Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 8

    REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 8

    Given the fact that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has received rather positive reviews each week, it feels somewhat monotonous to call “Ribbit and Rip It” the best episode of the series—but it cannot be avoided. Of course, the character ensemble in Episode 8 seems instantly iconic, but the episode hit every beat it could: lawyer, superhero, Daredevil, sexy hilarious, and dark. This episode can only be thoroughly enjoyed and yet it still ends on the heaviest and most cliff-hanging note of the series.

    All eyes are on Charlie Cox’s return as Daredevil in the character’s first MCU appearance. While this is She-Hulk’s show—as we are reminded—anyone who tries to suggest that he was not the highlight of the episode is lying. Predictably, Jennifer Walters and Matt Murdock meet in court on opposing sides before meeting as superheroes. Cox truly embodies the role, and his love for the character and the return is incredibly palpable. Quite honestly, he came across as substantially more charismatic than the character has previously been—and that is a high compliment. Daredevil is lighter than fans of only the Daredevil Netflix show may be used to, but being funny as hell does not take away from the rest of the character which was on full display. Those that will continue to scream into the void about She-Hulk ruining Daredevil are on another planet.

    While Murdock was the biggest player, Episode 8 highlights that She-Hulk works best when the titular character has a colorful cast to play around with. Leapfrog and Jacobson held their own in such a high-profile episode, and the ultimate result of all the moving pieces was sublimely paced, extremely funny, and it felt like a much bigger and more exciting show than it had been until now. Obviously, She-Hulk as a bona fide superhero is new and played a major role in that. The chemistry between Jen and Matt—presumably aided by the chemistry between Tatiana Maslany and Cox—created the best pairing of characters in a series riddled with great character interactions.

    Despite being an overwhelmingly fun episode, the penultimate episode landed on a dark note with haste to lead into the finale. She-Hulk has not been shy about weaving in themes and jokes surrounding misogyny, but it felt like the darker elements that existed within the show truly hit in full force all at once. It is not easy to compete with Daredevil in an episode, but the ending managed to put up an impressive fight in that regard. Not only did Jen have her entire private life broadcast to everyone during what was perhaps the greatest moment of her career, but it came in the form of sexual shame and revenge porn—activities that tend to almost exclusively attack and cause extreme harm to women. The word “slut” is not uncommon in reality, but even in the context of She-Hulk it landed with a thud. The dark brilliance of the sequence is that She-Hulk, who is ordinarily invincible, can be a vulnerable target to destroy because she is a woman and there are dedicated ways for someone to pursue that without any kind of confrontation. We see Jen lose control of her anger—finally calling back to the first episode—becoming an enemy and a monster regardless of how justified and ordinary that level of anger would be in that situation.

    At the end of the day, Episode 8 managed to do everything She-Hulk can seemingly tackle and pull off in just one episode. Daredevil’s introduction to the MCU was beautiful, and this episode does quite a lot for the character going forward. Even though the penultimate episode was almost certainly the most entertaining and witty episode of the entire series (and it is hard to see how the finale can top it), it also ended on the darkest and most emotional beat yet. Before the last few minutes, the fact that the finale was right around the corner felt rather empty. There is still a very minimal underlying HulkKing plot, but for the first time, it actually feels important to She-Hulk. It may very likely go on to set up other Hulk-related MCU projects in the future, but the damage inflicted to the main character from it is now the driving force of the remainder of the series. The finale is still a mysterious concept given the format of the show, but Episode 8 finally begins to truly define the hero She-Hulk will be in the MCU.

  • REPORT: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Eyeing February Production Start, Will Return to New York City

    REPORT: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Eyeing February Production Start, Will Return to New York City

    There have been many theories surrounding Marvel studios’ upcoming revival project Daredevil: Born Again. The Disney+ series is going to consist of 18 episodes, the most we’ve ever seen from any Marvel series so far on the streaming service. The character is set to make his MCU premiere in costume with the upcoming She-Hulk episode, but it looks like Charlie Cox is already getting ready to return to the role sooner rather than later. According to Discussing Film’s Jacob Fisher, it seems they might start production on the Disney+ series as of February.

