Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Movies

  • ‘Quantumania’ Director Confirms the Identity of the Triumvirate of Mid-Credit Kangs

    ‘Quantumania’ Director Confirms the Identity of the Triumvirate of Mid-Credit Kangs

    To date, Marvel Studios’ most off-the-wall mid-credit scene came attached to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The scene introduced a thousand or so Kang Variants, most of which were shown so quickly that they were fairly hard to identify; however, three of the Variants had a little more screentime, making it clear they were the first among equals of this Council of Kangs. Two of the three seemed to be pretty one-to-one and obvious adaptations of different Kangs from the comics, but the third one caused some confusion even among comic book fans.

    Thankfully, director Peyton Reed took the time to identify the key Variants in an interview with ET. Though he looked a bit Robocop, fans easily identified the Variant known as Rama-Tut, about who Reed said “we sort of bent [him] up a little bit and made him this very strange sort of bionic variant of Rama-Tut.” Like Rama-Tut, Immortus, too, was pretty easily recognizable; however, the third member of the group didn’t really have much in common, at least aesthetically, with any of Kang’s comic book selves. And so while fans assumed he was probably a version of the Scarlet Centurion, the next most prominent version of Kang from the comics, uncertainty lingered until Reed came to the rescue.

    We knew we wanted to sort of just give a tiny taste of the potential of what some of these Kang variants are and brief nods to [Pharaoh] Rama-Tut, [Scarlet] Centurion, Immortus.

    Peyton Reed

    Scarlet Centurion it is! Of course, while they are all Variants of the Prime Kang (have we met him yet?), each of these Variants has different experiences and often different goals in the comics. Despite all that, they seem to be working together, at least to some extent and are very concerned about the fact that more and more heroes are discovering the Multiverse. While there will certainly be more time spent with these Variants soon, they are shaping up to be quite a force to be reckoned with in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

    Source: ET

  • ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Passes $300M Worldwide

    ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Passes $300M Worldwide

    All eyes are currently on that second-weekend drop for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as it’s expected to potentially end up as the biggest drop for any Marvel Studios or even superhero film. There’s, of course, the chance that it’s weaker than expected Thursday may have ended up pulling expectations far back, as originally most expected something around 35M to 40M. Now, it’s uncertain where it’ll land above $30M.

    Naturally, the usual big superhero drop in its second weekend has the Internet going: “Marvel is dead” and the usual gloating about one singular film’s performance. It’s even happened with films that have performed quite well throughout the last year. So, there are also some positive things to report on that may get overshadowed in the usual discourse online.

    As of now, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has already passed the $300M box office benchmark worldwide. It currently stands at $143M domestically and $160M internationally, which means it pulled in a total of $303M as of this Friday. With the film likely set to wrap around 30M over the weekend there’s still a chance it’ll end its second weekend with $350M worldwide.

    Some might still be scratching their heads though on what exactly is going on. Even Eternals with a B rating had a stronger hold going into its second weekend. So, what exactly is the cause for Ant-Man 3‘s current drop in its second weekend? The film did perform quite well with younger audiences that only make up around 16% of its viewing basis. Cocaine Bear is likely to pull in young adults and especially male audiences that took a bigger chunk than expected, as that film is currently performing quite well on its Friday (doing even better than the Marvel entry).

    So, the audience just wasn’t as strong on a Friday as it could’ve been and the counter-programming had a bigger overlap than initially expected. February also hasn’t seen any major releases in quite some time since before the pandemic. So, the market is much harder to predict and this weekend is quite a bit softer than the previous one. There’s a massive blockbuster summer ahead and there’s a chance that “okay” or “just good” isn’t enough to keep viewers in theaters while they’re saving for what’s coming.

    Plus, the US saw quite a few strong storms, which may also have not really tempted people to leave for the theater as fast as possible, especially families. If these are a potential factor going into the weekend, they may potentially balance out in the third weekend but that depends on how this weekend generally goes.

    So, word-of-mouth not being as strong as it could’ve been is just holding the film back quite a bit more in a non-summer market. There’s also the question if Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania took too big of a step from what the general audience is used to. The first two films are very grounded and light-hearted offerings. So, the big major addition of Kang the Conqueror combined with a full-on weird sci-fi epic direction just was “too different” to really get people coming back.

    Thor: Love and Thunder had a similar drop in development when compared to just a better weekly performance due to its July release. Yet, it also was far more in the comedy direction when even compared to Thor: Ragnarok and previous films, which may have just left audiences having an issue connecting with what they expected to be another Thor film.

    Science fiction also has generally struggled at times, especially internationally in Eastern markets as highlighted by Deadline. Eternals had the luck that it had one of South Korea’s biggest actors as part of its main cast, which created a surprising boost even with its high sci-fi concept mixed with a more indie film approach. And it’s too early to even describe a $300M movie as a flop, as we’re only in its second weekend.

    Still, as pointed out by The Wrap, the film’s international box office in China hasn’t really left an impression with its $19.2M opening either. It’s also set for a harsher drop in that market but there’s generally a lot of momentum lost in that market for Hollywood productions over the pandemic. So, the film is only going to get a little boost out of it and likely won’t get anywhere near the other Ant-Man films in that market.

    As of now, we don’t know where the second weekend will end up and have no idea if the film might have a softer third weekend. If people rushed to the theaters to see Kang and the future of the MCU, they drop might be easier to explain as tepid word-of-mouth just didn’t add the “must watch now” replay value. Disney+’s 45-day strategy also hurt the industry and some might think it’s just worth waiting it out until it releases there.

    Marvel Studios might be smart and extend theatrical windows publicly to ensure audiences know the wait is going to be much longer, but they also may be reactionary to get it to the streaming service and it may even rival Eternals as one of the most viewed offerings on the service. So, if the film isn’t a seller on the first view, word-of-mouth is just harsher as post-Endgame expectations still remain at an all-time high; so let’s please not bring in Marvel fatigue to the discussion as the opening still hints at interest.

    If we try to predict with the data we have now, the film might likely have similar legs to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which would be a multiplier of 2.2. The Friday-to-Friday drop would match the 81%, as it currently stands at 82% unadjusted. So, if it manages to stay below the feared 70% drop, it could still somewhat leg out in its third weekend. With a similar projection, it could end up at around 230M domestically.

    It should be noted that its Thursday to Friday drop is better than Doctor Strange‘s at 119% vs. 111% but that was also during the summer. Thor: Love and Thunder had a 80% drop in its Friday-to-Friday but ended up with a much worse 68% drop in its second weekend. Quantumania still has some potential depending on Saturday to dodge that number. So, it could have surprisingly better legs with a multiplier of 2.35 like Love and Thunder. That would put it at around 250M. Worst case, it’s another Batman v Superman and we have a soft 2x multiplier and we end up slightly above 200M.

    So, there is potential that the film could end up between $500M and $550M with China included. The first Ant-Man made $518M but if you take out China actually only stands at 413M. Its sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp was slightly above $623M but without China is actually at 503M. So, if with Chinese box office likely ends up at around 40M, the film could end up making more than its previous entry with 510M. The budget is much higher at around a predicted $200M but it would still technically break even and make most of its profits through digital and physical sales.

    Source: The Numbers, The Wrap, The Numbers (Multiverse of Madness), The Numbers (Love and Thunder), The Numbers (Ant-Man), The Numbers (A&TW), The Guardian

  • ‘Ant-Man 3’ May End its 2nd Weekend With Superhero Genre’s Biggest Drop Ever

    ‘Ant-Man 3’ May End its 2nd Weekend With Superhero Genre’s Biggest Drop Ever

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania still had some momentum leaving its first week with a strong Monday holiday, but quickly slipped throughout the week to Marvel’s second-worst Thursday at 3.7M only beating Thor: The Dark World. Now, the second weekend has finally started and while most expected it to move around 60% to 65%, we’re about to face a much harsher weekend for the Marvel Studios latest than expected.

    The film has been overshadowed by Cocaine Bear going into its Friday, which pulled in a strong $8.65M including Thursday previews against Ant-Man 3 that pulled in $8.3M (a harsh 82% drop which is higher than that of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). Of course, it technically is behind Quantumania but gets that premiere Thursday boost. Still, the film is expected to open above $20M at this rate and is looking to showcase the staying power for some bloody good action in theaters.

    Right behind it is Jesus Revolution which has a very strong audience performance and is also expected to open strongly thanks to its faith-based core audience. Both are still not expected to dethrone Ant-Man this weekend but the film is set to potentially drop between 67% to 72%. Right now, everyone is losing a bit of faith and believes the drop might be on the harsher end, which would make it the biggest drop for any Marvel Studios film and potentially even superhero films in general.

    So, what exactly is going on? The Friday drop was a harsh 82% and now has the third lowest second Friday, as it still is holding better than Eternals and Black Widow, but it also had a bigger opening than both. Right now, the question is if it’ll still manage 30M or surprise with 35M after all after that sharp drop. The lowest holder of the second-weekend drop is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at 69.1%, which adds to the weight if this film will even stick around below 70%. So far, the only blockbuster that had this high of a drop was the last Harry Potter film at 72%.

    It’s hard to say but word-of-mouth isn’t really pushing it as strongly as it could. There’s a chance that most that weren’t fully sold on the film are just going to wait for the Disney+ release and that is why there’s no rush to see it in theaters, as with 3 1/2 PostTrack rating it wasn’t deemed terrible just didn’t sell audiences on it being a must-watch (mixed word-of-mouth doesn’t always translate to terrible film). We’ll have to see where it truly lands this weekend as it’s expected to have a better Saturday but at best it might rival Thor: Love and Thunder‘s weekend drop which was 67.7%.

    Source: Twitter, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, The Numbers

  • ‘Ant-Man 3’s [SPOILER] Is Open for a MODOK Prequel

    ‘Ant-Man 3’s [SPOILER] Is Open for a MODOK Prequel

    The following article includes spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. So, only read it at your own risk.

    One of Marvel Studios’ worst-kept secrets was the return of Corey Stoll in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. We got the return of Darren Cross but in quite a different way than some may have hoped. No longer was he wearing the Yellowjacket suit but rather has become the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on the iconic Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, or MODOK for short.

    In an interview with ComicBook.com, Stoll got a chance to share his thoughts on the role and it seems he’s definitely down to return. He’d be open to potentially exploring a prequel story on his time as MODOK before the events of Quantumania, though he’s not sure if audiences would be able to “take him seriously after” Quantumania.

    I think having gone so comedic with this, it would be fun to maybe go back before the events of this movie and see him as this really scary, mechanized organism designed only for killing. But I don’t know if the audience could take him seriously after the events of this movie. So it could be fun to see him actually try to be an Avenger.

    Corey Stoll

    Given the ending of the Ant-Man threequel, there’s some uncertainty if they made MODOK a one-and-done villain but with the multiverse at large, they could bring him back in creative ways. Nothing is impossible in the multiverse but there’s a chance the character might become a fan-favcorite given enough time. Quantumania has been fighting its way through critical reception and a more mellowed-out WOM but given time it still has a lot of potentials to become the jumping-off point for some exciting stories.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ Scribe Teases Namor’s Return

    ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ Scribe Teases Namor’s Return

    When a new character enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s always one question left in our minds: where will they show up next? There’s always a variety of projects that offer an opportunity for a new fan-favorite to make their appearance but you never know just where Marvel Studios and its team decide to have someone show up. Luckily, it seems Avengers: The Kang Dynasty writer had the chance to tease the one character he’s most excited to include in the upcoming Avengers film.

    Namor, man. I’m excited to write Namor.

    Jeff Loveness

    Tenoch Huerta may have offered one of Marvel Studios’ best performances last year in his premiere role as the Serpent God of Talocan. The last time we saw him, he had just forfeited against Shuri after she managed to use his one weakness against him: drying him out like a sardine. Yet, he knew that there was a bigger game to play and hinted that he was just waiting for the moment that the world attacks Wakanda, as they would require their help.

    Perhaps that time is going to be part of whatever starts Kang’s titular dynasty in the Avengers film. He may have to unite with other superheroes to take on a threat that would not just threaten his home but also the entire multiverse. Whatever may bring him back into the story, we’ll have to see if he may even appear at an earlier point or if the wait will take a few more years.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Ant-Man 3’ Writer Talks Scrapped Cronenberg Ant

    ‘Ant-Man 3’ Writer Talks Scrapped Cronenberg Ant

    It’s not unusual that things end up getting scrapped along the way, but it seems Jeff Loveness had some wacky ideas for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Inan interview with /Film, he highlights that he had an idea to cram some creative ideas into the probability storm, such as Joe Montana, a former NFL quarterback due to Scott Lang being from san Francisco.

    Yet, that isn’t the weirdest idea he had, as his Rick and Morty experience almost made its way into Quantumania, as he pitched a Cronenberg-inspired animatronic that was a man-sized ant that gave Lang a vision of some kind. The best part? he wanted Werner Herzog to voice the character.

    Yeah, what comes to mind … I’m just thrilled I got MODOK and a guy with holes, and I got all that stuff in there. I had a character — [laughs to himself] — in that probability storm, there was going to be like this Cronenberg-style, Stan Winston animatronic, Ninja Turtle guy in a suit that was going to be a man-sized ant that was giving Scott a vision, almost like the goat in “The Witch” or something. I really wanted it to be voiced by Werner Herzog. I got a lot of s*** for my [Alejandro] Jodorowsky comparisons, but I wanted it to be almost like “Holy Mountain,” like, “Where the hell am I?” I was going to have this psychological trippy sequence with the Werner Herzog ant ushering him in, and clearly, that did not make it to the movie.

    Jeff Loveness

    He does say it didn’t make it into the film, but there are enough multiversal opportunities in the future to bring back the Herzog ant. It definitely sounds like a trippy idea and it may have added even more head-scratching elements to this film. Who knows what ideas he might have in store for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Perhaps he’ll finally get the chance to get Werner Herzog to voice or play a different character.

    Source: /Film

  • ‘Ant-Man 3’s MODOK Reveals Was Peyton Reed’s Idea

    ‘Ant-Man 3’s MODOK Reveals Was Peyton Reed’s Idea

    The following article includes major spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Only continue at your own risk.

    There has been much discussed online about the latest Marvel Studios release Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but none have been as surprisingly divisive as the film’s take on MODOK, or better known as the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. The film reveals that Darren Cross, once again played by Corey Stoll, was turned into this new creation, and writer Jeff Loveness reveals that this idea was actually from the film’s director, Peyton Reed.

    I believe it was Peyton Reed’s idea to make Darren Cross into MODOK, but I immediately jumped on that and pitched real hard on it. I think we kind of built that character together.

    Jeff Loveness

    He highlights that he’s not sure if there truly was a version of the script written by Paul Rudd before he joined the project but confirms Reed was the man to imagine Cross as an enlarged head with tiny legs and arms. Funny enough, Loveness shared his quite vocal opinion on tacking the character the way he did.

    Let me just say, the people who are divided, they’re wrong. I will go to the mat for MODOK. I am so happy. And it was such a fight. And it was such a labor of love and passion and all that, just to get the comedy balance of this guy. And hey, I’m a big comics guy, I’m sure you are, too. We’re on the internet. People got opinions. Those motherf***ers are wrong. I’m sorry, you want to do a serious take on MODOK? I played that “Avengers” game on PS5, good luck. Yeah, yeah, yeah, come back later.

    Jeff Loveness

    You have to respect a writer that just loves the things he brought to the page, and with a character as out there as MODOK, you have to be all-in. It’s fun to see him reference Marvel’s Avengers which offered a more “grounded” take on a character that usually was mainly a comedic foil. The character got his own animated sitcom, was a recurring joke character in Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and generally is the butt of many jokes. Loveness triples down as he highlights that MODOK’s death scene was his favorite moment that he ever wrote.

    Source: /Film

  • Jonathan Majors Heavily Involved in Shaping ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’

    Jonathan Majors Heavily Involved in Shaping ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’

    In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness got a chance to reflect on his work on the latest Ant-Man and the Wasp film. Yet, it also gave him an opportunity to tease the future of the franchise, as he’s still busy working on the script for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

    He does jokingly highlight that he’s late on his script but also teases that he’s actively working on it with confirmed director Destin Daniel Cretton, who worked on the Shang-Chi film not too long ago and has two Disney+ series on the horizon. But, he also reveals that he’s actively also having “conversations with Jonathan [Majors] about where he wants to take the character.”

    It’s hard to even say. I think I’m in the jet-lag stage of a press tour, but we’re working on it. Destin [Daniel Cretton] is incredible. I’ve had conversations with Jonathan [Majors] about where he wants to take the character, so it’s still very early days. We’ve got like 40 more movies to go before I get there, but we’ve certainly got a plan. We’re all very excited for the story that we’re laying down, so now it’s just on me and my ADHD and my procrastination and all that. So, hopefully, Kevin doesn’t read this. If he is, hey, Kevin. I’m doing great. The pages are just flowing, man. (Laughs.) It’ll be there next week.

    Jeff Loveness

    As much as we discuss the problems with how CG artists are treated by the industry, which includes Marvel Studios’ strong hold over it, they are very actor friendly. Majors getting to shape the character the is playing definitely highlights just how passionate he is about playing him and adds that little extra confidence that we’re about to set on a wild ride now that Phase 5 is truly getting started.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Jeff Loveness on the “Big, Sweeping” Epic He’s Creating for ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ (Exclusive)

    Jeff Loveness on the “Big, Sweeping” Epic He’s Creating for ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ (Exclusive)

    While he won’t be the sole creator behind the MCU’s version of Kang, it seems safe to say that Jeff Loveness will be the one most associated with the character. After introducing Kang the Conqueror and the Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Loveness will bring the full might of everything Kang to life in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty which he’s currently writing. The Kang Dynasty, which is currently slated for a 2025 release, will be the first Avengers movie since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, which means it will be one of the most anticipated movies in the history of film.

    For Loveness, the anticipation and excitement that fans feel is something he’s very familiar with and, as such, something he has taken to heart while writing the film. “I don’t take it lightly that I am writing the biggest movie in the world,” said Loveness of The Kang Dynasty. The opportunity to write “the biggest movie in the world” is something that caused Loveness to reminisce about his own experience with “big” movies from his childhood.

    I am from a very small town; I didn’t even have a movie theater in my town so we would have to drive an hour away to go watch movies. And I love small movies, Tar is the best movie of the year; Triangle of Sadness is so funny and innovative, but when I was a kid, I went to see Lord of the Rings right when school ended. I didn’t know what it was. Our movie theater was playing that. It was a BIG movie and it changed my life.

    And so now it is Loveness‘ turn to put together what will be the big movie of 2025 and what will ultimately be compared to prior Avengers films Infinity War and Endgame in terms of quality and ability to impact pop culture. Loveness says he’s up to the task and adds that he has a secret weapon in achieving the goal of creating an “American epic” that people will remember: star Jonathan Majors.

    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 and fans will have to wait a bit, however, as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty isn’t slated to release until May 2nd, 2025.

  • ‘Quantumania’ Writer Teases the Aftermath of ‘Ant-Man 3’s Post-Credit Sequences

    ‘Quantumania’ Writer Teases the Aftermath of ‘Ant-Man 3’s Post-Credit Sequences

    Post-credit sequences are a tradition for any Marvel Studios production, as they offer a glimpse of what the future has in store. Not just that, but it also plays a big part in setting up the overarching plotline moving forward, which was especially important for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The introduction of Kang the Conqueror gave us a clear vision of where the future is heading but the first post-credit sequence made one thing clear: the danger is far greater than anyone ever imagined.

    The main theme to get across is that Kang is many things, but he is not a liar. All the hints, threats and warnings he was giving Scott in the middle of the movie turned out to be very true, and Ant-Man, the Wasp and the whole family barely survived beating just one of these Kangs. So, what the hell are the Avengers going to do against a thousand Kangs? And on a villain level, we saw how bad Jonathan Majors was as one Kang, so who was bad enough to beat him? Who’s the Kublai Khan to the Genghis Khan of the Kang Dynasty? Who is the Caesar Augustus to the Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire? Who is clever and cunning and evil enough to take out the dictator of the Kang Dynasty? So it’s a bit of an exponential step up, and it’s a way to show the Avengers are in way over their head. They just don’t know it yet.

    Jeff Loveness

    There was also the tease for the upcoming second season of Loki, which is still without a definite release date. Sadly, it seems Jeff Lovenss didn’t get a chance to write that short sequence and hopes to get a chance to write dialogue for the always-hilarious Owen Wilson.

    Not direct writing. We had discussions with them, and there’s an overarching theme. But no, that team had already been working on their stuff, and it’ll certainly come into play in future movies. But I wrote the mid-credit scene, and that’s a tease of the next Kang appearance. So I haven’t written for Owen Wilson yet. Perhaps one day.

    Jeff Loveness

    The future for Marvel is looking bright, as we’re just about to truly enter the era that many have been waiting for. The Multiverse Saga is taking shape in an unlikely way and Jonathan Majors already promises a villain we won’t easily forget anytime soon.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter