Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Studios

  • ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Leads Spotted in Budapest as Production Ramps Up

    ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Leads Spotted in Budapest as Production Ramps Up

    The two biggest names attached to Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ exclusive Moon Knight series have, as predicted, been spotted in Budapest, Hungary, as the show moves its production schedule along. A fan bumped into Oscar Isaac, playing the show’s titular character, and Ethan Hawke, whose role hasn’t yet been disclosed, while biking through a city park. He caught both actors in good spirits as the photo that was taken clearly shows.

     

     

    This marks Marvel Studios’ return to the Hungarian capital after Black Widow also shot there for a few weeks back in 2019. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier also spent a big amount of time shooting in nearby Prague in the Czech Republic (posing as Riga, Latvia), as eastern Europe locations have increasingly managed to make their way into the MCU. It’s a good sign that the film production company is seeking new ways to expand their franchise outside of their usual Atlanta shooting location.

    Moon Knight, which still doesn’t have an official release date, will probably premiere in 2022. It will take viewers inside the complicated mind of Marc Spector (Isaac), a former marine, as he deals with dissociative identity disorder (or does he?). The show will dive into Egyptian mythology, as Egyptian moon god Khonshu saves Spector after an unsuccessful mission in northern Africa, giving him a new lease on life. It is uncertain what role Ethan Hawke has, but we do know that he will be playing the main antagonist in the story. The Disney+ series may potentially become of one of Marvel Studios’ darkest and we cannot wait for it to release.

    Source: Instagram

  • How ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Opened Darker Avenues for MCU’s Legacy Characters

    How ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Opened Darker Avenues for MCU’s Legacy Characters

    The following article will include spoilers for the latest episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen it yet.

     

    Marvel Studios has made an essential move with the latest episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. At one point, it was going to be the first Disney+ show based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe to release. As fate wanted it, WandaVision took over that position and gave us a very experimental series exploring grief through unconventional ways. It opened up the question of what Sam and Bucky’s story might add to expand the ever-expanding world. The latest episode may have set a new potential within the universe that could echo throughout other shows and films. We were introduced to the first legacy character to go off the deep end.

     

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Why John Walker's Dark Turn Was Inevitable - IGN

     

    The MCU is no stranger to the concept of legacy characters. Hank Pym passed on the mantle of Ant-Man to Scott Lang to ensure his research wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. Lang was a thief, but he was a good person at heart. The entire point of Spider-Man: Far From Home was for Spider-Man to escape the legacy that the world was trying to force upon him. In a way, he was his protégé. It made sense that he could take on the mantle, but he was Spider-Man, not Iron Man. Avengers: Endgame was the first official passing of a torch when Steve gave Sam his shield.

    Yet, just like Peter, Sam didn’t want the legacy. His unwillingness led to the mantle landing in the hands of John Walker. In reality, it landed in the hands of the government. It was a new legacy getting continued without any involvement of the old. John Walker didn’t know or interact with Steve. There is a reason he wanted Sam to join his side. He’s not carrying the legacy of the person. In his hands is only the symbol. They don’t have much say in their carrier. They can easily become a means to an end. Yet, they also have weight. Without the guidance of those that came before, it can easily pull one down. It was very evident that the title of Captain America did that.

     

    BLACK WIDOW Director Confirms the Film Will "Hand The Baton" to Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova — GeekTyrant

     

    The echoes of this misdeed will besmirch the shield and what it stands for. Yet, it also sets a precedent that the heroes’ iconic titles aren’t safe. Kate Bishop’s upcoming role in Hawkeye does not exclude the possibility of her facing some demons along the way. It won’t be as easy as Scott stealing the suit and getting welcomed to take on the role long-term. It’ll be a harrowing journey for some. It also opens up the possibility that not every legacy character will carry on the mantle in a positive light. We’ve been theorizing that Black Widow would see Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova take on Natasha’s title. Yet, it doesn’t mean she will become an Avenger. She may have a darker road ahead of her than we might expect at first. Her paths might even cross with this newly formed agent of the United States.

  • Disney Plus Launches ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Page Ahead of July 9th Release

    Disney Plus Launches ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Page Ahead of July 9th Release

    The Scarlett Johansson solo Black Widow film has undergone quite the journey in getting to fans. Recently with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic still making it hard for Marvel Studios fans to get into theaters, Disney made the decision to make Black Widow available on Disney Plus Premiere Access the same day it will be released in theaters. Today, the Disney Plus page for the film went live, giving us a look at the artwork and a description of the film exactly 3 months ahead of its premiere.

    Natasha Romanoff confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.

    As of now, there has been no official word from Disney on how long Black Widow will remain exclusive to D+ before moving to other streaming services. Mulan stayed exclusive for about 3 months, so we could possibly see something similar for Black Widow. For now, we can say, however, that the countdown is on!

  • Latest ‘Shang-Chi’ Toy Leak Includes a Closer Look at Mandarin and the Ten Rings

    Latest ‘Shang-Chi’ Toy Leak Includes a Closer Look at Mandarin and the Ten Rings

    It looks like the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings leaks weren’t quite done yet. Today, we’ve run a story that offered our first look at Shang-chi’s costume in the upcoming film. Now, the rest has leaked with a closer look at Wenwu, or better known as the Mandarin. This leak comes from Twitter user @Ryans_Ramblings. The first time the figures leaked, we noticed some interesting rings on his arms. Well, the design on the back of the Marvel Legends packaging offers a closer look at the rings that might replace the iconic ones from the comics. It also includes the following description:

    Shang-Chi’s father Wenwu is the feared leader of the Ten Rings Organization, which has lurked in the shadows of the MCU since the very beginning.

    Wenwu’s blue design is a nice contrast to Shang-Chi’s red outfit. It is also quite curious that his outfit is quite a bit more elaborate with quite the belt. Their outfits seem heavily inspired by Chinese culture, which is a great way to showcase that this isn’t your typical “superhero” film. We also get a closer look at the other figurines with Death Dealer being a visually interesting design. Now, the big takeaway is that the ten rings are definitely going to be very different in the film. I theorized they might be used as a weapon but they are much thinner than anticipated. It looks like they are ornaments on his arm that many might mistakes for decoration. It will be interesting to see if each one has their own ability as well. They might still have a unique ability,w which will add a nice visual to the fight scenes. Hopefully, that trailer is just around the corner.

    Source: Twitter

  • New Marvel Legends Leak Offers a Closer Look at Shang-Chi’s Outfit and Teases the Film’s Plot

    New Marvel Legends Leak Offers a Closer Look at Shang-Chi’s Outfit and Teases the Film’s Plot

    Toy leaks have become the best way to figure out what is happening in future Marvel Studios projects. We’ve been seeing quite a few leaks that offered a closer look at the upcoming projects of Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings. The latest leak offered a closer look at the Great Protector in Funko Pop form, which was the dragon teased in an earlier LEGO leak. The first we got for the Shang-Chi film was from Marvel Legends, which only offered a glimpse at what is heading our way. The latest leak of the images comes from Twitter user @ShangChiBR. Well, it looks like another leak offered an even better look at Simu Liu‘s costume. It also includes an interesting description of the film’s story:

    Trained since childhood by the mysterious Ten Rings Organization, Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn back into his father’s web.

    The description confirms that Shang-Chi found a way to get out of the organization before the events of this film might drag him back in. We know that Wenwu, the real Mandarin, is his father. It’ll be interesting to see how they set up their relationship and how it will be explored throughout the film. The Marvel Legends pieces include three other characters from the upcoming film, whose descriptions might offer some more clues on what we can expect from the film. Marvel Studios still hasn’t released a trailer, but as cinemas are slowly recovering, we might hopefully get something sooner rather than later.

    Source: Twitter

  • Renée Elise Goldsberry to Co-Star in ‘SHE-HULK’

    Renée Elise Goldsberry to Co-Star in ‘SHE-HULK’

    Actress Renée Elise Goldsberry has joined the cast of the upcoming Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series She-Hulk. According to Deadline, Goldsberry is playing a character named “Amelia”; Amelia is a code name for a yet to be revealed character, but we can add that Goldsberry will portray a high-powered lawyer who keeps her private and work lives very separated.

    Evil': Renée Elise Goldsberry Set For Multi-Episode Arc – Deadline

    Though Deadline was unable to get comment from Marvel Studios, it is possible that Goldsberry is playing Mallory Book, a lawyer who worked with Jennifer Walters at Goodman, Liever, Kurtzberg & Holliway and is known as “the face that never lost a case.” First introduced in Dan Slott’s 2004 She-Hulk #1, Book had a very roller coaster relationship with Jennifer Walters and was also a victim of an attack by Titania, who is rumored to be the villain of the show, on the firm.

    Goldsberry won several awards for her performance as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton and can currently be seen co-starring alongside Tina Fey in the Peacock streaming series Girls5eva. She-Hulk, starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, is expected to stream on Disney Plus early in 2022.

    Source: Deadline

     

  • New ‘Hawkeye’ Set Photos Offer Closer Look at Alaqua Cox’s Echo

    New ‘Hawkeye’ Set Photos Offer Closer Look at Alaqua Cox’s Echo

    It has been some time since we got our last look at the Hawkeye set. A while back, we got our first look at the new supporting character of Maya Lopez, who is better known as Echo. Alaqua Cox will debut as the deaf Native American character in the series, which will then be the jumping-off point into her own Disney+ show. It is still uncertain how her character fits into the story that is set up, but her comic origins include her carrying the title of Ronin at some point, which may play a factor.

    The newly released photos offer a better look at Cox. She isn’t wearing a comic-accurate costume and the iconic white handprint on her face is missing. Still, it looks like the show is taking a more grounded approach with her in motorcycle gear. After taking a closer look and with the help of our amazing Discord, she does have her comic symbol embroider in the leather jacket. If you look closely it also looks like she is joined by Fra Fee, who is playing Kazi in the series, which could imply them working together.

    Check out the images on Just Jared by clicking here.

    It’ll be interesting to see how her story intertwines with Clint’s, as he tries to teach a young Kate Bishop how to become the next Hawkeye. They may take the angle of her also wanting to take on his mantle, such as becoming the new Ronin. There are many different angles they can take with her character. The fact she is getting a spin-off show may also hint at a larger role moving forward. Her comic incarnation has close ties to Daredevil, which could be an interesting angle to work on with his potential appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Whatever direction they go, we will find out later this year when the show premieres on Disney+.

    Source: Just Jared

     

  • ‘Black Widow’s May Have Tripled Its Potential Box Office Through the Delay

    ‘Black Widow’s May Have Tripled Its Potential Box Office Through the Delay

    Godzilla vs. Kong may have finally achieved what seemed impossible a few months ago. It garnered more than $300M worldwide in the first two weeks, which seemed to imply the potential of releasing films in theaters and on streaming services simultaneously instead of delaying. Yet, it looks like an early analysis has pointed to Marvel Studios’ choice to delay Black Widow into July may have been a blessing in disguise.

    According to The Numbers, their predictions have moved the film’s Box Office from $45M up to $135M. As Observer points out, it is a far cry from its original 300M+ opening during non-pandemic times, but it might become the largest opening since cinemas closed last year. Currently, 55% of cinemas are only opening with reduced seating. It is uncertain how much that will change by then. Plus, it is mostly focusing on its domestic debut, which also opens up the question of how it’ll expand internationally.

    The interesting aspect is that this potential uptick in Box Office numbers would also take into account that the film will be available through Disney+ Premier Access. This development may also be a clear sign that Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings will be a theatre-only release once it premieres in September. It explains why there was no mention of it during the announcement. We have to keep in mind that anything can happen until it releases, but it is a positive development and is a sign that the delays are slowly coming to an end. Other tentpole releases for 2021 are also seeing better predictions for now. So, let’s be hopeful that we are entering a new age once more.

    Source: The Numbers via Observer

  • RUMOR: Ryan Reynolds ‘Deadpool’ R-Rated Series In Development for Hulu

    RUMOR: Ryan Reynolds ‘Deadpool’ R-Rated Series In Development for Hulu

    We have seen quite an R-rated animation boom. It has also gotten the attention of the comic book industry. DC’s animated series Harley Quinn offered a rather bloody look at Gotham and its villains with enough humor to balance its bubbly characters. It looks like it may have also gotten Marvel and Marvel Studios’ attention that there is a potential market here. The site Bubbleblabber reported on the recent news that Disney started the 20th Century Animation studio. In the Deadline report, they’ve revealed that various new projects are n development. They would join the currently produced eleven shows, such as Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Central Park, and many more. According to the site Bubbleblabber, one of those mystery projects is an R-rated Deadpool series starring Ryan Reynolds, who may be in talks for the titular role.

    It is interesting to note that Deadpool 3 is in active development, as we know they are already preparing the script for the film, which will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There was no mention of this series that will connect to the MCU. If they manage to get Ryan Reynolds involved, it would be a creative way to continue Deadpool’s adventures in the MCU. It isn’t the first attempt at an R-rated adaptation of the Merc with a Mouth. Donald Glover was developing a series for FXX alongside Marvel Television. The series was going to be run by him and his brother Stephen Glover. We have no further news on this new adaptation. So, it could be in a very early conceptual stage. We have to this news with a grain of salt for now.

    Source: Deadline, Bubbleblabber, Inverse

  • ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Funko Pop Leak Confirms Dragon

    ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Funko Pop Leak Confirms Dragon

    It looks like the trend continues that the rest of 2021’s Marvel Studios films are being revealed through toy leaks. We are still anxiously awaiting a trailer for Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which are set to release later this year. Especially, Shang-Chi was originally going to release in July before Black Widow took over the date. Even as we wait, it looks like we are getting a closer look at the film’s cast through toy leaks.

    We got a first look at an action sequence featuring a dragon through LEGO sets and the Marvel Legends series revealed the Mandarin’s new adaptation of his iconic ten rings. LEGO hasn’t always been the most trustworthy reflection of a film or project, but it looks like that dragon was real, as a leak for the Funko set reveals a dragon named The Great Protector. The shared tweet by @SCBRMdia was brought to our attention by a Discord user from our own server.

    The dragon’s inclusion once again confirms our report from some time ago about the inclusion of the Valley of Sleeping Dragons, where our titular hero will come face-to-face with the beast of Chinese mythology. The name would imply a good-natured dragon and there is still the potential of Fin Fang Foom showing up. It would be amazing if we get a showdown between these two massive dragons. The set also includes another look at the various characters that round out the cast. Hopefully, we’ll get a trailer for the film sooner rather than later to kick off the new Marvel Studios season in cinemas.

    Source: Twitter