Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel News

  • ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Writer Shares Ideas for Uncertain Sequel

    ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Writer Shares Ideas for Uncertain Sequel

    Marvel’s First Family finally joined the MCU in The Fantastic Four: First Steps just in time to help the Avengers and X-Men attempt to save a collapsing Multiverse. While the film hasn’t blown up the box office, Disney head honcho Bob Iger stated that the film, directed by Matt Shakman, “successfully launched this important franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” ahead of their appearances in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars; however, at this point, despite rumors that Marvel Studios was set to move ahead with a sequel, again directed by Shakman, there has been no official word.

    With four unfilled dates on its 2028 theatrical slate, Marvel could be eyeing one of them for a sequel to First Steps but if they are, they haven’t told anyone yet, including the writer of the first film, Eric Pearson. In an interview with Comic Book, Pearson, who has worked on several MCU films, including Thunderbolts*, explained that while he has some great ideas for a sequel, there’s a really good reason he hasn’t begun work on one just yet.

    LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 21: Eric Pearson attends The Fantastic Four: First Steps World Premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California on July 21, 2025. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney)

    “I honestly don’t know. I’m such a literal person that I would need to understand the fallout of how everything looks and who knows who out of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars,” he explained. “I don’t know where we are all sitting. Sometimes, when everything is on the table, you don’t know what to eat.” With Avengers: Doomsday deep into its production and still with an unfinished script, Pearson‘s point is very to the point.

    “Would it be cool to see them in a murder mystery together? Sure. Would it be cool to see them in a time-travelling romp? Sure, that would be cool. There are all these different things, but you don’t want to completely upset the apple cart,” he explained of trying to make plans for the First Family without knowing what will happen to them in two Avengers films over the next two years. “I feel like anything I’d have to say really doesn’t matter until we see how all our favorite characters survive the upcoming adventures with Victor von Doom.” With Avengers: Secret Wars primed to rest the MCU into what Kevin Feige called a “single timeline,” here’s to hoping The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom both find their ways onto it for many more adventures.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Kevin Feige Confirms ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Co-Star

    Kevin Feige Confirms ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Co-Star

    Jon Bernthal may currently be busy filming scenes in New York City for The Punisher Special Presentation but according to Marvel Studios’ One Above All, Kevin Feige, it won’t be the only project the actor films this summer. Earlier this year, rumors and a trade report indicated Bernthal was set to star alongside his buddy Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Now, in an interview with Collider, Feige has confirmed that is indeed the plan.

    “I think there’s a promise at the end of No Way Home, that for as sad as it is that Peter is forgotten by everyone in his life, we are seeing for the first time in the Tom Holland Spider–Man stories him being a proper Spider-Man,” said Feige of how the previous Spider-Man film has set up the story for the upcoming fourth installment in the franchise, set to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. “Him being by himself, dedicated to saving the city, and dealing with — for lack of better terms — street-level crime, as opposed to world-ending events,” he added.

    And with the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man fighting crime on the streets of New York City, it’s only a matter of time before he runs into Frank Castle. “So when you do that, you say, ‘okay, who are the other street-level characters that we’ve never seen him interact with?’ And of course, I love that The Punisher started in a Spider-Man comic. That great cover… I don’t want to say too much, but Destin — I will say too much — Destin is doing an amazing job right now on that movie, which starts shooting very soon. And he’s got eight or nine comic covers up on his wall in his art department that he is bringing to life in this movie, which is super cool.”

    Additional rumors indicate that Bernthal won’t be the only established Marvel Studios star joining Holland in the film. While it’s yet to be confirmed, Mark Ruffalo has been linked to the project as well, with more than one rumor suggesting that his Hulk will go savage and take on Spider-Man and Punisher for at least some portion of the film. Throw in Sadie Sink’s yet-to-be-revealed role and it sounds as though Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be quite the entry in the MCU-based Spidey franchise.

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently set to swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.

    Source: Collider

  • New BTS Videos Show Jon Bernthal Back in Costume and in Action on the Set of ‘The Punisher’ Special Presentation

    New BTS Videos Show Jon Bernthal Back in Costume and in Action on the Set of ‘The Punisher’ Special Presentation

    As has been the case with both seasons of Daredevil: Born Again, The Punisher: Special Presentation is filming out in the open in the streets of New York City. As such, it is to be expected that plenty of plset photos, snapped by paps and the public alike, will make their way online and so far, that’s exactly how it’s played out.

    The Special Presentation, co-written by star Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green, began principal photography earlier this week and it didn’t take long for images of a hard-boiled looking Frank Castle to make the rounds. While Castle was laying low on those photos, a trip of new videos show the former Marine back in action…and suited up in his iconic vest.

    The action looks to be taking place in and around Gnucci’s Family Restaurant, owner by the rumored villain of the feature, Ma Gnucci. Though she’s yet to appear, Frank wiped out several members of the Gnucci Crime Family, including her son Tony, in Episode 1.01 of Netflix’s The Punisher. It’s likely that Ma would be out for vengeance and equally likely that Frank would be up for finishing the job.

    The Punisher Special Presentation will debut on Disney Plus in 2026.

  • Welcome Back, Frank! Photos Reveal Jon Bernthal’s Hard-Boiled Frank Castle on Set of ‘The Punisher’ Special Presentation

    Welcome Back, Frank! Photos Reveal Jon Bernthal’s Hard-Boiled Frank Castle on Set of ‘The Punisher’ Special Presentation

    In the finale of Daredevil: Born Again, after taking a beating at the hands of the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, Frank Castle is imprisoned in Wilson Fisk’s facility at the Red Hook free port, alongside other enemies of Fisk, including Tony Dalton‘s Jack Duquesne, aka The Swordsman. In a relatively ridiculous post-credits scene, Frank talks to a guard named Anthony Petruccio, who idolizes the Punisher. Frank uses his charisma to convince the guard to shake his hand. When the guard extends his arm through a small opening in the cage, Frank breaks his arm, snags his keys and makes his escape, setting the stage for Marvel Television’s 2026 The Punisher Special Presentation.

    With principal photography on the Special Presentation, co-written by star Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green, now underway in New York, set photos have begun to circulate online. Earlier today, photos of an NYC storefront being remade into Gnucci’s Restaurant seemingly confirmed that mob boss Ma Gnucci will serve as the main antagonist of the project, backing Marvel insider Daniel Richtman’s claim about the feature’s big bad. Now, a new series of photos has provided a first look at Bernthal‘s Castle, who is once again sporting the “no, I’m not The Punisher” beard.

    To check out the entire series of set photos, you’ll have to head over to Just Jared but from the looks of it, The Punisher Special Presentation is likely to begin with Frank on the down low, looking to avoid the kind of attention walking around with a giant skull painted on his chest might bring.

    Marvel Studios has had very little to say about the new project, which is set to film for just a few weeks in New York. With that in mind, it’s unclear exactly what the timeline for it is, making it possible it takes place right after Frank escapes from Fisk’s dungeon or following the conclusion of Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, making it a bridge to Bernthal’s next MCU appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Either way, with the Special Presentation possibly adapting Garth Ennis‘ BRUTAL 12-issue “Welcome Back, Frank” arc, fans are likely in for some more of that dark, gritty and violent fare straight from the old Netflix days.

    Source: Just Jared

  • New Report Reveals Mephisto’s Next MCU Stop

    New Report Reveals Mephisto’s Next MCU Stop

    Sacha Baron Cohen‘s secret role in Marvel Television’s Ironheart was one of Hollywood’s worst-kept secrets. Despite efforts to keep the true identity of Cohen‘s “Mystery Man” from leaking, word of the actor portraying the role of Mephisto made its way online in early 2022, more than three years before the Great Corrupter popped up in the Ironheart series finale.

    Cohen brilliantly brought Mephisto to life, bringing a superficial graciousness to the character whose only true goal is collecting souls. With major changes to Marvel Studios’ plans between the production and release of Ironheart, fans have been theorizing when–if at all–Mephisto May next appear and it seems as though there may not be an answer.

    According to Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, Cohen will step back into the shoes of the Master of Malice in the long-rumored supernatural team-up film, Midnight Sons.

    Though Marvel Studios has never officially addressed the property, a Midnight Sons film has been rumored to be in development since 2022, with Werewolf By Night director Michael Giacchino having originally been attached to direct. In 2024, Fede Álvarez‘s name popped up on the radar as a potential director with Logan scribe Michael Green working on a screenplay for Marvel and the studio hoping to fast track the project.

    With the studio potentially looking to get Midnight Sons off the ground ahead of the long-troubled Blade reboot, it tracks that they’d be starting to move toward putting together a cast and having Cohen’s Mephisto front and center as a major antagonist is a great start.

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Celebrates Wrapping Production on Season 2

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Celebrates Wrapping Production on Season 2

    Just as fans were starting to get a feel for what Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again was all about in March, production on the second season of the Disney Plus revival began in New York City. Plenty of spoilery photos and videos from the set made their way online, including a few featuring Krysten Ritter‘s return as Jessica Jones. Time flies, as they say, however and just four months after work on the sophomore season began, showrunner Dario Scardapane took to social media to share the news that production has wrapped.

    And that is a WRAP on Season 2 of Daredevil Born Again. Thank you to all who made this something truly special.  Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Wilson Bethel, Matt Lillard, lili Taylor Krysten Ritter, Michael Gandolfini, Margarita Levieva, Ayelet Zurer, Nikki M. James, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Gennaya Walton, Zabryna Guevara, Sana Amanat, Brad Winderbaum, Eleena Khamedoost, and of course Phil Silvera!

    Extra thanks to Michael Shaw and the entire Art Department for the flattering (?) Bobblehead, Iain Macdonald, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorehead, Hilary Spera, Jeff Waldron, Kevin Feige, Lou D’Esposito, Slick Naim, Angela Barnes, Cedric Nairn-Smith, Melissa Lawson-Cheung, Stephanie Filo, David Chambers, Derek Wimble, Dylan Hopkins, Vincent Casciani, Chantelle Wells, Jesse Wigutow, Heather Bellson, Omar Najam, Gene and John O’Neil and the man behind the wheel. Pete Leith. Best Cast Ever. Best Crew Ever.

    With the new season scheduled to stream in March 2026, the creative team has plenty of time to work through the footage they’ve already compiled for the eight-episode run and determine if any additional footage needs to be shot. If not, Scardapane and crew can get to work on Season 3, plans for which have already been confirmed by Marvel Television head man Brad Winderbaum. As priorities at the studio have shifted toward “making shows as shows that can exist as annual releases, more like television,” it’s beginning to sound as though the new D+ model may just be the old Netflix model and the Defenders-verse will become the main focus.

  • Marvel Studios Has Reportedly Solved Its Blade Problem

    Kevin Feige‘s announcement that Marvel was developing a Blade film with Mahershala Ali on board as the Daywalker was not only the highlight of SDCC ’19 but also one of the studio’s biggest-ever Hall H bombshells. However, six years later, fans are still waiting to see Ali in action as the studio struggles to crack the story. While the studio may well continue to develop the film, a new report claims the character may end up on the big screen in the maybe-sort of-near future.

    According to Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, Ali’s Blade will appear in the supernatural ensemble film, Midnight Sons.

    Buzz around a Midnight Sons project dates back several years, though the studio has remained mum on the possibility. In February 2024, Richtman reported that Werewolf By Night director Michael Giacchino was lined up to direct the film.

    First assembled to battle Lilith in 1992’s Ghost Rider #31, the roster of the Midnight Sons/Midnight Suns team has changed greatly with each iteration though the mission has mostly remained the same: stop supernatural shit from happening on Earth. And that’s where Giachhino fits in.

    On the subject of the roster, Richtman also reported that Midnight Sons will feature the MCU’s Ghost Rider, who is rumored to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and possibly played by star Ryan Gosling. Should that work out, a team led by Gosling, Ali and Oscar Isaac‘s Moon Knight would provide plenty of star power to bring audiences to the theater.

  • Ryan Reynolds’ New X-Team Reportedly Revealed…and It Includes the MCU’s Rumored Wolverine

    Ryan Reynolds’ New X-Team Reportedly Revealed…and It Includes the MCU’s Rumored Wolverine

    Earlier this month, THR broke the news that Ryan Reynolds was “quietly plotting his return” as Deadpool. While the star has made it clear that he believes another solo Deadpool film would be superfluous, it turns out he’s been working toward a script for an MCU-based ensemble film that would include “three or four X-Men characters.” Now, a new rumor from one of social media’s busiest news might have revealed exactly what Reynolds has in mind.

    According to My Time To Shine Hello, Reynolds has been writing a script for a potential MCU-set X-Force film that would feature his Deadpool teaming up with Josh Brolin‘s Cable, Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine and an all-new actor as Storm.

    If the new information is accurate, it meshes with a late-2024 report from Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, who claimed that Jackman was set to carry on as the MCU’s Wolverine in the studio’s upcoming Avengers films and beyond.

    Like nearly every team in the pages of Marvel Comics, the roster of X-Force has been a revolving door since the team first appeared in 1991. Founded by Cable, X-Force often takes a more proactive, militaristic, and covert approach to dealing with threats to mutantkind, often involving missions that the mainstream X-Men would deem too morally ambiguous or violent. While the X-Men typically strive to protect and integrate mutants peacefully, X-Force is essentially the “black ops” arm of the mutant world.

    Introducing multiple X-teams is a must for Marvel Studios as it launches Kevin Feige‘s reported 10-year plan for the massive roster of characters obtained when Disney purchased 21st Century Fox in 2019. By reuniting Reynolds and Jackman, who drove Deadpool & Wolverine to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all-time, and bringing back Brolin, who certainly made a compelling case to continue on as the Askani’son, whole also introducing a new actress as Storm, the studio would certainly be putting its best foot forward its efforts to provide the new Saga with a strong foundation.

    Sources: THR

  • New ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Set Reportedly Reveals the Return of One of the MCU’s Heavy Hitters

    New ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Set Reportedly Reveals the Return of One of the MCU’s Heavy Hitters

    Though she wasn’t part of the Marvel Studios’ stunt that revealed 27 members of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, Brie Larson seems as safe a bet as any to join the cast of the 2026 film. Larson was among 33 additional names Jeff “The In” Sneider reported would be part of the studio’s next wave of reveals and given the ending of The Marvels, that certainly seems a safe bet.

    The 2022 Captain Marvel follow-up saw Carol’s best friend’s daughter, Monica Rambeau, stranded on an alternate Earth after helping seal a rift in spacetime. It’s all but a sure thing that Carol will make some effort to find her friend and that sort of inter-dimensional travel can cause some issues. Whatever the case, Carol’s presence in Avengers: Doomsday is a no-brainer and a new report from a trusted insider indicates it won’t be long before Larson is on set.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DKEMPpat__z/?igsh=azRraWFseG9mY2Jj
    Following a report from longtime set photographer Atlanta Filming which indicated that a spaceship was being built near the Dark Wood in Windsor in Berkshire, England, insider Daniel Richtman has revealed that the ship will belong to Larson’s Carol Danvers.

    While Richtman’s report doesn’t explicitly say it, the ship is likely the Hoopty, Carol’s home in space since 1996. Should the report be accurate–and there’s no reason to believe it is not–Larson will likely be joining the cast in the UK soon.

    As one of the heaviest hitters in the MCU–if not the heaviest–Danvers will certainly prove invaluable as the mightiest  heroes of Earth-616 take on Doctor Doom and, perhaps, the X-Men of Earth-1005.

    Avengers: Doomsday is now in production and will be released on December 18, 2026.

  • ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Star Reportedly Joins Marvel Television’s ‘Vision’

    ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Star Reportedly Joins Marvel Television’s ‘Vision’

    Marvel Television’s 2026 D+ Vision-centric streaming series continues to sound more and more like it will be a true exploration of the boundaries of machine and man. With James Spader set to return as the murderbot Ultron, Kerry Condon and James D’Arcy reportedly set to portray human versions of Tony Stark’s artificial intelligences F.R.I.D.A.Y and J.A.R.V.I.S, respectively, and T’Nia Miller cast as Jocasta, it’s clear the Terry Matalas‘ created series will take audiences to some weird places. Now it seems another AI will be joining the mix.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, who broke the Miller casting, Schitt’s Creek star Emily Hampshire has joined the cast of Vision. Richtman reports that Hampshire will bring another Stark AI, E.D.I.T.H.–the voice of Peter Parker’s augmented reality security, defense and artificial tactical intelligence system uploaded into a pair of glasses–to life.

    I’m not Ultron. I am not J.A.R.V.I.S.. I am… I am.

    -Vision

    With the series believed to be set to follow Paul Bettany‘s Vision through a bit of an existential crisis and explore “a lot of early Vision ideas from Phase 2,” according to Brad Winderbaum, there may well yet be more of Tony Stark’s creations brought to life. It’s possible, though in no way confirmed, that the streaming series may draw inspiration from Sam Humphries Avengers A.I. which explored the possibilities of artificial intelligences gaining sentience.

    After being destroyed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Vision’s shell was confiscated by S.W.O.R.D.. Under the supervision of Marvel Studios’ worst villain ever, Tyler Hayward, Vision was reassembled and reactivated as part of Project Cataract in the streaming series WandaVision. After interacting with Wanda’s Hex version of Vision, the new White Vision left Westview and the next chapter of his story will be told when the Vision series hits Disney Plus in 2026.