Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • ‘The Mandalorian’ Teases Grogu’s Conflict with the Force

    ‘The Mandalorian’ Teases Grogu’s Conflict with the Force

    The latest episode of The Mandalorian has raised the stakes, as Din was given instructions by Ahsoka Tano on where he can find someone to teach the Child. Oh wait, I guess we are calling him Grogu now. Din was having fun seeing the little guy’s reaction when he called him by his name. Now that they finally found their way to Tython, they face some rather harsh changes. There is a good reason why this episode is titled “The Tragedy” after all. The episode’s chain of events may be continuing a path that was briefly teased last season for our young Grogu. It may be up to Din to save the abandoned Padawan from a dark fate.

     

    Here is your spoiler warning. I will be spoiling the major twist of this episode, so only continue at your own risk. If you don’t want to get spoiled, then be sure to watch the episode before you continue reading.

     

     

    So, the episode ends with Grogu getting captured by the now-confirmed Dark Troopers. Din is too late to save him and can only watch as they leave. Our favorite Mandalorian is heartbroken but quickly tries to find a way to get him out of there with the help of some unlikely allies. The episode did not end there as we also saw little Grogu on the ship. He had his first confrontation with Mof Gideon, who seemed oddly giddy about Grogu throwing the Storm Troopers around the room. We learned from Ahsoka that he purposely hid his abilities, but now it was as if he didn’t care. He was going to take them all down to get back to his father, and he didn’t care how often he has to fling a Storm Trooper across the room. Sadly, he is still tiny and falls asleep after exceeding his limits. The episode ends us with the question of how Din will try to save the kid and whatever Moff has planned for him.

     

     

    It is Grogu’s actions that confirm something Ahsoka Tano said in the last episode. She hinted at the consequences of a force-wielder with a strong personal connection. Their emotions can get the better of them. Something she saw someone close to her went through in the past. It looks like Grogu might be facing a similar path. Just last season, he used the Force to chock Cara, as he believed she was going to hurt him. So far, we’ve only ever seen people on the dark side use that kind of ability. Yes, Grogu seems like an innocent child, but it was shocking to see him slam the Storm Troopers around. He was letting loose, and who knows what else he would’ve done if he didn’t get tired. It certainly will be an interesting conflict once Din can save the little guy, and what implications it may have for his future. Now, we can only wonder if the message will be heard by a Jedi that can bring him back to the light, or perhaps a Sith is ready to answer the call.

  • ‘STAR WARS’: How Pierce Brosnan Became a Fancasting Favorite for Thrawn

    ‘STAR WARS’: How Pierce Brosnan Became a Fancasting Favorite for Thrawn

    Besides introducing Ahsoka to a Star wars live-action project, Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian made way for yet another character to emerge from a Star Wars animated series. It was revealed that Anakin Skywalker’s former Jedi Padawan is searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn, most likely because finding him might help her get to her missing Jedi friend Ezra Bridger. So being, this seems to indicate that, even though it probably won’t be on The Mandalorian, Thrawn is now also set to make a transition to live-action.

    Ever since the character first appeared on Star Wars Rebels, there have been several ideas on who should play the part, should it ever make its way to a non-animated project. British actors were pretty much on the forefront, as most of the Imperial Officers we’ve gotten so far in Star Wars movies have had that common characteristic, going back to Peter Cushing in the ’70s. Benedict Cumberbatch (who played the similarly stoic Khan in the Star Trek franchise), Jason Isaacs, and Hugo Weaving were amongst the names that surfaced as being popular choices for the role.

    In April 2019 another name managed to gain traction amongst fans, mostly due to the mural unveiled at Star Wars Celebration Chicago. The massive mural portrayed the entire saga, as well as the rest of the more prominent projects in the Star Wars Universe (Rogue One, Solo, The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Rebels). An interesting feature of the said mural was that all the animated characters were depicted as photorealistic figures, and not as their animated counterparts. In the Rebels section, taking his place alongside Kanan Jarrus, Hera Syndulla, and the aforementioned Ezra Bridger was Grand Admiral Thrawn, and his resemblance to actor Pierce Brosnan was uncanny.

