Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Studios

  • ‘Secret Invasion’ Eyeing ‘Damnation’s Killian Scott in Undisclosed Role

    ‘Secret Invasion’ Eyeing ‘Damnation’s Killian Scott in Undisclosed Role

    As the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands, it continues to attract new talent to the franchise. According to Deadline, actor Killian Scott is currently in negotiations to join the upcoming Disney+ show Secret Invasion. He joins the ranks of Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, who are reprising their roles as Nick Fury and Talos respectively. They will be joined by other newcomers, Kingsley Ben-Adir, who is rumored to play an antagonist, Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke, and The Crown actress Olivia Coleman. Killian Scott‘s role is being kept under wraps.

    The upcoming Marvel Studios series’ plot is still shrouded in mystery. However, we can assume that the show will be an adaptation of the comic book event of the same name. In it, the Skrulls slowly infiltrated Earth and replaced several important individuals. They took over parts of the government and even our favorite heroes. As a result, they were pitted against each other in a thrilling event that questioned everyone’s identity. Anyone could’ve been a Skrull.

    It is unknown if Marvel Studios plans to use any of its vast arsenal of heroes (or even villains) in the series, but as this stellar cast continues to grow and expand, we certainly can’t wait to see what Marvel has up their sleeves for the series. There is also the question of it might tie into the upcoming Captain Marvel 2, which first introduced the world to the alien species. We might even see the Kree make an appearance of some kind, who are no strangers to infiltrating worlds. Here’s hoping we get more info once production starts.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Finale Almost Included Spider-Man At One Point

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Finale Almost Included Spider-Man At One Point

    In an ever-expanding franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it almost seems like the possibilities are endless. You have such a long list of characters to choose from to explore the vast corners of the universe. Well, it seems that the Falcon and Winter Soldier team were just as ambitious when they were mapping out the story. At some point, they originally wanted to include Peter Parker in the season finale, as it took place in New York City. Well, it seems that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was the one to shoot down that idea. Malcolm Spellman revealed in an interview with Inverse:

    Then Kevin Feige tells you, “No. Stop it.” Listen, when you first show up to these projects, in your mind you think you’re gonna get to use everybody in the MCU. But Marvel always asks, “Does this person belong in this story? You cannot just geek out and put all of our characters in your project because you like them. They have to occur organically.” So Spider-Man did not make it.

    The inclusion of Spider-Man would’ve made sense with it being his home turf, but the approach says a lot about how Marvel Studios approaches their characters. Instead of forcing every hero to show up in every project, they need to fit the story organically rather than getting forced in. Falcon and Winter Soldier already included Zemo, Sharon, and the Dora Milaje. At one point, it could take away from Sam and Bucky’s story. It is interesting to note that Feige didn’t exclude the fact that Tom Holland‘s Peter could appear in the Disney+ show, which opens up a lot of other questions if you consider the recent dealings between Disney and Sony. We’ll see if more is to come to this aspect of the franchise. Luckily for Sam, he won’t be able to steal the shield again.

    Source: Inverse via The Direct

  • How an MCU Adaptation of ‘Dark Phoenix’ Could Be the X-Men’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’

    How an MCU Adaptation of ‘Dark Phoenix’ Could Be the X-Men’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’

    The Dark Phoenix Saga is perhaps one of the most controversial topics when discussing comic book movies. The story has been adapted twice in modern film media, and, frankly, those interpretations were not the best translations from comic books to film. Earlier in the week, a question by Twitter User @TheHexTown inspired me to look back at these films. When comparing X-Men: The Last Stand to X-Men: Dark Phoenix, we have to consider that they’re both very different interpretations of the same story. When we boil it down, they are very different in how the world-building connects these films to the overarching X-Men franchise. It will also help us understand how a potential future adaptation can avoid these very issues.

     

    Two Sides of the Same Coin

     

    Famke Janssen had three films to develop her interpretation of Jean Grey. She had already learned how to control her powers and worked as the team’s doctor. Not only that, she was an active fighter for mutant rights and defended the lives of both her students and mutant-kind in general. So, in part, the first series of X-Men films gave us backstory and context to who Jean Grey was before teasing her true nature at the end of X2. It made her inevitable fall to the dark side in The Last Stand even more tragic. Meanwhile, Sophie Turner only had two movies to develop her version.

    In  X-Men: Apocalypse, she was already struggling with the Phoenix Force in her dreams, and they were already setting Jean up to take up the Phoenix mantle from the get-go. That made Jean’s character development far too rushed to be able to see any cohesive structure. We barely spent time with this version of the character. I would love for Sophie Turner to get another shot as Jean Grey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a soft rebooted version. Let’s take a closer look at how both versions failed to adapt the Phoenix Saga and how the MCU could avoid its pitfalls.

     

    It’s All About the Build-Up

     

    The original comic run got divided into two parts. Firstly, Jean Grey encounters the Phoenix Force for the first time while the X-Men repaired the M’Kraan Crystal on the planet of Shi’ar. The second part occurs a few issues later, and we witness the Phoenix Force consume Jean Grey and usher in her run as a villain. She would ultimately sacrifice her life to save her friends and the world once she regains control. The complexity of the comic arc highlights how it isn’t easy to shove into a two-hour film. Dark Phoenix was meant to be two films but got cut down after the Disney-Fox merger. Kinberg did have the right idea on how to adapt the story, but his hands were tied.

    Marvel Studios isn’t a stranger to a two-arc storyline. With the recent expansion into Disney+, they could even take a series approach. Still, it needs time to build up before it gets the spotlight. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame was such a success, was because they were the culmination of a story told over eleven years. Of course, we also need to get our official introduction into the MCU’s version of mutants first. They could already plant the seeds once the rumored The Mutants project is adapted. They might even set up multiple arcs from the iconic franchise to explore in the future. Their introduction into the ever-expanding franchise finally allows them to adapt the interconnected stories we’ve come to love from the comics. Nevertheless, we can’t wait to see what Marvel showcases when the Mutants finally arrive in the MCU.

    Source: IndieWire

  • Leaked ‘Hawkeye’ Set Photos Reveal New Comic-Inspired Hawkeye and Echo Outfits

    Leaked ‘Hawkeye’ Set Photos Reveal New Comic-Inspired Hawkeye and Echo Outfits

    We’ve all been wondering if Hawkeye might get a new costume in the upcoming series. We know that it will introduce Kate Bishop and will be strongly inspired by Matt Fraction‘s My Life as a Weapon run. It will also introduce us to the Daredevil character Echo, who will be played by Alaqua Cox. We did get a first look at her some time ago at the actress but the costume only had some elements from her original design. Well, a new posting on Instagram reveals a more comic-accurate design but also a new look for Jeremy Renner‘s Hawkeye, which might be familiar to comic fans as well. Echo even has some leftovers of her iconic white hand face paint, which may hint at it also appearing in the series.

     

    Let’s start off with Cox‘s Echo costume. It’s interesting that we only really see the fingers of the facepaint but not the rest. The second image in the gallery also adds. lot more color to it that echoes (pun intended) Hawkeye’s color scheme. It may point to her all being a student of the archer. The costumes shown later seemed a bit darker n color,w which could also be due to the lighting. Still, it looks like we’ll get the evolution of her costume throughout the series’ run. Renner‘s new costume looks like it was stripped straight from the comics with the purple arrow. It may be the costume that many connect with the character. So, it is perfect that it gets a spotlight in his upcoming original series. Hopefully, we might also get a look at the comic-accurate costume for Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop that was teased by Marvel Studios in the series’ reveal.

    Source: Instagram

  • Kevin Feige Confirms That Gemma Chan’s Sersi is ‘Eternals’ Lead

    Kevin Feige Confirms That Gemma Chan’s Sersi is ‘Eternals’ Lead

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals has been touted as an ensemble film from the beginning. The movie features a sprawling cast of characters, played by some of Hollywood’s biggest names. Understandably, this has led many fans to believe that the project would not be centered around a specific lead. However, in a recent interview with Variety, Marvel boss Kevin Feige revealed that wasn’t exactly the case. In the midst of discussing director Chloé Zhao’s big win at the Academy Awards, Feige dropped a special little nugget of information:

    […] It came down to casting. So for Sersi, for instance — and if there was a lead in this ensemble, it is Sersi, it is Gemma Chan — we looked at and read all sorts of women for that part. And ended up really believing that Gemma was best for it. And thankfully, she’s proven that to be the case in the final movie.

    That’s right, it seems Gemma Chan’s Sersi will be the main focus of Eternals. This is a departure from the comics, which traditionally showcase Ikaris, who is set to be played by Richard Madden, as the major protagonist. While this news is previously unconfirmed, it doesn’t come as a total surprise. We’ve known for quite some time that Sersi’s romance with Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman would be a major focus in the film. Using Sersi’s affinity for humans as a link to the Eternals that leads them to protect modern society makes a lot of sense. Plus, the character has a history as one of the only Eternals to join the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, so this may help to set that concept up down the line as well.

    Source: Variety

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Malcolm Spellman Talks How Madripoor and Fontaine Were Added to the Series

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Malcolm Spellman Talks How Madripoor and Fontaine Were Added to the Series

    We got a chance to talk with Falcon and Winter Soldier‘s head writer Malcolm Spellman, where our very own Charles Murphy discussed the introduction of a Marvel Comics icon, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. She was played by the talented Seinfeld and VEEP actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Her character was originally going to premiere in Black Widow, but due to the pandemic, she ended up in the Disney+ series first. In the interview, Spellman revealed that Val’s character evolved in the writing room:

    The way it happens was: Everything that Marvel wants you to create first and they want you to do it without worrying about it. Like, if there is obvious threads to the greater MCU, by you all put them in, they don’t oppose them on you. So, that character existed as a shady-ass CIA operative person as we were mapping out the story. Gradually, she became the Contessa, she became Val. We’ve already created the character first.

    The way she is introduced, it seemed like they were setting up a team-up project shortly, especially with the potential of a Dark Avengers story being considered at one point. Well, it seems that Val’s introduction was only added later. It is great to know that they didn’t force any story elements into this series but rather added them organically into the already mapped-out story. He also confirmed the same happened with Madripoor.

    That’s the same thing with Madripoor. Madripoor was described, it was named after a real-life city initially imagined as a real-life city where the restaurants on the streets serve endangered species and there are open gun bazars. Once we created that city, they smiled because they know, a nerd moment: “What if it is Madripoor?” and everyone freaked out.

    It makes you wish you were in these meeting rooms when their faces light up the moment they realized they could introduce Madripoor. Of course, this does mean that if we want to see the character or the fictional city return in the future, it will depend on the story that is being told. It’ll be interesting to see what other projects end up carrying on the torch set by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Malcolm Spellman Talks Carl Lumbly and A Potential Isaiah Bradley Series

    EXCLUSIVE: Malcolm Spellman Talks Carl Lumbly and A Potential Isaiah Bradley Series

    Following the finale of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, I was able to sit down for a short chat with showrunner and Captain America 4 co-writer Malcolm Spellman.

    Charles Murphy: “Carl Lumbly was fantastic; stole every scene he was in. What kind of discussions did you have with him in his prep for the role.”

    Malcolm Spellman: “Kari prepped the actors and they called me off the first rehearsal. I was getting phone calls like “Oh my God, he just gave us chills. In all honestly, when I saw the audition, that day, he had it. I kinda got choked up watching him just in the audition. That dude was dialed in. He owned that. He’s of a certain age and he owned that in a way that no one could have imagined.”

    CM: “If Marvel gave you the call and asked ‘Do you want to work with us on an Isaiah Bradley series?’, you’d be there?”

    MS: “Instantly! Instantly!”

    The Falcon And The Winter Soldier's Isaiah Bradley: Who Is He?

    There’s no doubt that Lumbly’s emotional performance caused fans across the world to react similarly to Spellman and the Marvel Studios crew. Should Marvel Studios decide to tell more of his story, a series where Bradley tells his story to his grandson, Eli, could feature flashbacks that would make his story feel even more complete.

     

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Malcolm Spellman Reveals How Little We Know about Marvel Studios’ Future Line-Up

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Malcolm Spellman Reveals How Little We Know about Marvel Studios’ Future Line-Up

    Our very own Charles Murphy got a chance to sit down and talk with Falcon and Winter Soldier head writer Malcolm Spellman. In a brief moment, they discussed the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the many threads that were left open at the end of the series. Spellman discussed briefly how fans agreeing with Daniel Brühl’s Helmut Zemo make him a popular candidate for more future appearances. Of course, there was also the discussion surrounding He also briefly discussed Sharon’s turn as the Power Broker and how it gives her more time in the spotlight.

    So far, we only know that the fourth entry of Captain America is in development. There are some hints that Sharon’s story might potentially connect to Armor Wars, which you can read our theory in the following link. There was one interesting hint by the head writer that we really have no idea how big the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to become, as he states:

    I was surprised about how few of the upcoming Marvel movies have been announced. […] Fans will start to become more and more clear as these projects get announced.

    It looks like the many films announced for Phase 4 are just the beginning. We are aware of eleven projects with Black Widow kicking off the cinematic side of the franchise in July. If these are only a “few” of the upcoming films we might have content for many years to come. Kevin Feige. is famous for mapping out his projects far in advance, as he revealed in 2018 that he already planned films up until 2025. It’ll be interesting to see if we get some more announcements this year for what may await us beyond 2023.

    Source: ComicBook.com (Films to 2025)

  • Kari Skogland Offers More Details on How the Pandemic Added to ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Story

    Kari Skogland Offers More Details on How the Pandemic Added to ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Story

    We’ve all been theorizing about how the pandemic may have affected Falcon and the Winter Soldier. After the finale aired for WandaVision, Matt Shakman revealed that they had changed quite a bit and were only able to finish the finale shortly before it aired. They also had to cut down on quite a few stories, such as one involving Ralph Boehner and Monica Rambeau. Now, we wondered the same for Marvel Studios’ second Disney+ show and it looks like their story may have been only slightly affected, as director Kari Skogland revealed in an interview with Collider.

    No. We started shooting in October of 2019 and we had shot about 75 percent [before production shut down]. So we really knew the story we were telling for sure. So when we shut down, we only had about 25 percent left to shoot. So I think the only story changes we made were small character tweaks.

    They highlight a few scenes that got added, such as John Walker and Lamar talking about taking the super-soldier serum. They also added an extra sequence to dive a bit deeper into the motivation of Karli and the Flag-Smashers.

    We had discovered that we really wanted to know Karli a bit more. So I think we added a scene between her and Dovich, where they got to just talk about what it was like to take the serum. I wanted to feel them and their history just a little bit and get a bit more inside how they were thinking and feeling in that moment.

    Skogland does not talk about how their production had been affected. There was noticeable re-use of multiple locations for sequences, which could be part of the 25% that was shot once they returned to production. It is also noteworthy that she confirms that there was no removed pandemic subplot in the interview. Charles Murphy interviewed Skogland where she hinted at how the pandemic affected their production, as they jumped straight back into things once it calmed down. It looks like COVID gave them the chance to add some of the more human moments that made these characters stand out even more. It’ll be interesting if the pandemic may have also affected June’s Loki series.

    Source: Collider via The Direct

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ May Be The Last Time We See The Winter Soldier

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ May Be The Last Time We See The Winter Soldier

    The ending of Falcon and the Winter Soldier came with a new name, as Sam Wilson embraced his role as Captain America. However, it seemed that Bucky Barnes may have still stuck to his Winter Soldiers moniker after finally making amends. Well, it seems that the end title might be a bit misleading. The show’s head writer, Malcolm Spellman, revealed in an interview with ComicBook.com that it isn’t representing Bucky’s state of mind, as he was finally to move on from the dark past. They also seem to hint at a new direction for the character:

    I think Bucky enters this thing truly believing he is kind of the Winter Soldier no matter what anyone says. By the end, he has the moment with the old man, but more importantly, nobody has caught this… I’ve been saying it all day. In the scene with the Flag-Smashers in Episode 6, when one of those people gets out of that van and thanks Bucky, that’s his first time being a hero. So by the end of this series, Bucky is emerging as having shed the burden of the Winter Soldier. He has found a new family, ironically, it’s a Black family in Louisiana, you know what I’m saying? And he has tasted being a hero for the first time. And I think he’s now free to become something amazing.

    The way he phrases it may hint at a new direction for Bucky. His title as Winter Soldier could end with this series. In the comics, he carried on with the title even as he became a hero and returned to it after his time as Captain America. Our very own Lizzie Hill theorized that he may be the focus of the potential Nomad project. Sebastian Stan has the star power to lead his own project. So, it would only really be a matter of time before he gets a new project. Now that Hawkeye already got a Disney+ spin-off with Echo and Captain America 4 has been confirmed, we might hopefully get an announcement for a post Winter Soldier story.

    Source: ComicBook.com