Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • Marvel Studios Pays Tribute to Chadwick Boseman with New ‘Black Panther’ Intro

    Marvel Studios Pays Tribute to Chadwick Boseman with New ‘Black Panther’ Intro

    Today is a sad day, as it would’ve been Chadwick Boseman‘s 44th birthday. It was still a shock to many when a few months ago he had tragically passed away after complications in his fight with cancer. Our hearts still go out to his friends and family, as it can’t be an easy time in an already turbulent year. It was revealed that he kept his cancer from many in the industry, so it had caught many off-guard when it was officially announced. Now, Marvel Studios prepared a touching tribute to the Black Panther actor by replacing the intro of his iconic film with a brand new one that showcases his legacy within the franchise.

    Marvel Studios has done something similar when Stan Lee passed away. His appeared during the opening for Captain Marvel and was just as heartbreaking as this. Right now, our mind should not be focused on the sequel but rather the legacy that the actor is leaving behind. His last film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is scheduled to release on Netflix in mid-December. Here he plays the trumpeter Levee alongside Viola Davis‘ Ma Rainey. She previously played his mother in the James Brown biopic Get On Up, who probably summed up his legacy best in an interview with the Guardian back in October.

    Chadwick was an artist. That is just what he was … he loved it, he demanded it in every single way. For someone so young it was incredible to watch.

    Source: Twitter, The Guardian

  • Disney+ One Year Later: A Desire for Updates

    Disney+ One Year Later: A Desire for Updates

    It is hard to believe that Disney’s streaming service has already been around for over a year. As I live in Europe, we had to wait a bit longer to get our hands on it, but overall, I’ve been enjoying my experience with it. The service is still in its early phases of development. So, it would be unfair to compare it with Amazon Prime or Netflix directly. There are still some aspects I have been thinking about lately that would improve the overall experience, as well as add something unique to Disney+. We already heard the news of it being potentially expanded with R-rated content shortly, so I will not be tackling that here. Here are just some general issues I’ve had and hope to see adapted or added in the future.

     

    Time for a UI-Redesign

    I think the overall user interface is rather bland. It has all the main staples, such as a massive banner on the latest updates and different sections based on your interaction with the app. Of course, one of the earliest selling points were the unique banners highlighting the various major brands ranging from National Geographic, Star Wars to Marvel. Now, it is a great idea in concept, as it allows you to find the type of content you are looking for. Yet, it’s the only thing that stands out for the entire interface. It’s an odd juxtaposition between the vibrant blue of the Disney+ logo and the strangely dark and grey background of the app. I am generally a fan of flatter designs that could add some unique flourishes. Actually, why not just offer different design options to highlight one’s favorite brand. Marvel fans can highlight the films and shows like comic covers. Did you grow up with the Disney channel? Why not offer a design that pays tribute to that?

     

     

    Overall, I think as the subscriber numbers rise, it is time for a redesign. It was smart to make a basic design that people are familiar with so that they can easily find their way around the app. Now, Disney+ needs to stand out among the rest. They can keep the channel concept that was popularized by Netflix and Amazon but try to make it their own. They could make the shows stand out in a unique matter with short animations. Everything is tiny on my television. They have weekly release schedules for their Originals, but no information to showcase that directly in the app. Unlike Netflix, why not showcase upcoming releases so users can bookmark them on the front page. While the current season of The Mandalorian has no breaks, there is no issue but last year’s release did. So, making it easier to see various upcoming additions outside of Social Media for casual viewers could help the experience.

     

    Need for UX-Optimization

    Now that we discussed the visual changes, some usability aspects have been rather frustrating at times. I’ll start with a personal issue I’ve stumbled upon quite often. There is a strange restriction on how I can rewind what I am watching. Instead of selecting a specific time, it seems to allow me to fast-forward or to skip by 10 seconds, but that is it. Now, this could be a restriction by the app on my television but it still at times gets frustrating when it doesn’t remember where I left off. Also, if I select a show that I have currently watched, it jumped directly into the episode. Now, it didn’t remember that I finished it, but if I press to go back into the content-specific menu, I always end up back on the main menu. Now, I have to find the show I was watching to select the correct episode or check how many are potentially left. They don’t take away from the actual content that is offered but hampers the overall experience.

