Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • ‘Daredevil’ Set Photo Offers Closer Look at Charlie Cox and Nikki M. James

    ‘Daredevil’ Set Photo Offers Closer Look at Charlie Cox and Nikki M. James

    Just recently, some set photos found their way online from the recently started Daredevil: Born Again set. Now, People magazine has shared a close-up shot of Charlie Cox and Nikki M. James on the New York City set for the latest Disney+ venture.

    While it doesn’t give away any big new look at the characters, it does highlight that we’re going to get quite a bit more of Matt Murdock the lawyer in the new Marvel Studios sequel. While we did get a glimpse of it in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk, Attorney at Law, it definitely seems like the ambitious 18-episode Disney+ series will be more than just him jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

    It’s great to see his iconic red glasses return and he even has his walking stick in one hand. Kind of a shame we don’t get a cheesy red tie to bring the “I am definitely not Daredevil” ensemble together, but who knows what fun little moments we’ll have in this new adaptation. Either way, it’s always great to see Cox back in the iconic role.

    We still don’t know who James is playing but it does seem likely she’s a fellow lawyer. Perhaps his next romantic venture will have him work with a colleague that could add some interesting tension throughout the series run. We can still only speculate but the project might become one of their most ambitious.

    Source: People

  • Dave Filoni Explains the Process of Choosing Which Characters Make the Jump from Animation; Teases More on the Way

    Dave Filoni Explains the Process of Choosing Which Characters Make the Jump from Animation; Teases More on the Way

    Fans of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have celebrated the live-action debuts of many of their favorite characters over the past several years. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have found a way to bring fan favorites like Bo-Katan Kryze, Ahsoka Tano and Cad Bane to life in their lineup of New Republic-era series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Sometime later in 2023, another handful will make their live-action debuts as the core characters from Star Wars Rebels, including Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger, are set to appear on Disney Plus in Ahsoka.

    It’s been a fun time for fans as Filoni and Favreau have carried on the stories of these characters; however, the pair have also come under fire for questionable decisions about the appearance of the characters like the Grand Inquisitor and for being a bit too generous in fan service by having too many characters make the jump. In fact, Filoni has been accused of making too much of an effort to bring his animated creations to life. Filoni addressed that accusation and gave some insight into his process in an interview with The Wrap.

    (L-R): Reva (Moses Ingram), The Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) and Fifth Brother (Sung Kang) in Lucasfilm’s OBI-WAN KENOBI, exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    “Very rarely,” replied Filoni when asked if he often thinks “How can I get my cartoon characters into live-action?” “I know people think it’s the other way around, which is fascinating to me,” he continued, “but I think there’s two ways to look at that, which is that, yes, they were animated characters, but to me they’re just characters. And now I’m over here working in live-action. I’m comfortable with those characters, I know them, I like them and I like to see them around.”

    It’s an interesting position for Filoni given that he created and curated the characters over a decade of animated story-telling and now has the ability to call on them to help define a new era of the galaxy far, far away. Even for Filoni, who knows the characters inside and out, brining them to live action is not without its challenges. “It changes when they’re suddenly in a different medium,” explained Filoni. “Katee’s [Sackhoff] talked about it a little bit, and the difference between performing Bo-Katan as a voice actor versus performing her physically and being present on set as her – it’s a different vibe. I’m always cautious. And Jon [Favreau] and I talk about who will we bring in? I try to do it when it makes the most sense.”

    Cad Bane [Corey Burton (voice); Dorian Kingi (performance artist)] in Lucasfilm’s THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    For instance, as Filoni explained, when the plot of The Book of Boba Fett called for “a gunslinger to go up against some of our characters,” Cad Bane was the obvious choice. The character’s live-action design came under fire from fans of his time in the animated series. Filoni addressed why the character’s distinct look changed a bit for his live-action debut. “I think looking at that, the first thing I think is, ‘Well, how do we do that and make it believable?’ Like the character, he’s so lean and gaunt in The Clone Wars,” explained Filoni, “and if we don’t do that, is it all CG? How are we going to portray that? If we don’t think we can do that effectively, then we shouldn’t do it.”

