Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel TV

  • Iman Vellani Shares What it Was Like Auditioning for ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Iman Vellani Shares What it Was Like Auditioning for ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Iman Vellani is quite a comic book fan, and had a soft spot for the character of Ms. Marvel after her love for the Invincible Iron Man comic led to her noticing the Pakistani-American superhero. Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel #19 was her introduction into the world of this character and now is at a point in her life where she is bringing her to life on Disney+. As we’re only a few more days away from its release, the young actress got a chance to talk bout what it was like auditioning for the role.

    I knew exactly which comic books they pulled the scenes from [for the audition sides]. My 10-year-old self is going to hate me if I don’t do it.

    Iman Vellani

    She went on to talk about the moment she and her father ended up at the offices of Marvel Studios. There she stood in front of people she admired and was “nerding” out while trying to grab the role of a lifetime.

    I was fully nerding out in front of [co-president] Louis D’Esposito and [casting head] Sarah Finn. I wanted to take full advantage of being there because I didn’t know if it was going to happen again.

    Iman Vellani

    Vellani also shared that she froze on set when Kevin Feige came to visit, as he’s among the people she looks up to. So, it definitely sounds like getting the role and meeting her idols has been quite the cathartic moment. In a way, she represents everyone out there hoping for a chance to become part of the world of Marvel Studios, and maybe there’s a chance no matter how impossible it seems.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Disney’s For Your Consideration Page Updates ‘Hawkeye’ from Limited to Comedy Series

    Disney’s For Your Consideration Page Updates ‘Hawkeye’ from Limited to Comedy Series

    Here’s a curious surprise, it looks like the For Your Consideration page has updated Hawkeye‘s nominations from a “limited series or anthology series” similar to Moon Knight to a “comedy series.” Commonly these award nominations are a good sign of what direction they are taking these projects such as WandaVision being nominated as a limited series back in the day as well.

    So far, the only one that has gotten a second season renewal was Loki, but it surprised many that it was the only one to do so with its post-credit sequence. The change for Hawkeye could add some weight to it potentially getting a second season later down the line.

    Now, keep in mind this isn’t a definite confirmation that multiple seasons are being worked on, as it could simply be that they are keeping the option open. Though the timing with Disney+ Day now announced for September ahead of D23 could add to the speculation of this potentially being set up for that announcement. If they decided to continue a series after the next award season, it could still nab that limited series award before being renewed.

    Of course, we don’t know what exactly Marvel Studios’ strategy has been with these Disney+ series and we have no insight into how well they perform to warrant future entries. As of now, it’s just speculation but it looks like we’ll find out more by the time September rolls around. But we’ll be keeping an eye out for what else might change.

    Source: Disney Studio Awards

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Glow’ Actress Shakira Barrera and ‘Ironheart’

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Glow’ Actress Shakira Barrera and ‘Ironheart’

    As the calendar rolls over into Summer, production on another round of Marvel Studios projects will shortly be underway. Among those projects is the Disney Plus streaming series Ironheart, which was first announced by Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, during 2020’s Disney Investor Day presentation. Dominique Thorne will lead the project as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who will make her MCU debut this November in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

    Aside from Thorne, however, little news about the cast of Ironheart has made its way outside of Marvel Studios despite production set to kick off in June. In the Heights star Anthony Ramos has joined the series in an unannounced role, as have Harper Anthony and Lyric Ross. Rumors have circulated that Ramos might by portraying the villain of the project, Parker Robbins, better known in the comics as the Hood, and it’s known that Marvel Studios was looking to cast the son or daughter of Jeff Bridges‘ Obidiah Stane, the villain of 2008’s Iron Man. But as is almost always the case, Marvel Studios has stayed mum on any official announcements about the cast.

