Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel TV

  • ‘Hawkeye’s Director on Bringing Lucky the Pizza Dog to Disney+

    ‘Hawkeye’s Director on Bringing Lucky the Pizza Dog to Disney+

    The upcoming Hawkeye series has quite some star power in Jeremy Renner‘s return as Clint Barton and MCU newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. But, as to be expected, the introduction of Lucky the Pizza Dog may have caught most people’s attention. It’s still uncertain how big his role will be in the story, but given Ajap and Fraction‘s inspiration, My Life as a Weapon, he’ll be a constant throughout. Now, director Rhys Thomas shared some insight into what it was like working with actor dog Jolt to bring the character to life for Disney+.

    With Jolt, we had an audition process with our dogs. Jolt did an amazing job. There are very specific things the dog needs to do. She was great. I was definitely dubious, and I had images of a CG dog. Genuinely, I can’t think of a moment we lost time because of Jolt. She was on it.

    Rhys Thomas

    The big question surrounded the showcase of Jolt’s eye. In the comics, Lucky the Pizza Dog famously lost his left eye after reducing the archer. It was assumed they might avoid this plotline but the first trailer and poster confirmed he is missing it in the series. It made you wonder if it was practical but it seems that they “painstakingly” added it in post-production based on the shot’s references. The reason was simple: so the dog wouldn’t get confused on set with one eye covered.

    No, I asked that same question. I was informed she would probably walk around in circles if we obscured her eye. Those wizards — we would shoot a scene with Jolt, and the visual effects team would come in and take all of the lighting references and everything they needed from each camera setup and go in and track this different eye after the fact. It’s a painstaking process where you have to track this thing, frame by frame.

    It’s always great to get some insight into how they tackle these projects, especially with how complex it is working with animals on these kinds of sets. Marvel Studios’ production teams have relied on real animals to bring their characters to life, such as multiple cats playing Goose in Captain Marvel. It’s great they continue to do so and hopefully, we’ll get a lot more of the pizza-loving dog in the future.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Alaqua Cox on Bringing Echo to Life in ‘Hawkeye’

    Alaqua Cox on Bringing Echo to Life in ‘Hawkeye’

    Hawkeye will become the springboard for two important MCU characters moving forward. Not only will we meet Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop but it’ll also introduce the world to the mute assassin Echo. Not just that, the character will also get their series which was officially announced during Disney+ Day. Newcomer Alaqua Cox will bring the character to life and that she wasn’t interested in acting until she saw a casting call for a deaf Native American to tackle the character. With her series on the horizon, the actress shared a bit of her experience on set and preparing for the action sequences:

    Deaf people have really good visual skills. I can easily catch things. During training they were like, ‘Oh, wow, you’re a fast learner.’ I was like, ‘Well, I just watched you.’

    Alaqua Cox

    Speaking of training, Cox‘s right leg is a prosthetic which didn’t restrict her in bringing any of the action sequences or fight choreography to life.

    People with a disability like me can do anything: We can fight, we can flip, we can fall. I’m excited for people to say, ‘Wow, she can do that.

    Alaqua Cox

    She also highlights the support she got for joining the franchise. Marvel Studios has been pushing for more representation in their projects.

    The deaf community is in huge support of this role because they want to see deaf people represented in these deaf roles. Most of the time it’s hearing people that take these roles, but finally authentic representation is here. So I’m excited for that, and so as everybody else.

    Alaqua Cox

    She’s the second deaf actress to join a Marvel Studios project after Lauren Ridloff played Makkari in Eternals, who has become quite a fan-favorite after the film’s release. There’s also the potential of exploring the story of the character in this world, as Hawkeye offers a more grounded storyline within a world with aliens, gods, and magic. She might continue that storyline thread in her series and offer a look into new corners of this franchise.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Kevin Feige on the Future of Marvel Studios: “I’m Not Anywhere Near Bored Yet”

    Kevin Feige on the Future of Marvel Studios: “I’m Not Anywhere Near Bored Yet”

    The threat of “superhero fatigue” has been looming over Marvel Studios since 2011 when they brazenly doubled their output from 1 film a year to 2 films a year. In the decade since, critics of comic book films have taken to social media to warn us all of the impending end of the genre due to the lack of interest of fans. As they continue to bang that drum, Marvel Studios, under the leadership of Kevin Feige, is wrapping up a year in which they will have launched their first 4 live-action streaming series on Disney Plus, streamed their first in-universe animated series and will release four films for the first time in their history. At a global press event for Hawkeye, Feige was asked by our own Charles Villanueva to think about what they learned about putting so much content on streaming as they head into year 2 of Disney Plus. After talking about how positively the audiences have responded, Feige talked about one big takeaway from year one, saying:

    That it doesn’t seem like an overabundance of this. I have always said, nobody will get bored before we at Marvel Studios will of these projects. And going 20 plus years, I’m not anywhere near bored yet. Because we’re allowed to do within the sub-genre, so many different types of things.

