Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • RUMOR: ‘Loki’ Season 2 May Introduce a New Inventor Variant of Kang

    RUMOR: ‘Loki’ Season 2 May Introduce a New Inventor Variant of Kang

    It looks like the number of times we’ll see Jonathan Majors‘ Kang is finally ramping up. After a brief tease in Loki‘s first season with He Who Remains, a new rumor is making the rounds that we’ll perhaps see another variation of the character appear in its upcoming second season. This would mark the third Variant we’ll meet as it’ll release after February’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, it seems that the upcoming second season of Loki will offer a new Variant that is “an inventor in the past.” It seems he buys things that’ll affect the future and it’s Loki’s job to stop him. Given we see a version of Kang the Conqueror in command of the Time Variance Authority, he might be using them to hunt down other versions of himself that are affecting the multiverse.

    Richtman also goes on to highlight that he’s unsure if this is Victor Timely, a version of Nathaniel Richards from the comics and also known as “Prime Kang” but that “it is likely him.” The character is known as the one who ends up forming the town of Timely which would eventually blossom into Chronopolis, which is theorized to be the city we visit in Quantumania.

    It’ll definitely be interesting to see how this develops, and if we might see even more versions of the character appear throughout the next few phases. Majors highlighted that the joy of Kang was that he can play different variations that allow him to explore different perspectives on the character. So, he’ll definitely jump at the opportunity to bring Victor Timely to life.

    Source: Patron via The Direct

  • ‘Secret Invasion’s Emilia Clarke Praises Marvel Studios, Calls Them “Absolutely Brilliant”

    ‘Secret Invasion’s Emilia Clarke Praises Marvel Studios, Calls Them “Absolutely Brilliant”

    Marvel Studios has been in the focus for a variety of reasons. No matter where one lands, the discussion may never truly end especially on the wide vast internet. Still, there are many sides to any production company, and it seems that the former Game of Thrones star has some kind words for Marvel Studios.

    In a new interview with IndieWire, Emilia Clarke got a chance to look back at her past with Disney’s other major franchise Star Wars while also sharing some excitement about her time with Secret Invasion. It seems that she’d a “wicked time” working with them and calls them “absolutely brilliant.”

    I’m genuinely having a wicked time on Marvel, though, they’re absolutely brilliant.

    Emilia Clarke

    It’s certainly high praise for Marvel Studios, which has tended to be under flack from Social Media and some industry experts. Some veteran directors even take shots at the modern blockbuster style that these comic book film adaptations offer. Ethan Hawke did point out that the studio “loves actors“ and their studio approach gives the various directors that work on their films more flexibility in adapting elements by normalizing reshoots.

    The biggest issue facing Marvel Studios has been the growing demand for CG work on their projects and with last-minute changes happening frequently, it adds more pressure to an industry that has a difficult model similar to marketing agencies. Not everything is as black and white but it always remains interesting to see just how varied experiences are on any project in Hollywood.

    Source: IndieWire

  • REPORT: ‘Daredevil’s Disney+ Series Adds ‘Arrowverse’ Writers and Former Lawyers

    REPORT: ‘Daredevil’s Disney+ Series Adds ‘Arrowverse’ Writers and Former Lawyers

    It looks like Marvel Studios is pushing forward quickly, as they are ramping up on one of their most ambitious Disney+ series yet. Daredevil: Born Again will be the longest Disney+ series with 18 episodes and their first attempt at living in the shadow of a previous adaptation with returning actors. Now, we may have a better idea of what they may have planned for the series with som newly revealed writers.

    Daredevil‘s Disney+ series may have added some former lawyers to its cast with David Feige, who was a public defender in New York City but also went on to work on series like Raising the Bar or The Firm. Former attorney Thomas Wong also joins after working on Bull and Michael Weatherly. Queens prosecutor Zachary Reiter has also joined, who worked with Feige on The Firm as well as on Law & Order: Organized Crime

    She-Hulk, Attorney at Law also relied on former lawyer Charles Soule to offer some insight into how to bring the legal comedy to life. That isn’t all, as the report also points to former Arrowverse writers having joined the production with Jill Blankenship and Grainne Godfree. Blankenship was a showrunner on Naomi but also worked on a variety of Arrow episodes while Godfree was involved with The Flash, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

    The addition of Arrow writers is definitely interesting, as this extensive writers’ room may hint at a very grounded and legal-heavy drama. It would match why the show has up to 18 episodes. They join showrunners Matt Corman and Chris Ord, who have the challenging task of bringing back the iconic franchise while adding their own spin to it.