    And while fans debate if Ramos is the Hood and wonder who will be cast as “Ezekiel Stane” (while Obidiah had a son in the comics, the studio is open to casting a woman in the comedic role), there is certainty around the creatives behind the project. Marvel Studios brought in Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes to helm the project as co-directors, with Chinaka Hodge, Sev Ohanian, Zoie Nagelhout and Zinzi Coogler working as the team of executive producers. As it turns out, one actress who recently revealed she is prepping for a secret role happens to follow nearly the entire creative team on Instagram.

    GLOW and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Shakira Barrera has recently connected with Bailey, Barnes, Hodge, Nagelhout and Ohanian (we were unable to find Zinzi Coogler on IG) and, just 6 days ago, posted the video seen below to her IG story.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cd67M2NpVX5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

    In the video, she thanks her fitness coach for helping her prepare for an “amazing role” that the actress can’t share, but promises will be “worth it.” Given the mounting evidence, it’s reasonable to suggest that Barrera could have joined Ironheart in yet another unannounced role. And while it might not be announced, the comics might provide a reasonable suggestion as to whom she might be playing, should we begin by entertaining that Ramos is playing Parker Robbins.

    Part of what makes Robbins such a fascinating and despicable villain in the comics is that his descent into villainy and dark magic cost him his family: his wife, Sara, and their daughter, Breanne. Robbins was always a poor husband, cheating on Sara whenever he could, but when he began trifling with magic, Robbins began to see Dormammu in everyone, including his daughter. After finding Parker shaking their daughter, Sara left Parker behind.

    Should Ramos be playing Robbins, casting Sara alongside him would go a long way for making fans of the MCU develop the same dislike for this version as they have for the character from the comics. The logistics work out, with Barrera currently prepping for a secret role (and no roles are more secretive than Marvel’s) and she and Ramos are very close in age (he’s 30 and she’s 32).

    Should you take this one to the bank? Absolutely not. While it seems pretty safe to conclude that Barrera has been cast in Ironheart, who she’s playing can only be taken as purely speculative, given that it’s based on a connections to a character who is only rumored to appear in the series in the first place. So while her casting might be confirmed sooner rather than later, it might be a year or so before we find out who she’s portraying in the series. As always, we’ll check back in then.

  • Three Ways ‘Ms. Marvel’ Will Tie Into ‘The Marvels’

    Three Ways ‘Ms. Marvel’ Will Tie Into ‘The Marvels’

    Now that Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness has released on the big screen, and Moon Knight has concluded its 6-episode run on Disney+, eyes have naturally pivoted to the next double entry in the MCU: Thor: Love & Thunder and the introduction of Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel. Ms. Marvel is about three weeks away from dropping, and as we have seen, the Disney+ shows are FIRMLY connected to the wider MCU (even Moon Knight had a reference to the GRC that debuted in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier). Ms. Marvel will be no different, forging ties to the 2023 theatrical release, The Marvels.

    The 1-2 punch of Ms. Marvel/The Marvels seems in line with WandaVision/Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. As such, the speculation train is rampant as to how this story about a young hero from New Jersey can connect to the sequel for one of Marvel’s highest grossing films ever. We can start to answer that by going back to the source: the comics.

    Based on the trailer, Kamala Khan’s power source seems incredibly reminiscent of the Quantum Bands. The Quantum Bands, gifted in the comics to Mar-Vell as he became Protector of the Universe, may offer us our first connection to Carol Danvers.

    In the MCU, the Bands are likely Kree tech with a connection to the Quantum Realm. The Kree came to Earth-616 to bring Carol Danvers back to Hala, and it is entirely possible that they left some tech that Kamala Khan stumbles upon. The last time we saw Carol, in the post-credit scene for Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, where she was quickly distracted and had to run off. It’s incredibly likely that will coincide with the timeline of The Marvels.


    The Disney Plus streaming series Hawkeye may also provide a template for a connection to form between Kamala and Carol. In that, we see a young Kate Bishop inspired by Hawkeye after watching him from her parents’ apartment as he fought off the Chitauri. In the comics, Kamala looks up to Carol in the same way, and you see hints of that transferring over from the page to the screen in the footage that Marvel has released. Kamala idolizes Carol, and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see a similar scene in Ms. Marvel that allows for Kamala to develop a deep respect for Carol. Keep in mind that, at this point in the MCU, Carol’s adventures have taken place off-world, so Marvel is going to have to show why Kamala feels this deep connection to Carol.

