Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Doctor Strange

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’s Costume Designer Opens Up on Challenges Bringing the Illuminati to Life

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’s Costume Designer Opens Up on Challenges Bringing the Illuminati to Life

    There’s been a lot of talk surrounding the introduction of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Many were shocked when it was revealed that Black Bolt’s costume was entirely made through VFX, which was quite impressive. Of course, the internet has made its own theories in regards to how it came together, but luckily in an interview with Comic Book Movies, costume designer Graham Churchyard has offered some insight into what exactly happened behind the scenes.

    While many believed that the current releases were safe from COVID, it turn sout that their initial plans for the Illuminati weren’t as easy to bring to life as initially expected. Churchyard reveals that many couldn’t travel due to COVID, and there was also an issue of hopes on who they might be able to include. By the time they could finally, likely also contractually speaking, there wasn’t much time left.

    Yeah, I feel sorry for Janek Sirrs that he had to shoehorn those in at the last moment. We had designs for other characters, and then we didn’t have casting and there were travel bans. When we were shooting the Illuminati in London, actors like Sir Patrick couldn’t come to London because of travel. Richie Palmer and everyone had a big wish list of like who was going to be in the Illuminati. When it came down to those two characters being settled on, it was then even too late to make something locally in Los Angeles. Just way too late and too close.

    Graham Churchyard

    He also shared his thoughts with the VFX teams that had to work on everything at the last second but highlighted how they tried their best to help them as best as they could through the costume design, especially the challenge with Wanda flying around Kamar Taj.

    It was probably too close for comfort for visual effects to really do that because up to that point, everything else had been physically there. All of Wanda when she’s flying around Kamar Taj on a very elaborate wire rig that’s like a spider that goes six ways that can pull you in different directions. Where possible, pretty much everything is physical in the costumes unless they say, ‘Hey, the skirt is getting in the way of the rig.’ It just gives visual effects one less thing to do out of the million things that they have to do in to bring these characters and enhance them in the way you see them.

    Graham Churchyard

    Lastly, they revealed that they had to build Captain Marvel’s costume, played by Lashana Lynch in this alternative universe, from scratch. So, they didn’t have much time but confirmed that a lot was cut throughout the process.

    Lashana Lynch as Captain Marvel…we built that entirely from scratch. We start with a 3D scan in a photogrammetry booth, and then we work out a form of the person and start building the costume on top of that and sculpt things in the computer. We’re then printing those out, moulding them, and then get to the point where we say, ‘Let’s bring the actor in for a fitting’ and fine-tune it until you get something like that. I was really happy with Lashana’s costume. The fit and performance, and she was able to fight. All I’m saying is a lot was cut and it’s a very quick end for the Illuminati. We shot a tonne more, but maybe it’ll be on the Blu-ray.

    Graham Curchyard

    There is hope that we’ll get a view behind the scenes from the production in the blu-ray extras, especially some concept art teasing who may have almost joined the Illuminati. Costume design having to throw together something as fast as they could is quite respectable and everyone involved managed to give us a great film even with all these COVID hurdles along the way.

    Source: Comic Book Movie

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Costume Designer Hints at Dormammu and Clea Connection

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Costume Designer Hints at Dormammu and Clea Connection

    Dormammu may have been defeated by the end of Doctor Strange, but his presence is still looming large over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The feared ruler of the Dark Dimension did not appear in this year’s magic sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the film’s mid-credits scene included the surprise reveal that his niece, Charlize Theron‘s Clea, would play a big role in the future of the franchise. Not to be outdone by the many wacky elements in the film, Clea makes her grand debut memorable by popping up out of nowhere in quite the extravagant ensemble.

    During a recent interview with Comic Book’s Phase Zero podcast, Marvel Studios costume designer Graham Churchyard explained that, despite his absence from the movie, Clea’s dread uncle was actually a huge inspiration behind her over-the-top look. After all, the two are related, and if her backstory is anything like the comics, most of her fashion sense comes from a lifetime in the murky depths of the multiverse’s spookiest dimension. Yet, according to Churchyard, the original designs for Clea had her fitted in less aggressive attire:

    Well, that was Ian Joyner and John Staub and all those amazing guys at Vis Dev, with all those illustrations. And we made that whole costume in London, but we never met her, so that was quite traumatic in itself. And then I sent that out to LA and did a couple of Zoom fittings with her and then resolved a few things with the whole amazing costume team at the Marvel warehouse, and then two or three fittings later, that was it. She was on set. But the inspiration, oh my God, that would take another whole interview by itself because that went from someone who was sort of a gardener in the dream scape in the multiverse, to then this sort of warrior, a warrior from another dimension. And she is Dormammu’s kind of daughter, niece from the Dark Dimension. So all of those things were immensely inspiring to her costume.

    Graham Churchyard

    It’s interesting to hear Churchyard mention the word “gardener”. Clea has always been more of a warrior than anything, but the fact Marvel toyed with giving her a more pacifist design could be an indicator of the plans they have for her in future projects. Either way, it’s good to hear that the studio kept her classic familial relations in mind when coming up with her vibe. It’s probably a good sign fans will get to see Theron face down the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest foe somewhere down the line.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Former Marvel Studios Lawyer Opens Up on Missed Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Doctor Strange’ Deal

    Former Marvel Studios Lawyer Opens Up on Missed Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Doctor Strange’ Deal

    While Benedict Cumberbatch has become THE definite Doctor Strange for many, there was a time when Marvel Studios was eyeing Joaquin Phoenix to take on the role. He famously passed on it, as he wasn’t a big fan of their multi-film contract. A lot has happened since that day, as even Marvel Studios moved away from that model, and former production lead attorney Paul Sarker revealed in an interview with The Direct that the Phoenix situation was a key catalyst for their current strategy.

    But to be perfectly honest, the Joaquin Phoenix thing was unique to me, because there was a deal and because it was pretty far along. And we were hopeful that it would close, but it didn’t. And that happens. And that to bring it back full circle, things like that may be why Kevin is saying we don’t want to do these super long-term deals because we want to see what works and if it works, and people want to do more than we’d love to have [them]. We don’t want someone to feel like they’re forced.

    Paul Sarker

    While everyone still benefitted in the end, as Phoenix went on to make a splash with another comic book property in Joker and Cumberbatch became the de facto choice for anyone imagining what this character would look, sound, and be like. It would be fun if he does end up returning in a cameo as the multiverse continues to expand. Sometimes these things just fall into place and it also highlights once again that Marvel Studios is a studio that tends to learn with time.

    Now, they have a bigger universe than ever and their talent is still interested in returning even without any real contractual obligations like in the past. Even Natalie Portman and Idris Elba returned after sharing their dismay with the contract in the past. So, who knows what else they might have started learning and adjusting.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer Teases a New Illuminati in the Main MCU

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer Teases a New Illuminati in the Main MCU

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has introduced the world to universe 838’s version of the Avengers, the Illuminati. While this universe hinted that they were the ones to take down Thanos, they were originally a secret organization in the comics. Most of its members were the smartest and most powerful members of each respective corner of the Marvel comics. Their introduction made some question if the main timeline would also feature the group.

    Luckily, Doctor Strange producer Richie Palmer has teased that their inclusion in the multiverse does not exclude a chance that the Illuminati will make a return at some point in the future. No, not the version that was killed at the hands of Wanda, as he hints that the main MCU could see their introduction one day.

    The Illuminati’s been a group we’ve wanted to introduce in our movies for years. They’re a secret organization that works off the grid. They do the things that the other groups like the Avengers wouldn’t be too happy about… To do it in an alternate universe in the Multiverse, was a really exciting thing because we get to meet a version of this group in this other universe, and then we still might get to see an Illuminati of our main MCU one day, which is also very exciting.

    Richie Palmer

    It would seem unlikely that Doctor Strange would join that group, or perhaps he felt a little inspired to do what they couldn’t do. Perhaps they go into a direction that sees the group already existing with members that are slowly recruiting throughout the next phase. It’ll be interesting to see where and how they might show up.

    Source: Disney+ via The Direct

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Almost Featured a Deadpool Dimension

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Almost Featured a Deadpool Dimension

    In the multiverse, anything is possible. When Doctor Strange was first teased to venture beyond his own dimension, we were excited to see how it comes together and what dimension he might visit. Surprisingly, the film showed restraint and focused on its main character’s development. Still, there were some unused ideas for dimensions, as revealed in the latest Assembled entry from Marvel Studios that offers a glimpse behind the scenes.

