Murphy's Multiverse

Blog

  • Bill Murray Confirms Involvement with ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Sequel

    Bill Murray Confirms Involvement with ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Sequel

    Earlier this month, a listing hinted at the appearance of Bill Murray in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel subtitled Quantumania. The actor is currently set to return in the Ghostbusters: Afterlife film and his addition in a Marvel film would make for quite the pop culture revival for the long-time Hollywood mainstay. Of course, at the time, there was no official word on his involvement and the listing was also swiftly taken down once it was noticed. Yet, it seems that the actor has outright confirmed his role in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Translating his statement from the interview shared by writer Patrick Heidmann, he shared the following:

    You know, recently I filmed a Marvel movie. I probably am not allowed to tell you this but who cares. Many people there were surprised that I would decide to join such a project. But, to me it was quite simple: I met the director and I really liked him. He was funny, modest, everything you wish from a director. And with the cheerleader story “Bring It On – Girls United,” he made a film that I really enjoyed. So, I said yes even if these giant comic adaptations don’t interest me as an actor otherwise.

    Bill Murray

    The writer shared the confirmation on his Twitter as well:

    The moment he mentioned the 2000 cheerleader film Bring It On, it was clearly a reference to director Peyton Reed. As such, he confirmed his involvement with the project outside of an official announcement in the interview. He now also joins Alfred Molina and Russel Crow in the club of veteran actor snot caring about their NDAs.

    Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung via Twitter

  • ‘Eternals’ Chloé Zhao Debunks Rumors that Marvel Studios Takes Full Control of Action Sequences

    ‘Eternals’ Chloé Zhao Debunks Rumors that Marvel Studios Takes Full Control of Action Sequences

    Many rumors are surrounding Marvel Studios’ approach to filmmaking. Some have believed that they heavily restrict the way their directors work to ensure unity between their various projects. Some comments by director Lucrecia Martel, who was in the running for Black Widow at one point, didn’t help matters. If you throw in the highly debated use of previsualization, it seemed like some aspects of the director’s visions may be hindered. Yet, Eternals director Choé Zhao made one thing clear in an interview with Indie Wire: the action sequences in her upcoming Marvel Studios project are done by her.

    I would probably say that the myth is not quite true and I think I’m not the only filmmaker who would say that. My God, for a year and a half, three times a week for a couple hours a day, I was sitting in front of a big screen making decisions for every detail of how visual effects could look in the real world.

    Chloé Zhao

    She highlighted that all the action sequences in the film are done by her and she had a hand in bringing them to life. The indie director is well-known for her more grounded work and use of nature. So, the bombastic Marvel Cinematic Universe was quite the change of pace for Zhao. Still, she highlighted how a lot of her work was cooperation and creative freedom with the studio.

    From day one, Marvel said, ‘Here are the tools we use. We need your version. We don’t want three different movies we want your movie. They would be there to help me because I’ve never used these tools.

    Chloé Zhao

    James Gunn famously also highlighted the creative freedom he received from the studio. He was even set to create the path for the studio’s cosmic direction until the controversy happened. Zhao‘s exploration of the MCU’s history and cosmic origins might continue the path he set and was given the creative freedom to determine how she approached it. Even given the many discussions surrounding its current RottenTomatoes rating of 72%, it highlights that the vision we’re about to watch is what she’s been working on for so long.

    Source: IndieWire, ScreenRant, Rotten Tomatoes

  • ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Writers Join Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Val Zod’ Superman Project for HBO Max

    ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Writers Join Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Val Zod’ Superman Project for HBO Max

    It looks like Michael B. Jordan‘s adaptation of Val Zod, a Superman of another Earth, is moving forward. Deadline has just reported that writers Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters were hired to tackle the HBO Max’s adaptations script. It’s still unclear if Jordan will also take on the role of Val Zod, which still remains uncast. He is only set to act as an executive producer alongside Outlier Society’s Elizabeth Raposo.

