Murphy's Multiverse

Blog

  • Pitching a Black Suit Trilogy After ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Pitching a Black Suit Trilogy After ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Believe it or not, it’s already been six years since Tom Holland was cast as the MCU’s version of Peter Parker. The actor has since appeared in five films with the final installment of his trilogy set to drop in December of this year. While the series capper, No Way Home, promises to be a jam-packed delight for fans of the iconic character, it does come packaged with a loaded question: what happens to Spider-Man once it’s over? Holland seems to be far from done playing the role. The occurrence of more films, set during Peter’s college years, has been theorized by fans for ages. Marvel boss Kevin Feige once used the Harry Potter franchise as a reference for the MCU’s take on Spidey. So, a collection of sequels with a darker tone doesn’t feel like it’s completely off the table.

    Luckily for Marvel, there actually happens to be a famous plot device in the Spidey mythos that could do wonders for shifting the character in that mature direction. That’s right, I’m talking about a certain famed alien symbiote. Venom bonding with Holland‘s Peter is something fans have wanted to see for a long time, but unfortunately, the two entities currently exist in separate cinematic universes. Luckily, Loki and the What If series are teasing a colliding multiverse. As such, there is a perfect opportunity to tell a “Black Suit Trilogy” inside of a bigger picture that includes three different franchises. The story would start with:

    Avengers: Secret Wars

     

    The creatives at Marvel Studios have been alluding to an adaptation of the classic event series Secret Wars for years now. Loki creator Michael Waldron even gave Murphy’s Multiverse a cheeky “We’ll see,” when asked about the concept during a recent interview. That storyline has had a few iterations, but the multiversal trajectory of Phase Four indicates the MCU may go with a project inspired by Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 series. That story dealt with the fallout of multiple Marvel universes colliding with each other and becoming a single continuity.

    This is something that could translate well on screen, with an array of live-action Marvel franchises already in existence. If this movie were to come to fruition, there is a chance that Tom Hardy‘s Venom may find his way into the Sacred Timeline. The event would be a great way to bring Venom and Spider-Man into the same universe. Holland‘s Parker finally getting the symbiote in Battleworld would be a wonderful homage to the original 1984 Secret Wars comic. It would act as his first step into his new life.

     

    Spider-Man: Identity Crisis (or Last Hunt)

     

    Before a live-action Spider-Verse was on the table, it appeared the third MCU Spider-Man film would focus on the consequences of Peter’s identity being publicly revealed. Michael Mando felt poised to don a Scorpion suit, and there was heavy speculation Marvel’s ultimate hunter Kraven would come to NYC to find new prey. Despite not ending up this way, that plot would still make for a pretty good movie. Should the story of Peter’s unmasking not be concluded in No Way Home, it wouldn’t be hard to shift this concept to a fourth film.

    If Secret Wars were to bring all the cinematic universes together, we would already have an established Kraven ready to go. Throw in the idea that Peter’s family and friends would also have targets painted on their backs, you’ll have a pretty good amount of physical and emotional threats to test Peter’s morals while influenced by the Venom symbiote. Just imagine the story of J.M. DeMatteis‘ Kraven’s Last Hunt combining with J. Michael Straczynski‘s Back In Black. 

    Venom: Separation Anxiety

     

    If Let There Be Carnage does as well as the first Venom flick, you know there’ll be another sequel. After going through his origin story and duking it out with a redheaded Woody Harrelson, what’s left for a symbiote to do? It’s logical to assume the third movie is where we’ll finally see Holland‘s Spider-Man confront Hardy‘s Venom. If Peter has the symbiote, Eddie Brock is going to want it back.

    The project could even take inspiration from the mid-90’s Separation Anxiety storyline, in which a Venom-less Eddie finds himself up against a horde of spawns created by the Life Foundation. If Peter were wearing the black suit in a world of rampaging symbiotes, it stands to reason he’d be attracted to the carnage. Once he meets back up with Eddie? Game, set, match.

