Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Movies

  • Patrick Stewart Was “a Little Unsure” About Returning as Charles Xavier in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Patrick Stewart Was “a Little Unsure” About Returning as Charles Xavier in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Marvel Studios’ latest film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is filled to the brim with surprises and horror goodness. Earlier trailers did give away one massive addition, which was that Patrick Stewart was joining the franchise as Professor X one more time. His voice alone had many excited and made him a great addition as they further explore the multiverse in this new entry.

    In an interview with Variety, he compares what it was like returning to the role to his hesitation with the Star Trek Picard series. He was “a little unsure” about returning especially after the powerful send-off we got with Logan for the character. But, it seems like he was quite happy with how his role turned out in the film.

    Well, it was a day-and-a-half’s work. I was in a very different environment from the one that I had ever been in, in any of the “X-Men” movies. And just like “Picard,” I was grateful for it, because I could think refreshingly about who he was and how he related to others. Just like “Star Trek: Picard,” I was a little unsure at first if it was a wise thing to do. Given that “Logan” had been such a powerful movie and we watched him die in Hugh Jackman’s arms. So having seen [“Doctor Strange 2”] on Monday night, I’m very happy and very proud that I’ve been part of that.

    Patrick Stewart

    It definitely left a memorable impact on viewers when he arrived, especially with him riding in on the iconic chair from the 90s animated series. They definitely set up some interesting aspects going in and it gave Stewart one more chance to play a role he made so iconic. Of course, his true send-off came in the form of Logan, which left quite a memorable lasting effect with his character and the tragedy of where his abilities lead him. It’ll be interesting if this also sets up a new generation to take on the role with MCU’s take on the X-Men.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Pulls in Strong $36M in Thursday Previews Domestically, Just Behind ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Pulls in Strong $36M in Thursday Previews Domestically, Just Behind ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

    The first numbers are in for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and it has definitely left an imprint already. The latest Marvel Studios film pulled in a great $36M in its Thursday previews in the US, which is the eighth-best preview intake right behind Avengers: Infinity War‘s $39M. It’s also the fifth biggest preview for IMAX previews with $4.3M. It was released across 4,545 theaters across the country and is further showcasing that business is healing for theater chains.

    Depending on how frontloaded the film is, it could potentially make beyond $180M, but as Hollywood Reporter points it’s very likely to move between $160M to $180M. This would be closer in line with what we heard from Deadline a few days ahead of its release. It should also be noted that this is higher than other successful entries that include Captain Marvel ($153.4M), Thor: Ragnarok ($122.7M), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5M).

    Box Office Pro had it heading towards $215M, which strongly depends on how it goes into Friday and Saturday. but if it keeps up a strong momentum it may even reach their expectations, but it strongly depends on word-of-mouth. The horror and gory elements could either pull in more curious viewers over the weekend, but also has the chance of having great legs like other horror franchises.

    We can’t forget that the film has pulled in a really impressive $27.2M in its Wednesday previews internationally, which is only 4% behind Spider-Man: No Way Home without releases in specific countries. It seems that it potentially would make $300M globally at its current path. The Avatar: Way of Water trailer promotion has also been giving the film quite the boost with IMAX screenings. The growth from the previous entry is quite impressive considering it made $85M back in 2016.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured the Eternals

    ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured the Eternals

    We just covered a story that there were some connections to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe planned before Moon Knight stuck to its more self-contained mythology. While we get to spend a lot of time with the Egyptian pantheon, it seems that they originally were going to expand upon that concept. As revealed in an interview with The Direct, head writer Jeremy Slater originally envisioned the Eternals as part of the series.

    I tried very hard to get the Eternals into the show, just because I’m buddies with Kumail Nanjiani… I want[ed] some Kingo. At one point, there was a flashback on the page that sort of showed one of Khonshu’s Avatars back in ancient Egypt, sort of dealing with Ammit being locked away, and Alexander the Great, and all of that stuff. You sort of saw this Avatar team-up with the Eternals. It was a really fun scene, but again, it was so massively expensive to recreate Ancient Egypt, to sort of bring in 3 or 4 of the Eternals to have this big action sequence.

    Jeremy Slater

    Given that they would eventually be remembered through folk tales and mythology, it would’ve been a fitting choice to include them as a reference to the bigger MCU. Yet, as Slater points out, it probably would’ve turned into quite an expensive addition to the series if they had not just one but multiple members show up in the series.

