Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Plus

  • Earlier ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Drafts Included Commander Cody

    Earlier ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Drafts Included Commander Cody

    Obi-Wan Kenobi has undergone quite a few iterations before it found its way to Disney+. Not too long ago we learned that the project was initially pitched as a film trilogy before the first entry eventually turned into what we recently got to watch across six episodes. Turns out, there was one other significant element that got scrapped in the form of Commander Cody. Writer Stuart Beattie revealed that his role was cut in an interview with The Direct.

    Yeah, yeah. Cody was the big one. I love the idea of Obi-Wan having a buddy on Tatooine. Like a secret buddy. So like the first time he goes into town, you see, Cody, and he’s following him through the streets and attacks him, takes him into an alley with a knife to his throat and says, ‘You’re dead.’ And then you realize, ‘Oh, no… Cody’s making a point.’ Like, ‘Come on. You got to be more careful.

    Stuart Beattie

    He also highlights how his approach was to have them both reflect this aspect of redemption, especially as Cody had to live with the guilt of his own actions under the control of Order 66.

    And you realize, ‘Oh, Cody has now morphed from someone who was trying to kill him when we last saw them to someone who is now devoting his life to protect him.’ Because by now he’s had the biochip taken out of his head, and now he realizes, ‘Oh my god, what I did was wrong.’ And he has driven by guilt, as much as Obi Wan is driven by guilt. So you got these two kind of old warriors bickering like this old married couple, bitching about, ‘God, it was so much better when we had an army at our backs,’ you know

    Stuart Beattie

    The idea wasn’t to have the character to appear out of nowhere, but rather that he was an active part of the plot. Best part, he was even going to be the one to look over young Luke Skywalker while Kenobi traveled the galaxy.

    And the idea of mine was that when Obi-Wan had to leave Tatooine, he left Cody in charge of Luke. And that gave us a fun little B-story to keep cutting away to. And yeah, he’s a really fun character and a guy racing against the clock obviously, because he’s aging twice as fast. He’s trying to atone for the worst thing he’s ever done in his life. So tragic in a way, but just fun… The way they bickered in my stuff, it was just, you know, put a smile on your face and, you know, (laughs) just arguing all the time.

    Stuart Beattie

    Beattie even went on to highlight one of the moments that he was most looking forward to getting adapted, which sadly was no longer included in the Disney+ show as Commander Cody was completely scrapped from the script. He did confirm that Temuera Morrison was planned to take on the role, who would have a brief cameo as a Clone Trooper.

    The fun one that I missed the most was actually a scene back on Tatooine with Cody. My Cody was so fun. Cody was with Owen and there were some bounty hunters that had discovered Obi-Wan… And they gotta get rid of the bodies. And so there was just this really fun scene where, you know, what do you do with bodies on Tatooine and you need to get rid of them? Well, you go out to the local Sarlacc, right? They kind of park and they’re having this whole discussion about, you know, Cody shooting… Obi-Wan and all this kind of stuff.

    Stuart Beattie

    It’s a shame they didn’t include the character, as it does sound like they would’ve made for a great duo. Perhaps a sequel season or even spinoff series focused on Cody could bring the two together, as they try to navigate their own grief together. There’s a lot of potentials and it would be a shame not to capitalize on it.

    Source: The Direct

  • EXCLUSIVE: Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on the Emotional Conclusion to Episode 4 of ‘Ms. Marvel’

    EXCLUSIVE: Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on the Emotional Conclusion to Episode 4 of ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Episode 4 of Ms. Marvel, “Seeing Red”, ended on a very TV-esque cliffhanger that saw Kamala Khan witnessing the events of the 1947 Partition, which divided the British-occupied Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan, displacing 10 to 20 million people amidst terrible and unprecedented violence that took the lives of as many as 2 million.