    Source: Collider, Marvel, Good Reads

  • REPORT: Corey Stoll Returning for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

    REPORT: Corey Stoll Returning for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

    It looks like we’re about to have a blast from the past join our Ant-Man and the Wasp cast for this quantum-sized adventure. According to Vanity Fair in their Still Watching Podcast, Corey Stoll is seemingly confirmed to return as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Senior writer Joanna Robinson was able to confirm on the show that Stoll would be returning for the Ant-Man and the Wasp threequel following a recent Eater Egg of Yellowjacket’s helmet in the most recent episode of Loki.

     

     

    Exactly how Darren Cross’ character will fit into all of this remains to be seen. One can certainly theorize about his fate given how the first Ant-Man film ended regarding Yellowjacket’s fate. Near the end of that film, Scott Lang was able to reduce Yellowjacket to the size of an atom and potentially trap him in the Quantum Realm to suffer a fate similar to Janet van Dyne. However, thanks to Ant-Man and the Wasp now being able to allow travel to the Quantum Realm, it seems possible that Yellowjacket may very well still be alive somewhere in the Quantum Realm and perhaps with a desire for revenge given how he’s spent many years trapped there thanks to Scott Lang, so definitely expect an antagonist role for Darren when we see him return. Stoll now joins the star-studded cast of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror.

  • Marvel Studios ‘HAWKEYE’ on Track for a Fall 2021 Streaming Debut

    Marvel Studios ‘HAWKEYE’ on Track for a Fall 2021 Streaming Debut

    In May of 2019, Kevin Feige took to the San Diego Comic-Con stage to announce that one of the founding members of the Avengers, Hawkeye, would get his own series on Disney+. The series will star Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton and see him team up with another iconic archer from Marvel Comics, Kate Bishop, who will be portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld. In terms of release date, all we know is that the series is set to release at some point in late 2021. But thanks to a recent social media post from another Marvel Studios actress, we now have a potential idea of when the series could drop on Disney+.

     

    Lauren Ridloff, who is currently set to portray Makkari in the upcoming Marvel Studios’ Eternals, took to Instagram to post this picture of her alongside Alaqua Cox, who was cast as Maya Lopez, aka Echo, in the upcoming Hawkeye series with the caption: “Echo and Makkari looking at you, Fall of 2021″. This caption is particularly significant given that we now have a far more approximate estimate of when we could expect Hawkeye to debut on Disney+. Having a Fall of 2021 release date would place Hawkeye to release sometime between September and November. With What If…? and Ms. Marvel still slated to debut sometime before Hawkeye this year, it’s more likely than not aiming for a November release date alongside Marvel Studios’ Eternals, similar to how the Disney+ series Loki and Marvel Studios’ Black Widow have overlapping releases in July.

  • REPORT: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ to Film at MIT

    REPORT: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ to Film at MIT

    We’ve seen many iconic locations throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s filmography. Our favorite Avengers have visited Wakanda, fought in New York City, and even South Korea. So, they’ve been across the world quite a bit. Surprisingly though, it seems that Marvel loves revisiting the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It’s Tony Stark’s old university where he studied physics and electronic engineering has been a part of the MCU since it was first mentioned in 2008’s Iron Man. Well, it looks like we’re going to revisit the famous tech school in another project, as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is setting out to film there according to Cosmic Circus.

    It’s not the first time we’ve visited the location since the first film was released. We then got a brief sequence there in Captain America: Civil War where Stark presented his BARF technology. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, we revisited the location from a different perspective, as we saw the scene from Quentin Beck’s perspective. We even found out in Black Panther that Michael B. Jordan‘s Erik Killmonger studied there. Perhaps there is a tribute to him involved. There is also a high likelihood we’ll visit it in the Ironheart Disney+ series.