    The reality of the situation is that in the recent social media climate, the decision to faithfully recreate Cad Bane through CGI would have taken just as much heat as the decision to change it for live-action. The criticism, however, doesn’t seem to faze Filoni. “At the end of the day, I’ve been very happy with the ones that have gone over,” he said before teasing fans with the notion that he’s not done quite yet. “There may or may not be more in Ahsoka, if that’s your thing. If you’re excited about that, I’m just saying that one might have a few more, which makes sense, by the way. As you know, I wrote it. You can’t fault me there.” Who can blame the guy?

    Source: The Wrap

  • Can We Trust Her? Katee Sackhoff Explains Bo-Katan’s Behavior in the Latest Episode of ‘The Mandalorian’

    Can We Trust Her? Katee Sackhoff Explains Bo-Katan’s Behavior in the Latest Episode of ‘The Mandalorian’

    The book ends of Chapter 19 of The Mandalorian, The Convert, left fans wondering what Bo-Katan Kryze was up to following her experience in the mines of Mandalore. The episode’s opening picked up in the aftermath of Chapter 18’s plunge into the Living Waters where she encountered a massive Mythosaur, an encounter she chose to keep from Din Djarin after asking if he had seen anything alive in the pool. Bo-Katan’s dip in the Living Waters also put her in a position she never thought she’d be in: walking The Way of the Mandalore as a member of the Children of the Watch. With her home world of Kalevala destroyed by a fleet of Imperial remnant TIEs, Bo-Katan, now washed free of her apostasy, was invited by the Armorer to remain with the covert of Mandalorians. Needless to say, it was a pretty busy day for Bo-Katan.

    Did those experiences change the skeptical Bo-Katan, however? Fans aren’t so sure and much of the social media discussion after the episode centered around the character’s decision to remain mute about the Mythosaur, wondering if she intends to use the knowledge of the beast to her advantage. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bo-Katan actress Katee Sackhoff assuaged those concerns, saying her behavior was rooted in something much less malevolent. “She doesn’t trust necessarily what she saw. She might have thought that she imagined it,” explained Sackhoff. “There’s so many things that she’s trying to process in her head that I don’t necessarily think that it’s something that she wants to tell anyone about right now.“

    Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) holding the Darksaber in a scene from Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Part of what Bo-Katan may be trying to process is that the beliefs that Din Djarin has held dear–beliefs she called “cute”–may hold some water. According to Sackhoff, Bo-Katan’s attempts to reconcile her past with Din’s “cult” with her own past and the very recent events of her own present have given her quite a bit to ponder which is why she remained so quiet when she was accepted into Din’s Tribe.

    The mistakes of her past — with Death Watch and the resulting death of her sister Satine — weigh heavily upon her, and she’s in a more vulnerable state than we’ve ever seen her before when Din brings her in. But because of the disagreements with Din’s cult in the past, the Watch welcoming her to their clan with open arms is a surprise to her. To be immediately accepted by people is new for her. She may or may not be trying to figure out if that’s a place where she should potentially stay.

    Katee Sackhoff

    Still, it’s hard for fans to believe that the militant Bo-Katan won’t look to weaponize her newfound friends in another attempt to avenge her sister’s death and ascend to lead the reborn Mandalore. According to Sackhoff, that’s not in the cards, however. “I truly believe at this point that she hopes someone else steps up,” Sackhoff said. “She doesn’t want the responsibility. The responsibility cost her everything,” she explained. “Leading didn’t work, so maybe fitting in will.” With more than half the season still ahead, Bo-Katan’s choice to be a leader or a follower will likely have a huge impact on the events of not only The Mandalorian Season 3 but also the shape of the New Republic.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Brief ‘X-Men ’97’ Synopsis Confirms the Big Bad of the New Series

    Brief ‘X-Men ’97’ Synopsis Confirms the Big Bad of the New Series

    During the 5 season run of X-Men: The Animated Series, the X-Men tangled with Mister Sinister on more than one occasion. Sinister did as Sinister does, harvesting mutant DNA for his experiments and slinking off into the darkness to live to haunt the X-Men another day. Another day is now, as Sinister has been revealed to be the big bad of the revival of X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ’97.

