Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel TV

  • REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 8

    REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 8

    Given the fact that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has received rather positive reviews each week, it feels somewhat monotonous to call “Ribbit and Rip It” the best episode of the series—but it cannot be avoided. Of course, the character ensemble in Episode 8 seems instantly iconic, but the episode hit every beat it could: lawyer, superhero, Daredevil, sexy hilarious, and dark. This episode can only be thoroughly enjoyed and yet it still ends on the heaviest and most cliff-hanging note of the series.

    All eyes are on Charlie Cox’s return as Daredevil in the character’s first MCU appearance. While this is She-Hulk’s show—as we are reminded—anyone who tries to suggest that he was not the highlight of the episode is lying. Predictably, Jennifer Walters and Matt Murdock meet in court on opposing sides before meeting as superheroes. Cox truly embodies the role, and his love for the character and the return is incredibly palpable. Quite honestly, he came across as substantially more charismatic than the character has previously been—and that is a high compliment. Daredevil is lighter than fans of only the Daredevil Netflix show may be used to, but being funny as hell does not take away from the rest of the character which was on full display. Those that will continue to scream into the void about She-Hulk ruining Daredevil are on another planet.

    While Murdock was the biggest player, Episode 8 highlights that She-Hulk works best when the titular character has a colorful cast to play around with. Leapfrog and Jacobson held their own in such a high-profile episode, and the ultimate result of all the moving pieces was sublimely paced, extremely funny, and it felt like a much bigger and more exciting show than it had been until now. Obviously, She-Hulk as a bona fide superhero is new and played a major role in that. The chemistry between Jen and Matt—presumably aided by the chemistry between Tatiana Maslany and Cox—created the best pairing of characters in a series riddled with great character interactions.

    Despite being an overwhelmingly fun episode, the penultimate episode landed on a dark note with haste to lead into the finale. She-Hulk has not been shy about weaving in themes and jokes surrounding misogyny, but it felt like the darker elements that existed within the show truly hit in full force all at once. It is not easy to compete with Daredevil in an episode, but the ending managed to put up an impressive fight in that regard. Not only did Jen have her entire private life broadcast to everyone during what was perhaps the greatest moment of her career, but it came in the form of sexual shame and revenge porn—activities that tend to almost exclusively attack and cause extreme harm to women. The word “slut” is not uncommon in reality, but even in the context of She-Hulk it landed with a thud. The dark brilliance of the sequence is that She-Hulk, who is ordinarily invincible, can be a vulnerable target to destroy because she is a woman and there are dedicated ways for someone to pursue that without any kind of confrontation. We see Jen lose control of her anger—finally calling back to the first episode—becoming an enemy and a monster regardless of how justified and ordinary that level of anger would be in that situation.

    At the end of the day, Episode 8 managed to do everything She-Hulk can seemingly tackle and pull off in just one episode. Daredevil’s introduction to the MCU was beautiful, and this episode does quite a lot for the character going forward. Even though the penultimate episode was almost certainly the most entertaining and witty episode of the entire series (and it is hard to see how the finale can top it), it also ended on the darkest and most emotional beat yet. Before the last few minutes, the fact that the finale was right around the corner felt rather empty. There is still a very minimal underlying HulkKing plot, but for the first time, it actually feels important to She-Hulk. It may very likely go on to set up other Hulk-related MCU projects in the future, but the damage inflicted to the main character from it is now the driving force of the remainder of the series. The finale is still a mysterious concept given the format of the show, but Episode 8 finally begins to truly define the hero She-Hulk will be in the MCU.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Makes a Major Change to the MCU Landscape, Hint at Possible Cap 4 Connections

    ‘She-Hulk’ Makes a Major Change to the MCU Landscape, Hint at Possible Cap 4 Connections

    Billed as a legal comedy and delivered pretty much along those lines, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law didn’t seem like the type of show that would have far-ranging implications for the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, with one episode left to go, it seems that quite a bit of potential has been packed into these shorter episodes. Bruce Banner has left the planet for personal business on Sakaar; Jen’s blood has fallen into the hands of the HulkKing; and a man is running around in a frog suit! As big of a deal as Leap-Frog might seem to have been in Episode 8, “Ribbit and Rip It”, another revelation might end up being a bigger factor down the line.

