Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • Carl Weathers’ Greef Karga Set to Return for Season 3 of ‘The Mandalorian’

    Carl Weathers’ Greef Karga Set to Return for Season 3 of ‘The Mandalorian’

    With reports coming out that season 3 of The Mandalorian has begun shooting, we now have news of returning actors arriving on set. With Lucasfilm usually keeping most production details under wraps, it’s likely this won’t be the case for most new cast members, but someone like Carl Weathers isn’t to be deterred by those concerns. The actor, who famously played Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise and Colonel Al Dillon in Predator, is set to return to a galaxy far, far away as Grief Karga, as he begins his on-screen work today.

    Karga, who we last saw in the second season’s Chapter 12: The Siege, is now one of the leaders behind the rehabilitation of a settlement on the planet Nevarro. The character remained on the planet alongside Cara Dune, who we won’t see returning following the issues actress Gina Carano dealt with leading up to her leaving the show altogether. So being, Weathers will, as of now, be joined by Pedro Pascal and Giancarlo Esposito who will be reprising their roles as Din Djarin and Moff Gideon, respectively.

    With Weathers back, it also shouldn’t be off the table having him direct an episode or two. He already has directed several TV episodes spread out through a number of shows (Hawaii Five-0, Pensacola: Wings of Gold, Chicago Med) even doing so in the aforementioned Chapter 12. With The Mandalorian creator and executive produced Jon Favreau being a big proponent of bringing different visions to each of the show’s episodes (9 different directors in 16 episodes), it’s probably a safe bet to imagine Weathers will return to the director’s chair.

    Season 3 of The Mandalorian doesn’t yet have an official release date, but all signs point to a 2022 premiere. After having its first season released in 2019, with the second coming in the following year, 2021 will become the first year without a new episode. This opened things up for The Book of Boba Fett, a spin-off of the show following both the title character and Fennec Shand, which will premiere on Disney+ on December 29, 2021.

    Source: Twitter

  • Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 2: What MCU Supporting Character Should Get The Next Spin-Off

    Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 2: What MCU Supporting Character Should Get The Next Spin-Off

    Welcome back to Murphy’s Team-Up! Think of this as the Nerds of the SquareTable, where the writers of Murphy’s Multiverse come together every Sunday to answer a burning question that comes out of the news of the week.

    This week’s question:
    Now that Agatha, War Machine and Echo have gotten their own spin-offs, what MCU supporting character would you like to see get their chance to shine next?  

    Anthony Canton III

    I would like to see Hunter B-15 get a spinoff. Wunmi Mosaku is a leading lady in the making and B-15’s story before the events of Loki. If we could see how the TVA took shape through her eyes and visit her memories? It would be the perfect through-line to Ravonna and a, maybe, even more Kang.

    DA Osorio

    That’s a good choice, Anthony! I am all for getting the chance to revisit the TVA. However, I’m going in a different direction: I’d love to revisit the Kree Empire and see more of Djimon Hounsou and his version of Korath The Pursuer. Korath has ties to the Shi’ar Empire, and was sent to assassinate Lilandra; he has also fought Quasar. Korath has also gone to war with Makkari, an Eternal set to debut next month in that feature film. With Secret Invasion on deck, plus The Marvels, it feels like there is a good opportunity for a variant of Korath to make his presence felt.

    Charles Murphy

    I’m all in on Jaimie Alexander‘s Sif getting a spinoff show entitled Journey Into Mystery. While we are about to get our 4th Thor movie and the 2nd season of Loki, there are so many tales of Asgard left to tell and so many well-developed characters that we’ve never met. One thing that makes these spinoff shows great is that the main characters get a supporting cast around them and a JIM series could follow Sif around the previously unexplored corners of the Nine Realms and bring a lot of these great characters to life.

    Hunter Radisi

    Howard the Duck would make for an excellent foray into more adult-centric animation.  You can use the character to explore and introduce a lot of the more “out there” Marvel characters and locations without it feeling weird or out of place. We are long overdue for more Howard The Duck. 

    JJ

    I’d love to see Stakar Ogord’s team from Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 get a prequel series. Maybe jumping from the past to the present, showing how the team first came together and bringing back Michael Rooker’s Yondu. I think there’s potential there and another way to get James Gunn back for another stint in the MCU. 

