Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Movies

  • Ruth Carter Wins Oscar for Best Costume Desing for ‘Wakanda Forever’

    Ruth Carter Wins Oscar for Best Costume Desing for ‘Wakanda Forever’

    Wakanda Forever was nominated for five Oscars ahead of the 2023 Academy Award ceremony. While fans who held their breath and crossed their fingers that Angela Bassett would take home the first Oscar for an actress in a Marvel Studios film didn’t get their wish, the film did snap one shiny trophy as costume designer Ruth E. Carter won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Costume Design.

    The Oscar is the second for Carter’s work on the Black Panther franchise as she won the 2018 award in the same category. Carter and her team were faced with a huge challenge in Wakanda Forever as they created a distinct and unforgettable look for Namor and the people of Talokan. From the headpieces worn by Namor, Namora and Attuma to the Vibranium chest piece worn by Namor, Carter’s designs were beautifully realized and rendered practically. In addition to the costumes worn by the people of Talokan, costumes worn by Shuri and M’Baku also drew praise from audiences. The win is the second of Carter’s career out of four nominations.

  • ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Rumored to Setup a Major Young Avengers Storyline

    ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Rumored to Setup a Major Young Avengers Storyline

    Even though Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Agatha: Coven of Chaos has been filming in Atlanta for several weeks, little is known about the plot of the WandaVision follow-up. Kathryn Hahn is back as Agatha–or maybe Agnes–and Joe Locke’s Billy Kaplan has been seen on set but just what their connection is to one another remains a bit of a mystery. While MCU fans wait to find out more about the project, a new rumor is circulating that indicates where things might go next for the characters.

    According to My Time to Shine Hello, the events of Agatha: Coven of Chaos will act as a prelude to an adaptation of a nine-issue mini-series published by Marvel Comics between 2010 and 2012 titled Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. There was no indication if the project will be streaming series or a feature film.

    Featuring the Young Avengers, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade focuses on Billy’s search for his missing mother, Wanda Maximoff, as his enormous powers begin to grow beyond his control. While it’s unlikely that Marvel Studios will closely adapt the mini-series, which features Magneto and Doctor Doom in key roles, it is a fitting follow-up to the events of WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Agatha: Coven of Chaos; it’s also a great indicator–for those who still doubt it–that Wanda is very much alive and (un)well in the MCU. As exciting as it sounds, fans shouldn’t get too worked up as the account indicates that the project won’t be ready until 2025 at the earliest.

  • Chloé Zhao Reacts to ‘Eternals 2’ Rumors

    Chloé Zhao Reacts to ‘Eternals 2’ Rumors

    The rumor mill for Marvel has been going in full force. While many complain there are too many projects rolling out, it seems like there are countless more that are simply rumors without any actual release or even an official announcement. Still, among those that have long been hinted at potentially being in development was the sequel to Chloé Zhao‘s Eternals.

    Up until now, it was just a rumor based on some theories. The first film wasn’t a critical darling and faced similar harsh criticism like the recent Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Yet, there was still a lot of potential in exploring these characters and the vastly unique sci-fi world offered at the end of the story. When asked in an interview with Hollywood Reporter if there was any truth to these rumors, Zhao gave a curious defensive reaction.

    No comment.

    Chloé Zhao

    It’s not the kind of reaction you’d usually get, as many would just talk about the possibility of directing a sequel and returning to that world. Yet, the very direct “no comment” opens up the possibility that there are talks that she’s not going to risk talking about. Of course, that is also just an overanalysis of how some tended to react when they didn’t want to risk giving away any information. Still, we’ll have to probably wait quite sometime before we find out what exactly the future has in store for the Eternals moving forward.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • RUMOR: Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’ May Have Found its Cinematographer

    RUMOR: Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’ May Have Found its Cinematographer

    We’ve long been wondering what Marvel Studios has planned for their unique take on Blade. There hasn’t been much news on the project that seemingly went through quite a turbulent production cycle before any cameras got rolling. Once it lost its initial director Bassam Tariq, it seemed like the project might end up getting pushed back further and further away. Then we heard that they are completely reworking the script with Beau DeMayo‘s involvement rumored before Michael Starrbury was confirmed.

    It took some time before Mahershala Ali‘s Blade truly picked up steam once Lovecraft Country director Yann Demange was confirmed as the new director. The film is still set to start production sometime this year and Cosmic Circus may have uncovered some more from the project hinting that the cameras might get rolling sooner rather than later. According to them, Matthew Libatique has joined the project as its cinematographer.

    What is interesting is that this isn’t his first Marvel project. LIbatique not only worked on Venom but also was the director of photography on the original Iron Man. He’s also been quite busy with his work on the recent releases of The Whale and Don’t Worry Darling. He also was involved with the DC film Birds of Prey, and has quite an extensive resumé. It’ll be interesting to see what he brings to this gothic take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whatever it may be, here’s hoping that the film starts rolling sooner rather than later.

    Source: Cosmic Circus

  • RUMOR: Marvel Studios to Cast a Jewish Actor for ‘Fantastic Four’s The Thing

    RUMOR: Marvel Studios to Cast a Jewish Actor for ‘Fantastic Four’s The Thing

    In the world of Marvel Studio’s castings, the discussions surrounding the Fantastic Four might have been the most trailblazing. Everyone is excited to finally know who will play Marvel’s First Family in their first Marvel Cinematic Universe adaptation. After a decent comedy spin and a dreadful reimagining, it was time to see these iconic characters reunited once again as part of a bigger universe.

    Ever since the project lost Jon Watts as a director, many were wondering what the future might hold for the project. WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman took over the project and hinted that castings have yet to truly being. Many rumored front runners have found their way online for Mr. Fantastic with some hoping to see the return of John Krasinski after Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, or rumors surrounding Penn Badgley, Dev Patel, and countless others.

    Now, it seems that we have a new rumor stirring the pot but this time for the casting of The Thing, better known as Ben Grimm. While no specific name is set, The Hot Mich’s Jeff Sneider has shared that Marvel Studios is actively looking to cast the role with a Jewish actor. They also considered going for a person of color but are focusing on Grimm’s heritage potentially in the casting process.

    That would make him the second openly Jewish character in the franchise after Oscar Isaac‘s Marc Spector in the Disney+ series Moon Knight. Though, there was some controversy in how it was portrayed in that series, which didn’t ignore it but skimmed over some parts that many felt were important to the character.

    Still, we now has the question remaining of who they might cast for the role. The Direct pointed out that Jason Segel might be a popular choice, and has also been among the many rumored for a part in the Fantastic Four film. It’ll be interesting to see if this new rumor might spark a new wave of

    Source: YouTube via The Direct

  • Fewer Sequels, More Avengers in Store for the MCU

    Fewer Sequels, More Avengers in Store for the MCU

    As Bob Iger continues to reign in the free-spending gunslingers behind Disney’s big brands, fans of those brands continue to wonder what the future will hold. During an appearance Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Iger gave some indication of what the future of Marvel Studios may hold.

    On the heels of a pair of sequels that weren’t the critical darlings that Disney had hoped they’d be, Iger indicated that Marvel Studios may reevaluate their approach to sequels.

    There are 7,000 characters, there are a lot more stories to tell. What we have to look at at Marvel is not necessarily the volume of Marvel stories we’re telling but how many times we go back to the well on certain characters. Sequels typically work well for us. Do you need a third and a fourth, for instance, or is it time to turn to other characters?

    Robert Iger

    It’s hard not to read between the lines of Iger’s comments and think about Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The former has been widely criticized for taking the wrong lessons from its much more successful predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok while the latter has been under fire for its drop-off at the box office.

    It’s not all bad news for Marvel Studios, though. Iger is confident that the future, which he loosely defined as the “next five years”, holds a lot of promise.

    There’s nothing in any way inherently off in terms of the Marvel brand. I think we just have to look at what characters and stories we’re mining. If you look at the trajectory of Marvel in the next five years, there will be a lot of newness. We’re going to turn back to the Avengers franchise with a whole new set of Avengers, for example.

    Robert Iger

    Interestingly enough, that newness includes the scheduled MCU debuts of the Punisher, Blade, Deadpool, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, none of whom are new to the superhero landscape, only the MCU; so roughly in the sense that a used car is new to you, though not truly new. Beyond that, characters such as Sentry, Wonder Man and Nova are known to be making true debuts, so it will be worth tracking which of Marvel’s 7,000 other characters get the opportunity to make the jump to the MCU.

    Iger’s comments on a “new set of Avengers” is also worth some thought. After having four Avengers films weaved throughout the Infinity Saga, each serving as “Phase enders”, the studio chose to reserve the Multiverse Saga’s Avengers films for Phase 6. With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars set to end the Multiverse Saga, the expectations placed on those films is already staggeringly high.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: James Spader Set to Return to the MCU as Ultron

    RUMOR: James Spader Set to Return to the MCU as Ultron

    Over decades of Marvel Comics, Ultron has never stopped finding a way to return as a thorn in the side of the Avengers. It appears his cinematic counterpart is going to take up that habit as well. A new rumor shared by the mods at Reddit points to the return of the rogue A.I. in an upcoming Marvel Studios property.

    According to the rumor shared in Tales from the Mod Queue, James Spader will return as the voice of Ultron for Armor Wars. Originally announced as a streaming series, Armor Wars is now getting the big-screen treatment and giving James Rhodes his time to take center stage. Though it’s currently not on the slate, rumors have suggested that the film could go into production as early as late 2023.

    Fans have hoped for the return of Spader, whose Ultron is one of the MCU’s best and most memorable villains, for some time. While the plot of Armor Wars is unknown, it is said to spin out of Rhodes’ arc in Secret Invasion. In the comics, Armor Wars centered around the technology of Tony Stark falling into the hands of criminals who used it to enhance their own suits. Given that Stark created Ultron in the MCU, it would be terrifying to think that he kept some sort of backup that could allow for the reemergence of the AI should it fall into the wrong hands.

    Yassir Lester has been tasked with scripting Armor Wars for Marvel Studios which producer Nate Moore said was being developed as a film to allow for some of Lester’s big ideas to be realized under a big budget.

    Source: Reddit

  • ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Reportedly Facing a Lengthy Delay

    ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Reportedly Facing a Lengthy Delay

    The Marvel Studios slow down was bound to cascade. As the studio pulls back under a mandate from Bob Iger to space out their projects, a new rumor suggests that the Multiverse Saga will face a delay of almost 3 years compared to the slate revealed at SDCC ’22.

    According to anonymous sources in contact with the mods at r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers/, Avengers: Secret Wars, the final project in the Multiverse Saga which was originally slated to release on November 7, 2025, will now be pushed until 2028. The report goes on to add further speculation that part of the reason for the delay would be to release the final movie of the Multiverse Saga on the 20th anniversary of the MCU which began in 2008 with Iron Man.

    While several projects are said to be delayed following this new mandate from Iger, no official word has come from Disney on any changes to the MCU slate since Iger’s return. The last update to Marvel Studios’ slate came in October when the following changes were made:

    BLADE moved from 11/3/23 to 9/6/24

    UNTITLED DEADPOOL MOVIE moved from 9/6/24 to 11/8/24

    FANTASTIC FOUR moved from 11/8/24 to 2/14/25

    UNTITLED MARVEL moved from 2/14/25 to 11/7/25

    AVENGERS: SECRET WARS moved from 11/7/25 to 5/1/26

    Presumably, Disney will address any official changes to the slate in the near future with the upcoming CinemaCon providing one possible opportunity. Until then, it’s best not to start tattooing release dates just yet.

    Source: Reddit

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3’ to Have the Longest Runtime of the Trilogy; Still Too Short for You

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3’ to Have the Longest Runtime of the Trilogy; Still Too Short for You

    With just under two months to go until the May debut of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, director James Gunn has remained fairly active in social media discussions about the film despite being engrossed in his new role as co-chair of DC Studios. The final installment in Gunn’s Guardians trilogy promises to be an emotional roller coaster as it brings an end to the story of this iteration of the team and not every member is expected to survive their encounter with the film’s villain, Chukwudi Iwuji‘s High Evolutionary.

    Gunn has consistently praised Iwujij’s performance in the film and recently took to Instagram to hype the High Evolutionary, who is responsible for the experiments/torture of Rocket. Gunn’s post simply teased “Can’t wait for you all to meet this guy” along with a creepy picture of High Evolutionary’s face stretched over some enhancements but fans took the chance to interact with Gunn to ask about the film’s runtime.

    Though he didn’t give an exact runtime for the sequel, Gunn did respond that “It’s longer than 1 & 2.” As can be seen here, Guardians of the Galaxy checked in at 2 hours and 2 minutes and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 at 2 hours and 17 minutes, a runtime that included 5 stingers. Gunn’s statement means that not only will Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 be the longest Guardians film but also the longest film of his directorial career and one of the ten longest MCU films. That checks out as there’s a lot to do in the film. Time will have to be spent on exposition about the High Evolutionary and Adam Warlock, exploring the new dynamics of the Guardians with a time-displaced Gamora, killing someone(s) and setting the stage for the future of the team. Given all that, a 2 hour and 18+ minute runtime seems fair.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 debuts in theaters on May 5th!

  • ‘Ant-Man 3’ Passes $400M Globally and Beats ‘Ant-Man’s Domestic Run

    ‘Ant-Man 3’ Passes $400M Globally and Beats ‘Ant-Man’s Domestic Run

    All eyes are on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s box office run, some with shock and others with glee. The film faced a record second-weekend drop that is slightly above Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice‘s back in 2016. With a B CinemaScore and rather mild word-of-mouth, the film was the focus of many deliberations over the end of Marvel Studios’ reign at the box office. Still, the film is performing and isn’t as big as it could’ve been.

    As of now, the film saw a smaller international drop in its third weekend compared to the domestic performance as it pulled in $22M in 52 markets. That is a 53% drop and a bit of a better hold than the 61% we saw domestically at $12M+. As such, the film stands domestically at $186.7M and internationally at $232.7M. Worldwide the film is now at $419.5M and is still expected to pass $500M worldwide going by Deadline’s current expectations while others believe it might barely miss that benchmark.

    That would align with our early predictions after the second-week drop, which was expecting the film to land somewhere between $500M to $550M, though it is now leaning towards the former. That would put it below the international box office of Ant-Man and the Wasp, which pulled in $632M and it’s even more uncertain if it’ll beat Ant-Man‘s $519M worldwide.

    We also can’t forget how different the comparisons are if you take China’s overall slump as a factor in how the film is performing. Ant-Man‘s 518M run consisted of 105M in China. So, the film technically made around 413M without that specific market. Ant-Man and the Wasp similarly pulled in 120M in China, which would set it at 503M. If the film wraps up at around 40M in China and plays around the 500M mark, it’ll still have made quite a bit more than the first entry, though that 200M budget is just what is hurting the film at this point.

    It’s the “risk” that they took by going big and bold with this Ant-Man film, which may simply just have had some take a step back in this rather different direction for the franchise. As such, it’s uncertain just how much money they invested in the marketing, as if they went 100M, they’d have to at least hit 600M to technically break even as they make around half from box office tickets. It’s something only expected with high-budget investments. Though, they made enough last year to balance it out somewhat.

    What is definite though is that domestically the threequel has passed the first Ant-Man‘s $180M entire domestic run by its third weekend. It’s definitely not as far as it could’ve gone if the film’s domestic hold was stronger, but it’s not a complete loss due to the film still performing decently. It’s a similar discussion point that we saw with the first Ant-Man film when it opened to a tepid $57M and was called a flop after releasing in the wake of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

    Ironically, Age of Ultron was also the focus of a similar discussion point when it opened below the first Avengers film. Even though it “only” managed to pull in $1.4B compared to The Avengers‘ still impressive $1.5B back in 2012. While it’s different circumstances overall, especially with the higher investment in Quantumania outshining previous entries, it’s always been a discussion point on the staying power of Marvel studios at the box office if a slight drop happens.

    The main point still remains that the fatigue discussion and “end of Marvel” existed ever since 2015 and likely won’t ever end. 2021 releases still performed incredibly well even with B+ scores, and Marvel Studios may have taken too big of a step with the usual smaller Ant-Man franchise. No matter where one stands on its quality, it’s definitely a bigger jump for one of Marvel Studios’ various franchises that just didn’t quite pay off.

    The long-forgotten aspect of Marvel movies is also that not everyone watches every single entry. So, if this truly will echo for future entries remains to be seen as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 seems like a sure-fire release this summer and The Marvels‘ could still pull in quite an audience if it manages to reverse the current “B” CinemaScore trend. It may be fatigue, it may not be but Eternals‘ dominance on Disney+ after a soft (and another risky release) during the pandemic may hint at the overall “heard it’s alright, let’s wait for it to hit Disney+” mentality echoing out of the 45-day release window.

    If this film has strong Disney+ numbers once it releases on the platform, we are definitely looking at a trend. Marvel Studios films will open big but require a much stronger reception to stick around in theaters due to the certainty of a free streaming release. We might be seeing an aftermath of the pandemic that is easily overshadowed but not forgotten when looking at Strange Worlds and Lightyear. If Disney was smart, they’d pull another Wakanda Forever and just refuse to release it anytime soon; something Bog Iger and Kevin Feige might be pushing as a back to the old norm with Bob Chapek out of the picture.

    Source: Deadline, The Numbers (Ant-Man), The Numbers (Avengers), The Numbers (Ant-Man 2), Twitter