Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel News

  • The Star of 1994’s ‘The Fantastic Four’ Comments on John Krasinski as Reed Richards

    The Star of 1994’s ‘The Fantastic Four’ Comments on John Krasinski as Reed Richards

    There’s a new Reed Richards on the scene, and the original Mr. Fantastic has thoughts. Alex Hyde-White was the first person to play the patriarch of Marvel’s First Family in live-action, even if most people don’t remember. He portrayed the character in the unreleased 1994 adaptation The Fantastic Four, famously produced with a very low-budget by Roger Corman. Unfortunately, after the movie failed to hit theaters, his career as a big screen superhero became more of a trivia piece than the foundation for Richards’ cinematic legacy.

    No need to worry though, as Hyde-White is still getting plenty of work, and he’s still just as big a fan of Marvel as he was thirty years ago. Sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss his fantastic past, the upcoming Nope star was asked directly about John Krasinski’s surprise appearance as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new Reed. He couldn’t be more pleased:

    Well, that’s not a surprise. He’s been rumored for a while. It’s exciting! He’s proved himself to be a heck of a storyteller and as a lead actor and a producer and director. Krasinski is a force to be reckoned with because he has a joy of storytelling, and he’s a good leader. Those are Reed Richards’ characteristics… If you were to send out a casting spec for Reed Richards, you would say “Excellent leader, control freak — but nice about it. Collaborator willing to take the blame.”

    Alex Hyde-White

    While it remains to be seen whether or not Krasinski becomes the 616 Reed, his cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a nice surprise for those eager to see him in the role. Until Marvel’s first family is cast, fans can take solace in knowing they’ll (finally) be joining the MCU soon.

    Source: THR.

  • Michael Waldron Teases Potential America Chavez Standalone

    Michael Waldron Teases Potential America Chavez Standalone

    After her debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it appears America Chavez may be returning in a standalone project of her own. The screenwriter for the Doctor Strange sequel, Michael Waldron, explained in an interview with Vanity Fair that when it came to some of the America Chavez material, “that maybe we should hold some of that back.”

    “Getting into the real specificity of her with her parents came a little bit later in the process. It felt, at least to me initially, that maybe we should hold some of that back. It felt like the sort of stuff you’d rather answer when you’re getting into America’s solo outing. But as we continued to build the story, we found that we wanted to know more about her. And, really, Strange would want to know more about her. It was just honest to their relationship and conversations.”

    Michael Waldron

    Waldron went on to point out that they “also set up the next chapter in the America Chavez story.” When you consider the mystery of her missing mothers and her training in Kamar Taj, there seems to be plenty of material for a movie or a TV series.

    Especially fascinating is the fact that Waldron was the lead writer on the first season of Loki. Chavez, played on the big screen by Xochitl Gomez, has a history in the comics with a teenage version of Loki. She also has a unique role in the Secret Wars event that was teased by the Illuminati discussions of “Incursions.” Her solo outing could tie deeply into several other Marvel Cinematic Universe titles, as befits a character whose power is traveling the multiverse. As it stands, though, nothing has been announced regarding an America Chavez solo project.

    For the time being, fans can see America in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, now playing in theaters.

    Source: Vanity Fair.

  • Iman Vellani on the How Filming ‘The Marvels’ was Different From ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Iman Vellani on the How Filming ‘The Marvels’ was Different From ‘Ms. Marvel’

    As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness continues to dominate at the box office, Marvel Studios is already looking ahead to its next release. Ms. Marvel will debut on Disney+ next month, introducing one of Marvel Comics’ brightest heroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Starting as Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, is Iman Vellani, who has already wrapped production on yet another MCU project with The Marvels. That film is set to introduce Kamala to her hero, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). While talking about her role as Kamala, Iman teased what it was like working on The Marvels and how it differed from filming Ms. Marvel.

    It was absolutely amazing, a completely different experience. You have the same amount of filming time almost to film a lot less content, so everything was more relaxed. And Brie and Teyonah were the most amazing support system, just to have people who have the same pains from doing stunts. We were just crying together. It was awesome.

