still uncertain. Tenet‘s recent disappointing performance may have pushed more releases into 2021. Even Sony is deciding not to release any films until the pandemic truly calms down which is still uncertain at this point. Whatever may happen, it will be interesting to keep an eye out for. With the constant delays, it also affects the release of tie-in products. It is also the reason that the Dune Funko Pops haven’t been officially revealed yet.

    Source: Instagram

  • Aiden Pearce Returns in ‘Watch Dogs: Legacy’

    Aiden Pearce Returns in ‘Watch Dogs: Legacy’

    Ubisoft has been heavily promoting their upcoming entry into the Watch Dogs series. Legacy will be a unique take that allows you to recruit regular people from the streets for your cause. It moved further away from what the previous two entries did in their approach to storytelling. It is a unique idea that lets players have full control of how they approach each storyline. Yet, players do wonder whatever happened to Aiden Pearce, the protagonist of the original Watch Dogs. Well, looks like those questions have been answered.

    Not only will Aiden Pearce be playable but he will also get his own standalone DLC post-launch. This is a great way to bring back the character and continue his story. Marcus Holloway took over as the main protagonist in Watch Dogs 2. Hopefully, this reveal also means he will get added to the game as well. As someone who played the original, this is a great reveal and opens up a lot of story possibilities. Curious what Aiden has gone through after all these years.

    Source: Ubisoft, YouTube

  • Sony Pictures Avoiding Theatrical Release Until Pandemic Ends, May Affect ‘Spider-Man 3’ Release

    Sony Pictures Avoiding Theatrical Release Until Pandemic Ends, May Affect ‘Spider-Man 3’ Release

    It has been a trying year for most industries. Hollywood especially wasn’t able to produce any new films or shows. At the same time, none of the current releases were going to be available in cinemas due to the lockdown. Even as Tenet tried to reignite cinemas worldwide, it hasn’t been an easy path as numbers are still rising. The pandemic has changed quite a lot, and uncertainty is still the biggest challenge for many. Most production studies are forced to continuously delay their films, halt productions or just outright cancel them.

    They are doing their best to keep productions going while also ensure their crew’s safety. Jurassic World: Dominion was the first to test out the necessary safety precautions. Even Sony is having trouble with the current situation. Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman Tony Vinciquerra confirmed at a conference that they are taking a more cautious approach.

    What we won’t do is make the mistake of putting a very, very expensive $200 million movie out in the market unless we’re sure that theaters are open and operating at significant capacity.

    The statement makes sense. Tenet was an expensive production that only pulled in $20.1 million in its opening weekend in the States. Internationally it made around $150 million, which is nowhere near what the film needs to make to even break-even. Most films pull in most of their income within the opening weekend, so it will be difficult to say if the movie will even make its money back. Sony’s decision makes sense from a production standpoint as Morbius and Ghostbusters: Afterlife has all been postponed into 2021.

    This could also affect Spider-Man 3′s December release. With the constant delays, 2021 will be a crowded market. Most big releases will end up cannibalizing each other. So, it is difficult to say if most films next year will even manage to break even, similar to what Tenet is facing. So, it is likely that the next MCU installment of the popular webhead will be postponed into 2022. They haven’t even started production, so it would be difficult to rush out production by then. Especially if you consider that they could still face random delays if COVID numbers spike.

    To some degree, I believe that most production companies are accepting the loss that is 2020. So, as Sony is doing, the focus is to minimize the damage so future productions aren’t affected negatively. We will see how long this delay strategy will last. It would seem realistic that films like Spider-Man 3 slated for 2021 will also be delayed. To be honest, Marvel Studios had the best approach. They simply just pushed every production back so they aren’t constantly juggling new release dates. Only question remains if Black Widow will still keep its November release.

    Source: The Wrap via Comic Book Resources