    Lastly, we can’t talk about how Ms. Marvel will connect to The Marvels without discussing the third “Marvel”: Monica Rambeau. Imbued with powers from thrice crossing “The Hex”, it is possible that Monica Rambeau will be the one to remind Kamala that Carol is not the hero that she thinks she is. Monica blipped when her mother was alive, returning only to have her mother pass and Carol, her mother’s best friend, nowhere to be found. In Wandavision, we see a Monica that is very clearly not too fond of Carol, and now she’s going to be with a person in Kamala who adores the person she cannot stand.

    Given that Carol didn’t Blip, and thus won’t understand why Monica is so pissed, it’s even likely that Kamala is who tells Carol that Monica has a reason to not be happy with her. Given Carol’s stubborn nature, this will most likely be needed. At the end of WandaVision, we also see that Monica is told by a friendly Skrull that someone wanted to see her, and that someone could be a Carol who has now recruited a kid into space (if Ms. Marvel ends with Kamala Khan being beamed up in order to be protected). Imagine her anger when seeing that Carol came to protect Kamala, but not her.

    With her power source potentially being Kree tech, the idolization of one of the heroes, and potential role as an intermediary between Carol and Monica, Ms. Marvel will most definitely be required watching for anyone preparing to watch The Marvels.



  • REPORT: Runtime for ‘Ms. Marvel’s First 2 Episodes Revealed

    REPORT: Runtime for ‘Ms. Marvel’s First 2 Episodes Revealed

    As first reactions are hitting the web from Ms. Marvel, we also get some teases on what the first two episodes have to offer for those excited to check out Marvel Studios’ latest project. There’s always some excitement, or even uncertainty, about the runtime of these episodes as Marvel Studios has not truly broken beyond the one-hour mark with its drama series. It looks like the same can be said for the

    The first episode of Ms. Marvel will be 47 minutes long with the sequel running for two minutes longer. As per usual, it also includes the usual credits that are different depending on what region you are from, as they also include the local dub actors. So, keep that in mind if the runtime is slightly off in your local region.

    The runtime discussion has been an interesting one, as many have gotten the feeling that Marvel isn’t using more time to fully explore these stories. As we’re seeing these projects as quite new for Marvel Studios, who mainly focused on three cinematic productions per year. As they expand, they likely have to adjust to it and we’ll see how they learn moving forward.

    Ms. Marvel will explore the story of Kamala Khan. A young teenager who looks up to the heroes she grew up admiring, only to suddenly gain a special ability of her own. As the Pakistani-American tries to find out what she is truly capable of, Khan also has to balance her studies, avoiding high school’s usual trappings and the watchful eye of her family.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Echo’ Head Writer Shares Set Photo With First Look at New Logo

    ‘Echo’ Head Writer Shares Set Photo With First Look at New Logo

    It’s not uncommon that Marvel Studios’ projects go through a variety of logos while they go into development. Initial announcements tend to use a logo strongly inspired by the character’s comic runs before starting to evolve into its own unique design. While we knew long before Hawkeye entered production that the character of Echo (Alaqua Cox) would get her own Disney+ series.

    It wasn’t until Disney+ Day that we got our first look at its logo, which took a very simple design approach that isn’t new with any of the Marvel films. Yet, it looks like production has recently updated that they’ve updated the logo once again, as shared by the series head writer, Marion Dayre, on Twitter. While we don’t see anything from the actual production, we do get the series’ production name Solidarity alongside the new Echo logo.

    The design seems a bit more steeped in what the series represents, and we may hopefully also get that in the eventual updated design for the logo, which has become part of their usual development cycle. The logo showcased above is very likely not going to be used outside of the production.