    Joao

    While not being the most obvious choice, following The Collector through his own Disney+ show might prove to be an interesting concept. This could either be a prequel to when we first meet him in Thor: The Dark World or, in case he managed to escape Thanos’ wrath, a sequel to the events of Avengers: Infinity War. We could go deeper into his relationship with his brother Grandmaster though perhaps the most interesting way to go about it is to explore how he managed to acquire all the artifacts and entities he kept in his Museum, from Cosmo to Howard the Duck. In case we’re talking about a sequel we would follow his pursuit to gather them all once again. This would bring Benicio del Toro, one of the best actors of his generation, back into the MCU, and by having the action take place far away from Earth, it wouldn’t be so constrained by all the events that took or are taking place over there. With the outer space setting things could get as crazy as they come.

    Mary Maerz

    I would like a Korg and Miek buddy cop series or special. It could follow the two caught in the middle of some mysterious threat facing New Asgard while Valkyrie is away on vacation or something, and they could take the lead in trying to solve or handle it. 

    Nathan Miller

    black panther 2 set photo

    I would love a Ryan Coogler-produced Namor and Atlantis Disney+ series spinning out of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Not only would it be amazing to see another Coogler worldbuilding project flourish in the MCU, with plenty of opportunity for new characters and locations. It would also be a fantastic opportunity for some Indigenous representation both in front of and behind the camera with up-and-coming writers, directors, and crew.

    Which characters would you like to see get their a spinoff?

  • ‘Black Widow’s Family Dinner Scene Almost Didn’t Happen

    ‘Black Widow’s Family Dinner Scene Almost Didn’t Happen

    Black Widow has recently been released on Disney+ for all subscribers to watch. The film finally gave Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff her own story to explore the past she believed she could leave behind. It introduced us to her extended family with Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov, and Melina Vostokoff. It explores this dysfunctional family and how their relationship continued to live on even after they had to flee the United States. It all culminated in one of the most memorable scenes of the entire film, but it seems it almost didn’t make it in.

    Director Cate Shortland sat down with Empire to discuss her work on the film and revealed that the famous dinner scene almost didn’t make it into the film. It seems they had a hard time nailing down the dynamic and considered taking it out. Yet, it was Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige who insisted that they keep it in. As she highlights:

    He doesn’t give you many directives, he’s very free. But that was a scene he really felt needed to be in the film, and Scarlett and I kept fighting him on it, saying, ‘How will this ever work?’ But it became a very alive thing. You’ve got this bunch of people shipwrecked together, who are still desperately trying to cling onto the roles that they had in Ohio, because that’s all they know. That’s all they have. And it’s beautiful for me

    Cate Shortland

    Considering it was one of the most emotionally resonant scenes in the film, it was great that Feige pushed for it to make it in. It’s the strange relationship that exists, as they saw each other as a family unit while living in Ohio. It was quickly ripped apart when their secret was uncovered and Alexei’s obsession with fame left a dent in their relationship. Now, they were trying to make amends before they face the Red Room together, as a family. The film might not have been the same without it.

    Source: Empire

  • ‘What If…?’ Introduced Marvel Studios Most Powerful Character to Date

    ‘What If…?’ Introduced Marvel Studios Most Powerful Character to Date

    Infinite Ultron. Infinite Black Panther Killmonger. The Watcher. Marvel Studios first canonical animated series, What If…?, brought these incredibly powerful characters into the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse and turned them loose against one another. When it was all said and done, Infinite Ultron-who is now Infinite Zola Vision-and Infinite Black Panther Killmonger find themselves imprisoned in a pocket dimension by Strange Supreme. Given what we this morose version of Stephen Strange survived not only during this episode but also in his own, an argument can be made that Strange Supreme is the most powerful being in the multiverse.

    Episode 4 of What If…? was one of the show’s highest points. More than almost any other episode, it refused to adhere to the formula of following the familiarity of the Sacred Timeline and branched out. Resultant of that, fans were treated to a look at just how dark the mystic arts can be…and how dangerous. Strange’s motivations are not intrinsically villainous, but they result in the catastrophic collapse of his reality leaving him the sole survivor in a pocket dimension prison of his own making. Of course, the power it took to create that pocket dimension and contain whatever was left of his reality would have been immense, making him a near omnipotent god-like figure. Given he had already reached a god-like level of Cosmic awareness that allowed him to identify and communicate with The Watcher, this version of Strange was set up to be a pretty heavy hitter.

