Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: doctor strange in the multiverse of madness

  • Sam Raimi on How the Reshoots Helped ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Sam Raimi on How the Reshoots Helped ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    There has always been a strange uncertainty online surrounding the wording of “reshoots,” especially when it comes to Marvel Studios. It’s become an essential tool for directors to revisit elements of their story that may not have worked as initially expected. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Sam Raimi opened up on their approach with exactly that for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

    In the interview, he highlights that their main focus was on making the film accessible and ensuring that everything works well together. while many might not be fans of test screenings as a concept, it does help directors receive feedback from an external source to potentially uncover elements that just aren’t hitting as initially expected. Of course, that is also helpful for storylines with complex concepts like the multiverse.

    There’s a lot of points where the audience says, “I don’t understand this. I don’t understand this concept.” Or, “I’m aware of this concept, and then you explained it again in the third act.” “Oh, you’re right. The audience knows that already.” Or: “They had to know that in order to accept this next story beat.” A lot of it is test screenings, learning what is confusing on a complex picture like this, or learning things that have overstayed their welcome. Recognizing when something is too slow, and even though it’s a proper beat to put in, the audience doesn’t need it.

    Sam Raimi

    It also carries over into the editing process, as they try to bring the film together. In a way, Raimi highlights it also gives him the opportunity to uncover elements that might work even better or are worth expanding as a result of it.

    They can figure that out on their own, so what seemed like a logical step now becomes, in the editing process, “Hmm. That’s slowing us down. Let’s skip it and let the audience make the leap themselves.” But it’s also about recognizing what they really like, and sometimes expanding those things that they’re really reacting well to. It’s recognizing what’s original about the picture, and when you’ve got the opportunity to, expanding upon that.

    Sam Raimi

    It definitely sounds like the concept helps the directors tighten their work on projects, and it’s become a common practice for films of any kind from any studio. In a way, it’s just an additional toolkit that helps creatives build upon their work and potentially even lean further into the elements that are original and stand out. It helps add a little more insight into Bruce Campbell‘s comments when he jokingly said Benedict Cumberbatch might not even know if he’s in his own film.

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • Sam Raimi on How ‘WandaVision’ and ‘No Way Home’ Impacted ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Production

    Sam Raimi on How ‘WandaVision’ and ‘No Way Home’ Impacted ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Production

    COVID has made quite a mess out of many things, and a franchise that builds upon itself being shifted around willy-nilly may have faced many more consequences than it initially expected. We’ve heard in the past that the release schedules between Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home ended up forcing their hand to rewrite both projects to better fit the overarching narrative. Still, it made many wonders how that exactly impacted the production.

    In a lengthy interview with Rolling Stone, director Sam Raimi got a chance to sit down and talk bout his experience working with Marvel Studios and within the MCU playbox. He has already praised the work in the past and is even open to returning for a future project. Yet, he also highlighted how the pandemic’s influence on two interconnected releases, previously-mentioned No Way Home and the Disney+ series WandaVision, impacted the writing process.

    Yes, it was all on the fly. “Now this is happening. Now that’s happening.” It was a fun juggling game. I guess it must be like that for all of the directors and writers of these very big Marvel properties that now have a long history. It was a very chaotic, wonderful, creative — I don’t want to use the word “mess,” because that’s unfair — but it was just a cascade of ideas. We’d take the best ones and quickly weave together the fabric of this universe. It was very exciting, actually.

    Sam Raimi

    In a way, it sounds like they were able to weave their story even with the “cascade of ideas” weaving out of these projects. One has to admire the work these creatives go through to bring an entire franchise to life and the way Raimi is praising it sounds like it helped them become even more creative. It seems that WandaVision also only became a factor during the writing process, as that series was also facing changes and delays due to COVID.

    I’m not really sure what the WandaVision schedule was or how it changed. I just know that halfway, or maybe three-quarters of the way into our writing process, I’d first heard of this show they were doing and that we would have to follow it. Therefore, we had to really study what WandaVision was doing, so we could have a proper through line and character-growth dynamic. I never even saw all of WandaVision; I’ve just seen key moments of some episodes that I was told directly impact our storyline.

    Sam Raimi

    As he highlights, things changed a lot behind-the-scenes and it’s to be expected when any projects are currently in development,w which also influence each other on a character and story basis. Raimi highlighted that these changes created a potential for creativity, which highlights a core aspect of these story elements. He highlights that he was heavily involved with the writing process alongside Loki‘s Michael Waldron and it makes the exciting prospect of what story they ended up within that playfield

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • REPORT: America Chavez’s Mothers Have Been Cast in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    REPORT: America Chavez’s Mothers Have Been Cast in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness approaches, the secretive film has been dropping more and more information. Even with the rumored high-profile cameos on fans’ minds, one highly-anticipated character already known is Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez. The young hero’s ability to make portals to alternate universes will surely come in handy in the multiversal sequel.

    Still, the character also marks major milestones for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as America’s Latinx and LGBTQ+ comics background will make its way into the live-action film. In the comics, her traditional origin story is that she used her dimension-hopping powers to travel from a universe known as the Utopian Parallel after her mothers gave their lives to save that universe. Multiverse of Madness has made headlines after some countries banned the film and others asked Disney to remove LGBTQ+ references from the film.

    While we knew America’s mothers would be referenced, it looks like we now know that the two have been cast. According to One Take News, actresses Ruther Livier and Chess Lopez played the role of America’s mothers in the Doctor Strange sequel. While the scope of their roles is not yet known, it seems likely that they may be relatively small. Still, the fact that the roles have been filled does indicate that we will likely see a significant part of the young hero’s past.

    Livier has appeared in 90210 and has done a lot of voice work, particularly in video games such as Sly 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Dead Rising 3. Lopez seems to be relatively new to the entertainment scene, having appeared in a few short films.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness his theaters on May 6, 2022.

    Source: One Take News

  • New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo Teases Comic-Inspired [SPOILER]

    New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo Teases Comic-Inspired [SPOILER]

    If you want to avoid spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness then only continue reading at your own risk.

    So, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been spoiled quite a bit by the people that are making the film. It’s unclear if they are trying to give it an additional marketing push, as they are remaining quite vague but still showing off more than one would initially expect. We already shared the first look at What If..?’s Captain Carter but that wasn’t all the trailer included. We already know Patrick Stewart will appear in the film, but the trailer offered our best look yet and it seems that he’ll have a classic X-Men animated series-inspired look.

    The trailer includes a brief tease of the iconic Professor X yellow hoverchair. It was first used back in 1991 when it made its debut in X-Men Vol. 2 #1. It would go on to become quite a popular vehicle of transportation for Professor Xavier, and became an even bigger iconic aspect of the character after being part of the 90s animated series, which is also set to return in a Disney+ continuation titled X-Men ’97.

    It’ll be interesting to see the fully envisioned version of this design, as it seemed like something that wouldn’t make the jump to the silver screen. Even in the original X-Men films, it was mostly a very detailed design wheelchair. If they do introduce the character into the mainline MCU, it’ll be interesting to see if they build upon this reveal or potentially set it up in a way that we get something comic-accurate before they take a unique direction.

    Source: Twitter

  • Latest ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo Includes First Look at [SPOILER]

    Latest ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo Includes First Look at [SPOILER]

    Only continue at your own risk if you want to avoid spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The latest promo includes some massive spoilers for the film.

    It looks like another Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promo has found its way online and this one is filled to the brim with spoilers. For some reason, Marvel decided to build up more hype for the upcoming project by including ore from the Illuminati. While an earlier promo did included the first confirmation of their name, they have seemingly revealed a few more members in this spot.

    Not only did it include more teases of Patrick Stewart‘s return as Professor X, but the biggest reveal came in the form of a brief shot that includes the confirmation that Peggy Carter will return to the MCU. Not just Carter, but her What If…? incarnation is known as Captain Carter. It’s unsure how it may tie into the animated series, but this is pretty clearly her

    Image

    It’s such a weird decision by Marvel Studios to include a teaser that reveals this kind of detail. There’s quite a bit of footage in this that most might have likely tried to avoid as much as possible. Not only did it find its way online, but it seemingly is also a public promo for the film. Here’s hoping that there are more cameos to this that they are actively trying to hide even more by teasing their inclusion. Whatever the reason may be, it’ll likely boost their sales numbers now that are already impressive.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Clip May Hint at a Curious ‘Moon Knight’ Connection

    New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Clip May Hint at a Curious ‘Moon Knight’ Connection

    A clip for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness shows off Doctor Strange’s abilities while he is protecting America Chavez. At first, she is seemingly being attacked by an invisible enemy that Strange unveils to actually be Gargantos, the MCU’s version of Shuma Gorath. While he was heavily promoted with promotional artwork, it seems like we’ll see the character quite early in the film. Yet, the moment we saw the bus being picked up by something invisible, it was quite reminiscent of another recent Marvel Studios project that included otherworldly monsters. It reminded me of when Steven Grant was being chased by invisible jackals in Moon Knight.

    It almost seems like there’s a chance that creatures from another world are invisible when they enter our reality. Arthur Harrow uses his staff provided by Ammet to open a portal through which these mysterious jackals come crawling out. While Grant was able to see them, probably due to his connection to Khonshu, Layla had no idea what exactly he was talking about. We would then see the strange creature leave an impact on the world with a car getting crushed and more. So, while it seems like he might be in Grant’s head, he actually has a tangible effect on the world around him. The same rule applies to his God Khonshu, who seemingly can only be seen by him and no one else.

    Moon Knight Episode 2: Why Only Steven/ Marc Can See the Monsters?

    The clip that was shared seems to have a similar effect, where he is invisible to those standing around and it takes Strange’s magic to give us an actual first look at the creature. So, it does open up the possibility that the many mystical creatures in this world actually can’t be seen by normal people. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also hinted that many mystical creatures stem from alternative realities. Perhaps traveling into another reality somehow makes them invisible and allows them to stay hidden from the public. That might explain why the MCU rarely mentions any supernatural creatures and they still remain legends or stories.

    With the Halloween special on the horizon, we might get to explore that aspect even more. Elsa Bloodstone is rumored to appear in the Werewolf by Night project, and someone who specializes in monster hunting seems like the perfect person to finally explain why these creatures are seemingly invisible. The consistency between Multiverse of Madness and Moon Knight adds a little speculation to how these creatures work within our world. Plus, it’s a great consistency if this is, in fact, how they’ll tackle these supernatural creatures moving forward.

    Source: Twitter

  • Wong and Strange Fight Gargantos in New Footage Description of ‘Multiverse of Madness’ From CinemaCon

    Wong and Strange Fight Gargantos in New Footage Description of ‘Multiverse of Madness’ From CinemaCon

    While the Disney panel kicked off with a sizzle reel, it didn’t take long for Marvel Studios to take the stage and share some details. Yet, that isn’t all as they also had some footage of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ready for those attending CinemaCon. It seems that they include footage of America Chavez meeting a Strange, very likely Defender Strange, before heading out and accidentally dragging a monster into the mainline MCU, which leads to some great action sequences featuring Wong, as shared by ScreenRant.

    Erik Davis has also shared a description revealing they saw 20 minutes of the film, which includes a few multiversal battle sequences, confirming that the one they fight is probably Gargantos, the MCU’s Shuma-Gorath, and it even includes a Spider-Man reference.

