Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC Movies

  • ‘Blue Beetle’ Star Teases His Character is “Really Important” to the DCEU’s Future

    ‘Blue Beetle’ Star Teases His Character is “Really Important” to the DCEU’s Future

    There’s been some confusion on what the future has in store for the DC Extended Universe. The newly established Warner Bros. Discovery is leaving some rather harsh scars on its own production side with various projects being outright canceled or even taken down. Still, there are a few projects that might make it out, such as Xolo Maridueña‘s upcoming Blue Beetle film. In a recent interview, the actor revealed that he was told how important Blue Beetle, whose secret identity is Jaime Reyes, will be for the DC Extended Universe.

    He shared his experience after having a Zoom call with DC and what it was like getting another interview. “Why do these guys want to meet? What’s happening? I was so nervous. There’s so much riding on what they think about me.” He goes on to highlight what Walter Hamada, the president of DC Studios, told him about his character, as a way to also calm him down “Look Xolo. This role of Blue Beetle is going to be really important to this universe. We want to just make sure that whoever we go with is a real person and we’re not just hiring a face. It’s about more than what’s in front of the camera.”

    It definitely sounds like Maridueña was chosen for that very reason, as he’ll bring a certain humanity to the role and the universe. Similar to how Spider-Man commonly becomes that human anchor for the Marvel universe. Luckily, it seems that the project is still moving forward as Warner Bros. Discovery still believes in the project. It’s unclear if Reyes’ role in the DCEU will also remain the same as they rewrite the next ten years for the franchise but it would be a shame not to make use of it.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • WB Targeting Dan Lin to Oversee DC Films and TV’s “10-Year Plan”

    WB Targeting Dan Lin to Oversee DC Films and TV’s “10-Year Plan”

    David Zaslav has been on the lookout for “DC’s Kevin Feige” and according to a trade report, he may have found his man. THR reports that producer Dan Lin, who backed hits such as The Lego Movie and the It films, is negotiating for the job.

    Zaslav’s tenure as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO has resulted in a veritable blood bath for DC’s film and TV projects. Several projects at varying places in production have been canceled as Zaslav looks to model the future of DC’s film and TV adaptations on the success Kevin Feige has had a Marvel Studios.

    According to the trade report, Lin’s success as a film executive and producer and on the TV side helped WB identify him as a prime candidate to lead the 10-year plan described by Zaslav. Lin would seemingly look to put forth a more unified slate of projects after putting the brakes on the previous leadership’s Crisis plans.

  • Neil Gaiman Purposefully Leaked ‘The Sandman’ Script to Ensure it Wouldn’t Be Filmed

    Neil Gaiman Purposefully Leaked ‘The Sandman’ Script to Ensure it Wouldn’t Be Filmed

    Neil Gaiman is living the life as he’s had one successful adaptation after the other. Netflix has just recently released the live-action adaptation of The Sandman, something many believed was unadaptable. It’s been quite a success for the streamer and Gaiman has been busy promoting the release. Yet, in a recent interview, the writer revealed that he purposefully leaked the script of an earlier Hollywood adaptation to ensure that it wouldn’t be adapted. According to Gaiman, he believed “it was the worst script” he’s ever read.

    It was the worst script that I’ve ever read by anybody. A guy in Jon Peters’ office phoned me up and he said, ‘So Neil, have you had a chance to read the script we sent you?’ And I said, ‘Well, yes. Yes, I did. I haven’t read all of it, but I’ve read enough.’ He says, ‘So, pretty good. Huh?’ And I said, ‘Well, no. It really isn’t.’ He said, ‘Oh, come on. There must have been stuff in there you loved.’ I said, ‘There was nothing in there I loved. There was nothing in there I liked. It was the worst script that I’ve ever read by anybody. It’s not just the worst Sandman script. That was the worst script I’ve ever been sent.

    Neil Gaiman

    There’s a hilarious trend in the one he mentions, as it was by infamous Wild Wild West producer Jon Peters, who almost tried to force a giant spider into an earlier draft of a Superman pitch by Kevin Smith before a mechanical spider made its debut in the Will Smith film. It seems that it had its origins in The Sandman adaptation that Gaiman sent to Ain’t It Cool New.

    It had giant mechanical spiders in it… Lucifer, Morpheus and the Corinthian were identical triplets. They were a family of identical brothers, and it was all a race to see who could get the ruby, the helm and the bag of sand before midnight on 1999, before the new millennium started, because whoever got it would be the winner. That was the plot.