    Principal photography has already started on the film but it’s uncertain what they’re filming there, but given Shuri’s affinity for technology, she might be presenting. At the end of the first Black Panther film, the fictional country opened up to the rest of the world. It wouldn’t be too surprising if she is holding a seminar on Wakandan tech to ambitious students. Who knows, even Cosmic Circus seems to think there’s a good chance Riri Williams might be in the crowd. Dominique Throne has been cast for some time and won’t enter production until 2022.

    Source: Cosmic Circus

  • New ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Set Photos Reveal a Battle-Damaged Shazam

    New ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Set Photos Reveal a Battle-Damaged Shazam

    We got some brand new set photos from the set of Shazam: Fury of the Gods. While they don’t reveal too much from what’s happening, it does look like our favorite hero got badly damaged from a fight. We see Zachary Levi running away from something with parts of his suit looking worse to wear. It almost seems like something burned him. Just two weeks ago, we got a first look at Helen Mirren on set as Hespera. Perhaps he took damage while fighting her. The photos were posted by Twitter user @neorvng, who got the photos as they were filming the scene. The shots show the actor racing past him.

    What makes this interesting is that the suit never really saw any battle damage in the first film. It’s not like Billy Batson puts on a real suit, but rather he transformers into his alter ego with the powers of the six immoral elders. So, it must’ve been something truly powerful to leave those burn marks. It seems they were generally shooting a sequence where actors had to run away from something, which could be part of the aftermath of his fight. It’s uncertain if Levy running is part of that sequence, or if the actor was just running for another reason.

    Overall, it also promises a darker storyline in the sequel. The first film already had some pretty harsh scenes involving the Seven Deadly Sins and the sequel might take it up a notch. We don’t know what the plot is exactly, but if anyone can damage Shazam that way, it’s going to be quite the threat to face for the group of unlikely heroes.

    Source: Twitter

  • Marvel Rejected a Posthumous Stan Lee Cameo in ‘Loki’-Inspired ‘The Simpsons’ Disney+ Short

    Marvel Rejected a Posthumous Stan Lee Cameo in ‘Loki’-Inspired ‘The Simpsons’ Disney+ Short

    It has been a long-standing tradition that Stan Lee gets a cameo in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tragically, he passed away in 2018 making Avengers: Endgame his final cameo. Marvel Studios’ Executive Vice President of Production, Victoria Alonso, famously stated that no one could replace him. As such, the franchise has paid tribute to the famed comic creator in different ways, such as his birthday appearing on a license plate.

    His work alongside Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko defined the comic landscape in their days. Of course, Lee has famously appeared in other franchises such as his iconic Mallrats cameo and even in animated form. According to The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean, they actually considered using unused footage from an old recording with the comic legend for The Good, The Bart, and The Loki Disney+ short, but it was swiftly denied by Marvel.

    We just thought, ‘Oh, we have Stan Lee audio from when he was on our show, could we cameo him in?’ And they said that their policy is he doesn’t cameo now that he’s passed away, which is a completely understandable policy. That was their only note and that was, of course, easily done. And the Grogu note [for the Star Wars-themed short] made total sense, too. It was like, if you let everybody use Grogu in their stuff that wanted to, it would be all over. Believe me, I respect that these franchises have a great power beyond ours. I respect it.

    It’s great to see that Marvel wants to keep Lee‘s legacy alive by focusing on his work. The last ones he shot before his passing were for Captain Marvel, which even has a Mallrats reference, and Endgame. The former even included a tribute to him in its fanfare. Marvel Studios’ approach of using subtle references is a nice way to keep his spirit alive. It won’t be the same moving forward, but he certainly left a mark on the franchise that’ll last for generations.

    Source: Miami Latin News, ComicBook

  • Don’t Expect Marvel Studios or Warner Bros’ DC at 2021’s SDCC@Home

    Don’t Expect Marvel Studios or Warner Bros’ DC at 2021’s SDCC@Home

    It looks like San Diego Comic-Con will be a bit smaller once again. Of course, the pandemic has changed quite a bit and no one was expecting the filled Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center to return anytime soon. Sadly, they both already skipped last year’s event and there was some hope that they might join the event’s digital showcasing. They’ve shifted gears by showcasing most of their new entries during Disney’s Annual Investor Day event. Warner Bros. hasn’t attended for almost three years and has its own DC FanDome event just around the corner.

