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  • Matthew Vaughn Open to Tackle a ‘Star Wars’ Film

    Matthew Vaughn Open to Tackle a ‘Star Wars’ Film

    Matthew Vaughn is currently promoting his latest film, The King’s Man, which acts as a prequel to his popular Kingsman franchise. It seems though that before he brought the iconic franchise to the silver screen, he was in love with the idea of tackling a project for Lucasfilm, especially as part of the Star Wars franchise. Screen Rant got a chance to ask about his interest in potentially tackling a project, while also looking back at the sequel trilogy’s release by Disney.

    If you’d asked me that 10 years ago, I would have given Kingsman to Lucasfilm for free to get a go shooting a Star Wars film. So yes, I would have loved to [have] done a Star Wars film, which was part of the Skywalker saga, is all I can say. It sort of feels like that’s been decimated, or whatever the word is for that thing. But yeah, Star Wars is a really important movie to me. I mean, I thought I liked films, and then I saw Star Wars…So, never say never…So the answer is, if they really wanted a new, proper Star Wars film, a proper one, a Star Wars movie that could be its own thing, I wouldn’t say no, just have a go with a lightsaber…So, I don’t know. When they were looking for a director for the next Indiana Jones, it did pique my interest.

    He’s made quite an interesting statement on the case of the sequels and their quality. Plus, his love for LucasFilm highlights how deep their films have become a part of our cultural consciousness, especially with many of us growing up with it. He continues to highlight that:

    I was like, “Oh my God, to make an Indy would be great.” But Star Wars, yeah, I think out of all the IP I’m not involved with, Star Wars would always get my attention. If they rang — they’ve never rang me up, they’ve got no interest in working with me, just to be very clear. I think I’m probably a little bit too — what’s the word? — Maverick, maybe? But I promise, if I did it, I would do — I’m not saying no one tries to make a good film, a bad film — but I would be meticulous on trying to protect the legacy of something that I fell in love with movies for. So the answer is a very long-winded answer. But yes, I’d like to.

    Star Wars is definitely an interesting project to tackle for any director given its many influences that establish a unique take on space operas. We’ve also slowly seen them expand into new ventures like Star Wars: Visions, which might be a sign they are expanding in unique ways. Though delays have recently also hinted at a lot of discussions internally. So, we’ll see what the future has in store for the franchise and hopefully, Vaughn gets a chance to make a dream come true.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • EXCLUSIVE: Luke Evans on Redemption for King Merriman

    EXCLUSIVE: Luke Evans on Redemption for King Merriman

    Amongst the colorful cast of characters in Crossing Swords, it’s pretty obvious early on that they’re all very bad people. The show is ultimately about a young man named Patrick who is clawing his way through the mud, trying to be the best squire and future knight that he can be. Of course, under the heel of King Merriman, though, it’s a bit harder as he’s just an awful ruler. 

    While making the press rounds to promote the second season, we had the chance to talk with Luke Evans on his character, King Merriman. During our interview, we asked if he felt there could ever be redemption on the rise for him, specifically after botching Chill Society, a gathering of royals from around the lands that hosted by a different king each year. For Evans, the actor doesn’t think it’s going to happen as he’s just a bad person overall.

    Redemption? He’s going to hell, that guys going to Hell. Yeah, he’s not living on the same planet as everyone else, he thinks he can get away with anything and sorta does. He is like the worst kind of King, the worst kind of leader. The wrong person with power and money and ego. You know, I mean what he does in season 2, I can’t even start to begin to imagine what you will be thinking of him by the end of episode 10.

    That’s the fun of it, you have to have someone like King Merriman in a story like this. I mean he sorta just fits the bill in all the wrong ways, and I think that’s where the joy of him comes from and the fact that you laugh at the things he’s saying. You shouldn’t really be laughing at those things, but isn’t that the fun of adult animation?

    Luke Evans

    Those that have watched the series, of course, will note Evans is right in his description of King Merriman. He’s a terrible character that doesn’t deserve redemption, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

    To get more of Evan’s boisterous performance as King Merriman, make sure to check out season 2 of Crossing Swords, streaming now on Hulu.

  • Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Finds Its Azula, Kyoshi, Suki, And More

    Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Finds Its Azula, Kyoshi, Suki, And More

    The news of live-action adaptions gets met with very mixed reactions, as tackling a video game or animated series in this new format comes with many limitations. Fans are interested to see just how Netflix handles their live-action adaption of Avatar: The Last Airbender, especially when you consider the first attempt from 2010 getting panned by critics and fans alike. This time around, it’s going to be a series, which works in its favor to explore the original’s story while also exploring new paths to really make the series stand on its own.

    Showrunner Albert Kim and Netflix revealed some new casting today, which will surely excite fans of the original. Elizabeth Yu has been announced as Azula, the ruthless princess of the Fire Nation and sister to Prince Zuko. Maria Zhang has been cast as Suki, leader of the Kyoshi warriors and love interest of Sokka. Yvonne Chapman will play Avatar Kyoshi, who preceded Aang and will likely help guide him on his journey. Finally, Casey Camp-Horinek will play Gran Gran, Sokka, and Katara’s grandmother.

    Azula’s addition is a bit surprising and might be premature. Many fans of the show are probably scratching their heads, as Azula does not play a big role in Book One of the series and only briefly shows up in the background at the very end. This feels like a situation that Netflix could’ve kept quiet and saved for a season finale stinger or post-credit scene. Yet, there’s a good chance that the series might include her earlier on to introduce one of their biggest threats early.

    Source: Twitter

  • Marvel Legends ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Wave Available for Pre-Order

    Marvel Legends ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Wave Available for Pre-Order

    The newly revealed wave of Marvel Legends based off of Marvel Studios upcoming film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now available for pre-order both individually and in its entirety at Entertainment Earth.

    The wave is comprised of 7 figures with Rintrah serving as the BAF for the wave. 4 of the figures are based on the film, 1 seems to be based on the first film and 2 are comic book figures (D’Spayre and Sleepwalker).

    Links for individual pre-orders below:

    America Chavez
    Doctor Strange (Astral)
    Doctor Strange (Mom)
    Mordo
    Wong
    D’Spayre
    Sleepwalker

    Pre-orders for the entire wave are available from Entertainment Earth right here.

    Murphy’s Multiverse is an Entertainment Earth affiliate.

  • A ‘Kick-Ass’ Reboot Is Happening

    A ‘Kick-Ass’ Reboot Is Happening

    It’s not common to see a director decide to reboot his own franchise but Matthew Vaughn is not one to make common choices. A few years ago, he talked about the possibility of doing a spin-off of Kick-Ass, the Mark Millar-penned hit comic that Vaughn brought to the mainstream with its gung-ho violence and superhero satire, with a brand new character named Patience Lee. Now, the director has confirmed that a reboot is ready to happen.

    We’ve got a big reboot of Kick-Ass in two years. Big reboot. It’s so fucking nuts that I can’t talk about it. But we’ve got that ready to go. All the rights revert back in two years and then we’re going to reboot it where people will be like, he is insane.

    The original Kick-Ass premiered at a time where the concept of a successful R-Rated superhero film was unheard of. A decade later, the superhero movie landscape is now in a completely different place where violent superhero films and shows are very successful. To see a brand new take on Kick-Ass should be interesting to see given all the changes the industry has seen.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Noticeably Absent in Disney+’s 2022 Line-up

    ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Noticeably Absent in Disney+’s 2022 Line-up

    Disney+ just released a special teaser including every series and film that’ll release on the platform in 2022. It finally confirmed that I Am Groot, the animated spinoff of the Guardians of the Galaxy, would premiere next year. Yet, there’s one noticeable absence in the line-up. After teasing that What If…? is planned as an annual release, there’s no sight of the series’ confirmed the second season in the released teaser list. It’s uncertain how far along they are on the second season, but it would seem we shouldn’t expect it until the earliest of 2023.