    Neil Gaiman

    It’s not every day that you see someone takes matters into their own hands to avoid an obvious trainwreck but Gaiman wasn’t going to let his franchise be dismantled this way. There’s also something hilarious about Peters‘ obsession with a giant mechanized spider being in one of his films. Luckily, his action did end up avoiding it getting made.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Aquaman 2’ Director Teases First Look at the Lost Kingdom With New Concept Art

    ‘Aquaman 2’ Director Teases First Look at the Lost Kingdom With New Concept Art

    Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has just been delayed by quite a few months as it’ll now not hit theaters until December of 2023. OF course, an extra wait is going to be quite frustrating with the film has gone through a few delays already. Even Shazam: Fury of the Gods was pushed back and took its original March 2023 release date. Still, it seems that director James Wan didn’t want to keep people waiting too long for a glimpse at the sequel and took to his personal Instagram account to share some beautiful concept art.

    What stands out is that this might be our first tease of the Lost Kingdom in the title of the project. Of course, it doesn’t give away an actual look or confirmation if this is indeed the relocation but it’s a fun addition to speculate. He also goes on to highlight that this is just a glimpse of what they have to offer, which definitely teases just how big the scope is for this sequel.

    It’s a shame that the wait has been extended for quite a few months but we’ll hopefully get more teases as we get closer to the release. It is crazy to think that 2022 looked quite a bit different earlier this year when they teased releases of The Batman, Black Adam, The Flash, and the Aquaman sequel in one year only for it to end up with two of the advertised releases. We’ll have to see just how consistent they will be with next year going by this trend currently.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Aquaman 2’ and ‘Shazam 2’ Faces Another Delay But Eyeing 2023 Release

    ‘Aquaman 2’ and ‘Shazam 2’ Faces Another Delay But Eyeing 2023 Release

    It looks like Warner Bros. Discovery is busy shuffling their schedules once again, as we have a new delay of various projects. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been pushed back again to December 25th, 2023. This is a massive jump considering it was already pushed back and wasn’t going to release in March next year. There’s a likely chance that they are trying to rekindle the $1 billion they made in December 2018 with the first Aquaman movie. Interestingly enough, it seems The Flash is still gunning for its current release date.

    That is not all, as Shazam: Fury of the Gods is now also pushed back once again. It was already pushed to release earlier on December 21st but now is taking over Aquaman‘s March release date. Perhaps they are hoping to replicate The Batman‘s legs with this release, but also move away from the danger that is Avatar: The Way of Water. Though it seemed like the Shazam sequel had a chance to create its own market as it had a very different demographic going against the Avatar sequel. Still, one can’t blame a studio for playing it safe with that giant tidal wave on the horizon.

    That is not all, as the upcoming Evil Dead Rise film is now a theatrical release alongside New Line’s House Party. These were originally HBO Max exclusives but highlight David Zaslav‘s continued move away from something he believes is not worth the investment for the streaming service. The Nun 2 is also set to release in September 2023 with an untitled event film scheduled for the upcoming Super Bowl weekend. We’ll have to see if anything else gets changed at this rate.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Aquaman 2’ Star Teases “Way More Humor” for the Sequel

    ‘Aquaman 2’ Star Teases “Way More Humor” for the Sequel

    It’s safe to say that Warner Bros. Discovery is a bit in shambles. At the moment, we have no idea what exactly they are trying to do moving forward. It was hinted that they are trying to establish a singular DC Universe but also continue work on Joker and The Batman sequels. Some older projects from the original DCEU under Walter Hamada‘s run are still in development, such as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

    While the drama surrounding The Flash and Ezra Miller has already overshadowed most of the upcoming projects, the Aquaman sequel wasn’t safe from it either. Amber Heard‘s trial with Johnny Depp has also thrown a shadow over the project with uncertainty about how much she’ll actually be featured in the sequel. While there is a lot of back and forth on the exact number, its main star Jason Momoa used the chance to tease a lot more comedy in the sequel while promoting his series See.

    In an interview with Variety, he talked about what it was like having Ben Affleck back on the set. He teases that there will be “way more humor” and that they had “a lot of laughs” while filming it. So, it seems that the tone from the first entry will return and even double down. There’s no exact details on how the story will be, but they have been rumors hinting at an unlikely duo of Aquaman and his half-brother Ocean Master having to team-up throughout their adventure. So, it sounds like it could be another blast at the theater.

