Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Movies

  • Fans Believe Marvel Studios May Have “Soft Launched” Its New Black Panther

    Fans Believe Marvel Studios May Have “Soft Launched” Its New Black Panther

    In January 2025, a report from Jeff “The In” Sneider indicated that Marvel Studios planned to recast the role of T’Challa, with a new actor set to portray the character originally played by the late Chadwick Boseman. Sneider claimed the new actor would step into the role for three upcoming films, starting with Avengers: Doomsday and continuing on in both Avengers: Secret Wars and Black Panther 3.

    Sneider’s report was quickly countered by social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, who claimed that the recast wasn’t for the character played by Boseman but rather for T’Challa II, played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Former Marvel Parliament member Nate Moore seemed to put the rumblings to rest in February, explaining that without a story in place for Black Panther 3, the studio was unable to make a decision about replacing Boseman in the role. However, as believable as Moore‘s words were, one of the biggest oopsies ever quickly turned the tide of the story one more time.

    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.

    -Producer Nate Moore

    In March, 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. 

    The idea of Idris as the MCU’s new T’Challa took hold quickly among the fanbase; however, further inspection of the files posted on Art Station revealed that the character in the concept art was T’Chanda, the Black Panther of Wakanda in World War II and the grandfather of T’Challa. Despite the excitement, the buzz died down and with principal photography on Avengers: Doomsday having been completed with no sign of Idris among those revealed to be part of the cast, fans seemed to have moved on…until now.

    An appearance by Idris at Vogue World: Hollywood, alongside Black Panther franchise star Angela Bassett, has fansvonce again believing he’s set to be the MCU’s next Black Panther.

    With Bassett spotted holding hands with Idris while outfitted in the same garb work by her Queen Ramonda, fans quickly began to call the event a “soft launch” for the recasting of Boseman‘s iconic role. Theories and speculation have begun to spread across social media platforms and message boards, though no single theory seems to be taking hold. Is Idris a Multiversal Variant, a grown T’Challa II or T’Chanda? Has he been cast in Avengers: Doomsday at all? Given the fact that characters from the World of Wakanda are confirmed to play a major role in the film, all of the options would seem to be in play. With the studio rumored to be planning to roll out a teaser for the film before year’s end, perhaps we’ll all find out soon.

  • Excelsior! ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ D+ Debut Date Revealed

    Excelsior! ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ D+ Debut Date Revealed

    Hot on n the heels the release of physical media, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is headed to Disney Plus.

    In an official release provided across its social media outlets, Disney revealed that the Marvel Studios film will hit the streaming platform on November 5th.

    The film, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, introduced Marvel’s First Family to the MCU in time for the group to star in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The film took in just over $520M worldwide and played well for critics and audiences alike and will likely continue the trend of Marvel Studios’ films becoming streaming darlings.

    Following Disney CEO Bob Iger’s statement that the film “successfully launched this important franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Marvel boss Kevin Feige reportedly set his sights on developing a sequel with director Matt Shakman back on board. Though no official word has come down, screenwriter Eric Pearson shared some ideas about the direction of a potential sequel, which could allow the project to come together in time for a 2028 theatrical release.

  • Elizabeth Olsen Details What Would Bring Her Back for More as The Scarlet Witch

    Though she hasn’t appeared since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff continues to impact the events of the MCU’s ongoing shared narrative. Agatha All Along revealed that her son, Billy, was alive and well ..sort of…and 2026’s VisionQuest will see the return of his twin, Tommy. Still, fans are hungry for more of Elizabeth Olsen‘s Scarlet Witch, whose apparent death even Kevin Feige has called into question.

    There really is so much more to explore. We still haven’t touched on many of her core storylines from the comics. I don’t know that we saw her under rubble? I saw a tower coming down, and a little red flash. I don’t know what that means.

    -Kevin Feige

    For her part, Olsen has always remained open to returning to the role and seems to have something particular in mind should she do so. Now, in a new interview with InStyle, Olsen details why she will always be open to returning as Wanda.

    “Making the films are fun. Goofy. It’s ridiculous. We’re grown people like children on a playground,” said Olsen of the experience of making MCU films. “We’re flying. We’re shooting things out of our hands. And it’s a character that I’ve gotten to return to so many times after over 10 years. It’s good to put her down and then I miss  her and I want her back. I’d jump at the opportunity to be in her shoes again.”

    “It’s the consistency of a community and a job, which is hard to find. The insane camera movement, stunt work and special effects, visual effects that are happening in real time,” Olsen explained. “It’s a lot of coordination, it’s hundreds and hundreds of people on set, and it’s a powerful thing to be a part of all those people working towards one goal. The people doing the visual effects are artists… The soul, the spirit, the heart is fulfilled doing it. It does mean something. I care about the acting being great — everyone does.”

    Rumors of a Scarlet Witch solo project circulated for years. When given the opportunity to shoot them down, WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer chose not to, fueling the fire of legions of social media Wandas. While Olsen remains mum on WHEN she will return, it continues to sound as though she most definitely WILL.

    Source: InStyle

  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Set Video Sets Off Speculation on the Identity of Liza Colón-Zayas’ Role 

    ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Set Video Sets Off Speculation on the Identity of Liza Colón-Zayas’ Role 

    Since Tom Holland returned to the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, photos and videos from the set have indicated that one of the film’s major set pieces will involve Michael Mando‘s Mac Gargan being pursued by Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle. Recently, Mando was spotted on set exiting a helicopter in the same prison gear he was wearing at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Fans have generated plenty of theories about what might happen in that scene, including the potential for the adaptation of an incredible action sequence based on a portion of a scene from a video game but whatever the case, it looks like the aftermath will be nothing short of disastrous.

    A new behind the scenes video shared by X user @batuhansafakk shows Spidey working with first responders in the midst of a significant mess in the streets. At one point during the footage, a female police officer approaches Spider-Man and the two have an extended conversation. Even given the distance from which the footage was recorded, it seems clear that the actress working with Holland is Liza Colón-Zayas, who was cast in the film earlier this year. And given that she’s a police officer working closely with Spidey, speculation about the identity of her character has taken off.

    When she was originally cast, fans speculated that Colón-Zayas may end up playing Miles Morales mother, Rio. Now, thanks to online scooper My Time To Shine Hello, a new theory has taken hold and it does indeed track with Marvel Studios and Sony setting Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the streets.

    MTTSH believes Colón-Zayas could be playing NYPD Detective Jean DeWolff, an ally of Spidey’s created by Bill Mantl and first introduced in 1976’s Marvel Team-Up #48. The two formed a close working relationship over the years and her death at the hands of her partner Stan Carter, the Sin-Eater, took a major toll on the Web-Slinger. In the Ultimate Universe, DeWolff worked with Spidey but was ultimately revealed to be a pawn of the Kingpin.

    Should Colón-Zayas indeed be playing a version of DeWolff, she’ll be this version of Spidey’s first NYPD ally and could end up as a recurring character, setting up an adaptation of Peter David‘s four-part “The Death of Jean DeWolff” arc, considered one of the best Spidey stories of all time.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Sets ‘X-Men’ Release Date

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Sets ‘X-Men’ Release Date

    Work is well underway on Marvel Studios X-Men which Kevin Feige has said will come after Avengers: Secret Wars, kicking off “a new age of mutants.” Directed by Jake Schreier, the “youth-focused reboot” will be markedly different than Fox’s take on the mutant heroes and has been expected to be on track to be one of the studio’s four 2028 releases. Now we know which one.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel Studios plans to release X-Men on May 5, 2028.

    As Sneider mentioned in his report, the film will be releasing nearly 20 years to the day after Iron Man kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given the studio’s struggles during its current Multiverse Saga, Disney will be looking to ensure Marvel’s X-Men gets the next saga off to a hot start, especially with Feige’s claim that finally having the live-action rights to the characters is a “dream come true.”

    Source: The InSneider

  • New Report Reveals When to Expect the First Trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    New Report Reveals When to Expect the First Trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Marvel Studios has rarely ever had as few projects in production as they do now…and that looks as though it will continue to be the case for the next several months. With Avengers: Doomsday having wrapped principal photography, Spider-Man: Brand New Day stands as the only project known to be filming. Looking ahead to 2026, it won’t get much busier on the live-action side, with only Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, further work on Avengers: Doomsday and the start of production on the final film of the Multiverse Saga, Avengers: Secret Wars, confirmed to be on the schedule.

    Not since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down productions across the world has the studio seen such a reduction in the volume of its content output. With the recent removal of yet another project from its theatrical slate, Marvel will release just three films in the next 27 months. On the bright side, that should give them plenty of time to work on things behind the scenes, including devoting considerable effort to the post-production and marketing of Avengers: Doomsday, a film on which quite a bit is riding.

    Indeed, though the film won’t release until December 2026, it seems as though marketing for Avengers: Doomsday is already underway. A holographic teaser of the film debuted at Disney’s 2026 Merchandise Expo in China, which also provided a good look at the costume of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. According to multiple reputable insiders, Disney has big plans to continue heavily marketing the film well ahead of its typical schedule, including getting the film’s first teaser trailer out to the public this year.

    According to longtime Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, Disney plans to attach the first teaser for Avengers: Doomsday to the theatrical release of James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. With the third installment in the Avatar franchise set for release on December 19th, Marvel will be providing a look at the first Avengers film in over six years nearly 12 months before it’s release.

    Doctor Doom has officially arrived in the MCU. This villain, a master of cutting-edge science and powerful magic, will unleash a cascading crisis across the entire multiverse.

    -First synopsis for Avengers: Doomsday

    While Marvel has effectively kept production on Avengers: Doomsday out of sight for the most part, it is believed to be largely inspired by Marvel Comics writer Jonathan Hickman‘s work on Avengers and New Avengers titles. Cyclops star James Marsden‘s recent tease that “worlds are ready to collide” seems to have confirmed the belief that the film will feature Fox’s OG X-Men taking on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as an incursion threatens both of their worlds.

  • Rumor: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Set to Feature a Classic Marvel Team-Up

    Rumor: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Set to Feature a Classic Marvel Team-Up

    Since Kevin Feige pushed Daredevil and Spidey as the MCU’s cornerstone street-level heroes in 2022, the two New York-based vigilantes have yet to cross paths in a live-action MCU project. While all the details aren’t exactly crystal clear, Marvel’s contract with Sony seems to prevent Spider-Man from appearing in Daredevil: Born Again, which means a team up between the two can only take place on the big screen. That’s how Charlie Cox was able to appear as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home but as fun as the cameo was, it wasn’t as exciting as seeing Spidey and DD swing across the NYC skyline…but that might be coming sooner than we all thought.

    Spidey franchise star Tom Holland recently made it clear that he and director Destin Daniel Cretton have been working hard to make sure that Spider-Man: Brand New Day gives fans what they want from a Spider-Man movie. And if Holland truly has “been active sifting through the internet ” to find out what that is, he has certainly found plenty of fans looking forward to Spider-Man and Daredevil working together. Now, a new rumor claims that the pair will indeed feature the classic Marvel Team-Up.

    The rumor comes via Nuke the Fridge, not a site well-known for dropping this kind of news, as the author of the article points out.

    According to the site, a reliable source casually let skip that “Charlie [Cox] will be heading over there to film Spider-Man.“

    Given what is currently known about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it truly makes more sense to have Cox‘s Daredevil swing into the action than to leave him out. A plot featuring The Punisher–who Daredevil knows all too well–hunting down street-level baddies, crime bosses purportedly vying for control of New York with Kingpin off the board and a rampaging Hulk destroying “his city” would all certainly attract the attention of the Man Without Fear.

    Production on Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now underway in the UK and Cox does appear to have some time open in his schedule before an appearance at NYCC on October 11th and 12th where he’ll be part of the Marvel Television panel. Given the volume of stunt work an appearance by Daredevil would likely entail, 10 days or so might provide plenty of time for Cox to do his part and allow his stunt double to do the rest, as has been the case for Holland for much of what’s been filmed. So yeah, a rumor for sure, but one that certainly makes quite a bit of sense and would elevate the hype for a film that’s already generating enormous excitement.

    Source: Nuke the Fridge

  • Marvel Studios Settles Its 2027 Theatrical Slate

    Marvel Studios Settles Its 2027 Theatrical Slate

    As it was first revealed during Marvel Studios Hall H panel at SDCC ’22, Phase 6 was originally intended to be made up of at least 11 projects. As of July 2022, only three of those projects were “known” and they were all films (The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars). At that time, the Multiverse Saga was on track to be composed of an incredible 39 projects with 8 of them being unknowns.

    Post-SDCC ’22, fans already found it hard to believe that the studio would roll out two Avengers films in one year and by October 2022, they were proven right. The studio moved Avengers: Secret Wars into 2026 which meant there was now room for 3 movies to be released between the fifth and sixth Avengers films. And now, there is room for none.

    We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three. And we’re working hard on what that path is.

    -Bob Iger on the reduction of content being produced by Marvel Studios
    According to Variety, Disney has now removed the last remaining untitled Marvel Studios movie from its slate. Once slated to release on July 23, 2027, the project has been preempted for The Simpsons 2.

    With the move, Phase 6 will now consist of only four films: The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Rather than throw another Avengers film together for July 2027, the studio made it clear that it’s effort to reduce content over the past few years was in an effort to accelerate the end of its Multiverse Saga.

    As it stands, here’s a look at the remaining live-action projects known to be currently slated to release before the end of Phase 6:

    • Wonder Man-TBD December 2025
    • Daredevil: Born Again Season 2-TBD March 2026
    • The Punisher Special Presentation-TBD 2026
    • Spider-Man: Brand New Day-July 31, 2026
    • Untitled Vision Series-TBD 2026
    • Avengers: Doomsday-December 18, 2026
    • Daredevil: Born Again-TBD 2027
    • Avengers: Secret Wars-December 17, 2027
  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Rumor Puts [SPOILER] in The Punisher’s Crosshairs

    ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Rumor Puts [SPOILER] in The Punisher’s Crosshairs

    Though it won’t include Kingpin, it is starting to sound as though Spider-Man: Brand New Day may indeed feature a “street-level civil war” as it has long-beem rumored to do. Marvel Studios Big Cheese Kevin Feige made it clear that the studio wanted Daredevil and Spidey to lead its street-level efforts and from what can be gleaned about the plot of the fourth installment in the franchise, that’s exactly what’s happening. And even if the two characters don’t seem destined to interact in the new film, there does seem to be some narrative crossover thanks to Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle taking on a major role.

    We’ve got the supernatural angles, we’ve got the street-level with our announcement of Daredevil, and of course, Spidey going into the street-level heroes.

    -Kevin Feige, SDCC ’23

    Though it’s only speculation for now, it tracks that the events of The Punisher Special Presentation and Spider-Man: Brand New Day will take place following the events of Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, the conclusion of which may have been spoiled through set photos which seem to indicate Daredevil and “his army” have taken Wilson Fisk off the board. If that’s true and the Kingpin is no longer running the show in NYC, plenty of other baddies, like Ma Gnucci, might start trying to get their piece, giving Castle plenty of purpose.

    A Kingpin-sized power vacuum would also provide a reasonable explanation for why Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be chock-full of so many of Spidey’s sinister foes. And a new report from a trusted insider reveals that Castle will have a major beef with one of those street-level tough guys.

    According to Daniel Richtman, “Punisher and Tombstone will be in direct conflict,” in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

    After voicing the character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Marvin Jones III is set to bring Alonzo “Lonnie” Lincoln to life in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and will certainly pose a challenge to Castle, who is also rumored to be trying to take out Michael Mando‘s Mac Gargan in the film. While there are still plenty of unknowns, it sounds as though director Destin Daniel Cretton and Spidey star Tom Holland are cooking up something special for fans.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Set to Unleash Two Classic X-Men Villains in The Mutant Saga

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Set to Unleash Two Classic X-Men Villains in The Mutant Saga

    As Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga continues to speed to an end, plenty of work is already being done on the next group of stories which will introduce an all-new, all-different batch of mutant heroes and villains into the MCU. Marvel’s One Above All, Kevin Feige, has made it clear that while “some X-Men players that you might recognize” will continue to pop up over the next few films, “the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men.”

    As it stands, all signs point to the studio’s X-Men movie, directed by Thunderbolts* helmer Jake Schreier, being in theaters in 2028. Schreier’s “complex” take is said to be recognizably different than the angle taken by Fox during its two-decade long run bringing the mutants to the big screen. Part of that, according to Feige, comes from Schreier working on a “youth-focused” reboot but a new rumor suggests that won’t be the only way the new film diverges from its predecessor.

    They have been a place to tell stories about young people who feel different and who feel Other and who feel like they don’t belong. That’s the universal story of mutants, and that is where we’re going.

    -Jake Schreier on the X-Men comics
    According to longtime Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, the studio will look to move away from Magneto and focus on a pair of classic X-Men villains as the new saga gets underway. Richtman’s new report indicates that Mister Sinister and Apocalypse are set to share the spotlight as big bada of the Mutant Saga.

    It’s an interesting pairing, especially given the villains’s shared history in the comics, that could point to the studio choosing to really delve into mutant lore and mythology as well as potentially keeping an eye on adapting Jonathan Hickman‘s modern Krakoan Age stories down the line.

    Though Fox attempted to utilize Apocalypse, played strangely by Oscar Isaac, it’s unlikely Marvel’s plans for the character would even slightly resemble the choices made by Fox. And as for Sinister…he may be the most delightfully evil Marvel Comics villain to have never made it to the big screen and his inclusion alone would allow the studio to explore some of the best X-Men arcs ever written. Teaming him up with Apocalypse, who transformed the scientist into something more evolved in the comics, would seem to set the sky as the limit for the stories that could be told in the new saga.