Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Movies

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Blade’ Recruits ‘X-Men ’97’ and ‘Moon Knight’ Scribe Beau DeMayo

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Blade’ Recruits ‘X-Men ’97’ and ‘Moon Knight’ Scribe Beau DeMayo

    Beau DeMayo is becoming a go-to-guy for Marvel Studios. Part of the writer’s room for Moon Knight and the head writer and executive producer of X-Men ’97, the revival of the iconic X-Men: The Animated Series, it looks like DeMayo may have joined the crew of one of Marvel Studios’ most anticipated feature films, Blade.

    While Disney has not commented officially on it, DeMayo has taken up temporary residence in Atlanta where Blade is in pre-production. In a recent Instagram post first pointed out by a Murphy’s Multiverse Discord patron, DeMayo showed off the Atlanta skyline from what he called his “new office.” While there are other Marvel projects underway, as a writer DeMayo would almost certainly not be joining one that was already deep into production. After running through the possible scenarios, Blade becomes the only logical choice. The start of principal filming has been delayed several times, recently pushed from an October kickoff to November, potentially allowing DeMayo a pass at the script.

    Stacy Osei-Kuffour was brought on as the film’s writer in February of 2021 and the studio had originally intended to begin production in late Summer of 2022 ahead of the project’s November 3, 2023 release date. Looking back at the bread crumbs, it’s likely that DeMayo has been attached to the project for a month or two now to polish up an already finished script by Osei-Kuffor rather than completely rewrite the story. Having multiple writers take a pass at movie scripts has become a fairly common practice at Marvel Studios, using the opportunity to take advantage of the strengths of different writers. Having DeMayo in Atlanta as pre-production gets underway is entirely in line with Marvel Studios’ past precedent and gives the new writer time to work intensely and closely with the film’s cast and crew to ensure the script is tight before filming begins. At this point, there’s no expectation of the film’s release date being delayed, keeping it on track for a late-2023 release.

  • REPORT: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Runtime Makes It the MCU’s Second Longest Film

    REPORT: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Runtime Makes It the MCU’s Second Longest Film

    The final film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may be one of Marvel Studios’ longest features to date. According to new listings on the Cineplex and Regal websites, the Ryan Coogler-directed sequel will be 161 minutes (two hours and 41 minutes) long. If true, that runtime makes it the longest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind Avengers: Endgame, which ran over three hours.

    While still unconfirmed, a longer runtime could suggest that Wakanda Forever is taking its time to explore a larger story amidst the heavy nature of the film stemming from the passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020. According to the film’s synopsis, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and the Dora Milaje fight to protect Wakanda from intervening world powers as the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, along with War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). Tenoch Huerta will be making his appearance in the MCU as Namor, and the sequel also features Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, ahead of the Ironheart Disney+ series.

    While runtimes ultimately say quite little about the contents of a film, fans love to speculate. Before they were released, Eternals was deemed too long and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was deemed too short by those on social media. If Wakanda Forever does end up being the longest non-Avengers film in the MCU, it could be the result of a packed storyline, a slower-paced narrative, or both. In any event, the filmmakers likely took their time crafting the emotional follow-up to the iconic Black Panther.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11, 2022.

    Source: Cineplex and Regal

  • Marvel Studios President Opens Up on Not Recasting the MCU’s T’Challa

    Marvel Studios President Opens Up on Not Recasting the MCU’s T’Challa

    The death of Chadwick Boseman was a heavy one; for many it was unexpected. Not only was it a tragic loss of amazing talent, but it also was a hardship his many friends, family, and more had to endure. His legacy lives on in many ways, such as his memorable take as T’Challa throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, it wasn’t an easy decision after his passing for Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler to figure out if they’d continue to tell the stories of T’Challa in Black Panther.

    While it’s uncertain still who exactly will carry over the mantle, there’s been a lot of discussions on if this was the right decision. Of course, while many want to see the stories of T’Challa continue in the MCU, there’s also the weight it puts on any actor having to take over that role and the heavy weight it would be for the cast and crew simply replacing a close friend. In an interview with Empire, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige offers some insight on why they decided to not recast.

    It just felt like it was much too soon to recast. Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window. And we had talked about how, as extraordinary and fantastical as our characters and stories are, there’s a relatable and human element to everything we do. The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And Ryan poured that into the story.

    Kevin Feige

    Of course, he highlighted that the big aspect was also them taking their decision and questioning how they continue. One thing was to keep that legacy that Chadwick Boseman left alive while tackling the sequel.

    What do we do next?’ And how could the legacy of Chadwick – and what he had done to help Wakanda and the Black Panther become these incredible, aspirational, iconic ideas – continue? That’s what it was all about.

    Kevin Feige

    No matter where one stands, there was never truly going to be a “right” answer. The first trailer definitely felt like our first glimpse into the weight this project will hold. For now, we still can only theorize how exactly they handle it but November isn’t that far away anymore.

    Source: Empire

  • First ‘Black Panther’s Post-Credit Almost Included Namor

    First ‘Black Panther’s Post-Credit Almost Included Namor

    It’s no secret that the upcoming sequel of Black Panther will introduce the world to Namor the Submariner, played by Tenoch Huerta. We’ve heard news throughout the last few years that there were many times they thought of including him, such as a member of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Yet, it turns out the earliest we could’ve seen him was all the way back when the first Black Panther film hit theaters.

    In a new piece from Empire, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reveals that they initially had plans for a post-credit sequence that would set up the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on the character. It seems director Ryan Coogler initially pitched it as a tag, which means this sequel’s main story has been on his mind since he started work on the very first entry.

    Ryan had a pitch for a tag at the end of Black Panther. The camera would push through the palace in Wakanda, and then we’d see wet footprints leading up to the throne.

    Kevin Feige

    It definitely would’ve made for an imposing tease though open many questions on how he got past the Dora Milaje. Still, it would be the perfect way to tease the character without giving away any details, which would’ve led to casual audiences having to question who exactly the person might be. Coogler having that character in mind so early on also makes us wonder if he generally mapped out a full trilogy for the franchise and if he’ll follow through with those initial plans if he kept Namor in his back pocket up until now.

    Source: Empire

  • ‘Black Panther 2’ Actor Confirms Namor’s Mutant Status

    ‘Black Panther 2’ Actor Confirms Namor’s Mutant Status

    Many have wondered with the recent build-up to the mutant’s introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe if they are sticking to the comics for some characters. We are getting teases and hints of famous mutant characters but outside of an audio cue in Ms. Marvel, there hasn’t been a confirmation. Now that changes, as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Tenoch Huerta has confirmed that he is indeed a mutant in the upcoming Black Panther sequel.

    He highlighted that this is the aspect that is carrying over from the comics, as they are taking a different approach with their version of Atlantis. It is now called Talocan and is fully inspired by Mesoamerican culture; something the initial trailers have definitely put a large focus on and made sure to highlight.

    You can take Atlantis from Greek myth, or you can adapt from a real culture.

    Tenoch Huerta

    It’s impressive how they took that cultural identity and made it work so well while also including some great comic-accurate costume elements from his early days in the comics. We’ll see just how deep they explored the Mesoamerican cultural impact on the character when the film releases in November, but so far it has been quite impressive and it’ll be exciting to see what else they might have planned for the character.

    Source: Empire

  • How ‘She-Hulk”s Intelligencia Sets Up’ Captain America: 4’s True Main Threat

    How ‘She-Hulk”s Intelligencia Sets Up’ Captain America: 4’s True Main Threat

    The latest episode of She-Hulk, Attorney at Law has premiered not too long ago and introduced (or rather re-introduced) Iintelligencia into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We first learn about them through a simple mention on Ulysses Klaue’s portfolio confirming he was once a member but we never really find out who exactly they are. As it turns out, it’s pretty much the MCU’s equivalent to a Reddit server with obvious connections to modern political discourse. On top of it all, they seem to have their own operation eyeing Jennifer Walter’s blood for some nefarious purpose.