    This led many to believe that Brosnan could have turned out to not only but the frontrunner for the part but he could actually already have signed onto some Star Wars project, even though there was none in sight. But now, with what we’ve witnessed on The Mandalorian, an Ahsoka-centered live-action show could be it. But does Brosnan really fit the role?

    If we take into consideration the voice talent chosen to impersonate the part on Star Wars Rebels: Not really. Thrawn is an Imperial Officer, but he isn’t your usual one. Him being a Chiss and not a human, Rebels didn’t go the British route and cast Lars Mikkelsen, a Scandinavian actor in the role, with a somewhat Scandinavian accent. Lucasfilm took great care in getting Ahsoka Tano’s voice to translate into live-action almost seamlessly so it would make sense for them to do the same when it came to Thrawn’s. Most actors are obviously capable of doing their job in many accents, so this obviously isn’t a deal-breaker, even though it isn’t how past choices have been made.

    Regarding his appearance, there is no doubt Brosnan could look the part. But the former 007 would definitively be more on the older side of what the character requires. The last couple of seasons of Star Wars Rebels, where Thrawn’s age would have been something between his early 40s and early 50s, are set roughly ten years before the events of The Mandalorian. This would mean that if we encounter Thrawn after the Ahsoka episode, he could be between his early 50s and early 60s. Pierce Brosnan is currently 67 years old. With at least a year before we would see him in the actual role, he would be almost ten years older than the oldest Thrawn could realistically be. We are obviously talking about an alien that doesn’t need to age at the rate humans do, and the role isn’t exceptionally physical, so even though Lucasfilm is probably looking for someone younger, this shouldn’t immediately put him out of contention.

    All things considered, I wouldn’t put my money on the Brosnan casting. Even though he would certainly be capable of playing someone with Thrawn’s demeanor, it’s fair to think that casting someone younger would open a few more storyline possibilities for the character. The mural is obviously a fun thing to examine, but given that Thrawn is a blue alien with red eyes, the makeup alone needed for the role is bound to make it easy for almost anyone to end up with the right look. There should be little doubt the artist used Brosnan as inspiration, but it’s certainly a stretch to think Disney would leak information that way. Ahsoka Tano herself is also pictured on the mural and she doesn’t look at all like Rosario Dawson. And since both characters are connected in the way Lucasfilm has decided to introduce both to live-action, their development should have come at a similar time, giving yet another reason not to think too much of Thrawn’s portrait.

     

     

  • Another ‘Hawkeye’ BTS Video Offers a Closer Look at Hailee Steinfeld

    Another ‘Hawkeye’ BTS Video Offers a Closer Look at Hailee Steinfeld

    Just today, we finally got a great look at Hawkeye‘s brand new set. They were filming a sequence in the subway, which showcased Clint, Kate, and everyone’s favorite dog, Lucky. It was a tad bit blurry, but it finally confirmed that Hailee Steinfeld joined the cast as Kate Bishop. It is crazy to think that it still has never been officially announced, but after these videos made it online, we are sure to get that statement sooner rather than later. Luckily, once one video is out, more are sure to follow, and it looks like @HSteinfeldNews got an even better look at the sequence that is taking place in the subway.

    https://twitter.com/HSteinfeldNews/status/1334235622958096384?s=20

    That close up pretty much confirms it is her. It is also great seeing her run around with the bow in her hand. Also, if you look closely, the shirt she is wearing under her mantle is her iconic purple as well. It seems they are on the run. They certainly seem impatient about jumping on that subway, or Jeremy Renner is just freezing. Also, it looks like Lucky will be part of the action. Perhaps he is on the hunt for some pizza. We’ll see how this all fits together once the show releases, but it’ll be interesting where else they might be filming.

    It’s crazy seeing some of these BTS sequences. After a year filled with delays and cancellations, it is good to know that they are still hard at work on future shows. We will see if we can get more shots from the set as they continue to film in NYC. She-Hulk and Moon Knight are going to start production in the coming months. So, we might get some glimpses from that as well. Now, if only we could already watch WandaVision.

