Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series Adds Aryan Simhadr and Leah Sava Jeffries in Major Roles

    Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series Adds Aryan Simhadr and Leah Sava Jeffries in Major Roles

    The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is continuing to ramp up its development with the casting of two new additional leads. Aryan Simhadri and Leah Sava Jeffries have officially been cast as Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase respectively.

    Grover (portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson in the 2010 film adaptation) is a young satyr, half-human, and half-goat, who is tasked with protecting Percy Jackson on his journey to Camp Half-Blood and develops into the best and most loyal friend of the book’s main character. Annabeth (previously portrayed by Alexandra Daddario) meanwhile has been a resident of Camp Half-Blood for five years as the daughter of Athena. Chase in that time has developed as a skilled fighter and is prepared to test her skills in tangible situations. She and the titular character develop as strong friends and romantic partners throughout the events of Rick Riordan’s novel franchise.

    Simhadri and Sava Jeffries, along with Walker Scobell (who was officially cast as the series titular character last month), will serve as the main trinity of protagonists for the franchise as the Disney+ series begins with its first season adapting Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief. Production for the series is scheduled to begin in Vancouver later this summer. RickRiordan and Jon Steinberg will be writing the pilot episode, which will be subsequently helmed by director James Bobin.

    Source: Variety

  • Mohamed Diab Reveals that Egypt Sees ‘Moon Knight’ as their ‘Black Panther’

    Mohamed Diab Reveals that Egypt Sees ‘Moon Knight’ as their ‘Black Panther’

    Moon Knight is an interesting project, as while there has some have pointed out the lack of Jewish representation in the project considering the character’s background, there was a stronger focus on the Egyptian roots within the project. Mohamed Diab, a critically-acclaimed director from Egypt, had a big part in bringing the project to life and left his imprint, especially on how the country was represented. In an interview with The Wrap, he reveals that the series is a huge hit in Egypt. He goes on to highlight that:

    You don’t know how big this is in Egypt. Egyptians are dealing with the show as if this is their ‘Black Panther.’ People in the third-world countries, a lot of them are culturally defeated. They see the West as very superior. So they couldn’t even imagine that people are going to like our music when you put some Egyptian music in, they couldn’t believe that Egyptians could direct something as good or be behind camera or in front of the camera, and eventually having an Egyptian superhero. Oh my God. It’s so big in Egypt that it becomes like a national pride, and I hope everyone gets their own representation. It’s very important.

    Mohamed Diab

    In a way, it once again highlights the big draw that Marvel Studios has introducing a variety of backgrounds into its universe, which has a big international draw. Not only did the series introduce the first Egyptian superhero, but it also gave Egypt a representation that goes beyond the yellow filter many Hollywood productions forced upon the country. So, having a director like Mohamed Diab that also has that background adds a little something special to the project, which we might see more of moving forward.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Moon Knight’: First look at New Khonshu and Ammit Funko Pops

    ‘Moon Knight’: First look at New Khonshu and Ammit Funko Pops

    As is tradition, we just got the final episode of Moon Knight and a new character. After teasing her arrival for quite some time, Ammit has finally made her imprint on the series and arrived as the final big bad to face. Of course, a new character also means that we have a new Funko Pop heading our way, which has finally been revealed. Not only do we get an Ammit Funko, but even one from Khonshu’s Temple in the form of a statue. It’s a cute idea as it gives them an additional way to showcase the character.

    Sadly, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with the character, but Ammit definitely left an impact on viewers. Not only did it give us a crazy Kaiju-inspired battle between the Egyptian gods, but it was interesting to see the revelation that Harrow has actually been a bit of a hypocrite. While he pretends to be perfectly balanced, he is very well aware of the fact that he is one and still hopes to work for him.

    It is surprising that we didn’t get a new Funko Pop for the Scarlet Scarab. Layla’s transformation was a big move for the series and introduced the first Egyptian superhero in live-action. We’ll see if they have an additional release planned as they give it some time and were mainly focused on the big bad reveal, especially as we also haven’t gotten a Tawaret Funko. So her getting one alongside her new Avatar seems like the perfect way to add them.

    Source: Twitter

  • EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Diab On Layla’s Missing Ending in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Diab On Layla’s Missing Ending in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    The Moon Knight finale, “Gods and Monsters”, provided the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero in May Calamawy’s Layla, who became the avatar of the goddess Tawaret. As Tawaret’s avatar, Layla became the Scarlet Scarab and teamed up with the re-resurrected Moon Knight to stop Arthur Harrow from unleashing Ammit’s preemptive justice on the world.