    It was one of those things where it was a very fun scene, and it would have been a great cold open to one of the episodes, but it also would have had to come out of our budget somewhere else, and probably would have hurt our finale along the way. So, that was the cameo I had to cut. It hurt, but it was also the right thing to do for the show, and I think everyone sort of collectively agreed. There’s plenty of time in the future to team this guy up with other characters in the MCU and start building these connections; let’s not force something just because the other shows have all had it

    Jeremy Slater

    While it’s a shame it didn’t happen, especially as it would further continue developing the mythology of this world filled with superheroes, it is for the better. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten a pretty great Kaiju fight between Khonshu and Ammit in the finale. We’ll have to wait a little longer until we see their return and what the future has in store for them.

    Source: The Direct

  • Mohamed Diab Wants to Tackle a ‘Moon Knight’ Team-Up Movie Next

    Mohamed Diab Wants to Tackle a ‘Moon Knight’ Team-Up Movie Next

    Mohamed Diab had brought his flair to create one of Marvel Studios’ most unique series, which explores the complicated divided personalities within Moon Knight. While the Disney+ series explored his story across six episodes, it seems that Diab is down to further explore the character in a movie rather than a second season. Not just any kind of movie, but in the form of a team-up with another member of the MCU.

    If you ask me, I would love to have the chance to make Moon Knight into a film,. Maybe join someone from the Marvel Universe so it’s like partnering up with someone else or being a part of another journey.

    Mohamed Diab

    It does sound like an interesting approach but does open up the question of who he might interact with. As he does have a strong standing in New York City in the past, it would be fun to explore his interactions with Spider-Man, which were some of the funniest in the comics. Of course, he wants to use the opportunity to further explore the personality of Jake that was introduced at the end of the season finale’s post-credit sequence.

    I would love to see more of Jake, see life through Jake’s point of view at some point. The best thing about starting a new story is the Marc and Steven dynamic is going to change because they’re now living in one body. So it’s such an interesting world. I want to see Layla, who doesn’t like being an avatar and how is she going to live with that or is she going to reject that or is she going to come to terms with her being a superhero? I love all that. So I hope we can put all that in a blender and just play with it.

    Mohamed Diab

    Now, the question will be if they’ll truly just skip a second season overall and just jump directly into a film. They technically set up everything they needed to focus on a more violent storyline with the character which builds upon Lockley’s violent tendencies. There’s a chance they might go the Midnight Sons route as a way to keep the character in a separate project before returning for a second season. Diab also mentions spending more time with Layla, which might become its own Disney+ spinoff series to further explore Egyptian culture and the fallout from the Avatar’s deaths. So, there’s a lot of potentials.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Pulls in an Impressive $27.2M in First Day Internationally

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Pulls in an Impressive $27.2M in First Day Internationally

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is already making quite an impressive footprint in the industry, as its first day in international markets has pulled in $27.2M. As such, the film is currently trailing behind Spider-Man: No Way Home but only by 4%. That is an impressive number considering just how large that film was without a release in key markets and the fact that Multiverse of Madness isn’t releasing in a few countries due to controversies of their LGBTQ references. The film is currently 153% ahead of the original 2016 film and 210% of The Batman on a like-to-like basis.

    The Benedict Cumberbatch-led film managed to keep the top spot in the Asia Pacific, as well as European markets such as France, Italy, and Germany. It has also pulled in $3.5M in Mexico and $2.7M in Brazil, which puts it at $10.3M in all Latin American markets. It has already topped those territories while still being in its previews. Even Korea, which has been pulling back due to concerns with the pandemic, has managed to return to cinemas. It may have made an additional $14.7M which isn’t included in the $27.2M.

    We’ll see more releases in other international markets, and it looks like the film is going to be quite the crowd-pleaser. The rumors may give it some additional legs and while it probably won’t come near to what No Way Home managed, it seems like it’ll definitely be carrying the next month as more films start to release. It also is a good sign that Marvel Studios’ expansion into Disney+ may have not scared off people to still come in and see their latest entry. Word-of-mouth and its horror elements may be a key factor moving forward, especially as it may not quite pull in the usual four-quadrant market due to these elements.

    Source: Deadline

  • New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch Teases Thor’s Story Arc with the Guardians of the Galaxy

    New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch Teases Thor’s Story Arc with the Guardians of the Galaxy

    The first trailer of Thor: Love and Thunder gave us a glimpse at the God of Thunder trying to find some inner peace. He set out with the Guardians of the Galaxy after the events of Avengers: Endgame, where they finally took down Thanos and could bring back half the universe. While we do see him try to get back into shape and into saving the galaxy, something seems off for Thor.

    A new piece of merchandise from Love and Thunder may have answered that very question. While we still see a somewhat younger Groot, the big reveal is the fact that Thor is seemingly still not over the defeat at the hands of Thanos. It reads as follows:

    Long after the Avengers defeat Thanos. The Guardians of the Galaxy must convince Thor to return to the battlefield.

    It’s not too surprising that he might be still hung up on it, as while they did take him down, it was Tony’s self-sacrifice that truly defeated the Titan. So, he technically never truly got an actual victory and while he may have gotten back in shape, it may still linger in his mind. Of course, he may just generally have reached his limit with all the losses he faced, and getting into shape didn’t quite give him that spark he was hoping for. Perhaps meeting an old friend and an imminent threat that gives him exactly what he was looking for.

  • Taika Waititi Hypes ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, Hails Christian Bale’s Gorr

    Taika Waititi Hypes ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, Hails Christian Bale’s Gorr

    Taika Waititi wasted no time making it clear that his version of the MCU’s Thor would have little in common with the character that was introduced in 2011 and spent several years and appearances being overshadowed by his fellow Avengers. After being sidelined in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, the God of Thunder returned in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok in which Waititi deconstructed the hero and set him on a journey that would find him stripped bare of everything that he thought he was and all those who mattered to him. When we last saw him at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Thor was headed out into the galaxy to star over. And according to Waititi, in an interview with the Associated Press, that’s right where his story will pick up in this summer’s Thor: Love and Thunder.

    Thor is just trying to figure out his purpose, trying to figure out exactly who he is and why he’s a hero or whether he should be a hero. I guess you could call it a midlife crisis.

    Taikia Waititi

    The recent teaser for the film gave that vibe, with Thor meditating and reflecting while searching for peace. Unfortunately for the Odinson, any peace he finds will be fleeting as he’s fated to come face-to-face with Gorr the God Butcher who was teased-not-seen in the aforementioned teaser. According to Waititi, Gorr-brought to the screen by Christian Bale-will not only provide an unprecedented threat to Thor, but is poised to find himself in high company saying, “in my humble opinion, we have probably the best villain that Marvel’s ever had in Christian Bale.”

    And though Thor has lost his father, his brother, his Warriors Three and his best friend, he’s picked up a couple of new pals along the way in Valkyrie and Korg, and is set to be reunited with familiar face he thought lost in ex-flame Jane Foster. These friends, old and new, will be with him while he takes on a threat not only to him, but gods of all Pantheons. Waititi calls the squad “a great, really fun, weird little group of heroes, a new team for Thor with Korg, Valkyrie and The Mighty Thor.”

    Waititi isn’t one to make promises upon which he can’t deliver. He’s often described Love and Thunder as crazier than Ragnarok and if he’s hyping it and Bale’s performance this much, there’s reason to be excited. Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters this July.

    Source: AP

  • Sam Raimi Reveals How ‘Evil Dead’ Influenced ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Sam Raimi Reveals How ‘Evil Dead’ Influenced ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Since it’s very announcement, Marvel Studios has been describing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as their first true foray into the horror genre. As such, it made a lot of sense when the company hired Sam Raimi to replace Scott Derrickson as the film’s director. The iconic filmmaker has experience with both comic book projects and horror movies, and has even mixed the two before in 1990’s Darkman. However, it was apparently his work on the famed Evil Dead franchise that helped him the most throughout filming of Doctor Strange. In a recent interview with Fandom, Raimi explained:

    It was really nice to have the experience of having made those horror films because I could take my knowledge of building suspense and delivering scares, and when it got spooky in Multiverse of Madness, I could apply those techniques.

    Sam Raimi

    The latest MCU film is said to be filled with plenty of ghastly moments and jump scares. Raimi is known for his fast-paced camera work and up-close visuals, which the film’s star Rachel McAdams confirmed in her own quote:

    He’s really great at describing what is happening in his mind’s eye, thank goodness, because, you can see it all sort of swirling in there. And you’re like [whispering] ‘What are we doing? What’s happening?’ And then he’s very good about taking you through the whole day and what this will look like and what’s coming towards you and the build up of a scene and how scary it’s going to be. You sort of start to understand, like, ‘Oh, this is my part in this. And this is how I can help him make it as scary as possible.’ That was kind of fun. And doing super, super tight shots – like, way up in your face! But once you know why, that’s kind of exciting.

    Rachel McAdams

    Fans will see just how terrifying Doctor Strange can be when Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6th.
    News

    Source: Fandom


  • Sam Raimi Reveals First Cut of ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Was Much Longer

    Sam Raimi Reveals First Cut of ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Was Much Longer

    As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness prepares to blow fans’ minds, more information is coming to light about what it was like behind the scenes. Audiences are eager to witness director Sam Raimi’s return to the Marvel movie scene and what his signature flair will add to the horror-inspired film.

    One aspect of the unreleased film that has caught people’s attention is the official run time. Conversations about run times seem to have increased dramatically in the past few years, and many have questioned whether the Multiverse of Madness’s two-hour and five-minute run time is appropriate for the perceived scope of the film.

    Raimi recently told Collider that the first cut of the film was indeed significantly longer than the final cut. Apparently, the final film was cut down from a two-hour and forty-minute run time. At that length, the Doctor Strange sequel would have been one of the MCU’s longest films to date. The final cut is actually right about the average length for an MCU film.

    In explaining that there are a few deleted scenes he expects to make the eventual Blu-ray, Raimi commented on the film’s runtime:

    Well, the first cut…I actually don’t remember the length of it…it was probably about two hours and forty minutes and it slowly came down even though we did the reshoots. We took out material even though the reshoots went in.

    Sam Raimi

    While the runtime is controversial despite the fact that general audiences have yet to see Multiverse of Madness, fans should trust that the filmmakers left out material for the good of the film. You can read our review as to why no one should worry about how long the sequel is.

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

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Writer Regrets Some Multiverse Rules He Introduced in ‘Loki’

    ‘Doctor Strange’ Writer Regrets Some Multiverse Rules He Introduced in ‘Loki’

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is almost upon us. You can read our spoiler-free review here. The 28th Marvel Studios feature film will be the latest—and likely biggest—leap into the multiversal lore of Phase Four. The movie promises to be a bold and wild Sam Raimi-directed adventure that sees our titular character, with company from major characters like the Scarlet Witch and America Chavez, travel through the multiverse to prevent a great evil that threatens it.

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s multiverse was, in fact, broken open during the events of the season finale of the Loki Disney+ series that debuted in 2021. With the new multiverse in full focus going into the Doctor Strange sequel, the film had quite the helping hand in its writer Michael Waldron, who also penned Loki. Previously, producer Richie Palmer has praised Waldron’s involvement with respect to how the Disney+ series already set the groundwork for some of the rules of the multiverse.

    Interestingly, Waldron recently told Digital Spy that he has some regrets about how rigidly he defined some of the “rules” of the multiverse in Loki due to its potential effects on future multiverse projects:

    We worked pretty hard on Loki to make it as airtight as possible. But there were times when I was like, ‘Oh, shit, I wish I hadn’t have defined that so clearly. I don’t know why I had to be so specific in my time-travel television show about the rules of the multiverse.

    Michael Waldron

    Even though there may be some challenges in keeping multiversal mechanics consistent in the MCU as a whole going forward, Waldron still believes that his work on Loki greatly benefitted the writing process of Multiverse of Madness. He stated:

    But, I was glad that I came in with institutional knowledge of the multiverse and was able to get the creative team of Doctor Strange on the same page as me on everything. Because like with Loki, that’s the most important thing when you’re dealing with this…You have to all have a shared language of all this stuff, otherwise it can get pretty confusing.

    Michael Waldron

    If Loki limited some of the creative direction of Multiverse of Madness with respect to the physics and understandings of the multiverse, it seems as though it still ultimately enabled the sequel to have a coherent and consistent tone with the MCU. A “shared language” about the multiverse will undoubtedly come in handy to both filmmakers and audiences going forward.

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

    Source: Digital Spy