Murphy's Multiverse

Blog

  • Marvel Exec Shares Disappointing News about Long-Developing Project

    Marvel Exec Shares Disappointing News about Long-Developing Project

    In 2014, the Nova Corps were introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Guardians of the Galaxy. Operating from the planet Xandar, the MCU’s Corps worked as space cops and ultimately stored the Power Stone in their HQ. Though the fate of the Corps and the planet is unknown, Thanos was able to get his hands on the stone so it’s unlikely it was a happy ending. At the time Avengers: Infinity War premiered in 2018, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, told Comic Book that the Nova Corps most powerful hero, known as Nova, was one of a handful of Marvel characters who had “immediate potential” in terms of joining the MCU. Nearly 6 years later, the character still hasn’t joined the fray and some new comments from one of the MCU’s top dogs indicate he’s likely not going to enter the mix for some time.

    In a new interview with Comic Book, Marvel’s head of streaming, animation, and television Brad Winderbaum confirmed the incredibly well-known and widely-reported fact that a Nova project was in development at Marvel Studios before gently letting on that it’s not going to be something fans will see any time soon.

    “We love Nova. We are in really early development on Nova,” explained Winderbaum, confirming trade reports from two years ago which revealed that Moon Knight scribe Sabir Pirzada was working on the project. Winderbaum then went on to detail the oft-discussed changes in the way studios like Marvel Studios go about their business since Bob Iger’s return to Disney and made it pretty clear that fans shouldn’t be trying to slate Nova into their hypothetical calendars anytime soon.

    “We have a new system behind-the-scenes at Marvel Studios,” Winderbaum said. “We’re more like a traditional studio now. We’re developing more than we actually will produce. There are plans to develop Nova. I love Nova, too. I love Rich Rider, too. I hope it gets to the screen. The world is always chaos. There’s always things. You gotta conjure these things to make them happen but I would love to see a Nova show, one day.”

    Taken in their totality, Winderbaum’s response to the question about the status of a Nova project could hardly be regarded as optimistic. The studio is cutting back on new projects and focusing more on “sure things” and producing more projects within currently existing and successful franchises. Given that it’s been a decade since the Nova Corps made an impact in an MCU film, it’s possible Richard Rider’s time to shine has come and gone without so much as a cameo, Easter egg or wasted post-credit scene and whatever “immediate potential” he had in 2018 has waned. For now, it seems all fans of the character have is just a series of bad fan fiction about how the character could have joined the MCU in a genuinely organic way.

    Source: Comic Book

  • DC Studios Developing a Live-Action ‘Teen Titans’ Film

    DC Studios Developing a Live-Action ‘Teen Titans’ Film

    As production gets underway on the DCU’s first film, Superman, another of DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran’s future projects has been revealed. According to THR, DC Studios is developing a Teen Titans film, which will be produced as a live-action film.

    THR reports that the film is currently being written by Ana Nogueira, the scribe behind the studio’s upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

    The Teen Titans were first introduced into the pages of DC Comics in the 1960s. The makeup of the roster has undergone some changes over the years but Dick Grayson and Wally West have been semi-permanent fixtures. Characters such as Aqualad, Wonder Girl, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven and Cyborg have also been part of the team with the latter three most well-known as part of the roster because of the animated series, Teen Titans Go! Recently, the team debuted in live-action in Titans, a multi-season Max series that didn’t click for most fans or critics.

    Teen Titans joins Superman, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Booster Gold and Swamp Thing as films known to be in development as DC Studios plots a new course for some of comics greatest heroes.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Superman’ Set Photos Provide the First Look at One of the Film’s Villains

    ‘Superman’ Set Photos Provide the First Look at One of the Film’s Villains

    Production on James Gunn‘s Superman has picked up stateside in Atlanta and it didn’t take long for the first photos from the set to make their way online.

    Just Jared has just released photos of Maria Gabrielle de Faria’s villain known as The Engineer. Whether it’s just an early iteration of the character’s costume or if Gunn decides to go a totally different direction for the DCU, the photos show a very different look for the character than in the comics.

    Due to copyright laws, you’ll need to go to Just Jared to check out the new photos!

    Updating…

  • Tom Hardy’s Next ‘Venom’ Film Gets a New Title and Release Date

    Tom Hardy’s Next ‘Venom’ Film Gets a New Title and Release Date

    As Venom 3 resumed filming in November following the Hollywood strikes, star Tom Hardy celebrated the restart of production in an Instagram post in which he referred to the film as “The Last Dance.” As one might expect, that kicked off rampant speculation that the third installment in Sony’s Venom franchise would be subtitled as such. Now, it’s official.

    Sony officially revealed the film’s full title, Venom: The Last Dance, alongside a new, earlier release date for the threequel. Originally slated for a November 8, 2024 release, the film will now hit theaters on October 25, 2024.

    Starring Hardy, Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Clark Backo, the film is expected to follow the Lethal Protector as he returns from his brief visit to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and embarks on some ridiculous, new adventure. Following the theatrical travesty of Madame Web, we can all only hope that “The Last Dance” is more than just a subtitle and a promise that they’ll stop making horseshit Marvel movies.

    Source: Variety

  • Disney Rumored to Be Killing Three Marvel Studios Franchises

    Disney Rumored to Be Killing Three Marvel Studios Franchises

    Since Bob Iger‘s return as Disney’s top dog, the House of Mouse’s major studios have been reflecting on the work they have been churning out. Chief among those is Marvel Studios, who after a string of projects that were critical and/or financial disappointments, has been mandated to slow down production and get back to the basics of what made the MCU the cultural phenomenon it was. The strikes served as a blessing in disguise in that regard, allowing Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios Parliament to rework several projects that were already in production and get ahead of the curve on others. As a result, it seems as though the end of the Multiverse Saga may ultimately be delayed a bit and while fans wait to find out when it will wrap up and what new projects will join those already known, a new rumor may help put that puzzle together.

    According to Marvel Studios insider Daniel RPK, Disney has decided not to move forward with a trio of sequels, effectively killing three Marvel Studios franchises. The scooper reports that the studio has decided not to move forward with more projects in the Captain Marvel and Ant-Man franchises and has “shelved” a sequel to 2021’s Eternals. The moves come as Iger reportedly wants Marvel to put their energy into projects that are sure-fire hits and reduce the number of risky projects in the pipeline.

    The Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, was a disappointment at the box office, falling well short of the big money its predecessor made in 2019. The target of a preemptive and hateful social media campaign that was successful in keeping fans out of theaters, the film has been fairly warmly received as it made its way to Disney Plus. The same can not be said, however, for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Plagued by rewrites, the film–which was supposed to be a major cornerstone of the Multiverse Saga–is the most critically panned MCU project. Neither of those projects were as risky as Eternals, which was also well-lambasted by critics. Word of development on a sequel to Eternals had been making its way around for some time but for now, it seems fairly unlikely to move forward.

  • Holy Finishing Touches, Batman! Matt Reeves ‘The Batman’ Sequel Gets a New Release Date

    Holy Finishing Touches, Batman! Matt Reeves ‘The Batman’ Sequel Gets a New Release Date

    Rumors and speculation of a delay for The Batman Part II have been making their way around social media for quite some time. Now, there’s no need for them to continue to swirl as Warner Bros. has given the sequel to Matt Reeves‘ 2022 hit a new release date.

    As part of a series of moves, The Batman Part II will now release on October 2, 2026, a full year later than originally planned.

    Produced under DC Studios’ Elseworlds banner, The Batman Part II–like its predecessor and the upcoming Max streaming series, The Penguin–will not be part of the new DCU’s main continuity.

    According to THR, the delay is a result of the strikes which would have put development of the film’s script, being co-written by Reeves andatt Tomlin, on hold for most of 2023.

    Updating…

    Source: THR

  • Marvel Studios Fires ‘X-Men ’97’ Creator Ahead of Season 1 Debut

    Marvel Studios Fires ‘X-Men ’97’ Creator Ahead of Season 1 Debut

    In a shocking bit of news, Marvel Studios has reportedly parted ways with X-Men ’97 creator Beau DeMayo. Following a weekend where DeMayo deleted his Instagram, where he had often provided updates for the upcoming seires, THR’s Borys Kit and Aaron Couch revealed that he was no longer working for Marvel Studios.

    It’s an unusual move for Marvel Studios as not only had DeMayo already worked on a second season of X-Men ’97 but has also worked with the studio on several other projects including Moon Knight and Blade. The news of the firing comes just two days ahead of the series Hollywood premiere and the publicity push before its March 20th streaming debut.

    Updating…

    Source: THR

  • DC Studios Shifts Its Streaming Slate

    DC Studios Shifts Its Streaming Slate

    Later this year, DC Studios will release the animated streaming series Creature Commandos, the first project of the all-new, all-different DCU. It’s been expected for some time that the next in-universe streamer would be Waller, which was originally on track to debut in 2024; however, according to an update from DC Studios co-chair James Gunn, that’s no longer the case.

    Following an interview in which Peacemaker co-star Jennifer Holland revealed that casting on the second season of the Max streaming series was set to kick off this Summer, Gunn took to Threads to clarify how production on the series would fit into his busy schedule. As was the case with the first season of Peacemaker, Gunn wrote the scripts for the second season which he confirmed have been completed. And though he’ll still be working on finishing up Superman, Gunn will still direct some episodes of Peacemaker Season 2, though likely not as many as he did in the first season where he helmed 5 episodes. The bigger news, however, was that due to the 2023 strikes, Waller is still being written by Jeremy Carver and Christal Henry and will now be released–and be set–after Peacemaker Season 2.

    Originally described as Peacemaker Season 1.5, Waller now finds itself in a new spot. With both Peacemaker Season 2 and Waller set within the same continuity as Creature Commandos and Superman, fans had been theorizing that Waller would serve to explain how characters such as John Cena‘s Peacemaker, John Economos and Waller herself made the jump into the new DCU. While it remains to be seen how that will be addressed if at all, it looks like that ball may now be in Peacemaker’s court.

  • ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Promo Art Provides First Look at Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader

    ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Promo Art Provides First Look at Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader

    2008’s The Incredible Hulk still stands as one of the MCU’s most critically panned films. Outside of Bruce Banner’s ongoing plight and a small recurring role for Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the characters and ideas introduced in the film were phased out of the MCU. Then, in 2021, a brief appearance by the Abomination in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings kicked off a renaissance for the project.

    Tim Roth returned as Emil Blonsky/The Abomination in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law which also put Banner’s blood–a key plot point in The Incredible Hulk–back in the spotlight. The renaissance is set to continue in Captain America: Brave New World where one of the MCU’s longest-gestating set-ups will finally pay off when Tim Blake Nelson will return as The Leader. While some photos from the set confirmed Nelson’s Samuel Sterns would be green in the new film, three been no good look at the character’s trademark massive dome, which audiences saw beginning to from after Banner’s blood dropped into an open head wound in The Incredible Hulk. Now, a new piece of concept art for the film, which was originally set to hit theaters in 2024, has found its way online.

    It’s certainly not the most revealing look but it does make clear that Sterns’ cranium has undergone some cosmetic changes since he was last scene.  The Leader’s role in the film has yet to be revealed but given his role in creating the Red Hulk in the comics, it’s possible he’ll find himself together with Harrison Ford’s Ross.

    Captain America: Brave New World is CURRENTLY set to hit theaters on February 14, 2025.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Mend Their Broken Fences in “The Return”

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Mend Their Broken Fences in “The Return”

    Since Crosshair turned on his brothers in the series debut, “Aftermath”, the Bad Batch has fundamentally been broken. The composition of the team has been somewhat fluid as Echo and Rex have joined them on missions but with Crosshair’s decision to remain loyal to the Empire and the shocking loss of Tech in Season 2, Clone Force 99 has simply not been whole. The truth is that they likely never will be made whole again, they will certainly fight to the last to keep what they do have together. And with Crosshair helping Omega make their way back to them with the Empire in hot pursuit, keeping her safe becomes their new mission and with the clock ticking, that means doing it under whatever conditions are necessary, even if one such condition is working with their wayward brother.

    In the final season’s fifth episode, entitled “The Return”, the Batchers enlist Echo’s help to crack open Nala Se’s datapad to understand why Omega is so vital to the Empire. Despite all of Echo’s techpertise, the conclusion is drawn that it can only be accessed from inside an Imperial facility. And so it’s here where Crosshair takes his shot, telling the team of the abandoned outpost on Barton IV where the sniper faced his own existential crisis in Season 2.

    (L-R): Crosshair, Omega, and Hunter in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 3 exclusively on Disney+. © 2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    After only just reuniting with Hunter and Wrecker, “The Return” puts Crosshair in the driver’s seat, adding some serious stressors to a relationship that’s already fractured. There are plenty of dangers to be faced on Barton IV, including a terrifying ice wyrm, but it proves the perfect place for Wrecker and Crosshair to work out their differences and to learn that they have quite a bit more in common than either of them realized. While they each have plenty of their own personal demons, the guilt of what has befallen Omega weighs heavily on both of them and it’s their shared concern for her well-being that allows them to bury the hatchet. Though the series is progressing toward a known conclusion (spoiler: the bad guys win), the Batch becoming whole-ish again won’t end well for the Imperials on their tail.

    Once again, The Bad Batch delivers an episode where a surprising amount of character growth is accomplished while still allowing for some serious sci-fi action to take place. It’s hard to say that the broken trust between Crosshair and Hunter has been totally mended in “The Return” but if Ted Lasso taught us anything, it’s that by embracing the flaws and imperfections, something much stronger can be created.