    While the episode gave closure to central plot of the series and left Marc and Steven in a seemingly good place, what it did not give was any sort of closure to Layla’s arc, leaving fans wondering what’s next for the newly empowered hero. According to director Mohamed Diab, the open-ended nature of Layla’s journey was intentional:

    I would say that it’s left open so we can play with it the way we want. She can stay in Egypt. She can go back to London. She can be a superhero. I can’t wait for myself to see her and Taweret on a journey driving each other crazy. I think it’s left open for a reason because in the next journey, you need to think of all those things and flesh them out in a very thorough way.

    Diab’s creative decision is smart in that it doesn’t paint him, or whoever picks up the character next, into any corners. By letting Layla walk away without any hints as to where she might turn up next, there can be no sense of expectations on the part of audiences as to what “should” be next for the Scarlet Scarab, only myriad possibilities of what COULD be next, as Diab indicates. Whatever is next for the hero, Calamawy’s turn in Moon Knight has set her star in the sky and provided another new hero whose importance off-screen transcends whatever comes next on-screen.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Moon Knight’ Producer Talks Reimagining the Scarlet Scarab for the MCU

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Moon Knight’ Producer Talks Reimagining the Scarlet Scarab for the MCU

    The Moon Knight finale had more than a few surprises up its sleeve, but its biggest may have come in the form of May Calamawy‘s Layla El-Faouly. After being introduced as an original character, fans began to view Layla as an updated version of Marc Spector’s comic book love interest Marlene Alraune. However, the show’s final episode revealed her to be quite a bit more. A big twist has Layla bonding with the goddess Tawaret and transforming into a version of the Scarlet Scarab, an obscure character from Marvel lore and the first Egyptian superhero.

    In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, Moon Knight producer Grant Curtis explained how Scarlet Scarab came to be a part of the show and why Calamawy’s Layla was the perfect choice for the role:

    We had an incredible female protagonist. Whether or not she had wings in the previous episode, she was already a superhero in her own right. When you start looking at the Marvel canon for potential superheroes, we found the Scarlet Scarab. We learned that was Egypt’s first superhero and what an incredible actress in May Calamawy to lead that charge. It was a natural merging of two different stories into one character. I think it worked quite well.

    Grant Curtis

    In the comics, Scarlet Scarab is a man named Abdul Faoul, a version of whom is revealed to be Layla’s father in the MCU series. Faoul gains supernatural abilities from a mystical scarab amulet and vows to rid Egypt of all foreign invaders. He comes into conflict with the superhero Invaders during World War II but eventually sides with them against the Nazis. His amulet, and Scarlet Scarab title, are eventually passed down to his child, in a similar manner to Layla picking up her father’s torch in Moon Knight.

    It’s unknown if Layla will continue to appear as the Scarlet Scarab going forward, or if this was simply a one-time appearance. The character’s fate is left in the air at the end of the Disney+ series. If fans are lucky, though, Marvel will find a way to keep revitalizing this long-forgotten hero for years to come.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Director and Executive Producers Have No Idea If a Season 2 Will Happen

    ‘Moon Knight’ Director and Executive Producers Have No Idea If a Season 2 Will Happen

    As Moon Knight’s six-part event came to a close on Wednesday, it left many fans wanting more. Oscar Isaac put in a stunning performance as Marc Spector and Steven Grant, while Layla El-Faouly became the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero. More importantly, though, by season’s end, a new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that contains rich Ancient Egyptian mythology has just been broken open.

    The finale of the Disney+ series also created more questions than perhaps fans were expecting of a limited series. For example, the mid-credits scene finally gave the first look at the third personality, Jake Lockley, and it was quite the cliffhanger to end the show. Similarly, we had no epilogue or resolution to Layla’s story after her grand moments in the final episode. It all leads the audience to wonder—will there be a Season 2?

    It turns out that not even Moon Knight’s creators know the answer to that. In an interview with Deadline, director and executive producer Mohamed Diab said quite simply:

    We don’t know if there’s a next season.

    Mohamed Diab

    The director elaborated that he knows just about as much as fans do when it comes to Moon Knight’s future:

    I’m kept in the dark, just like the fans…Marvel doesn’t go with a conventional way, so even if they like the character and want to extend the world, it could be season 2, it could be a standalone film, or he can join another superhero’s journey…We never discussed it being a season 2, but one day there’s going to be an expansion, but I don’t know how it’s going to look like.

    Mohamed Diab

    Maybe the most interesting thing about Diab’s remarks is that a second season was never truly thought out. Obviously, Moon Knight was marketed as a limited series, so it is not surprising that Season 2 was never an absolute plan. But the fact that the creators of the show seem to have no indication as to where the character might be going is fascinating.

    Executive produce Grant Curtis agreed with Diab’s statements as well, noting that he wants to know Moon Knight’s future just as much as fans do. He stated:

    Where Moon Knight lands in MCU after this, I actually don’t know,” said Curtis, “As a fan, I want to know, because Oscar created such an engaging, emotional performance that people want to see more of the Steven-Marc-Jake story.