    So, it seems that we might have a good grasp of how the film opens up. At some point in her travels through the multiverse, America Chavez is going to stumble upon a Variant of Strange before accidentally bringing it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that we’ve grown accustomed to. Though, it does open up the question what exactly are the events that drag that version of Strange into the multiverse as a result of these events, and will Gargantos even have a bigger part in the story to begin with.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Already Made $42M in Pre-Sales

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Already Made $42M in Pre-Sales

    CinemaCon is the place to highlight the future of cinema, and it seems Disney is making a big splash with its even today. While we just got some footage showcased and even a tease for what the future has in store for fans. Yet, they also snuck in one major announcement as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has seemingly already made $42M in pre-sales to date according to the announcement made during the Disney panel.

    Our only comparison point for the presales is that Multiverse of Madness already outpaced The Batman, which was on its path to making around $800M. So, it seems almost like the film has a set path to manage a billion box office run. Yet, the film is also getting banned in some regions due to the inclusion of LGBTQ representation. Disney and Marvel Studios are staying true to their vision of the film.

    If there’s uncertainty, Spider-Man: No Way Home managed to almost hit $2 billion without even releasing it in China. So, who knows if the international market is changing into a new generation as the pandemic is slowly calming down and things are returning to somewhat of normalcy for now. We’ll see just how big the film may end up being once it releases next week.

    Source: Twitter

  • Xochitl Gomez Teases the Opening Sequence of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Xochitl Gomez Teases the Opening Sequence of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness remains one of Marvel Studios’ most secretive films. With the release date for the sequel arriving soon, fans have been able to get a few more glimpses into the highly-anticipated MCU installment. In a recent interview with Marvel, America Chavez actress Xochitl Gomez seemed to tease the beginning of Multiverse of Madness:

    [The film opens with Chavez] literally running for her life in the gap junction space between universes with Doctor Strange.

    Xochitl Gomez

    While it is a short quote, it is interesting in its implications for the film. First, if the Doctor Strange sequel opens in this way, it seemingly sets the movie off to a quickly-paced start. Not much is known about the plot, but Gomez might have just allowed viewers to make more sense of the footage provided in trailers and other promotions.

    It makes sense for America Chavez’s character to be in this situation considering that her power set includes punching openings that create doorways between alternative universes. Her dimension-hopping abilities will certainly have a major and helpful role to play in Multiverse of Madness.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be released on May 6, 2022.

    Source: Marvel

  • Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez is Younger Than In the Comics in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez is Younger Than In the Comics in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    With the secretive Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness swiftly approaching, marketing and press for the MCU film is ramping up. With fan expectations all over the place, still one of the most anticipated elements of the sequel is a known character. Actress Xochitl Gomez will be bringing comics superhero and Young Avenger America Chavez to life in the film. Chavez’s dimension-hopping powers will obviously come in handy in the multiversal adventure, and it looks like she will be teaching the stubborn Doctor Strange plenty of things.

    Virtualy no Marvel character makes it to live-action exactly how they were written in the comics and often for good reason. In a recent interview with Marvel, Gomez revealed a difference between her live-action Gomez and the source material that has clear implications for the future of the character. Gomez explained that Chavez is about 14-years-old in Multiverse of Madness, which is years younger than the comics Chavez who fell in with the Young Avengers around 17. The actress explained the implications of the character’s age on her future in the MCU:

    You can definitely see the beginning stages of what future America might become…I took stuff that was in the comics, and kind of lightened it up since she’s less experienced. She’s younger than any of her known appearances in the comics, and I think you can see that. It was a fun challenge exploring what a younger and less experienced America might be, but also hinting towards the serious leader she would soon become. I wanted to keep that kid energy and a little bit of that fake-it-till-you-make-it confidence.

    Xochitl Gomez

    Considering a potential Young Avengers project might still be years away, making Chavez younger in the Doctor Strange film would make it easier for her to be a more comics-accurate age when she appears in a related project. Because the character is appearing now, allowing an extra few years of development not only suits the long-term development of the character but also potentially the real-life aging of the young actress.

    Fans can meet America Chavez when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness when movie hits theaters on May 6, 2022.

    Source: Marvel