Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • 7 Anime Studios Perfect for a ‘Marvel Studios: Visions’ Collaboration

    7 Anime Studios Perfect for a ‘Marvel Studios: Visions’ Collaboration

    As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, Marvel Studios is exploring new ways to tell their stories. One of their focuses for the future appears to be towards animation. What If…? is only the beginning of what Marvel Studios has planned for the MCU’s future. It got confirmed by Variety in an interview with Victoria Alonso. Now, while what the future holds remains to be seen, we wanted to explore what could potentially be one of the ideas that Marvel Studios could be looking at as we speak.

    Anime is currently one of the most dominant corners of pop-culture media in the world. Having an anthology series of short films similar to Star Wars: Visions, with multiple anime studios tackling Marvel characters, could provide a new take on characters we all know and love. So with that in mind, here are seven studios and characters we would love to see for a potential Marvel Studios: Visions anthology series.

     

    1. Studio Bones – Avengers

     

    Kicking off the list, we have Bones, the studio responsible for hit series such as My Hero Academia, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Mob Psycho 100. Bones’ seems to love exploring large-scale fights with multiple characters. Yet, they also manage to focus on character interactions that best fit the overall story. So having a shot anthology film of the Avengers facing off against a common threat could potentially be an absolutely interesting concept for a studio like Bones to tackle.

     

    2. Studio Sunrise – Guardians of the Galaxy

     

    With projects such as Code Geass and Cowboy Bebop, Sunriseseems like a perfect fit to tackle a Guardians of the Galaxy story for this anthology series. Imagine a new take on the Guardians with the jazz-infused stylings of Cowboy Bebop. The art style of that particular show also could be applied to this Guardians story for a more retro feel for these versions of the characters.

     

    3. Studio Trigger – Captain Marvel

     

    The aesthetic and style behind the studio Trigger is one that is uniquely colorful and pleasing. This reason alone is why Captain Marvel could potentially be a good fit for a story animated by this studio. With shows like Promare, BNA, and Kill La Kill under their belt, a one-shot story with the space adventures and cosmic abilities of Carol Danvers could easily translate well into the art style of this studio.

     

    4. Ufotable – Black Panther

     

    Ufotable has provided anime fans with one of the most incredible and popular anime adaptations in recent history: Demon Slayer. The way they animate action and motion with a perfect blend of colors put them on the map. With that in mind, I believe that a story with Black Panther could perhaps be an incredible combination for this series. A story set within the boundaries of Wakanda and their culture applied to the artistic styles of Ufotable could bring forth some of the most imaginative and unique visuals with some incredible hand-to-hand combat.

     

    5. Madhouse – Ant-Man and The Wasp

     

    Perhaps you’d recognize Madhouse for their work in multiple series such as Overlord, One Punch Man, Death Note, and Hunter X Hunter. But, perhaps, one of the most curious things relating the studio to this pitch is that Madhouse is one of the studios that has already adapted Marvel as an anime before, including characters such as Wolverine, X-Men, Iron Man, and Future Avengers. Rather than have them rework one of these concepts, however, it would certainly be interesting to see Madhouse develop a story with Ant-Man and The Wasp told in the anime format, as their micro-scale dimensions could hit big in this world.

     

    6. Mappa – Doctor Strange

     

    If you’re a big fan of Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, then you’d know why MAPPA is an excellent studio to tackle the magical antics of the Sorceror Supreme. Doctor Strange uses some elements and aesthetics that would fit right in the anime domain. MAPPA’s skill in designing memorable action sequences with unique visuals makes them the perfect fit. In addition, they offer the kind of creativity that would make Strange’s magic stand out even more amongst his Marvel brethren.

     

    7. A-1 Pictures – Spider-Man

     

    Lastly, but certainly not least important, you have the studio behind works such as Sword Art Online, Blue Exorcist, and The Seven Deadly Sins (Let’s just pretend that last season didn’t happen). A-1 Pictures tackling a character like Spider-Man is one of the most out-of-the-box choices on this list. Yet, I feel like Sword Art Online draws parallels in the form of the series’ main character and our famed web-slinger. Plus, the fluidity of Kirito’s movement shows what would be possible if A-1 brought the web-slinger to life in animated form.

  • Jeffrey Wright Confirms Some ‘What If’ Episodes Were Recorded During the Pandemic

    Jeffrey Wright Confirms Some ‘What If’ Episodes Were Recorded During the Pandemic

    It’s crazy to think that Marvel Studios is heading into animation. The once small production company grew by quite a bit. Disney+ was just the beginning of their next big step. WandaVision kicked off a new era for the company that will soon enter its next phase. What If will expand the franchise into animation and introduce us to the multiverse. As one question can change everything, Jeffrey Wright‘s Uatu will guide us through the various episodes.