    In the digital age, it seems easier for these studios to keep these showcases in-house. Marvel Studios’ showing in 2019 was quite memorable, as they revealed the entire Phase 4 slate and had a slew of their actors appear in person. It’s cost-intensive but quite a memorable spectacle for the thousands of visitors of these panels. Of course, many showings weren’t even made public, which is difficult if you stream everything online.

    It’s not surprising they aren’t attending, but it’s sad to see this tradition get affected by the pandemic as it has. DC FanDome was a great success for Warner Bros. last year, as they can combine their showings for comics, films, and TV shows. There is a chance that Sony might attend to push Spider-Man: No Way Home, Venom: Let There Be Carnage or Morbius which are all set to release in eh coming months leading into 2022. DC will have a panel for the Legends of Tomorrow series and there are rumblings of their Publishing division getting a panel. The event will take place from November 26th until 28th. So, they might have a change of heart until then but it seems unlikely as of now.

    Source: Deadline, SDCC

  • Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige Talks New Approach to the MCU Actor’s Contracts

    Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige Talks New Approach to the MCU Actor’s Contracts

    It looks like Marvel Studios has changed its approach to their actor’s contractual obligations. In the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some actors would be signed up to six or even nine films, which was long rumored to be the case with Samuel L. Jackson and Sebastian Stan. Since Avengers: Endgame released, we’ve seen many long-time Marvel actors leave the franchisee.

    There are many hints that Black Widow will be the last time we see Scarlett Johnasson on-screen as Natasha Romanoff. We have seen exceptions, such as many of the MCU actors lending their voices to the upcoming What If series. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige discussed their new approach after acknowledging the earlier contracts in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

    It varies, project to project, cast to cast. Really, what we want are people that come in, are excited to be in the universe, are excited at the opportunity to do more things, as opposed to being locked into contractual obligations.

    We’ve seen in the past that many of the franchise’s actors are open to returning even for minor roles. There have been times where these even led to actors having a bad experience with the studio, such as Idris Elba openly stating not wanting to return as Heimdall in Thor: The Dark World. Luckily, Thor: Ragnarok seemed to change his mind on the matter as he had fun filming it. Still, the new approach is a showcase that they want to build long-term relationships with actors in a way that doesn’t restrict them either.

    We’ve seen that flexibility more and more, such as adapting their schedules to allow James Gunn to finish his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. There was even mention of contracts being set up for “theme park attractions,” which might hint at the voice-acting roles they have done to bring some of their beloved characters to life in various rides or videos in Disney’s theme parks. So, it’s a clear sign that Marvel Studios has continued to expand since the early days o a small studio risking it all on a C-list character.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Telegraph

  • ‘Loki’ and The Real-Life Mysteries of the Void

    ‘Loki’ and The Real-Life Mysteries of the Void

    There’s a lot to unpack from the latest episode of Loki. We followed up directly where the last left us off, as we learn more about the many Loki Variants that inhabit a strange land known as the Void. We get a lot of creative references to the comics and former Marvel Cinematic Universe films. You get a giant helmet from Ant-Man villain Yellowjacket, the Helicarrier, and even Red Skull’s escape pod from Captain America: The First Avenger.

    Yet, they went one step beyond and gave us even more amazing Easter eggs that reference real-world mysteries. Let’s dive in as Marvel Studios may have solved humanities’ biggest mysteries. We even get some comic references like Throg and the amazing Thanos helicopter. That wasn’t all, as Loki has answered some real-life mysteries in the latest episode, and it’s time to take a closer look.