    Source: Twitter

  • EXCLUSIVE: First Look at Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop

    EXCLUSIVE: First Look at Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop

    Earlier today we shared a nice set photo of Lucky the Pizza Dog from the set of Hawkeye. Now, we are lucky enough to bring you set video of what should be the first look at Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop!

    A video from the subway set in Brooklyn, taken by fan Edward Baker, shows Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton, Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop and Lucky running down the stairs and through the subway. Baker confirmed for us that the actress in the video was Steinfeld, who was seen around set during the day.

    Steinfeld was said to be in talks for the role of Bishop, one that is expected to serve as the face of Disney Plus for the next few years, in September of last year. Rumors have swirled since then about why she hadn’t been confirmed and if Marvel Studios had gone in another direction. Her contract with Apple TV seemed to be a sticking point, but it seems now that the COVID-related delay in production on Hawkeye may have smoothed that road out bit. Steinfeld is our Kate Bishop!

  • EXCLU: First Look at Lucky the Pizza Dog on ‘Hawkeye’ Set

    EXCLU: First Look at Lucky the Pizza Dog on ‘Hawkeye’ Set

    Hawkeye finally started filming in NYC. Going by Anchor Point, they are currently filming underground, so it is difficult to get any good shot. Luckily, we were able to snag something rather special. Yes, we finally got our very first look at Lucky the Pizza Dog. It looks like they are getting ready for a scene with him, as he is just waiting above the stairs. It is uncertain what they might be filming but it is great we finally get our first look at him. There is a chance he might bolt down the stairs, or someone is about to run towards him.

     

     

    I still hope he might get his very own episode, where we follow him around. It was one of the best chapters in Matt Fraction‘s Hawkeye run. We still don’t know who is playing Kate Bishop but at least we got our first look at the iconic archer companion in live-action. He was briefly teased a while back during the Disney+ special that showcased artwork for the various upcoming series. Just these few glimpses are already making this quite an exciting project.

  • Star Wars’ ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?

    Star Wars’ ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?

    Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian gave us the first live-action Ahsoka Tano as well as the first time Grand Admiral Thrawn was referenced to in a live-action Star Wars project. But who is Thrawn and why is Ahsoka searching for him?

    Mitth’raw’nuruodo, better known by his core name, Thrawn, is a Chiss, a species renowned for their blue skin that comes from the planet Csilla in the Unknown Regions. He is a brilliant and ruthless strategist that believed that one should get to know their enemy profoundly to be able to predict every move they make in battle. He understood that every single aspect of a certain culture, from music to architecture, from its values to its traditions, is what would ultimately define one’s modus operandi on the battlefield.

    During the Clone Wars, he traveled the galaxy learning everything he could about several races (including the Mandalorians and the Twi’leks), ending up crossing paths with Anakin Skywalker himself.

    Once the Empire rose to power, he understood that it would be in his interest to swear fealty to the Emperor by assimilating himself into galactic society. He did so by graduating from the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant and then rising through the ranks fairly quickly, mostly due to his impeccable performances in battle as well as some shady maneuvers behind the scenes.

    Some time later, when the rebels of Lothal became increasingly effective in their fight against the Imperial forces that had tried to establish themselves on the planet, he was called to help tear down the advances of said rebellion. This is where he came in contact with the crew of the Ghost. Their final confrontation at the end of Star Wars Rebels (set before the events of A New Hope) ended with both him and Jedi Ezra Bridger being dragged into hyperspace by the Purrgil (whale-like creatures with the natural ability to fly through hyperspace) being lost somewhere in the Unknown Regions never to be seen again.

    After the Battle of Endor, where the second Death Star was destroyed and the Empire was defeated, Ahsoka made it her mission to find her missing Jedi friend. And she seems to acknowledge that if she manages to find Thrawn, Ezra should be close by.

  • ‘The Mandalorian’: First Disney+ Show to Join Nielsen’s Top 10 Streaming List

    ‘The Mandalorian’: First Disney+ Show to Join Nielsen’s Top 10 Streaming List

    It’s been a big year for streaming services. As most people were stuck at home, they used the time to catch up on the latest shows by Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and more. These services do not provide much insight into how their shows are doing, so we depend on external analysts to give us a feeling if our favorite show is popular or not. Well, according to Nielsen, it looks like Disney+ has finally been able to join the top ten, as The Mandalorian has taken the third spot right behind The Office and Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. It is the first time a Disney+ series was able to join the list.

    The show was watched for over 1 billion minutes, which will only increase from here. Keep in mind this only accounts for the week of October 26th. So, it only takes into account the first season and the second season’s premiere episode. As such, it only counts the first nine episodes of the series’ run. Its performance wasn’t so far off from The Office, which consists of 192 episodes in total. As such, it does not include episodes that include the appearance of fan-favorite characters or the hype it built around Thanksgiving weekend.

    The Queen’s Gambit was also a massive success for Netflix, as it has managed to garner 1,850M viewed minutes since it released at the end of October. The rest of the list mostly consists of shows that are available via Netflix, such as Schitt’s Creek, Holidate, Grey’s Anatomy, and many more. It’ll be interesting to see if WandaVision will also join the list once it released in January.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 13: Theories Galore

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 13: Theories Galore

    Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian finally brought us a live-action Ahsoka Tano. There was an incredible amount of expectation regarding her debut not only because of how fans like the character but also, as we’ve stated before, due to her connections to several other characters and the resulting storytelling options. Even though this episode probably ended up raising more questions than the answers it gave us, it has allowed for several hypotheses about the show’s (and Ahsoka’s) future to begin creeping up, some that may deserve elaborating on.

     

    Bo-Katan will indeed return

    Of all the relevant characters introduced so far this season, Bo-Katan is the one whose path seems to be most interlinked with Mando’s. So being, a future encounter is still very much on the table, and Chapter 13 helped to solidify that idea.

    We learned that Ahsoka wasn’t really stationed on Corvus on a more permanent basis, and the fact that the heiress of the Mandalorian throne knew that she would be on there for just a few days makes us wonder if both of them are in constant contact. If that is so, it’s very much possible that if Ahsoka senses that Grogu is in any sort of peril she’ll call upon Bo-Katan and her group of fellow Mandalorians to show up and help out.

    Moff Gideon obviously plays a huge part in all of this, since he’s the likeliest reason as to why Grogu might find himself in danger. Also, since he is both chasing Grogu and being chased by Bo-Katan, they are bound to meet up one way or another. There is no way that her line “Your bravery will not be forgotten” in Chapter 11 doesn’t mean she will show up in a time Din really needs her to.

    Also, the spear Din is given by Ahsoka, that “belongs with a Mandalorian”, might end up being wielded by Bo-Katan as both she and Djarin take turns battling Gideon and his Darksaber.

     

    Ahsoka is off on her own journey

    It came as little surprise that Ahsoka wouldn’t be training Grogu. If she did that would mean that she would either have to become a series regular or that Grogu would leave the show, and none of those two choices seemed all that reasonable. Another reason is that Ahsoka seems to be on her own path. Her search for the location of Grand Admiral Thrawn has given her purpose and that is where her focus lies.

    The Mandalorian won’t show us what comes next for her in regards to Thrawn as that is too good a story not to overshadow Mando’s own journey. So being, be sure to expect an Ahsoka Tano series where we will continue to explore what really happened at the end of Star Wars Rebels, as the search for Thrawn and Ezra Bridger continues.

     

    ‘The Mandalorian’ is set before the ‘Star Wars Rebels’ epilogue

    Regarding the end of Star Wars Rebels, the exact timeline placement of its epilogue was always a bit murky. All we knew is that it was set after the events of Return of the Jedi, after the Empire had been defeated. There we saw an older Ahsoka returning to Lothal to pick up Sabine as they both set out to find Ezra. What The Mandalorian appears to show us is that, as the search for Ezra and the search for Thrawn are ultimately one and the same, Ahsoka seems to be trying to locate one so as to reach the other. She is then searching for Thrawn before seeking Sabine’s aid, later on, only reuniting with her after getting a better idea of where Ezra could be located, and the help needed to retrieve him safely.

     

    The Darksaber will cut through Beskar

    The show keeps both referencing Beskar’s abilities and bringing more of it into the fold. This time we got a spear of pure Beskar that is gifted to Din by Ahsoka since it “belongs with a Mandalorian”. This all fits with the conflict escalation theory after getting Moff Gideon’s Dark Troopers just last week. We’ve now learned how Beskar manages to hold back lightsaber strikes, but Gideon doesn’t have a conventional lightsaber. Since the Darksaber is not only of Mandalorian origin but the weapon of the ruler of the planet, it would make sense for it to be able to overcome Mandalorian armor, thus giving its wielder an edge over the rest of Mandalore. Having Din enter a fight with Gideon only to see the spear cut in half by a Darksaber blow will achieve several things: It will surprise both the audience and Din; It will up the stakes by putting Din in an unexpected tough situation; It will do all of this without compromising Din’s health since it’s the only piece of Beskar that isn’t attached to his body.

     

    Grogu will reach out through the Force but no Jedi will come. For now.

    After being instructed to go to the planet Tython, Grogu will try to establish a connection to whoever is listening so as to choose his path going forward. Even though Ahsoka stated that “there aren’t many Jedi left” we know that there are still quite a few out there. The show is preparing us for the chance of not having anyone answer Grogu’s calling, something that it will, later on, reveal not to be true. Without Ahsoka there to verbalize Grogu’s thoughts he won’t be able to know it for sure, and that will play a part in the twist down the line.

     

  • RUMOR: Florence Pugh to Return as Yelena Belova in ‘Hawkeye’ Series

    RUMOR: Florence Pugh to Return as Yelena Belova in ‘Hawkeye’ Series

    So, here is an interesting surprise. We are only a few days away before Hawkeye finally starts filming. We are still waiting for an official word on who might be playing Kate Bishop with Hailee Steinfeld still the biggest contender for the role. The story would be strongly inspired by Matt Fraction‘s run on the character. It was still uncertain what other characters we could see make a return from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, it looks like one important character that has yet been introduced will appear in the series after making her film debut. According to The Direct, Florence Pugh will return as Yelena Belova at one point in the series.

    That is not all, as they also state that she will don a Ronin-inspired costume. Now, this is interesting for multiple reasons. We saw Clint Barton wear the iconic suit during Avengers: Endgame, as he killed various Yakuza, which was teased to haunt him in this series. We also had the rumors of Echo making an appearance, who had also donned the suit at one point in the comics. The mantle was worn by various characters but this is the first time that it is connected to Yelena. We believed that she would carry on the mantle of Black Widow once she makes her debut in the upcoming film, but it looks like her journey won’t be an easy one.

    There is also the question of how her story will lead to the Disney+ series. We got a short teaser of her on a desk during the Black Widow trailer, so maybe she gets mind controlled and ends up in a similar situation to the Winter Soldier. Yet, there is a time difference between the film and the Disney+ series that opens up so many questions. There is a chance that she has met with Clint during his time as Ronin, who may have passed not he mantle to her rather than Echo. It’ll be interesting to see how it all connects once the show finally airs. Now, we just need to find out who is playing Kate Bishop.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘WANDAVISION’ Merch Provides First Look at Monica Rambeau as Spectrum

    ‘WANDAVISION’ Merch Provides First Look at Monica Rambeau as Spectrum

    Another day, another merch leak that gives us a look at an MCU superhero! This time, courtesy of Captain Marvel News, we have our first look at Teyonah Parris’s Monica Rambeau in what most certainly appears to be her “Spectrum suit.

    Parris is playing the grown up version of the character we first met in Captain Marvel and her brief appearance in the WandaVision trailer indicates she’s going to find herself forcibly removed from Wanda’s bubble reality of Westview. Could this be the event that leads to Monica somehow gaining powers somewhat similar to her comic book counterpart? The 616 version of Monica got some pretty serious powers after being near an explosion and took on mantle of Captain Marvel (among many others) over the years. We know that in the MCU, Monica is working for SWORD and while the black and white color scheme lines up nicely with her comic book counterpart, it also looks like she may be sporting a SWORD logo on the neck area of her shirt. We’ll have to wait just a bit longer to see how it all plays out, but this is certainly a nice nod to Monica’s comic book past and, hopefully, her MCU future.