    While we still wait for a sign of life if Henry Cavill‘s time as Superman has a future within the DCEU, it’s great to see DC and Warner Bros. continued efforts to expand their slate by exploring the many different aspects of the multiverse. Val Zod explores the story of a different Kryptonian who lands on Earth, but this time Earth-2. He eventually went on to face off against Superman, who was brainwashed at the time.

    Metayer and Peters are hot off the heels of their work on the new Transformers film, Rise of the Beasts. So, it’s a great get for Warner Bros. and the HBO Max project. As such, they’ve worked with Steven Caple Jr. who directed Creed II, one of Michael B. Jordan‘s many leading roles. There’s a good chance that their work together might’ve landed them this current gig.

    Source: Deadline

  • Derek Cianfrance to Direct Ryan Gosling’s ‘Wolfman’

    Derek Cianfrance to Direct Ryan Gosling’s ‘Wolfman’

    Universal is trying once again to revive their popular horror icon franchises and has managed to get Ryan Gosling to star in a new rendition of Wolfman. It looks like they finally found their director in Place Beyond the Pines and Blue Valentine‘s Derek Cianfrance. As the previous titles suggest, he has quite the history with the actor, and together they’ll bring the werewolf story back to life. Originally, Leigh Whannel was set to tackle the project but had to leave due to scheduling conflicts. Cianfrance will also write the script with Gosling, Ken Kao, and Jason Blum will also act as producers.

    There’s no word exactly how they plan to reinvent the classic character. Last we got a Universal version of the werewolf storyline, it was Benicio del Toro‘s period piece. Hints are pointing to an updated interpretation that would place Gosling’s version into the modern-day. At one point they tried to create a connected universe titled the Dark Universe, but Tom Cruise‘s The Mummy tanked that idea before it even got started.

    It’s uncertain if they might still want to chase this endeavor, but a revival of the classic franchise definitely set them in the right direction. Wolfman would be a very out-there direction for Cianfrance, whose background mainly lies in adult dramas, as Deadline points out. So, it’ll be interesting to see the director tackle this new type of film in his career.

    Source: Deadline

  • Next ‘The Expendables’ Film Adds ‘The Raid’s Iko Uwais as a Villain

    Next ‘The Expendables’ Film Adds ‘The Raid’s Iko Uwais as a Villain

    It looks like the net entry of The Expendables franchise has found its main antagonist, as Deadline reports that The Raid‘s Iko Uwais joined the film. The film’s staff will see the return of Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. They’ll also be joined by Andy Garcia, Jacob Scipio, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Megan Fox. So, it’s quite the all-star cast of unlikely action heroes for Uwais to take on. Scott Waugh is directing the film based on a script by Spenser Cohen, Max Adams, and John Joseph Connolly.

    The film will continue where the last entry ended, as a group of veteran mercenaries takes on an unlikely challenge. Uwais‘ role is still kept a secret, but supposedly he’ll play a former military officer, who is now an active arms dealer with the private army. He’s a great addition to the franchise, who became famous for his role in 2011 and 2014’s entries of The Raid films. He recently also joined Paramount’s Snake Eyes and is currently set to appear in Fists Full of Vengeance.

    The Expendables franchise started back in 2010, as David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone, who also took the director’s chair, wanted to revive the 90s action. As such, it also started to include many iconic actors from that era such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, and many more. There were also plans for a spinoff titled The ExpendaBelles featuring an all-star female cast.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Secret Invasion’ and Cadre K Could Lay the Groundwork for Mutants in the MCU

    ‘Secret Invasion’ and Cadre K Could Lay the Groundwork for Mutants in the MCU

    Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion is set to wreak havoc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by exposing an Earth invasion by the shape-shifting Skrulls. Details on the series are somewhat scarce. While we won’t know the full extent of who is or isn’t a Skrull until the series debuts, we have managed to discover a few of the character identities of the star-studded cast. Actor Killian Scott’s role, who we previously reported would be playing a Skrull, is reported by The Direct to be playing a Skrull named Fiz in the limited series. 

