Tag: DC Entertainment

REPORT: Another Name Surfaces as a Candidate for DC Films’ Kevin Feige

The uncertainty and unease surrounding the future of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Universe seem to be growing by the day. As has been widely reported over the last week, new WBD CEO David Zaslav has been busy making a series of drastic alterations to the company’s film slate. Batgirl, along with several other potential projects, received an unexpected axing, and most things in development are potentially on the chopping block.

Before the current upheaval, David Zaslav announced that DC is one of their highest priorities. On top of the announcement that DC would be becoming its own studio within the company, Zaslav has confirmed that they’ve put a team together to run said studio and have put together a ten-year plan, mentioning outright it is similar to what Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have built over at Disney. No word has been made on what exactly this “10-year-plan” entails and it’s unknown if WBD will announce a slate anytime soon.

Still, plenty of discussion has erupted about who could possibly be the “Kevin Feige of DC”. According to a report from Variety, one name being considered is TV producer Greg Berlanti, who “has been loudly whispered as a possibility for the role.” Berlanti is known for his work as one of the key architects of the CW’s DC Arrowverse, which included ncluded shows Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Superman & Lois. The Arrowverse featured many classic DC heroes and held several crossover events over the years, so Berlanti’s experience seems on par with what DC Films needs.

However, the report noted that no official discussions between WBD and Berlanti’s team have occurred, and apparently trade reporting insiders think he would not be interested in the role. Another potential candidate mentioned by Variety’s report is producer Dan Lin, whose credits include IT, The LEGO Batman Movie, Godzilla vs. Kong, and the failed Justice League movie that George Miller was preparing in 2009. But Lin is reportedly not interested in the role either.

Whoever ends up as the Feige of DC will be faced with high expectations set by Feige himself at Marvel Studios. It will be interesting to learn who WBD eventually selects for the role, though with all the seeming turmoil in the DC TV and Films, it is unclear when this person or 10-year plan will actuall come to fruition.

Source: Variety

August 12, 2022
DC Searching For its Own Feige After Discovery Merger

Since Man of Steel, the DC Extended Universe has been trying to build a universe around some of its most beloved characters. Certain issues have seen aspects of the DCEU cast astray, resulting in some creative roadblocks that have resulted in certain characters seemingly getting lost along the road. The recent Discovery merger has seen new heads at the combined company eager to overhaul the DC Cinematic Universe.

A new report from Variety suggests that, following ther Warner Bros Discovery merger, top leadership at the newly formed company is looking to overhaul the DC Entertainment branch. David Zaslav and company are reportedly looking for someone with a business background and less of a creative mind to maintain the many branches of DC Entertainment. The studio wants the films to be much more aligned, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The new leadership is unhappy with how many important characters within the DCEU, such as Superman, have been shelved with no plans to return in the future. The studio also believes that more films like Joker should be explored.

This decision could impact future development plans for projects as the studio attempts to rework and better streamline the DC Cinematic Universe. They also believe that DC must be more present in the gaming industry, as a way to push the brand to its fullest potential. Projects over the last couple of years have been significantly improving under the leadership of Walter Hamada, who took over following Geoff Johns and Jon Begs stepped down. Hamada is still under contract with Warner Brothers Discovery to lead DC films until 2023, and could play a vital role in what Zaslav aims to do with the future of DC.

Fans have been vocal about their distaste for the absence of many of their favorite characters within the film universe and worried about what the Justice League may look like in future appearences. Hopefully, whatever Zaslav and company have in store for the future of DC is able to please both sides and unite the fanbase.

SOURCE: Variety

April 14, 2022
WB Confirms its Search for A New Superman

The future of Kal-El in the DC Universe has been up in the air for some time now. The last time we officially saw him was at the tail end of Shazam, in which a body double donned the cape for the brief cameo appearance. Fans have been clamoring for another film in the Superman franchise, With Henry Cavill back in the role and continuing where they left off in Man of Steel. It seems now that the studio has another idea, and wishes to move in a different direction with the character.

A while back it was reported that author Ta-Nehisi Coates was set to write the script for the next Superman film, with J.J. Abrams producing on the project. With this news came word that the studio was interested in the idea of having a Black actor pick up the cape and crest as the next Man of Steel. A recent report from The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed this news and adds that the studio is looking for someone to star and direct. Details from sources close to the project say that Coates is developing a story that would see Kal-El coming from Krypton while also possibly being a 20th century period piece. Coates isn’t expected to turn in his script until December, so it could be a while before we hear any news on who will star or direct the project.

The film could be looking to tell the story of Calvin Ellis, who also happens to go by Kal-El, sent to earth as the world of Krypton imploded in on itself. This version of Superman is also the president of the United States on his earth, having been based on former president Barack Obama.

The next Superman film is still in very early development, and will reportedly follow the same route as The Batman as it’s reportedly not set within the main continuity of the overall franchise.

SOURCE: THR

May 5, 2021
‘JOKER’ Sequel Still in Development at Warner Bros.

It looks like we may not have heard the last of Joaquin Phoenix‘s now-iconic laugh. A recent article from The Hollywood Reporter slyly confirmed that Warner Bros is still planning on developing a sequel to 2019’s Joker as part of it’s upcoming DC line-up. The film, which starred Phoenix as the psychotic clown everyone loves to hate, was originally billed as an experimental, one-off origin story. The project was meant to launch “DC Black”, a new line of darker, adult-oriented comic book movies based on characters from the DC Universe. However, a strong fan reaction to the film and a handful of Academy Award nominations led to director Todd Phillips hinting at a sequel, with Phoenix saying that he would be on board should the right story come his way. THR reported on a sequel entering development in November of 2019, but Phillips later clarified he’d merely had hypothetical conversations with Warner Bros, and no film was actually in production. Until today, no further news had dropped on the subject.

It’s unclear where a sequel to Joker would go, but the ending of the first film did leave some open threads for a future installment to play with. The last time we see Arthur Fleck, he’s escaping Arkham Asylum and leaving a bloody trail behind him. It’s possible that a second movie could capitalize on this by having Fleck fully embrace the Joker name. Phillips has also previously expressed interest in bringing Batman to the film’s version of Gotham City. In the chaos of Joker‘s third act, we see Bruce Wayne’s timeless origin story play out, so a time-jump featuring an older version of the character duking it out with Fleck may not be completely off the table. That is, assuming the world doesn’t already have enough Batmen.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

May 5, 2021
‘BLACK ADAM’: Who is Cyclone?

Black Adam is quite possibly one of the most anticipated DC movies in development and is already living up to the hype with the addition of some of DC’s most iconic characters. With such a rich library to pick from, the film will introduce those from the Justice Society and the Black Marvel Family. The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change and Black Adam won’t let anything stand in between him and protecting the kingdom that he’s called home for thousands of years.

Created by Alex Ross, Mark Waid, Geoff Johns, and Dale Eaglesham, Cyclone would make her first appearance back in 1996’s Kingdom Come storyline as an unnamed Red Tornado who could be seen near Ma Hunkel in certain panels. The character would eventually receive a name a new design, being dubbed Maxine Hunkel, granddaughter of longtime JSA member Ma Hunkel, Aka the original Red Tornado. Maxine is a very energetic and bubbly person who excelled at school with a 4.0 GPA, yet she was a very talkative and was a bit of a know it all, resulting in being left out and abandoned by her peers, leading her to suffer from depression. Maxine was invited to join the JSA by Mr.Terrific and Powergirl and lives up to her nature by almost immediately accepting while talking their ears off, Maxine eventually becomes friends with another young girl on the team, that off Stargirl.

Maxine did not always have her powers and began showing signs of meta abilities when she sneezed and blew part of her grandmother’s home away. Maxine has the ability to fly with her wind manipulation as well as sound wave control. Maxine takes on the name cyclone as an homage to her Grandmother and her sidekicks, the cyclone kids, aka her aunt Amelia and Uncle Mortimer.

Cyclone has yet to make a live-action appearance but is set to join the ranks of the newly formed JSA in Black Adam and will be played by Quintessa Swindell

December 14, 2020
Quintessa Swindel Cast as Cyclone in ‘BLACK ADAM’

With delays setting production back and the film’s release date being removed from the calendar, many wondered what was going on with the Black Adam. Recently the Rock took to Instagram to once again tease his intense training for the role and also happened to confirm that the project would begin production in the Spring of 2021. The film was supposed to begin filming mid-to late-2020, but due to the ongoing pandemic filming was delayed significantly as the Rock had prior commitments to projects like Red Notice and Young Rock. Black Adam is now rounding out its cast and looks to be filling the ranks of its JSA with recent casting confirmation on that of Cyclone.

Today it was confirmed that Quintessa Swindel had been cast as JSA recruit, Maxine Hunkel, aka Cyclone. The character is the granddaughter of former JSA hero, Red Tornado, who’s also set to appear in the upcoming film, this time reimagined as a transgender character and the caretaker of Hawkman’s museum. Swindell previously appeared on the Netflix original series Trinkets, which only ran for one season. Previously it was reported that actresses Isabelle Moner and Leslie Grace were atop the studio’s wishlist for the character, but they obviously decided to go down an alternate path altogether.

Black Adam currently has no set release date but is set to be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and will star Dwayne Johnson in the title role, alongside Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centenio as Atom Smasher, and Sarah Shahi as Adrianna Tomaz. The film will tell the story of Kahndaq legend that is Teth-Adam and how he came to wield the power of the wizard and how he will do anything to protect his home, even going up against the might of the Justice Society of America.

For more on the character, make sure to check out her character profile right HERE!!

SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter

December 14, 2020
Joe Manganiello to Reprise Role as Deathstroke in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

Reshoots for Zack Snyder’s Justice League started to take place earlier this week, as reported by THR. So far, the cast members that were included in these reshoots were reportedly Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher, Jared Leto, and Amber Heard as Batman, Cyborg, Joker, and Mera respectively. Now, we have learned that Joe Manganiello is set to reprise his role as Deathstroke for the upcoming DC production, as reported by Collider & their sources state that Manganiello will be returning to the set for additional shooting.

It is important to note that Joe Manganiello was seen last night during a League of Legends event live on Twitch sporting a look similar to that of his Deathstroke appearance in the Justice League (2017) post-credit scene, as seen in the image above. When the project was officially announced back in May, Manganiello had actually gone on Instagram to state that the Synder Cut would include “the original post-credit scene”. What that original post-credit scene was, only time will tell.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is set to premiere exlucisvely on HBO Max in 2021.

October 23, 2020
‘Harley Quinn’ Renewed for a Third Season on HBO Max

DC Entertainment has given us some fantastic shows. Doom Patrol is so unique that it is hard to even put into words how out-there it is. It also gave us the R-rated animated masterpiece Harley Quinn. Many of us were waiting for the third season renewal and it has finally arrived. As we guess, the renewal comes from HBO Max and not DC Entertainment. This renewal also comes with the announcement that DC Entertainment will focus primarily on comics. As such, it is now a direct competitor to Marvel Unlimited, as it’s media content will migrate to HBO Max.

Hollywood Reporter also includes the fact that negotiations were dragged out over budgetary discussions. A major executive change also affected the show’s renewal, as the new focus on HBO had shifted. DC’s Jim Lee has also been vocal for the advantage of keeping these shows on HBO Max, as it has a stronger draw for audiences. Hopefully, the success of these shows means that they will continue expanding their DC output on the new platform. HBO Max has renewed Doom Patrol for a third season recently and Titans was going to enter production before the pandemic hit. It’s an exciting time for comic fans, we’ve been getting a lot of creative shows breaking boundaries. Harley Quinn is certailny at the forefrunt of it and I cannot wait to see what the third season will have to offer.

Source: Hollywood Reporter, GamesRadar

September 18, 2020
Robert Pattinson Tests Positive for COVID on ‘The Batman’ Set

Just a few hours ago, a crew member of DC’s The Batman had been tested positive for COVID-19. Warner Bros. was quick to put out a statement that they followed isolation protocols once it was uncovered during filming in the U.K. Now, Vanity Fair has revealed that Robert Pattinson has also been tested positive putting the film’s entire production on hold. All of us here at Murphy’s Multiverse hope that anyone affected by the virus on set will make a quick recovery soon.

The Batman was among the few films to resume production in Europe. Alongside Jurassic World: Dominion it would be the test for Hollywood to see how the new regulations can keep people safe while filming. The film had just recently released the first trailer based on just 25% of the film’s overall production. Everything seemed to be picking up speed again but with this news, it is uncertain how this may delay the production. Of course, the health of Pattinson and anyone else that has been infected are top priority.

Source: Variety, Vanity F

September 3, 2020
‘THE SUICIDE SQUAD’: Who is King Shark?

With the roster for James Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad stacked with wildly disparate and relatively unknown DC Comics villains, we thought it would be great to get to know each of them in 400 words or less. Don’t get too attached after reading though, because there’s a good bet most of them won’t be around for the sequel! It’s time to meet and greet the members of Task Force X!

King Shark a.k.a. Nanaue first appeared in Superboy #9 after a brief cameo in Superboy #0. Throughout his comic run, many believed he was a mutated human. It wasn’t until the Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis run that he was confirmed as the son of the Shark God and a human woman. As he is part shark, he is seen frequently eating humans. The first time we meet him, he has been abducting people for years. So much so, his name had become synonymous with an Hawaiian legend.

He actually joined the Suicide Squad comics in the same run he was introduced. In Superboy #15, he was forced to join by Amanda Waller due to them infiltrating a sea base. Unlike other members, he was equipped with a bomb belt that would ensure his cooperation. This mission also saw his death, as he was knocked into reactors that led to his belt exploding. He has reappeared since to became a mainstay in Aquaman’s various series. During the New 52 era, he had changed from a humanoid Great White to a humanoid Hammerhead shark. This version was stolen as an egg by Waller to be raised as a member of Task Force X.

He is the only character who currently has no designated actor in the roll call. Steve Agee played the character while they were filming. Some might recognize the actor from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Brightburn. Currently, rumors are pointing to Taika Waititi voicing the character but it hasn’t been confirmed yet. The trailer teases a kinder version of the character so it would be perfect casting.

King Shark has seen a rise in popularity as of late. The Flash introduced a human version, who mutates into the iconic shark man. He also appeared in Harley Quinn voiced by Ron Funches and will be playable in Rocksteady’s upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League game.

Murphy’s Multiverse Dead Pool Predictions

Predicted chances of survival: 50%

Predicted manner of death: self-sacrifice

RIP King-Shark

August 23, 2020