Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney

  • ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Thomas Kretschmann Joins ‘Indiana Jones 5’

    ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Thomas Kretschmann Joins ‘Indiana Jones 5’

    The next installment in the Indiana Jones franchise is quickly gathering its uncanny cast to star alongside Harrison Ford. He returns to one of his most iconic roles for the first time since 2008’s Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skulls. Plot details for the upcoming film are being kept under wraps as the film will be the first in the series not directed by cinema icon, Steven Spielberg. Recently the project added Madds Mikkelsen alongside Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and it seems the project isn’t done adding to its cast just yet.

    It’s being reported that German actor Thomas Kretschmann has joined the cast of the upcoming installment in an undisclosed role. Kretschmann is most known for his role as Baron Von Strucker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing briefly in the end credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and in Avengers: Age of Ultron. His run of the character was short-lived, ass he met his untimely demise at the hands of Ultron.

    Indiana Jones 5 is currently set to release on July 29th, 2022, and will be directed by James Mangold alongside the return of John Williams, who will once again compose the score for the film, with Steven Spielberg remaining on the project as a producer.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Spider-Man’ Heading to Disney+ Through Multi-Year Disney-Sony Deal

    ‘Spider-Man’ Heading to Disney+ Through Multi-Year Disney-Sony Deal

    It looks like Disney and Sony have been busy making deals behind the scenes, as Deadline just reported that they have reached a multi-year deal for post-day-1 releases of Spider-Man and other franchises on Disney+. This deal also covers Hulu and the various outlets owned by Disney. Now, the major reveal is that every theatrical release from 2022 to 2026 will move to Disney once their runs on Netflix end. Keep in mind, there is no confirmation when or how this will take place, as the specific plans haven’t been finalized.

    […] gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films.

    Now, this is quite the game-changer. We all expected that the Spider-Man franchise wouldn’t find its way to Disney+ after the Netflix deal, but it seems that Sony has been playing the long game here. At the time, the wording hinted at the streaming giant becoming their main home for digitally accessible content, but this changes the landscape. There is also the possibility that it opens up the possibility for Disney to develop Spider-Man spin-offs that connect to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or if this deal will also extend Tom Holland‘s franchise. There are a lot of questions coming out of this deal and we probably won’t get any answers anytime soon, but the developing partnership between Disney and Sony is a rather curious one. Hopefully, we will get some more news on how this deal may affect the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise in the near future.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 May Feature Chewbacca’s Wookie Race

    RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 May Feature Chewbacca’s Wookie Race

    The wait between the first two seasons of The Mandalorian was a long one. What didn’t help was that Disney+, at the time, barely had any high-profile content to make the year go by faster. Well, 2021 will certainly shake that up with various Marvel Studios productions and new Star Wars entries filling out the year. As such, the story of Din Djarin will be delayed by a bit as its first spin-off takes center stage, The Book of Boba Fett. News has been sparse on the upcoming Star Wars series outside of May’s Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Luckily, it seems that the Bespin Bulletin was able to get their hands on some interesting info, as they revealed that the third season will see the return of Chewbacca’s Wookie race.

     

    They point out that it is uncertain if this may be a familiar face or a brand new character for this series. There is a chance that it is just a background character. So, it is hard to say if the Wookiees will have any relevance to the series’ plot. We’ve seen various alien races in background shots and the galaxy is quite connected for them to appear. Now, there is also some production information regarding the two series, as The Book of Boba Fett was still in production as of April at the same location that The Mandalorian uses. They may still be filming at Manhattan Beach Studios. As such, it is hard to say if the third season will enter production any time soon, but they seem to be slowly wrapping up the Fett-focused spin-off. For now, it would be great to see Mando visit Kashyyyk to add some variety to his usual revisits to Tatooine.

    Source: Instagram

     

  • ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Mads Mikkelsen

    ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Mads Mikkelsen

    It looks like Lucasfilm is full-throttle on their fifth installment of Indiana Jones. Not even a week ago, it was revealed that Phoebe Waller-Bridge was joining the production. Now, it looks like they have already added one more. Deadline has exclusively learned that Hannibal‘s Mads Mikkelsen will have a role in the upcoming film. They do not elaborate on what role he might be playing, as plot details are still vague on Jones’ next adventure set to release July 29th, 2022.

    Mikkelsen has been adding quite the list of franchises under his belt. He just recently joined Fantastic Beasts replacing Johnny Depp. The actor also had a starring role in Doctor Strange and Star Wars: Rogue One. His Danish film Another Round has also been garnering a lot of award buzz with Oscar nominations for best foreign film and best director. So, things are really looking up for the Danish actor.

    Indiana Jones is making a grand comeback with this film, as Steven Spielberg passes on directing duties for the first time since the franchise started. James Mangold will take on the responsibility after his success with Logan. It’s crazy to think that the last entry was released back in 2008, s Shia LeBeouf played Indy’s son. We don’t have an idea how the story will come together in this one. They might be trying to kickstart a new franchise, as Disney has been very keen on keeping their legacy properties going. So, we’ll see if this might just be the beginning for a new Indiana Jones or it’s a farewell to Harrison Ford‘s tenure as the character.

    Source: Deadline

  • Leaked ‘What If’ Promo Teases the Guardians of the Multiverse

    Leaked ‘What If’ Promo Teases the Guardians of the Multiverse

    The trend continues that toys and merchandise reveal some first looks at upcoming Marvel Studios projects. Twitter user @AnneComics found a rather curious piece at a trip to the mall that features the Guardians of the Multiverse. In it, we can clearly see characters that were already confirmed for the upcoming What If series heading to Disney+. T’Challa as Star-Lord, a sinister-looking Doctor Strange, and Captain Britain are all present. Interestingly, this is already readily available as the marketing for the series hasn’t started yet. So, they probably weren’t supposed to release that just yet and it found its way online. The reason it is strange is that it also offers a look at other characters that might get the spotlight in various episodes, such as Killmonger, Gamora, Thor, and Black Widow. It also presents us with our first clear look at Uatu the Watcher.

    https://twitter.com/AnneComics/status/1381330404045688832?s=19

    The promotional artwork is already available on the FYE shopping site. So, here is a higher solution look at it:

     

     

    Now, the big question on our minds is if the Guardians of the Multiverse may end up as an actual team. I doubt it, as it could be a simple slogan used for the advertising to pull the show’s anthology set-up together. It could be a fun concept for the various alternative realities to merge at the end of the season and battle a common foe, which would add a new connective tissue between these shows. It’ll be interesting to see if these characters are also highlighted once the official push for the series begins, which will most likely start airing after Loki ends its run. For now, we can only wait in anticipation to see more of that amazing animation once the next trailer is released.

    Source: Twitter, FYE

  • Latina-Led ‘National Treasure’ Original Series Heading to Disney+

    Latina-Led ‘National Treasure’ Original Series Heading to Disney+

    In the early 2000s, film producer Jerry Bruckheimer teamed up with Walt Disney Pictures to produce an action-adventure mystery film franchise based on the history of the United States and the many conspiracies surrounding its founding. It would become known as the National Treasure franchise. Almost 15 years after the release of the sequel, various rumors about a revival have been making the rounds. Finally, the project got greenlit as an original series for Disney+.

    While details regarding the show are scarce, Deadline revealed that the first season will consist of 10 episodes. The biggest surprise is that it is a departure from the original films, as it is dubbed as a “complete reimagining” of the franchise. The project will be written by the same writers, Marianne Wibberley and Cormac Wibberley, who are returning alongside producer Jerry Bruckheimer.  Mira Nair has joined the project as director.

    This reimagining will get told from the perspective of Jess Morales and her friends. They will set out on an adventure to uncover the history behind her family and discover new, untold treasures. The series will also explore multiple thematics that are relevant to today’s day and age. Of course, it will keep the same sense of adventure, appreciation, and conspiracy inspired by the American history that these films explored in the 2000s. No date has gotten revealed for its release at this time.