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania had a unique logo design that was hard to decipher at first but was only meant for the production team. So, this design is very likely also following that very rule. Still, it’s always great to get an update, no matter how small it is and there’s a lot of promise to explore a smaller scale story with this series.

    Source: Twitter

  • Ranking Marvel TV: The Best and Worst Shows In MCU Canon Limbo

    Ranking Marvel TV: The Best and Worst Shows In MCU Canon Limbo

    Long before Marvel Studios started creating series set in the MCU for Disney+, there was Marvel Television. Marvel Television is now under the Marvel Studios banner, and the effects of that have been pretty clear. The Disney+ series, such as WandaVision and Loki, have been wholeheartedly welcomed into the greater MCU family. It only emphasizes how the previous Marvel TV’s connection to the universe is definitely unclear.

    Marvel Studios had consistently steered clear of establishing television series outside of Disney+ originals as canon, the recent news that a “new” but “continued” Daredevil series is in the works at the streaming service. The often bitter debate about which or whether Marvel TV shows are canon is likely only about to get more heated. The easy answer is to enjoy the shows you like (if you like any), consider them headcanon if you want (or ignore them completely), and move on with your life until Marvel Studios ever wants to make it more clear.

    But since many will still wake up every day and choose violence on Twitter instead, here are the Marvel TV shows ranked from best to worst. Marvel Studios can make any of these canon at any time (yes, I can hear those of you already yelling that some are), but will they? This list does not include the few shows originally made as part of the old Fox X-Men universe, nor the animated M.O.D.O.K. or Hit Monkey series.

    1. Daredevil

    Marvel’s ‘Daredevil’ (2015)

    It is no surprise that Netflix’s Daredevil tops this list. The #SaveDaredevil crowd is celebrating the announcement of a Disney+ series for Matt Murdock. It certainly seems like canon territory for the original series, but it really is yet to be seen how the upcoming show might actually adapt the previous one so as to be formally part of the MCU.

    But the fact that Daredevil is the first “revival” of old Marvel TV on Disney+ is a testament to the quality of the series. While never entirely consistent across its three seasons, the show features exciting action, violence that generally surpasses that in the MCU, solid performances by Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, and a gritty emotional layer that films struggle to achieve.

    2. Jessica Jones

    Jessica Jones was made with the type of quality that Daredevil brought to the table. Krysten Ritter’s Jones was one of the first leading women in Marvel TV (Agent Carter premiered months before) and would have been one of the first in the MCU as well by years. She was not forced, and her struggles and traumas related to David Tennant’s chilling antagonist hit a tone that many were afraid to explore—especially at the time. The series also had plenty of upbeat notes with Jones’ personality, and the street-level detective work was a fresh addition to the Netflix Defendersverse.

    3. Luke Cage

    Luke Cage may not go down in history for nailing all of its storytelling elements, but the action-packed and star-studded show is a solid watch. But the series truly excels at putting the spotlight on Black experience and culture through both its subject matter and in the way the show was made, especially with music. One thing that Marvel TV was able to accomplish before the greater MCU was pushing boundaries of representation and actually developing a character within that perspective.

    4. Agent Carter

    Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’

    Yes, Agent Carter was canceled after two seasons on ABC due to low viewership. And the show was not particularly phenomenal. But where it did succeed is that it made sense as a piece of the MCU puzzle. It has been by creators more recently that the show was made specifically to be canon to the MCU, while others like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may not have necessarily had that same attention. But the series kept Captain America: The First Avenger’s 1940s story going. It was fine. It had its charm and it stayed consistent. It never tried to do too much, which is a major problem with some other series on this list.

    5. Runaways

    As noted above, Runaways definitely felt like it was trying to do too much at times. The Hulu show came at a time when MCU fans started to get a bit tired of keeping up with shows that were beginning to feel less and less relevant to the film universe. But Runaways also felt like it was exploring a corner of the comics that Marvel TV and the MCU had not touched, and the focus on younger heroes certainly gave it a fresh perspective. Like other shows on this list, it pushed representation boundaries—particularly with LGBTQ+. The whole series might not be the most enjoyable experience, but the first season or so isn’t too bad.

