Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • REPORT: ‘Rogue One’s Death Troopers to Return in ‘Andor’ Disney+ Series

    REPORT: ‘Rogue One’s Death Troopers to Return in ‘Andor’ Disney+ Series

    All eyes are right now on Obi-Wan Kenobi, as the six-part limited series is about to release in just a few weeks. Of course, the excitement is big to see the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen in their iconic roles. Yet, that’s not all heading our way this year, as we also have the Rogue One prequel series, Andor, heading our way and it seems some familiar Stormtrooper designs will make their grand return.

    According to Bespin Bulletin, we will not only see the Death Troopers return, but also Mudtroopers. The former will appear in a sequence alongside white officers, but there’s been no word if we might see the return of Ben Mendelsohn‘s Director Krennic. There’s a good chance that they are simply remaining consistent that the Death Troopers work for high-ranking officers of the Imperial Security Bureau. They are also supposedly joined by Mudtroopers, but no further details are offered.

    The Death Troopers may be one of the most iconic designs for the many iterations of Stormtroopers we’ve seen over the years. While it’s still a shame we aren’t exploring the life of a Stormtrooper in a series, perhaps we’ll see Cassian Andor infiltrating the Empire as a Stormtrooper, which leads to some interactions between him and others. We may also find out more about what exactly the function of Death Troopers is, as their name does give a big hint on what they’re most known for. We’re still waiting for a release date for the series, but it seems likely that it may follow once Ms. Marvel is released its finale on Disney+ going by the current release.

    Source: Bespin Bulletin

  • ‘Descendants’ Getting a Disney+ Spinoff

    ‘Descendants’ Getting a Disney+ Spinoff

    The Pocketwatch, currently a working title, will serve as a sequel movie to the Descendants. Like those films, The Pocketwatch will be a music and dance-filled original movie. While the Descendants films featured the teenage children of some of Disney’s most iconic villains, The Pocketwatch will take audiences down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland, as made famous by Alice in Wonderland.

    The Disney+ original movie will feature seven new songs, as well as Disney classics. It’ll also feature Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, as well as Chloe, the perfectionist and athletic daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming. The synopsis suggests the two will need to work together to save Wonderland.

    In order to prevent an impending coup in Auradon – one that looms during the celebration of a new royal baby – Red must join forces with Chloe to travel back in time, via the White Rabbit’s pocket watch, to stop an event that would lead to grave consequences.

    The film will be directed by Jennifer Phang, who has helmed titles such as Half-Life and Advantageous, from a script by Dan Frey and Russell Sommer (Magic: The Gathering). Production designer Mark Hofeling returns for The Pocketwatch, as well as producer Gary Marsh and casting directors Alexis Frank Koczara and Christine Smith Shevchenko. Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, gave the following statement on the new spinoff:

    With a captivating script and Jennifer Phang’s directorial vision, we’re setting a new high bar of creativity and imagination, with a movie that ups the ante on story, song and dance to entertain young viewers, their families, and the global fan base that grew up with the aspirational story of ‘Descendants.’ We join them in anticipation as we prepare to deliver a great new entertainment experience to Disney+.

    Ayo Davis

    The Descendants proved to be a huge success for Disney. Not only did the Disney original movies nab powerhouse ratings with each new installment, but the first two movie soundtracks have been certified gold, and nearly 7 million dolls and 9 million books were sold based on the franchise. It remains to be seen whether or not any cast members from the original films will return, however, Disney seems hopeful The Pocketwatch will capture the same buzz as its predecessor.

    Production on The Pocketwatch will kick off this fall.

    Source: Variety

  • Michelle Yeoh is Joined by ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Co-Star in ‘American Born Chinese’

    Michelle Yeoh is Joined by ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Co-Star in ‘American Born Chinese’

    The cast of the new Disney+ series American Born Chinese continues to grow, as it has now added Stephanie Hsu in a guest-starring role. The series will reunite her with Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, who worked on the indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once. The series will adapt the graphic novel of Gene Luen Yang, which explores the struggles of a teenager named Jin Wang (Ben Wang), as he tries to balance being at high school as an immigrant child. His meeting with foreign exchange student Weih-Chen, played by Jim Liu, will change his life as their worlds collide.

    Hsu will take on the role of the Goddess of Stones, Shiji Niangniang. She works in a jewelry shop with her magical doll. Yeoh is playing auntie Guanyin, who is trying to help her nephew navigate American school life, but also hiding the fact that she is the Buddhist bodhisattva of Compassion. Quan is taking on the role of Freddy Wong, who is a fictional character from a 1990s sitcom.