    Source: Twitter

  • Jesse Eisenberg Would be Shocked if He’s Brought Back as Lex Luthor

    Jesse Eisenberg Would be Shocked if He’s Brought Back as Lex Luthor

    With Warner Bros. Discovery looking to revamp its slate, fans can expect plenty of changes to occur in the coming months. We’ve already seen multiple changes to the studio’s DC slate, from the cancellation of Batgirl to the Joker 2 officially receiving a release date, and yet there’s still plenty that remains unknown. Recent reports have suggested outside of Joker: Folie à Deux, no other DC film has received the green light, even the previously announced sequel to the critically acclaimed The Batman. So, it shouldn’t be too surprising then that the actors previously involved within the DC Extended Universe are unclear as to whether they’ll return. One actor unsure of his future within the DC Universe is Jesse Eisenberg.

    During a recent appearance at the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival to promote his directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World, Eisenberg was asked about a possible return to the DC world. In his response, Eisenberg noted that while he wasn’t a comic book fan, he enjoyed playing Lex Luthor. Should he be given the chance to do so again, Eisenberg would gladly do so, but he’s not holding his breath.

    “I’d be shocked if I wound up in a DC movie, but it would be a pleasant shock. Listen, I’m not a comic book fan. To me, it was not playing a role that I’d envisioned since childhood. To me, it was a chance to play this great character that this great writer wrote, and I loved doing that. So, to play it is a joy, and to not play it isn’t something that I’m going to be ashamed to tell my kids about, because that is not an important genre in my life, even though I loved doing that movie.” 

    Jesse Eisenberg

    While it might not be an important genre in his life, the actor is still willing to partake in another superhero film, whether it be DC or Marvel. As he explained, just because superhero films are “commercial films,” it doesn’t mean they don’t often come with great roles. “Because as an actor, you do all kinds of different things, and sometimes great roles show up in really commercial things and sometimes terrible roles show up in independent films.”

    Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World, hit theaters earlier this year. Up next for him is A Real Pain, which he’ll direct and co-star in alongside Kieran Culkin.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘The Flash’s Ezra Miller Breaks Silence on Recent Events

    ‘The Flash’s Ezra Miller Breaks Silence on Recent Events

    There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding The Flash star Ezra Miller, especially due to continued accusations that have reached a threshold of many wondering what the future has in store for the film. Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to cancel Batgirl with the controversies surrounding The Flash star had many baffled and there were even hints on how they might tackle it.

    It seems that something is happening now after all, as Miller has broken the silence on his recent behavior as revealed by Variety. It seems that he has opened up about the legal issues and accusations. He seemingly apologizes for his behavior and highlights that he’s back towards a “healthy, safe and productive stage” of his life.

    The future of The Flash has been a massive question mark, especially with the controversies surrounding its stars. It was already pushed back by an entire year; ironic given just how often the project seemingly was postponed before it even got a chance to start production. After going through many directors and writers, the drama surrounding the project seemingly just added to its issues. We’ll have to see how they handle it moving forward and if this is their first attempt at repairing the PR surrounding the project.

    Source: Twitter

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

    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

  • ‘Black Adam’ Director Says the Film Avoids Hawkman’s Complicated Origin Story

    ‘Black Adam’ Director Says the Film Avoids Hawkman’s Complicated Origin Story

    Black Adam is the next film to be released in the DC Extended Universe, and many fans are excited to see Dwayne Johnson’s portrayal of the titular superhero. Alongside Black Adam himself, the film is set to introduce to live-action the Justice Society of America and some of its classic members. Director Jaume Collett-Serra confirmed to Vanity Fair that, in Black Adam, Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) is the leader of the JSA, whose members on-screen will also include Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan).

    With Hawkman in such a significant role, one wonders how Black Adam planned to handle the character’s infamously complicated and confusing origin story. Multiple versions of Hawkman have been published, primarily two different versions. One version hails from Earth and is rooted in reincarnation, and the other is a police officer from another planet. Eventually the two distinct characters were merged and further complicated down the line. Speaking with Vanity Fair, Collett-Serra revealed that the upcoming film will avoid Hawkman’s backstory for this very reason. He stated:

    In the comics, there are clear references of like, ‘Hey, I saw you 5,000 years ago. You remember me?’ We’re not doing that…It would be too confusing. Obviously, Hawkman reincarnates, so how many times do you need to reincarnate and still remember? All these rules [are something] you don’t want to set until those characters are really established…He is a very driven character that knows that he’s on the right side. He’s a leader. He wants to bring this team together, and bring a certain stability to the world. Hawkman has a very strong sense of what’s right or wrong, and Black Adam challenges that.”

    —Jaume Collett-Serra

    Considering Black Adam is designed to be a solo film for Johnson’s character and an introduction to the JSA, there could be plenty of time for DC to explore Hawkman’s origin more thoroughly in the future. Still, fans of the character should not get their hopes up to see it laid out in Black Adam.

    Black Adam releases in theaters on October 21, 2022.

    Source: Vanity Fair