    During Marvel Unlimited’s celebration of X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years, showrunner Beau DeMayo summed up what to expect from the series, which is expected to debut sometime in 2023.

    Storm and Wolverine try to continue the X-Men. Magneto comes in and wants to step up for Charles Xavier. Sinister comes in to try to end the X-Men once and for all.

    It sounds like a rewatch (or a first experience) may be in order for fans who might not remember why Magneto has to step in for Charles (Charles is in space) or why Sinister is so angry. In a response to the tweet embedded above, DeMayo indicated that while the summary is correct, an official and full synopsis will be revealed later in 2023.

  • Oh Meegosh!: ‘Willow’ Writer Jonathan Kasdan Disputes Cancellation Claim

    Oh Meegosh!: ‘Willow’ Writer Jonathan Kasdan Disputes Cancellation Claim

    48 hours after fans of the Disney Plus series Willow said their goodbyes to Elora Dana and the people of Tir Asleen following a trade report of the show’s cancellation, their hopes were suddenly resurrected by showrunner Jonathan Kasdan. In a lengthy message shared on Twitter, Kasdan clarified what’s quite a complicated situation regarding the future of the streaming series.

    https://twitter.com/JonKasdan/status/1636618831497146368?s=20

    According to Kasdan, the next season of Willow, which he referred to as Volume II, has already been written and while it’s not headed into pre-production and is not scheduled to start filming over the course of the next year, it does not mean that it will not get made. However, given the fact that the second season of the series is not on the fast track, Kasdan explained that the decision was made to release the cast members to pursue work on other projects until the call for the start of Volume II comes. “If the appetite for more Willow persists, Disney, Lucasfilm and this amazing cast and crew will satisfy it,” said Kasdan.

  • Ryan Coogler Rumored to Be Developing Animated Wakanda Series

    Ryan Coogler Rumored to Be Developing Animated Wakanda Series

    Following the success of 2018’s Black Panther, Ryan Coogler agreed to a 5-year exclusive deal with Disney in 2021. As part of that deal, Coogler not only developed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for Marvel Studios, but also started development on multiple series spinning out of the Black Panther franchise. The first of those series, Ironheart, was originally set to debut in 2023 but Bob Iger’s return to Disney has put some of Marvel Studios projects on pause as they rethink their release strategy. Coogler’s other projects remain in development, however, including a series believed to star Danai Gurira as Okoye and a project being called The Golden City. While no timetable has been revealed for these projects, some interesting new information about The Golden City has come to light.

    During The Hot Mic Podcast, YouTuber Jeff Sneider shared an intriguing rumor which indicated that The Golden City is being developed as an animated series. At this point, it’s entirely unclear what the project might be about though The Golden City is clearly a reference to Birnin Zana, the capital city of Wakanda. One possibility that an animated project might offer Marvel Studios is the opportunity to tell quite a bit of the history of Wakanda without having to create multiple extravagant sets.

    While Marvel Studios is developing multiple animated projects, their status as canonical to the events of the MCU aren’t all clear. At this point, only the events of What If…? are confirmed to be canon, though they clearly take place throughout the Multiverse and not in the “Sacred Timeline” where other MCU projects are set. Should The Golden City by canon, it may be the first animated series to be set in that “Sacred Timeline.”

    Source: HMP

  • The Bones Have Spoken: Disney Cancels ‘Willow’ After One Seaon

    The Bones Have Spoken: Disney Cancels ‘Willow’ After One Seaon

    The Disney Plus streaming series Willow, which served as a sequel to the 1988 cult classic film of the same name, has been cancelled after just one season.

    The series saw Warwick Davis return as Willow Ufgood and picked up the story of Elora Danan 20 years after the defeat of Queen Bavmorda. Co-showrunner Jonathan Kasdan worked for years to get the sequel series made, having broached the subject during conversation with Davis and Ron Howard, who directed the original film, during production on Solo: A Star Wars Story.