     

    Oak Island Mystery

     

    I’m cheating with this one a bit, as I want to talk about one detail before we even enter the Void. The episode opens on a sweeping shot through the TVA that gives us a glimpse of their timeline monitor. It states the location of Oak Island in Nova Scotia. That location is of historical value as it has been rumored since the 18th century that various treasures and artifacts got buried there. It included the Ark of the Covenant, long lost Shakesperean manuscript, and even the Holy Gail. Yet, to this day, nothing has been found. That didn’t stop people from digging all over to find treasures and the mysterious money pit.

     

    Lighthouse of Alexandria

     

    When we enter the Void, we get introduced to a strange-looking tower before the camera enters the city-like landscape in ruin. Of course, our eyes instantly get drawn to the Stark Tower, and some even noticed the Sanctum Sanctorum in a corner somewhere. Yet, the biggest mystery is the first building we see hidden within the fog. The design hints that it’s the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It was one of the seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the tallest man-made structure of its epoch. Its ruins were uncovered in the Mediterranean Sea in 1916 alongside the rest of the port of Alexandria.

     

    UFO and the Mary Celeste

     

    One of the first images we see is of an old brigantine alongside a stereotypical UFO. The latter is a pretty obvious nod to long-time conspiracies that got linked to Area 51 for some time, but the boat is a rather curious addition. It’s very likely the mysterious Mary Celeste, which got deserted in 1872. What makes it strange is that the ship still had plenty of supplies on board, and personal belongings were left behind undisturbed. To this day, no one knows what happened to the crew of this ship. What goes against this real-world inspiration is the fact that the entire ship is in the Void. So, it could even be the lost shipwreck of Santa Maria. Still, the Celeste might be the most famous mystery due to the strange disappearance of its crew and captain.

     

    Polybius

     

    This urban legend has been teased in the series since the first trailer dropped, but I wanted to mention it here. In the early 2000s, there was a rumor going around about an arcade game that got planted by the government. The experiment supposedly took place in Portland, Oregon back in 1981, where the government was using these gaming devices to hypnotize people. It even goes as far as referencing men in black suits visiting these devices periodically to data-mine them.

     

    Philadelphia Experiment

    This little history nugget is an interesting one. The moment the DEE-173 USS Eldridge dropped, it brought up many memories of the strange disappearance of a U.S. Navy destroyer escort. There’s a tale of an entire ship disappearing in 1943 as the result of a military experiment. The theory was that they tested out a new cloaking device. Yet, the ship suddenly vanished. To this day, some people believe it was dimensional or even time travel. The story is widely considered a hoax due to the Navy never confirming any experiment of the kind. Yet, it still has caught people’s attention to this day.

  • Principal Photography Underway on ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’

    Principal Photography Underway on ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’

    Kevin Feige recently informed us that production on Ryan Coogler‘s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was underway in Atlanta and now we’re happy to report that principal photography is underway on the film.

    The film is set to move forward after the events of Avengers: Endgame and will now have to do so without star Chadwick Boseman who tragically passed away nearly a year ago. The movie, shooting under the working title Summer Break, is rumored to introduce one of Marvel Comics’ oldest characters, Namor, the king of a civilization long thought lost (they call it Atlantis in the comics but will they here?). Following the passing of Boseman, Feige revealed that they would not recast the role, turning attention to which character will now take on the mantle of Black Panther. The thought has fans divided over who that should be with a dead Killmonger, M’Baku, Shuri, Nakia and Okyoe all being popular choices, even if they don’t all make as much sense.

    Black Panther': First Look At Killmonger's Golden Jaguar Suit

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, due out July 8, 2022, will see Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira and Lupitia Nyong’O return in lead roles and Winston Duke, Angela Bassett and Martin Freeman (whose backstory will get an interesting jolt) return in supporting roles, among others. Tenoch Huerta is rumored to bring Namor to life in the MCU and will be joined by a pair of currently unknown actors in the roles of Namora and Attuma. The film will also feature the first appearance of a major MCU character who will play a key part in the film.