    Strange Supreme returns in Episode 9 and displays those god-tier powers throughout. He creates another pocket dimension in which the Guardians of the Multiverse assemble, casts powerful protection spells on the team, survives a barrage of Infinity Stone-based attacks, summons zombies from another reality, unleashes some terrifying dark magic counter attacks and, finally, contains two beings fighting over the aforementioned Stones in another, smaller pocket dimension which he keeps inside his own dimension. Strange Supreme is essentially a 10-year old boy keeping fireflies in a jar at this point, demonstrating complete control over his own powers and over the ultimate powers in any given multiverse.

    Marvel Studios has often been accused of nerfing characters that should, according to the comics, be their most powerful. In recent years, Thor and Hulk have been “powered up” a bit compared to their early appearances and both Captain Marvel and Wanda Maximoff have emerged as contenders for the most powerful being in the MCU after their displays in Avengers: Endgame and WandaVision. This dark version of Doctor Strange would seem worthy of putting up a fight with any of them, including the incredibly powerful Scarlet Witch. Who knows, maybe we’ll see the two of them face off in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

  • New ‘What If…?’ Funko Pops Include Frost Giant Loki, Ravager Thanos, and More

    New ‘What If…?’ Funko Pops Include Frost Giant Loki, Ravager Thanos, and More

    Finally, the second wave of What If…? Funko Pops have found their way online featuring some of the supporting cast. In each of the episodes, not only do we meet a variety of new twists on iconic stories but also how a simple change alters the entire world. The new Funko Pops include Frost Giant Loki, Ravager Thanos, and quite a few additions from the finale. You can check out the new line of Funkos right here:

    Ironically, we believed that Ultron was going to take on the mantle of Supreme Leader, but it turned out he was called Infinity Ultron. So, the inclusion of Killmonger taking on the mantle made us believe he may finally turn out to be him, but he’s also known as Infinity Killmonger. So, the Supreme Leader is very likely the Zola-possessed version of Vision, who doesn’t have an official name as of yet.

    Source: Twitter, Amazon

  • Don Cheadle Hints at Rhodey’s Future Beyond Armor Wars

    Don Cheadle Hints at Rhodey’s Future Beyond Armor Wars

    After a relatively long wait, news recently broke that Armor Wars had found its head writer, in Yassir Lester. It’s still very early in the process as Don Cheadle mentioned earlier in the year. He and Marvel Studios were still “talking about what that show is going to be” before hiring Lester. 

    Cheadle gave us another update yesterday at ACE Universe Comic Con. Not only did he mention a timing update having recently brought the head writer onboard but he also spoke about his excitement for Rhodey’s next stories: 

    I think the most exciting part is yet to come. I think we don’t really have a super strong idea who he is really, outside of that bubble of the Avengers, outside of necessarily his friendship with Tony, and now he’s gonna kind of be untethered from all of that. So it’s an opportunity to really kind of discover who he is in a way that we have not had before with concentrated time and focus on Rhodey and Rhodey’s journey and hopefully some stuff about his past and and you know teeing up some things about his potential future.  I think those kinds of things were hinted at in an Endgame where where this character might go and the things that may be in the offing for him.

    Cheadle also reiterated something he’s said a few times before: it is still early days in the development of the show so despite it being announced almost a year ago now, we shouldn’t really expect to see it anytime soon.

    It’s very early in the process of Armor Wars, we just hired my boy Yassir which I’m very excited about. […] A great guy, a lot of great ideas but honestly we’re just really trying to crack the spine of what it’s going to be.

    So it seems in talking about Armor Wars teeing up Rhodey’s potential future, it might suggest a future beyond that event itself. As a senior member of the Avengers without some close friends like Tony and Steve around, it remains to be seen whether he will become a mentor to other newer members or simply lead by example. Whatever the case, Armor Wars seems like it will show us the potential first step in a new path for Rhodey. 

