Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Studios

  • Bob Iger Reveals New Plan to Cut Back on Marvel Studios’ Content, Reshape Slate

    Bob Iger Reveals New Plan to Cut Back on Marvel Studios’ Content, Reshape Slate

    For the first time since returning to Disney, Bob Iger has provided details on his vision to scale back on Marvel Studios’ content. Via Variety, Iger’s plan is to dial back on streaming series (2 per year) and films (2 or 3 per year) in the near future. Iger said the company-wide decision to reduce output and increase the quality of what is produced is “particularly true with Marvel.”

    “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,” said Iger during the company’s quarterly earnings call Tuesday. “And we’re working hard on what that path is.”

    Though four films are currently slated to release in 2025, Iger stated that has a “couple of good films in ’25,” before mentioning Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*. However, The Fantastic Four and Blade are all currently listed on Disney’s most updated slate as 2025 releases, but many questions have been raised about the latter two being ready for release next year.

    “Overall, I feel great about the slate,” said Iger, who also added that following the 2025 films the studio would be “heading to more Avengers.” Iger added, “It’s something that I’ve committed to spending more and more time on. The team is one that I have tremendous confidence in and the IP that we’re mining, including all the sequels that we’re doing, is second to none.“

    Of note on the streaming side, Iger referred to the “WandaVision spinoff Agatha” as “a vestige of basically a desire in the past to increase volume.” Though the series has already generated positive buzz, a streaming series being referred to as vestigial doesn’t seem like a vote of confidence for many of the other TV series rumored to be in development.

    Updating…

    Source: Variety

  • New Official Look at Sam Wilson’s New Cap Costume from ‘Captain America: Brave New World’

    New Official Look at Sam Wilson’s New Cap Costume from ‘Captain America: Brave New World’

    Whether from behind-the-scenes set photos, marketing materials and merchandising leaks, there have been plenty of “first” looks at the new costume Anthony Mackie will be wearing in Captain America: Brave New World. However, with the film about to head into significant reshoots, Marvel Studios has provided the best “official” look at the costume via Empire.

    Photo Credit: Empire Magazine

    In what director Julius Onah calls Sam’s “coming-out show” as Captain America, the 2025 film will see Wilson step out of the vibrant white costume he wore in the final episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and into a predominantly blue costume that looks a bit like the one sported by Chris Evans in Avengers: Endgame.

    Much like the previous trilogy of Cap films, Brave New World will dive directly into the realm of politics as Sam steps into the role of Captain America. “Part of the challenge for Sam as Captain America, working within the government, is the way he’s going to make decisions,” explained Onah, who took care to point out that like Steve Rogers, Sam won’t be a yes man for the United States. “The point of view he’s going to have will at times put him at odds with the President,” explained the director, teasing the relationship Wilson will have with Harrison Ford‘s Thunderbolt Ross.

    (L-R): Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus Ross and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Photo by Eli Adé. © 2024 MARVEL.

    And though it seems Ross will have his own very interesting arc, it’s Samuel Sterns’ The Leader, played by Tim Blake Nelson, who will be the true antagonist of the film. “Sam finds himself almost standing between Samuel Sterns and what he thinks the government owes him, and how he wants to go about getting that,” said Onah of the villain who first appeared in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. As fans of the comics know, being at odds with Sterns isn’t a great place to be and it sounds as thought that’s something Wilson will learn the hard way in Brave New World. “The action in this movie is incredibly exciting because this is a guy who can break, this is a guy who can bleed,” explained Onah. “We get to have a lot of fun pushing him to the limit.”

    We’ll see just how far the new Star-Spangled Man with a Plan can be pushed when Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 14, 2025.

    Source: Empire

  • Kevin Feige Clarifies a Key ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Plot Point

    Kevin Feige Clarifies a Key ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Plot Point

    The most recent look at Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine seemed to pretty clearly indicate that Hugh Jackman‘s Logan is a Variant that had not yet been seen in any of the Fox X-Men films. The new trailer had plenty enough dialogue and context clues to deduce that Jackman was not resuming the role so much as reinventing it through an all-new, all-different Variant but the internet, of course, remained skeptical. Thankfully, Marvel Studios’ One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, has put that skepticism to bed.

    In an interview with Empire, Feige revealed that he was initially opposed to Jackman’s return to the role but came around to the notion once it was settled that he would not be playing a version of the character he had played before.

    Phot credit: Emprire Magazine

    Recalling a conversation he had with Jackman, Feige told Empire, “I said, ‘Let me give you a piece of advice, Hugh. Don’t come back. You had the greatest ending in history with Logan. That’s not something we should undo.’” And so the studio found a way to avoid undoing it by using the concept of the Multiverse to create a new version of the character (When asked by Empire to clarify if Jackman was playing version of the character that fans had not met before, Feige simply said “Correct.”), something Jackman himself wasn’t quite sure of himself until he went for a drive.

    “I was about an hour into the drive,” recalled Jackman. “And that question came into my head: ‘What do I want to do?’ And as soon as I asked the question, I wanted to do Deadpool & Wolverine. I just knew it. I drove for another hour. Couldn’t stop thinking about it. And I got out of the car, called Ryan, and said, ‘Ryan, if you’ll have me, I’m in.’”

    Whatever skepticism either Feige or Jackman had has certainly been assuaged by the reception to the two trailers for the film. Deadpool & Wolverine looks like it’s exactly what Marvel Studios needs to reestablish itself at the box office. The film hits theaters in the U.S. on July 26th.

    Source: Empire

  • Holy Mole-y! Paul Walter Hauser Climbs Aboard ‘The Fantastic Four’

    Holy Mole-y! Paul Walter Hauser Climbs Aboard ‘The Fantastic Four’

    With stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach firmly in place as the First Family and the start of production just a few months out, Marvel Studios has begun rounding out the cast of The Fantastic Four. One month after Ozark‘s Julia Garner joined the cast as the Silver Surfer, a star from another one of Netflix’s most popular series has boarded the project.

    According to Deadline, Paul Walter Hauser has agreed to join the film in an unknown role. Hauser is a familiar face to many, having been featured in Cobra Kai and Cruella and starring as the titular character in the Richard Jewell biopic. The actor has recently signed on for two other major roles in the reboot of The Naked Gun and as Chris Farley in an upcoming film about the late comedian.

    Though Deadline’s report indicated that Hauser’s role was kept under wraps, there’s plenty of speculation (and it’s all rather reasonable) that he’ll be playing classic Fantastic Four villain Harvey Elder, aka The Mole Man. In April, the character’s appearance was teased by Marvel as part of a viral marketing campaign which featured Fantastic Four #1 which not only introduced the Marvel’s First Family but also the Mole Man! Following Hauser’s casting, insider Jeff Sneider revealed that he’d heard the character will indeed make an appearance in the beginning of The Fantastic Four.

    Now before I slay you all, behold my master plan! See this map of my underground empire! Each tunnel leads to a major city! As soon as I have wrecked every atomic plant, every source of Earthly power, my mighty mole creatures will attack and destroy everyting that lives above the surface!

    Harvey Elder, Fantastic Four #1

    Though Hauser’s casting as Elder is only theoretical, it’s also theoretically perfect. Though he evolved a bit over time, the Mole Man was originally incredibly campy. Hauser might just be the best bet in Hollywood to deliver the cheesy lines spewed by the Mole Man over the years.

    The Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

    Source: Deadline

  • Joaquin Torres and Sam Wilson’s ‘Captain America 4’ Costumes Caught in 4K

    Joaquin Torres and Sam Wilson’s ‘Captain America 4’ Costumes Caught in 4K

    Marvel Studios loves a new costume. Unfortunately, they love it so much that even though Sam Wilson’s first Captain America costume, seen in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, may have been as good of a costume as they’ve ever thrown together, they will move on in Sam’s next appearance in Captain America: Brave New World.

    Courtesy of CanWeGetSomeToast, a hi-res look of Sam’s new Cap costume and the reworked Exo-7 gear he gave Joaquin Torres have made the rounds online.

    https://twitter.com/CanWeGetToast/status/1785203931968360604

    While Torres’ new Falcon get-up is incredibly accurate to the character’s look in the comics, it certainly isn’t something that would seem to make for a big seller on an action figure which, whether you like it or not, is a major part of the choices the studio routinely makes with costume design. On the other hand, though it’s not the vibrant white costume he wore in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Sam’s new look is far sharper.

    Though the first look at these costumes came from set photos shared online nearly a year ago, these new looks–taken from a McDonald’s promo–provide much more vivid detail of the changes fans can expect when the film hits theaters. The fourth installment in the Captain America franchise is expected to undergo some significant additional photography this summer before hitting theaters on February 24, 2025.

  • First Details Emerge about Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men’ Roster

    First Details Emerge about Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men’ Roster

    Marvel Studios began the search for a writer for their X-Men reboot in late 2023 and according to a recent report, the studio is closing in on finding the scribe who will bring the team of mutant heroes into the MCU. As fans wait to find out just who that might be, a new round of rumors might give some insight into who will make up the new team.

    According to insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios’ team will be female-focused and though it will introduce some characters who have not yet appeared in live-action, the plan is to include “main characters we all know.”

    While RPK’s report doesn’t come with any specifics about who those characters might be, connecting the dots to some previously shared reports and sprinkling in a little guess work might provide some idea of characters who should at least be in the mix.

    Storm

    Outside of Cyclops, no X-Man was done dirtier than Storm was by Fox. Ororo has long been one of the team’s most beloved and best curated characters and deserves a proper live-action treatment.

    Kitty Pryde

    If your only exposure to Kitty comes from the Fox live-action films, you truly have no idea how great of a character she is. In the comics, Kitty has grown into one of the X- men’s greatest leaders. A no-brainer no matter what the focus is.

    Rogue

    Another victim of Fox’s Wolverine obsession, Rogue’s prominence in X-Men ’97 only makes it more likely she ends up on the team. As was the case when X-Men: The Animated Series ran in the ’90s, Rogue is one of the most popular characters and her portrayal is nearly perfect. It’s an easy move for the studio that should provide big results.

    Jubilee

    Like Pryde, Jubilee is a character that I once heard Kevin Feige thought highly of. Like Rogue, Jubilee is a prominent part of X-Men ’97. Like everyone else on this list, she was all but ignored by Fox.

    Dazzler

    As shared by Erik Davis, Dazzler is a favorite of Feige’s. Is there a need for two characters with light-based powers on the team? I don’t know but Feige likes them both and there are plenty of X-Men movies to make over the next 10-20 years.

    Of course, were not even scratching the surface here. Marvel Studios may still wish to include Jean Grey, Betsy Braddock, Emma Frost, Polaris or even Mystique. Then there’s the matter of what other “main characters” they chose to include. While one can only hope they finally do Cyclops justice, we’ll believe when we see it.

  • RUMOR: An Original Avenger Has Agreed to Return for ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    RUMOR: An Original Avenger Has Agreed to Return for ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    Marvel Studios spent quite a bit of 2023 working behind the scenes to find a way to right the ship. After rarely if ever missing during in the back end of the Infinity Saga, the front end of the Infinity Saga was incredibly uneven at best. The results of that time spent are, so far, encouraging and with more than a few upcoming projects already drumming up positive buzz (Deadpool & Wolverine, Agatha and Daredevil: Born Again among them), there’s hope that the 3-4 years will be a return to glory.

    Bob Iger’s return to Disney came with a mandate that large studios, like Marvel, dial back on the number of projects in development and focus more on pumping out sure things. To that end, Iger also indicated that studios would be revisiting franchises and characters that fans know and love. In Marvel’s case, many of those familiar characters seemed to have had their last dance in Avengers: Endgame but as word comes down that the studio is prepping for production on Avengers 5, one of the original Avengers has reportedly officially agreed to return for Avengers 6.

    According to scooper @MyTimeToShineH, Chris Evans will return in Avengers: Secret Wars.

    This isn’t the first time word of Evans‘ return as America’s Ass has made news, of course. In January 2021, Deadline reported that the star was closing in in a deal that would see him return for an unnamed Marvel Studios project with an option for a second, which would be a film. This Fall, Evans addressed the idea of returning to the MCU, saying that if he were to do it, it would be “no time soon.“

    “I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing. So, no time soon. And ultimately I really hope to just maybe act a little bit less in my life. I have a lot of other interests.”

    Chris Evans on returning to the role of Captain America

    If Evans did have some projects in mind back in 2021, the impact of COVID delays plus the strikes of 2023 could have pushed those projects back several years. If so, Evans could have been telling the whole truth in the recent interview while still knowing he had something coming up down the road. Should Evans indeed return for another MCU adventure or two, it would likely be 7 or 8 years post-Endgame. Steve Rogers would certainly be a welcome sight.

  • Director Sean Levy on the Required Reading for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

    Director Sean Levy on the Required Reading for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

    Like every Marvel Studios project, Deadpool & Wolverine has been the subject of some wild rumors. Given that the project will weave Ryan Reynold‘s Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman‘s Logan into the MCU and the trailers have already revealed the presence of quite a few other characters from the Fox X-Men films, many of the rumors have been centered around cameos of some major characters from those films. With the Time Variance Authority being used to connect those universes does make pretty much anything possible which means an Ultimate List of What to Watch before Deadpool & Wolverine could be pretty extensive. However, according to director Sean Levy, that’s not the case.

    In an interview with the Associated Press, Levy gave some insight into what the film is and is not and what “homework” fans will have to do to enjoy it.

    “Audiences are hungry for a great time at the movies,” Levy told the AP. “They want to be delighted, transported and entertained. And when they are given that, whether it’s ‘Barbie,’ ‘Oppenheimer’ or any number of other recent movies, they show up. The movie is built for audience delight. I think that (they’re) in for a very fun ride.” And according to Levy, that kind of fun means not having to do homework in order to keep up with what’s happening on screen.

    “I was a good student in school. I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies,” said Levy. “I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.” While being a Marvel Studios know-it-all certainly can’t hurt, it won’t be necessary to enjoy the film. That’s good news for a studio that is often flamed for stories that are too interdependent and is looking for Deadpool & Wolverine to be a big hit as they try to return to their previous level of success both at the box office and with fans.

    Deadpool & Wolverine hits U.S. theaters on July 26th.

    Source: AP

  • ‘Avengers 5’ Rumored to Have Cracked Its Story, Sideline Major Marvel Studios Heroes

    ‘Avengers 5’ Rumored to Have Cracked Its Story, Sideline Major Marvel Studios Heroes

    Once upon a time, the Marvel Studios’ film formerly known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would have been either in production now or starting soon. Without detailing the litany of issues that have preceded it, it’s enough to say that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will likely never commence production because some portion of those issues have led Marvel Studios to rethink what the fifth Avengers film will be. A trifecta of changes left Marvel Studios without a writer, director and key actor for the film. Michael Waldron took over writing duties on the film last year and according to one insider, the scribe has cracked the story for Avengers 5. With the studio preparing for a 2025 start of production, a new rumor suggests they’ve begun reaching out to talent…but who’s being left out?

    According to reliable MCU insider Daniel RPK, while the studio has contacted multiple actors who will reprise their roles as Avengers in Avengers 5, the newly announced cast of The Fantastic Four is not expected to suit up again for the film.

    THE FANTASTIC FOUR, exclusively on Disney+. © 2024 MARVEL.

    On Valentine’s Day, Marvel Studios made a splash by revealing that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach had been cast as Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, respectively. While each actor had been previously rumored to be associated with those roles, they were hardly alone in that regard, making it tough for fans to know what was real and what was just another scoop of rumor mill bullshit. Their exclusion from Avengers 5 would seem to indicate that the film will almost certainly be Earth-616-centric, making Avengers: Secret Wars the studio’s big crossover epic.

    As for the Avengers who might assemble in Avengers 5, there are certainly some bets safer than others. Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson, Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor, Mark Ruffalo‘s Hulk and Brie Larson‘s Carol Danvers are likely to be joined by Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man as the core team with another major assist by Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. According to RPK, other newcomers–which may include Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight–may not make the cut either. Given Bob Iger‘s recent comments about focusing on franchises and franchise characters, there may be some veracity to the idea that the newbies won’t lead what is most definitely a very important film for Disney.

  • Marvel Studios ‘X-Men’ Reboot Gets an Extremely Encouraging Update

    Marvel Studios ‘X-Men’ Reboot Gets an Extremely Encouraging Update

    X-Men ’97 is the best thing going for Marvel Studios at the moment. After some dismal projects and a few that lacked consistency, Marvel Animation’s revival series has been a weekly reminder of just how great Marvel’s mutant heroes can be. Now, on the heels of the success of X-Men ’97, word that the studio is making some serious headway with their live-action reboot has emerged.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel Studios search for a writer for The Mutants/X-Men film is winding down. Sneider reported that the studio is “pretty close” to nailing down the scribe for the project and that they could finalize a deal in the “next few weeks.”

    Marvel Studios began the search for a writer for the project late in 2023 as rumors popped up that the studio was looking to expedite the arrival of the uncanny group of heroes. Should a writer be in place by soon, it is possible the film could be ready for theaters by summer 2026.