    The Partition has served as a key point in the story of Ms. Marvel so far as it’s part of the story of Kamala’s great-grandmother, Aisha, the character around whom the central mystery of the 6-part series continues to revolve. Whether Kamala traveled through time to 1947 in Episode 4, or if she’s part of a more immersive vision than the ones she’s previously had is unclear. What is clear, however, is that what she saw on the train platform, and what she’ll see in next week’s episode, will connect her to Aisha in a way that passed down stories from her family never could.

    In an exclusive interview with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the director of episodes 4 and 5 of Ms. Marvel, Charles Murphy asked about the emotional final scene.

    Kamala is bringing audiences into something that is rarely visualized on screen, which is the 1947 Partition. And in that moment that she’s walking on the platform, she is not a superhero. She is bearing witness to this monumental period in history that carries such a generational trauma. I took hundreds of photographs from 1947 and recreated that on that platform to be able to tell that story.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    Obaid-Chinoy went on to explain how the details of the scene, specifically the conversations among those on the platforms, were part of an escalation of emotions that ended in the chilling final shot that showed millions of people chaotically scrambling, leaving friends and family behind.

    I wanted Kamala to be catching-to be listening into-these frenetic conversations that were taking place as people were leaving their homes. So she’s almost listening to snippets of conversations and each conversation makes you realize what it meant for those people to leave their homes and to leave relationships and to leave their family members. In the case of the father and the son, he was too old to travel and he was sending his son. This little girl thinks that her mom and her will no longer have a place on the train because it’s so packed. These two friends who are hugging, who’ll never see each other again. And so as she was walking through and she was looking, the anguish of the families was reflecting on her face as she was listening. So I think that by making it deeply personal and making it about families and them leaving their homes, anybody…it was transcending cultures and boundaries. Anybody who’s had to leave home or who’s experienced refugees could…it touched them in some way.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    In closing, Obaid-Chinoy touched on how important it was that the audience slowly realize the scale of the historical moment and how the camera work in the scene put audiences right into the midst of the frenzy.

    And the scale of it was so important, so to make her climb up on that train and to pull the camera back for you to realize that millions of people left their homes. You realize that when the camera pulls back, you see people just jumping onto the train and that frenetic energy…that is exactly how it was in 1947.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    Of course, the full extent of Kamala’s experience with Partition, and the mechanics of how she finds herself there, are still a mystery but given Marvel Studios’ track record of using the fifth episode of their streaming series to wrap up the ongoing mysteries of the series, fans will likely learn considerably more next week.

  • ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Trailer Pulls in Massive Viewership Within 24 Hours, Beats Out ‘The Mandalorian’s

    ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Trailer Pulls in Massive Viewership Within 24 Hours, Beats Out ‘The Mandalorian’s

    Now, this isn’t something you would expect but there’s a reason Hocus Pocus was such a cult classic even after all these years. After a long wait, the first trailer has finally arrived for the sequel, simply titled Hocus Pocus 2, that’ll see the return of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in the roles they played 29 years ago. Within 24 hours, the trailer has pulled in a massive 43.6M.

    To put that into comparison, it has outperformed some of Diseny+’s biggest trailer releases such as The Book of Boba Fett’s 23M and Luca’s 28M. Not only that, it even surpassed the teasers for the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, which stood at 35M each. Those are some massive numbers, and once again highlighted just how valuable a continuation of a classic franchise truly can be with such a long break, as we saw with Top Gun Maverick a few months back.

    It’ll be interesting to see if the viewership also carries over into the film’s actual release. These numbers tend to hint at where the project will end up performing, which hopefully is a sign that Disney+ is starting to find its base with more audiences. Marvel and Star Wars will remain their cornerstone, but Disney may finally realize that their IP pockets are much deeper and far more diverse moving forward.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Offers Some Details on Disney+ Series Reshoots

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Offers Some Details on Disney+ Series Reshoots

    Ms. Marvel was a surprising project, as it was seemingly going to release last year. It was hinted at arriving before Hawkeye and we even got a first glimpse at the project during Disney’s Investors Day. Suddenly, the project was postponed and there were hints at quite a few reshoots were ordered for the project. The Direct got a chance to sit down with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who offered a little insight into why they needed the reshoots.

    At first, she seemingly hints that only “a few pickups” were necessary, especially when it came to tying together the story for the season. Ms. Marvel feels the most “episodic” of all of Marvel Studios’ six-hour drama series and it definitely has one of its most interesting over-arching arcs on her heritage and how it connects with her newly gained powers.

    I think that we went back and did some pickup shoots in which we were tying the story in together, and making sure that there was a sort of cohesive storyline that ran through. And I think that each, you know, sort of, with each one of the episodes, when you sort of complete the series, you go back and you just think about all of the other things that you could have brought in and done that. So we did a few pickups here and that

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    She also highlights that a big part that influenced its developments was the fact that they had quite a few crowd shots planned, which were affected by the pandemic. As such, they couldn’t shoot on locations, especially as they had to travel from country to country, which took up a bit more time.

    I think it was the pandemic. To be honest, I think that the pandemic was so cyclical, that every time we thought it was coming to an end, it would re-emerge its sort of ugly head. And I think that there are some very big scenes in Ms. Marvel and that require, you know, hundreds and hundreds of extras and that are shot on location, and they’re outdoors. And, you know, there is international travel and, and I think that putting a six-part series that is shot in multiple countries with diverse crews and multiple characters in a pandemic requires time.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    The Direct theorizes on why exactly this project was delayed as far back as it was, but we’ve seen the restrictions international travel had on Falcon and The Winter Soldier earlier on that may have acted as a lesson for them while tackling a series that is directly tied to its cultural heritage. So, they may have decided to prioritize the reshoots rather than rush it out. Something we may see with many more projects moving forward.

    Source: The Direct

  • Theory Thursday: Time Travel and Ms. Marvel’s Quantum Connection

    Theory Thursday: Time Travel and Ms. Marvel’s Quantum Connection

    Part of what has made Ms. Marvel so enjoyable over the past four weeks is the genuine mystery that weaves throughout each episode and keeps viewers on their toes. It all stems from the fact that Kamala Khan does not appear to bring her Inhuman ties to the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, the source of her powers has left both casual viewers and comic book experts scratching their heads as to where the series is taking the beloved character. Even by the end of Episode 4, fans still aren’t entirely clear as to what’s happening. But we first looked at Kamala’s potential connection to the Quantum Realm and time travel after the series premiere, and more evidence of this theory just keeps rolling in.

    Numerous aspects of Ms. Marvel could lean in this direction. A major theory suggests that the bangle that activated her powers is, in fact, a quantum band, which derives its powers from the Quantum Realm. There were hints of time travel via Kamala’s visions, and it could be important to remember that her comic powers operated based on constant time-traveling on a molecular level.

    What we now know about Kamala’s origins and family history in Ms. Marvel is that her great-grandmother, Aisha, was a “Clandestine” or “Djinn.” While the “Djinn” designation turned out to be more of a red herring based on what we learned in Episode 4, we also know that the Clandestines come from the Noor Dimension, which is separated from the main reality by a veil of energy. Najma and her gang want Kamala to break through that veil, but it has been made clear that if she were to do so, the Noor Dimension would overtake and destroy Kamala’s reality.

    We do not know much about the Noor Dimension other than that supernatural beings, identified in the past as “Djinn”, came from it and that Clandestines and the Red Daggers can sense the Noor energy that Kamala draws from the other dimension. In the MCU, we know about a few realms. Asgard is a great example, and it is even referenced in Episode 4 to help explain the Noor Dimension. Another “realm” we have heard of is the Quantum Realm, which is certainly creeping in as a major player in the future of the MCU.

    As we know from Avengers: Endgame, the Quantum Realm, and quantum energy were the backbones of time travel. What Episode 4 possibly re-emphasizes is Kamala’s connection to time travel. By the end of Episode 4, Kamala seems very much in the 1940s in India after her bangle was attacked and went haywire. While it is not entirely clear yet whether she is actually, physically present there, the ending shots of the episode certainly made it easy to make that conclusion. Obviously, Episode 5 will keep her in that space for the purpose of explaining and resolving Aisha’s mysterious storyline, which is profoundly connected to the exact period Kamala is now in.