    Grant Curtis

    While even Marvel Studios creators are notoriously left in the dark about their own projects’ futures, Diab’s and Curtis’ comments certainly do not suggest that a Moon Knight Season 2 is a strong bet. Perhaps after the hype of the finale dies down, fans might get a better understanding of where the titular character is headed in the MCU future.

    All episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Deadline

  • EXCLUSIVE: Why Jake Lockley Was Saved For Last in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    EXCLUSIVE: Why Jake Lockley Was Saved For Last in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    Finally, after teasing his existence for six episodes, the final moments of Moon Knight’s post-credit sequence gave us our first look at the third personality hidden deep within Marc Spector, Jake Lockley. Khonshu was playing a long con with our new favorite protagonist, as while he promised to let Steven and Marc go, he still had one more trick up his sleeve.

    In an interview with producer Grant Curtis, Charles Villaneuva got the chance to ask what their approach was to introducing the third personality and they waited to do so until the very last second. It seems that they wanted to focus on Mar cand Steven before adding one more to the mix.

    It wasn’t a conscious effort. As you know, Jake Lockley is peppered throughout the whole series but it’s not until the final scene that you actually see him. It was our writer Jeremy Slater leading us on the most satisfying journey for Marc and Steven to go on. That’s how it played out. It was the best story to tell. Believe me, once he pitched and once we knew that’s where Jake was going to land, it was like, “Game on.”

    Grant Curtis

    It’s certainly an interesting approach, especially as the teases became more prominent throughout the series’ runtime. The final fight included another confirmation that someone else is in them, which may be the reason they are still chaining themselves to their bed even after they found peace with each other. Here’s hoping they really have a second season planned to further explore this storyline.

  • Oscar Isaac Open to Return for a ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 With the Right Story

    Oscar Isaac Open to Return for a ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 With the Right Story

    Oscar Isaac gave quite the performance in bringing Moon Knight to life, as he spent most of the final episode switching between the personalities of Marc Spector and Steven Grant at a whim. Yet, the ending also introduced us to his third personality Jake Lockley. While there’s still no second season announcement, it seems that if they have the right story in mind, the actor would be down to return to the world of Moon Knight.

    And let’s just put everything out on the table on this story. There’s definitely no official plans to continue it. I think it would depend on what the story is. That being said, I love being Steven. I just love it. It’s just like, physically, it’s so much fun to be him. So, you know, if there was a story that really made sense, I’d be happy to be part of it

    Oscar Isaac

    It’s still unsure what the future has in store for the character, but it would seem strange to end the season the way it did without any potential plans moving forward. There have been some hints that they may have plans to continue the story, but until we get an official announcement it is difficult to really say what the future has in store. So far, Loki is the only live-action Disney+ series from Marvel to get any season renewal, which makes it hard to know what exactly their plans are moving forward.

    Source: Radio Times

  • REVIEW: ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    REVIEW: ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    Over the course of its six-episode run, Moon Knight certainly turned heads at least a few times during its tenure. Some of Marvel Studios’ best television came through in the series, and Oscar Isaac left more than a lasting impression on the MCU with his performance. In a story with a near-infinite room to explore Ancient Egyptian gods and their relationships with humans, the Disney+ show ultimately proved that it can tell a phenomenal Marc Spector story. Moon Knight? Not so much—there is no joy in admitting that the Moon Knight finale failed to stick the landing and generally was an injustice to the aspects that the series that, up until this episode, were leading it to potentially be the best Marvel Studios series. This final episode likely takes the series out of that conversation.

    The simplest way of describing what ended up being disappointing about the finale is bland. On one hand, every step of every character in this episode was met with zero resistance. All of the forgettable Arthur Harrow- or Ammit-related moves were too easy and predictable. Even the few positive moments were simply given the green light with no questions asked. 

    Where the big psychological twist of the series came in so beautifully for the character-based aspect of Moon Knight, the hard plot really could have benefitted from something similar. Where the series had raised mystery and intrigue, it revealed that there was nothing special behind it. With Harrow, the mildly interesting villain had no other goal than to simply take over the world, and having that be the hook, line, and sinker for the big ending felt as generic as it gets. Forcing through Harrow’s and Ammit’s world domination plan felt like the equivalent of a B-movie plot, and it lacked any genuine impact or even threat of impact.

    In a realm where so much is possible, and where so much rich creativity has been presented, the series ultimately hung its hat on perhaps the most generic incantation of new gods and those fighting for them. So much more could have been toyed with in a way that would have fit well with the intricacy of the character-based elements, but ultimately those get drowned out in a sea of uninspiring CGI and conflict with practically zero nuance. Even giant silhouettes of Egyptian gods fighting over Cairo could not make up for how the actual conflict did not rise to any occasion.