    6. Defenders

    Something about the story and writing in Defenders really felt like a flop, but plenty enjoy Marvel TV’s first crossover event. It definitely came across as the Avengers of television, but it was nowhere near as cool. In any event, now that Daredevil is eyeing Disney+, that just begs the inevitable question of whether the Defendersverse as a whole is headed there with it.

    7. The Punisher

    I’m sure many would argue that The Punisher should be higher on the list. Marvel TV got arguably its darkest and most violent here, and it brought a very popular character to the screen. Plenty were not fully satisfied with the portrayal of Frank Castle, but some really appreciated the character development the show afforded him. But the show overall felt like a drudge through a relatively one-note anger fest with lots of guns. While maybe the point of the show, it could still be much better.

    8. Cloak & Dagger

    Cloak & Dagger has some meaningful moments filled with heart amongst a pretty forgettable series overall. Where it shined, it did well, but at the end of the day, it felt like another victim of ABC mediocrity, albeit on Freeform.

    9. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

    Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’

    I will start by saying that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a dedicated fanbase that loves the show. I am very happy for them, enjoying stuff is fun. But listen, as someone who has watched the show due to the fact that it was the first Marvel TV show that half-promised it was in the MCU, it is so bad.

    Of course, some moments across the bloated 7 seasons are naturally better than others. But watching this show was work. It fell prey to the ABC network television level of “meh” before the writing and story made it so nonsensical and ridiculous to the point where it is extremely difficult to understand how someone would like it. Considering where the series took itself, the likelihood of the show itself being canon to the MCU is so incredibly low. But if it is, I like the MCU less.

    But there is no strong reason to think that none of the AoS characters or actors will make actual MCU debuts. The fanbase is odd but strong, so the MCU would naturally get some boost of morale if someone like Chloe Bennet’s Quake got a firm reboot somewhere.

    10. Iron Fist

    Iron Fist basically failed before it even tried to fail. But at no point did the series feel like it was trying to succeed. Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing managed to feel like a positive at the end of the day, but overall this show is known as one of the worst across the board. Still, it exists within Netflix’s Defendersverse, so it has some staying power.

    11. Inhumans

    Marvel’s ‘Inhumans’

    Inhumans is Marvel’s most infamous failure. From premiering the first bad episodes in IMAX theaters to releasing the rest of the horrible episodes on television was just absolutely unredeemable. But Anson Mount’s Black Bolt made a multiversal cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so the series is getting some renewed attention it does not need.

    12. Helstrom

    Honestly, does anyone know about this show? Apparently, the Hulu show suffered from a severe lack of marketing as well as not being good. It definitely debuted in that awkward space of late 2020 when Marvel Studios was gearing up to premiere its Disney+ slate. Marvel Studios took over Marvel Television while Helstrom was filming, meaning it was the last cry of Marvel TV that was too late to stop.

    Only time will tell how Marvel Studios intends to use (or not) these shows, and Daredevil‘s “continued” series will be quite the eye opener as to how these properties could be formally integrated into the MCU.

  • RUMOR: ‘Ironheart’ May Have Already Started Filming in Chicago

    RUMOR: ‘Ironheart’ May Have Already Started Filming in Chicago

    While all eyes have been on the recent Disney+ production of Marvel Studios, Echo, to start production, it seems that the upcoming Ironheart series has also already gotten things rolling. It must be noted, that this is seemingly not the actual production start but rather B roll and plate shots. Second units tend to prepare production and film elements ahead of the actual production, which is what is being referenced by @filming_chicago, but it does further add that Ironheart will start production in June.

    Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, will make her MCU debut in the upcoming Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever. It’s unclear how her story will lead into her own Disney+ spinoff series, but visiting one of the most advanced nations in the world will definitely leave an impact on anyone. We don’t know if she’ll even have her Ironheart armor when we first see her, or if it is something she develops throughout her Disney+ seres. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is also heavily involved with the series. So, we’ll see if she might have some familiar faces from her travels to Wakanda drop by in the Disney+ series as well.