    Of course, there’s the possibility that they are prioritizing one animated project per year, as such they gave I Am Groot the release spot. They might also announce it as a later addition at one point down the line, but it is curious that there’s no mention of it. They might’ve decided to change-ups strategies, as producing an entire season every year for the series might be a much larger uptaking than initially expected. We’ll see if any other announcements arrive later on, as The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is also absent in the listing. So, we’ll see if this is a definite list or we’ll see some changes throughout the year.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Off to a Strong International Start, Eyeing $300M+ Opening Weekend

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Off to a Strong International Start, Eyeing $300M+ Opening Weekend

    Well, the numbers are certainly showing an impressive start for the third entry in the MCU Spider-Man franchise. While Far From Home was the first to break the $1 billion milestones, it seems like No Way Home is going to follow shortly after. It already was proving its potential through its record-breaking pre-sales, its rollout in international markets is continuing that very trend. Deadline first reported that it already grossed $5.28M in Korea, which puts it 11% ahead of 2019’s Far From Home release, which was the film’s second-biggest market behind China. It’s also dominating France and will release in select markets as of Friday, such as the Netherlands, India, Germany, and more.

    Some markets are even accommodating their release windows, such as the Netherlands opening early due to a 5 PM curfew. U.S. numbers haven’t arrived yet, but it seems that it made around $50M+ in its Wednesday previews alone and is definitely going to nab around $300M+ at this rate. Of course, COVID restrictions could become an influencing factor, as pointed out, but there’s always the potential it goes beyond it if it continues down this path. Overseas projects have it at $160M to $180M, but there’s potential to go higher if the pandemic codicils don’t hamper its development. Charlie Jatinder shared some insight into how the markets are performing:

    Especially, the UK numbers are impressive, as it pulling in £7.2M in comparison to this year’s most successful release in the country, No Time to Die, managed to earn around £100M with an opening consisting of £4.5M. So, it looks like the film will definitely have strong legs internationally at this rate.

    We’re still waiting for more data on how the domestic market has performed, but its Wednesday numbers are already quite impressive and signal good things. Even as the Omnicom scare is making the rounds, there’s still some hope that it’ll hold strong and we can expect a generally strong performance. Will it pass $1 billion? There’s some hope it might be the first to do so since the pandemic started, but we’ll have to see how its weekend starts developing as word-of-mouth spreads.

    Source: Deadline, Twitter, Twitter (UK)

  • Marvel Studios’ ‘I Am Groot’ Confirmed for 2022 Release on Disney+

    Marvel Studios’ ‘I Am Groot’ Confirmed for 2022 Release on Disney+

    A new teaser has dropped teasing the upcoming 2022 line-up. We’ve seen quite a few included, such as the recently announced Eternals release date, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and many more. Yet, there’s an interesting surprise thrown into the mix, as it looks like the Groot-focused Guardians of the Galaxy series, I am Groot, is also slated to release next year. The logo is included in the end as you see the various shows and films from the next year getting promoted. It’s a bit of a surprise as it wasn’t given much focus during Disney+ Day unlike the other projects, but it’s definitely an exciting surprise.

    James Gunn has also taken to Twitter to confirm this announcement that was sneakily included in their 2022 line-up.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1471534234976370697

    It’s great to finally get a confirmation on when the series releases. Surprisingly, there was no mention of the The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which would release ahead of its third entry. Perhaps it’ll be made available in January or around New Year to celebrate the holidays and all its intergalactic diversity. We know very little about I Am Groot outside of it going for a hyper-realistic animation style to bring Baby Groot back into the fold. So, here’s hoping we might get a tease in the near future.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter

  • Recast, Reboot, Retire or Reprise: What’s the Right Choice for Other Marvel Netflix Characters

    Recast, Reboot, Retire or Reprise: What’s the Right Choice for Other Marvel Netflix Characters

    With Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox reprising their respective roles as Kingpin and Matt Murdock this week and rumors swirling that other cast members from the Netflix Defenders-verse series might join them, we decided to take a look at who should come back and who should be left behind. Note that this is not all-encompassing and that there’s no real metric here, much less any consistency. Sometimes we want the actor and not the role; other times we want the role but not the actor; other times we want neither. To make it easy, we cast a verdict on each character: recast the role, reboot the character with the same actor, retire the character or have the same actor reprise the same role. Because the world is hard, sometimes had to pick more than one.

    The Big 4

    Each of the following actors led at least 2 seasons of a solo series on Netflix as well as popping up in either Defenders or another series.

    • Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle
      Whether or not Marvel Studios plans on using the Punisher in the near future is certainly a great topic for debate, but that debate is for another day. The topic here is whether or not Bernthal is the man for the job should they chose to bring the character into the MCU and, fortunately, there’s not much of debate to be had. As he almost always does, Bernthal inhabited the role of Castle in a way that many actors just couldn’t do. If we are going to see the Punisher again, it has to be Bernthal.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Mike Colter as Luke Cage
      Colter is a case of Netflix missing the mark on why they cast the character. Colter is a solid actor. His work on CBS’s Evil has been excellent; however, he seems to be, in general, more comfortable in roles that require a more subdued persona and, to me, that’s just not Luke Cage. If Cage is coming back, the actor has to have BIG energy and charisma. The man lead the New Avengers and as much as I love Colter, I can’t see him effectively convincing Dr. Strange, Spider-Man and Captain Marvel that they should be following his orders.
      Verdict: Recast
    • Finn Jones as Danny Rand
      In a shared universe that includes Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, there’s simply no place for Jones as the Iron Fist. While part of the problem with the character was the way he was written (Rand should be able to kick multiple asses all the time without ever having to use the Iron Fist), it’s impossible to give Jones a pass. He notably didn’t want to train and he’s also just not that great of an actor. If they give Rand another chance, it has to be with another actor.
      Verdict: Recast
    • Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones
      Ritter’s situation is nearly the opposite of Colter’s in that the role of Jones fits her specific talents incredibly well. She looks the part and believably acts the part. While the series ended on a really poor note, Ritter’s time as the character would make it incredibly hard to imagine someone else in the role.
      Verdict: Reprise

    The Supporting Cast

    Simone Missick: Actress, Misty Knight in Netflix's Luke Cage | Howard Magazine

    Each of these characters played a major, supporting role in at least one season of the Defenders-verse series.

    • Vondie Curtis-Hall as Ben Urich
      After giving one of the best performances in Season 1 of Daredevil, Curtis-Hall didn’t get a chance to come back in the role because, well, Kingpin killed off the character. One of the best cases we can make for why the Netflix series should not be canon is so Curtis-Hall can return in a role that could expand beyond Daredevil’s stories and into the greater MCU.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Rosario Dawson as Clarie Temple
      Keep the actress, ditch the character. Dawson is lights out in pretty much everything she does. Fans would love to see her jump into a bigger role like Mahershala Ali, who starred in Luke Cage, was able to do. Sorry, Claire, you stay behind, but bring Rosario into the MCU in a new role.
      Verdict: Retire
    • Scott Glenn as Stick
      One of the most unforgivable offenses made by Netflix over the course of their Defenders-verse series was their portrayal of the Hand. As Charles V. has said over and over again, “it’s really hard to screw up undead ninjas”, but they did it. If there’s one Daredevil-centric thing they could fix that would really spice up the whole MCU, it’s the Hand. And if the Hand is back, Stick should be back and if we’re getting Stick, it’s gotta be Scott Glenn.
      Verdict: Reboot
    • Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson
      Foggy is such an important part of the story of Matt Murdock that he absolutely must be involved in whatever stories are told going forward. Henson, however, never seemed the right fit and it’s almost certain a recast would land better with fans.
      Verdict: Recast
    • Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing
      Henwick was one of the brightest stars over the two seasons of Iron Fist. It was recently revealed that she had to pass on a role in Shang-Chi in order to land her role in the upcoming Matrix sequel, so obviously Marvel Studios is keen to work with her again. Henwick should absolutely be in the MCU. Whether that’s as Collen Wing or in another role is the question. Should she enter into the MCU in another role, that would really make it hard to consider Iron Fist “canon”, however. There is certainly a great Daughters of the Dragon story to be tole with Wing and Misty Kinght, should they want to keep Henwick in a version of the same role.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Simone Missick as Misty Knight
      Speaking of…Missick was dynamite as Misty Knight, bringing some of the charisma to Luke Cage that Colter did not. Seeing Missick return as Knight, perhaps to team up with Sam Wilson as she has recently in the comics would be fantastic.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Debra Ann Woll as Karen Page
      The vote here is no, but not for the reasons you might think. Woll was great as Karen Page. She was better than great. But as the story of Matt Murdock/Daredevil moves on, Marvel Studios would be wise to move away from the dark, Frank Miller inspired arcs that we integral to the Netflix series and adapt some other authors’ work. Modern day runs by Charles Soule and Mark Waid would top the list and wouldn’t require more of Page, a character whose continued story would only continue to drag Matt through Hell.
      Verdict: Retire
    • Elodie Yung as Elektra
      Yung checked all the boxes as Elektra: sleek, sexy, dangerous and talented. If they should choose to do another story with the Hand or just with Elektra, it’d be hard to find someone who both looked and played the part as well as Yung. Bring her back!
      Verdict: Reprise