    As Deadline reported, though the series won’t continue, the IP itself remains of interest at Lucasilm; however, as Disney looks to cut back on its programming budget across the board, a second season of Willow wasn’t in the cards.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Puts Din and Grogu in the Backseat for a Look at the Not-So-New Republic

    REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Puts Din and Grogu in the Backseat for a Look at the Not-So-New Republic

    Chapter 18 of The Mandalorian, The Mines of Mandalore, wrapped up Din Djarin’s quest to end his apostasy well enough that it didn’t need to be revisited; however, the book ends of Chapter 19, The Convert, do indeed revisit the events of the previous episode and, to some extent, cleverly revise them. Returning to Kalevala to find it under attack by Imperial remnants, Bo-Katan, Din and Grogu hotfoot it to a safe space one hyperspace away. Where they go and what happens there are left for the show’s closing moments, though an attentive audience surely guessed where they’d land. As interesting as those closing moments–and the moments they surely set up for the future–are, the episode spends 80% of its runtime (the longest of any chapter of The Mandalorian to date) putting Din and Grogu’s ongoing journey in the back seat so Doctor Pershing can take the wheel.

    Last seen on Moff Gideon’s light cruiser in the Season 2 finale, Doctor Penn Pershing’s reemergence served as a reminder of where Din and Grogu’s journey began, provided a look at the Reconstruction Era of the galaxy and seemed to put the pieces in place for Gideon’s next move. Part of the New Republic’s Reintegration Program, Doctor Pershing’s arc in The Convert serves up a heaping helping of The Who’s We Won’t Get Fooled Again. Co-writers Jon Favreau and Noah Kloor deftly take advantage of years of conditioning of the Star Wars audience to subtly say an awful lot about the New Republic without saying anything at all. Like the other members of the Reintegration Program, Pershing is now a number and not a name, ironically finding himself given the same cold, impersonal identification assigned to the Clone Troopers by the “evil Empire.” An entirely different article could be written on the episode’s commentary on the inefficiency of the New Republic’s handling of old Imperial and Alliance resources, but their handling of a resource as valuable as Pershing as nothing more than a mundane cog in the machine set the gears of his “regression” at the behest of Elia Kane, who is likely working with Gideon. Pershing’s final fate, having his brilliant mind wiped by the “good guys” of the New Republic using an Imperial Mind Flayer, might as well have been done with Roger Daltrey screaming “meet the news boss; same as the old boss” in the background. The hypnotized never lie.

    (L-R): Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) and R5-D4 in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Whatever Gideon wanted Pershing to do with Grogu’s blood, it looks as though Kane will now help see it through putting Mando and The Child back in the sights of the former Imperials. However, if the closing moments of the episode are any indication, Kane, Gideon and whoever else they assemble may not like what they find the next time they cross paths. As Din returns to the Mandalorian covert to prove he’s come back to the faith, the full measure of his rescue from the Living Waters of Mandalore by Bo-Katan. Though she has never walked the Way of the Mandalore, by bathing in the Living Waters herself, Bo-Katan has been “redeemed” and may now live among the Children of the Watch. The details of Din and Bo-Katan’s experience on Mandalore (Bo-Katan is keeping one tiny detail to herself for the time being) are sure to encourage The Tribe to consider returning to Mandalore and begin the culture’s prophesied return to glory. Bo-Katan’s no dummy and these new brothers and sisters in “faith” provide her with an army of warriors who will certainly do everything they can to protect one of their own, as they’ve demonstrated in the past.

    So while the “Big Three” of the first few episodes only get a small fraction of The Convert’s runtime, the detour to the Coruscant of the New Republic is by no means a waste of minutes. The events on Coruscant serve as a reminder that while you can take the solider out of the Empire, you can’t always take the Empire out of the soldier: the threat of Gideon, in this case in the form of Kane’s ongoing loyalty to his “plan”, still looms large. Additionally, the time spent exploring the ins-and-outs of the New Republic is long overdue. Through two seasons of The Mandalorian, only bits and pieces of what was going on at the center of the galaxy could be gleaned when Mando’s Outer Rim adventures attracted their attention. The New Republic is still new story telling territory and with the rise of Mandalore drawing nearer with every episode, it’s safe to say that the hypocrisy of the New Republic will come into play. There’s nothing in the street looks any different to me…

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Find A New Home

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Find A New Home

    The last few weeks have been some of The Bad Batch‘s best; a remarkable turnaround from a fairly lame first half of the season. Where episodes once felt flat and pointless, they are now full of life and purpose, aimed towards a clear end goal with actual substance. The latest entry, titled Pabu, continues this trend with a wonderful excursion focused on community, something the leading group of rebels has found themselves severely lacking. A perfect mix of calm and storm, the episode manages to be both a singular adventure and a catalyst for the development of its heroes in one gorgeous outing.