    Interestingly, in Marvel Comics, Fiz is no ordinary Skrull. While obviously human mutants and the X-Men are widely known, Fiz is actually a Mutant Skrull. Like human mutants, the mutation gives Skrulls other abilities in addition to their ability to shape-shift. Fiz, in the comics, has the additional abilities to increase and decrease his size at will. Mutant Skrulls in the comics also faced contempt from their non-mutant counterparts. The Skrull authorities named Mutant Skrulls “K-Class Deviant Skrulls” and the common population simply referred to them as “Deviants”. 

    Charles Xavier gathered Fiz and other Mutant Skrulls in space to train them, eventually forming Cadre K as an equivalent to the X-Men to fight to Skrull Empire to rescue their kind from being killed at birth and to advocate for mutant rights. Cadre K fought against the Skrull faction whose purpose was to keep the Skrulls “pure”, also known as the Purifiers. Other Cadre K members include Z’Cann (telepath and telekinetic), Spunje (energy absorption and energy blasts), Nero (plasticity), R’tee (can extend spikes from his body and fire them, enhanced strength, and accelerated healing), and Goroth (unknown mutant power).

    Despite all of this, it was later revealed during the Secret Invasion comics event that Cadre K was still rejected by the Skrull Empire. Cadre K later settled on a rural farm in South Dakota, believing they had nowhere else to go where they would not be hunted. Cadre K protects the “Skrull Cows” on the ranch—yes, Skrulls that have been turned into cows on Earth by none other than Mister Fantastic himself, Dr. Reed Richards. 

    The fact that Scott’s Skrull character is named Fiz could simply be a matter of Secret Invasion using the name only and otherwise rewriting the character. Still, it could also mean that the series has a few tricks up its sleeves, and Mutant Skrulls, or even Cadre K, could be introduced. Considering Cadre K’s connection to Charles Xavier, and mutants in general, Secret Invasion may lay the groundwork for mutants in the MCU. Either way, if Fiz is introduced as a Mutant Skrull, it will be interesting to see how this affects the character’s role in the series. After all, it doesn’t seem like the Skrull Empire is a big fan of his kind. 

  • ‘Dune: Part Two’ Officially in The Works at WB and Legendary

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ Officially in The Works at WB and Legendary

    This past weekend was crazy for films, with Dune finally hitting theaters after multiple delays due to the ongoing pandemic. Dune was immediately met with praise from critics and fans alike and opened to $40 million at the domestic box office this weekend. Fans have become increasingly anxious for the continuation of the franchise as the film begins with the reveal that this is only the first part in what could be a potential franchise for Warner Brothers and Legendary. 

    Luckily, fans appear to have received their wish. Legendary took to Twitter to officially confirm that Dune: Part Two is officially in the works. The sequel is set to hit theaters on October 20th, 2023, and will be exclusive to theaters, unlike Part One‘s day and date release on HBO Max. 

    Director Denis Villeneuve had this to say about the sequel announcement and how happy he is to continue telling Herbert’s story.

    “I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two, It was a dream of mine to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune and I have the fans, the cast, and crew, Legendary and Warner Bros. to thank for supporting this dream. This is only the beginning.”

    Legendary also commented on the news following its big announcement

    “Legendary is pleased to officially move forward with Dune: Part Two…once again based on the amazing books written by Frank Herbert, We would not have gotten to this point without the extraordinary vision of Denis and the amazing work of his talented crew, the writers, our stellar cast, our partners at Warner Bros., and of course the fans! Here’s to more Dune.”

    No official casting has been announced but Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem, and Stellan Skarsgård will most likely be reprising their roles in the sequel.

    SOURCE: THR, Twitter

  • REPORT: Killian Scott Will Play A Skrull From X-Men Comics in ‘SECRET INVASION’

    REPORT: Killian Scott Will Play A Skrull From X-Men Comics in ‘SECRET INVASION’

    With all the hype surrounding Marvel Studios’ massive theatrical projects and immediately inbound Disney+ series, it’s been easy to forget about the upcoming adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis‘ Secret Invasion. Now, however, we have an exciting new update on one of the series’ major players. According to a report from The Direct, actor Killian Scott will be portraying a Skrull who had strong connections to the X-Men in Marvel’s comic book lore. The information lines up with a previous report from Murphy’s Multiverse, which indicated Scott would be playing a Skrull character.

