Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • Disney+ Adds 12.1M Subscribers, ‘Ms. Marvel’ Highlighted as a Contributor

    Disney+ Adds 12.1M Subscribers, ‘Ms. Marvel’ Highlighted as a Contributor

    It’s very clear for a while that streaming is a high-investment game and those costs only continue to grow over time. Netflix still has showcased that this model doesn’t always promise instant wins as expectations on all sides continue to grow to hope to be the one that draws in the biggest crowd. In Disney’s latest earnings call, it was highlighted that Disney’s streaming losses have continued to grow to $1.47 billion even as it added an impressive 12.1M subscribers in the last quarter.

    Overall, Disney is doing well in the streaming market by hitting 235M subscribers overall, as Hulu added one million and ESPN+ another 1.5M. Ms. Marvel, interestingly enough, was highlighted as one of the shows that gave Disney+’s growth a boost, which is interesting considering it had a lower viewing count when compared to others in the franchise. It once again may highlight the importance of Disney diversifying its portfolio to draw in viewers, especially a younger generation.

    The biggest concern lies in how Disney has doubled its year-over-year investment, which will have investors and shareholders uncertain about the potential of this market. CEO Bob Chapek hinted that these costs have now peaked and profitability would start in 2023.

    The rapid growth of Disney+ in just three years since launch is a direct result of our strategic decision to invest heavily in creating incredible content and rolling out the service internationally, and we expect our DTC operating losses to narrow going forward and that Disney+ will still achieve profitability in fiscal 2024, assuming we do not see a meaningful shift in the economic climate. By realigning our costs and realizing the benefits of price increases and our Disney+ ad-supported tier coming December 8, we believe we will be on the path to achieve a profitable streaming business that will drive continued growth and generate shareholder value long into the future.

    Bob Chapek

    There’s a lot of hope in the new ad-tier version of these Disney bundles to make that profitability possible especially as they also have a price increase planned. If they manage to accomplish this task, the world may take another look at the streaming market’s longevity. The Wrap considers it a signal of “streaming fatigue” but that’s difficult to truly say at this point even with minor signs potentially steering it in that direction. At this point, the first promise of profitability is crucial for Disney to prove their investment was truly worth it. Overall Disney has a revenue of $20.1 billion in its quarter with an operating income of $1.6M.

    Source: THR, Twitter, The Wrap

  • BREAKING: Disney Hoping to Develop an ‘Indiana Jones’ Series for Disney+

    BREAKING: Disney Hoping to Develop an ‘Indiana Jones’ Series for Disney+

    Indiana Jones is set to make a big comeback with the upcoming fifth film starring Harrison Ford in the iconic role once again. Yet, it seems that Disney is not interested in leaving it with just that single project. According to a new report by Variety, it seems they are also hoping to develop a Disney+ series based on the iconic archaeologist’s globe-trotting adventures. They don’t have a writer or showrunner in place. So, it’s not a definite project at the moment but definitely something they are looking into.

    There’s also now ord if they are hoping to develop a prequel, many might recall the plans to make an Indiana Jones Jr. series a long time ago, or even if this might act as a spinoff simply set in the same world. Ford has openly stated he’s done playing the character with the upcoming fifth film, which could also hint as it acting as a sort-of reboot with someone else in the title role. Still, we don’t have much to go on as of now.

    Disney’s focus on IP is well-known and it would’ve been quite surprising if they haven’t thought of further developing the Indiana Jones brand in some way. Still, they have only thrown the idea out there and are likely looking for someone to pitch their take on the project. Who knows if this might even see the light until 2026 if no one is currently attached, to begin with? Lucasfilm has also not been very thorough in consistently putting gout projects, which could also play a factor and doesn’t mean we’ll definitely see a series spin out of this initial kick-off.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Adds Sasheer Zamata and Eric André

    ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Adds Sasheer Zamata and Eric André

    It looks like the cast for the upcoming WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, continues to grow as we have some more casting news from Deadline. Sasheer Zamata, an alumna from Saturday Night Live, has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. Not just that, it seems that Eric André may have also booked at least an episode of the show. Jac Schaeffer is developing the series as part of their new deal with Marvel and 20th Century, which will further explore the character of Agatha Harkness, who was introduced to Marvel Studios’ first Disney+ series with Kathryn Hahn in the role.