    Either way, it’s great to get an update that they may have already started work for the production. It’s unclear if Chicago will also get used as a backdrop as she was a student of MIT. So, we’ll see how they potentially tie it together or simply use it as a backdrop for another location, which isn’t uncommon for most movies nowadays.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Damage Control Actor Will Appear in ‘Ms. Marvel’

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Damage Control Actor Will Appear in ‘Ms. Marvel’

    In an intricately intertwined universe like the MCU, small connections and crossovers are constantly building to larger things. The official fact sheet for Disney+’s Ms. Marvel has revealed one of these potential connections.

    Listed in the cast is actor Arian Moayed. MCU fans would recognize Moayed as Department of Damage Control Agent P. Clearly, who interrogates Peter Parker early on in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Moayed had only a minor role, the fact that he will make his way to Jersey City in Ms. Marvel could suggest a growing presence of Damage Control in the MCU.

    The Department of Damage control first made its MCU appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming as a joint venture between Stark Industries and the federal government in response to the damage left behind after Avengers battles.

    While Moayed’s character is not officially confirmed to be Agent Cleary, it only makes sense that the character could act as sort of a figure head for the slowly-growing presence of Damage Control, similarly to how Clark Greg’s Phil Coulson teased S.H.I.E.L.D. across several films. The Department is even set to appear in August’s She-Hulk.

    The full scope of Damage Control’s presence in the MCU going forward is not yet known, but superheroes and the destruction they inevitably leave in their wake has certainly been on people’s minds following films like Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Far From Home. As Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel rises as a superhero, she may find herself in a climate much more hostile to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes than those who came before her had to deal with.

    Ms. Marvel premieres exclusively on Disney+ on June 8.

    Source: Disney

  • RUMOR: She-Hulk’s Earlier Model Was Supposedly “Bigger”

    RUMOR: She-Hulk’s Earlier Model Was Supposedly “Bigger”

    So, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding She-Hulk‘s VFX in the first trailer released for the Disney+ series. While there are still a few more months to go before it releases, future trailer releases will build more confidence by highlighting how far work has come with the VFX model. Still, VFX artist Sean Ruecroft has taken to Twitter to point out that the model was originally going to be “bigger” at one point in reference to a comment saying she isn’t “buff.”

    The Visual Effects artist has recently worked on Moon Knight as a visualization artist and was also involved with other Marvel productions that include Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Homecoming in the previs department. So, he may actively have worked with those that are in the team working on the character design. Though it should be noted that the design seemingly was something discussed earlier on.

    While it’s not uncommon that the team’s get involved with their vision of what the character should look like, the Sonic comparison is a rather curious one. Sonic the Hedgehog infamously featured a model that was nowhere close to what we’d see in the final product; it even recently made a reappearance as “Ugly Sonic” in the new Rescue Rangers film. Yet, in this case, it’s more about the character being slimmer rather than an actual bad design.

    Now, the question remains if the issue from the VFX artists is in regard to the character model not working if it’s slimmed down when an Uncanny Valley effect takes over, or if it truly was just them wanting the character to be bigger. If it’s the latter, then the reasoning for her slimmer design is mostly due to the comic inspiration for this storyline. One could argue this is nowhere close to what we’ve seen with Sonic, as this is not a bad model just something directly inspired by Dan Slot‘s run with the character from 2004 to 2005.

    The VFX teams are under a lot of pressure, as the market has suffered severely due to COVID, and many productions, such as some bits of Moon Knight, are still feeling its repercussions. Given that Disney+ is heading to an ad-supported model and the company wants to show off what big project shows they currently have in development, it may have also played a key part in the release of a trailer even with some unfinished VFX. The inclusion of Secret Invasions during the event seems to further hint at them having to tease the future of Disney+, but that is just speculation.

    Source: Twitter, IMDB