    In the latest episode, it offered a look behind the scenes at Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness alongside some concept art for a scrapped dimension that almost was. While most are simple and visually stunning, there is one that stands out quite a bit among them as it seems just features a variety of posters featuring Deadpool.

    via The Direct

    If you zoom in, you can see that it includes some comic covers and even the Deadpool 2 poster that featured Josh Brolin‘s Cable. So, we may have almost had a Deadpool inclusion inclusion after all even if it would’ve just been brief.

    via The Direct

    The concept art doesn’t really offer a glimpse of what the Deadpool dimension would’ve offered, but one could imagine a lot of people running around with Deadpool masks. Though it seems mostly like one side is filled to the brim with posters and nothing else, which could potentially just be used as a reference and is all they would’ve shown. The fun idea would’ve been for Deadpool to just throw on the posters as they fly by as he winks. We might never know what it was going to be, but it’s fun to speculate.

    Source: Disney Plus via The Direct

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Beats Out ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Eternals’ Viewership in First 5 Days on Disney+

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Beats Out ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Eternals’ Viewership in First 5 Days on Disney+

    It looks like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been a big release on Disney+ even while it’s still available in theaters. The film has been building up quite a bit over the last few weeks in cinemas, as it’s likely to end its run with at least $950M. While it isn’t a billion, it’s quite the jump from the previous entry and further proves that Marvel Studios has a hold at the box office. Now, they also released the film on Disney+ to grab a home audience and it looks like the film performed quite well.

    According to a study by Samba TV, a third-party analytics company, the film pulled in 2.1M US households that watched the Doctor Strange sequel in its first 5 days of streaming. To put it in perspective, SambaTV reported that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Teen Rings pulled in around 1.7M viewers back in November. Eternals also pulled in a strong 2M which now puts Doctor Strange on top with 2.1M.

    It needs to be pointed out that this value is only a temporary look and might not truly represent how these projects are truly performing. Still, from a third-party perspective, it does seem like the project is doing quite well. 2M viewership seems to be the core audience for Marvel films, which is a curious benchmark for future projects. These numbers could be quite a bit higher due to it relying on Samba TV’s household panels but it at least offers us a little glimpse of how our favorite projects are performing.

    Source: Twitter (Strange), Twitter (Shang-Chi), Twitter (Eternals)

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Director Offers Details on 616 Mordo’s Grisly Fate

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Director Offers Details on 616 Mordo’s Grisly Fate

    There has long been a rumored sequence teased where Mordo would take on Wanda Maximoff in an earlier draft of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. During the commentary track from the latest digital release, as shared by Insider, director Sam Raimi reveals just how that sequence was going to end up. It looks like he was going to face a terrible fate and already hint at the brutal takedowns Wanda was going to execute upon the Illuminati.

    Michael had written an early scene with Chiwetel where we saw him in our universe, 616, where he was the Mordo that we knew from ‘Doctor Strange 1.’ Only he had been through many battles since that. He had a limp, and he was coming after the Scarlet Witch to take her power because he knew she was dark and terribly corrupted by the Darkhold. She killed him and cut off his head. Presented it to Strange in a later scene.

    Sam Raimi

    While praising the work by writer Michael Waldron, he does reveal that it slowed down the beginning and it was the reason it was dropped from the script. It also would’ve given away her dark turn quite early on and the mystery did add a little something special early on.

    What seemed like a sequence that would be dragged out throughout the film was swiftly pushed to the side and we got some creative creature designs. Plus, it kept us on edge when the actual takedown happens during the meeting with the Illuminati. Plus, it also keeps Mordo’s fate open and not just kill him off before truly exploring his rivalry with Strange more.

    Source: Insider

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer on Making the Mr. Fantastic Fan Cast a Reality

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer on Making the Mr. Fantastic Fan Cast a Reality

    John Krasinski joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the role he’s been fan-cast ever since an image made the rounds of him looking like Mr. Fantastic from the comics. Many years later, he would arrive in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as part of the Illuminati. Many wondered if this opens up the potential of him taking on the role in the mainline MCU, but while it’s not confirmed, producer Richie Palmer revealed why he was cast in the commentary track (as quoted by The Direct).

