Murphy's Multiverse

Blog

  • ‘Nova’: Marvel Studios Finally Charts a Course for the Human Rocket

    ‘Nova’: Marvel Studios Finally Charts a Course for the Human Rocket

    It’s been over half a decade since Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, called Marvel’s greatest cosmic hero, Nova, a character that had “immediate potential” to show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Immediacy is relative, apparently. Despite Marvel Studios giving a Disney Plus Nova series the green light in March 2022, the project–written by Moon Knight scribe Sabir Pirzada—was rumored to be headed to the big screen before being unceremoniously shoved to the back burner as other projects took precedence. Now it seems the studio has made a decision about how to best introduce the Human Rocket.

    According to insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Television will indeed be handling Nova’s introduction with production on the Disney Plus streaming series is slated to begin in 2025.

    While it’s clear Marvel Studios has charted a course that will bring the Human Rocket to the MCU, it’s still not entirely clear which iteration of the character (Richard Rider or Sam Alexander) fans will meet. While RPK’s report indicates the studio will be searching for a young lead, both Rider and Alexander were teens when they donned the helmet and became Nova. Though younger fans may be more familiar with Alexander, Rider is arguably one of the greatest heroes in the history of Marvel Comics. In skipping over Rider to get to Alexander, Marvel Studios runs the risk of repeating the mistake of foregoing the stories of an OG hero to tell the stories of a more modern one.

    If the studio has begun the search for its leading man, it’s likely that the series will head into production by the first half of 2025. If that’s the case, it would likely partner with Vision Quest (and possibly a second season of Daredevil: Born Again) as Marvel Television’s 2026 streaming offerings.

  • The ‘X-Men ’97’ Season Finale Introduced a Major Marvel Comics Character That Most Fans Missed

    The ‘X-Men ’97’ Season Finale Introduced a Major Marvel Comics Character That Most Fans Missed

    The season finale of X-Men ’97 was so chock-full of goodness that fans could be forgiven if they overlooked a thing or two. With all the cameos from heroes across the Marvel Universe to the introduction of Apocalypse and the post-credit tease of Gambit’s resurrection, the episode was quite simply one of the best examples of what Marvel Studios can–and should–be capable of. However, with a Mr. Fantastic here and a Sauron there, some fans seem to have completely missed the appearance of a major X-Men character.

    Following an emotional good-bye between Scott, Jean and Cable, the appearance of a young Nathan in the future to which his parents where whisked away was certainly an attention grabber. The reunion gives Cyclops and Marvel Girl the opportunity to spend at least some time raising the son they’d lost…but the scene also introduced a daughter they didn’t know they had… because they hadn’t…not yet, at least.

    When Scott and Jean arrived in the year 3960, they were met by a hooded woman who introduced herself as Mother Askani. From there, Nathan’s appearance took all the attention but it’s all but a sure thing that Mother Askani’s identity will become a significant part of whatever goes on in Season 2. If showrunner Beau DeMayo is staying relatively close to the comics–and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest he is–then Mother Askani will be revealed to be Rachel Summers, the daughter of Scott and Jean.

    Though she remains hooded and her face partially hidden, Rachel’s trademark face markings are clear. What’s more, the markings on her chin and the long, white braid are consistent with the appearance of the alt-Earth version of the character who first appeared in 1993’s Cable #6.

    As the founder of Clan Askani, Rachel became known as Mother Askani. The clan believed that a Messiah, known as Dayspring or Askani’son, must be saved from the past to protect the future and overthrow Apocalypse. That messiah is, of course, Nathan Summers, who was alive and well under Rachel’s watch in the season finale.

    This isn’t Rachel’s first appearance in the animated universe as she showed up in X-Men: The Animated Series when the show adapted Days of Future Past. However, given the timey-wimey nonsense that comes with Marvel’s mutants, this Rachel is probably not that Rachel and she’s probably not the daughter of that Scott and that Jean. In that sense, saving the full reveal of the true identity of Mother Askani for Season 2 was a wise move as it gives Scott, Jean (and the emotional fans) time to process one reunion before moving on to a potentially more awkward one.