    Source: Deadline

  • Disney Unveils Its Disney+ Releases for ‘Cruella’ and ‘Luca’

    Disney Unveils Its Disney+ Releases for ‘Cruella’ and ‘Luca’

    It looks like Disney is facing a long list of delays with the recent news that Black Widow won’t premiere in May. It has been pushed back into July taking over Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings’ spot, which will now release in September. Of course, this also affects the rest of Disney’s upcoming film slate, which has been pushed back into the second half of the year. There is one exception, as Emma Stone‘s Cruella is sticking to its May 28th release date. It will also become a Disney+ Premier Access offering while also airing in theaters.

    That isn’t all, as Pixar’s upcoming film Luca will be available on Disney+. Strangely, the second Pixar entry is getting this treatment by being made available directly without any Premier Access offering. There are plenty of other delays, such as Ryan Reynolds‘ Free Guy releasing in August, The King’s Man being pushed into late December while Deep Water and Death on the Nile being pushed into 2022.

    Disney has been very keen on pushing Disney+, which has offered them some flexibility in the current pandemic-affected market. It is uncertain if the other releases mentioned above may face a similar fate, but anything can change. It was already a major surprise to see Black Widow get a simultaneous release, as Disney has been very focused on ensuring its theatrical release. They have pushed out this decision for quite some time, which is also the reason why it had to be delayed. They want to advertise it far in advance to ensure they can get people informed it will be available through both sources. It’s going to be an interesting year moving forward.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Forbes

  • Theory Thursday: How ‘What If…?’ Sets Up ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Theory Thursday: How ‘What If…?’ Sets Up ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Marvel Studios is exploring new avenues with this summer’s Disney+ animated series What If..? To those unfamiliar, the anthology comic run that started in 1977 explored alternate realities. It would explore how one detail could change the curse of history. So, now that Marvel Studios is exploring new ventures, such as WandaVision‘s sitcom stylings, the animated series may elevate the MCU to new creative heights by exploring different genres. After Avengers: Endgame introduced the concept of alternative timelines into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it made us wonder if the upcoming multiversal storyline might be more relevant than we might at first expect.

     

    A Multiversal Question

     

    Around a week ago, I discussed the new direction for Marvel Studios’ canonical timeline. At the moment, the main timeline has remained pretty linear over the past decade. Avengers: Endgame changed that two years ago, as we got introduced to this universe’s time travel. The moment they change something in the past, the ripple effect will create a new timeline. As you can see in the visual above, What If is about to split the timeline up into the multiverse. Theoretically, this show might give Marvel fans their first full-on deep dive into the expansion that I believe will be known as The Marvel Cinematic Multiverse moving forward. Not just that, it also will have some deeper implications for the franchise’s future. 

     

    Just The Beginning

     

    The first trailer for What If…? gave us a glimpse at multiple alternate universes. If I had to choose, I’m most excited about the one focused on Doctor Strange. I believe that, unlike the other episodes, it won’t retell a previous episode but rather tease one that’s yet to come. So, I firmly believe it will provide a glimpse of his upcoming sequel. Not just that, it will also tease the main villain that will bring madness into the multiverse. He is rather prominent in the trailer, as it teased us with an alternate version of the magical doctor that has fallen to the dark side.

     

     

    He could bring about the destruction of the world (and possibly the multiverse as we know it). Upon closer examination, he conjures a very familiar form of red magic with black dots swirling around it. I suspect that this may turn out to be Chaos Magic, which we got introduced to in WandaVision. This version of Strange seems to be losing his humanity, as he has tentacles expanding from his hand. I believe that this isn’t Strange but rather someone imitating him. Whoever this individual turns out to be, there is a good chance he might be the main villain of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After the season finale of WandaVision teased Wanda’s quest, she may have found her way into this alternate dimension. If you take a closer look at the image above, you can see a woman in red staring at this twisted version of Strange. Going by her red outfit, I suspect she could turn out to be Wanda seeking her children.