    The project is quite an exciting one, as it further explores some interesting concepts of identity and our place in the world. While it will include some mystical elements, the original graphic novel kept its strong focus on its two leads, as they explore what it’s like having similar backgrounds but different upbringings. It will be exciting to see how they also take elements from the original, as live-action adaptations still try to keep some visual flourishes from the things they are adapting.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Originally Included a Kang Reference

    ‘Moon Knight’ Originally Included a Kang Reference

    Loki set up the big bad of the multiversal conflict in He Who Remains, who is actually a Variant of Kang the Conqueror. We did get a good look at a statue of Jonathan Majors wearing the iconic look from the comics. We know he’ll make an appearance in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel but was surprisingly absent in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Though, it seems that he was originally going to be referenced in Moon Knight according to head writer Jeremy Slater.

    There was a line in the script, and I don’t know if it survived. I can’t remember. But there was a line where, I think Steven, is sort of rattling off some Egyptian history that he has locked away in his brain, and he did mention Rama-Tut. I don’t remember if that scene, if that line is still in the show or not. But it was that small, it was him mentioning a list of famous pharaohs or something like that. But that was Nick Pepin, one of our executives at Marvel, that was his idea to sort of slip that in there as a fun Easter egg.

    Jeremy Slater

    There was a visual reference that was still included that seemed like it was taken from the comics, but you don’t get a good enough look at what it is. The fact we may explore Kang’s time as Rama-Tut would be quite interesting, and hopefully, we’ll see a lot more of his many Variants in the future, as He Who Remains was only one of many. For now, we’ll have to wait but Kang’s future role in the MCU is definitely going to be an exciting one.

    Source: The Direct

  • REPORT ‘Daredevil’ & Co. May be Heading to Disney+ Brazil in June

    REPORT ‘Daredevil’ & Co. May be Heading to Disney+ Brazil in June

    While being surprised that the Marvel Netflix series wasn’t seeing an international release, they are slowly starting to roll them out in other countries. While there’s no official reveal on the official Twitter account, a Twitter user by the name of @almanaquedisney has shared a familiar visual to those that were hyped when the Marvel Netflix series were making their way to Disney+ stateside.

    According to them, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and the rest of the Defenders will make their way to Disney+ Brazil on June 29th. They will also come with the same parental controls as the United States got with their initial release. There is currently still no word if it’ll also find its way to European countries around the same time, as there was a statement from the Netherlands that hinted at a June release. So, we might see a similar release date. The release has not yet been officially released on the official Twitter page and may have only been shared through a newsletter.

    Here’s hoping an official statement drops soon, but the June release is motivating that the series will be made available for all Disney+ subscribers at some point. It’s still surprising that there has been a delay with an international release, especially as those countries with the Star branding already have a function age restriction service built-in. So, we’ll see if more countries get the announcement in the coming weeks.

    Source: Twitter

  • How ‘Moon Knight’ Sets Up a Potential Scarlet Scarab-Focused Disney+ Series

    How ‘Moon Knight’ Sets Up a Potential Scarlet Scarab-Focused Disney+ Series

    Moon Knight‘s finale has introduced us to a new hero, Scarlet Scarab. Layla El-Faouly, who is played by the wonderful May Calawamy, becomes the Avatar of the Egyptian goddess Taweret. Her new heroic alter-ego is strongly inspired by the name her father gave to her, we get introduced to the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero. While the series remained focused on its main hero, it left a lot of questions open on what exactly the future has in store for Layla moving forward. There actually is a storyline that could be used to continue her own story in a Disney+ spinoff.

    Moon Knight's May Calamawy is open to bringing Scarlet Scarab back to the MCU | GamesRadar+

    Some may complain that too many characters are getting their own series, which is understandable given the surprising announcement for Echo and Agatha: House of Harkness. Yet, that’s the potential behind Disney+ to give smaller characters their potential to explore stories that would otherwise be relegated to off-screen. Plus, it gives new creatives and talents to tell a story that otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to. While Mohamed Diab pointed out he’d love to tackle a Moon Knight film next, I do believe there’s a lot here that he could build upon to further explore Scarlet Scarab’s place in the bigger MCU.

    The Egyptian pantheon has lost its control, as their Avatars have been killed by Arthur Harrow’s hands to unleash Ammit. While they manage to subjugate him and God, their actions still left behind quite a dangerous power vacuum. They no longer have any Avatars to keep an eye on Earth, and the fact that they literally fell for Harrow’s mischief might have left a rather sour taste in their mouths. That’s not all though, we’ve seen quite a few gods were trapped in a similar way to Khonshu, and with the destruction of their holy place, who knows what may have found its way out of its imprisonment.

    Who Is Scarlet Scarab? The New 'Moon Knight' Superhero, Explained

    There are many moving pieces at play that could put Layla at a rather questionable place, as she was quite reluctant to even become an Avatar, it opens her up to facing an unlikely challenge. The desire to simply give it all back isn’t as simple, something we’ve clearly seen with Khonshu’s hold over Marc Spector. While Taweret isn’t shown to be someone that is self-centered, she may be desperate to somehow keep order with them being the only remaining Avatar for the Egyptian pantheon–not knowing that Khonshu still holding a grip over Marc through another alter.