  • Natasha Lyonne Joins the Cast of Marvel Studios’ ‘The Fantastic Four’

    Natasha Lyonne Joins the Cast of Marvel Studios’ ‘The Fantastic Four’

    The Fantastic Four is shooting for the stars and so far, they don’t seek to be falling short of them. Just a week after a trip of big names joined the film, Marvel Studios has landed another.

    According to Deadline’s Justin Kroll, Natasha Lyonne has been added to the cast in an unknown role.

    Lyonne joins recent additions John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser and Ralph Ineson, who will play Galactus. Julia Garner was cast earlier in the year as a new version of the Silver Surfer and Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were the first to come on board as the members of Marvel’s First Family.

    The Fantastic Four is set to begin production this summer ahead of a 2025 release.

    Updating…

    Source: Deadline

  • X-Men ’97 Season 2

    X-Men ’97 Season 2

    Premiere: Summer 2026

    Announced in 2022, the second season of X-Men ’97 was delayed following the firing of showrunner Beau DeMayo and will now debut Summer 2026 on D+

  • Marvel Studios Slates Second Streaming Series for 2025

    Marvel Studios Slates Second Streaming Series for 2025

    Disney’s 2024 TV Upfront presentation had plenty of new of interest for fans of Marvel Studios. The studio used the platform to reveal a new title and premiere date for Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha-centric WandaVision spinoff, Agatha All Along, and to roll out a new logo and a 2025 premiere window for Daredevil: Born Again. They didn’t stop there, however, as they also revealed a little bit of information about another series that fans have been waiting on for some time.

    The Disney Plus series Ironheart, starring Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, will join Daredevil: Born Again on the streamer in 2025.
    DISNEY UPFRONT 24 – The Disney Advertising Upfront is a showcase event that brings together all the content corners of The Walt Disney Company on one stage. On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at North Javits in New York City, an incredible roster of all-star talent will tout their connections to storytelling, Disney, and each other while showcasing their latest projects for the upcoming year. (Disney/Jennifer Pottheiser) DOMINIQUE THORNE, ANTHONY RAMOS

    Thorne was on hand at the Upfront presentation along with co-star Anthony Ramos. Ramos is set to play the villain of the series, Parker Robbins, aka The Hood.

    Ironheart joins Agatha All Along and Daredevil: Born Again as the first to be released under the studio’s new Marvel Television banner. Given recent comments by Disney CEO Bob Iger, it is reasonable to assume that Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart will be the only two live-action series from Marvel Studios to hit Disney Plus in 2025.

  • DC Studios Slates ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ for a 2026 Release

    DC Studios Slates ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ for a 2026 Release

    Following a flurry of moves that saw the all-new, all-different DCU find their Kara Zor-El, it was expected that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow might be on deck behind James Gunn‘s Superman in DC Studios’ lineup. It looks as though that will be the case as Warner Bros. has now slated the film for a 2026 release.

    According to trade reports, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will hit theaters on June 26, 2026.

    Once House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock signed on in the lead role in January, rumors began to swirl that the film would begin production before the end of 2024. Then, in April, the studio began working on a deal with director Craig Gillespie to helm the film, adding fuel to the fire that the project was nearing production.

    In our story, we have Superman who was sent to Earth and raised by incredibly loving parents. Kara was on Krypton. She was on a piece of Krypton that drifted away from the planet and she lived there for the first fourteen years of her life in a horrible situation where she watched everyone around her die. So, she’s a much harsher and more fucked up Supergirl than you’ve been used to thus far.

    -James Gunn on the DCU’s Supergirl

    The film will be an adaptation of Tom King‘s comic book series of the same name, though Gunn described the studio’s Supergirl as “much more hardcore” than the one from the publishing side. While Gunn has stated that King “has been one of the architects of this entire situation,” Ana Nogueira adapted his material for the script for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

  • Marvel Television’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Gets Premiere Window, New Logo

    Marvel Television’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Gets Premiere Window, New Logo

    As part of Disney’s 2024 TV Upfronts, Marvel Television’s streaming series, Daredevil: Born Again, got a release window along with a striking new logo. With stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio in attendance to show off the first footage of the series, Disney revealed it will hit Disney Plus beginning in March 2025.

    Originally set for release in 2024, the series underwent major creative retooling during the Hollywood strikes. Once production resumed, multiple cast members from Netflix’s Daredevil series–including Wilson Bethel, Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll–were brought on board as the series pivoted to become a true continuation of the Netflix series.

    Nine episodes of Daredevil: Born Again will make up either Season 1 or Part 1 of the new series. Cox confirmed that production wrapped on those nine episodes and it is expected that cameras will roll on the next group of episodes this fall.

  • Marvel Studios Sets Premiere Date, Final (?) Title for Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Spinoff

    Marvel Studios Sets Premiere Date, Final (?) Title for Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Spinoff

    It turns out it really was Agatha All Along. After a series of potential titles that were part of a bit of clever marketing on Disney’s part, Marvel Studios released the final (?) title of Kathryn Hahn’s WandaVision spinoff at Disney’s Upfronts along with a premiere date.

    The new series, Agatha All Along, will have a two-episoses premiere on September 18th.

    Updating…

  • Amazon Moving Ahead with ‘Tomb Raider’ Streaming Series

    Amazon Moving Ahead with ‘Tomb Raider’ Streaming Series

    Following the sweeping success of the live-action adaptation of the video game franchise Fallout, Prime Video has made the determination to move ahead with another adaptation of a popular franchise. As part of its 2024 Upfront presentation, Amazon MGM Studios announced a new streaming series set within the Tomb Raider universe. The series, which had been in development for over a year, will be written and produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

    According to trade reports, the studio will now begin the search for their Lara Croft who has been previously portrayed in live-action by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander.

    If I could tell my teenage self this was happening I think she’d explode. Tomb Raider has been a huge part of my life and I feel incredibly privileged to be bringing it to television with such passionate collaborators. Lara Croft means a lot to me, as she does to many, and I can’t wait to go on this adventure. Bats ‘n all.

    Phoebe Waller-Bridge on the Tomb Raider live-action series

    Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, had the following to say about the new series. “I’m so happy to announce that we have ordered the epic, globetrotting series Tomb Raider from the incredibly gifted Emmy-award winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the team at Crystal Dynamics. Fans and newcomers can look forward to exhilarating adventures that honor the legacy of this iconic character.”

    Amazon is also developing a live-action Tomb Raider film and working with Crystal Dynamics on at least one more game in the franchise. “Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Games are incredible collaborators with a massive reach across the globe enabling us to expand our Tomb Raider franchise with multiple new adventures and a shared passion for creating impactful, entertaining, emotional experiences for players and viewers throughout every facet of this universe,” expressed Scot Amos, Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics.

    Source: THR

  • Nicolas Cage to Star in MGM+/Amazon’s Live-Action Spider-Man Spinoff Series ‘Noir’

    Nicolas Cage to Star in MGM+/Amazon’s Live-Action Spider-Man Spinoff Series ‘Noir’

    Nicolas Cage‘s Spider-Man Noir was one of many bright spots in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and now he’s set to bring the character into live action. After months of speculation and negotiation, the Academy Award-winning actor has agreed to star in MGM+ and Amazon Prime’s Noir. With Cage signing on, the project has been given a full series order rather than just a pilot episode.

    The story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.

    Synopsis for Noir, via Prime Video

    Development of the series first began in 2023 with Oren Uziel taking on writing and executive producer duties alongside the Spider-Verse team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller. In late 2023, Steve Lightfoot boarded the project as a co-showrunner alongside Uziel. According to Deadline, Killing Eve director Harry Bradbeer has struck a deal that will see him helm the first two episodes.

    “We are absolutely thrilled to have Nicolas Cage starring in this series! No one else could bring such pathos, pain, and heart to this singular character,” said President Sony Pictures Television Studios, Katherine Pope. “Along with our brilliant producers and partners at Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, we couldn’t ask for a better team to explore this reimagining of such an iconic character in Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters.“

    Amazon MGM Studios head of television, Vernon Sanders, said “Expanding the Marvel universe with Noir is a uniquely special opportunity and we are honored to bring this series to our global Prime Video customers. The extremely talented Nicolas Cage is an ideal choice for our new superhero and the accomplished producing team with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, and the incredible team at Sony is dedicated to expanding this franchise in the most authentic way.”

    According to the trade report, the series will first debut on MGM before streaming on Amazon Prime.

    Source: Deadline