    The Villains

    David Tennant Would Love Purple Man to be in an Avengers Movie
    • Wilson Bethel as Bullseye
      Bethel’s time as Bullseye was just getting started when the plug was pulled on the Defenders-verse. He gave a great portrayal and would be fully capable of holding his own on screen again with Cox. Bring back Bullseye and bring back Bethel.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Alice Eve as Typhoid Mary
      Eve seemed like an out of place casting at the time, but she did fine in the role. Moving forward, however, it seems appropriate to have an entirely different version of the character and I don’t think anyone would be upset to see a new actress in the role.
      Verdict: Reboot and Recast
    • Bob Gunton as Leland Owlsley
      Love Gunton, but he was playing the comic book Owl in the same way that Fra Fee is playing comic book Kazi, which is to say not at all. There is certainly room for the Owl in this newly carved out corner of organized crime in the MCU, but not for this version. A younger actor and totally different characterization are in order.
      Verdict: Reboot and Recast
    • Theo Rossi as “Shades” Alvarez
      You might think that with all the characters and actors we didn’t include on the list, that Rossi is a surprise. He might be but his son, Victor Alvarez, could join the MCU’s other young heroes down the road. Rossi was creepy and slimy in the role. It would only be a bit part if he came back, so let’s see him back so we can get to his much more important offspring.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • David Tennant as Purple Man
      Tennant joins D’Onofrio and Ali in the trinity of great Defender-verse performances as villains. Ali has moved into the MCU in larger role as Blade. D’Onofrio is back. It might be a stretch to bring Purple Man into the current MCU unless the want to do the big Breakout arc from New Avengers, but getting Tennant back on board in that role or any other would be fantastic.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Wil Traval as Nuke
      Nope. Give us a real Nuke in a future Cap movie. Scrap the actor and forget the character ever existed.
      Verdict: Reboot and Recast
    • Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Marianna
      Zurer was fire as Vanessa. Both the actress and the character were amazing. However, the MCU’s Kingpin isn’t going to have 13 hours of time to tell a bunch of personal stories, so unfortunately, unless we get a Kingpin series, neither Zurer or Vanessa need to make the jump.
      Verdict: Retire

    Make sure to sound off in the comments on who you’d like to see reprise their roles and who you think should be left behind.

  • Marvel Legends “Defender Strange” Confirms a Third Strange Variant in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    Marvel Legends “Defender Strange” Confirms a Third Strange Variant in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    For some time now, Marvel Studios has unfortunately allowed the first look at characters from many of their upcoming projects to come from either merchandise leaks or pre-orders. That is again the case for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as first looks at new wave of Marvel Legends and a Target Exclusive have now made their way online.

    Of great interest is the Target Exclusive “Defender Strange” figure. The presence of the figure confirms not only a previous leak relating to upcoming Funkos, but also leaked plot points about the upcoming film. In both cases, “Defender Strange” represents a THIRD variant of Stephen Strange present in the film.

    “Defender Strange” joins normie Strange and Strange Supreme (who is reportedly seen briefly in the first look at Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness attached to Spider-Man: No Way Home) as variants of the character that appear as the film explores the multiverse. Strange Supreme was first seen in What If…? and “Defender Strange” seems to be based on the character’s look in Matt Fraction’s Defenders. With a trip through the multiverse ahead, there’s no telling how many variants might appear!