     

    Anything is Possible

     

    The Doctor Strange sequel is among my most anticipated MCU films to release in the coming years. When the multiverse is involved, pretty much anything and everything is on the table. Perhaps we even get to revisit the alternate realities presented in What If. Just imagine Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff enter an alternate reality centered around Marvel Zombies, which pays tribute to Army of Darkness. It would be a waste not to pay tribute to the film that the same director, Sam Raimi, worked onn. Or, you could have Doctor Strange face off against different versions of characters we know, like a live-action Peggy Carter as Captain Britain. Case in point, you should consider paying attention to What If…?, especially now that the multiverse is about to be blown wide open.

     

     

    Case in point, you should definitely consider paying attention to What If…?, especially now that the Multiverse is about to be blown wide open.

  • Disney+ Passes 100 Million Subscribers Worldwide

    Disney+ Passes 100 Million Subscribers Worldwide

    Disney has always been a powerhouse in the entertainment market. It seemed like they were unstoppable. So, many were curious how well they would perform once they enter the streaming market with Disney+. With a nice boost through the release of Soul, they already reached a subscription number of 94.9 million by January. That was before WandaVision was even released on the streaming platform. Now, it seems that within the last month they finally managed to surpass the 100 million thresholds. In the latest shareholder meeting, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announce the milestone with the following words:

    The enormous success of Disney Plus has inspired us to be even more ambitious, and to significantly increase our investment in the development of high-quality content. In fact, we set a target of 100-plus new titles per year, and this includes Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Our direct-to-consumer business is the Company’s top priority, and our robust pipeline of content will continue to fuel its growth.

    Even in these uncertain times, the rapid growth of their streaming service has been able to keep their stock price soaring. The recent launch of India’s STAR platform has also added a lot of content that would draw in a new audience. Disney+’s biggest restriction was focusing purely on family-content, so this new direction will help it grow in Canada, European, and Asian markets. In the United States, Hulu remains bundled with the streaming service.

    Speaking of, it will be embedded with ESPN Plus, so you can access different services through one app. There is a good chance the same might happen for Disney+ as well with Hulu as the main hub. It is an amazing landmark for the young streaming service, and it will be interesting to see how it will further develop in the coming years.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’: Red Dagger Actor Aramis Knight Sighted in Bangkok

    ‘Ms. Marvel’: Red Dagger Actor Aramis Knight Sighted in Bangkok

    Even as WandaVision airs its final episode, we have a lot more Disney+ goodness heading our way from Marvel Studios. It is only the first of potentially six shows that will premiere this year. Among them is the introduction of the young teenager Kamala Khan, who will don the title Ms. Marvel. Idolizing Carol Danvers, she tries to grow into her own as a hero, especially after a Terrigenisis bomb hits New Jersey. She gains the latent Inhuman ability to control her mass. Newcomer Iman Vellani has taken on the titular role and is busy filming the project.

    Around two weeks ago, we found out that the production would be heading to Bangkok to continue filming. It is quite a surprise to see them choosing Thailand as their next filming location. As such, we theorized it could get utilized as a backdrop for Badin, the hometown for Kareem, a.k.a. Red Dagger. Well, it seems that this theory might have panned out, as Aramis Knight, who will play the young vigilante, has revealed he is in the city. It confirms that the production is heading to the Thailand capital. The short video confirming his arrival was shared by @cosmic_marvel on Twitter.

     

    Knight‘s arrival in this filming location does strongly help the theory that the famous Thailand capital will serve as a backdrop. The actor is of Pakistani descent and the character’s introduction in the comics was of him protecting his neighborhood. He also builds up a romantic connection with Kamala, which may build up as he teaches her his ways of keeping his home safe. Very little is still known about the project, which might introduce the world to the Inhumans once again after they made their live-action debut in Agents of SHIELD.

    Source: Twitter