    This is encouraging news for fans of Marvel Studios on a couple of levels. Feige has always indicated that he’d be willing to make as many projects per year as exist good scripts. With nearly a dozen films and at least a dozen streaming series (both live-action and animated) at different stages of development and headed to consumers over the next 3 years, it seems like Marvel Studios has found a sweet spot in script development. Additionally, there’s been unfounded concern over the past couple of years that Feige was looking to move on: a DC rumor here, a Star Wars rumor there. Knowing that he’s not ready to let go of the reigns at Marvel Studios, especially with the MCU versions of the Fantastic Four and the X-Men on the horizon, gives fans confidence that the same care for the characters and stories to which they’ve grown accustomed will be given to those characters as they enter the shared universe. Superhero fatigue looks like it’ll continue to be a fictional construct engineered by critics of the genre while fans continue to consume any and everything superhero-related.

  • Kevin Feige Reflects on Year 1 of Marvel Studios TV

    Kevin Feige Reflects on Year 1 of Marvel Studios TV

    Next week, Hawkeye, the fourth and final live-action Marvel Studios streaming series of 2021 will kick of it’s 5-week run on Disney Plus. During Tuesday’s press event, our own Charles Villanueva asked Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, to reflect on the first year of Marvel Studios produced streaming series and what he and the studio learned that they will take into their second year and it seems that to Feige, the most important takeaway is how well they’ve all been received.

    Yeah. Well, it’s the-yes, the end of year one of the-of the project’s finally, finally coming out and people being able to see them. But it’s about year three or four for us as we’ve been developing them. And I think we learn on-we learn on everything. The reception to each of them is what has been most gratifying. Because we always-we wanted them to be different here. We’re sitting talking about a fun grounded action Christmas series. Loki is this very otherworldly thing. Falcon and Winter Soldier, geopolitical. And WandaVision, ode to-to sitcoms and grief. And it feels like the audience has responded the way we wanted to.

    As Feige mentioned, these projects have been in development at the studio for several years and, as we all remember, the COVID-19 pandemic took a big chunk out of each of them in their own ways; some productions were interrupted and others delayed. At one point in time, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was supposed to kick off Phase 4 before delays moved WandaVision to the front of the queue. Nothing was made easy during Marvel Studios first foray into live-action streaming series but as Feige said, audiences have, for the most part, enjoyed the series as they explore some of the MCU’s characters on a deeper level and introduce some new characters to the mix.

    As Marvel Studios moves ahead into Year 2, there have been fewer COVID-related delays and you can bet that Feige and Parliament have implemented the lessons they’ve learned over Year 1 to do a better job of the simple thing they’ve always set out to do: entertain audiences.

  • Vincent D’Onofrio on Hawkeye: “This is Going to Be Fun”

    Vincent D’Onofrio on Hawkeye: “This is Going to Be Fun”

    For months now, rumors have swirled that Vincent D’Onofrio would be reprising his role as Wilson Fisk in the upcoming Marvel Studios streaming series Hawkeye. If the “rumors” are true, D’Onofrio would join Charlie Cox in making the jump from Marvel’s Netflix Defender-verse to the mainstream MCU.

    While both actors have attempted to deny their involvement, they’ve both recently commented on what they’d like to see their characters do if they did return with D’Onofrio recently saying he’d love to go up against Spider-Man. D’Onofrio is always active on social media and with Hawkeye’s debut just a week away, the actor took to Twitter to indicate that he’s also a big fan of the Marvel Studios’ produced series on Disney Plus and that he thinks this one is “going to be fun.”

    With Maya Lopez, aka Echo, appearing in Hawkeye and her character having such strong comic book ties to Kingpin, the series provides the perfect opportunity for the character to come on board. The return of Cox and D’Onofrio in their respective roles could prove to be just the beginning of big things for those characters in the future, with a Daredevil project rumored to be in the works. With Hawkeye’s 6 episodes spanning the holiday season and wrapping up before the new year, maybe Kingpin is Feige’s gift to us all.

  • Marvel Studios ‘What If…?’ Mystery Minis Now Available for Pre-Order

    Marvel Studios ‘What If…?’ Mystery Minis Now Available for Pre-Order

    Marvel Studios first animated series, What If…?, opened the door to the multiverse and, with it, the endless possibilities of new characters to be introduced. Over the series first 9 episodes, fans met Variants of Doctor Strange, Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers, Loki, zombie versions of your favorite heroes, Star-Lord T’Challa and more. Now, you can start your What If…? collection with one of Funko’s most enjoyable products: Mystery Minis!

    Marvel’s What If…? Mystery Minis are now available for pre-order at Entertainment Earth. For collectors who like to roll the dice, you can pre-order random 4-packs at $24.99/piece; for $67.99, you can get a blind 12 pack of figures with a display case.

    For those prefer there Pops a little larger, Entertainment Earth has a full wave of 6″ figures available as well ($11.99/piece) including:

    Frost Giant Loki
    T’Challa Star-Lord
    Doctor Strange Supreme
    Zombie Captain America
    Infinity Ultron
    Captain Carter

    And of course, the Hydra Stomper!


    Murphy’s Multiverse is an Entertainment Earth affiliate.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Why Trinh Tran Tackled ‘Hawkeye’ After ‘Avengers: Endgame’

    EXCLUSIVE: Why Trinh Tran Tackled ‘Hawkeye’ After ‘Avengers: Endgame’

    The launch of Disney+ has led to a whole new avenue of storytelling potential. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, many wondered just how the Marvel Cinematic Universe would continue onward, and a slew of Disney+ original series offered the chance to spotlight some minor yet fan-favorite characters. We recently had the chance to speak with Marvel Studios producer Trinh Tran to discuss her next project, Hawkeye. It’s quite a shift from working on a massive project like Endgame to this smaller project, and she offered some insight into why she tackled the Disney+ series right after.

    I wanted it all! [LAUGH] I think, you know, when we were filming Infinity War and Endgame I was already, we were already talking about What is the future? What is my next project and you know Shang-Chi was already starting. So, unfortunately you know I couldnt be apart that the same way that Jonathan was and, you know, I loved Hawkeye from the Fraction run. I love how fun it is and the banter between Clint and Kate, and I really wanted to explore, you know a female version of a skilled archer, as well as telling Clint’s side of the story which we havent had the chance to in the MCU. So, I felt that it was due time for him to shine and get his spotlight and I think that was one of the reasons why I gravitated towards this particular show.

    Trinh Tran

    Trinh Tran has worked on the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the beginning. She served as an associate producer on Captain America: Civil War, and worked her way to becoming an executive producer on the two most recent Avengers films. It’s great to hear her excitement about the project, and that this adaptation springs from that very enjoyment of Faction and Ajap‘s run on the character. Disney+ is the bridge to explore stories that would’ve never gotten the cinematic treatment. Here’s looking forward to what else Marvel Studios may explore in the future.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Didn’t Allow ‘Hit-Monkey’ To Use Bullseye In Series

    EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Didn’t Allow ‘Hit-Monkey’ To Use Bullseye In Series

    Marvel TV’s last bastion Hit-Monkey premieres tomorrow on Hulu, ending the department’s near-decade-long stint with a brutal and violent spectacle. The show is filled with lots of gore, emotion, and features a handful of Marvel characters that some comic readers may recognize. Characters like Silver Samurai, Fat Cobra, and Lady Bullseye all make memorable appearances all throughout.

    One character that almost made the cut, however, was the original Bullseye. Once again, the old adage of corporate mandates hijacking creative visions took place, prohibiting showrunners Will Speck and Josh Gordon from using the fabled Daredevil character. In our exclusive interview with the directing duo, they said:

    Yes, Bullseye. Bullseye was in the original issues of Hit-Monkey and that was who we originally thought we would use but for various reasons, we couldn’t. But Marvel offered us Lady Bullseye instead and we thought, ‘Wow. That’s so much more interesting since she’s a character we haven’t seen much of yet.’ We were thrilled that we got that pivot.