    Source: Cosmic Circus via The Direct

  • Alden Ehrenreich Teases a “Very Personal” ‘Ironheart’

    Alden Ehrenreich Teases a “Very Personal” ‘Ironheart’

    Marvel Studios is still hard at work on its upcoming Disney+ projects that are set to release in 2023. While they revealed their plans back during San Diego Comic-Con, a lot has changed since, and who knows when we can truly expect any of the series to drop. While we continue to wait on an update for Secret Invasion, which would be the next in line to release, it seems we’ll have a little update on Ironheart to tie us over.

    In a brief interview with Solo star Alden Ehrenreich, the actor got a chance to tease what it was like working on the Disney+ series. He doesn’t give away any details, as per usual, but he does hint that this story is “big” but still feels “very personal.

    Ironheart is big but also feels very personal. I really appreciate that about it. And it was fun, it was nice to go back and do a big one like that.

    Alden Ehrenreich

    From set leaks and rumors, we know that the series will tackle a very different kind of storyline, as the tech-based hero will face some rather magical enemies. So, there definitely might be a big-scale action if we’ll see young Riri Williams fly around in her latest suit of armor to take on enemies that have some dangerous abilities at their fingertips.

    There’s also the question of who exactly Ehrenreich might be playing and if he might be on the technological or magical side of this Disney+ series’ story. We might have to wait a little bit longer to find out, but perhaps he has a bigger role beyond just this series as well.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Trailer Overtakes ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ As Most Viewed Star Wars Disney+ Trailer

    ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Trailer Overtakes ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ As Most Viewed Star Wars Disney+ Trailer

    The Mandalorian is about to make its grand return. The series that not only started Disney+ but also Star Wars‘ first venture into live-action is almost upon us. Now, it’s about to enter its third season with a grand scale being teased in the trailer with a long-awaited return to Mandalore. Within 24 hours, the trailer has pulled in 83.5M views, which makes it the most-watched Star Wars Disney+ series.

    It has now overtaken Obi-Wan Kenobi, whose trailer was viewed 58M times. That series had the nostalgia of seeing Ewan McGregor back in the role but there’s still something special about seeing Din Djarin reunite with Grogu once again in the upcoming Disney+ series. We haven’t seen them since the finale of The Book of Boba Fett back in January.

    It’ll be interesting to see how long-time viewers will jump into the series’ return, especially with one of the main plot points from the last season having been resolved in a spinoff series. Grogu left to become a Jedi with Djarin taking off his helmet to say farewell to his adoptive child. Yet, now their already reunited going into the third season.

    Still, there’s something exciting about seeing what the future has in store for Star Wars. The Mandalorian had that perfect mix of nostalgia with enough new to make it stand out. It also feels like a callback to the original trilogy with how it uses similar shot techniques. It’ll be interesting to see what we’ll see in the third season and what it’ll be like with more Mandalorians running around.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Lars Mikkelsen Addresses Thrawn Rumors

    Lars Mikkelsen Addresses Thrawn Rumors

    Over the course of two seasons of the animated Star Wars series Rebels, Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen was the voice of Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn. A brilliant strategist, Thrawn was an ongoing thorn in the side of the group of Rebels before disappearing along with Ezra Bridger in the series’ final episode. Both characters are set to make their live-action debuts in the upcoming streaming series Ahsoka and it was recently rumored that Lucasfilm had cast Mikkelsen in the role of Thrawn, much to the delight of fans who grew to love Mikkelsen’s signature cadence. As with the role of Ahsoka Tano, however, it looks like fans may have to get used to someone new.

    In an interview with Express UK, Mikkelsen revealed he has not been contacted about joining the cast of Ahsoka, casting doubt on those recent rumors. Mikkelsen admitted that he was aware of the rumors and that he’d love to take on the role in live-action should he be offered before adding “I haven’t had the offer.”

    Though it isn’t quite at the level of absurdity that surrounds every casting made by Marvel Studios, actors cast in Star Wars projects aren’t always truthful when addressing potential roles in films. At this point, it’s nearly impossible to take any actor’s words at face value when they deny involvement with a project, so until another actor’s name becomes attached to the role, fans are likely to hold out hope that Mikkelsen will be painted blue and return to thwart the plans of Ezra and his Rebel friends.

    Source: Express

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Episode 4 Reminds Us All That Podracing Exists

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Episode 4 Reminds Us All That Podracing Exists

    In 1999, when Y2K was set to end us all, George Lucas came to the rescue by introducing podracing in Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace. A high-stakes sport that was wildly popular in the Outer Rim territories, podracing (and a little sleight of hand by Qui-Gon Jinn) was the plot device that put Anakin on his highway to hell. Episode 4 of The Bad Batch, cleverly titled “Faster”, puts the win-at-all-costs sport back in the spotlight, only with much lower stakes.

    As has been the case in the show’s second season, “Faster” splits up the squad allowing the episodes to focus a bit more on the growth of individual characters. . Episode 4 sees Tech, Wrecker and Omega accompany their sleazoid boss Ciddarian Scaleback to the sordid spaceport Safa Toma. While the episode leans heavily into reminding the clones and the audience just how unsavory of a character Cid is thanks to Ernie Hudson‘s Grini Millegi, an old associate of hers, its primary focus is the continued growth of Tech. So far, no character has shown more growth than Tech and “Faster” is truly his time to shine.

    Tech in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Beginning in the season’s two-episode debut, Tech has continued to move from a nearly insufferable know-it-all and has begun showing signs of becoming sympathetic. Though it was never intentional, Tech has always displayed a tendency to talk down to others and being amazingly unaware of appropriate behavior in most social situations. Through a series of bets and contrivances that put Cid in a bad spot with Millegi, “Faster” puts Tech in a position where his mutation sets him up to save the day. And while he gets to show off his big brain and impress the masses with his calculations, it’s his selflessness in putting himself at risk to save Cid that truly earns him high marks.

    Through four episodes, Season 2 has yet to truly pull back the curtain on its main plot thread, focusing rather on making sure the audience knows that these clones are more than just their mutations and that Omega is not the only one who is still learning. While clones across the galaxy face being “decommissioned” and looking at a fate no better than the battle droids they replaced, Clone Force 99 continues carving its own way through the galaxy and growing as they go.

  • New Trailer for ‘The Mandalorian’ Hints at Revisiting one of Star Wars Most Harrowing Events

    New Trailer for ‘The Mandalorian’ Hints at Revisiting one of Star Wars Most Harrowing Events

    The latest trailer for Season 3 of The Mandalorian is filled to the brim with Mando madness, putting a dozen or so different armored warriors on display and making clear the path forward for Din Djarin involves a trip to the ruins of Mandalore. Fans who have been following the story of the war-torn planet through the animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels are sure to feel giddy at the prospects of The Mandalorian following through on those unresolved arcs but it’s another unresolved arc that caught the attention of fans upon first seeing the trailer.

    During Luke Skywalker’s time with Grogu as seen in The Book of Boba Fett, the Jedi Master helped the young Force-wielder tap into his memories, giving audiences a glimpse into his tragic backstory. As seen in the flashback, Grogu bore witness to members of the 501st murdering a trio of Jedi who protected him. The scene brought to life the events that Grogu communicated to Ahsoka Tano in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. After communing with Grogu through the Force, Ahsoka shared that Grogu was raised at the Jedi Temple and was taken from it during Order 66. The identity of his savior, however, remains unknown though it may not stay that way for long.

    At around the 1:07 mark of the new trailer, a shot of the interior of the Jedi Temple can be seen and close attention to the door in the center of the frame seems to indicate that not only will Season 3 of The Mandalorian revisit Order 66 once again but that its most terrifying myrmidon may make an appearance.

    The door in frame is clearly being cut open by a lightsaber, leaving the only question to be who is using it on the other side. Following the debut of the trailer, fans immediately began to speculate that Anakin Skywalker is the unseen menace behind door number one and that Grogu will come face-to-face with Hayden Christensen. There is, of course, another option in play, however. While it’s entirely possible Christensen will make an appearance in the series (he did reprise the role of Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, after all and could have filmed his Mando scenes then), it’s equally possible that the shot is a bit misleading and that Grogu’s savior stands behind the door.

    One of the more popular theories about the identity of Grogu’s savior revolves around the idea that the traitor Barriss Offee, who was a prisoner of the Jedi during Order 66, may have played a role. In the Summer of 2022, during production on the live-action Ahsoka series, a rumor made the rounds that Lucasfilm was looking to cast an actress as Barriss Offee. Given pickups and reshoots for Season 3 of The Mandalorian took place during the time Ahsoka was filming, it’s possible the actress could appear in both. Given Offee had gone to the dark side, her reasons for taking Grogu might be a bit mysterious, but obviously whoever is behind that door didn’t kill the Youngling.