    A conflict of duty and freedom may create a rift between Layla and Taweret, as she becomes unwillingly pulled into a role she never asked for. Her line with the little girl about being an Egyptian superhero had a much bigger weight on her future than she may have bargained for. Yet, it may also help her find a place in the world that she wouldn’t have considered, while also getting a chance of closure with her father, especially as Taweret teased she had talked to him.

    Scarlet Scarab: 'Moon Knight' finale's biggest twist is a historic MCU first

    Diab’s work in Moon Knight gave us glimpses of the beauty of Egypt, which felt like we’ve only scratched the surface. As Spector returned to London, it would be a shame not to further explore the country and its culture through the eyes of Layla. As great as Marc Spector’s time in that country was, he has a very different connection to it. He was more a gateway than a full embrace, which gave us Layla’s transformation into the Scarlet Scarab, perfectly setting her up as the person to further explore that corner of the MCU.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ From Page to Screen: Episode 6

    ‘Moon Knight’ From Page to Screen: Episode 6

    Over the past few weeks, we’ve delved into how Moon Knight show has continuously referenced a number of comic runs either within its greater storyline or with small details that helped make the show so rewarding when familiar with the source material. Following Episode 1, we looked at how the show explored Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder compared to the comics. In Episode 2 Mr. Knight was introduced through a rather different take than in the comics and in Episode 3 Layla’s backstory, along with her dad’s, was approached and so we delved deep into how those same events were presented in both the original Moon Knight comic run and the more recent Lemire/Smallwood one. After the twist ending of Episode 4, we again looked at the ways that the series was inspired by the psych ward introduced in that latter run something that continued into episode 5 with Marc becoming Moon Knight.

    As for episode 6, finding a specific moment that was worth exploring in terms of its comic counterpart became an issue in and of itself. With Marvel Studios so keen on being as unpredictable as possible when it comes to its storylines, especially its third acts (that obviously also include all series/season finales), the comics end up being referenced in a less obvious way. The thematic correlation is still there, and so being that’s perhaps the way to go about it: Focusing on what the show is trying to do that the comics already did—albeit in different ways—, and what that might hint towards the future of these characters.

    Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6
    Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6

    Two of the major takeaways from the latest Moon Knight episode were presented in the post-credit scene. There, we found out that despite Marc deciding to go against Khonshu’s will towards killing Harrow, the God of the Moon and the Night Sky was still very much determined to keep his body as his earthly vessel. And with that in mind, his third alter was finally revealed with Jake Lockley making this on-screen debut, showing himself to be the most unhinged and violence-prone of the identities sharing said body. Both these particulars seem to hint at a larger story being told, more connected to Marc’s dissociative identity disorder (DID) than to his superhero endeavors.

    Moon Knight #9 (2016)

    The relationship between Marc and Khonshu never seemed to be one based on mutual interests, and so this abuse is sure to strain it even further leading to greater altercations down the line. As we watched throughout the show, Marc’s motivations for going along with Khonshu’s greater plan were basically attached to concerns over Layla’s well-being. Even with his prominent sense of duty, the deal he made with Khonshu that led to him becoming his Fist of Vengeance did not seem worth keeping, as death was something Marc welcomed in order to escape his fate. Unless, of course, that meant that Layla would then have to endure his burden. Much as in the aforementioned Lemire/Smallwood run, Marc ends up understanding that a rejection of Khonshu’s ways was absolutely necessary in order for him, even with the other identities, to ever feel comfortable in his own skin.

    Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6
    Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6

    But this wasn’t always the case as Marc at times determined that the other identities were the issue. It wouldn’t be until later on that he understood that each personality was but a piece of the tapestry that made him whole and that Khonshu was the unnecessary appendage that only kept him down. This is somewhat similar to what we got to see in the show, as the initial confrontations between Marc and Steven then led to one of the best scenes in the entire show when both understood that they were so much less when trying to reject and keep each other at bay. Jake’s introduction will serve the purpose of giving the plot an extra layer of complexity as Marc and Steven will have not only external but also internal threats they must overcome.

    Moon Knight #14 (2017)

    Khonshu is then proving himself to be, if not the main villain in the series we just watched, the antagonist that will prove the biggest adversary for Marc, Steven, and possibly even Jake. Much as in the comics the several personalities ended up working together in order to obliterate Khonshu’s influence over their shared body, and so too it seems that this might be the way to go in future storylines on future live-action Moon Knight projects. 

    Moon Knight #14 (2017)

    Moon Knight is now streaming, in its entirety, only on Disney+.