    With the episode count, it might be Marvel Studios’ longest production yet as they’re set to film the entire year. Not just that, they are forgoing their usual Atlanta production but actually return to New York City as their primary filming location. This is quite significant, as it continues how the previous productions brought the series to life, which was a massive deal between Netflix, ABC Studios, Marvel, and NYC to exclusively film there on location. So, locals will be certainly keeping their eyes out to get a shot from the production.

    The series main star Charlie Cox did actually tease they might return to New York to film, but there never was a confirmation. Some also thought they may have mixed it up due to it being the Netflix production location. Marvel Studios made its home in Atlanta, which made it the usual location e expect many of these shows to film at but this could be a great start to showcase them taking extra steps to ensure the Daredevil series stays true to the Netflix series that came before.

    Source: Twitter

  • Eiza González Denies Elektra Casting Rumors for ‘Daredevil’s Disney+ Series

    Eiza González Denies Elektra Casting Rumors for ‘Daredevil’s Disney+ Series

    You know that casting rumors can reach a new level of insanity when an actress has to confirm they aren’t involved in any way directly on Twitter. Eiza González has been rumored to potentially take on the role of Elektra in the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again.

    It’s uncertain where the rumor started but the reaction has not been great with many mad at a potential recasting of Elodie Yung from the Netflix run of Daredevil. It seems that the negativity surrounding this rumor has reached a boiling point for the actress to outright deny any castings on Twitter; highlighting she’s already busy with Netflix’s adaptation of Three-Body Problem.

    One cannot deny the extent that some rumors circulating online nowadays. They even led to negative reactions surrounding projects focused on the multiverse, as fan favorites didn’t show up leading to some online upset about them not showing up as “was promised.” The online discourse has changed quite a bit since the pandemic first hit and expectations have skyrocketed after a long drought.

    While some managed to offer exactly what some rumors hinted at, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, other projects have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Daredevil has become quite popular online through his adventure on Netflix, which also sets a very specific expectation for what defines that character and his world. So, the weight on anyone involved with the project won’t be trivial.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Ironheart’ Headed to the Windy City to Continue Production

    ‘Ironheart’ Headed to the Windy City to Continue Production

    Comic book fans know well how important of a setting Chicago is to Riri Williams. And while Riri might not spend a lot of time there when she appears in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the Windy City will be featured when Ironheart streams in 2023. According to a new report, residents of Chicago might want to be on the look for Marvel Studios cast and crew to move in at the end of October.

    The bulk of production on Ironheart is already in the books, having taken place in Atlanta over the last few months. As the production’s time in Georgia winds down, Screen Magazine has learned that Marvel Studios is set to begin work in Chicago “on or near October 24th.” Interestingly enough, Sam Bailey, who was brought on board as one of the Ironheart’s directors, is a Chicago native. Though it’s unclear which episodes will take place in Chicago or whether or not Bailey will helm those, it would make for a nice touch and lend an extra touch of verisimilitude to the project.

    In the comics, Riri Williams was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. Identified as a genius at a young age, Riri turned her garage into a laboratory and lived a fairly happy, though introverted life. At the age of thirteen, however, tragedy struck while at a family picnic at Marquette Park. Given the production is headed to Chicago rather than trying to rebuild parts of it in Atlanta, it’s likely that at least some of the series might feature flashbacks to this time in Riri’s life and choose to shoot on location.

    Riri Williams will be seen this November in theaters in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever before heading to Disney Plus in Ironheart!

    Source: Screen Magazine

  • ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 7

    ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 7

    Welcome back to yet another From page to Screen focusing on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. In the show’s first week, we looked at the differences between the comics’ and series’ versions of Jennifer Walters’ origin story. The following week, viewers got a live-action introduction to Jen’s new legal job, taken straight out of Dan Slott’s and Juan Bobillo’s 2004 She-Hulk run—Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway (GLK&H). Episode 3 introduced a reimagined version of comic book villains, in its fourth week, the show decided to focus on Jen’s love life and, the following week, on Jen’s nemesis, Titania. Episode 6, being a “self-contained wedding episode” was approached as its own thing while referencing a lackluster comic arc where Jen ended up being engaged herself.