    The word from The Direct is that the Irish actor will be playing a Skrull named Fiz in the limited series. In the comics, this character was a Mutant Skrull who possessed the ability to alter his size on top of his race’s usual shape-shifting trait. Much like the humans of Earth, the other Skrulls banished Fiz out of fear of his mutant power. The Skrullian warrior ended up settling with the X-Men and being trained by Charles Xavier himself, though it is unknown if this connection will come to fruition in the MCU.

    Scott joined the production of Secret Invasion in April. He is in good company, performing alongside the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Fan-favorite Ben Mendelsohn will also reprise his role as the Skrull general Talos. The Disney+ production will be helmed by writer Kyle Bradstreet, will consist of six episodes, and is expected to premiere sometime next year.

    Source: The Direct

  • James Gunn Confirms the Guardians of the Galaxy Were Originally Set to Debut in Marvel One-Shots

    James Gunn Confirms the Guardians of the Galaxy Were Originally Set to Debut in Marvel One-Shots

    Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy introduced a brand new cast of characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with immense success, but it looks like debuting all of the titular characters at once wasn’t the original plan. In an excerpt from the new book, The Story of Marvel Studios, famed Marvel boss Kevin Feige reveals each Guardian was going to debut in individual Marvel One-Shots.

    He explained:

    We toyed with the idea of doing short films on Drax, on Rocket and Groot, and on Gamora, leading up to Guardians. This One-Shot series would have led into the Guardians movie proper – which would have also been directly preceded by a fourth self-contained short film about a mysterious kid who loved fantasy things. Then you’d start Guardians. And half-way through, we would reveal that big space hero is the kid from the short. We thought that would be clever, but it was too much.

    Taking to Twitter, the franchise’s helmer James Gunn confirmed the information and elaborated on it further. The filmmaker revealed he had been set to write and direct the shorts. In fact, he had even gotten as far as storyboarding and filming scenes for a Rocket & Groot One-Shot.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1452764256311578624?s=20

    The above Twitter thread reveals that Gunn also wrote a part for fan-favorite nerd actor Alan Tudyk in Rocket and Groot’s origin story. Gunn even goes on to say the shelved shorts are still canon in his head.

    Of course, much of what the One-Shots would have entailed ended up being included in Guardians of the Galaxy. In the end, it’s likely the shorts not seeing the light of day may have been for the best. However, that doesn’t seem to have stopped Gunn from feeling hopeful about a potential resurrection of the One-Shots in the future.

    Source: Twitter, Screen Rant

  • ‘The Trench’ Was Going To Be a Black Manta Solo Project

    ‘The Trench’ Was Going To Be a Black Manta Solo Project

    Just a few years ago, as the DC Extended Universe was still blooming, there was an urge to get things done as fast as possible when it came to building its shared universe. WB became quite impulsive with its projects, green lighting spinoff after spinoff, most of which would never come to fruition. 

    Hot off the success of Aquaman, WB announced development had begun on a spinoff focusing on the Trench with undersea monsters featuring in the film aptly titled The Trench. News on the project would go dark, though, and eventually, the film would be shelved alongside Ava Duvernay‘s New Gods. 

    Little was known about the Trench film, aside from that it would feature the frightening fish-men of the deep; the same fish-men that would eventually aid Arthur and Mera in the fight against Orm, earning Arthur the throne. However, today James Wan took to Instagram to clear up a bit of what the trench would’ve featured. He revealed that it was originally intended to be a Black Manta solo project, likely featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II reprising his role as David Kane in the film. 

    While the project isn’t in development as of right now, critical and fan reception to the Aquama and The Lost Kingdom, featuring Manta in a much larger role, could determine if that film has legs and could be revived. The film could be something very different for DC, taking the comic book film genre in a new direction with a horror approach, one of director James Wan‘s specialties in film. 

    The project was initially set to be written by Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald, with Wan set to produce the project. No director or casting was ever announced, aside from Mateen likely leading the film.

    SOURCE: Instagram