  • Star Wars’ Next ‘The Mandalorian’ Spinoff ‘Ahsoka’ Has Started Production

    Star Wars’ Next ‘The Mandalorian’ Spinoff ‘Ahsoka’ Has Started Production

    All eyes have been busy on Marvel’s various ventures and films, it’s finally time for Star Wars to take the limelight once again. Disney+ has just shared a new image that confirms that The Mandalorian spinoff series Ahsoka has finally started production. Sadly, the image doesn’t really give anything away or a look at the production, it’s a confirmation that they’ve finally started work on it. It’s the second spinoff series to come out of the Star Wars series that started Disney+’s hold on the streaming market after The Book of Boba Fett was released back in December.

    It’ll be interesting to see if the series follows some similar elements that we saw in The Book of Boba Fett, where the story suddenly turned into a continuation of The Mandalorian. While it does create a very unique yearly release model as everyone’s story intertwines with each other, it does go against usual TV mentalities as it creates confusion for those watching The Book of Boba Fett or Ahsoka as its own project.

    We’ll see what the future may hold for the Star Wars series, especially as they expand with some new projects. Obi-Wan Kenobi is confirmed as a limited series, but it may still possibly also set up more series moving forward. While Marvel has been moving forward with their new projects, it seems that Lucasfilm, who actually kicked off the streaming service initially, still in a preparation stage for their projects.

    Source: Twitter

  • Kevin Feige Discusses the Changes to Ms. Marvel’s Powers

    Kevin Feige Discusses the Changes to Ms. Marvel’s Powers

    With Moon Knight having concluded, we can further turn out attention to Ms Marvel premiering at the beginning of June. Being such a new hero in the Marvel Universe at large, there has been a lot of fan discussion about how Kamala Khan might be adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Feige has been speaking to Empire and confirmed some details about Kamala’s powers in the Disney+ show. 

    The continuity of Marvel’s comics and films and shows storyworlds move at different paces and are on different journeys. The difference between these storyworlds at the time Kamala joined both has led to a slightly different kind of adaptation of Kamala’s powers and their aesthetic Feige tells Empire: 

    We adapt the comics; it’s not an exact translation. [Kamala] came about in a very specific time within the comic-book continuity. She is now coming into a very specific time within the MCU continuity. And those two things didn’t match. […] She’s interested in knowing, ‘Great, does that mean I’m an Asgardian? Did I get hit with gamma rays?’ No, it’s seemingly none of those things. It goes to her own past and her heritage and lineage.

    Kevin Feige

    Continuing, Feige suggests Kamala’s awareness and integration with the superhero media industry will point her in the direction of learning more about her powers as the show unfolds: 

    What we will learn about where those powers come from, and how they come about, is specific to the MCU. You will see great comic splash panels in some of our action sequences. If you want big, giant hands and arms, well they’re here in spirit, if not in stretchy, plastic-type ways.

    Kevin Feige

    Finally, Feige gives a clue as to why this adaptation of Kamala is altering her powers somewhat:

     It taps into the future of her story as it connects to her other friends that she will meet in the upcoming film The Marvels

    Kevin Feige

    It seems like lots of thought has gone into the context in which Kamala Khan will appear in the MCU. Feige’s mention of lineage is also particularly intriguing when we think about the lineage and origin of her powers in the comics. It strikes me that Feige and the Parliament might be playing the long game with revealing exactly where Kamala’s powers come from, perhaps. Without a weekly Marvel Studios Disney+ show on right now, the anticipation for Ms Marvel is building, and it will be exciting to see Kamala’s story start to play out in early June. 

    Source: Empire

  • Taweret Originally Had a Bigger Role in the ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    Taweret Originally Had a Bigger Role in the ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    Moon Knight introduced us to the Egyptian pantheon of gods and the concept of Avatars. While it’s uncertain if the concept will be further explored in the future, it did set up the introduction of Moon Knight and the latest MCU hero, Scarlet Scarab. May Calawamy‘s Layla El-Faouly takes on the new heroic alter-ego after becoming Tawaret’s Avatar. While she reluctantly agreed after somebody take-over shenanigans, it seems that wasn’t always the plan.

    You know, I found out that I had to do it 30 minutes before we did it. Because initially, Antonia Salib, who plays Taweret, was on set. She was going to be in the chamber with Layla. And then Mohamed Diab comes to me in the trailer while I’m getting ready, and he’s like, ‘You know, I thought about it, and actually, she has to come through you.’ And I really didn’t know what that meant. I was like ‘You want me to mimic, like, suddenly be possessed by Taweret?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, cool,’ and he leaves me.

    May Calamawy

    It definitely sounds like a challenge for her to suddenly change the way she takes on the role, but it did add a fun twist. We did get some moments of Taweret using dead bodies to communicate with her before they would unite. While it would’ve been great to have her on-screen again, it does seem like they also wanted to potentially avoid ballooning their budget due to the already extensive Kaiju-esque battle in the finale.

    Source: The Wrap