    Iman Vellani

    It remains to be seen how Vellani’s Kamala will make the jump to The Marvels, but it’s clear she enjoyed the filming process. After all, being the lead in a television series can be stressful. In this instance, though, she had support in both Larson and Parris.

    Ms. Marvel will debut on Disney+ on June 8th, while The Marvels will hit theaters on July 28, 2023.

    Source: Empire Magazine via Twitter.

  • Jeremy Slater Explains Why Werewolf by Night Didn’t Appear in ‘Moon Knight’

    Jeremy Slater Explains Why Werewolf by Night Didn’t Appear in ‘Moon Knight’

    Ahead of Moon Knight‘s debut, rumors indicated that a Werewolf by Night cameo would occur. The rumors seemed to only grow more rapid when a trailer for the long-awaited series showcased a Werewolf by Night Easter egg thanks to a framed comic book cover featuring the character fighting Moon Knight. Unfortunately, though, in the end, there was no appearance by the character, and for good reason.

    In a new interview with Comicbook, Moon Knight‘s head writer Jeremy Slater explained that while he might’ve included the character in a pitch, it never really went beyond that. “There weren’t discussions of doing Werewolf by Night per se, just because they had already had some plans for him, and Kevin [Feige] had an idea of how he wanted to use him,” he explained.

    While Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce its Werewolf by Night Halloween special that is in production, we do know that Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle) will star in the special alongside Laura Donnelly (The Nevers). The special is being directed by composer Michael Giacchino, and production has been underway for a bit now and very little is known about the project outside of that. As for what could’ve been, however, Slater had a fun fight sequence he pitched for the character to show there’s plenty more to Moon Knight than we get to see in the series.

    “In my pitch, one of the images that I used was a shot of Moon Knight fighting a giant, 12-foot-tall werewolf with glowing eyes,” he says. “I was like, ‘Look, yes, Moon Knight is a street-level vigilante guy. He can go up against the purse snatchers and the drug runners and everything. But he’s also a monster hunter and that’s how he was introduced.’”

    Although it is unfortunate that Slater’s pitch didn’t work out, fans can rejoice knowing Werewolf by Night is expected to hit Disney+ later this year.

    Source: Comicbook.

  • F. Murray Abraham on Khonshu and ‘Moon Knight’

    F. Murray Abraham on Khonshu and ‘Moon Knight’

    While Oscar Isaac is the star of Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight, there’s no denying how well F. Murray Abraham does at injecting life into the god Khonshu. In a brand new interview with Marvel, the Academy Award-winning actor discusses what it was like to bring the character to life and how he became involved with the project. Per Abraham, he was approached by Marvel Studios directly to voice the character, which was a pleasant surprise for the legendary actor.

    “They approached me, they called me. I don’t know how they got around to it, but I was delighted because I thought it was fun.” Abraham went on to explain what caused him to ultimately take the role, noting he loved the surprises it offered. “The idea that these creatures that keep appearing out of mythology seem absolutely plausible. I think that’s part of the magic of the piece. It’s all vaguely possible. Going to Egypt and going to the tombs and to the pyramids, it makes it kind of a reality, I think. What do you think?”

    The actor, who came onto the project late, also revealed Marvel hadn’t told him much about the character when he was approached. Instead, the studio opted to show him some of what they’d done already and asked if he’d be able to come up with a voice for the character of Khonshu. “It’s an outrageous character as far as I’m concerned. I hate to say this, because, well, it’s an actor’s ego, but I think he’s just one of the very loveliest characters in the whole piece.”

    For the actor, the most exciting part of it all was that he got to play around with the voicework. He was able to provide feedback and rerecord if they felt there was a better way to approach some of the lines. It was an overall very collaborative process that he was glad to be a part of.

    While a second season hasn’t been announced, Abraham is more than ready to return to the character should more seasons occur. For him, he views Moon Knight – and super heroes – as a glimmer of hope in an often less than hopeful world. “In this poor old world that we’re living in, finally there are truly Super Heroes. To use that old expression in other, modern terms, these Super Heroes really are trying to accomplish good. That’s so important. I can’t tell you how important that is. It makes things a little more hopeful. And we could surely use some hope these days, don’t you think?”

    All six episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Marvel.

  • Michael Waldron on Kang’s Absence in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Michael Waldron on Kang’s Absence in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness does its best to carry on the multiversal plot threads introduced in last year’s first season of Loki, but there’s one major component missing from the final product. Despite an ominous warning from Jonathan Majors’ He Who Remains that a more dangerous variant of himself, Kang the Conqueror, would arrive if the Sacred Timeline was continually tampered with, there was not a single inter-dimensional warlord to be found in Doctor Strange’s two-hour runtime. Michael Waldron, the man with a plan who wrote both projects for Marvel, recently sat down with Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast and revealed exactly why he chose not to include the next big Ant-Man baddie in Sam Raimi’s sequel:

    To me it felt like we had the biggest, best bullet already, in Wanda. That when working with Sam, when it was like we should really make the decision to make Wanda the antagonist of this film. It was exciting and part of that was the feeling of ‘geez, we can’t let another movie go have that fun.’ It’s because she is going to be so great.

    Michael Waldron

    The Scarlet Witch acts as an incredibly effective villain in Multiverse of Madness, which packs a lot into its story already. It was probably for the best that Waldron and Raimi decided to focus on one antagonist at a time. The writer confirmed as much as he continued his answer, explaining:

    And I think that if you had introduced Kang, as great as Jonathan Majors is, and as great as he is going to be playing that character, you would have risked the movie just getting maybe over-stuffed.

    Michael Waldron

    For fans worried about the lack of Kang, don’t be. The villain is set to get the spotlight in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and will likely be a major player in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the meantime, go see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, in theaters now.

    Source: Deadline

  • Tom Hiddleston on Loki’s Bisexuality: “It was definitely important to all of us.”

    Tom Hiddleston on Loki’s Bisexuality: “It was definitely important to all of us.”

    While Marvel Studios has made strides to improve its own screen representation, it’s hard to deny the LGBTQ+ representation has been rather lacking. The studio, however, has been working to right its former wrongs with the inclusion of America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to the on-screen kiss between Phastos and his husband in Eternals. Unfortunately, though, while these instances have been relatively well-received, one attempt at inclusion wasn’t received nearly as well.

    Loki, which stars Tom Hiddleston, saw the character come out as bisexual in its first season. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Hiddleston was asked what it was like to bring the character to the small screen. The actor noted he was excited for the opportunity, explaining he wanted to retain the integrity of the character in the move from the big screen to the small screen. He also noted how important it was to confirm the character’s bisexuality. “I also hope Loki coming out as bisexual was meaningful to people who spotted it. It was a small step, and there’s further to go. But it was definitely important to all of us.”

    The reaction to Loki’s bisexuality revelation has been mixed since the series debuted. While many were excited to see the character confirm his sexuality, some felt it wasn’t handled all that well. Still, as Hiddleston notes, it was a small step that is important even if there’s still plenty of work to be done.

    Filming on Season 2 of Loki will be kicking off soon. For now, fans can enjoy Hiddleston’s trickster on the small screen with the first season of Loki now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: The Guardian.

  • Rachel McAdams Explains How Christine Palmer Has Changed Since ‘Doctor Strange’

    Rachel McAdams Explains How Christine Palmer Has Changed Since ‘Doctor Strange’

    Despite taking place across infinite universes, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will see the return of quite a few familiar faces. Among them is Rachel McAdams‘ Dr. Christine Palmer, who has not been seen on the big screen since 2016’s original Doctor Strange movie. The last time Dr. Palmer made an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Sacred Timeline, she had discovered her on-and-off lover, Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Dr. Stephen Strange, had gained magical abilities and was now saving the world from supernatural threats. In a recent interview with Fandom, McAdams was asked how the character has adjusted her life since learning about the existence of magic. According to the actress, Palmer will be in a pretty good place when audiences find her in the sequel:

    I think she’s just gone fully into it. She’s hooked on multiversal travel and she’s become a bit of an expert on it, I feel like. It’s very much something that she’s comfortable in now. So quite different from the Christine of the previous film, [where] this was all just happening for the first time.

    Rachel McAdams

    Palmer’s last MCU appearance was technically in last year’s animated What If…?. A variant of the character from a universe where she perishes in Stephen’s fateful car accident played a pivotal role in one of the show’s best episodes. McAdams returned as the voice of Palmer, but Multiverse of Madness will be the first time audiences learn what happened to her in the main timeline after Strange took up residence in the Sanctum Sanctorum.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters this Friday.

    Source: Fandom

  • Marvel Studios Tweet Hints At ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2

    Marvel Studios Tweet Hints At ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2

    Moon Knight has only just released its final episode, and Marvel Studios is already hinting that it won’t actually be the show’s last. From the very beginning, the Oscar Isaac-led project has been marketed as a “limited series.’ The show was even submitted for Emmy’s consideration in the “limited” category. Presumably the original idea was for Moon Knight to act as a standalone entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing Marc Spector and Steven Grant to a wider audience and then sending them on their way to larger team-ups or other spin-offs. However, a recent tweet from Marvel’s official account has cast doubt that this is still the plan.

    On Monday, the account tweeted out the trailer for the conclusion of the series with a caption that read “epic series finale.” That is, of course, exactly what one might expect to see. Yet, the tweet was taken down a short time later and replaced with a new post that instead read “epic season finale.” This is far from official confirmation of another season, but the decision to change the wording of above the trailer is definitely a little suspicious. At the very least, it indicates Marvel Studios may not be as certain about the way they’ll handle the future of Moon Knight.

    As a side note, this could potentially mess with the show’s chances at the Emmys. Even though the tweet might be a mistake, it still could be enough to disqualify Moon Knight from “limited series” contention. The Television Academy has reportedly been trying to crack down on shows attempting to use loopholes to win awards. They may view this as evidence of Marvel hoping to do the same.

    Source: Variety

  • Sam Raimi Finally Explains Dancing Tobey in ‘Spider-Man 3’

    Sam Raimi Finally Explains Dancing Tobey in ‘Spider-Man 3’

    It’s been fifteen years since the critically panned release of Spider-Man 3, but that doesn’t mean director Sam Raimi is done answering for it. One of the film’s most iconic moments comes when Tobey Maguire‘s Peter Parker finally succumbs to the dark desires of the Venom symbiote, but finds himself hilariously dancing down the street instead of performing any of the irredeemable actions one might have expected. The sequence has since become an internet phenomenon, with fans using gifs, videos, and images of Maguire‘s terrible dance moves for use in making memes and ultimately making fun of the film itself. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse even recreated the routine as a comedic reference to the character’s onscreen history.

    In a recent interview with Fandom, Raimi was asked outright his thoughts on “Dancing Tobey” becoming so popular in the years since he directed the scene. His response was expectedly lighthearted and upbeat:

    Well, we meant it to be funny, actually. It was Peter Parker’s version — this lame kid — of what it must be like to be his evil self. But he’s so whipped. He’s so out of it that that’s his take on it. And that didn’t go over well with the audience. But that’s what we were trying to do. So I’m not surprised that people… I’m glad people find it funny! We wanted it to be fun.

    Sam Raimi

    Raimi is known for using over-the-top, often somewhat cheesy, techniques in his films. So, it lines up that he would have used such a goofy performance to convey Peter’s emotions in Spider-Man 3. It’s also nice that he isn’t hurt by the initial outcry against the dancing, and instead embraces the fun of laughing with his audience.

    Raimi‘s next superhero project, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, releases on May 6th.

    Source: Fandom