Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘LOKI’ Likely to Have Second Season

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road.

    The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and WandaVision are deep into production with both series on schedule for late-Winter/early-Spring wrap parties. As those two productions start winding down, the third Disney Plus series, Loki, started production earlier this week just as I told you last week. With the start of production came confirmation of something we’ve been hearing about but, until now, I had never seen solid evidence of.

    Things I heard this week: actors being brought on board for lead and major supporting roles in Loki are having options for a possible second season written into their deals.

    Now it’s a fine line between what this does mean and what it does not mean. It does not mean that, as of today, I can confirm with 100% certainty that a second season of Loki will happen. I will say that there’s plenty of evidence which supports the idea that it’s a great possibility.

    The first indicator was the naming of the limited liability company Disney formed for Loki: Limbo Productions I LLC. The inclusion of the Roman numeral I means Kevin Feige had already given thought to a second season, which would be produced under Limbo Productions II LLC.

    Additionally, writers at other sites and “those in the know” have indicated they’ve heard rumblings about the potential for a second season of the show. Those are both great indicators, but for me, the FACT that contracts are being written to include the option is the most concrete indicator we could ask for.

    So, what this DOES mean is that Marvel Studios has developed a series that, if all things go smoothly, will not only dovetail into Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness and, possibly, Thor: Love and Thunder, but also leave some threads hanging that could be picked up again in Season 2.

    Overall, this is potentially great news for fans of Loki and Tom Hiddleston, but I’d caution against celebrating too hard just yet as there are still some moving parts that will have to mesh before it’s a certainty. That said, I’m told the studio is already looking into studio space in which to film Season 2 in 2021, so…there’s that. Things are looking good for the Son of Secrets.

  • ‘DOCTOR STRANGE’ Sequel May Introduce America Chavez

    Late last year in a chat with students at the New York Film Academy, Kevin Feige teased the introduction of several new characters in 2021’s Doctor Strange sequel, including one he indicated fans might not guess saying:

    The next Doctor Strange film, for instance, features some new MCU characters which will be making their debut in that movie you won’t expect or won’t guess who it is but we found a cool way to make it work because we want to make a particular type of movie there and there was a character who we always wanted to do something with who will fit really well there.

    A new report from The Illuminerdi might shed some light on who that unexpected character might be: America Chavez!

    According to the site, Marvel Studios casting director Sarah Finn is searching for an Hispanic actress, 15-17 years of age for a supporting lead role in Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness. While no name was given in the description, it’s not much of a leap to jump to the multiverse-traveling powerhouse, America Chavez.

    First appearing in 2011’s Vengeance #1, the nearly invincible Chavez quickly became a fan favorite, appearing in Young Avengers, A-Force, Ultimates,her own solo series and, most recently, West Coast Avengers.

    Chavez posseses the ability to open star-shaped portals that allow her to navigate her way through the Multiverse, a talent that may just come in handy given that the Strange sequel is set to introduce that construct to fans.

    Though no list of actresses was given, I’d expect to see Isabela Merced (formerly Moner) and Jenna Ortega (both of whom were on Marvel Studios radar for a smaller role in Black Widow), Rachel Zegler and Dylan Conrique under consideration. Whoever lands the role, if it is in fact Chavez, should expect to be busy as the character will likely play a large role moving forward as a member of the Young Avengers.

    Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness will begin production later this year and will be in theaters on May 7, 2021.

  • ‘CAPTAIN MARVEL’ Sequel Officially a Go at Marvel Studios

    Marvel Studios is officially moving forward with a sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel. Megan McDonnell, who has done some screenwriting for the upcoming Disney Plus series, WandaVision, has been chosen to develop the project.

    Directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Bolden, who co-wrote and directed the billion dollar franchise opener, will not return to helm the sequel, which is expected to take place in the MCU’s present day. Marvel Studios is reportedly searching for a female director to head up the project which is expected to hit theaters in 2022.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Studios ‘SHE-HULK’ Targeting July Start of Production

    Three of Marvel Studios Disney Plus series are now in production in Atlanta with Ms. Marvel on deck with a scheduled April start. Next up: She-Hulk, which I have learned is planning to begin production in Atlanta in July.

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    Announced at 2019’s D23, along with Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight, She-Hulk will be written by Jessica Gao (Rick and Morty) and is expected to be a location-heavy production, meaning it might not require quite as much studio time as something like Loki. The search for an actress to portray Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk began late last year.

    Given the production delays on several Marvel Studios projects due to weather, natural disasters and other unexpected circumstances and the fact that the production of Loki was actually moved up about 10 days, I’m not even trying to bother pinpointing a date in July and just accepting the fact that until the cameras start to roll, I might not know one. However, I am penciling She-Hulk in for a July start of production. She-Hulk should air on Disney Plus in the second half of 2021, though no official release date has been given.

  • First Look at Wyatt Russell’s John Walker as Captain America in ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’

    Production on Marvel Studios first Disney Plus series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, is back in full swing following the holiday break and recent set photos have given us our first look at Wyatt Russell’s John Walker in costume as Captain America.

    The photos, which can be seen over at Page Six, appear to show Russell being introduced as Captain America to a crowd of fans.

    Marvel Studios The Falcon and The Winter Solider is now in production and scheduled to air on Disney Plus this Fall.