    Still worth noting, Ms. Marvel has had quite the number of Ant-Man references. Obviously, Scott Lang and Hank Pym are the characters most associated with the Quantum Realm, and we next expect to see Ant-Man in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. “Quantumania” alone should set the expectations for how important the Quantum Realm will be, but that film will also star the time-travelling villain Kang the Conquerer. Following Loki, the Kang Easter egg in Moon Knight, and Phase 4’s focus on the multiverse, Kang is very much set up to potentially be the next MCU saga’s Big Bad.

    Overall, there’s enough evidence to form the theory that Kamala is utilizing some of the same general concepts that we have already been introduced to in the MCU. If the Noor Dimension is actually the Quantum Realm, that major piece of the universe would be served by being better developed in Ms. Marvel. It also could make Kamala’s story more interesting than if the Noor Dimension was a completely original concept that gets limited to her origin story and not much else. Obviously, there is more nuance to why Kamala or Aisha can utilize the bangle while others, like the Clandestines, cannot. We will likely learn virtually all of this information in the next episode, as all MCU DIsney+ series love spending the majority of their penultimate episodes resolving every mystery or question, and ultimately setting the hero up for the final battle fully embracing their identity.

    The first four episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney+.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Scott Adsit on Bringing Baymax to Live-Action in the MCU

    EXCLUSIVE: Scott Adsit on Bringing Baymax to Live-Action in the MCU

    MCU fans may remember a rumor that Marvel Studios was looking to incorporate characters from Big Hero 6, specifically Hiro and Baymax, into their shared universe in a live-action appearance. As exciting as that rumor was, it was eventually debunked by a trade report, which indicated that Big Hero 6 and the characters associated with it were staying with the creatives at Disney and any new projects involving them would be done at that studio.

    One such new project involving the property is now available on Disney Plus in the form of BAYMAX!, a six-episode collection of shorts with a ton of heart (read our full review here) that takes the character back to his roots as a healthcare companion. Ahead of the premiere of the series, Charles Murphy had the opportunity to talk to actor Scott Adsit, who has voiced Baymax since Big Hero 6 debuted in 2014 and asked him if he’d be willing to get back in studio to bring him to life.

    I’d get in the costume for that. I’d get in the big rubber suit and inflate it and walk around. Absolutely! Because I’m a big Marvel nerd and I think all those movies are fantastic, so to step into one of them would be incredible.

    Scott Adsit

    Unfortunately for Adsit, it doesn’t appear as though he’ll get the chance to fill out that rubber suit anytime soon. But as the voice of Baymax for the better part of a decade, it’s good to know he’s willing to take up the part anytime. Maybe there’s hope for the future!

  • Arlyn Reviews ‘BAYMAX!’

    Arlyn Reviews ‘BAYMAX!’

    I always am so excited when Disney releases a new project because they never fail to entertain me. Their latest project, BAYMAX! has done just that. In 2014 (when I was 6), Disney released Big Hero 6, a movie about a robot named Baymax and a group of heroes saving their city, San Fransokyo. Baymax started out as a personal healthcare companion and was designed to help people in need; however, he ended up being a superhero. BAYMAX! returns the character to his intended purpose and the result is one of the year’s best feel-good projects.

    This show isn’t only hilarious it’s also very heartwarming which is one of the many aspects I like about it. Baymax is loveable here not only because he helps random people but also because he is very funny. As runs around San Fransokyo helping everyone, he heals not only their injuries but also helps them face their fears. And when Baymax finds himself in need of a helping hand, the show reminds us just how important good deeds can be.

    Almost everything Disney produces seeks to teach a life lesson to the audience. This show is no different in that regard. At the forefront is the fact that if you are kind to others, others will be just as kind to you. Baymax helps all these people without them asking, and then they all help Baymax.