    Similarly, Khonshu remained a relatively minor character by the end of the finale. While the post-credits scene hints at more, the god often—and ultimately—felt like an excuse for Marc and Steven’s involvement in the overarching plot rather than a meaningful or genuine inclusion. There are countless ways that Khonshu’s personality and deception could have played into the series’ story.

    The psychological exploration of Marc and Steven was the highlight of Moon Knight by far. It was so incredibly well-done that it almost made it more difficult for the series to have a grand ending on a more physical plot. Still, the residue of that character development is what kept the finale afloat. The tender moment between Marc and Steven in the Duat was one of the most emotional, and Oscar Isaac’s fantastic final execution of playing both roles with rapid switching was sincerely the most exciting part of the finale. The best parts of the action-heavy episode came when Moon Knight and Mr. Knight teamed up. Even with a finale that did not cement the series as all-in-all outstanding, nothing can take away from Moon Knight’s character masterpiece.

    Another positive element to come out of the finale was Layla’s development into being an avatar of her own. This was perhaps the most unpredictable moment, yet her possible relationship with Khonshu was teased from the beginning. Still, she ultimately—easily—became Tawaret’s avatar in order to fight against Harrow and his disciples. Her superhero moments were the best superhero moments of the entire series. While Layla requested that she be a “temporary avatar”, this character is very much MCU-unique, so her status could have substantial ramifications down the line. 

    Lastly, Moon Knight finally introduced Jake Lockley, Marc’s third personality. After being the subject of much speculation over the course of the series, the character ends up being almost exclusively a post-credits tease. That is not too surprising, and it did have some positive impact on the ending of the series. We meet Jake right after Marc and Steven seem to be free from Khonshu and are living their normal lives together with two goldfish. But of course, Khonshu is still using Marc’s body as his avatar. This time, Jake Lockley seems to be taking on the “Moon Knight” mantle on his own.

    Where the episode fumbles on this tease is that the series hinted at Jake being hyperviolent alter but never actually showed it. He had such a moment, in the end, to show that side of himself, to live up to Moon Knight’s violent expectations, and leave a strong lasting impression on viewers going forward. Instead, he simply shot at Harrow from the front seat of the comics-inspired SPKTR limo. It may have been a bit more intriguing if the audience got some sort of grasp of his personality as it differs from Marc and Steven.

    Moon Knight will always be a memorable show. The character-based aspects and Isaac’s performance should go down as some of the greatest in the MCU. Nothing in the series finale takes away from those accomplishments, but the generally bland and generic ending does drown out some of it as the show came to an end. Ultimately, the wonderful twist and mind-bending energy that came with the psychological aspect of the show simply did not bleed into the main plot, and it was worse for it. 

  • May Calamawy Talks About Introducing [SPOILER] into the MCU

    May Calamawy Talks About Introducing [SPOILER] into the MCU

    If you haven’t seen the latest episode of Moon Knight, only continue reading at your own risk.

    The final episode of Moon Knight has (sadly) arrived, and it included quite a lot to take in. Not only did we have an all-out Kaiju battle between the newly resurrected Ammit and Khonshu, but also received a brand new hero. Layla El-Faouly has become Taweret’s new Avatar and gained with it a new alter-ego. While it is never explicitly stated in the series, a new article by Marvel confirms that she is the MCU’s interpretation of the Scarlet Scarab.

    The portrayal of May Calamawy‘s Egyptian heritage played an important role in her addition to the series, especially with how it tries to focus on representation throughout. Now, she’s also Marvel’s first Egyptian superhero, which the actress saw as quite the pressure going into the project.

    I had to really sit with it and be like, I cannot represent every Arab woman or every Egyptian woman…I just hope that all Arab women can watch that and feel like a Super Hero, and that they have that space on that big scale.

    May Calamawy

    They have built up her scarab-inspired design with the way she was named by her father. While it was unexpected that she would fully embrace a superhero persona, there were some interesting seeds planted throughout. Consulting producer Sara Goher highlighted that she was always part of their initial pitch going in.

    When we were putting [together our pitch], she was in the presentation,” Goher says. “We knew in our hearts that we wanted someone like her to take on this role. And then once we got her on board, she just gave like 1,000%, and I’m so happy with Layla.

    Sara Goher

    A new hero is born with Scarlet Scarab and it’ll be interesting to see if we’ll see more of her moving forward in the MCU. There is still no word if Moon Knight will get a second season, as it’s been often teased as a limited series but going by the ending, it would seem fitting that they continue Marc’s story within the MCU. Perhaps they have some plans for a spinoff Disney+ series, which has happened to other newly introduced characters as well.

    Source: Marvel