    As for episode 7, and much the previous week’s, there were a few new takes on less known comic characters. This time we got Man-Bull, El Águila, and Porcupine introduced into the MCU, all of which were already the focus of individual features by our own John Sabato. Taking a deep dive into how these characters were adapted to the small screen makes little sense now, so we decided to focus on three other villains with whom She-Hulk has a history that might end up getting adapted themselves in the future. Especially considering both present and future events within the overall MCU.

    RED SHE-HULK

    Red She-Hulk #66 (2013)

    With the increased relevance to the MCU’s future that The Incredible Hulk has managed to gain in the past few months, with The Abomination coming back, and Tim Blake Nelson set to return as The Leader in Captain America: New World Order, it’s probably not that big of a stretch to think of a possible Red She-Hulk appearance down the line. Especially given how that particular movie will probably explore a potential explosion of Hulks in the MCU.

    Even if the MCU’s Red Hulk might not turn out to be Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, due to the passing of the great William Hurt, why not bring back another character from the first Hulk outing, thus allowing Betty Ross to become Red She-Hulk?

    Red She-Hulk #67 (2013)

    Red She-Hulk shares many of her father Red Hulk’s abilities, including superhuman strength, which enables her to take on both the Hulk and She-Hulk. She can pierce even the thickest and most resistant skin with her razor-sharp claws and talons. Unlike her father, she can produce energy blasts, which she might use to devastating effect. Though this was only for a brief period in the comics, she could fly and had theoretically limitless strength in her form as the Harpy. She also could come to own her “big ass sword” that was initially presented to the Red She-Hulk during the “Fear Itself” storyline and was crafted by Tony Stark using Stark Industries repulsor technology and enchanted uru metal (the same material Mjölnir is made of) from the Real Eternal, Asgard.

    ABSORBING MAN

    She-Hulk #23 (2007)

    With Titania becoming such a big focus point in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and with the apparent ease with which superpowered people now show up in the MCU, why not bring someone close to her that also happens to have a history with She-Hulk? Absorbing Man fits the bill.

    She-Hulk #23 (2007)

    Crusher Creel, who we’ve already seen on the small screen in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., played by Brian Patrick Wade) has the power to imitate the matter and strength of anybody or anything nearby thanks to a mysterious potion. Most frequently, he duplicates the qualities of anything he touches, including solids, liquids, gases, and even energy sources. Over time, he learned to choose which substances to absorb, and even how to absorb multiple substances at once and combine their properties. During one of his encounters with She-Hulk, she realized that he could only ignore certain materials’ qualities if it wasn’t abundant. But drowning him in something that would be detrimental to his physical condition could then turn his powers, which could allow him to be the most powerful villain in the entire Marvel Universe, into weaknesses.

    UNUM

    She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision #1 (2008)

    Another interesting foe that could come up against Jennifer Walters, is Unum. The cosmic entity Enmity (one of the Seven Friendless, a group of seven cosmic creatures) basically assembled the being Unum from the remains of many extraordinarily potent dead entities, including Dormammu. The Latin phrase “e Pluribus Unum” which means “out of many, one” is where the name of this enormous entity originates.

    What makes her especially interesting in the context of the MCU is that Unum was established with the sole intent of eliminating all heroes, but initially focusing on female heroes, something that could lead down a compelling path in terms of storyline and real-world analogies. Unum was essentially invincible, but She-Hulk managed to defeat it and as a result of the revelation that Enmity was only using her as a tool for amusement, the mighty Unum turned against her creator, destroying her physical form, and committing suicide. 

    She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision #1 (2008)

    It’s doubtful any of these characters might show up in the final two She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episodes, considering how Daredevil and perhaps even The Leader could be making appearances. But with Jen’s story continuing beyond the show, and with the series making it clear that no character of off limits, it shouldn’t take long for her rogues’ gallery to expand significantly in the not-so-far future. Either with these or other characters.

    The first seven She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episodes are now streaming on Disney+.

  • REVIEW: ‘Andor’ Episode 5

    REVIEW: ‘Andor’ Episode 5

    “Everyone has their own rebellion.”

    In an episode that feels very small in terms of scope, scale and what’s accomplished as far as advancing the plot, those words, spoken quietly to Cassian by Faye Marsay’s Vel Sartha may capture the larger essence of the Age of the Rebellion better than any spoken on screen in any Star Wars project to date. Episode 5 of Andor, brilliantly titled “The Axe Forgets” showcases some beautiful scenery and wonderful cinematography as the backdrop to Cassian’s struggle to forge bonds and build trust with his new team. In what feels like the calm before the storm, the episode’s team-building moments that make up the bulk of the runtime seem to echo classics like John McTiernan’s Predator and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings.

    When they start their march, they are a team only in the loosest sense, united only because everyone, as it turns out, does have their own rebellion. And while they don’t initially trust nor much like one another, they are able to find common ground by understanding how each of them has been the tree on the receiving end of the Empire’s axe…and none of them have forgotten. And so while it may not feel like the larger plot of the 12-episode first season of Andor has moved along much by the end of Episode 5, for this group of people about to strike out against the Empire, nothing could have moved at all if not for the time spent together in it.

    The creative duo of director Susanna White and writer Dan Gilroy teamed up to illustrate the growing tensions not only amongst the team on Aldhani but also far away on Coruscant. Kyle Soller’s Syril Karn is hen-pecked by his insufferable mother, Eedy, while holding on to his hatred for Cassian; Denise Gough’s Dedra Meero continues to sense a growing threat, too random for anyone else to see; Mon Mothma’s work for the Rebellion is coming at the cost of her family; and Luthen Rael expresses anxiety that he may have overreached in his effort to strike back at the Empire. Though each of them only get a little time to shine in the episode, White and Gilroy make the most of it, carving each of their unique concerns out of the same material: the Rebellion, which now includes Cassian. And it’s Rael’s words in the episodes final moments that truly serve to frame just how tense of a moment the entire galaxy is on the edge of, even if only a few of them know it. As he says, what comes next may just be the start of it.

    In that sense, “The Axe Forgets” feels like the last bit of requisite exposition before the show switches gears. The characters have been developed, the costs to them made clear and their roles in it seemingly solidified. Episode 6 would seem to be the time for Andor to transform into the fast-paced action-adventure that fans certainly associate with the Star Wars franchise. But as the pace quickens, keep in mind that while each of the Rebels are trees who have been hit by the axe of the Empire, they’ve all been axes to the tree of the Empire and they are about to collectively take their biggest hack yet. And as the roots of the Empire extend to new parts of the galaxy, they’ll prove a tough tree to fell.

  • Adria Arjona Seemingly Confirms Season Two Return for ‘Andor’

    Adria Arjona Seemingly Confirms Season Two Return for ‘Andor’

    Andor is currently in the midst of its first season on Disney+, however, fans of the franchise are already eagerly looking ahead to the show’s second season. While production on Season 2 isn’t slated to begin until November, thanks to a recent interview with the folks over at Collider, we might have a better idea of what’s to come when Season 2 hits in 2024.

    Adria Arjona, who plays Bix Caleen in Andor, talked about her future involvement in the series, as well as the collaborative process with showrunner Tony Gilroy. As she explains, he is open to conversations about the show and the characters and has already updated her on Bix’s storyline going forward.

    He [Tony Gilroy] was very open to conversations and is constantly telling me what is, what her journey is going to be like and, ‘Oh, I changed this a little bit’. He really kept me in the loop even before the scripts were done and the second he had a script out, we’d [the cast] would all get it first. Even now with the second part [of the series] he’s already told me what’s going to happen and that’s not the usual. He just really wants you to get into that mindset and start preparing your gears to sort of embark on this new journey and he wants you to think on your own as Bix so I can sort of have my own ideas and opinions.

    Adria Arjona

    Going off of her quote here, it can be gleaned that Caleen is fairly guaranteed to be surviving the events of the first season. This comes as Gilory has teased that the body count for Andor will be high with a tangible risk of any notable characters (besides of course the titular one) being killed off. As it currently stands, Bix is dealing with the death of her romantic partner Timm after a showdown between Cassian Andor and the Preox-Morlana Authority. With a total of 12 episodes for both Season 1 and Season 2, it remains to be seen where Caleen’s story goes from here.

    Andor is currently airing on Disney+ with the fifth episode set to release on Wednesday, October 5.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Nabs the Top Film Premiere on Disney+

    ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Nabs the Top Film Premiere on Disney+

    It’s all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus.

    After being officially announced in 2019, Hocus Pocus 2 finally hit Disney+ on Friday, and fans were quick to devour the long-gestating sequel. And, unsurprisingly, the follow-up to Hocus Pocus proved to be a smash. Disney announced on Tuesday morning that Hocus Pocus 2 has earned the #1 film premiere on Disney+ within the United States to date. This was calculated based on the hours watched domestically within the film’s first 3 days of release.

    The film’s success shouldn’t be too surprising, of course. Back in June, it was revealed that the trailer views for Hocus Pocus 2 managed to surpass those of another Disney+ favorite — The Mandalorian. Within 24 hours of release, the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer had amassed an impressive 43.6 million views. A sequel to the 1993 classic, Hocus Pocus, was rumored to be in development for some time but hit plenty of speed bumps along the way. After finally securing a green light in 2019, Disney set the return of the Sanderson sisters in a film that would be exclusive to Disney+ — a move that is (so far) proving to be a smart one.

    While the original film wasn’t a critical success when first released, earning 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, it has since gone on to become a Halloween classic. And now, it would seem Hocus Pocus 2 is on track to do the same.

    Check out our review of Hocus Pocus 2 by heading here!

  • Emma Caulfield’s Dottie to Return for ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    Emma Caulfield’s Dottie to Return for ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    After being one of the more mysterious upcoming projects for Marvel Studios, new information is beginning to arrive for Agatha: Coven of Chaos. After playing Sarah Proctor (aka Dottie in the sitcom-based pocket dimension) in WandaVision, Emma Caulfield will be reprising the role for the upcoming Disney+ series. Caulfield’s return seems to indicate at least a partial focus on the sitcom aspects of WandaVision.

    Ever since it was revealed in late 2021 that Kathryn Hahn’s fan-favorite would be the focus her own series, much has been asked in terms of what might transpire. This is especially of note with Agatha Harkness not having a wealth of comic-source material. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to build its Multiverse Saga, it will be interesting to follow what could be gleaned from Agatha: Coven of Chaos and this corner of magic into the larger overarching narrative of Phase Five and beyond.

    Agatha: Coven of Chaos is being written by Jac Schaffer, of WandaVision fame, as part of her overall deal with Disney Television Studios. Announced at SDCC ’22, production is expected to begin on the series in early 2023 with a late-2023/early-2024 streaming window.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Hocus Pocus 2’: Bette Midler Discusses the Long-Gestating Sequel

    ‘Hocus Pocus 2’: Bette Midler Discusses the Long-Gestating Sequel

    Rumors of a sequel to the 1993 cult classic Halloween film Hocus Pocus swirled for the better part of a decade. Over those years, star Bette Midler was often right in the mix with fans in pushing for the sequel and at one point made it clear she wouldn’t be interested in anything less than a true follow-up, refusing to take part in a remake of the original in 2017. Finally, in October of 2019, Hocus Pocus 2 got the green light at Disney, and a year later Midler, along with co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, were on board to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters.

    According to Midler, however, despite how well-loved the original film is and all the rumors, speculation and fan support for a sequel, she wasn’t so sure that Hocus Pocus 2 would ever really happen. During the global press conference held following the film’s premiere, Midler admitted she didn’t truly believe the day would come when the sequel would come together.

    I didn’t until the day finally came. And then I realized, oh, we’re really gonna do this. This was kind of a dream come true, it really was. I mean, I’ve been, I don’t want to say, agitating but kind of like after I realized it was actually a phenomenon, I started asking people around my age and people like that, don’t you think they would be interested in a sequel? This was a long time ago. This was like 15 years ago, something like that. So here we are.

    Bette Midler

    Midler’s passion for the project certainly kept a potential sequel from dying in development hell. And given the film’s ending and post-credit scene, it’s possible that Hocus Pocus 2 won’t be the last film in what could well become a Disney Halloween franchise.

    Hocus Pocus 2 is now streaming on Disney Plus.