Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC Movies

  • BREAKING: James Gunn Finds His Lex Luthor in Nicholas Hoult

    BREAKING: James Gunn Finds His Lex Luthor in Nicholas Hoult

    It looks like the rumors were true, as many hints dropped that Nicholas Hoult was in the running for a role in the upcoming Superman Legacy movie, which James Gunn will direct. As he took over as the newly minted co-CEO of DC Studios, he has made it his mission to re-establish the iconic comics universe with one of its most iconic heroes.

    Now, it’s been revealed that Hoult has gotten a role in the film. While he was eyed to potentially becoming Superman, the role went to David Corenswet, who’ll appear next to Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Yet, he has gotten an even juicier role, as the former X-Men will take on the iconic bald icon, Lex Luthor.

    It’ll be interesting to see what his approach will be to the role. The announcement also comes at a perfect time just after the SAG strike wrapped up, but it’s unclear if he may have already gotten the role before that took place. Either way, Hoult has been campaigning for a major role in a DC film for some time so it’s great to see his patience result in him becoming an iconic character like Luthor.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Superman: Legacy’ adds María Gabriela De Faría as DC Villain

    ‘Superman: Legacy’ adds María Gabriela De Faría as DC Villain

    The moment the SAG strikes end, all the casting news seems to drop as fast as it can. The next major addition to James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy has arrived as Angela Spica, better known as The Engineer. Venezuelan actress María Gabriela De Faría will be taking on the role after having worked on various Fox comedies.

    What makes this character addition interesting is that she’s a DC character introduced in The Authority Vol. 1 #1 back in 1999. The new DC Universe that is being set up by James Gunn is poised to introduce the superhero group to the world later down the line. So, the addition makes sense if they are potentially planting the first seeds early on in this storyline.

    It’s still unclear what we should expect from the DC film, as while we expected a back-to-basics storyline for Superman, Gunn’s vision is more focused on building the future. DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran is attached to produce and the film is set to hit its 2024 July release date so production is expected to start sooner than later.

    Source: Deadline

  • Ana Nogueira to Write DC’s ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’

    Ana Nogueira to Write DC’s ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’

    It’s been a while since we were first introduced to James Gunn’s new DC cinematic slate that’ll kick off a brand new era for the brand. After 2023 showed its scars with pretty much every release even the high-profile The Flash, many wondered what the future would look like. Warner Bros. is currently also in the news for its questionable decision with Coyote vs. Acme. With the strikes over though, some news is finding its way online and it looks like the first non-James Gunn-directed project is moving forward.

    The Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film focuses on Clark Kent’s cousin and it looks like they got quite an addition. Ana Nogueria is attached to write the project and it’s kind of a reunion, as she originally was working on a spinoff project from The Flash back in 2022, which would’ve seen Sasha Calle in the leading role.

    It’s still uncertain if they will build upon her original pitch of the project, or we might have to expect something different given the franchise’s new direction. Taking the comic Woman of Tomorrow as inspiration is also a way to make the character stand out from her famous cousin, who’ll be the center point of starting the new DCEU franchise with Superman Legacy. It’ll be interesting to see who also might be in the director’s chair for the project.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • New Report Hints at ‘Aquaman 2’ Drama and New Claims against Jason Momoa

    New Report Hints at ‘Aquaman 2’ Drama and New Claims against Jason Momoa

    There’s something bizarre about the DCEU at this point. Ever since the beginning under the supervision of Zack Snyder, the entire franchise seems to be riddled with issues and questionable decisions on many levels. While he had an initial plan, it got derailed at every possible step along the way, and even with new heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, it seems the franchise isn’t on a path to full recovery.

    After The Flash’s ongoing drama, it seems that the other remnant of the original DCEU is also facing some massive troubles. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is seemingly filled with a lot of drama surrounding its main stars Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, and surprisingly Elon Musk as well. The production has been another major tentpole release that ballooned to a $215M budget. All these revelations seemingly came from Heard’s own therapist that fans paid to get access to as part of the trial.

    Early on, the Johnny Depp-Heard trial was all over the news and cast doubt that she’d have a role in the film. As it turned out, Momoa was also against her being on set and seemingly dressed up like Depp in a drunken stupor. It established a hostile environment and he was actively trying to push her out of the film, where she was set to return as Hera. Though DC spokesperson has made a statement that this wasn’t the case. Some even testifying against the claims.

    Jason works his ass off, likes to have a beer once in a while like everyone, but doesn’t show up drunk to set. And he isn’t dressing like Johnny Depp. He has always dressed in that bohemian style.

    It’s hard to say what is and isn’t true from all this, but more reports also hint that the relationship with director James Wan wasn’t the best either. He supposedly treated her “like a pariah” due to the limitations set on the production due to the court case. There are also reports that Heard was nearly fired from the production but an unlikely person came to ensure she could keep the role. That was her ex-boyfriend Elon Musk, who sent a “scorched-earth letter to Warner Bros. threatening to burn the house down” to ensure she could remain in production.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Blue Beetle’ Faces Box Office Blues Heading to $25M Opening Weekend

    ‘Blue Beetle’ Faces Box Office Blues Heading to $25M Opening Weekend

    DC Comics is just having a harsh time at the box office this year. While Marvel Studios’ worst remains a dream for most releases this year (Quantumania still remains in the Top 10 of this year’s box office; that’s how bad it’s been this summer), their biggest competitor in the superhero genre is facing some box office blues. After The Flash ran out of steam, Blue Beetle is set to open to around $25M by the end of this weekend.

    Early numbers are pointing to it opening around $9.8M on Frida including previews. The film has a big push from Latino audiences and remains a big theater release but with previews at $3.3M, it’s lower than Shazam! Fury of the Gods earlier this year. With some strong word-of-mouth, the film could still move towards $32M and will finally dethrone Barbie, who is looking at a strong $24M in its fifth weekend.

    Word-of-mouth could still give the film a boost, but it not hitting Shazam’s $11.7M isn’t a good sign that it’ll start beating expectations. The film cost $104M which is lower than others in the market given the habits of $200M+ price tags, but still won’t really make its money back. Review scores are higher than that film and its CinemaScore could give us an indication of where the film is heading.

    Its only real new competition this weekend is Strays. Though the raunchy comedy wasn’t loved by critics and is seemingly heading to a $8.5M opening weekend. At the cost of $46M, it’s not a great sign either for the film. As much as people want Barbenheimer to be the sign of cinema healing, it’s definitely the exception once again rather than the rule. People aren’t tired of sequels, they are just far more selective and it’s hurting overall.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Blue Beetle’ Opens Strong with Rotten Tomatoes Critics

    ‘Blue Beetle’ Opens Strong with Rotten Tomatoes Critics

    While Warner Bros. spent much more time and effort marketing The Flash, it seems as though its latest release, Blue Beetle, resonated much more strongly with critics who saw the film ahead of its August 18th premiere. The Angel Manuel Soto-directed superhero film was screened last week and again last night in São Paulo and, so far, has been a hit with critics.

    While its score will certainly fluctuate over the next week or two, Blue Beetle opened to a strong 85% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes through its first 67 reviews.

    USA Today’s Brian Truitt says Blue Beetle is “The DC movie universe has been holding out for a hero, and it might just be a 22-year-old Mexican college grad with a really cool family.” And the Reyes family seems to be a hit across the board with critics as Mashable’s Kristy Puchko and YouTuber Jimmy Cage point out.

    Blue Beetle is set to premiere this weekend!

  • First Reactions Hail ‘Blue Beetle’ as a Much-Needed Hit for DC

    First Reactions Hail ‘Blue Beetle’ as a Much-Needed Hit for DC

    Once upon a time, Blue Beetle was destined for release on HBO Max; now, the film is being hailed as a huge win for Warner Bros. just when audiences had all but given up on its line of DC films. The film, which stars Xolo Maridueña as hero Jaime Reyes, screened last night ahead of its theatrical debut this weekend and positive reactions have been coming in droves.

    A Surprise Hit

    Many of the film’s most positive reactions have marked it as one of the best surprises of the summer, which in itself is unsurprising given its less-than-awesome marketing scheme.

    Xolo Maridueña is a Star!

    Fans of Cobra Kai already know how charismatic and loveable Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña can be and it sounds like the new film is his breakout performance.

    Family

    Jaime Reyes’ family is at the center of the film and according to many of the first reactions…that’s a very good thing!