    There are still many questions surrounding what we may expect from a Disney+ project focused on the character of Agatha Harkness. There is hope that we get a better look at the magical corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the concept of witches feels like the perfect concept to combine Doctor Strange’s more bombastic look at magic with the horror elements we witnessed in Werewolf by Night.

    There’s definitely a lot of potential with the concept and hopefully, it also means that Hahn‘s character will have a bigger role in the MCU moving forward. Harkness was famously the babysitter for the children of Reed Richards and Sue Storm of Fantastic Four fame. It would certainly be a fun surprise if she somehow ends up appearing in the upcoming film, even if it’s just a minor role. Well, we’ll find out what exactly Marvel Studios has planned for the character once the series releases next year.

    Source: Deadline

  • Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series as Hermes

    Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series as Hermes

    Many were excited when the announcement dropped that Percy Jackson and the Olympians were in development as a series. While many have a soft spot for the two films exploring the iconic books series by Rick Riordan, there still was some hope to finally see the entire series realized. Luckily, Disney+ has taken on the task of bringing the story of young Percy Jackson to life, as he uncovers his true heritage and enters a Greek mythology-filled world that he never knew existed.

    The production has been going on for quite some time and the only castings many have been wondering about who might take on the role of the iconic Gods of the Greek pantheon. After a long wait, it seems we finally have our first casting in that regard, as Lin Manuel Miranda has been announced to be taking on the role of Hermes in the Disney+ series.

    The main trio will consist of Walker Scobell as our titular hero, Leah Sava Jeffries in the role of Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood rounding out the cast played by Aryan Simhadri. The series has been quite impressive, especially when D23 gave us a first look at the series offering a very book-accurate depiction of Camp Half-Blood.

    The role was originally played by Logan Lerman, who famously took on the role in the two live-action films that were released in 2010 and 2013, which adapted The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters. As the second film underperformed at the box office, it wasn’t able to move onward as there were plans to adapt The Titan’s Curse that never came together. Now that 20th Century Fox was purchased by Disney, it gave them the opportunity to bring us this new Disney+ series with a whole new cast.

    Source: Twitter

  • The Sunday Paper—November 6, 2022

    The Sunday Paper—November 6, 2022

    Welcome to another edition of Murphy’s Multverse’s Sunday Paper. With endless news and content coming to you throughout the week, the Sunday Paper is here for anyone who wants an overview of what happened in the past week. Whether you missed it all, or just want to catch up, this is the article for you. Remember to follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out our website to stay up to date. Check out last week’s Sunday Paper here.

    bob odenkirk marvel

    Perhaps some of the week’s biggest news comes from two upcoming Marvel Studios Disney+ series. Despite having no release date, Wonder Man has made headlines due to some major casting announcements. For starters, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks to star in the titular role. He is well-known for his roles DC’s Black Manta in the Aquaman films has also starred in HBO’s Watchmen, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Nia DaCosta‘s Candyman, and The Matrix Resurrections where he played Morpheus. Not only that, but Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk is also reportedly being eyed for a role in the series, and we have a theory as to who he could play.

    aubrey plaza mcu

    Agatha: Coven of Chaos continued to make news this week with casting announcements as well. Aubrey Plaza was confirmed to be joining the WandaVision spinoff, apparently as a villain. But who? Check out our look at five characters that could be perfect for Plaza. Heartstopper actor Joe Locke was announced to be part of the cast as well. While it is unknown who he is playing, it seems likely that it could be an aged-up Billy, aka Wiccan. It was also reported this week that Ali Ahn (Raising Dion) and Maria Dizzia (The Staircase) have joined the series. Lastly, the series reportedly will have a rare nine episodes on Disney+, and Jac Schaeffer and Gandja Monteiro may direct at least one episode each.

    wakanda forever trailer views
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.

    Of course, in the final week before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever releases in theaters, there were plenty of news and interviews that dropped. Director Ryan Coogler discussed the original plot of the film before Chadwick Boseman passed away, and he opens up about the emotional journey on the new Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast. Interestingly, it seems as though Coogler long ago reserved the right to bring Namor into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Tenoch Huerta revealed that he could not swim before playing Namor in the film. Producer Nate Moore gave an update on the Wakanda spin-off project, and he suggested that it is not as far along as some fans might think. He also answered everyone’s favorite question: where is Wakanda Forever in the MCU’s timeline? Apparently, it is clear after Spider-Man: No Way Home and Eternals, and more or less concurrent with Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

    ironheart timeline

    Moore was also kind enough to specify that the upcoming Ironheart series takes place after Wakanda Forever, rather than as a prequel. In other Ironheart news, a set photo adds to speculation that a Doctor Strange comics character will appear in the series, and the series appears to have wrapped production.

    For final Marvel news, a new rumor suggests that Sony and Disney have apparently been at the negotiating table and are closing in on a new collaborative arrangement for Spider-Man films. The rumor states that once closed, the two studios could then begin working with Holland on sorting out the terms of his deal, which would likely consist of another Spider-trilogy of Sony films produced by Marvel Studios in addition to scheduling him for appearances in Marvel Studios films.

    Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had some things to say this week. While he teased the “united creative approach” of the two new co-CEOs of DC Studios, he also made an odd comment about how Warner Bros. Discovery will be focusing on franchises in the future by incorrectly stating how long it has been since a Superman or Harry Potter film. While that has yet to be seen, we do know that Stargirl has been canceled, The Sandman has been picked up for a second season on Netflix, Cristin Milioti has been cast as Sofia Falcone in The Penguin series, Dead Boy Detectives added Caitlin Reilly and Max Jenkins to its cast, and Joker: Folie á Deux is set to start production next month.

    the acolyte dafne keen

    This week a rumor circulated that Logan star Dafne Keen will join the cast of the upcoming The Acolyte. It was revealed that Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz, and Alonso Ruizpalacios will direct episode blocks of Andor for the show’s second season. They’ll take over for Toby Haynes, Susanna White and Benjamin Caron who directed episode blocks of the show’s first season. It also looks like Andor Season 2 will revisit the planet Yavin, a primary location for the climax of A New Hope. Disney+ Italy also accidentally leaked a future The Mandalorian short film focused on Grogu.

    iron man game
    one piece production

    Murphy’s Multiverse exclusively reported this week that Amazon Studios is developing Jeff Lemire’s The World of Black Hammer into a shared cinematic universe. Also this week, the Russo Brothers suggested that they will not work on another Marvel Studios project until the end of the decade, and they also made a disturbing comment that Disney’s upcoming live-action Hercules remake would be inspired by TikTok. HBO canceled Westworld after four seasons, The Last of Us is eyeing a January premiere, and Peacock is developing a Friday the 13th prequel series.

    Raya and the Last Dragon director Carlos López Estrada set to direct a Your Name live-aciton remake. Meanwhile EA and Marvel are collaborating and working on three new games, one of which is the already-announced Iron Man game. The live-action One Piece series added a key Arlong Park character, and One Piece Film Red more than tripled 2019 Stampede’s entire U.S. domestic box office on opening day.

  • 5 Characters Just Right for Aubrey Plaza in ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    5 Characters Just Right for Aubrey Plaza in ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    Aubrey Plaza has joined the MCU. The actress has landed an as-yet-unnamed role in the Disney Plus streaming series Agatha: Coven of Chaos, which will reportedly kick off production with a short stint in 2022 before really getting the wheels turning in January 2023. Though the plot of the series has yet to be revealed, it’ll feature the return of Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, who fans fell in love with in 2021’s WandaVision, and likely continue to flesh out the mystical corner of the MCU. With that in mind we decided to take a stab at which powerful magic user Plaza might portray!

    Morgan Le Fay

    Morgan Le Fay stands as the top choice for Plaza and, in all honesty, any other option will be a little disappointing. Morgan is one of the oldest and most powerful mystics in the Marvel Universe and, should Jac Schaeffer and the creatives behind Agatha: Coven of Chaos choose to use it, has a comic book history with something Agatha held dear: the Darkhold. In the comics, it was Le Fay and her followers, the incredibly creatively named Darkholders, who originally bound Chthon, the Elder God of Chaos who wrote the Darkhold, to Mount Wundagore. The potential connectivity to the individual and collective histories of both Agatha and Wanda Maximoff make Morgan a great choice for the show and Plaza seems a wonderful fit for the ageless, sultry sorceress.

    Jennifer Kale

    Though not a villain, Jennifer Kale is a prime candidate to show up in Agatha: Coven of Chaos for multiple reasons, her being a witch among them. Kale comes from a long line of family connected to the Cult of Zhered-Na. One group of cultists led by Jennifer’s father, held in their possession a collection of magical scrolls whose power may have been on par with that of the Darkhold. Kale also has ties to a number of mystical and magical beings in the comics including Man-Thing and a pair of Ghost Riders. Having a strong witch like Kale introduced in the series would allow the character to pop up again as Marvel Studios builds out that corner of the MCU. Plaza could fill that role nicely and set a few appearances on her schedule.

    Satana

    Maybe the longest of long shots, but also maybe one of the most potentially entertaining fits for Plaza would be Queen of Hell, Satana. In the comics, Satana is a succubus and a human-demon hybrid fathered by the demon Marduk who believes himself to be the Satan. It doesn’t really matter what Satana does, what’s important is that she always has fun doing it. Plaza would knock this role out of the park, even if it’s a little hard to imagine this character in the MCU at the moment.

    Natalya Maximoff

    One interesting possibility that doesn’t necessarily fit the bill of “villain” is Natalya Maximoff, the biological mother of Wanda and her predecessor as the Scarlet Witch. Introduced in James Robinson’s fantastic Scarlet Witch solo series, Natalya is integral to Wanda’s journey along the Witches’ Road. While the legacy of the Scarlet Witch seems a little different in the MCU than the comics, it’s still possible to introduce the character and shine a little light on how Wanda came about her natural affinity for magic.

    Lilith

    A pretty popular choice for the villain role, Lilith, the Mother of Demons, is as powerful of a sorceress as anyone from the pages of Marvel Comics. She served as one of the main antagonists of a Marvel Comics mini-series entitled Witches that delved into some of the history of witchcraft in the Marvel Universe. She has produced an entire race of demon-spawn, the Lilin, who have long been at war with humans. Should Agatha: Coven of Chaos look to put a little more positive spin on Agatha Harkness, she could find herself and her coven up against Lilith and her children. Or, should they want to keep Agatha a little shadier, she could be working with them.

    As with any list like this, there’s a better chance of Plaza playing a character who is not on it rather than a character who is. With filming set to kick off over the next couple of months, we can hope word or set photos trickle out that offer some clues as to who the talented actress might be!

  • REPORT: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Directors and Episode Count Potentially Revealed

    REPORT: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Directors and Episode Count Potentially Revealed

    While many wondered why WandaVision was getting a spinoff series focused on Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha Harkness, recent news reports have showcased that there’s a lot more potential at play here. Agatha: Coven of Chaos just recently cast Aubrey Plaza in a villainous role and there are rumors floating on what may be the inspiration behind this series’ storyline. Now, Illuminerdi may have shared a few more details on the project.

    According to their latest report, the series will be a limited series running for nine episodes. There’s no word if that means it’ll be a half-hour show or Marvel Studios’ first time tackling a nine-episode drama. They also shared that Jac Schaeffer and Gandja Monteiro may direct at least one episode each.

    The project is definitely shaping up to be an interesting addition, and it’s been fun to see Marvel Studios use smaller characters to tell unique stories. It also gives them the opportunity to tell stories that otherwise wouldn’t get a chance to tell due to previous character decisions, such as how Armor Wars is now a War Machine-focused story rather than Tony Stark.

    Marvel Studios has years of stories they can tell in interesting ways. We now live in a timeline where Werewolf by Night got his own special exploring a new corner of this universe we may have not expected otherwise. Who knows what other characters might get an adaptation in the near future that we may not have expected?

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘Andor’ Season 2 Revisit a Familiar Planet

    ‘Andor’ Season 2 Revisit a Familiar Planet

    As Andor continues to build momentum in its strongly performing first season on Disney+ eyes have begun to shift towards the future the new Star Wars streaming stalwart. As the writer’s room for the show developed new ideas for season two, new information has been revealed about what audiences should expect. While sitting down with Collider, series creator Tony Gilroy discussed the inclusion of new writer Tom Bissell to the writer’s room and a classic Star Wars location that will debut in the series down the road.

    Tom Bissell is a really cool and really, really interesting, versatile, really good writer. But also a very, very, very big Star Wars fan, which we really wanted to make sure we had another pro because we’re going into Rogue [One], and we’re going to Yavin, and then we’re going into places where we eventually need to really weave our way back to the source. So Tom came in, and he’s been great. So he’s got some episodes too.

    Tony Gilroy

    This bit of news should be interesting for Star Wars fans as it could potentially provide a new distinct angle for a key component to the original films. Yavin was a primary location for the climax of A New Hope, and getting time to further establish the locale can help enrich the classic films from George Lucas in a new light (much like Rogue One and Andor have done thus far). In addition, the interview confirmed that production for the second season is set to begin on November 21st of this year.

    Andor stars Diego Luna in the titular role of Cassian Andor alongside a deep ensemble cast of supporting characters. The tenth episode of Andor is set to arrive on the Disney+ streaming platform on Wednesday, November 9.

    Source: Collider

  • Disney+ Italy Accidentally Leaks a ‘The Mandalorian’ Short Film Focused on Grogu

    Disney+ Italy Accidentally Leaks a ‘The Mandalorian’ Short Film Focused on Grogu

    Grogu or Baby Yoda as some still refer to the fictional character of The Mandalorian is seemingly getting his own little special later this month. As leaked by Disney+’s Italian account, it seems that on November 12th will see a new special titled Star Wars Zen: Grogu and Dust Bunnies released on the platform. It’s an interesting surprise, as we haven’t had a teaser of any kind of this new addition

    The tweet leaking this new special has been deleted by the official Disney+ account, but luckily Reddit user u/cefaluu got a screenshot of the tweet and shared it on the Star Wars Leaks Reddit. If this may have gone online too early, we may expect an official announcement either later today or potentially even to kick off next week. It’s unclear if this special is purely CG or even live-action.

    Italian Disney+ announced the short film "Grogu and the Dust Bunnies" for November 12
    byu/cefaluu inStarWarsLeaks

    Star Wars Zen is also an exciting title and could be their equivalent to Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation. The question is how long this project has been in development and how long it may be, especially if they aren’t promoting it at least a month in advance. Its timing may also be a little trinket to celebrate The Mandalorian‘s three-year anniversary as they usually have a new series released during the Holiday season. We’ll have to see what exactly this project might be once the first teaser finds its way online.

    Source: Reddit

  • ‘Andor:’ Andy Serkis Unveils Character’s Backstory

    ‘Andor:’ Andy Serkis Unveils Character’s Backstory

    Andor, the latest Disney+ series from Lucasfilm, has been full of surprises. Perhaps the biggest, however, was the shocking appearance of an established Star Wars actor in a brand-new role. In the series’ eighth episode, fan favorite performer Andy Serkis was revealed as lovable tough-guy Kino Loy, the foreman at an Imperial factory facility for imprisoned workers on the planet Narkina 5. Diego Luna‘s titular Rebel finds himself captive in the facility after a skirmish lands him on the Empire’s radar, and he quickly learns that Serkis‘ Loy is not a man to be trifled with. Unfortunately, aside from the fact that Kino is the man-in-charge for prison Unit 5-2-D, not much else has been told about the character’s backstory within the Star Wars universe.

    Although not technically official, Serkis opened up about where he feels Loy came from in a recent interview with the folks at Collider. Speaking to Steve Weintraub, the former Planet of the Apes star explained his opinion that Loy was once a shop steward who fought for workers’ rights, an act that eventually led to problems with the Empire and a forced assignment to Narkina 5. Having learned his lesson, Serkis‘ foreman is now doing what he’s told and biding his time until his final 250 days in prison are complete. The actor elaborated:

    When he was incarcerated, he then almost sheds any desire to look out for other people apart from himself. Just do his time and get out. To try and get out and just survive the sentence, the torture, the desensitization. I think it was that desensitization that made me perhaps have that slightly lost but kind of hardened and toughened shell.

    Andy Serkis

    Serkis previously portrayed the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke via motion capture in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens and 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. His antagonist’s origin was the subject of heavy debate before being killed off in The Last Jedi and was ultimately revealed as a failed clone of Ian McDiarmid‘s Emperor Palpatine in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. No such debate will be present here, in Serkis‘ first live-action appearance in the Star Wars galaxy.

    Source: Collider