    Without any strong evidence at this point, the identity of the person holding the lightsaber will remain a classic 50/50 scenario until the third season of The Mandalorian debuts on March 1st.

  • ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Directors Revealed

    ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Directors Revealed

    Along with a new trailer for the upcoming third season of the Star Wars Disney Plus streaming series, The Mandalorian, comes news on the group of the team of directors that worked on bringing it together. The team, made up of equal parts new faces and old hands, looks to have leaned heavier than ever into the mythology of Mandalore for the new season of Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau‘s baby.

    Rick Famuyia, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Carl Weathers, who also portrays Mando mainstay Greef Karga, will return to helm an unknown number of episodes of the third season. That trio will be joined by newcomers Lee Isaac Chung, Rachel Morrison and Peter Ramsey, all of whom are entering the galaxy far, far away for the first time. Chung directed the highly regarded Munyurangabo, which debuted at Cannes in 2007 and later that year won the grand prize at the AFI Film Fest. Morrison has a long resume as a cinematographer, including working as the director of photography on 2018’s Black Panther, but has begun to direct more and more over the past 6 years, including several episodes of the STARZ series Hightown. Interestingly, Ramsey has extensive experience in art and animation, having worked as a story artist on films such as Minority Report, Monsters vs. Aliens and Sausage Party, and directing the acclaimed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2018.

    Season 3 of The Mandalorian debuts on Disney Plus on March 1st.

  • ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Looks to Have Found Marvel Studios Hulkling

    ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Looks to Have Found Marvel Studios Hulkling

    Production on Marvel Studios’ first project of the new year, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, kicks off next week in Atlanta and after months of unofficial announcements, the studio worked with THR to unveil the talent working on the streaming series. Tucked away in that announcement may have been one of the studio’s most important new castings in relative newcomer Miles Gutierrez-Riley. As the slow march toward a Young Avengers project continues, Gutierrez-Riley may be filling the role of one of the last remaining original members of the team.

    In October of 2022, a pair of casting calls for Agatha: Coven of Chaos seemed to indicate that Marvel Studios was set to introduce two founding members of the Young Avengers: Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman. While the casting of Joe Locke as the “witty”, “astute fanboy” momentarily made absolute nobody Nicholas Scratch everyone’s favorite character, it’s much more widely accepted now that he’s playing Billy Kaplan, aka Wiccan. The case for Locke as Wiccan is significantly strengthened by the presence of a pair of casting calls for Jewish parents, a description matching Billy’s parents from the comics and accepting Locke as Wiccan goes a long way toward making the case for Gutierrez-Riley as Hulkling, assuming he’s been cast in the other role revealed in October.

    That role called for a gay actor 18-20, described as “a kind soul” with a “great sense of humor” who is totally in love with his boyfriend and has an athletic build. While Gutierrez-Riley doesn’t hit the age range (he graduated from Fordham University in 2020), the age ranges have always served as guidelines and Marvel Studios has routinely reached outside of them when they find the right fit. To that end, Gutierrez-Riley, who was a Denzel Washington Scholarship Recipient at Fordham before landing role in Amazon’s The Wilds and director Sanaa Lathan’s On the Come Up, certainly could fit the bill.

    Whether or not that role is Teddy Altman/Hulkling, of course, is a different matter entirely as is the nature of that character in the MCU. In the comics, Hulkling is a Kree/Skrull hybrid with a powerful heritage on both sides. As the grandson of Skrull Emperor Dorrek VII, Teddy (Dorrek VIII) is heir to the Skrull empire; as the son of Kree hero Mar-Vell, Teddy carries on a legacy valued greatly by the people of Hala. Marvel Studios has made a series of choices, however, that all but eliminate any of that background. Dorreks don’t exist yet in the MCU and Mar-Vell had no super powers nor was she a revered hero of Hala, so short of creating an entirely new backstory for Teddy, it seems that being Wiccan’s boyfriend (and likely being able to shape-shift) is the role for the time being. Of course, with Secret Invasion and The Marvels coming in 2023, there’s still time to add a little more depth to the Kree-Skrull War and give Teddy something more to do.

    Agatha: Coven of Chaos is currently slated to stream on Disney Plus in late 2023 or early 2024.