Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Marvel Studios Launces Viral Campaign for ‘The Fantastic Four’ Featuring the Future Foundation

    Marvel Studios Launces Viral Campaign for ‘The Fantastic Four’ Featuring the Future Foundation

    Known for years for their intense secrecy around their projects, Marvel Studios seems to be taking an all-new, all-different approach with The Fantastic Four. After first revealing the film’s cast alongside an updated logo and release date on Valentine’s Day, the studio is celebrating “4-4 Day” (April 4th) with a little viral fun.

    The official Marvel Studios Twitter account shared a new piece of concept art for the film featuring the Human Torch along with a link to Marvel.com/Fantastic Four.

    Once at the link, you’re greeted by H.E.R.B.I.E. and clever 404 “PAGE NOT FOUND” error. Upon closer inspection, a QR code can be seen inside H.E.R.B.I.E. which leads a new page with a Future Foundation logo at the top. There, 5 comics can be found which are likely key issues in which hints about the film’s plot could be found.

    The issues involve the FF’s first appearance and their fight against Mole Man, the three-issue arc that introduced Galactus and the Silver Surfer and Mark Russell’s 2021 Fantastic Four: Life Story #1 which detailed the team’s adventures in the 1960s.

    Given yesterday’s news that Julia Garner had joined the cast as a version of the Silver Surfer, the three-issue arc all but confirms the long-standing rumors that the film would feature the team taking on Galactus. And if it wasn’t clear yet, the inclusion of Life Story confirms the ’60s setting of the film.

    Additionally, the inclusion of the Future Foundation in the viral campaign adds credence to the rumors that Franklin and Valeria Richards will be included in the film. The Future Foundation was created by Reed Richards as a way to help shape the future of science by helping young people learn to think creatively. The Richards’ children were two of the Foundation’s many members.

    We’ll continue to keep an eye on Marvel to see if they have more in store on April 4!

    Sources: Twitter, Marvel.com

  • Julia Garner Joins the Cast of ‘The Fantastic Four’

    Julia Garner Joins the Cast of ‘The Fantastic Four’

    In what’s easily one of the more surprising casting moves to date by Marvel Studios, Julia Garner (Ozark) has joined the cast of The Fantastic Four as…The Silver Surfer.

    The character has long been expected to be part of the film; however, the surprise comes in that according to Deadline, Garner will play a very different version of the character than what fans have been anticipating. The trade claims that Garner will be playing Shalla-Bal, a character who is more well-known as the former lover of Norinn Radd, the original Silver Surfer. Though Radd serves as the Surfer in nearly every alternate universe in the pages of Marvel Comics, Ball did join him as a silver-clad sentry of the spaceways in Jim Krueger’s Earth X limited series.

    The casting of Garner as The Sentinel of the Spaceways could be another feather in the cap of the idea that Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four is set in an alternate universe. Choosing to have Radd’s fate befall Bal, could work to further separate the MCU project from previous versions and give Matt Shakman’s film a very different vibe from what’s expected in an MCU project.

    The Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

    Source: Deadline

  • DC Studios Targeting Craig Gillespie to Direct Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’

    DC Studios Targeting Craig Gillespie to Direct Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’

    For some time now, it’s been believed that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow would be the next DC Studios’ film to go before cameras. With a completed script and star Milly Alcock cast as Kara Zor-El, almost all the pieces have been in place to get production underway but one. And now, according to a trade report, that final piece has been found.

    Deadline is reporting that DC Studios has  Cruella director Craig Gillespie in its sights to helm the film. Should Gillespie sign on, the studio will look to begin principal photography before the end of 2024.

    Updating…

    Source: Deadline

  • Warner Bros. Taps Drew Goddard to Head Back to ‘The Matrix’

    Warner Bros. Taps Drew Goddard to Head Back to ‘The Matrix’

    Drew Goddard has taken the red pill. According to Deadline, Warner Bros. has reached an agreement with Goddard to write and direct an new installment in one of the studio’s most popular franchises.

    Warner Bros. Motion Pictures President of Production Jesse Ehrman contirmed Goddard’s involvement saying ,”The entire team at Warner Bros Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”

    Drew came to Warner Bros with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters.

    -Jesse Ehrman, Warner Bros Motion Pictures President of Production

    Goddard’s film will be the fifth in the Matrix franchise, following 2021’s The Matrix Ressurections. At this time, it’s unclear if the franchise’s stars Keanu Reeves or Carrie-Anne Moss are set to return.

    Updating…

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Set Photos Confirm a Pair of Spoilery Plot Rumors

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Set Photos Confirm a Pair of Spoilery Plot Rumors

    If it seems as though Daredevil: Born Again has been filming forever, it’s because it has. After starting principal photography in New York City in early 2023, the pause button was pressed on the series when the SAG and WGA strikes shut down productions across the board. Disney took that time to overhaul the show, bringing in a showrunner and new directors. The new creative team’s decision to make Born Again a continuation of Netflix’s Daredevil led to the canonization of that series and the return of a pair of actors who had originally been left out of the series. Once filming resumed in NYC, another returning actor, Wilson Bethel, was captured on set but shortly thereafter, things slowed down a bit as production moved out of the public eye.

    That all changed as the calendar turned to April as photos and videos from the set captured Jon Bernthal‘s return, The Punisher and Daredevil in action together and a surprising new character from a very recent run on Marvel Comics Daredevil. Additional photos from the bountiful Brooklyn set revealed an interesting detail that ultimately confirms two spoilery plot points from the series. Read on at your own peril…

    Some of the longest-standing rumors about the plot of Daredevil: Born Again center on Wilson Fisk running for and becoming the Mayor of New York City. Additionally, a hefty part of Fisk’s campaign was rumored to revolve around an anti-vigilante initiative, set to clean up the streets. That would mean characters like The Punisher, Daredevil and, yes, Spider-Man, find themselves on the wrong side of Fisk’s agenda in Daredevil: Born Again. A closer look at some details from videos and photos from last night’s Brooklyn set seem to confirm all of the above.

    Set photos of Jeremy Earl’s character, reportedly Cole North, showed him sporting not only a Punisher logo on his tactical gear but also some small patches on his sleeves. Upon closer inspection, those patches indicate that North and other personnel on the set are part of Mayor Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force.

    That means it is almost a certainty that Daredevil and Punisher find themselves under fire from the Anti-Vigilante Task Force in the video from the same set. Given how long the series has been back in production, it’s possible that this is footage from the finale of Season 1, Part 1 which could end with the heroes in a bit of a pickle and with Mayor Fisk looking every bit the hero for “cleaning up the streets of New York.” In the comics, Fisk used a new iteration of the Thunderbolts as his task force; it looks as though the version set to be seen in Daredevil: Born Again may be a bit more mundane.

    Daredevil: Born Again is currently in production and has no release date.

  • BTS Photos Reveal a Surprising Addition to the Cast of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    BTS Photos Reveal a Surprising Addition to the Cast of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    After a bit of a hiatus from filming in public, production on Daredevil: Born Again has returned to the streets of Brooklyn. Getting back on the streets of New York City means that there are plenty of cameras ready to capture the behind-the-scenes action and a recent scene provided plenty of that. In addition to the return of Jon Bernthal fully decked out as The Punisher and working alongside Daredevil, Splash News shared some photos of actor Jeremy Earl as a character who was previously not revealed to be part of the series.

    In a pair of photos from the Brooklyn set, Earl (Chicago P.D.) is seen on set and is reportedly playing Cole North.

    In the pages of Marvel Comics, North is an NYPD Detective who first appeared in 2019 during Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil run. Originally introduced as an antagonist to Daredevil and part of Mayor Wilson Fisk’s anti-vigilante task force, North ultimately became an ally to The Man Without Fear…but only after shooting him.

    If that same arc is planned for him in Daredevil: Born Again, it’ll be interesting to see how he gets there. Long-standing rumors about the series indicated that Frank Castle’s arc in the series would include him going up against dirty cops who had co-opted The Punisher logo, which Earl’s character is sporting in the set photos. Should North end up as an ally to Daredevil, he’ll first have to survive his interaction with Frank, who is rumored to be none-too-pleased about the type of officers who are using his logo.

    Daredevil: Born Again is currently in production. No official word has been given about its release.

  • “See You Around Red”: Set Leaks Show Daredevil and The Punisher Back in Action Together in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    “See You Around Red”: Set Leaks Show Daredevil and The Punisher Back in Action Together in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    With Jon Bernthal recently spotted on the New York City set of Daredevil: Born Again, it was only a matter of time before he was caught in action as Frank Castle. That time has come and not only has Bernthal been photographed fully decked out as The Punisher, he’s also in action with his old friend Matt Murdock!

    Courtesy of Splash News come a couple of new behind-the-scenes looks at filming on the streets of Brooklyn. The first shows a bloody Castle complete with his Punisher logo front and center on his tactical gear.

