Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Movies

  • 3 Under the Radar Possibilities for Sadie Sink’s Mysterious Role in ‘Spider-Man 4’

    3 Under the Radar Possibilities for Sadie Sink’s Mysterious Role in ‘Spider-Man 4’

    Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will co-star with MCU vet Tom Holland in Spider-Man 4 in what’s only been described to this point as a large role. Previously rumored to be a front-runner for the role of Omega mutant and original X-Men Jean Grey, the identity of Sink‘s character has generated a lot of conversation online though it remains unknown. With that in mind, we’re jumping into the conversation, adding a few dark horse candidates for the young ginger star’s MCU alter ego.

    Given that the new Spider-Man film will follow Avengers: Doomsday, there’s no telling just yet what the project’s setting might be, so ruling out any one particular character on the grounds of a “why would they be there?” argument is nonsensical at this point. In a collapsing Multiverse, all bets are off.

    Firestar

    Insider Jeff “The In” Sneider’s late 2024 report that Sink was leading a pack of actresses for the part of Marvel Studios’ Jean Grey seems to still be carrying a lot of weight in the current conversation about Sink’s Spidey 4 role. On one hand, we’ve heard on more than one occasion that the studio wants to introduce its own variants of the mutant heroes into the MCU before the X-Men film hits in (probably) 2027, so Grey makes a lot of sense for Sink; on the other hand, another red headed mutant has a much richer history with the Web-Slinger.

    When rights issues blocked the use of Johnny Storm in 1981’s for NBC’s animated Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Firestar was created to be the fire to Bobby Drake’s ice. In 1985, the character was written into the mainstream Marvel Comics continuity where she has been an X-Man, New Warrior and Avenger. As much as folksight want to write the character off as a random Z-lister, remember a whole generation of kids–the generation that includes director Destin Daniel Cretton–grew up believing Firestar was pretty amazing. And, in some ways, it might be easier for a non-major member of the X-Men to be introduced as native to Earth-616 than for Jean Grey to suddenly appear.

    Hope Summers

    If one host of the Phoenix is possible, why not another? Raised in the future by Cable, Hope Summers, the Mutant Messiah, is as powerful of an Omega-Level mutant as has ever existed and one of the most important X-Men characters created this century.

    Hope was never even close to fully utilized by Fox, only having briefly appeared in Deadpool 2 and Marvel could tap into her role as the mutant savior by throwing her into the mix as the Multiverse (likely) collapses and is then remade. Spidey has long been a mutant ally, so it wouldn’t be out of place for him to work with Hope to solve whatever is going on after the events of Avengers: Doomsday.

    Rachel Summers

    Of all the possibilities here, I actually like this one the best. Rachel Summers stands out among potential choices because of her identity as a Multiversal anomaly: across all timelines, there is only one Rachel Summers. Though not Omega-Level like her mother, Jean Grey, Rachel is a powerful telepath who has also demonstrated the ability to control time and travel to other realities.

    While it may be a bit of a stretch, it’s important to remember that actions have consequences so when Monica Rambeau found herself stuck in whatever reality she ended up in during the third act of The Marvels, a response is due. With the Multiverse in jeopardy, it’s possible an older Rachel Summers, complete with her Hound skills intact, could be sent to explore things in Monica’s home universe where she meets up with Peter Parker.

  • ‘Stranger Things’ Star Sadie Sink Joins ‘Spider-Man 4’

    ‘Stranger Things’ Star Sadie Sink Joins ‘Spider-Man 4’

    For over two years, Sadie Sink has been the subject of multiple rumors suggesting that the Stranger Things star was considered for a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In January 2023, Sink was rumored to be eyed for the role of Melissa Gold/Songbird in Marvel Studios Thunderbolts* which hits theaters in just under two months. More recently…and perhaps much more interestingly…Sink had emerged as the frontrunner for original X-Men member Jean Grey as Marvel looks to get their own spin on the team of mutant heroes to the big screen following Avengers: Secret Wars. As it turns out, Marvel has been looking for the right role for Sink and now, according to a trade report, they have found it.