    These things happen a lot with Marvel TV. Jeph Loeb and co. want to use a character for their shows but the powers that be at Marvel Studios veto it for reasons related to their own plans for the characters at hand.

    In this instance, this could’ve been a case of Marvel not wanting to touch anything that had to do with the Netflix clause that prohibited the use of characters from their shows for an X amount of years, though the production timeline might say otherwise. Interestingly, this could also very well be a mandate from Marvel Studios as Kevin Feige begins to get his hands on some of Marvel’s most famous street-level characters.

  • Hailee Steinfeld Describes the Emotional Moment She Landed Her ‘Hawkeye’ Role

    Hailee Steinfeld Describes the Emotional Moment She Landed Her ‘Hawkeye’ Role

    With Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye set to premiere next week, people are anxious to see what’s next for Clint Barton. The introduction of his co-archer Kate Bishop is also exciting fans more so than ever, as actress Hailee Steinfeld is already getting rave reviews for her performance as Kate. While Marvel Studios executive producer Trinh Tran has previously said that Steinfeld was the Studios’ “go-to girl” for Kate Bishop, the actress recently opened up to Cosmopolitan about the emotional moment she learned that she landed the role:

    When I found out I got the job, I was actually pulling up to set on Dickinson. My driver got out of the car and went to open my door and I held it shut because it was like, “I need a moment.” I hadn’t gotten a “you got the job” call in a minute. My mom was on the phone and I started crying in the back seat of the car. I was like, “Wow, this is so wild.” I was trying to wrap my head around how different it was going to be from Dickinson and how ready but anxious I was about the whole thing.

    Hailee Steinfeld

    The actress landing the role was arguably emotional for fans as well. Rumors upon rumors floated around regarding whether or not Steinfeld had signed on for the role. Multiple project delays affected her ability to take the job, but eventually, it was clear that Steinfeld would be taking her place in Hawkeye after we got the first photos and videos of her on set. While audiences will be able to judge for themselves when Hawkeye drops on November 24th, it seems likely that Steinfeld’s turn as Kate Bishop is a casting that will be celebrated all-around.

    Source: Forbes, Cosmopolitan

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’ Will Test Kate Bishop’s Relationship With Her Mother

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’ Will Test Kate Bishop’s Relationship With Her Mother

    We’re only a few weeks away from Hawkeye‘s release on Disney+. The series will take a more grounded approach with our titular hero taking on mobsters rather than planet-destroying space tyrants. Clint Barton’s series will also see him take a young protégé under his wing, Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop. The series will explore their dynamic and the importance of family. While Barton is struggling to make it home on time for the holidays, Kate is juggling her relationship with her mother.

    In a teaser for the series, we briefly saw the archer trying to explain to her mother that she is important in solving an Avengers-level threat. Vera Farmiga will bring her mother, Eleanor Bishop, to life and has been highlighted in the trailers so far. It’s interesting to note that she died in the comics during a visit to Colorado with her husband Derek raising Kate and her sister Susan. It was a big part of her character development in the comics, which the MCU will add a new spin on it. Hawkeye producer Trinh Tran offered some insight into why they made the change in an exclusive interview with our own Charles Villanueva

    We haven’t had many opportunities to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the MCU. I’m not saying that hasn’t happened, but it’s just there hasn’t been too many of that. And what I find interesting is that there is a lot of, I guess, fresh territory that we can go to for the relationship for the two of them.

    Trihn Tran

    Many Marvel stories indeed focus on the dynamic between fathers and their children, such as Thanos and Gamora, Ego and Star-Lord, and many more. So, it’s a great move to use this opportunity to explore a mother-daughter dynamic, especially as she highlights how Kate’s personality adds that extra layer that’ll test their relationship.

    She thinks she knows what is best for Kate, but Kate is you’ve seen in the comics is sometimes hard-headed, and she speaks her mind and she is not afraid to do so. And there could be opposing opinions in who she is. So, I think that, like I said, is a more personal, more emotional between the two characters that we wanted to explore in this particular direction for the both of them.

    Trihn Tran

    There’s a possibility that this change was also inspired to explore the darker side of her family’s history. Given what we learn about the character in the comics, they might want to also further establish their dynamic before the story hits a more dramatic turn.