Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC Movies

  • Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Sequel to Feature Clayface

    Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Sequel to Feature Clayface

    While we still have little to no information on what to expect in a The Batman sequel, a rather curious little detail may have unveiled one of the main antagonists in Matt Reeves‘ expanding Elseworld DC universe. In an article by Deadline on a pitch by Mike Flanagan for an original film based around the Batman rogue Clayface, they unveil that he will also be featured in The Batman Part 2.

    There is no word though if Flanagan‘s take might actually occur within the other universe, or might be part of the greater James Gunn and Peter Safran DC Universe. Reeves has his own plans that are seemingly moving forward even as Warner Bros. Discovery aims to establish a single universe. The Penguin spinoff is currently filming and we also know of one more project focused on Arkham Asylum that seemingly is still in early development.

    Clayface as a villain in the more down-to-earth take on the Dark Knight opens up many new avenues. While the popular choice was Mr. Freeze given how Gotham ended up flooded at the end of the first film, who knows if they’ll truly take the actor background that many connect with the character of Clayface, the man once known as Basil Karlo.

    They might take another more grounded take or slowly expand Batman’s world into the supernatural after the first was a classic noir. The only one who knows is Matt Reeves and we’ll have to wait a bit longer until we get our first look or hint at what the sequel has to offer. Once castings start, then we’ll likely truly know more.

    Source: Deadline

  • Jason Momoa Sees a Future for Aquaman in James Gunn’s DCU

    Jason Momoa Sees a Future for Aquaman in James Gunn’s DCU

    Some time ago, Jason Momoa seemingly hinted that perhaps a dream role has come his way. While he’s become famous as the DC Extended Universe’s Aquaman, he also always has his eyes on becoming the iconic DC character of Lobo. Some elements of that character have made its way into his take on Arthur Curry, but it seems like he sees a bright future for the character.

    Under new leadership, many wondered just what might survive the future of the DC Cinematic Universe under DC Studios’ James Gunn and Peter Safran. In an interview with Total Film, he stated that he sees a bright future for the character as he believes “Aquaman will be involved in the DCU.”

    Peter [Safran]’s my producer [on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom], and is a dear friend. I absolutely think Aquaman will be involved in the DCU. It’s on, bro – there’s no one bigger than Aquaman! But, also, I hope people are excited to see the new one. It’s fun. I really enjoy doing comedy. There’s some really funny stuff with Patrick Wilson. I really adore him. We had a great time working together. It’s like we’re brothers. There’s a lot of cool stuff happening in this one

    Jason Momoa

    Momoa‘s enthusiasm has always been infectious and it’s not surprising that he’s definitely down to continue this role. He’ll take on the role next in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will finally release later this year in December. So, perhaps that film will give us a better idea of what the future has in store for us in the new DCU.

    Source: Total Film

  • Leaked Set Photos of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Provide First Look at Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn

    Leaked Set Photos of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Provide First Look at Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn

    Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019’s megahit, Joker, has been in production for some time and quite a few interesting photos and videos have leaked from the set. Lady Gaga, who joined the cast as Harleen Quinzel, has been captured on set a few times but not as her alter ego, Harley Quinn…until now.

    A new batch of photos and a video show Lady Gaga in her full, spectacular Harley Quinn look accompanied by a whole bunch of Gotham’s finest.

    A set video shows the character being escorted through a rowdy crowd, many of whom seem to be there rallying in support of the Joker.

    Given that several of the members of the crowd are either in Joker masks or full Joker makeup, not to mention the sign someone made asking Joker to marry them, it would appear that Joaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck has become a cult hero in Gotham following the events of Joker. That film ended with Fleck in Arkham Asylum, where it’s expected he will meet Lady Gaga’s character. A recent video from the set of the film shows what is widely accepted as the asylum burning as the duo escapes.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CqIW5GDoaDy/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

    Joker: Folie à Deux, which will be a musical in parts, will be released at part of the new DC Studio’s Elseworlds banner on October 4, 2024.

  • Too Short: ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Theatrical Window Looks to Be Closing Soon

    Too Short: ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Theatrical Window Looks to Be Closing Soon

    Shazam: Fury of the Gods had a tough opening weekend at the domestic box office where it only pulled in $30.5M, not a good number for a superhero film and less than the 2022 box office bomb Morbius. The film has been harshly reviewed, especially compared to its 2019 predecessor, and the B+ Cinemascore doesn’t really bode well for it to have legs, especially with John Wick: Chapter 4 blasting into theaters this weekend. All those factors work together to paint a pretty grim picture of the future of the film and it looks like Warner Bros. may have looked at that picture and decided to shake things up.

    A listing for Shazam: Fury of the Gods on Amazon Prime Video indicates that it will be available on the streaming service as of midnight Eastern time on April 18th.

    Should that digital release date hold true, it would mean Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ theatrical release window would end after just 32 days. Nothing is official just yet but given all the negativity surrounding the film and the competition it faces at the box office, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this pan out. Of course, this news won’t do any favors for the film’s second (or third or fourth) weekend at the box office as families who may be considering seeing the film may just opt to wait a few more weeks and catch it at home.

  • ‘The Batman-Part II’ Rumored to Include a Surprising Return Character

    ‘The Batman-Part II’ Rumored to Include a Surprising Return Character

    Paul Dano‘s Edward Nashton drove Robert Pattinson‘s Batman to the edge in 2022’s The Batman; ultimately, the World’s Greatest Detective discovers the endgame of Nashton’s riddles and nabs Carmine Falcone. Of course, as Riddler is “captured” and shipped off to Arkham, Batman discovers too late the secondary plan to flood Gotham and wash away its history of corruption. While Batman was able to intervene to some extent, Riddler’s extravagant plan was a success and Gotham will certainly be in all manner of disarray when it’s next seen in the HBO Max series The Penguin and again in 2025’s The Batman-Part II.

    Set to film in late 2023, little is known about Matt Reeves‘ The Batman-Part II. It survived the great purge when James Gunn and Peter Safran took over at DC and formed DC Studios and will be released under that studio’s new Elseworlds banner which means the stories developed by Reeves will take place outside of the DCU’s main continuity. What story is The Batman-Part II going to tell? There are plenty of rumors out there but the truth is nobody knows what Reeves has in mind; however, a new rumor from a reliable insider might at least give fans an idea of who some of the key players will be in the new chapter.

    According to Daniel RPK, both Colin Farrell and Paul Dano will reprise their respective roles in 2025’s The Batman-Part II. To be sure, most everyone probably expected Farrell’s Oz to return; the streaming series The Penguin is set in the immediate aftermath of the events in The Batman and looks to be diving into the turmoil unleashed in the criminal underworld of Gotham following the death of Carmine Falcone. Dano’s return, however, might come as much more of a surprise, especially given the breakdown he suffered in the film’s closing moments.

    With all the talk of Mr. Freeze somehow being incorporated into the sequel, a return by the Riddler might not be exactly what fans are hoping for. Of course, Dano’s return doesn’t mean he’ll play a major role or be the primary antagonist once again, especially as Reeves looks to build Batman’s Rogues Gallery throughout the different projects set within his Gotham-verse. Given there are over two years until The Batman-Part II hits theaters on October 3, 2025, this is just the first turn of the rumor mill for the cast of the film.

  • ‘Shazam 2’ Fizzled Out at the Box Office with Low $30M Domestic Opening

    ‘Shazam 2’ Fizzled Out at the Box Office with Low $30M Domestic Opening

    The debates over the box office results of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was quite all over the place, as the film faced a steep drop after its initial weekend. Yet, it still made a big splash that one expects from a Marvel Studios offering and fizzled out faster due to higher expectations on such projects and the fact that there’s always a Disney+ release around the corner, as taught in the past by how releases were handled.

    Yet, it seems 2023 isn’t kind to superhero films in general as the latest DC film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods faced an even harsher box office release with one of the worst openings for a DC Extended Universe entry. With an $11.7M Friday, the film is projected to end at around $30M. That would put it quite a bit below the initially expected $35M to $40M. Many had believed the film had a chance to garner some momentum going into the weekend but it seems it has swiftly fizzled out.

    What makes this hurt, even more, is that it’s quite a bit lower than 2019’s Shazam! which opened at $53.5M at the box office. It does have the same $100M price tag as the previous entry but with a B+ CinemaScore, the question will be how its legs perform. Many have used it as a way to get a feeling for where it’s going but its key audience families are still struggling to get back to theaters. It was a hope they might strengthen even Ant-Man‘s box office run as they had a much higher affinity with the film, but it seems they are still a market that has yet to find their way back.

    Perhaps there’s a correlation between more family-friendly offerings and the recent drop in box office for animated releases. If you’re not a “must-watch” released in theaters, they simply won’t make the trip like with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish or even Minions: Rise of Gru last year. The box office is certainly doing better but not every target audience is quite where some might have hoped it would be. So, more adult and teen-driven releases like the recent successes of Scream VI and Creed III might be on the horizon.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Grades Out with the Same Cinemascore as ‘Black Adam’

    ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Grades Out with the Same Cinemascore as ‘Black Adam’

    As Shazam: Fury of the Gods pushes through its opening weekend, early reviews don’t seem to be helping it at the box office where it only pulled in $3.4M in its Thursday previews and estimates have it finishing up between $30-35M after adding $7.6M more on Friday night . Poor early reviews aren’t always a death knell for films; sometimes positive word of mouth from fans can help propel a film beyond the estimated projections. However, it’s not looking good for the Shazam! sequel on that front either.

    After polling opening night audiences about the film, Cinemascore has revealed a B+ grade for Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

    B+ seems to be the sweet spot for DC projects. Black Adam, Birds of Prey, Joker, Justice League, Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman 1984 all received B+ Cinemascores from moviegoers. It’s an interesting grouping to be sure as some of those films are held in a bit higher regard than others, yet they all sit at the same Cinemascore. For comparison’s sake, 2019’s Shazam! was given an A Cinemascore by audiences.

    Currently sitting at a 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, Fury of the Gods has taken a hit by critics for not living up to its predecessor in terms of comedy or plot and for lacking the charm that made Shazam! a bit of a surprise hit. It was already highly unlikely that the franchise would continue on at the new DC Studios, but its performance and fans’ general lack of interest and awareness would seem to cement the fact that this will be the last adventure for the this iteration of the Shazamily.

    Sources: Cinemascore, Deadline

  • Tom Cruise Loved DC’s ‘The Flash’

    Tom Cruise Loved DC’s ‘The Flash’

    Here’s a piece of news you don’t expect every day. It seems that Tom Cruise, the star of the recent monolith release Top Gun Maverick and the upcoming next Mission Impossible film, has gotten an early screening of The Flash, Warner Bros. biggest bet for the year on making their mark in theaters. The film is still set to release in June and it looks like they are all in to make this film get as hyped up as it can.

    While the controversies surrounding its star Ezra Miller might still overshadow most positive news, new DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn did call it “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.” Now, it seems that Cruise loved the film so much that he just called director Andy Muschietti to rave about it according to sources close to The Hollywood reporter.

    Seems it all started with a meeting between Cruise and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav that led to him being curious about just how good the film was. Quotes like “everything you want in a movie” and “the movie we need now” according to the sources. It’s not too dissimilar from what they tried to do with Christopher Nolan‘s Tenet back in the day when they made a whole show of him visiting a theater in London to watch it.

    While that didn’t really boost that film’s box office, it’s great to see the actor’s enthusiasm for the latest DC film. There’s always an ongoing “feud” online about if these films have value in being as dominant in theaters as they are but this might probably worsen the discussion rather than help it.

    Cruise has become a “spokesperson” for the theatrical experience with even Steven Spielberg being heard quoting him as saving theaters. While one could argue it takes more than one film release, the film did bring an older audience back into theaters even if that didn’t hold as many had hoped after its release.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Off to a Slow Start at the Box Office

    ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Off to a Slow Start at the Box Office

    The first box office numbers are in for Shazam: Fury of the Gods following the film’s Thursday night previews and they don’t bode well for a big weekend for the sequel. The new DC film, the first to hit theaters following the news that James Gunn and Peter Safran were essentially cleaning house and starting over with DC Studios, took in $3.4M yesterday afternoon and evening. That total represents a 43% drop from the first film’s Thursday take in 2019.

    Opening weekend predictions for the film have not been healthy for the sequel with the latest estimates coming in projecting a $35M domestic haul. The first film raked in $53.5M as an unknown quantity in 2019.

    The film has not been warmly received by critics, currently sitting at a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes. Online discourse around the film has mostly been centered around poor marketing and general lack of interest in the upcoming DC films knowing that the narrative threads begun within them are unlikely to carry over into the new DCU.

    Source: Deadline

  • Ben Affleck Addresses Rumors He’ll Direct DC Studios ‘The Brave and The Bold’

    Ben Affleck Addresses Rumors He’ll Direct DC Studios ‘The Brave and The Bold’

    Shortly after James Gunn announced part of the lineup of the DCU’s Chapter 1-Gods and Monsters, rumors began to swirl that while Ben Affleck‘s days of portraying Batman on screen were done, there was mutual interest in having Affleck direct a project. Before long, a rumor surfaced that had Affleck on a shortlist to direct DC Studios The Brave and The Bold, which would introduce a new Batman and his son, Damian, the new DCU. The rumor was believable enough: Affleck likes Batman and Gunn, who is always actively dispelling rumors on social media, didn’t address it. Now, Affleck has made his thoughts known on the rumor.

    “I would not direct something for the Gunn DC. Absolutely not,” said Affleck when asked by THR about the possibility of helming a DC Studios project. “I have nothing against James Gunn,” Aflleck clarified, “Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.“

    Affleck didn’t clarify what “the way they’re doing that meant” leaving plenty of room for interpretation for rabid fans who’ll want to read into his comments; however, the only real news here is that Affleck’s superhero days, which date back to 2003’s Daredevil, seem to be behind him and that Gunn’s search for a director for The Brave and the Bold will continue.

    Source: THR