    The actor had a chance to sit down with Entertainment Weekly to talk bout recording for the series and getting to work on the project alongside Chadwick Boseman, as the animated series will be his last performance within the MCU. He also got to share how he decided on what voice to use, as he has experience with doing voice work. he revealed that a few of the episodes were recorded during quarantine from his closet.

    We recorded some of these episodes during lockdown during the pandemic last year. I recorded a bunch of stuff in my closet in Brooklyn. [Laughs] So the preparation was setting up the little mini recording studio and closing the closet door, and banging it out next to my underwear drawer. But it worked out! Good acoustics in there.

    It’s become the norm that many actors that do voice work started building recording booths in their homes. Christopher Judge shared some insight into how he did all his work from home while voicing Marvel’s Avengers version of Black Panther. Luckily, it’s gotten easier than ever to work from home. So, they don’t require a fully built booth to do voice work, and actors have gotten creative to solve this issue. Wright shares his excitement about getting to work in his pajamas.

    Source: EW

  • ‘WHAT IF…?’ Marvel Legends Arrive, Hint at a Live-Action Captain Carter

    ‘WHAT IF…?’ Marvel Legends Arrive, Hint at a Live-Action Captain Carter

    During today’s Hasbro Pulse Fan First Wednesday, the latest wave of Marvel Legends, this time for the upcoming animated series What If…?, were revealed and may have given away more than just a good look at the characters. The wave, which goes up for pre-order this afternoon at 1:00 PM ET, comes with 7 figures and a Build-A-Figure Uatu. Of the 7, 6 are set to debut in the Disney Plus streaming series What If…?, and the other is labeled “Marvel’s Sylvie” from the recently concluded Loki series. A closer look at the packaging for each character reveals that Haley Atwell’s Captain Carter is called “Marvel’s Captain Carter”, an indication that the character may well make the transition to live-action.

    There have been rumors that Carter would appear in an upcoming live-action project, but this is the first evidence of that possibility. The labeling seems intentional to set Captain Carter apart from the other What If…? characters, none of which are labeled as “Marvel’s” characters.

    The rest of the wave is comprised of T’Challa as Star-Lord, “Heist” Nebula, Zombie Captain America, a Zombie Hunter Spidey and Doctor Strange Supreme. These Variant characters are likely to be revealed as having come into existence following the death of He Who Remains at the hands of Sylvie, making her inclusion here sensible.

    If one had to hazard a guess as to when we might expect Atwell’s Captain Carter to appear, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would seemingly be a heavy favorite as it is expected to deal with the fallout of Loki.

    What If…? will begin streaming weekly on Disney Plus on August 11th.

  • ‘WANDAVISION’ and ‘CARNIVAL ROW’ Writer Heading New Marvel Studios Project

    ‘WANDAVISION’ and ‘CARNIVAL ROW’ Writer Heading New Marvel Studios Project

    Peter Cameron, who served as a writer and story editor on Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series WandaVision, is heading up a new, unannounced project for the studio as a co-producer. Cameron wrote 2 episodes of WandaVision, including the “All-New Halloween Spooktacular”, and also served as both a writer and story editor on Amazon Prime’s fantasy series, Carnival Row. Most recently, he worked as the story editor on Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Mark Millar’s The Magic Order, a fantasy-horror series produced by James Wan.

     

    Marvel Studios currently has 9 unannounced streaming series at various stages of development with projects such as Ghost Rider, Secret Warriors and Nova potentially among them. Given Cameron’s affinity for fantasy/horror projects, Ghost Rider would seem to be a natural fit. Cameron joins Marion Dayre as creatives in charge of unannounced Marvel Studios projects. 

  • ‘Better Call Saul’ Writer Marion Dayre Set as Showrunner for Mystery Marvel Studios Series

    ‘Better Call Saul’ Writer Marion Dayre Set as Showrunner for Mystery Marvel Studios Series

    Better Call Saul writer Marion Dayre has been tapped as the showrunner of an upcoming and unannounced Marvel Studios television series. According to her Instagram and an announcement made by San Francisco State University, where she’ll be working with students in the Fall, Dayre has landed the coveted role as lead writer for one of Marvel’s upcoming projects.

    Dayre has been involved with Better Call Saul since its inception, working originally as a writer’s assistant and script coordinator, then as a writer, story editor and executive story editor on 2020’s Season 5. While it is unknown what project she is working on, Marvel Studios has as many as 9 unannounced DTC (direct-to-consumer) streaming series at various stages of development. Over past year, Marvel Studios has been rumored to be developing projects such as Ghost Rider, Nova, Secret Warriors, and Illuminati, so it’s possible she’s taken the lead on one of those. It’s also worth noting that no announcement has been made as to who the head creatives will be on Armor Wars, set to begin production next Spring. It is also unclear whether or not this series is intended to stream on Disney Plus or be distributed through another network.

    Sources: Instagram and SFSU

     

  • ‘Assembled’: ‘WandaVision’s Episode is the Most Watched Entry of the Marvel Studios BTS Series

    ‘Assembled’: ‘WandaVision’s Episode is the Most Watched Entry of the Marvel Studios BTS Series

    Disney+ doesn’t actively share any viewing data. So, we are dependent on external analysts to figure out how successful a show may be on the streaming service. Luckily, the latest analysis by Samba TV has revealed that WandaVision‘s Assembled episode is the most-watched episode of all three.

    They shared the statistic on Twitter which showcases how many viewers the episodes got in their first five days. WandaVision led with 98K US households followed by Loki with 65K as well as Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s 61K. It seems that the premier Marvel Studios series had the most momentum, as people wanted to uncover how they brought the iconic sitcom eras to life throughout each episode.

     

    It’s an interesting insight into how many viewers are interested in the BTS episodes. It seems that this additional one-episode format per Disney+ series is paying off and has earned a considerable audience in the US. We’re still questioning if we potentially get the release of a Black widow-focused episode. There was never any announcement if they are actively including it in the series. So, it seems likely they might be utilizing this exclusively for the Disney+ series.

    Yet, they might also time it with the digital release, as they also include various looks at behind-the-scenes and cut scenes. Plus, the Disney+ series run for several weeks and it only gets released once the series’ finale got released. It’ll be interesting to see how many viewers the BTS episode on What If might garner, as we get a closer look at the animation process of his unique series. Here’s hoping Assembled has a long history ahead.

    Source: Twitter

  • Starz Blocks Disney’s Star Plus Expansion in Brazil

    Starz Blocks Disney’s Star Plus Expansion in Brazil

    Here’s an interesting development. During Disney’s Investors Day, they revealed their global expansion. Europe and Canada got Star as a new brand directly in Disney+ to add access to mature content. The United States keeps its Hulu branding as a separate service, but they’ve tested ut integrating multiple streaming options by integrating ESPN+. Their idea for the Latin America market was to create a Star-focused service titled Star Plus.

    Yet, it looks like those plans were swiftly halted by a judge in São Paulo. Starz successfully blocked their launch in Brazil with complaints on trademark infringement still active in Mexico. Argentinian court has denied Starz’s complaint. Judge Jorge Tosta wrote the following on the decision:

    The plaintiff proved to have priority of use and registration in Brazil over the word mark ‘STARZPLAY,’ including for identifying entertainment services, which grants it the right to protect its reputation and material integrity.

    Starz has established its Starzplay streaming service and launched it in the Latin American market in 2019. Of course, it isn’t the exact same title but they have pointed out that Star Plus and Starzsplay will get generalized terms as “Star.” Plus, Disney’s marketing power also could harm Starz brand. It’s an interesting case, as it opens Disney to some new hurdles. They either have to rethink their strategy in Brazil or create unique branding for the location. Perhaps they’ll decide to extend the Hulu brand internationally as a result.

     

    Prime Video Channels: Amazon bringt Starzplay nach Deutschland

     

    Of curse, they can also take the European route by integrating it into Disney+, but the service was going to include ESPN offerings. So, there’s also the Indian Disney+ Hotstar branding that is more distinctive. It’s likely they’ll wait out until Mexico makes their decision before rolling out the brand, but it’s an interesting development that could have repercussions for Disney’s overall branding strategy. The official Twitter channel teased a strange new verified channel simply called The Streamer:

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • Seth Green Teases Howard the Duck’s Role in Marvel Studios’ ‘What If’ Disney+ Series

    Seth Green Teases Howard the Duck’s Role in Marvel Studios’ ‘What If’ Disney+ Series

    It seems Howard the Duck may have more than a bit role in Marvel’s What If…?, according to actor Seth Green. The Hollywood Reporter recently published a retrospective on 1986’s Howard the Duck film, in honor of the cult classic’s 35th anniversary. The piece includes numerous interviews, including one from Green, who has been portraying Howard in the MCU since 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Among his comments on the character were interesting tidbits on his future in the Marvel wheelhouse, and a confirmation in which episode we can expect him:

    […] it resulted in a scene between T’Challa and Howard.

    Fans discovered Howard would be involved in the show via a surprise appearance in its first full-length trailer. Green’s comment seems to confirm he will appear in an episode featuring Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa replacing Peter Quill as Star-Lord and reveals he will play a big enough role to include a speaking part. The famed comedian also shared how he chose to portray the character, with a manner more in line with his comic history:

    He’s a punk rock noir detective, at least that’s the way I play it.

    Howard was written as a private eye in Chip Zdarsky’s 2015 run on the character, and it appears that former Howard the Duck actress Lea Thompson found inspiration from the same comics when developing her ideas for a potential MCU reboot. Thompson has been vocal about wanting to direct a modern remake of Howard, and some of her comments on the topic, from the same retrospective, do hint at a future for everyone’s favorite space Duck in the MCU:

    Marvel liked the pitch, but they have different plans for the different characters.

     Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Finds Its Bushman

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Finds Its Bushman

    CONNECTING IMAGINARY DOTS ARE PIECES WE WRITE HERE THAT ALLOW US TO BE WHAT WE ALL TRULY ARE: FANS. THESE SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS SCOOPS, EXCLUSIVES OR FACTS; JUST SPECULATION ABOUT THE THINGS FOR WHICH WE ALL SHARE A GREAT PASSION.

    Marvel Studios Moon Knight has filmed in near complete secrecy in Budapest, Hungary. Other than a few fans snagging pictures with stars Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, vert little has made its way to fans. We know May Calamawy will play a key role in the series, but like Hawke, her role is unknown at the moment, and it seems French actor Gaspar Ulliel has snagged a supporting role as Moon Knight foe Midnight Man. Somehow, after months of filming, that’s all we know; however, if we connect some dots found on Instagram, we might be able to add one more to the cast of the upcoming Disney Plus streaming series.

    A look at French actor Loic Mabanza’s IG page might just reveal that the actor has joined the cast of Moon Knight. A couple of recent posts indicate that Mabanza spent several weeks in Budapest, where the series has been filming. Additionally, Mabanza and Calamawy mutually follow one another on the social media app, which could indicate the two have spent some time together on set.

    There are certainly plenty of other reasons the 31-year old Mabanza could be in Budapest and its possible that he and Calamawy met somewhere else (a quick check of IMDB does not list them as having worked together in the past); however, connecting the dots as done above leads to an interesting bit of speculation: Mabanza may have joined the cast of Moon Knight as Marc Spector’s archenemy, Raul Bushman.

    Bushman was a mercenary who was working with Spector to protect an archaeological dig in Sudan. The job went sideways when Bushman killed the archaeologist and then shot Spector. As Spector lay dying, he was saved by the Egyptian god Khonshu and became Moon Knight. While Hawke is playing the series’ lead villain, Bushman plays a key role not only in Spector’s origin as the Fist of Khonshu but also throughout his career. Mabanza has the size and physique to pull off the physically intimidating Bushman and as a young, international performer, also fits the profile of actors that Disney has been casting for the show. Of course it’s entirely possible that Mabanza isn’t playing Bushman or even that he’s not part of the series, but if we connect the imaginary dots, we might have stumbled onto a key casting for the upcoming series.

    Marvel Studios Moon Knight is expected to stream on Disney Plus early in 2022.

     

     

     

     

  • ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Foe Midnight Man to Appear in the Disney Plus Streaming Series

    ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Foe Midnight Man to Appear in the Disney Plus Streaming Series

    With so little being known about Marvel Studios upcoming Disney Plus streaming series Moon Knight, any tidbit, no matter how small, seems exciting. This one certainly falls into the small tidbit category: French actor Gaspard Ulliel’s agency page, Hamilton Hodel, has updated a listing showing that Ulliel will be bringing the little known character Midnight Man to the MCU.

    Anton Mogart, aka Midnight Man, first appeared in 1981’s Moon Knight #3 and made just a handful of appearances over the years. An art and jewel thief who liked to do his dirty work right at midnight (hence the clever moniker), Mogart had a run in with Moon Knight that resulted in his face being partially melted by some nasty NYC sewage. Mogart swore vengeance against Moon Knight but never accomplished much other than getting himself killed. His son, Jeff Wilde, partnered with Moon Knight for a time under the name Midnight. He eventually flipped out and got himself killed by Moon Knight.

    Moon Knight is currently filming overseas and is expected to stream on Disney Plus in early 2022.