    Though it’s very common for most films to have positive first reactions from the media members invited to the screening, it seems as though Blue Beetle might be the boost Warner Bros. needed to keep interest in their DC films afloat until the all-new, all-different DCU–which Blue Beetle will be apart of–gets rolling.

  • James Gunn Reaffirms Jaime Reyes’ Place in His New DCU

    James Gunn Reaffirms Jaime Reyes’ Place in His New DCU

    For those that have paid attention since its inception, Blue Beetle has been fun to watch develop. Initially planned as an HBO Max release, the Angel Manual Soto-helmed DC flick was promoted to a full theatrical release in December 2021. That theatrical release is now just days away and in another interesting development, the film–which was greenlit and produced before James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reigns at DC Studios–will connect to the all-new, all-different DCU. Gunn has said as much on more than one occasion but reiterated it at the film’s recent screening.

    Blue Beetle will introduce audiences to hero Jaime Reyes, played by Xolo Maridueña, who Gunn now says “will be an amazing part of the DCU going forward!”

    Exactly how Reyes will tie into the future of DC Studios slate, which is expected to kick off with the animated adventure Creature Commandos, remains to be seen; however, given that Gunn’s Superman: Legacy takes place in a world where metahumans are already well-established, it’s possible that the new DCU could build out from the world introduced on-screen in Blue Beetle. Of course, given the nature of superhero projects, any number of other measures could be taken to make sure Reyes ends up sharing the universe with Kal-El.

    Blue Beetle opens in theaters on August 18th.

  • Closer Look at Ted Kord’s ‘Blue Beetle’ Suit

    Closer Look at Ted Kord’s ‘Blue Beetle’ Suit

    Jamie Reyes will be the leading man in the upcoming Blue Beetle film, but we’ve known for a while that the character of Ted Kord will have a role of some kind. Details remain quite sparse on how exactly he’ll feed into the story or even if we’ll get a good look at his iconic suit from the comics. While the film is set to release soon, it seems an exhibition has unveiled not only Kord’s suit but also that of Dan Garrett.

    The suits are shared by Twitter which offers a first close-up at some rather comic-accurate designs for previous bearers of the Blue Beetle title. They aren’t as flashy as the one used by Reyes, but it’s unclear how much they will connect Kord to the blue scarab’s history. Given that Susan Sarandon is playing Viktoria Kord, we might find out what happened to him as he focused on his research of the beetle that may have inspired his costume and technology.

    The big surprise is the inclusion of Dan Garrett in a costume. Blue Beetle is a legacy character and he was the original to hold the title back in the Mystery Men Comics era of Fox Comics. Perhaps the beetle’s history is long and we’ll only see the costume as Kord shares the history that led to him becoming the iconic hero. Outside of Ant-Man, we haven’t really explored a legacy mantle that goes back multiple generations. So, it could make the film stand out.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Blue Beetle’ Early Projections Heading for a $17M Opening Weekend

    ‘Blue Beetle’ Early Projections Heading for a $17M Opening Weekend

    Yeah, you read that right. Things are not looking good for Blue Beetle. The next installment in the DC(E)U is only a few weeks away from hitting theaters. yet, there’s a noticeable lack in marketing for the latest addition that’ll explore the story of young Jamie Reyes as he becomes the iconic hero. Sadly, Warner Bros. Discovery is not going all out to market the film and the fangs of The Flash’s slip is showing.

    Superhero films have become a dime a dozen, so audiences (especially this year) are more selective about what they want to watch and what not. It’s why we had a surprisingly brutal summer box office with very few real “winners” out there. While some films are managing to leg out, it’s not really rosy for the “big return” of the summer box office.

    As such, the film is currently projected to open to $12M to $17M. Yes, that is what it’ll likely make over its entire opening weekend with a total range not going any higher than $55M. While we don’t know the budget of the film, it’s still a worse performance than Shazam! Fury of the Gods earlier this year.

    While some talk a lot about superhero fatigue, it’s just a blockbuster fatigue overall and people are more selective on what they watch in theaters. Prices are skyrocketing so the expectation on what a film can do is higher than ever before. Blue Beetle was barely marketed and the last two DC films fell flat on their noses. So, it’s just looking like people don’t truly trust the brand enough for it to be worth their money.

    Source: BoxOffice Pro