  • ‘ETERNALS’ Set Photos Confirm Sersi and Dane Whitman Romance

    As Marvel Studios Eternals nears its wrap date, there is still much we don’t know about the project. Set photos have been few and far between and there have been few, if any, information leaks. One thing we do know, however, is that the film will in fact feature romantic pairing straight from the comics: Sersi and Dane Whitman.

    Set photos, which can be viewed at Page Six, show stars Kit Harrington and Gemma Chan embraced and kissing on set.

    Just how Sersi and Dane’s relationship will factor into the events of the film remains to be seen, but it’s likely it is not something approved of by all of her fellow Eternals.

  • ‘LOKI’ Production Update

    As I’m fond of saying and as I’m sure is evident by all the changes that have occurred on various Marvel Studios productions over the lat month: things change. While a lot of the news recently has centered around production delays, this bit of news may appear as good news to eager fans. Once tentatively set to begin production at the beginning of February, it appears that cameras are set to roll on the Disney Plus series, Loki, on January 20th.

    The series, which will see Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, last seen escaping with the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame, hop through space and, apparently, time to influence human history. Hiddleston will be joined by Sophia Di Martino in a yet to be disclosed role.

    Production on the series is expected to run at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta and at various U.S. locations through mid-June. Loki is currently scheduled to air on Disney Plus in the Spring of 2021.

  • Sony’s ‘MORBIUS’ Trailer Throws Fans for a Loop

    Sony Pictures released the teaser trailer for the second installment in their Spider-Man Universe of Marvel Characters today and comic book movie fans were rattled by a reveal in the trailer’s final moments.

    Michael Keaton’s appearance in the film, which was already rumored to include JK Simmons‘ J Jonah Jameson and a visual reference to Spider-Man’s status as a “murderer” following Spider-Man: Far From Home, set the internet ablaze with speculation.

    Though it’s not made clear in the trailer, it’s certainly implied that Keaton is playing the same character in Morbius as he did in Spider-Man: Homecoming…Adrian Toomes, aka the Vulture. While many have speculated this might be taking place in an alternate timeline or universe, Sony’s making a fairly obvious statement here by having Keaton wear the same attire he was wearing when we last saw him in prison in Homecoming.

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    And so the confusion grows and while we probably cannot expect an official answer anytime soon, it’s also probably not that tough to decode. Disney and Sony went back to the negotiation table over extending Tom Holland’s MCU contract past the 3 crossover films and 2 solo films and it’s likely that the outcome was something like this:

    • Holland will be able to appear in MCU solo films and crossovers for the foreseeable future. This is partly fact and partly speculation. Holland wants to play the character and he wants to continue to play along with the other characters in the MCU. Don’t underestimate Holland’s pull in this.
    • Sony has always had the option to use the characters they own who appeared in the MCU films. Keaton’s Toomes showing up here is striking, but I would be the deal he signed was with Sony, not Disney, so it was always a possibility. However, now that they have pulled the trigger, it won’t be a surprise to see Michael Mando, Donald Glover, Bokeem Woodbine or others show up.
    • Sony and Disney probably came to some understanding that, while it allowed Marvel Studios to continue to use Holland, also made it clear Sony was going to start using him too.
    • Sony is going to make movies that contain characters that appeared in the MCU, including Spider-Man, but it is highly unlikely that those movies will have any impact at all on the larger narrative of the MCU, but they might, eventually, have some impact of what role Spider-Man plays there.
    • Somebody is making a Sinister Six film.

    Outside of that, the trailer looks better than I anticipated and, from the one glimpse we get of him in the trailer, it looks like Leto’s Morbius is one of the better comic-to-screen adaptations we’ve seen.

    Morbius hits theaters July 31, 2020.

  • ‘THE MATRIX 4’ Set to Film In Australia

    The upcoming fourth film in The Matrix franchise will film in Australia. This marks a return to form for the franchise as each of the previous films in the series were filmed there as well.

    Production will begin in the US, bouncing to three different locations before moving to Australia in March. The film will see Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss return alongside newcomers Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris and Jessica Henwick. It is due in theaters on May 21, 2021.

    This news was first reported by GWW.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Studios ‘HAWKEYE’ Series Delayed Indefinitely

    UPDATE: According to Verge reporter Julia Alexander, Disney reps have denied the veracity of this report, calling it “completely inaccurate.”

    Production on Marvel Studios planned Disney Plus series, Hawkeye, has been postponed indefinitely. Originally scheduled to begin production this July, the series has now been removed from the studio’s 2020 production schedule.

    While the news is sure to disappoint fans, the signs have been pointing towards a possible delay over the past several weeks. The studio has moved Ms. Marvel into an April start of production and is already casting for Moon Knight and She-Hulk, both of which will film ahead of Hawkeye, meaning that while we might not see the Avenging Archer when we thought we would, the big production wheel keeps on turning.

    Changes to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe necessitated the production delay, which is not the first delay on Hawkeye. The cascading changes, which will allow for some plot points of the larger, ongoing narrative of the MCU to be introduced ahead of the series, have moved Hawkeye quite a way down the production list and, quite possibly, out of 2020 entirely. An indefinite delay does not mean it’s the end for Hawkeye and might give time for Hailee Steinfeld, said to have been in negotiations for series co-lead Kate Bishop, to work out a way to fit the series into her schedule.

    Stay tuned for more on this story as it develops.