    It’s so funny that Kevin [Feige] cast John [Krasinski] because the fans had a dream of who the perfect Reed Richards would be. And because this is an alternate universe, I think Kevin said, ‘Let’s make that dream come true.’ I’ve always really enjoyed all of his performances.’

    Richie Palmer

    It’s something that once again highlights just how much Marvel Studios listens to fans and it’s incredible that they were able to make it a reality. Krasinski and Marvel Studios have not given away if there’s a future for him with the franchise, but it definitely was a cameo alongside Anson Mount‘s return as Black Bolt that had many excited for the future of these characters.

    They also confirmed that Mr. Fantastic uses Doctor Doom’s Time Platform to appear in the sequences, which many theorized due to the visual design that is also not too different from the TVA’s transportation device. So, we may see more of it moving forward, and here’s hoping we ‘ll get more teases of the Fantastic Four joining the MCU at one point.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer Highlights Wanda and Strange’s Importance to the MCU’s Phase 4

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer Highlights Wanda and Strange’s Importance to the MCU’s Phase 4

    Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been an interesting experience for many. Each project has been a bit more self-contained without a clear build-up, outside of Loki‘s set-up of what is very likely the final conflict of this new saga, and has led to some confusion about what the future has in store. Without an Avengers film on the horizon, many wondered when these newly introduced heroes would truly unite and who will take on the key roles that Steve Rogers and Tony Stark had in the Infinity Saga.

    Well, producer Richie Palmer has highlighted that “Doctor Strange is the anchor of Phase 4” and “Wanda Maximoff is the jewel in the crown.” Especially Elisabeth Olsen‘s time as Wanda has gone through a major shift with her tale in WandaVision and turn to villainy in the Doctor Strange sequel (transcript provided by The Direct). He highlights them as follows:

    Yeah, it’s crazy to see Wanda act like this for the first time, it’s so exciting. And for fans of the comics, we were so excited to bring this to screen and finally deliver on the promise. Once you introduce the character of the Scarlet Witch, even before she was the Scarlet Witch, we introduced her in Age of Ultron, there was always the hope that we can bring her to this place of her doing things like [infiltrating Kamar Taj]. And it’s really exciting, and she is the best. If Doctor Strange is the anchor of the MCU of Phase 4, then Wanda Maximoff is the jewel in the crown.

    Richie Palmer

    While he doesn’t point to their role in the new saga, which Kevin Feige has teased may become clearer in the coming months. They are seemingly building up towards a Secret Wars crossover which would require some of the strongest universe-defying characters to bring some logic to it. So, who knows if perhaps the remnants of the Dakrhold are the incursion that was just waiting to unleash them unto Battleworld.

    Source: The Direct

  • First ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Draft Included Wasp as Illuminati Member

    First ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Draft Included Wasp as Illuminati Member

    We’ve always wondered who else was going to be part of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ Illuminati. The potential of exploring a multiversal take on the secret organization that mirrors the Sacred Timeline’s Avengers was filled with potential. We got some truly amazing additions in the form of Charles Xavier, Captain Carter, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, and even an alternative Captain Marvel. Not too long ago we learned that there were plans to include Namor, but it seems there was one more member that was going to join.

    On the digital releases’ commentary track for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, writer Michael Waldron offered some insight into how he brought the script together. While teasing that he was inspired by Aliens and didn’t think Marvel would let him, the heroes ended up as fodder for the Scarlet Witch in the film. Among them was going to be the Wasp as well, who faced a swift end as well.

    Yeah, I think I watched Aliens and was just thinking about the way those Marines get massacred, and, yeah, I was glad it worked. “I think originally, the Wasp was in a version of the Illuminati, and the Wasp shrunk down and flew at Wanda, and [Wanda] just clapped her hands and just smushed the Wasp in the first draft.

    Michael Waldron

    It definitely would’ve been interesting to see the Wasp try to heroically take on Wanda for her only to get taken out in the simplest way possible. Of course, she would be powerful enough to break free from someone clapping but the master of chaos magic isn’t just your regular enemy. There’s no detail on which version of Wasp that was going to be, but it definitely is an interesting detail that could’ve been.

    Source: The Direct