    The series really shows who Baymax really is and it also shows us all who we could be if only we all had someone there for us like Baymax. It’s definitely the kind of show that needs to be out in the world and remind us all how important it is to be kind.

  • How ‘Ms. Marvel’ Latest Episode Sets Up ‘She-Hulk’s Supermax Prison

    How ‘Ms. Marvel’ Latest Episode Sets Up ‘She-Hulk’s Supermax Prison

    The fourth episode of Ms. Marvel just dropped and brought with it quite a lot of Kamala’s heritage and family history; not to mention some quality action sequences and Marvel Cinematic Universe world-building. But apart from the gradual exploration of what the series has dubbed the Noor Dimension, Ms. Marvel also debuted a connection to a future MCU project. In fact, it looks like a potentially major element of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law has had the foundation laid for it.

    While the Department of Damage Control’s presence has faded since the first two Ms. Marvel episodes, their role in the story has carried on in a more subtle way. At the end of Episode 3, the DODC took the Clandestines into custody after the wedding fight. In Episode 4, we see the follow-up to that, as the Clandestine escape being brought into the DODC Supermax Prison. While we do not see any main area of the prison, we do see a shot of the outside of it. As it turns out, the DODC Supermax was the prison complex seen in the She-Hulk trailer.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Ms. Marvel’
    Marvel Studios’ ‘She-Hulk’

    By showing up in multiple projects, the Supermax has essentially been established as being a significant element in the MCU. While we got a taste of the Raft in Captain America: Civil War, that high-security prison has not been used since. The fact that the Supermax is run by the DODC is important for a few reasons. First, it means that, unlike the Raft, there is nothing secretive about it—it appears to be on land and is extremely visible and accessible.

    Second, it means that the DODC is likely here to stay as an ongoing source of law enforcement and a thorn in the sides of superpowered people. This confirms the message in the second episode of Ms. Marvel that Damage Control is on a mission to target and incarcerate enhanced people. To what extent is unclear—surely some supers are allowed to operate, but we may find out more in She-Hulk.

    Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, is an attorney who specializes in superhuman law. We know from the She-Hulk trailer that she will deal with people like Emil Blonsky, otherwise known as Abomination. While we do not know for sure where Blonksy is being held, the DODC Supermax is now the top candidate. Practicing superhuman law requires either representing or suing superhumans. A great place to find clients or targets, then, would be a building where a bunch of superhumans is being held prisoner for alleged crimes.

    So what do we know about the DODC Supermax Prison so far? Not a lot, aside from the fact that it is operated by the DODC. We can assume some relatively high-profile people, like Abomination, are there. If it is a sort of catch-all prison like it seems to be, a wide variety of supervillains should pass through. Despite being a Supermax prison, it clearly has terrible security. The Clandestine essentially walked out of that place. Plus, it is almost a given that prison breaks will pop up at least every now and again.

    The first four episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney+.

  • REVIEW: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 4—”Seeing Red”

    REVIEW: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 4—”Seeing Red”

    While Ms. Marvel still has to stick the landing in its final two episodes—something that Marvel Cinematic Universe shows tend to struggle with—its Episode 4 was yet another triumph for Kamala Khan’s series. In fact, it manages to follow the MCU series template for four episodes, but yet surpasses all expectations set by previous Disney+ installments. Ultimately, the conclusion, so far, on Ms. Marvel is that from inception to execution it is the highest quality MCU series to date. And it is not particularly close.

    While the mystery of Kamala’s origin continues in Episode 4, it is still developing in more interesting ways in each episode. Quickly, we learn that there is much more depth and nuance to the “Djinn” classification we were introduced to in the previous episode, and we get a hint that the Noor connection may have stronger connections to the more traditional super-aspects of the MCU. What that connection actually is remains the driving energy of the series, and Ms. Marvel expertly stretches the reveal out much like Kamala can stretch out her own hard light energy.

