Murphy's Multiverse

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  • Reactions Call ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 a Winning and Violent Next Chapter for the DCU

    Reactions Call ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 a Winning and Violent Next Chapter for the DCU

    Nearly three years after the first season caught audiences by surprise and became regarded as one of the best shows of 2022, the second season of Peacemaker is almost finally here. Ahead of the August 21st debut, DC Studios held a red carpet premiere on August 13th in New York City and now reactions and reviews have begun to land online.

    Through the first 34 reviews, Season 2 of Peacemaker held a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, enough to make sure the project earned the Certified Fresh label. Critics largely praised series star John Cena‘s continued work as the damaged hero Christopher Smith and lauded James Gunn‘s work in making the Multiverse work for the DCU.

    Screening packages which were sent out to select members of the media only contained the first five episodes with Gunn claiming that not even his publicist could see the final three because they contained such major spoilers.

    While some journalists levied some minor criticisms against the new season, the consensus seems to be that it’s going to be a wildly entertaining, funny and violent ride.

  • Latest Sadie Sink Rumor Could Mean a Wildly Unexpected Turn for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    Latest Sadie Sink Rumor Could Mean a Wildly Unexpected Turn for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    After two weeks of filming in Glasgow, Scotland, it looks as though production on Spider-Man: Brand New Day is headed back to Buckinghamshire, England where Pinewood Studios serves as the movie’s “home base.” Fans were treated to plenty of photos and videos from the Glasgow set, including some spoilery shots of Frank Castle’s new Battle Van; however, despite rumors to the contrary, the film’s co-star, Sadie Sink, never made it to Glasgow.

    Since being cast in March, Sink has been at the center of an insider info war with several scoopers sharing a half-dozen or so potential characters that the Stranger Things star could be playing. Ranging from Jean Grey to a Mary Jane Watson Variant to Gwen Stacy to Mayday Parker, the rumored possibilities all fit with the film’s street-level plot. However, a new rumor from a source not previously part of the info war has shared an intriguing rumor that, if true, could send the plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in an entirely unexpected and wild direction.

    Nexus Point News EIC Demet took to X to share word that she’s been told Sink’s character was named–or possibly codenamed–Annabelle Adams. A relatively minor character with only 15 appearances in the pages of Marvel Comics, Adams seems like a boring choice at first; however, the studio could be looking to use her as the host of a far more interesting character.

    After being introduced as the love interest of Peter Parker clone Kaine, Annabelle Adams story took a major turn in Edge of the Spider-Verse Volume 2 when she became entangled with the shape shifting deity Shathra.

    Should the studio be looking to use Adams as some sort of host for Shathra, the film, featuring The Punisher, Scorpion and several other street-level baddies could take a multiversal turn, potentially tying it to Sony’s animated Spider-Verse franchise ahead of the end of The Multiverse Saga.

    Of course, speculation based on a rumor is hardly the best way to go but this latest rumor does share some commonality with some information making its way through some certain circles. If nothing else, it makes for a very different bit of conversation than what’s been taking place.

  • James Gunn Explains How ‘Peacemaker’ Forced ‘Superman’ to Digital So Soon

    James Gunn Explains How ‘Peacemaker’ Forced ‘Superman’ to Digital So Soon

    After an incredibly short 35-day theatrical window, DC Studios Superman is now available to rent or purchase on digital platforms. Though the film hasn’t been pulled from theaters, fans were caught off guard earlier this week when the August 15th digital debut was announced; however, it turns out there’s a pretty logical reason behind the first film in the Superman Saga heading to small screens so soon.

    “Well, it’s very complicated, but the truth is it is because of Peacemaker,” Gunn explained in an interview with Screen Rant. The DC Studios co-chair previously stated that “Peacemaker season 2 is very connected to Superman,” though now it sounds as though watching the Man of Steel’s DCU debut may be required reading for the new season of John Cena‘s streaming series.

    -Photo courtesy of WB Media Pass

    I originally thought Peacemaker was going to be coming out next month [September]. There was a lot of things that are beyond our control, so that Peacemaker is coming out now, and, at the end of the day, I wanted everyone to be able to see Superman that wanted to, even those people who couldn’t get to a theater before Peacemaker. And that’s really the reason for it.

    -James Gunn

    Reading between the lines of Gunn’s comments, it sounds as though Warner Bros. Discovery made the decision to release Season 2 of Peacemaker in August, scuttling the original plans for Superman‘s digital release. In all reality, the quick turnaround is unlikely to cause much harm to the box office total of the film and will more than likely spur another round of social media hype as fans who hadn’t seen it in theaters check in.

    Peacemaker Season 2 debuts on HBO Max.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • ‘Marvel Zombies’ Gets a New Release Date; Showrunner Teases “A Lot of Insanity”

    ‘Marvel Zombies’ Gets a New Release Date; Showrunner Teases “A Lot of Insanity”

    Spinning out of “What If…Zombies?”, Marvel Animations upcoming Marvel Zombies series hasn’t been the subject of much discussion. However, with Spooky Season creeping closer, a new interview with showrunner Bryan Andrews sheds some light on the project, including a new release date.

    While talking with Collider, Andrews revealed that the project, which will now debut on September 24th, was originally developed as a movie before becoming a “four-episode mini-event.”

    “It’s like, originally, we were thinking it’d be a movie, if like, ‘Ooh, we should release it as a movie.’ We should just do a movie,” said Andrews, who directed the zombie episode of What If…?. “But there were some things that came up, certain issues that we just had to kind of, ‘Oh let’s break it. We’ll have to break it up into four episodes.’ So basically it’s like a four-episode mini-event, like a film broke up into four parts, basically. So yeah, it’s definitely… It’s one story. It’s one throughline. A lot of insanity happens.”

    That insanity spins right out of the ending of “What If…Zombies?” which saw Spider-Man, Black Panther and the head of Ant-Man head to Wakanda where zombie Thanos awaits. The event series will introduce additional surviving heroes to the mix including Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Shang-Chi and Yelena Belova among others.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Set Leak Reveals The Punisher’s New [SPOILER]

    ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Set Leak Reveals The Punisher’s New [SPOILER]

    For over a week, fans have lined the streets of Glasgow, Scotland to catch a glimpse of filming on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. For the majority of that time, the production has been working on a chase scene said to feature Spidey trying to keep up with a tank driven by Frank Castle. Now a new batch of photos from the set reveal that the tank won’t be the only way Castle gets around.

    As filming on location in Glasgow begins to wind down, fans have shared the first look at Frank Castle’s new Battle Van!

    As he waged war on crime in the comics, Castle began using heavily-equipped Battle Vans in Gerry Conway‘s Giant-Size Spider-Man #4. Frank used a pair of vans over the course of the two season of Netflix’s The Punisher, destroying one and abandoning the other. Neither of those were as fantastically comic booky as this one.

  • James Gunn Gives Shocking Update on ‘Superman’ Sequel

    James Gunn Gives Shocking Update on ‘Superman’ Sequel

    The very successful launch of DC Studios Superman provided real momentum for the all-new, all-different DCU. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav recently told shareholders that the “DC vision” was clear and teased “an ambitious, 10-year plan of interconnected sequels and spinoffs,” that includes among them a “Super -Family” film written and directed by James Gunn. Now, ahead of Superman’s digital debut, Gunn has updated the status of the project.

    In an interview with THR, Gunn stated that he has completed the treatment for the next story in what he is now calling the “Superman Saga” and that production on the project could begin “not too far away from today.”

    “I’ve already finished the treatment for the next story in what I’ll call the Superman Saga,” said Gunn. “The treatment’s done–which means a very, very worked out and I’m hopefully going into production on that  treatment–andbim working on that not too far away from today.“

    Should production get underway this year, it’s possible the new film could be in theaters far sooner than anyone had expected. Gunn has made it clear he’s been working on a follow-up to this summer’s Superman but it seems to have come together shockingly fast…perhaps even faster than a speeding bullet.

    A storyboard spotted in the recently released behind-the-scenes featurette Adventures in the Making of Superman may have given some insight into what Gunn might explore in the second film in the Superman Saga…and it may involve the classic Superman villain Brainiac.

    Updating…

  • ‘Superman’ Featurette May Have Revealed the Villain of James Gunn’s ‘Super-Family’ Film

    ‘Superman’ Featurette May Have Revealed the Villain of James Gunn’s ‘Super-Family’ Film

    During a recent earnings call with Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders, WB CEO David Zaslav celebrated the successful release of DC Studios first feature film, Superman, and teased “an ambitious, 10-year plan of interconnected sequels and spinoffs,” for the all-new, all-different DCU.

    “The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real. I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead,” said Zaslav, before teasing one of those “interconnected spinoffs,” that he called the “next movie in the Super-Family,” which he confirmed would be written and directed by DC Studios co-chair James Gunn.

    Gunn has teased the project on social media for some time, revealing it would star David Corenswet while never referring to it as a “true” sequel. Zaslav’s comments sparked a wave of theories about what the film might ultimately be but now a behind-the-scenes featurette, Adventures in the  Making of Superman, may have given away the film’s co-star and villain.

    https://youtu.be/a5dOvnWVYB4?t=137&si=8xidGExEI933lH1C

    At the 2:17 mark of the featurette, a storyboard for an unused scene comes into view for a couple of seconds as Gunn describes his love for “the Superman family comics.” The storyboard features Superman, Supergirl and Krypto flying but a closer look at the bottom corner reveals the head of one of the House of El’s greatest enemies: Brainiac.

    That scene clearly never made it into Superman nor did Brainiac; however, it’s entirely possible that the idea from what was likely an earlier draft of the film was removed and has been developed by Gunn for the “Super(man)-Family” film Zaslav mentioned. Gunn had previously revealed that the villain “was considered” for Superman and with Supergirl hitting theaters in 2026, it wouldn’t take much to give some background to Brainiac’s fascination with Kryptonions and reveal that he visited Krypton before it was destroyed and shrunk and stole the capital city of Kandor.

    Of course, there’s some chance it could have been a random inclusion but by letting it linger on screen while discussing the House of El, it certainly seems like an intentional tease.

  • MCU Star Seemingly Reveals Her ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Role

    MCU Star Seemingly Reveals Her ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Role

    When Marvel Studios revealed 27 actors and actresses as part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, fans noted that some names that had been linked to the project were not included. For instance, Chris Evans and Haley Atwell—both of whom may have already filmed under some interesting codenames–had both long been rumored to be attached to star but weren’t among those whose chairs were displayed during the cast reveal. Also notably absent were any of the studio’s younger stars, such as Iman Vellani, Hailee Steinfeld or Xochitl Gomez, all of whom were rumored to team up in the film as Marvel’s Champions. Now, one of that trio may have confirmed those rumors.

    In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Gomez seems to have confirmed her character, America Chavez, will have a role in Avengers: Doomsday.
    https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/xochitl-gomez-on-what-america-chavez-is-bringing-in-avengers-return-exclusive-236736

    When asked what America–who debuted and was last seen in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness— would bring to Avengers: Doomsday, Gomez didn’t follow the Marvel playbook, choosing to actually answer the question.

    “Bravery. Courage. And let’s say, powerful,” revealed Gomez.

    I mean, I’m excited to see her future. I think most importantly…what do you guys want to see? What are you hoping for America’s future? I would love to see that. Hopefully, we’ll cook up something with what y’all put out there. Manifest it!

    -Xochitl Gomez

    Given that her character’s power allows her to open portals throughout the Multiverse, Gomez has always seemed like a lock to join the cast on some capacity. However, with a cast expected to include five dozen heroes and villains, there may not be much else for Chavez to do other than open a few star-shaped portals for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

    Source: ET Online

  • Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Share Conflicting Information on the Future of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Share Conflicting Information on the Future of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    As Season One of Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again was finishing its run on Disney Plus in March, production on Season Two was getting underway in New York City. As is always the case, shooting scenes in the Big Apple allowed fans and professional photographers to capture pictures and videos of the action, including catching star Charlie Cox in a black suit complete with, for the first time, a “DD” logo on the chest.

    The suit–which upon a closer look appeared to be the red suit with a layer of black paint on top–resembles the one worn by the character in the Shadowland event or the “Back in Black” suit from the 2015 Charles Soule and Ron Garney run and generated some serious hype.

    Though it’s been a while since the photos landed online, Cox was asked about them during an appearance at Galaxy Con and teased that the black suit isn’t the only new get up Ol’ Hornhead will be sporting in the follow-up season.

    “I know there have been some leaked set photos…so the one we’ve just finished with in Season Two of Born Again, I think is my favorite for a couple of reasons,” said Cox. “One, because it is badass. But also because every suit that we’ve had so far, in some way, is represented in the comics,” explained the actor. “We’ve had a couple of red one. Two, I think three red ones. We’ve had the She-Hulk golden yellow and red…but there’s a particular…there’s something I can’t without giving away too much…there’s something that we do in this final season that doesn’t exist in the comics. So it is unique to our show and so I’m pretty excited about that.”

    Season 2 will come out next year, and then hopefully season 3 and season infinity after that. I think this world is extremely rich, and there are many stories to be told on the streets of New York.

    -Brad Winderbaum

    Cox’s reference to the new season as the “final” one understandably had fans concerned, especially since Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum revealed long-term plans for the series earlier this year. Perhaps the star simply misspoke; perhaps Marvel will retitle the show for Season Three, making the second season the final season of Born Again; perhaps Cox had a Freudian slip and accidentally revealed his desire to move on from the character. Whatever the case, co-star Vincent D’Onofrio was quickly able to put out a growing fire. In response to multiple fans asking him about Cox’s comments, D’Onofrio confirmed plans for the series to continue.

    D’Onofrio’s comments are consistent with what he had to say in an interview earlier this year in which he explained that while there are plans for more Daredevil, it’s “up to the fans to watch and to get excited,” and convince Disney to move ahead with those plans.

  • Ryan Reynolds Ignites ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Speculation with New Instagram Post

    Ryan Reynolds Ignites ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Speculation with New Instagram Post

    It has been about two and a half months since Marvel Studios used empty chairs to capture the entire world’s attention for roughly five hours while revealing part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. While rumors have circulated that 33 more stars will eventually be announced as part of the cast, bringing the count to 60, so far, Marvel Studios has remained quiet on that front. However, one MCU star just ignited speculation that further casting reveals may be imminent.

    Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds shared an image of an Avengers “A” overlayed with an anarchy symbol–seen in Cassandra Nova’s lair in the 2024 film–causing fans to believe an announcement that Reynolds has joined Avengers: Doomsday is pending.

    While Reynolds has stated in the past that he doesn’t want his character to join the Avengers and X-Men, he does see a path forward for Deadpool in big team-up films. “The character trait I love most about Deadpool is that he’s a fanboy. His enthusiasm and longing to be part of a team is really endearing to me. It’s his overarching wish-fulfillment story. But I don’t think he should ever be an Avenger or an X-Man,” Reynolds explained. “If he becomes either, we’re at the end.“

    “I think Deadpool works so well appearing with the X-Men and Avengers, but he always needs to stay an outsider. His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted,” said Reynolds. With a clear vision for the character from Reynolds and with MCU boss Kevin Feige “wondering where we can fit [Deadpool and Wolverine] in, and how quickly,” it would be shocking not to see Wade Wilson and Logan make an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars.