Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Blade

  • RUMOR: ‘Blade’ Production Start Delayed Until Fall

    RUMOR: ‘Blade’ Production Start Delayed Until Fall

    There have been many theories on when exactly the upcoming Blade film may star production. Mahershala Ali has been attached for some time and there was no real update on where the project exactly is heading. Just recently, we got our first big casting announcement in a while with The Wonder Years‘ Milan Ray, who joined the production in a key role. Now, it seems that they may be inching closer to an actual production start if the new rumor is to be believed.

    In a new piece by The Cosmic Circus, they hint that production is now eyeing a start in October. It seems they will be heading to Atlanta to film at Tyler Perry Studios. They may also be considering filming in New Orleans and Morocco, but the latter is unsure at this moment. Of course, as we’ve seen in the past, these production start dates can shift once again so we’ll have to see if it remains with October.

    Blade may be one of Marvel Studiois’ most “adult” characters they’ve added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it’s unclear what direction they are going with the character, especially with Ray‘s casting adding some curious rumors based on a character that never made its way into the comics. Still, if Ali was the one to approach Kevin Feige to bring this character to life, he may already have a clear vision how to tackle this character, and it’s going to be exciting to see what the future has in store.

    Source: Cosmic Circus

  • ‘Blade’ Casts ‘The Wonder Years’ Actress in Lead Role

    ‘Blade’ Casts ‘The Wonder Years’ Actress in Lead Role

    Actress Milan Ray, who is best known for her role as Keisa Clemmons on ABC’s The Wonder Years reboot, has been cast in Marvel Studio’s Blade. According to the report from The Direct, Ray will portray a “key character” in the film.

    While the report did name Ray’s role, a report from over a year ago indicated that the production was searching for “Ruby”, a teenager described as “thoughtful, serious, and burdened by growing up in a complex world.” At the time, it was widely speculated that this role would turn out to be Blade’s daughter, a concept abandoned by Marvel Comics in 2015. It’s sensible that Ray’s character will be how Marvel Studios chooses to bring that character, Fallon Grey, to life in the MCU.

    Ray joins Mahershala Ali, Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre in the film which does not yet have a release date and looks to begin filming late this summer or early this fall. Bassam Tariq will direct the reboot based on a script by Watchmen scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffour.

    Source: The Direct

  • Wesley Snipes Wrote Two Unused ‘Blade 4’ Scripts 

    Wesley Snipes Wrote Two Unused ‘Blade 4’ Scripts 

    Marvel Studios will soon reboot the Blade franchise with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali in the lead role, but former star Wesley Snipes has revealed he never stopped trying to continue his original series of films. The actor’s portrayal of the Vampire Hunter spanned three movies, from 1998 to 2004, and is widely regarded as one of the most iconic character adaptations of all time. Unfortunately, the third installment in the trilogy, Blade: Trinity, failed to land with critics or audiences and ultimately resulted in the end of Snipes’ time as the legendary Daywalker.

    Multiple attempts were made over the years to bring Blade back for another cinematic outing, with Snipes in the role, but nothing ever came to fruition. Speaking with Comic Book, the actor let slip that he and his team had actually written two complete, possible scripts for a potential Blade 4 that never came to be:

    We actually wrote two scripts. We have two versions of a story that would’ve fit well into the Blade world. But since we didn’t go that route and we didn’t have the knock on the door again, we tweaked them and now we use them for something else. So I got two Blade killers.

    Wesley Snipes

    When asked if either of these ideas involved crossing over with other Marvel characters, Snipes stated he couldn’t recall that being the case. He elaborated that the scripts were created without the help of Marvel, and that he never pitched them to big boss Kevin Feige before the studio decided to start over with Ali. Although, the comment about the ideas being reused for other projects is an interesting one. It begs the question of just how vampire-centric the films were going to be, considering Snipes doesn’t have any new vampire movies currently announced on the docket.

    Source: Comic Book

  • ‘Blade’ Star Comments on Character’s R-Rating in the MCU

    ‘Blade’ Star Comments on Character’s R-Rating in the MCU

    With the massive financial success of the Deadpool film franchise and Marvel’s upcoming reboot of Blade, the topic of R-rated superhero films is a passionate debate among fans. Some argue that in order to stay true to the origins of characters like Wade Wilson and Eric Cross Brooks and the source material they are based on, an R-rating is required.

    Wesley Snipes first suited up as the Daywalker in Stephen Norrington’s 1998 Blade, a cult classic film and the dawn of Marvel properties gracing the big screen. Part of the reason why the film is so beloved is due to the R-rating — there are no holds barred regarding the amount of gore that is seen.

    It has been 20 years since audiences last saw Blade in a movie. That will change soon as Marvel Studios announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 that the character was going to be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that Mahershala Ali would be starring as the Vampire Slayer.

    While the project hasn’t gotten into production just yet, Ali has already appeared in one Marvel Studios project. At the end of Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman is seen approaching a strange-looking sword that has what appears to be black organic matter emitting from the weapon as reaches out with his hand. That’s when a voice emerges, “Sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Whitman?”, the mysterious voice asks. Fans speculated for a few days that it was Ali before Zhao herself officially confirmed it. Given that we know Dane Whitman’s history as Black Knight from the comics, it’s a good bet that the sword Dane is approaching is indeed the Ebony Blade, which possesses magical properties and grants it to those who wield it. It seems likely Whitman’s character will interact with Ali’s Blade given the nature of the sword and the connection established in Eternals‘ post-credit scene.

    There has been no official release date given for Marvel Studios’ Blade since it was first announced in 2019. And with the official introduction of the character into the MCU, fans are eagerly awaiting the studios’ foray into the world of vampires. The big question is: will the film receive an R-rating?

    In a recent interview with Adam Barnhardt from Comicbook.com, Snipes dished his thoughts on the matter:

    I think those kind of stories lend themselves to a wide range of dialogue and situations. Both adult and young adult. I don’t know, it seems like the R-rating and PG-13 base is sliding now because it seems that now the 13-year-olds can speak better words than the adults can. As long as it’s true and organic to the subject matter, the plot, and the world that’s created. If there’s consistency, I think it’s fine [to be PG-13].

    Wesley Snipes

    So, even Blade himself doesn’t necessarily think an R-rating is required in order for the portrayal to be successful.

    What about you, do you think that the MCU’s Blade has to be rated R? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

    Source: Comicbook.com

  • REPORT: ‘Narcos: Mexico’ Cinematographer Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    REPORT: ‘Narcos: Mexico’ Cinematographer Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    All eyes have been on the many productions making their way to cinemas from Marvel Studios. Yet, we still have anxiously been waiting for updates on future projects such as Mahershala Ali’s Blade adaptation. After some silence on the project, it looks like we finally got some more details.

    According to Next Best Pictures’ Will Mavity has shared that cinematographer Damiàn Garcia has joined the Blade adaptation. He is best known for his work on Narcos: Mexico, Museo and I’m No Longer Here.

    It they found a cinematographer, it’s a good sign that production may start soon. This film is a passion project for Ali who approached Marvel Studios to tackle a project. Ir’ll be his second time in the Marvel world after a memorable performance in the Netflix series Luke Cage.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Writer Speaks Out on Blade’s Rumored Appearance in the Series

    ‘Moon Knight’ Writer Speaks Out on Blade’s Rumored Appearance in the Series

    In the months leading up to Moon Knight’s streaming debut, the level of secrecy around the project remained impressive. Very few accurate leaks made their way off the set of the series, but there were plenty of wild rumors about characters that would appear in the show. Daredevil, Bruce Banner and Blade were all, at one point or another, mentioned by “scoopers” as potential guest stars on the show; however, as it turned out, not only did none of those characters show up, no other pre-established MCU characters did, making Moon Knight one of Marvel Studios’ most self-contained projects to date.

    With so much information out there, it’s hard to know what to trust and what to ignore. More and more often, Marvel Studios creators are being asked to help fans sort through the rubble of rumors. In an interview with Comic Book, Moon Knight writer Jeremy Slater did just that. According to Slater, while Dane Whitman almost made an appearance in Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Moon Knight, Blade was never in the mix.

    We’re told in advance which characters are a little bit off limits. And I think at the time we were cracking Moon Knight, they were also kind of trying to crack the Blade story and try to figure out what that was. And so I think they wanted to keep them separately.

    Jeremy Slater

    As it turned out, there was no need for the Black Knight, Blade or anyone else to show up alongside Moon Knight in the series, given the very personal nature of the fight Oscar Issac’s character was taking on. And, of course, when he needed help, he found it in the form of May Calamawy’s Scarlet Scarab, an old comic hero that Slater and director Mohamed Diab gave new life as Marvel Studios’ first Egyptian superhero. Now that the first chapter of his Marvel Studios story has been told, it’s possible that Moon Knight could show up anywhere and team up with anyone and, given his dalliances with the supernatural in the comics, Blade is just as good a bet as anything.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2024 Release Calendar, V1

    Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2024 Release Calendar, V1

    With so much uncertainty remaining about exactly when which projects will stream in 2022, and only some known quantities for 2023, it would be crazy to start thinking about 2024. Without further delay, here’s a look at what Marvel Studios’ 2024 release slate COULD be.

    Marvel Studios has not acknowledged the existence of this Hulk project; however, KC Walsh broke the news publicly in October of 2021, supporting information shared with Murphy’s Multiverse 3 months prior. While it seems like a safe bet to be the first 2024 film, given Walsh’s info that it will film in late-2022, all that can be done now is to make a wild prediction that it’ll land here.

    As discussed at length here, Charlie Cox is going to be included in a lot of Marvel Studios projects over the next several years. It’s been great for Cox to take off the gloves lately and start discussing his future more and more and, as recent reports have indicated, a Daredevil solo project is among those. At the moment, it looks like that one could go into production as soon as late 2022 or early 2023, but with an already packed 2023, it’s reasonable to expect Daredevil hits Disney Plus in 2024.

    The news that Shawn Levy had signed on to take the wheel for Deadpool 3 and the lack of news about other theatrical projects put this one firmly on the board for 2024. Fans are rightly curious about exactly what to expect from this film, but with the writers from the first two films getting a pass at the script, a steady flow of dick jokes is probably on the menu.

    While the title of this series is up in the air, from a simple Okoye to a more indicative Midnight Angels, it’s expected that it will spin directly out of the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and possibly focus on not only Okoye but also a group of elite Dora Milaje warriors on a VERY special mission. Ryan Coogler has created expansive mythology connected to Wakanda and this series should explore more of that while setting up the future of the franchise.

    At one point, this film was on the docket to film in 2021. Recently, Murphy’s Multiverse was informed that production was officially postponed until 2023, putting it among the top contenders for a 2024 release. Thematically, Cap 4 could tie into a number of Marvel Studios projects, including Armor Wars and the Okoye-centric series. Could this be the beginning of a New Avengers team in the MCU?

    2024 is the 60th anniversary of Wanda’s first appearance, so what better time for her first solo project to debut? Recent rumors of a solo project The Scarlet Witch seem to be supported by multiple sources and word of a 2023 start of production has reached our ears. A Fall release would align the series with the Autumnal Equinox, one of several major celebrations for Wiccans. Let’s put it here for now.

    A late-2023 start of production for this one falls in line with more than a decade’s worth of data that indicates Marvel Studios likes to give creatives a 2-year window from green light to film. Destin Daniel Cretton, who helmed Marvel Studios’ best origin story since Black Panther, is back for the sequel and should benefit from Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi dropping in here and there in between films.

    Discussed a couple of times in the most recent 2023 hypothetical calendar, the ability for Marvel to synergistically link theatrical releases to streaming series is a powerful marketing tool. With that tool in the toolbox, a beautiful bridge could be built from Shang-Chi 2 to a Xialing-centric The Ten Rings series. Could the two projects blow open the door for some other hidden cities to enter the MCU?

    Note: The latest version of our hypothetical 2023 calendar can be found right here.

  • Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V3

    Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V3

    The future slate of Marvel Studios is more fluid now than it’s ever been. With the industry STILL being impacted by COVID to some degree, a backlog of projects that could be shuffled in and out of any date at any time, and the interesting lack of a 2022 press preview kit from Disney, fans are left frivolously hypothesize, predict and speculate when to expect their most anticipated MCU projects. And we’re here to help you with your favorite addiction. This isn’t our first attempt to pin down 2023’s projects; you can check out V1 here and V2 here to compare notes.

    As much as everybody wants to see the Samuel L. Jackson/Nicky Fury-led Secret Invasion, the 2022 schedule seems to be complete without it. While we still don’t know very much about the plot of either Secret Invasion or The Marvels, it does seem like the two could share some sort of narrative bridge that would be well-served by them debuting relatively close to one another.

    By the time The Marvels hits theaters, it will have been in the can for nearly a year and a half. That’s part of the backlog of projects created by the pandemic, which really changed the well-established production paradigm that Marvel Studios had followed for well over a decade. That means a lot of time to breathe for the characters in between appearances which creates a lot of anticipation…and you know Marvel Studios likes that.

    After a little bit of a delay to the start of its production, Echo looks like it’ll be up and running in Georgia in April of 2022 and permits have been filed around Atlanta for the month of May. Given the “grounded” nature of Maya and the types of characters being cast in supporting roles, it doesn’t sound like this one is going to be a VFX showcase, so it should be ready to stream on Disney Plus in March of 2023. Of course, the question on fans’ minds is how much will Daredevil and Kingpin be involved and how might this series dovetail into the Daredevil solo project in development at Marvel Studios. Here’s to hoping Maya remains the focus of this series as there’s plenty of room for Daredevil to explore on his own.

    At some point in the first half of 2023, Ahsoka, a highly-anticipated, live-action Star Wars streaming series, will hit Disney Plus. We now know that Disney Plus is not opposed to streaming live-action Star Wars and Marvel Studios’ projects simultaneously, but if Ahsoka rolls out sometime in early May, X-Men ’97, which is on track for a 2023 release, could stream concurrently with that and fill the Marvel Studios streaming void until June, leaving some live-action stuff for later in the year.

    James Gunn’s third Guardians’ film might well be his last Marvel Studios’ project. By the time this comes out, it’ll have been over a decade since Gunn started work on Guardians of the Galaxy and as we’ve seen through his recent work on The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, he’s really on top of his game. This one sounds like it’ll be something really special and emotional, with Gunn saying goodbye not only to Marvel but to some characters he’s really grown to love.

    With the production of Season 2 of Loki on track to begin in June of 2022, it should be ready to roll out in June of 2023. While it isn’t clear whether or not Secret Invasion provides a direct runway to the events of The Marvels, it seems VERY clear that Loki Season 2 and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania share a narrative canvas and that the former can easily hand off a storyline to the latter.

    2023 could end up being the Summer of Kang. Jonathan Majors thrilled audiences with a tease of what to expect when the character returns, and it looks like when he does it’ll be a much heavier dose. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will feature some version(s) of the character fresh off of what’s expected to be a major role in Season 2 of Loki. Of course, Kang’s not the only villain fans can look forward to, as M.O.D.O.K. is also reportedly making his live-action debut, played by Corey Stoll. Should the schedule fall this way, it would represent a great example of the type of synergy Marvel Studios can pull off thanks to a parent company that has its own streaming service and total control over the release schedule.

    While a lot of fans are expecting this to be tied into Armor Wars, all the early evidence suggests it is essentially a follow-up to Riri Williams adventures in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That’s not to say that Riri might not show up in Armor Wars or that the events of Ironheart might not lead into the Don Cheadle-led streamer, in fact it would make a lot of sense if she did, but Riri will be busy enough on her own following her huge role in Wakanda Forever.

    When V2 of the 2023 Hypothetical Calendar was published, Agatha: House of Harkness had only just been revealed by the trades a few days before and the official Disney Plus Day announcement was about a week away. Now, it really does look like it could make the 2023 release slate given the tentative October 2022 start of production. It seems like the perfect Spooky Season release for Marvel Studios, so slotting it here seems a no-brainer.

    After a couple of production delays, Blade is looking at a Fall 2022 start of principal photography, which makes it the best candidate for the currently unfilled November 3, 2023 release date, especially with production on Captain America 4 officially delayed until 2023. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that it’ll come out right around Halloween and feature a vampire hunter, and it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see this date slide back a week earlier where nothing major is currently scheduled for any studio.

    Armor Wars, like Agatha: House of Harkness, is on track for a late-2022 start of production. While a 2023 debut is by no means set in stone for Armor Wars, there is a nice end-of-the-year window for it, should it be completed and ready to stream. We know very little about the project, but Kevin Feige seems to enjoy playing with the idea of having some streaming series thematically tied to the seasons in which they are released, so maybe, like Hawkeye, Armor Wars could be set during the holidays. After all, is there any better present than Stilt-Man?

  • What ‘Daredevil’ and Co.’s Disney+ Addition Might Mean for Marvel Studios’ Future

    What ‘Daredevil’ and Co.’s Disney+ Addition Might Mean for Marvel Studios’ Future

    It’s been long-rumored now since the Marvel Netflix series like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and more are making their way to Disney+. After many back-and-forths online, the confirmation has finally arrived, as they dropped a sudden teaser that they are joining the series on March 16th. The big takeaway is that the streaming service is embracing more mature content without restricting it to other services, especially as they went out of their way to offer bundles with Hulu. Yet, this addition might have bigger implications for Marvel Studios’ future ventures.

    The timing for these additions is perfect with a darker-toned Moon Knight just on the horizon. Not just that, but it also means that older R-rated projects like Blade, Deadpool, Logan, or more can get added soon. Not just that, we know that Deadpool 3 is going to be an R-rated project and now we don’t have to worry about it potentially landing on Hulu. It’ll be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it would’ve been a shame if it wasn’t going to be part of the showcase in Disney+.

    The streamer was showcased as an “archive” for classic projects from Marvel, Pixar, and any other Disney brand. So, its family-friendly focus is not only restrictive from an archival standpoint but also creatively. They lost a lot of projects early on due to this restriction, such as the Lizzie McGuire revival and pushing the Love Simon spinoff, Love Victor, to Hulu. While it seems unlikely we’ll get an R-rated Pixar film any time soon, Marvel and Star Wars are very different stories. This move might be an implication that Disney+ Original projects will no longer fully adhere to the streaming’s initial set-up.

    Marvel may be able to fully embrace the darker and more mature tones that upcoming projects may have. Moon Knight is a big implication of Disney+ maturing, which we’ve talked bout here, but it also means R-rated projects are a possibility. The long-rumored Werewolf by Night project can embrace the darker aspects of having a werewolf-centric story. Their Blade remake might also start moving towards an R-rating, as there are no longer concerns about streaming availability being restricted to specific services.

    There’s also the continuation to keep in mind, as we know Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio returned in the roles they made famous. Rumors are hinting at a new Daredevil revival, which now can embrace the darker story arcs introduced through the Netflix incarnations. There are more mature storylines possible now that the glass ceiling has been broken. It may be a small step for now, but once Deadpool or Logan get added with the parent control sometime in the future, we might be able to see the first steps for a new MCU.

  • Aaron Pierre Joins Mahershala Ali’s ‘Blade’ in Major Role

    Aaron Pierre Joins Mahershala Ali’s ‘Blade’ in Major Role

    We’ve been long waiting for an update on Mahershala Ali‘s upcoming Blade film, as Marvel Studios reintroduces the iconic Vampire Hunter. The last we heard was that Delroy Lindo has joined the project, which will be directed by Bassam Tariq. The news has dropped that Aaron Pierre is set to co-star in the upcoming film. Sadly, there is no information on who he might end up playing in the film, but it is hinted at a major role for the project.

    Blade, also known as Eric Brooks, was originally just a supporting character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, but eventually became a mainstay in Marvel’s supernatural corner. Wesley Snipes was the first to bring the character into live-action in a film that would define superhero cinema and especially Marvel’s tenure. Considering the strong PG-13 focus of modern-day superhero cinema, it’s funny to think the R-rated project started it all.

    There’s a chance that this project may be Marvel Studios’ darkest story with the introduction of vampires. The Krypton star could be taking on an antagonistic role and will face off against Ali‘s take on Blade. Pierre has also recently appeared in The Underground Railroad and has some stage experience with Othello in 2018 and King Hedley II. in 2019. He made his film debut in M. Night Shyamalan‘s Old. It’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the table and if we find out his role in the near future.

    Source: Deadline