    But one of the most delightfully perplexing aspects of Ms. Marvel is uncovering why exactly this is so well played out. While many substantive aspects of Ms. Marvel are certainly unique from other MCU entries, the actual structure of the series is not. For example, virtually every MCU series has a major cliff-hanging plot twist-type ending to its fourth episode. In WandavIsion’s  Episode 4, Wanda’s sentience in the Hex is formally revealed. In Loki, the titular character wakes up to different variants of himself at the end of time. In Moon Knight, Marc Spector is killed and is awakened in what appears to be a mental asylum. Here, in Ms. Marvel, Kamala seems to have been somewhat transported to the past, as she finds herself engulfed in the scene of the last train to Karachi the night her great-grandmother Aisha disappeared.

    So while this sort of ending was not a true surprise—and the structure of the penultimate episode can likely similarly be guessed to an extent—Ms. Marvel executes it on an absurdly impressive level. The final shots are breathtaking and rely mostly on a realistic reimagining of the past rather than supernatural, magical, or fantastical elements. While the knowledge of Partition and Kamala’s family history has been known to this extent since the second episode, Episode 4 fully opened the door for what Kamala’s very human origin means to the character, and frankly, the world at large. Even Kamala is completely at a loss for words at the tragedy, suffering, and pain she sees around her. 

    Much of the beauty of the series’ focus on Kamala’s mysterious origin is the fact that, as emphasized and written in stone in this episode, Kamala’s origin is as much intertwined with traditional reality as it is with whatever inter-dimensional tie-in is. All superheroes carry the weight and strengths of their non-super past, but Ms. Marvel is unique in truly expressing that Kamala’s foundation is in her family and its history. The bangle is certainly the most important force in her superpowers, but it is every bit as important to Kamala’s character as is her relationship with her mother, her mother’s relationship with her mother, and whatever happened to Aisha during Partition. 

    In the midst of the incredibly rich storyline, even the action sequences of Episode 4 stand out. In particular, the extended chase scene could without a doubt be plopped into a feature film as is and no one would question it. While often in MCU series, even Ms. Marvel, action is rushed and sparing, this scene proved that that is a choice and not a necessity for these shows. 

    So, to go back to the earlier question of why Ms. Marvel seems to be ahead of the curve, there are numerous unique things that the show brings to the table. But it would not be fair to say that the series radically upended the Disney+ MCU model. Not everyone will personally prefer the series over all others, and no one has to. But at the end of the day, in all truthfulness, Ms. Marvel has been written and executed with such quality that it truly stands out. On no level is that an attack on other MCU shows, either—Ms. Marvel is simply that good.

  • ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Series to Use StageCraft Technology

    ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Series to Use StageCraft Technology

    Percy Jackson and the Olympians is set to continue the trend of Disney affiliated productions to utilize Industrial Light & Magic’s (ILM) StageCraft LED systems. The upcoming Disney+ series will specifically be the first project to be produced on their newly built Vancouver stage. 

    This type of technology came into prominence with The Mandalorian and has risen in notoriety thanks to the ability to digitally create settings that look realistic for both the performers working on them and the fans watching the series. Since then, the StageCraft technology has been used for the productions of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The Vancouver stage is the fifth permanent StageCraft volume created by the division of Lucasfilm, with two others in Manhattan Beach, one at Burbank’s Walt Disney Studios, and the other at Pinewood Studios in London.

    Upon the announcement of this technology being used for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, novel author Rick Riordan spoke about his excitement for how it will positively impact the show.

    The story of Percy Jackson has such an epic scope. I am over the moon that we have forged such a great relationship [with ILM] to give this show such a cutting-edge look and feel.

    Rick Riordan

    The series is set to star Walker Scobell in the titular role of Percy Jackson. As well, Leah Sava Jeffires and Aryan Simhadri will be in co-leading roles as Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood, respectively. Production for the series began in early June with director James Bobin helming the pilot episode. It certainly will be interesting to follow how this series progresses with this advanced technology enhancing its visual experience.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter