Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel TV

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ From Page to Screen: Episode 4

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ From Page to Screen: Episode 4

    With Ms. Marvel’s Episode 4, entitled “Seeing Red,” the series’ connection to Ms. Marvel comics is on full display. In Episode 1, we looked at how the series adapted from the comics the moment Kamala’s powers were activated; for Episode 2 we delved into the comics’ and series’ introduction and handling so far of the character Kamran; and in Episode 3 we looked at the interesting source material for the series’ villains, the Clandestines. This week, we look at the Red Dagger(s) introduced and how they compare to Red Dagger in the comics.

    Ms. Marvel #23 (2017)

    In the show, Kamala meets the Red Dagger while in Karachi. When she is investigating the train station looking for answers about the train in her vision, she is attacked by the Red Dagger. He then reveals that he knew she was Djinn because he could sense the Noor energy she was using. When he found out she was related to Aisha, he took her to the base of the Red Daggers where she met fellow Red Dagger Waleed. He explained to her that Clandestines come from another dimension that exists all around ours, but with a veil of energy that separates the two. 

    Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 4
    Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 4

    Red Dagger and Kamala bond in civilian mode as he introduces her to his friends at a bonfire. Ultimately, by the end of Episode 4, the Clandestines had tracked down Kamala and attacked the group, seemingly killing Waleed before Kamala is transported to what appears to be a 1947 Karachi train station.

    What They Kept From the Comics

    Ms. Marvel #12 (2016)
    Ms. Marvel #12 (2016)
    Ms. Marvel #12 (2016)

    In Ms. Marvel, Kamala also meets Red Dagger while visiting Karachi. She does not know his true identity for quite some time, but his name is Kareem and he is a family friend. He acts as a vigilante in Karachi similar to how Ms. Marvel patrols Jersey City. 

    His look and skillset are incredibly comic accurate, and his role in Kamala’s life may track that seen in the comics. The two were introduced in both iterations when Kamala visited Karachi in an attempt to figure out who she was. In the comics, Kareem gave her a new and optimistic perspective on her role as a superhero in Jersey City. Here, he may ultimately be a significant spark in Kamala fully embracing her hero identity.

    Ms. Marvel #23 (2017)

    Kareem is also a romantic interest for Kamala in the comics, and subtle hints of that can be picked up in Episode 4. Kareem is an instrumental figure in advancing Kamala and Bruno’s romantic storyline—Kareem ends up living in Jersey City for some time, creating a love triangle—which is certainly a dynamic Ms. Marvel seems like it could lean into. 

    Ms. Marvel #23 (2017)
    Ms. Marvel #29 (2018)
    Ms. Marvel #29 (2018)

    What They Changed

    The most obvious difference between the live-action and the comics is that Ms. Marvel introduced the Red Daggers as a society with advanced technology working to protect people from things that cannot be seen. In Ms. Marvel comics, Red Dagger is simply Kareem, who is a solo vigilante-type hero. The dramatic expansion of Red Dagger in the live-action likely speaks to the need to aid and support Kamala’s mysterious and complex background/origin mystery. Introducing the Red Daggers certainly seems to have added to and advanced that aspect of the story, while still paying homage to the source material.

    Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 4
    Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 4

    As to other differences, in Ms. Marvel, Kamala meets Kareem/Red Dagger extremely early on in her hero journey. She does not even have the Ms. Marvel mantle yet or donned a full costume. In the comics, she meets him as a well-established hero and Avenger struggling to come to terms with her self-identity and confidence as a hero.

    In her meetings with Red Dagger, she learns humility when she botches a hero job in Karachi because she did not understand the workings of the area. In Jersey City, she struggled with feeling replaceable as Red Dagger immediately got the media’s attention after they stopped a runaway train. 

    Ms. Marvel #12 (2016)
    Ms. Marvel #24 (2017)

    The character’s story will continue throughout the rest of Ms. Marvel at least, but there is every reason to believe Red Dagger can serve as a sort of reflection point for Kamala like he does in the comics, but with more emphasis on her beginnings and growth into a superhero in the first place. 

    Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 4

    The first four episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney+.

  • Russo Brothers Praise Marvel Studios President of Putting the X-Men “Aside for a While”

    Russo Brothers Praise Marvel Studios President of Putting the X-Men “Aside for a While”

    Many have been wondering where exactly the X-Men are. There have been hints that they could get added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as many looked to projects like WandaVision or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to set up their existence.

    Yet, Marvel has been playing coy and not rushing out their introduction. It’s also something that the Russo Brothers highly praised that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has been focusing on introducing other characters instead.

    That was one of my favorite comics growing up, Wolverine. One of my prized possessions is ‘Incredible Hulk 181,’ which was the first appearance of Wolverine. It’s an important part of my comic book collection. Wolverine being so essential to the X-Men, of course, that would be a fun project to work on and find a new way into it. But I do think that’s probably something that Kevin has rightfully put aside for a while to introduce some new characters to the world and bring that back when it’s ready.

    Russo Brothers

    It makes sense as the X-Men are an already well-established franchise due to 20th Century Fox’s time with them. While many were hit or miss, it still produced some iconic Marvel entries. So, it’s also a challenge to reintroduce these characters without ignoring their legacy.

    Russo Brothers have proven they have a way of handling massive casts of characters, which is why they have been considered as the right choice for a revival. Yet, many would also like to see their return to the Avengers franchise. Perhaps the upcoming events might clue us in on Marvel Studios’ future plans.

    Source: Twitter via FandomWire

  • RUMOR: Finn Jones Unlikely to Return as the MCU’s Iron Fist

    RUMOR: Finn Jones Unlikely to Return as the MCU’s Iron Fist

    There have been many theories on the canonical connection between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Netflix’s The Defenders series. The return of Charlie Cox in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Vincent D’Onofrio in Hawkeye opened the floodgates for more returning faces. Sadly, it seems one is very unlikely to return.

    According to DisInsider’s Derek Cornell, Marvel Studios isn’t bringing back Finn Jones, who played Danny Rand in the Netflix series that premiered on the streamer back in 2017 to critical backlash.

    The series was riddled with controversy due to the casting of the original comics’ “white savior” trope. The series still managed to draw in a better received second season but was swiftly canceled when Netflix noticed the competition of Disney entering the streaming market.

    Jones was a fun addition, especially in his dynamic with Mike Colter’s Luke Cage. While the series lacked in the martial arts department, there were still some people that wondered if he’ll also return. There’s no word if they might recast the role entirely or focus on a different person holding the mantle. For now, we’ll have to see if the character has a future win the MCU at all.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Producer Hopes to Further Explore the Order of the Red Daggers in the Future

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Producer Hopes to Further Explore the Order of the Red Daggers in the Future

    In the latest episode of Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan makes her travel home to not only face the visions she’s had of the Partition but also look beyond her home to see how the rest of the world faces its own heroes. In the case of Pakistan, they have the Order of the Red Daggers, which help our young heroine to understand the dangers she is facing.

    In an interview with EW, Sana Amanat shared some thoughts on the idea of the Red Daggers, highlighting Sabir Pirzada’s excitement of bringing them to life and how exploring Pakistan “feels like a season 2 thing and we did it in one season.” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and the writing team were quite excited to tackle their story. Of course, the same goes for Amanat.

    I’m a huge fan of the Red Daggers. I love making them an order. The only thing is, if you asked me what I wish that we had more time for, it would be delving into the backstory of The Order of the Red Daggers, because there’s a lot more that we were percolating on that we just didn’t have time to shoot, frankly. But I love their team-up. I know everyone’s talking about there being a romantic interest, but there isn’t right now. Okay? Everyone’s like, “really, three boys?” But we intentionally pulled back on that.

    Sana Amanat

    She also highlights how they approached their introduction to offer some more insight into Kamala embracing her roots, as well as what it means to be part of something much greater.

    The larger intention was showcasing that Kamala has been idolizing these heroes in the Western world that look nothing like her. Then she goes back to her roots and she meets these individuals who’ve just worked really hard to be good at what they are. There’s a line that Waleed [Farhan Akhtar] says, about how the red scarf is for anyone who’s willing to put it on, it’s just a representation of what they’re trying to do. I think that’s what Waleed is trying to say: “First of all, it doesn’t really matter what you look like. It doesn’t really matter about code names or armor or what kinds of clothes that you’re wearing as long as you’re linked to something much greater.” That’s really what I think the whole point was bringing in Waleed and Kareem into this show.

    Sana Amanat

    Waleed and Kareem definitely added something special to the series, and it would be great to get a chance to explore their place in the world even more moving forward. Who knows if Kareem might even find his way to the West, as he becomes the fish out of water to join Kamala in a future adventure which may tie into the Red Daggers’ legacy.

    Source: EW

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Producer Teases How the Villains Tie into the Partition

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Producer Teases How the Villains Tie into the Partition

    If there’s one thing that the Marvel Studios series are good at it’s exploring strong themes. Moon Knight explored what it meant to explore what it means to be oneself while WandaVision focused on grief. Ms. Marvel takes a more historic look at one’s heritage and what it means to carry that torch. And it seems those themes were also considered throughout the series’ many elements.

    In an interview from Entertainment Weekly, Ms. Marvel’s co-creator and producer of the Disney+ series, Sana Amanat, offered some insight into how they wanted to tie the overall themes to its main antagonists, the Clandestine. As she highlights how it takes a unique exploration of identity throughout.

    I was like, “are people going to get that or no?” Ultimately, this is a story about identity. How do you understand your identity without understanding what home is and what home means to you? The Clandestines are an interesting foil in that regard, because you are talking about people being displaced, and then there are these people and here’s how they interpret their displacement. There’s a much larger metaphor there and I want to see what people think of it.

    Sana Amanat

    She also highlights that there may be more heading our way as we jump into the final two episodes that’ll fully explore the Partition, as well as what the future has in store for the Clandestine. Especially in how it parallels the modern-day with how Kamala Khan’s parents found their place in a new place.

    I’m really interested in the post wrap-up conversations about this entire show. Because it’s very layered, you’re talking about South Asian character, but you’re also talking about a Muslim character. So, I think we intentionally tried to tell a story of what it means when you lose your home and how you try to create a new one. I mean, it’s what Kamala’s parents did. They came to a new country, they created a home for themselves here. And yet, Kamala feels like she doesn’t understand what that means. So, there’s certainly a lot of parallels and very intentionally so.

    Sana Amanat

    It’s always great to see how they explore these themes and have many elements tie together to add just that little something extra. It’s unclear just how they’ll wrap it all together but if the series manages to pull in its finale, we may have one of Marvel Studios’ best.

    Source: EW

  • Ms. Marvel Co-Creator on How They Approached Kamala’s New Powers in the MCU

    Ms. Marvel Co-Creator on How They Approached Kamala’s New Powers in the MCU

    As Marvel Studios’ latest series Ms. Marvel continues its run on Disney+, critics and fans alike have held near-universal praise for how much Iman Vellani’s portrayal as Kamala Khan has felt like she was just ripped from the comic pages. While some still hold questions as to why her power-set was switched from polymorphing to being able to create cosmic light constructs and why they’ve seemingly removed any connections she’s had to the Inhumans, the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.

    In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sana Amanat, who co-created the character in the comics, discussed her role in helping shepherd the character from the comics to the screen and some rationale for changing some of the specifics of her backstory.

    I came on for this project, specifically to shepherd it into production, and work with the writer’s room that [head writer] Bisha [K. Ali] and her team put together. They were trying to steep the story in a different kind of mythos that was one linked to larger MCU stories, but also linked a little bit to the lore of Islamic and Asian mythology. My first thought when I came in was, “well, people are going to be really mad we changed these powers.”

    Sana Amanat

    She goes on to highlight how they wanted to use the show to explore an aspect that didn’t get as much focus in the comics.

    I was very aware of what we were walking into. But supervising producer Jenna Berger understood that the show needed to have a balance of what made the comic so special and unique, while at the same time evolving it and making it a true adaptation. That was Kevin’s first challenge to me. He was like, “can you adapt this? You’re so close to the comic, do you think you can adapt this?” I think I took up to that challenge of saying, “Okay, well, the thing that captivates me the most was this story about Kamala and her lineage and her past.” There were only a few issues that were done about it in the comics. I told Bisha, “no matter what we do, the story of the show is this lineage,” which we didn’t really delve into in the comics. Yet, there’s a lot of things that they did pull from the comics that, so the essence of the comics are in the show. I think that’s really how we found that balance.

    Sana Amanet

    At least from the first four episodes of the series, there is no denying that the concept of lineage is ever-present by focusing heavily on Kamala’s distant relatives and the bracelet that connects to both her powers and her heritage. And this has generally been well received by the show’s audience, even with its deviation from the original source material.

    It certainly can be argued that tying the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Kamala Khan towards Islamic mythology is more emotionally resonant than connecting her with the Inhumans, a concept that hasn’t been established within the universe beyond the critically panned television series (that very likely will be decanonized, if it hasn’t been already). The debate about whether or not it was worth making these changes to Kamala Khan’s powers will continue (and will likely continue for the foreseeable future), but if nothing else, Sana Amanat and the team behind the Ms. Marvel series certainly have their reasoning for it.

    Source: EW

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Co-Creator “Nervous” Ahead of Episode 5

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Co-Creator “Nervous” Ahead of Episode 5

    Ms. Marvel has been quite the enjoyable ride thus far on Disney+, earning acclaim from both critics and the character’s fans across the board. However, one of the major creatives behind the show is a little worried the series’ fifth episode will put that reputation in jeopardy. Sana Amanat co-created the character of Kamala Khan for Marvel Comics back in 2014, and is now a writer and producer for the live-action adaptation. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Amanat revealed next week’s entry to Ms. Marvel’s growing legacy might be the riskiest one yet:

    The next episode is going to be an interesting one. Full disclosure, it’s the episode I’m most nervous about. I think it’s really great, but we took some risks with that episode. So, I’m curious to know how people are going to respond to it.

    Sana Amanat

    Last we saw our intrepid heroine, she had somehow been transported back in time to a train station in Karachi. It’s still unclear whether Kamala is actually existing in the year 1947, or if the whole ordeal will simply be a wildly realistic vision. Either way, it’s implied Ms. Marvel‘s fifth episode might concern the lively protagonist learning firsthand what happened on a tragic night during Partition. Telling stories set around real historical events can be nerve-wracking, considering the genuine emotional weight that comes with diving into reality’s darkest corners. It makes sense that Amanat might be stressed about how people receive the storytelling, but with how the series has gone so far, it’s way more likely that fans will be happy with what they see.

    Ms. Marvel‘s first four episodes are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: EW

  • Taron Egerton in Talks with Marvel Studios, Interested in Playing MCU’s Wolverine

    Taron Egerton in Talks with Marvel Studios, Interested in Playing MCU’s Wolverine

    Kingsman: The Secret Service and Rocketman‘s Taron Egerton has actively talked about his hope of joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe one day. Amid fans casting him as the MCU’s new Wolverine, Egerton expressed excitement in taking up the reigns from Hugh Jackman. Luckily, The New York Times had the chance to sit down with the actor during his press tour for the Apple TV+ series Black Bird, where he revealed that he has indeed met with Marvel Studio executives, including Kevin Feige himself. Egerton also explicitly mentions Jackman, adding to the rumors that the talks might’ve been for the role of Wolverine.

    I don’t think it would be wrong to say that. I’d be excited but I’d be apprehensive as well, because Hugh is so associated with the role that I’d wonder if it’d be very difficult for someone else to do it. But hopefully if it does come around, they’ll give me a shot.”

    Egerton has been a popular pick to take on the role of Wolverine, but it’s not 100% confirmed if these talks were for the role, or a different character in the MCU. However, with a film career as eclectic as his, Egerton has proven that he has the range to succeed Jackman as Wolverine. Not to mention that Egerton stands at a not-all-that-tall 5 feet 9 inches; a perfectly acceptable height for an actor playing Wolverine. Here’s hoping the conversations between Egerton and Marvel Studios come to fruition sooner rather than later.

    Source: New York Times

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Offers Insight on Episode 4’s Surprise Ending

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Offers Insight on Episode 4’s Surprise Ending

    Ms. Marvel ended episode 4 on quite a cliffhanger. After being attacked by the Clandestine, Kamala Khan finds herself in another time. Not just at any time, but during the Partition when her great-grandmother was separated from her family like many others. It left us with many questions, such as if this was just another vision or if Kamala actually traveling through time. Well, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy offered some insight into how they brought the sequence to life and talk about that twist ending.

    You know, telling the story of The Partition comes with great responsibility. And I, in Episode 4 at the end, when she walks on the platform, I took hundreds of photographs from 1947. And I worked with the crew and the cast to recreate frames from real photographs. So when she walks onto that train, walks onto the platform, the conversation she’s hearing and the way people are being carried and the props, everything comes out of a real photograph.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    It definitely sounds like they put a lot of work into bringing this sequence faithfully to life, which makes sense given its historical importance for the generations that lived through it. Obaid-Chinoy also gave some insight into what Kamala’s role is in this sequence.

    So that Kamala Khan is bearing witness to history. She’s not a superhero at that moment. She’s literally catching these frenetic conversations. And I think that when you make it personal when you make it about people leaving their homes, then anyone watching anywhere in the world would find a connection to it.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    There’s definitely something interesting about the fact that she’s not only hearing the stories but also witnessing their events. Once again, the Disney+ Marvel series is promising an emotional rollercoaster of a fifth episode though it’ll be interesting how it leads into the final episode and what the future has in store for the Clandestine. Ms. Marvel is shaping to be one of Marvel Studios’ strongest showings and it’ll be exciting to see how they wrap up the project.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Offers Some Details on Disney+ Series Reshoots

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Offers Some Details on Disney+ Series Reshoots

    Ms. Marvel was a surprising project, as it was seemingly going to release last year. It was hinted at arriving before Hawkeye and we even got a first glimpse at the project during Disney’s Investors Day. Suddenly, the project was postponed and there were hints at quite a few reshoots were ordered for the project. The Direct got a chance to sit down with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who offered a little insight into why they needed the reshoots.

    At first, she seemingly hints that only “a few pickups” were necessary, especially when it came to tying together the story for the season. Ms. Marvel feels the most “episodic” of all of Marvel Studios’ six-hour drama series and it definitely has one of its most interesting over-arching arcs on her heritage and how it connects with her newly gained powers.

    I think that we went back and did some pickup shoots in which we were tying the story in together, and making sure that there was a sort of cohesive storyline that ran through. And I think that each, you know, sort of, with each one of the episodes, when you sort of complete the series, you go back and you just think about all of the other things that you could have brought in and done that. So we did a few pickups here and that

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    She also highlights that a big part that influenced its developments was the fact that they had quite a few crowd shots planned, which were affected by the pandemic. As such, they couldn’t shoot on locations, especially as they had to travel from country to country, which took up a bit more time.

    I think it was the pandemic. To be honest, I think that the pandemic was so cyclical, that every time we thought it was coming to an end, it would re-emerge its sort of ugly head. And I think that there are some very big scenes in Ms. Marvel and that require, you know, hundreds and hundreds of extras and that are shot on location, and they’re outdoors. And, you know, there is international travel and, and I think that putting a six-part series that is shot in multiple countries with diverse crews and multiple characters in a pandemic requires time.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    The Direct theorizes on why exactly this project was delayed as far back as it was, but we’ve seen the restrictions international travel had on Falcon and The Winter Soldier earlier on that may have acted as a lesson for them while tackling a series that is directly tied to its cultural heritage. So, they may have decided to prioritize the reshoots rather than rush it out. Something we may see with many more projects moving forward.

    Source: The Direct