    Source: ACE Universe 

  • Director Bryan Andrews Discusses Paying Tribute to Jack Kirby in ‘What If…?’

    Director Bryan Andrews Discusses Paying Tribute to Jack Kirby in ‘What If…?’

    The last 2 episodes of the first season of What If…?, Marvel Studios first canonical animated series, saw a significant ramping up in terms of action and big, frenetic fight scenes. Episode 8 saw The Watcher go God-mode and take on Ultron in one of the best battles of the series which also saw an iconic comic book aesthetic jump mediums to the MCU: the Kirby Krackle. In an interview with ComicBook.com, What If…? director Bryan Andrews talked about bringing the artistic convention to the series and honoring the man for who it’s named, comic book legend Jack Kirby.

    Kirby often used the Krackle, or Kirby Dots, as a representation of Cosmic energy (and in Episode 8 The Watcher was giving off some big energy!). Comic readers might mostly associate the style with Kirby’s work on The Fantastic Four (as seen below) but the unique representation permeated his work and has been used in animated series and films before such as Ben 10 and Into the Spider-Verse. Andrews, who has worked as a story board artist for Marvel Studios for more than a decade, was thrilled to bring the effect to the series.

    The Jack Kirby Legacy -

    I just wanted to do it forever. And then I’ve always been bummed that they haven’t done Kirby Krackle on the live action movies, so I was like, ‘We’re doing it here, guys,’ and everyone was like, “Yay!” I think, now that we’ve done it and it looks amazing, I’m hoping that whatever weird thing that the visual effects people have been avoiding it for [is over] — I don’t know why they would. Come on guys. Bring it, bring it! So we’ll see. Maybe it’s a new era of visual effects.

    Kirby’s influence has been felt more and more in the past few years of the MCU. Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok designs were very Kirby-esque and in just under one month one of Kirby’s most obscure creations, the Eternals, will be featured in their own film. It’s both wonderful and appropriate to see the Kirby Krackle introduced into the MCU via The Watcher, one of Kirby’s creations and a staple of The World’s Greatest Comics Magazine. Let’s hope the live-action crew take a cue from Andrews and find a way to bring the Krackle to the big screen in Marvel Studios Fantastic Four.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • 3 More Potential Disney+ Spinoffs for Marvel Studios to Expand the MCU

    3 More Potential Disney+ Spinoffs for Marvel Studios to Expand the MCU

    The big announcement has come today that WandaVision is getting a spinoff that’ll focus on Agatha Harkness. It’s not the first show to spin out of an existing Marvel Studios property on the streaming service. Our first announcement came in the form of Echo long before Hawkeye even got a release date. The fact that a villain is getting her series opens up many possibilities moving forward, as it means anything goes. So, it’s the perfect time to explore other potential Disney+ series that could spin-off from past projects.

    Taskmaster Protocol

    black widow taskmaster future

    Black Widow explored a rather unique take on the character of Taskmaster but still kept a small glimpse to further explore the character in the future. The fact it was referenced as a “Protocol” in the film left a lot of opportunities to further expand the concept without necessarily requiring the return of Antonia. We did play around with the idea of them exploring Tony Masters as someone who takes over the program. No matter what direction they take, there’s a lot of potentials to expand the concept through a Disney+ series. Each episode introduces a new threat that forces our protagonists to adapt and learn. Yet, each action comes at a price, as their memory starts to fade.

    Goose Stories

    Captain Marvel“: Das Geheimnis von Goose · KINO.de

    Halloween is around the corner. We might get a special next year focused on Werewolf by Night. Yet, I would also love to see the return of our favorite Flerken. Captain Marvel’s Goose hasn’t appeared in the franchise since his introduction in 2019. While looking like an innocent cat, he’s an interdimensional pocket with Lovecraft-inspired tentacles ready to snap up its foes at any time. He deserves a Disney+ series that twists our understanding of what a Marvel story is. We find out he’s been living a normal life with a family in the United States. Little do they know, their connection to SHIELD makes them easy targets for some dangerous forces. Yet, they had a small little cat keeping them safe. Each episode could be a parody or tribute to a horror franchise. To give an example, they could explore a house invasion story, but they have no idea they’re about to face a very dangerous being.

    Ten Rings

    The Real Reason Why The Ten Rings Logo Is Changing In Shang-Chi

    This spinoff idea seems the most obvious, as the end of Shang-Chi very openly hinted that the new generation of this organization will make a return. Meng’er Zhang‘s Xu Xialing took over her father’s base and added a new spin to the organization. The implications seem to hint at her fighting ring organization has combined with the world-dominating terrorist organization. The fact that the film’s post-credit sequence highlights that this organization will return highlights that they have a plan for them. So, the best approach would be to adapt it to Disney+. Not only does Xialing deserve time in the spotlight, but we could also see a new empire get founded. We can explore her dealings in the underworld that hints at other famous Marvel evils making a comeback. She may offer a closer window into a world we had no idea existed out there.

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: Oakhaven, Agatha, Nicholas Scratch and New Salem

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: Oakhaven, Agatha, Nicholas Scratch and New Salem

    Last month, paperwork was filed by Disney to create a new limited liability production entity titled “Oakhaven Productions LLC.” At the time of discovery, we at Murphy’s Multiverse were prettyy stumped about what potential production this might be but today’s announcement that Marvel Studios is developing an Agatha Harnkess-centric series around star Kathryn Hahn may not only have solved that problem, but also give some clues as to what the series might end up being about.

    At the time of discovery, our Google searches for Oakhaven produced little with any relevance to Marvel Studios, but did turn up what we thought was a funny coincidence: a Scooby-Doo reference. In 1998’s Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost, Scooby and the gang end up in the fictional town of Oakhaven, Massachusetts where all sorts of witch-related madness ensues. Oakhaven essentially serves as an analogue for Salem as Puritan-founded city where witches are persecuted. The dots aren’t too hard to connect here as Agatha Harnkness is not only a witch but one who, in the comics, was persecuted by Puritans in Salem before moving West and settling in the hidden Colorado town of New Salem.

    While the plot of the new Disney Plus series hasn’t been revealed at this point, we know that Agatha was persecuted by her own coven of witches in Salem in 1693. We don’t catch up with her again until 2023 (or so), meaning we have about 330 years of potential stories to be told about where Agatha has been since stripping the power from her coven in 1693 and showing up in Westview in 2023. We can glean from WandaVision that she’s been set up in New Jersey for a while, but it’s possible her own series could shed some light on other places she’s been, potentially opening up the door for New Salem, and its interesting residents, to make their way into the MCU.

    Foremost among those interesting residents is Agatha’s comic book son, Nicholas Scratch. Scratch was referenced as somewhat of an Easter egg in WandaVision, with Harnkness’ pet bunny sharing the name, but in the comics he was a powerful warlock in his own right who had less than a loving relationship with his mother. Marvel Studios has proven to love their family dramas and a mother-son drama might just be next on the list! With 330 years of time to fill, writer Jac Schaeffer could have a ton of fun introducing New Salem, Nicholas Scratch and some of its other colorful inhabitants while expanding on Agatha’s story and the mystical side of the MCU.

  • BREAKING: Agatha Harkness Series in Development at Marvel Studios

    BREAKING: Agatha Harkness Series in Development at Marvel Studios

    According to Variety, Marvel Studios is developing a Kathryn Hahn-led Agatha Harkness series for Disney Plus. Hahn starred alongside Elizabeth Olsen and and Paul Bettany in Marvel Studios first streaming series, WandaVision, and did so to rave reviews.

    According to the trade report, the series will be written by WandaVision head scribe Jac Schaeffer, who signed a big deal with the studio earlier this year. Hahn’s character, Agnes, was revealed late in WandaVision’s season to be Agatha Harkness, an old witch who has thrived by stealing power from other witches. When we last saw her, she seemed to have her memory wiped by Wanda but there was definitely a promise of more stories to come.

    Hahn received and Emmy nomination for her role in the series and the character has a loooooooong history in Marvel Comics, so it’s not at all surprising to see the studios continue working with the actress to further develop the character. Schaeffer, who will also serve as an executive producer on the series, could chose to explore the character’s rich history, expanding the mythology of witchcraft in the MCU and connect her character to the growing mystical/horror element in the MCU. Marvel Studios is known to have over a dozen projects in development at this point in time and now we know we can count this Agatha-centric series among them!