    There’s been a curious trend of She-Hulk openly calling out or rather predicting quite correctly how certain sub-groups of the Internet react to these projects. We’ve seen it time and time again since Captain Marvel’s release in 2019 and it continued to fester to this day. “Fandom Menace” has become a rather depressing word used for a subset of fans putting a lot of pressure on these projects, and it’s not too surprising to see a project reflect that as well.

    These reactions aren’t exclusive to female-led projects as showcased with the discussions surrounding Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson taking on the role of Captain America. Thee entire of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored the weight of that shield placed upon an African-American, which has been continuously highlighted to still being denied even after we took time to explore his journey of accepting that title. Yet, there are still statements like “Steve Rogers is Captain America” being floated around each time it comes up.

    In a way, it seems safe to say that the set-up for Intelligencia in She-Hulk was made to lead to Captain America: New World Order. Any Captain America project didn’t shy away from exploring political discussions in the United States and given the current climate, Sam Wilson’s own struggle makes for the best set-up to explore the current climate left in a post-Trump and Qanon world. Hell, one could make the argument that the latter is potentially being echoed to some extent. It’s even in the title as many were concerned given its ties to conspiracy theories online from white supremacists that used those three words to spread anti-semitic topics across the web.

    The confirmed return of Tim Blake Nelson as the Samuel Sterns, who is better known as the Leader, also potentially leads to how they’re setting up his return. We don’t know how they’ll tackle his design or even return, but when we first met him back in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, the character was communicating through chat rooms. So, it seems fitting if his time is hidden away in SHIELD’s prisons he’s been using a different strategy to build his own empire. His goal is very likely still to get his hands on Hulk and he’ll use any means necessary.

    As much as commentaries on “woke” Hollywood have scattered across the web, they are politically stirred on every side and it makes sense for the new Captain America to explore that very divide. Steve Rogers had a similar challenge when it came to standing up for what is right, and we know that Wilson has been a mediator for most of his pre-heroic career. So, there’s something fitting for him to take on that very role, he’s not a super soldier but has his own strengths to stand by what he believes is right.

    Intelligencia and the white supremacist ties of NWO could be the way Marvel introduces the Serpent Society; the once joke title for Civil War. A modern twist on that group would be fitting and further pull into the backlash we see in the real world over a fictional character. You don’t look far for those kinds of discussions like with The Little Mermaid remake, which became the focus of its own online drama. And all these reactions to fictional characters are also reflections of real-world issues; something we’ve been continuously reminded of throughout the last few years.

    There likely won’t be an end to such backlash and if they further explore Intelligencia in that project, there’s likely going to be even more reactionary tales for this entry. As highlighted by She-Hulk, there’s a certain predictability to the online chatter and further exploring the dark corners of the world in a project with a lead that reflects the lived experiences creates a strong meta-commentary. It’s no longer a man from World War One stuck who is stuck in a different time. This is someone whose lived experience is very different in a modern context. As such, his threats are fittingly going to be more modern and reflect the current political climate.

  • RUMOR: She-Hulk May Return in ‘Captain America’ Sequel

    RUMOR: She-Hulk May Return in ‘Captain America’ Sequel

    Anthonie Mackie‘s Sam Wilson is about to face his biggest threat yet, as D23 came with the surprise announcement that Tim Blake Nelson is finally returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as The Leader in Captain America: New World Order. It’s definitely caught many off-guard that a Hulk-based villain would have a role in a Captain America sequel, but recent She-Hulk episodes have potentially started hinting at that development.

    Still, it doesn’t mean they might have direct ties, or at least that was the case until rumors started making the rounds. It seems that Geeks Worldwide’s KC Walsh‘s reaction to a post by @WorldWarHulkNew hinting at She-Hulk would return in the upcoming Wilson-focused sequel, highlighting that he first reported it.

    https://twitter.com/TheComixKid/status/1573759247556354048

    There is a chance that he is referring to the World War Hulk announcement, which he broke some time ago but it has been shared adding to the rumors. It seems they are hinting that the Captain America sequel will also act as a set-up for a World War Hulks adaptation but that project still hasn’t been officially announced. It could have one of the many empty spots on Marvel’s Phase 6 timeline.

    Of course, the potential addition of Jennifer Walters in that film also continues the theories that The Leader may have a central role in the Disney+ series. There has been teasing of that character in the latest episode and it would be a fitting introduction that builds up his role in the MCU.

    Source: Twitter via The Direct

  • RUMOR: New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Funkos to Include All 3 Spideys

    RUMOR: New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Funkos to Include All 3 Spideys

    Sony probably was quite excited when they saw the hype surrounding the return of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man: No Way Home. They were fan favorites for a reason and if they didn’t have to keep it a secret, the marketing executives probably would’ve been quite happy to get merchandise ready just in time to bank on that hype. Yet, the wait was a long one for anything related to the two characters.

    Luckily, there’s a chance that Funko Pop collectors might be able to get their hands on Peter 2 and Peter 3, as @mariobros612TWT has shared that a new line of Funko’s from that film is going to get released. These will feature some exclusives but it does seem like all three Spider-Men are getting their own Funkos alongside Green Goblin with a pumpkin bomb.

    It’s hilarious that Ned Leeds is also getting his own Funko just for the few seconds the Cloak of Levitation helped him out, but it feels perfect for those that want something a little unexpected in their collection. It’s great to see some additional Funkos in production and if they had these planned for the initial premiere, they’d likely have leaked early on confirming the many rumors already making the rounds.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Wakanda Forever’ Merch Offers Closer Look at Comic-Accurate Ironheart Armor

    New ‘Wakanda Forever’ Merch Offers Closer Look at Comic-Accurate Ironheart Armor

    Many were surprised when the first look at Ironheart’s armor in Riri William’s first live-action debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looked nothing like her original comic armor. With her sweet to have her own Disney+ series in the near future, it would’ve made sense to build up to the more comic-accurate design. At least that was until a new merch leak revealed a more comic-accurate design.

    While it was a shame that it was spoiled instead of kept as a surprise during Wakanda Forever‘s theater run, that has become the norm when it comes to merchandise early releases. Still, the design looks great and stands out even though many worried it be too close to that of Tony Stark’s iconic Iron Man armor. It also seems she’ll use some new types of weaponry at her disposal as first seen in the images shared by @CeeOfCreativity on Twitter.

    We’ve technically never seen the weaponry that she’d rely on and it seems we shouldn’t expect a copy of the arc reactor-based attacks like the Unibeam. She’ll likely make use of what Wakanda has to offer that’ll also help her more quickly develop the armor. So, we’ll likely see different test versions throughout the film until she gets the final design.

    It does open up the question if the upcoming Ironheart Disney+ series will act as a prequel, or if she simply doesn’t have the right energy source to keep this armor going for a long period of time. So, she tests out other types of armor to have other options at hand, or perhaps she’s one of the reasons that Armor Wars‘ storyline kicks off with her actions in the sequel.

    Source: Twitter

  • Sony Delays ‘Madame Web’ and ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Release Dates

    Sony Delays ‘Madame Web’ and ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Release Dates

    It looks like we’ll have to wait just a little longer for the upcoming Marvel projects from Sony, as they have now pushed back quite a few releases. While they’ve also updated their upcoming schedule to include a new Karate Kid film, which we exclusively revealed just last month, and the sequel to Searching titled Missing (here’s hoping the third one is named Finding), it seems their various Marvel films have also been delayed.

    Kraven the Hunter is now eyeing a release on October 6th, 2023, quite a few months away from its initial January 13th release date that same year. It took over Madame Web‘s original release which is now scheduled for 2024 on February 16th. Both films are set to also screen in IMAX. The delay also affected one of its untitled Marvel films which were initially planned for June 7th, 2025 but it is now a July release. Some have theorized this might be the next Spider-Man MCU entry, but there hasn’t been an announcement so far.

    Sony is still moving forward with its projects even after Morbius didn’t quite make it the first two rounds it attempted in theaters. It’s uncertain how their relationship stands with Marvel and what the future has in store for Spider-Man. We haven’t heard anything about a new trilogy or even if the character will appear in Sony’s own universe. There are a lot of unknown variables at the moment and we can only hope that an update isn’t too far away.

    Source: Deadline