     

     

    My last gripe is connected to various shows that are available. Some shows’ broadcasting schedule did not match the chronological one. It is something that was shared online, especially with shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Its actual pilot was a film that is a separate option. So, if you are jumping into the series for the first time, you don’t realize that you’re missing an essential aspect of it. Marvel Rising consists of multiple short films that are all separately available properties. Instead of just offering them in chronological order, you have to look up a list online to figure out which one is the one you are looking for. This problem isn’t unique to Disney+, as Netflix has a similar approach with the Christmas special of Aggretsuko, which is canon, being a separate entity from the rest.

    I am curious what the future holds for Disney’s first venture into streaming. It isn’t perfect and has some potential to grow, especially if they add more mature content through Disney+ Star. There are other elements I would love to see added, such as a Marvel Cinematic Universe showcase, which could adapt the various films and upcoming original shows in the order of the official timeline. The same would be helpful for the Star Wars franchise, which consists of three unique time periods and may only expand in the future. I’d be happy enough if they give us some options to individualize our set-up. It is family-friendly content, so why not offer some fun before checking out the latest DuckTales reboot?

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 13: It truly is all about the journey

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 13: It truly is all about the journey

    The previous twelve chapters of The Mandalorian have made several things clear. From the fact that no character seems to be off-limits (as long as the timeline fits) to how the storylines keep branching out over time. But one of the most obvious ones seems to be how it cherishes a slower pace when the story requires it. Being a TV show that, unlike the movies, has a greatly extended runtime, it makes the most of it in various ways, instead of just doubling-down on the usually fast-paced theatrical experience. We’ve already talked about how the show fights instant gratification, going into how even the most apparently innocuous episodes tend to introduce something of importance down the line. And now Chapter 13 all but spells out how the show’s endgame, one that everybody wanted to figure out right from the start, is being molded by all the twists and turns, the main and side-quests, the major and minor characters we’re meeting along the way.

    Din Djarin’s journey to bring The Child to someone who can care for him gets consistently sidetracked, and, more than that, it does seem to run into a lot of dead ends. One might argue that they could have easily bypassed many of the planets and characters along the way, making for a more streamlined route towards whatever is waiting for them at the end. But besides taking all the fun out of what everybody wants to be a series focusing on the fascinating possibilities the Star Wars universe has to offer, it would make the heart of the show devoid of any real meaning. To put it simply: Din’s constant effort to do what’s best for The Child and the Child’s appreciation and growing affection towards Din is both the path in which the story is finding ways to grow and the show’s endgame intertwined together.

     

     

    When Ahsoka mentions she cannot train The Child it can be something that is justified by her own journey trying to find Thrawn on her way to reaching her long-lost friend Ezra Bridger. But it is also because she understands how much Din Djarin and The Child have grown close to each other, a “strong attachment” as she puts it, and how that changes the way to deal with his future training. She makes it obvious that The Child’s future wouldn’t be the same without Din’s presence, and we’ve noticed how Djarin has grown since Chapter 1 to realize this is something that works both ways. It is at times like these that we are reminded of the quote often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Life is a journey, not a destination.” And The Mandalorian is proving to be just that. It sort of parallels how raising a child sometimes is. Oftentimes you long for a time when you understand each other better when your relationship is a bit more complex, but it’s often in the small moments along the way that true happiness is found and built upon. The Mandalorian has also managed to build upon the small things, making for a more relatable storyline. So being, the adventures these characters have taken us on and the worlds they have taken us to have proven to be such a bright light in the troubled times we live in that no matter how it all ends, that’s what it will be remembered by. The journey itself. Good times!