    Pabu sees the Bad Batch accompany their occasional business partner and not-a-pirate Phee Genoa, played by Wanda Sykes, to the episode’s titular planet for a bit of rest and relaxation. After a betrayal by their previous employer, the group needs a safe place to hide and a refresher on what it means to be alive, something Genoa believes she can supply in the form of a peaceful refugee city. Of course, things don’t go exactly as planned, and the group ends up having to protect the citizens from a massive tidal wave that wipes out half the community’s infrastructure. The resulting escapade is a lovely look into what the clones could have, and uphold, if they were willing to lay down their guns and give up the fight.

    (L-R): Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    It’s an excellent follow-up to last week’s installment, The Outpost, which saw Crosshair finally submit to a devastating revelation about the Empire. Similar in fashion, the Bad Batch have come to see their own allegiances in a new light, ditching Rhea Perlman‘s Cid and complimenting their former comrade’s journey in a subtly clever way. The parallel between the two storylines is likely far from accidental, with the show’s nearing finale kicking the series’ overarching plotlines into their final gears. One of the best aspects of Pabu, an episode that appears to be potentially one-off at first glance, is how effectively it pushes the narrative forward for its protagonists. Even if the Bad Batch don’t grow to call the planet home, their experience there opens up new ideas and helps both Dee Bradley Baker‘s Hunter and Michelle Ang‘s Omega consider other methods of living.

    Also of note is the ingenious bait-and-switch of Genoa’s role in the series. After several episodes of the character claiming not to be a pirate, something played as a joke every time, it turns out that she is not, in fact, a pirate. She truly is a “liberator of stolen artifacts”, as she puts it, and an advocator of the downtrodden. This reveal works in a few ways. It’s surprising and endearing, yes, but it’s also another notch in The Bad Batch‘s allegorical belt. From the start, the series has made no false pretenses about its intentions to portray the “soldiers post-war” dilemma, and refugees are a large part of that conversation. It’s truly very intriguing to see The Bad Batch manage to tie another character, one who seemed to be outside of the thematic elements of the show, into the grander image.

    Overall, Pabu is a solid half-hour of television. It’s whimsical in its ideals and thrilling in its execution. The Bad Batch has really hit its stride in the back half of this season, and it really feels as though the show is leading to something special. Hopefully, it can stick the landing.

  • ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Rumored to Setup a Major Young Avengers Storyline

    ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Rumored to Setup a Major Young Avengers Storyline

    Even though Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Agatha: Coven of Chaos has been filming in Atlanta for several weeks, little is known about the plot of the WandaVision follow-up. Kathryn Hahn is back as Agatha–or maybe Agnes–and Joe Locke’s Billy Kaplan has been seen on set but just what their connection is to one another remains a bit of a mystery. While MCU fans wait to find out more about the project, a new rumor is circulating that indicates where things might go next for the characters.

    According to My Time to Shine Hello, the events of Agatha: Coven of Chaos will act as a prelude to an adaptation of a nine-issue mini-series published by Marvel Comics between 2010 and 2012 titled Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. There was no indication if the project will be streaming series or a feature film.

    Featuring the Young Avengers, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade focuses on Billy’s search for his missing mother, Wanda Maximoff, as his enormous powers begin to grow beyond his control. While it’s unlikely that Marvel Studios will closely adapt the mini-series, which features Magneto and Doctor Doom in key roles, it is a fitting follow-up to the events of WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Agatha: Coven of Chaos; it’s also a great indicator–for those who still doubt it–that Wanda is very much alive and (un)well in the MCU. As exciting as it sounds, fans shouldn’t get too worked up as the account indicates that the project won’t be ready until 2025 at the earliest.