    According to Deadline’s Justin Kroll, Sink has joined the cast of Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man 4 and will co-star alongside Tom Holland.

    While Kroll’s report doesn’t nail down the identity of Sink’s character, it leans heavily into the Jean Grey talk while not-so-subtly hinting that she might be playing Mary Jane Watson. While it is the Multiverse Saga and anything is possible, having two MJs seems a bit much for Peter. For the older crowd, another option that readily comes to mind is one of Spider-Man’s original amazing friends, Angelica Jones, aka Firestar. Like Grey, Firestar is a redhead, a mutant and an X-Man. However, Firestar was created for early 1980s NBC animated series, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, before making her way into the pages of Marvel Comics.

    Spider-Man 4 is being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton who is taking the helm of the franchise after original trilogy director Jon Watts departed. Expected to film later this year, the fourth installment in the MCU-set Spidey franchise will hit theaters on July 31, 2026.

    Source: Deadline

  • Funko Strikes Again! Marvel Studios Sentry Revealed Via ‘Thunderbolts*’ Merch

    Funko Strikes Again! Marvel Studios Sentry Revealed Via ‘Thunderbolts*’ Merch

    Marvel Studios has a merchandising problem. No studio works harder to keep its secrets than Marvel does, however, on multiple occasions, those secrets they worked so hard to keep have been spoiled by toys, T-shirts and promotional images. Now, it’s happened again, revealing the identity of a character the studio worked so hard to protect in production despite multiple leaks.

    Ahead of coming available for purchase online this week, pictures of the line of Funko Pops for Thunderbolts* have appeared online. While 4 of the beloved  collectibles reveal nothing, the fifth provides the first look at Sentry, the super-powered Super Soldier unwittingly set loose by the team in the film.

    Ultimately, unless the studio plans to drop another trailer very soon, it’s poor planning by Marvel to let fans’ first look at Sentry come via merchandise pre-order. While most hardcore Marvel Studios fans have been aware that the character was part of the film for quite some time, this may be the first time that a different group of fans learns that Lewis Pullman’s Bob is actually Robert Reynolds, aka Sentry.

    The latest blunder comes on the heels of Funkos confirming that Joe Locke‘s Teen was indeed Wiccan/Billy Maximoff in Agatha All Along and McDonald’s Happy Meals giving away Diamondback toys despite the character being cut from Captain America: Brave New World.

  • Leaked Concept Art Reveals a Look at One (Likely) Scrapped Team of Heroes from ‘Avengers 5’

    Leaked Concept Art Reveals a Look at One (Likely) Scrapped Team of Heroes from ‘Avengers 5’

    In February 2023, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness described his next Marvel Studios project, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, as “the biggest movie in the world.” However, whatever “big, sweeping” ideas Loveness had for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty are likely lost to time as he was replaced as the film’s writer by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron in November 2023. By July 2024, original director Destin Daniel Cretton had also left the project and was replaced by Anthony and Joe Russo, who brought along old pal Stephen McFeely to work on the script for what became Avengers: Doomsday. Two writers and a pair of experienced Marvel Studios directors later, it’s hard to imagine there’s much meat left on the bones of Loveness‘ original ideas.

    I have this opportunity to write a vast, American epic–I’ll use American in a general term–but a big, American movie. I don’t take it lightly and I want to make it this big, sweeping and exciting, funny movie and I think we have the best actor in the world as the most complicated villain in comic books. So I can’t say too much, but we’re really swinging for the fences and I can’t wait for you to see what Jonathan does.

    -Jeff Loveness

    Loveness became a bit of a fall guy for the unfortunate bomb that Quantumania became and even if his entire story for The Kang Dynasty was scrapped, it doesn’t mean there may not have been some fun ideas in store. One early rumor about the film indicated that it would include multiple teams of heroes and now some leaked concept art for the film may have revealed the makeup of one such team.

    One particular piece of concept art from Marvel Studios Senior Concept/Visual Development Mushk Rizvi’s now removed Art Station folder provides a look at designs for a bar scene that feature an incredibly diverse cast of characters.

    The concept art, which is dated March 20, 2024, shows Benedict Wong‘s Wong and Chris Pratt‘s Star-Lord hanging out with Iman Vellani‘s Kamala Khan, Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop, Kathryn Newton‘s Cassie Lang, Joe Locke‘s Wiccan and an unknown actor as Speed. It looks as though the plan was–and may still be–to introduce the MCU’s Champions/Young Avengers in Avengers 5, now known as Avengers: Doomsday.

    As exciting as concept art is, it’s important to remember it’s not always indicative of what will be seen in the final cut of a film. Even if the scene made its way into the final draft of the script and was filmed, there’s no guarantee it wouldn’t end up on the cutting room floor. Furthermore, in this particular instance, this concept art was from nearly a year ago and there’s no telling whose script it was from but it’s definitely not from McFeely’s draft, so counting on it still being part of the plan for the new film is probably a bad move. Nonetheless, the conceptualized scene, which also features Doop, has fans excited online and is creating more positive buzz than most Marvel projects.

    Avengers: Doomsday is currently slated to hit theaters on May 1, 2026.

  • ‘Avengers’ Concept Art Shines a Light on Marvel Studios’ Black Panther Plans

    ‘Avengers’ Concept Art Shines a Light on Marvel Studios’ Black Panther Plans

    In recent months, multiple reports have combined to paint a muddled picture of Marvel Studios’ plans for the future of the Black Panther franchise. In early January, Jeff “The In” Snieder shared that he had heard that the studio intended to recast T’Challa ahead of Avengers: Doomsday and that the new actor would reprise the role in Avengers: Secret Wars and again in Black Panther 3. Sneider has a pretty high success rate when it comes to scooping Marvel news but admittedly does not keep up with all the inner workings of the MCU; so, when his report was refuted by social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, who suggested that the studio was actually looking to recast the role of T’Challa II, played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, most fans adjusted their expectations.

    In February, Marvel Studios’ Parliament member Nate Moore addressed the rumors of a potential recast of T’Challa and effectively ended the conversation, saying that until the studio knew what the story was for Black Panther 3, they were not able to make a decision on replacing the late Chadwick Boseman in the role. Now, some intriguing evidence has emerged that might well explain the source of the rumblings shared by Sneider without making a liar out of Moore.

    We don’t know what the story is, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not we’re open to recasting. It certainly wasn’t our instinct for Wakanda Forever. I’ll never say never to anything, but it’s too early to talk about any of that stuff. We have to figure out what the story’s going to be.

    -Nate Moore

    In what may end up being one of the biggest Marvel Studios’ oopsies ever, Senior Concept/Visual Development Artist Mushk Rizvi posted a significant amount of concept art from the studio’s upcoming slate to her Art Station account. Among there were several designs for a new Black Panther that looked to be using actor Damson Idris as a model. Those designs have since been removed so we certainly won’t be embedding them here; however, inspecting the details of those files provided details that seem to support Sneider’s claims.

    Each of the six different files includes both a reference to the project they were designed for and the name of the character. The files reference a project coded as “ape” which we believe is an abbreviation for Apple Pie, the working title of both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Additionally, they reveal the identity of the Black Panther as T’Chanda. In Marvel Comics lore, T’Chanda was the Black Panther of Wakanda in World War II and the grandfather of T’Challa. And perhaps most interestingly, the file was created in August 2024, after the Russos boarded Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as co-directors.

    Given the nature of the Multiverse, in which the Fantastic Four is set in a retrofuturistic 1960s alternate universe, it is entirely feasible that the studio plans to introduce T’Chanda, potentially played by Idris or another actor of that impressive caliber, as the Black Panther of his own universe in Avengers: Doomsday and find a way to incorporate him and his descendants into the whatever plans they have beyond the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga.

  • Marvel Studios Exec Ends Speculation about Plans for ‘Black Panther 3’

    Marvel Studios Exec Ends Speculation about Plans for ‘Black Panther 3’

    Since Denzel Washington revealed that Ryan Coogler was writing a part for him into Black Panther 3, reports and rumors about the film have come at a constant clip. While Kevin Feige confirmed that the project is in development and that Nate Moore will serve as a producer despite preparing to leave Marvel Studios, there’s been no other news from official sources. But that hasn’t stopped the usual suspects from sharing what they’ve heard.

    Whether it be rumors about recasting either T’Challa or T’Challa II, Washington‘s potential role or generalized statements that could later be proven true with the wave of a hand, online scoopers have had plenty to say about Black Panther 3…and according to Nate Moore, none of it is true.

    “It is, honestly, so early,” Moore told EW when asked about the online buzz. “We’ve had a couple of conversations with Ryan Coogler, our filmmaker who’s coming back, but he’s finishing up his film.“

    Moore then went out of his way to make it clear that despite the abundance of rumors circulating about Black Panther 3,  the studio has not begun work on the film and won’t be for some time.

    “We are still figuring out again exactly what [the next] Avengers is going to be, so we haven’t had any real story conversations,” Moore explained. “I know there’s been a lot of chatter online about casting and villains. None of that’s true. We just haven’t gotten there yet, to be honest, but I am very excited to start those conversations hopefully this year.”

    The truth is, there’s no truth to those rumors. Never say never to anything, we haven’t really had a lot of creative conversations with Ryan Coogler yet, because he’s finishing his film Sinners, which comes out this year. We’ll get into it later this year, but everything you read online is not true, if for no other reason than we just haven’t started.

    -Nate Moore via Comic Book

    When pressed further about the studio’s willingness to recast the role of T’Challa, Moore doubled downvon his previous claims without closing the door to the possibility. “We don’t know what the story is, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not we’re open to recasting. It certainly wasn’t our instinct for Wakanda Forever,” said Moore. “I’ll never say never to anything, but it’s too early to talk about any of that stuff. We have to figure out what the story’s going to be.”

    With Coogler still working on his script, it can be inferred from Moore‘s comments that Black Panther 3 might not be ready for theaters until after Avengers: Secret Wars. Of course, that’s not going to stop the rumors from flying but it’s good to have someone from the studio provide a little clarity on where things stand with the anticipated project.

    Source: ComicBook, EW

  • First Trailer for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Shows Off the Team’s Astonishing Powers

    First Trailer for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Shows Off the Team’s Astonishing Powers

    Six years after it was announced to be in development at SDCC ’19, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps will debut this summer. After months of rumors surrounding the cast, Marvel revealed that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were locked in to fill the roles of Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, respectively. After an hour-long social media countdown that was designed in the mold of NASA’s televised launches, the first public trailer for the film put the All-Star cast on center stage with each member of Marvel’s First Family showing off their astonishing powers…with th very notable except of Mister Fantastic.

    The trailer also provides a first look at the film’s villain, Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson. It’s safe to say this take is far more comic accurate than the cosmic fart cloud seen in 2005’s Fantastic Four.

    Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald,Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

    -Official Synopsis for The Fantastic: Four First Steps

    The film also stars John Malkovich as the Red Ghost, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser and Sarah Niles.

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to debut in theaters on July 25, 2025.

  • Third Time’s a Charm: Marvel Studios Reportedly Considering ‘Babygirl’ Star for Major X-Men Role

    Third Time’s a Charm: Marvel Studios Reportedly Considering ‘Babygirl’ Star for Major X-Men Role

    With a script by Michael Lesslie in the works, an all-new take on Marvel’s mutant heroes, the X-Men, is just around the corner. With confirmation from the Marvel Studios Head Honcho, Kevin Feige, the “the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men,” the clock is truly ticking on the arrival of the popular heroes, who could lead their own MCU film as soon as 2027.

    While there’s been no date set aside for an X-Men film just yet, Feige’s comments combined with rumblings from various insiders about potential castings have fueled hope that key members of the team may make their MCU debuts ahead of the ensemble film. Over the past two months, rumors and reports have indicated that the studio is looking to cast the roles of Kitty Pryde and Gambit and that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink has emerged as a front runner for the role of Jean Grey/Marvel Girl. Now, a new rumor from a familiar source reveals another young star who is on Marvel’s radar to play one of the X-Men’s most well-known characters.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Babygirl star Harris Dickinson is among those being a considered for the role of Scott Summers, aka Cyclops.

    Even as he shared the rumors, Sneider was careful to point out that his information should be taken with a grain of salt and that Dickinson was in no way locked into the role. In that sense, perhaps the most important take away then isn’t Dickinson’s name but rather his age and relative notoriety. While the actor is a talented up and comer, he’s hardly a household name just yet, suggesting the studio will be searching for such actors to fill out its roster of X-Men.

    Whether it’s Dickinson or another young star in the role, X-Men fans will cling to hope that the next iteration of Cyclops is not done as dirty as James Marsden and Tye Sheridan‘s versions were by Fox. Since the earliest days of the team’s comic book adventures, Cyclops has been a central and often controversial character. Here’s hoping that Lesslie‘s script draws influence from the comics and not Fox’s poor choices with the character.

    Source: The Hot Mic Podcast

  • New Report Reveals Denzel Washington’s Villainous Marvel Studios Role

    New Report Reveals Denzel Washington’s Villainous Marvel Studios Role

    Fresh off his performance as the Machiavellian Macrinus in Gladiator II, Denzel Washington may be preparing to play another agent of chaos. In November, Washington casually revealed that writer/director Ryan Coogler had created a role for him in the as-yet-undated third film in the Black Panther franchise. Following Washington’s reveal, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, officially announced the film was in development; however, little information about the threequel has been available…until now.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Washington will be portraying the disruptive and devious Achebe in Black Panther 3.

    Achebe’s arrival in Wakanda has been anticipated for some time and while he would have made a fine antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the events of the sequel may have perfectly primed a path for the villain to wreak havoc.

    Between 1998 and 2003, Christopher Priest wrote 60 issues of Black Panther for Marvel Comics. Priest’s run began with T’Challa in an interesting pinch: a girl who was a part of T’Challa’s Tomorrow Fund, an organization he founded in the United States, has been found murdered. Meanwhile, refugees flock to Wakanda’s border, led by the enigmatic Reverend Doctor Michael Ibn al-hajj Achebe. In T’Challa’s absence, Achebe makes his move to overtake Wakanda.

    By introducing the Wakandan outreach center in 2018’s Black Panther, Coogler created the MCU’s equivalent of the Tomorrow Fund. Black Panther 3 could open with a scenario similar to Priest’s run that would require Shuri to leave Wakanda to investigate, leaving an opening for Achebe. Her absence, paired with the devastation from Namor’s attack, would provide the perfect scenario to allow Achebe to further destabilize Wakanda and then attempt to assume control.

  • Marvel Studios Has Reportedly Moved One Oft-delayed Project to the Scrap Heap

    Marvel Studios Has Reportedly Moved One Oft-delayed Project to the Scrap Heap

    Boom! You lookin’ for this? Apparently, in the case of Armor Wars, Marvel Studios was not. Originally developed as a D+ streaming series before being reworked as feature film, it now seems as though the Don Cheadle vehicle has been scrapped.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Marvel Studios has moved on from the project. Additionally, Comic Book Movie claims to have heard that the project is “as good as dead.”

    Should Armor Wars indeed be scrapped, it would be perhaps the least shocking development around the project (the most shocking being that it was ever announced in the first place). The studio struggled to put it together as a series and its connection to the abysmal Secret Invasion likely did it in as a film.

    Last Fall, Cheadle cast doubt on how much life was in the project when he was asked where it stood on Marvel Studios slate, which was changing rapidly at the time. “You can find out and let me know,” said Cheadle, adding “I don’t know, I’m not sure where anything is right now. I think things are going through a lot of changes, and we’ll see what happens, we’ll see what it is.“

    Sources: MTTSH, CBM