    Next, an interesting set video shows Castle and a suited-up Matt Murdock working together. While the context of the video isn’t entirely clear, it seems as though the duo may be under fire both from rifles and some sort of sonic emitter. That sort of weapon would be the type of thing deployed against Daredevil only by someone who was aware of his uniquely keen senses.

    Filming on what is believed to be the first part of Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again has been back underway in New York City for some time and, as expected, has produced quite a few looks at what to expect from the series. As of now, there’s been no word from Disney as to when to expect it to hit Disney Plus; however, before strikes stopped production last Summer, it was slated to release in early 2025.

  • James Gunn Debunks Major DC Casting Rumor

    James Gunn Debunks Major DC Casting Rumor

    DC Studios co-chair James Gunn’s social media takedowns of would be scoopers has become the stuff of legend. Many online buzzmeisters, including yours truly, have had their hopes of breaking industry news dashed by Gunn. Now, Gunn has done it again in regards to a recent rumor about a major role in 2026’s The Batman Part II.

    Shortly before the news broke that the recently delayed sequel was set to begin production in April 2025, Medium shared “news” that Boyd Holbrook had been cast in the film as Harvey Dent. According to Gunn, there is no truth to that rumored casting, calling it “fake.”

    While Holbrook’s potential as Dent would have been intriguing, it’ll fall to someone else to bring the demented DA to life in Matt Reeves‘ Gotham-verse.

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Set Photo Provides First Look at Jon Bernthal’s Beat Up Punisher

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Set Photo Provides First Look at Jon Bernthal’s Beat Up Punisher

    After providing a plethora of photos once production resumed a couple of months ago, things have been pretty quiet on the set of Daredevil: Born Again. It turns out the Easter Bunny was hiding a surprise for everyone.

    Thougj we’re just sharing it today, Jon Bernthal was spotted in New York on Friday, March 29th, during a break from filming.

    IG user littlepandapit was lucky enough to snap an ussie with Bernthal and while there’s not much to see, it’s clear Frank’s a bit scraped up. From the looks of it, hels either been in a big brawl where someone tried to choke him or he had a spicy little sesh with Karen Page.

    Daredevil: Born Again current has no official release date but was believed to be headed for a 2025 release before strikes and a creative overhaul paused production on the series.

  • Marvel Studios Makes a Title Change to Another 2025 Film

    Marvel Studios Makes a Title Change to Another 2025 Film

    As part of the cast reveal on Valentine’s Day 2024, Marvel Studios made a tiny change to the title of their Fantastic Four film. Introduced in 2019 as Fantastic Four, the Matt Shakman-led project- –which is set to begin principal photography this August–became The Fantastic Four. As changes go, adding an article to the beginning of the title is pretty minor; however, a change is a change and the news is the news. In that regard, it’s worth pointing out that Marvel Studios has  made another minor, but interesting change, to the title of another 2025 film.

    After quite a few delays as part of Disney’s 2023 slate shuffles, filming is finally underway on the Jake Schreier-helmed Thunderbolts project. In a surprise but welcomed move, star Florence Pugh took to social media to post a “sneaky” video from the set of the project. During her trip around the stage, Pugh bumped into Schreier whose director’s chair revealed a new logo and title for the film. Later, the video was reposted to social media by Marvel Studios apparently confirming that the film is now called Thunderbolts*.

    Again, as title changes go, placing an asterisk at the end of the pre-existing title is about as minor as it gets; however, it’s also fairly puzzling because it came with no explanation. Typically when placed at the end of a word, an asterisk indicates some sort of footnote is being cross-referenced. That does not seem to be the case here which leaves a little mystery around the minor change to the title. It’s possible the asterisk indicates some additional context is needed to understand the title of the film which is also the title of the team of antiheros who undertake a secret mission in the film. Given all the online hubbub about one purported explanation for how the team gets the name, it’s possible that the asterisk is indeed a reference to how the team chooses its moniker.

    As for the video itself, it’s fairly harmless and other than a quick peek at the vault in which Lewis Pullman‘s Robert Reynolds is being held at the beginning of the film, it doesn’t give away much. However, it’s part of a welcome change in the way Marvel Studios has gone about the business of revealing information about their projects for quite some time. It cleverly takes advantage of Marvel well-known and incredibly obnoxious secrecy on set and gives fans a little reason to be excited which ultimately builds hype for the project.

    Thunderbolts* is currently slated to be in theaters on May 2, 2025.