  • Merchandise May Offer First Look at Falcon’s Captain America Suit

    Merchandise May Offer First Look at Falcon’s Captain America Suit

    Many of us have gotten used to keeping a close eye on toys and merchandising products. Sometimes they end up revealing a lot more than what one would expect. We have that very case now as well, as the site SuperHeroStuff has started sharing some products for the upcoming Disney+ show Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Among them are a pair of socks that may give us our best look yet at what Sam Wilson’s Captain America suit may look like in the show.

     

    The colors are the dead giveaway with a nice combination of red, white, and blue. We also know it isn’t just his usual suit, as it is missing the red highlights that were showcased in the artwork reveal for the series. It also isn’t too far away from the design that Wilson got in the comics when he took on the mantle. Still, this could be a design that is just being tagged with Disney+ to get people to buy it. If it is real, I am sad that there is no star on his chest, which is an iconic aspect of any Captain America design. There is a good chance that this is also just a prototype suit before he upgrades it. Sadly, the socks don’t include him holding the shield, which would’ve been a final confirmation. The overall design is quite unique in comparison to what we have seen before, so it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll introduce it in the show, and if this turns out to be the real suit.

    Of course, as the other half of the show is about Bucky, you’ll find socks featuring the Winter Soldier. It is just noteworthy that this design is closer to that of Captain America: Winter Soldier. His long hair and purely grey arm showcase that this version might have some appearance in the show. We could get a flashback that ties into Bucky’s story in the Disney+ series. It could also just be an older design reused for merchandising but the mention of the streaming platform is just interesting. So, this does mean we have to take this with a grain of salt. Just like with Sam’s design, it could be a way to sell the socks by building on the hype for the upcoming series. Still, it is fun to speculate and see if this turns out to be the design that got leaked early on socks.

    Source: SuperHeroStuff (Falcon), SuperHeroStuff (WS)

  • Into the Jedi Lands: ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Finally Embraces its Samurai Roots

    Into the Jedi Lands: ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Finally Embraces its Samurai Roots

    The latest episode of The Mandalorian introduced its first Jedi character. Fans of The Clone Wars and Rebels were excited when Ahsoka Tano got teased for the season. It was a long wait, but finally, in this seasons’ fifth episode, she made her live-action debut. Her introduction strongly moved the recent episode’s structure closer to one of the two main inspirations behind the franchise. Star Wars’ is a love letter to classic Western and Japanese Samurai films. Up until this point, the latter was more subtle in its inspiration, but Chapter 13 has switched that up. Ahsoka’s debut pushed the series towards it closer to its samurai inspirations.

     

    There will be minor spoilers for the episode, so only continue at your own risk if you have yet to watch it.

     

    The series’ biggest Japanese inspirations were in the core concept. The journey of Din and the Child, who now has a name, echoes the story of Lone Wolf and Cub. Yet, the samurai aspect was never at the forefront, as it focused more on Mando’s skills with the blaster. This episode introduced a character that changed that. His search for a Jedi has come to an end. After meeting Ahsoka, he asks her to look after the foundling and teach him to control his abilities. Yet, she refuses his inquiry. Mando is forced to make another deal, so he could change her mind. So, together they faced Diana Lee Inosanto‘s Magistrate and Michael Biehn‘s Lang.

     

     

    The episode ends with two showdowns. Once again, Mando faces Lang in a blaster showdown. Ahsoka was in a fight against the Magistrate, who was elegantly wielding a Beskar steel staff. Their showdown took place on a single path surrounded by a beautiful Koi pond. It wasn’t about who can attack first but a ballad between two skilled warriors. Visually, it was a beautifully done fight. Earlier in the episode, we got the reveal that Beskar armor can withstand lightsabers, so it set the stage for a fair fight. It felt like the perfect balance between the Prequel’s elegant coordination and the Original trilogy’s methodical approach. As the article’s title implies, it felt like an episode of Into the Badlands had mixed with Star Wars and Akira Kurosawa‘s work.

    There were some gorgeous shots in this episode, and going by the artwork you can see above, I am glad they decided to go with the exterior outside of the home. The Koi pond was just a great touch to offer a unique visual strongly tied to its inspiration. It also helped to restrict it in a way that they could make every step have weight. They didn’t have an entire room to jump around. All they had was a single path surrounded by water. Yet, they still stayed true to the Western by having these two distinctive fights with different stakes. Switching between them just added more tension and weight to every swing of the saber. The outcome of that fight would echo for those waiting outside. Hopefully, we will see more lightsaber action in future episodes. It would be a waste to introduce Ahsoka and not have her return, especially if someone is out there wielding the Darksaber.

  • ‘HAWKEYE’ Production Headed to the Big Apple

    ‘HAWKEYE’ Production Headed to the Big Apple

    We’ve seen plenty of bread crumbs but now we have our first outright evidence that principal photography on the Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series, Hawkeye, is FINALLY about to get underway. While the production will be using Tyler Perry Studios in Georgia for most of its work, cast and crew will be headed to New York City next week to film on location!

    https://twitter.com/chriswelch/status/1332100795366596612?s=09

    According to the public notice in the Tweet above, the series under the working title Anchor Point, will be filming in Brooklyn beginning next week. Fans of the Matt Fraction Hawkeye run on which the Disney Plus series will largely be based will remember that the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn was home to the small apartment building that served as the setting for much of the series.

    A quick check of the area shows any number of buildings that could easily stand in as Clint’s apartment in the series, including one that’s been undergoing some recent renovations (not that construction work in NYC is uncommon, it’s just curious that it happens to be taking place on the same block where Hawkeye will be filming).

    Filming in New York City is guaranteed to attract a crowd, so we could expect to see some set photos make their way online next week, giving us our first look at the much anticipated Marvel Studios project. Could we finally get confirmation of Hailee Steinfeld joining the MCU as Kate Bishop? We’ll keep an eye on things for you as the develop!

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Could Introduce a Surprise Character Alongside Ahsoka

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Could Introduce a Surprise Character Alongside Ahsoka

    In less than a day Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian will become available, and we will finally get our first look at Ahsoka Tano‘s live-action introduction to the Star Wars universe. Her appearance is welcomed by fans not only because many fell in love with the character through her The Clone Wars years, but also due to her connections to several other characters that also haven’t yet debuted in a live-action Star Wars project. This could then mean that there could be more than one character being introduced on tomorrow’s episode or that there could be at least some type of reference to some familiar name, just as Bo-Katan referenced Ahsoka herself in Chapter 11.

    The latter is probably the more likely since we’ve come to notice that even though we’ve been introduced to a number of new characters this season, each had it’s own episode to itself, not allowing for any sort of overshadowing to occur.

    So being, here is a list of characters that might get referenced in Chapter 13 “The Jedi.”

    Rex

    Captain Rex and Ahsoka first met when Anakin Skywalker was both Rex’s General and the then young Togruta’s Jedi Master during The Clone Wars. Throughout the conflict, Ahsoka and Rex grew closer, developing a friendship based on the respect shared between the two. When Emperor Palpatine issued Order 66, killing most of the Jedi, it was Rex that helped Ahsoka escape when her troops turned on her. A few years later they would meet again, before the events of A New Hope, as they both fought beside the Spectres in Star Wars Rebels in the events leading to the Battle of Yavin where the first Death Star was destroyed. Rex would then continue to fight with the Rebel Alliance up until the climactic Battle of Endor, which saw the (first) death of Emperor Palpatine. We know that sometime after the Empire was defeated, Ahsoka went looking for her friend, Ezra Bridger, that had disappeared while fighting Grand Admiral Thrawn a few years earlier. It isn’t clear if this was before or after the events of The Mandalorian (something Chapter 13 could shed a little light on), but either way, it would be fair to think that Rex could still be in contact with the former Jedi.

    Sabine Wren

    From the events at the end of Star Wars Rebels we know that both Sabine and Ahsoka remained in touch with each other after their adventures throughout the series. We also know for sure that Sabine joined Ahsoka on her search for Ezra. If The Mandalorian is indeed set after the beginning of their journey, and if Ezra is still missing, it would make sense that Sabine would still be with Ahsoka as both kept looking for clues as to where to find their missing friend. The other possibility is that Ahsoka has yet to reach out to Sabine, and the female Mandalorian is not with her but given Din Djarin’s armor Ahsoka could direct him to her, as she is both a Mandalorian and has her own connections to the Jedi. And the Darksaber for that matter.

    Thrawn

    When Ahsoka left to find Ezra, one of the paths to finding her friend would be to look for the other person that disappeared alongside him. Grand Admiral Thrawn. As we’ve seen in past episodes of The Mandalorian, the Empire is still not vanquished, and there might still be a number of officers left alive that might have played a part in trying to retrieve the missing Grand Admiral, at the request of the Emperor. If they managed to succeed, looking for Thrawn could bring Ahsoka one step closer to find Ezra. If Thrawn was still missing, all the clues gathered by the Empire could prove invaluable in reaching the missing Jedi.

    Ezra Bridger

    I sincerely doubt we’d find Ezra standing beside Ahsoka in this or any other The Mandalorian episode. Her journey to find her missing friend deserves it’s own series, be it an animated or live-action one. But there is no reason for Ahsoka not to mention the Jedi, as her life would have been somewhat dedicated to finding him after the promise she made. Although, if the events of The Mandalorian are set, not only after Ahsoka and Sabine left to retrieve their friend, but also after they find him, we shouldn’t expect any reference at all since that would be spoiling what is sure to be a great series, when Lucasfilm finally decides to tell the story of The Search for Ezra Bridger.

    Luke Skywalker

    The Mandalorian is set 9 years after the Battle of Yavin (ABY). We know that Luke’s Jedi academy (the one we saw burning in The Last Jedi) was already open in 15 ABY (when Ben Solo started his training), although it’s not clear when it started operating. But given that five years had passed since the Empire was defeated in the Battle of Endor, it would be fair to think that Luke was already at least welcoming the idea of opening a school to continue the Jedi legacy. Ahsoka is sure to know of the existence of Luke, her former Master’s son, and by being focused on the search for Ezra might ask Din Djarin to deliver The Child to him, so his training could continue/begin.

    Cal Kestis

    This one is a bit of a stretch. But The Mandalorian has, so far, already introduced a number of characters to the live-action Star Wars universe. We’ve got Cobb Vanth (a character from a novel), Bo-Katan and Ahsoka (from the cartoons), Boba Fett (from the Original Trilogy) as well as Snoke (Sequel Trilogy) and midi-chlorian references (Prequel Trilogy). One thing that could be in the cards is a reference to Cal Kestis, a character introduced in the 2019 videogame Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. There we followed Cal as he fought the forces of the Empire a mere five years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. By the time of the events of The Mandalorian Cal would still be in his forties, making him a valuable ally in whatever journey a fellow Jedi (or former Jedi) would find herself in.

  • ‘Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian’s Second Season Heading for a Christmas Release

    ‘Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian’s Second Season Heading for a Christmas Release

    Disney made the genius move to create an entire documentary series that takes a closer look at the development of their major Disney+ Originals. The Mandalorian kicked off the streaming service off, so it was the first to introduce the concept. Why is Disney Gallery a fantastic addition to the streaming service? Not only does it offer a closer look at the series’ development, but most notably, it offers subscribers even more content. It was the perfect way to keep subscribers as we didn’t get any additions to the service for some time. Now, as the Star Wars series entered its second season, we wondered if we will also see a continuation of the gallery showcase.

    Luckily, the site What’s On Disney Plus was able to confirm its existence through a listing in Australia. It is set to release on December 25th, so it will be Disney’s Christmas present for those wondering what to watch during their holidays. Sadly, there are no more details available on the series. In the first season, we got a roundtable of people that were involved with the project. There is a good chance that it will look quite different, as they must’ve filmed this during the pandemic. So, we could have the roundtable replaced with Zoom calls.