    During Jen’s brief and slightly embarrassing court battle with Matt Murdock, Murdock casually revealed that the Sokovia Accords, which have governed the vigilantism of superheroes since the United Nations adopted them in 2016 following the events in Lagos, Nigeria, have been repealed. The Accords were intended to put an end to the unsanctioned acts of powered individuals and groups, such as the Avengers, by establishing an agreed-upon set of regulations.

    The Accords have been addressed in several projects over the years after having been established in Captain America: Civil War. WandaVision saw a government agency defy them and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which was set in 2024, saw them on display in the Smithsonian. So while they might have seemed like a relic of the Infinity Saga, they’ve been kept alive for a reason before being tossed out there again in She-Hulk, which is set in 2025. What good comes from keeping them on the minds of the audience, though, when they’ve largely been ignored since their creation? The answer might be in the fine print.

    By signing the Accords, heroes agreed to a whole mess of things, including:

    • providing a DNA sample
    • revealing their secret identities/legal names
    • power analysis
    • the use of tracking bracelets

    The Accords also prohibited governments from sending powered heroes to other countries without the approval of that country; outlawed the creation of self-aware AIs; outlawed the creation of further superhumans without strict oversight.

    For a line that was interjected into the middle of a fairly fast-paced bit of dialogue by Murdock, the revelation that the Accords no longer govern not only the actions of powered individuals but the CREATION of them seems incredibly important given the fact that Jen’s “better blood” is in the hands of, presumably, the Intelligencia which, presumably, is lead by The Leader. With The Leader recently announced as the villain of Captain America: New World Order, Jen’s tease of a Red Hulk and the long-standing rumors of her blood being used to create multiple Hulks that might face off in a World War Hulk project, the fact that there are now no universally accepted regulations on how to handle these types of situations seems like it is setting the stage for chaos to ensue…and a new order to be established.

  • REPORT: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Eyeing February Production Start, Will Return to New York City

    REPORT: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Eyeing February Production Start, Will Return to New York City

    There have been many theories surrounding Marvel studios’ upcoming revival project Daredevil: Born Again. The Disney+ series is going to consist of 18 episodes, the most we’ve ever seen from any Marvel series so far on the streaming service. The character is set to make his MCU premiere in costume with the upcoming She-Hulk episode, but it looks like Charlie Cox is already getting ready to return to the role sooner rather than later. According to Discussing Film’s Jacob Fisher, it seems they might start production on the Disney+ series as of February.

    With the episode count, it might be Marvel Studios’ longest production yet as they’re set to film the entire year. Not just that, they are forgoing their usual Atlanta production but actually return to New York City as their primary filming location. This is quite significant, as it continues how the previous productions brought the series to life, which was a massive deal between Netflix, ABC Studios, Marvel, and NYC to exclusively film there on location. So, locals will be certainly keeping their eyes out to get a shot from the production.

    The series main star Charlie Cox did actually tease they might return to New York to film, but there never was a confirmation. Some also thought they may have mixed it up due to it being the Netflix production location. Marvel Studios made its home in Atlanta, which made it the usual location e expect many of these shows to film at but this could be a great start to showcase them taking extra steps to ensure the Daredevil series stays true to the Netflix series that came before.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 7

    ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 7

    Welcome back to yet another From page to Screen focusing on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. In the show’s first week, we looked at the differences between the comics’ and series’ versions of Jennifer Walters’ origin story. The following week, viewers got a live-action introduction to Jen’s new legal job, taken straight out of Dan Slott’s and Juan Bobillo’s 2004 She-Hulk run—Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway (GLK&H). Episode 3 introduced a reimagined version of comic book villains, in its fourth week, the show decided to focus on Jen’s love life and, the following week, on Jen’s nemesis, Titania. Episode 6, being a “self-contained wedding episode” was approached as its own thing while referencing a lackluster comic arc where Jen ended up being engaged herself.

    As for episode 7, and much the previous week’s, there were a few new takes on less known comic characters. This time we got Man-Bull, El Águila, and Porcupine introduced into the MCU, all of which were already the focus of individual features by our own John Sabato. Taking a deep dive into how these characters were adapted to the small screen makes little sense now, so we decided to focus on three other villains with whom She-Hulk has a history that might end up getting adapted themselves in the future. Especially considering both present and future events within the overall MCU.

    RED SHE-HULK

    Red She-Hulk #66 (2013)

    With the increased relevance to the MCU’s future that The Incredible Hulk has managed to gain in the past few months, with The Abomination coming back, and Tim Blake Nelson set to return as The Leader in Captain America: New World Order, it’s probably not that big of a stretch to think of a possible Red She-Hulk appearance down the line. Especially given how that particular movie will probably explore a potential explosion of Hulks in the MCU.

    Even if the MCU’s Red Hulk might not turn out to be Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, due to the passing of the great William Hurt, why not bring back another character from the first Hulk outing, thus allowing Betty Ross to become Red She-Hulk?

    Red She-Hulk #67 (2013)

    Red She-Hulk shares many of her father Red Hulk’s abilities, including superhuman strength, which enables her to take on both the Hulk and She-Hulk. She can pierce even the thickest and most resistant skin with her razor-sharp claws and talons. Unlike her father, she can produce energy blasts, which she might use to devastating effect. Though this was only for a brief period in the comics, she could fly and had theoretically limitless strength in her form as the Harpy. She also could come to own her “big ass sword” that was initially presented to the Red She-Hulk during the “Fear Itself” storyline and was crafted by Tony Stark using Stark Industries repulsor technology and enchanted uru metal (the same material Mjölnir is made of) from the Real Eternal, Asgard.

    ABSORBING MAN

    She-Hulk #23 (2007)

    With Titania becoming such a big focus point in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and with the apparent ease with which superpowered people now show up in the MCU, why not bring someone close to her that also happens to have a history with She-Hulk? Absorbing Man fits the bill.

    She-Hulk #23 (2007)

    Crusher Creel, who we’ve already seen on the small screen in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., played by Brian Patrick Wade) has the power to imitate the matter and strength of anybody or anything nearby thanks to a mysterious potion. Most frequently, he duplicates the qualities of anything he touches, including solids, liquids, gases, and even energy sources. Over time, he learned to choose which substances to absorb, and even how to absorb multiple substances at once and combine their properties. During one of his encounters with She-Hulk, she realized that he could only ignore certain materials’ qualities if it wasn’t abundant. But drowning him in something that would be detrimental to his physical condition could then turn his powers, which could allow him to be the most powerful villain in the entire Marvel Universe, into weaknesses.

    UNUM

    She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision #1 (2008)

    Another interesting foe that could come up against Jennifer Walters, is Unum. The cosmic entity Enmity (one of the Seven Friendless, a group of seven cosmic creatures) basically assembled the being Unum from the remains of many extraordinarily potent dead entities, including Dormammu. The Latin phrase “e Pluribus Unum” which means “out of many, one” is where the name of this enormous entity originates.

    What makes her especially interesting in the context of the MCU is that Unum was established with the sole intent of eliminating all heroes, but initially focusing on female heroes, something that could lead down a compelling path in terms of storyline and real-world analogies. Unum was essentially invincible, but She-Hulk managed to defeat it and as a result of the revelation that Enmity was only using her as a tool for amusement, the mighty Unum turned against her creator, destroying her physical form, and committing suicide. 

    She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision #1 (2008)

    It’s doubtful any of these characters might show up in the final two She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episodes, considering how Daredevil and perhaps even The Leader could be making appearances. But with Jen’s story continuing beyond the show, and with the series making it clear that no character of off limits, it shouldn’t take long for her rogues’ gallery to expand significantly in the not-so-far future. Either with these or other characters.

    The first seven She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episodes are now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘Werewolf by Night’ Director on Getting Away With More Blood in Black-and-White

    ‘Werewolf by Night’ Director on Getting Away With More Blood in Black-and-White

    When we got our first look at Marvel Studios’ Werewolf by Night, you could tell it was going to be something special. Not only did it offer something familiar to classic Hammer and Universal monster movies, under the guise of a “Special Presentation,” but it even teased quite a bit of gory action filtered through a classic black-and-white design.

    In an interview with Collider, director and long-time Marvel composer Michael Giacchino got the chance to tease what he’s been working on and the love of a genre that inspired it. That’s not all, as he also got a chance to talk about the way they were able to push the boundaries with its blood and gore, even if he seemingly isn’t that big of a fan of slasher flicks.

    I think that helped us. It certainly didn’t hurt us. I think that doing something like this, we were able to push a little further into that direction than we might have if he had done it any other way. I think people will still be surprised when they see it. The people who are just turning it on and seeing, but hey, that’s part of the fun of it. I felt like as long as it didn’t become sadistic … that was our thing. Because I’m very squeamish generally. I don’t like slasher movies for that reason. So, I didn’t want it to ever get into that realm where it’s just indiscriminate killing. Everything needed to have a reason and a why and a how and all of that. So, I do think that being in black and white helped us with a lot of that, keeping it in that realm.

    Michael Giacchino

    It’s definitely going to be interesting to see just how far they managed to push the project, as we only have a bit longer until it releases on Disney+. Marvel Studios has been all-in with this project showcasing it at Fantastic Fest and even Beyond Fest, highlighting it as their big push for a genre project. We’ll see if Werewolf by Night can really pull it together.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who Is Man-Bull?

    ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who Is Man-Bull?

    Court is now in session and Jennifer Walters is here to reprsent the defendant in the matter of Superhuman law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has finally hit Disney+ as the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seems to be one of the studios most unique projects yet. With it comes a whole slew of C-listers and D-Lister heroes and villains that have found themselves in legal trouble.

    The Prosecution Calls To The Stand: Man-Bull!

    Before he was the monstrosity he is now, William Taurens, also known as Bull Taurus, was a goon that worked for Mr. Kline, an android known as MK-9 sent from the future to stop an impending apocalypse posing as a mob boss. Kline had tasked Taurens and his partner in crime, Itch to kidnap random people off the streets to be used as subjects in his testing trials. William and Itch were stopped by Daredevil, but due to their failure, were subject to MK-9’s test themselves in which William Taurens was transformed into the malignant mammal we know today.

    This punishment didn’t stop him, however, as Taurens hit the streets yet again, intent on kidnapping more victims. Of course, Daredevil stopped him once more, and he reverted back to his human form.

    When in Man-Bull form, Taurens possesses some pretty basic superhuman abilities such as strength, invulnerability and endurance. When in a state of intense rage his adrenaline pushes him into an unstable mood that actually allows him to control bovines through psionic means.

    Mann-Bull made his live-action debut in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, now streaming on Disney+.

  • REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 7

    REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 7

    After finishing the seventh episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it is extremely natural to wonder—what is this show? For a series billed as a legal comedy, there certainly is no particular plethora of legal plotlines. In Episode 7, for example, there are none at all. For a “superhero show”, there can be a stunning lack of superheroics. So what is She-Hulk? That may not be an easy question to answer, but the series has a personality that connects everything at its core; that is not a given for most series. In any event, it is genuinely hard to care about picking apart every ounce of She-Hulk when Episode 7 was everything a reasonable person could want.

    Some of the biggest, deepest laughs of She-Hulk come from this episode without a doubt. The level of comedy the series attained in some of its earlier, more legal-heavy episodes returns in a very different form. In a universe and franchise so focused on action, adventure, and high-concept stories, any person that has the capacity to feel joy can appreciate some D-list supervillains in group therapy helping out the protagonist get over a guy who did not text her back. That premise is absurd, and it can only work in a very specific context. Luckily, She-Hulk provides that context.

    Nothing could be said about Episode 7 without emphasizing how amazing the supporting cast of characters is. Obviously, Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky makes a welcome return after his last appearance in Episode 3 to continue the “Abomaste” gag. And while various legal cases brought out some interesting figures in the past, such as Donny Blaze, Mr. Immortal, or the shape-shifting light elf, Episode 7 absolutely knocks it out of the park. Man-Bull, El Águila, Porcupine, Saracen, Wrecker, and Blonksky all come through as colorful characters. The fact that such a group got to spend most of its time together and interacting with one another is simply a unique experience in the Marvel universe, which allows She-Hulk to bring out the inherent humor of corny comic book characters in a safe space both literally and figuratively.

    A major theme running through She-Hulk is that Jen is constantly losing. Sure, she is a functional Hulk and landed a snazzy job, but episode after episode has emphasized that Jen the human is not enough. Her dating life is perhaps the prime example of that, and the episode’s focus on Josh building her up and then letting her down just hammered that theme more. The “twist” that Josh is actually a villain was perhaps one of the most obvious reveals, so it was smart that her emotions stemming from the rejection were in the spotlight while the dramatic reveal was only given a few seconds in the end. It was refreshing to see Jen get a personal “win” this episode when she has her emotional breakthrough at the Blonksy retreat with the friendly help of some memorable characters with their own identity struggles. In fact, self-identity seemed to be the core issue tying all of those people together in one way or another.

    Since Jen now knows, apparently, that “Jen is great” alongside She-Hulk, perhaps that is the audience’s cue to prepare for less self-growth and more plot resolution going forward. Granted, there are only two episodes left in the season, so that may not be hard to guess. But it does potentially give away what kind of place Jen will be mentally when she has to eventually deal with the invisible HulkKing villain (to the extent She-Hulk itself will actually deal with a potential explosion of Hulks in the MCU), as well as when she inevitably comes across Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Doubtless, many have suffered in agony for seven weeks with no Daredevil, but at least they can be grateful the show may combine them when Jen/She-Hulk is at her best.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who is The Porcupine?

    ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who is The Porcupine?

    Court is now in session and Jennifer Walters is here to reprsent the defendant in the matter of Superhuman law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has finally hit Disney+ as the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seems to be one of the studios most unique projects yet. With it comes a whole slew of C-listers and D-Lister heroes and villains that have found themselves in legal trouble.

    The Prosecution Calls To The Stand: The Porcupine!

    First appearing in Tales To Astonish #48 in July of 1963, Alexander Gentry worked for the United States military as a weapons designer. Gentry began developing a porcupine-based battle suit, working long nights to make breakthroughs on his project. As he finally completed the suit he quickly became concerned that the US government would not properly compensate him for his hard work and believed he would be much better off using the suit himself as a means for monetary gain.

    Gentry made his debut as the quilled criminal during the grand opening of a supposed “burglar-proof” bank where he went toe-to-toe with Giant-Man and The Wasp. Porcupine faced off against the two heroes a few more times but would eventually be defeated when he attempted to grow to Giant-Man’s size after stealing some of Hank Pym’s growth pills, realizing too late that he’d actually swallowed shrinking pills.

    V

    The Porcupine battlesuit allowed its wearer enhanced strength and durability as well as an array of trick quills. Some of the quills were just basic sharp projectiles that could be fired from the suit but others consisted of lasers, rockets, sleeping gas, smoke bombs, tear gas, torches, electricity blast, and concussion bombs.

    The Porcupine made his live-action debut on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, streaming every Wednesday on Disney+.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who Is El Aguila?

    ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who Is El Aguila?

    Court is now in session and Jennifer Walters is here to represent the defendant in the matter of Superhuman law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has finally hit Disney+ as the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seems to be one of the studio’s most unique projects yet. With it comes a whole slew of C-listers and D-Lister heroes and villains that have found themselves in legal trouble.

    The Prosecution Calls To The Stand: El Aguila!

    First appearing in Power Man and Iron Fist #58, Alejandro Montoya was a mutant born in Spain who kept his abilities a secret until he took up the identity of the vigilante El Aguila. Inspired by his childhood hero, Zorro, Montoya hit the streets of New York as a modern-day swashbuckling Robin Hood, fighting crime and taking down mob bosses to redistribute the money to the poor of the city. These late-night heroics eventually lead Aguila right to the Heroes for Hire, Power Man and Iron Fist. Ultimately, Montoya teamed up with the duo to save Jeryn Hogarth from would-be assassins.

    Aguila’s mutant abilities give him the power to generate electrostatic charges and discharge up to 100,000 volts. He harnessed this power through his rapier as the vigilante was a skilled swordsman as well as an acrobat and master of hand-to-hand combat. Currently, the character remains depowered as a direct result of the M-Day event, losing his abilities due to Scarlet Witch’s altering of reality.

    El Aguila made his live-action debut in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, now streaming every Wednesday on Disney+.

  • Finn Jones Confirms Plot of ‘Iron Fist’ Season 3 Would Have Featured Orson Randall

    Finn Jones Confirms Plot of ‘Iron Fist’ Season 3 Would Have Featured Orson Randall

    Of all the Marvel shows produced by Netflix, Iron Fist stands out as the one least loved by fans. The series was noted for its many departures from the source material, with viewers and critics both agreeing the project was far too light on the magic that made the comics so much fun. After a few behind-the-scenes changes, Iron Fist’s second season improved the show by leaps and bounds, but the alterations came too late and weren’t enough to save the series from an early cancellation. This meant that several plotlines, including a massive cliffhanger hinting at a major comic book story for the show’s third season, were left unfinished and untold by showrunner Raven Metzner and his creative team.

    Speaking exclusively with Comic Book, series star Finn Jones discussed the potential surrounding Iron Fist Season 3 and the conscious efforts made to fix the show after its poorly received debut outing:

    The second season was really all about course correction. Y’know, it’s like, how do we just change the course and the conversation around the show and just bring it up to a place that we can feel proud of, and then we can take the show in the direction that we really want to take it.

    Finn Jones

    The direction they wanted to take Iron Fist, it seems, was toward writers Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction’s acclaimed run from the late 2000s. That series featured Danny Rand learning more about the former owners of the Iron Fist mantle, and teaming up with his immediate predecessor, Orson Randall. Iron Fist Season 2 ended with Jones’ take on Rand traveling to Asia with his new pal Ward, channeling his chi into two pistols and bringing himself closer to Randall than ever. Meanwhile, in New York, Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing took over as the next official Iron Fist.

    When asked directly if this meant Metzner and Jones planned on adapting The Immortal Iron Fist and using Orson Randall in the third season, the British actor confirmed this was the case:

    Oh, yeah, we definitely were. I love Danny Rand. I love Danny Rand. I love that character, I love everything about him. I think he’s such a joy. And so did Raven, as well. And we really would just vibe out and geek out together about the prospects of what we could create with that character.

    Finn Jones

    He elaborated, breaking down the unmade season’s potential structure:

    Raven, especially, wanted to see Danny and Ward off in distant lands, like, fighting crime and having the guns and stuff. And Orson Randall, like taking on that kind of persona. And then Colleen would be in New York with the Iron Fist, kind of coming to terms with that responsibility. Then eventually, over the course of that season, they would find each other again and become whole. Yeah, there were a lot of interesting ways we could have moved forward with that show.

    Finn Jones

    While Metzner was never able to make this plot a reality, it’s not impossible that fans see it play out on screen in the future. Marvel Studios has been steadily returning its Netflix characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it may be only a matter of time before Danny Rand makes his second grand debut. Whether or not Jones is still in the role when that happens remains to be seen.

    Source: Comic Book