    Still, it looks like Disney Gallery is here to stay. We also recently learned that WandaVision will get its own entry in the series, so their strategy with the first entry was quite a success. The concept is fascinating and offers a closer look into the creative process that we’ve ever had. Just seeing the various parties involved discuss the process and what inspired them showcased how much love and work goes into these series. Hopefully, we might see this concept expanded to cover major film releases, such as Black Widow. It just shows how much potential there is with such a simple series concept.

    Source: What’s On Disney Plus

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Seeking to Cast Augustus Pugliese and Arch-Rival Titania

    ‘She-Hulk’ Seeking to Cast Augustus Pugliese and Arch-Rival Titania

    We are finally getting some new casting news for She-Hulk. The upcoming Disney+ show will shine a spotlight on Bruce Banner’s cousin Jennifer Walters. After an accident, Bruce saves her life by giving her a blood transfusion, but it ends up transforming her into the titular character. The show cast Tatiana Maslany in the titular role as it eyes a March production start. Now, we have our first news regarding the supporting cast that will join Jennifer in her legal drama.

    Let’s start with the standout casting of a villain. The character of Lucy is a glamorous Social Media influencer. She is described as a Kardashian and will have a considerable role in the series as a potential antagonist. Our best guess would be the character of Mary MacPherran, or better known as Titania. She is Walter’s arch-nemesis in the comics. Her character description is a far departure from what we are used to, but she sounds like the perfect foil to the more straight-laced She-Hulk. It would also be interesting to explore a character that focuses on her looks but ends up trying to compete with Jennifer through brawn.

    The other supporting characters seem to be closely related to Jennifer’s day job as a lawyer. Susie, who is a 30-ish Asian-American, might be Angie Huang, who worked as her assistant during the Marvel NOW! run. Marvel Studios is also looking for a male co-worker, who would be a John Krasinski-type person. That description would match the character of Augustus Pugliese quite well. In the comics, he had a crush on She-Hulk and even became her roommate at one point. They were both involved in a storyline where Spider-Man sued J. Jonah Jameson for libel.

    It was uncertain how much of the series would focus on her time as a lawyer, but it seems quite likely that we could have a procedural show similar to Law & Order or even Suits. The genre is quite popular, so they have a lot of inspiration to pull from. It’ll be interesting to see how this series will be from the rest, as Marvel Studios seems keen on making these shows stand out from the usual franchise structure so we could get a closer look at a world filled with superheroes and powered individuals.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘Fortnite’: Leak Reveals First Look at ‘The Mandalorian’ Skin

    ‘Fortnite’: Leak Reveals First Look at ‘The Mandalorian’ Skin

    It looks like we have some more Fortnite news. The recent season focused on a variety of Marvel characters, which included Iron Man, Wolverine, Venom, and many more. Now, it looks like we are getting one more addition from Disney, as the creators behind the game Epic have accidentally released a promo for the inclusion of The Mandalorian characters alongside its new subscription-based model. User @FortTory, who is known for sharing leaks from the game, shared the visuals that revealed the main character from the Disney+ show.

    His inclusion makes a lot of sense, especially now as the season is slowly nearing its end. Ironically, this isn’t the first time that they revealed a new character during the promotion of Fortnite Crew, which will offer people brand new characters, and will kick-off with the upcoming fifth season. There is a good chance that the overalls season might continue the deal with Disney and see the addition of other iconic characters from the franchise.

    It isn’t the first time that the galaxy far far away was included in the game, as they had an event last year that gave people access to Kylo Ren as a skin. There are also some Stormtrooper variants already in the game. Fortnite has developed into a hub for various pop culture properties at this point. It includes characters from a wide variety of franchises with DC, Marvel, John Wick, and so many more. It isn’t a surprise if you consider Fortnite‘s popularity on streaming services. We will see what other iconic franchises will be joining the game in the future as it continues to grow.

    Source: Twitter, Epic Games