Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel TV

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Head Writer On Marc Spector’s Avenging Future

    ‘Moon Knight’ Head Writer On Marc Spector’s Avenging Future

    Moon Knight, Marvel Studios’ next installment, is headed to Disney+ in just under a month. With the series’ March 30th release date on the horizon, Marvel is ramping up its promotion for the lesser-known superhero. While Moon Knight is a name even Marvel fans may be unfamiliar with, it looks like caped vigilante could be set to stick around the MCU in a significant way.

    Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater told Total Film that he does not know Marvel Studios’ long-term plan for the character. When asked if Moon Knight was gearing up to enter the wider MCU, Slater stated:

    The honest answer is I don’t know…Because Kevin [Feige] is the guy who decides all that stuff. Look, if it was up to me, he would be part of the Avengers. It’s absolutely not up to me, but I think that is the goal!

    Jeremy Slater

    While it is no surprise that Moon Knight’s MCU future is a secret, it is telling that Slater believes that goal is for the character to break out of his solo outing into a larger team-up or crossover role in the future. Of course, Marvel Studios characters tend to end up as members of the Avengers or other teams. But Phase 4 is introducing new characters at a speed and quantity that is unprecedented even for Marvel Studios, so it is easy to wonder if some characters will be handled differently than fans have been used to.

    Before any potential Avengers team-up, Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight will star in his solo series, which promises to be a unique entry in the MCU. The first episode of the series will hit Disney+ on March 30.

    Source: Total Film via Games Radar

  • Taking One Last Look Back at Marvel’s Netflix Era

    Taking One Last Look Back at Marvel’s Netflix Era

    It was 2013, Marvel had just recently finished wrapping up their first phase of films with the release of Avengers in 2012. Agents of Shield, Marvel’s first TV program set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, had just premiered. After the success of the Avengers team-up, Marvel was obviously looking to capitalize on the momentum by setting up new teams, on the big screen and on TV. With that, Netflix and Marvel announced a smorgasbord of new shows set within the MCU, starting with Daredevil and culminating in a Defenders team-up, similar to the strategy that made Avengers as big as it did.

    Now, all of these years later, the Netflix era is over, with all shows in their wheelhouse being canceled. The shows are leaving Netflix to take their place in Disney’s streaming services, and the characters are being integrated into the MCU proper after debates about their status in the canon. I want to take this time to take a look back on this era of the MCU, to appreciate what it brought us, and to theorize about where we go from here.

    When Daredevil was announced, I was 16 – a teenager already obsessed with Marvel after liking the characters when I was younger – but fell in love with them through the MCU’s first introduction in Iron Man when I was 11. When news came of that these series are M-rated, with blood and gore and more adult themes, you can guess how excited I was. The possibility of Marvel always having something going on. Different themes from action adventures, comedies to even horror seemed promising, especially with the atmosphere promised from the initial reveals and fanfare. We know now that this dream wouldn’t come to fruition until Disney+, and even then, new genres are still only being played with. The hype and possibilities were high over my head in 2013, creating the vision of a perfect MCU.

    Daredevil delivered on its promises. When it was released in 2015, I was a senior in High School. At the time, I was overhyped for the new shows and the anticipation was killing me. Finally, the show launches, and I’m there watching day one. Oh boy, did the show start slow for someone that was hyped as I was. However, after the second episode, I was hooked. Easily becoming my favorite TV show at the time, Daredevil was exactly what I wanted. Following one of my favorite characters, witnessing awesome combat with all the blood a teenager could want, and all set within the MCU. What more could a person ask for? The rest of the shows didn’t matter to me since I didn’t know the characters, Daredevil was what mattered to me, and not only did it deliver, it almost immediately was ordered for a second season. So, I was content.

    I was content until Jessica Jones released in late 2015 and showed me that Daredevil was just the tip of the iceberg. Without any knowledge of Jessica or her villain, it didn’t immediately click with the show as I did with Daredevil. I was, of course, going to give it a try. From the first episode, Jessica’s attitude and sarcasm gripped me. Being a bit of a sarcastic person myself – emphasis on a bit – and growing up with more of the same, I love characters that speak their mind. Not only did her character grip me, but the ominous Purple Man has stood firm in my top 10 villains of all time. The abilities of the character on top of the stellar performance by David Tennant is definitely a force to be reckoned with. However, aside from the two lead characters, Jessica Jones also introduced me to the incredible Luke Cage, and apparently, I wasn’t the only fan impressed with the character. Originally slated to be the last show to premiere before The Defenders, Marvel wanted to ride on the momentum of the new fan-favorite character being introduced in Jessica Jones and fast tracked production.

    Arriving in 2016, Luke Cage followed up the storyline established in Jessica Jones. At this point, I was addicted with Netflix’s Marvel properties during my time in college. After two absolutely steller seasons of Daredevil and the arrival of the Punisher into the fold, as well as a tremendously good season of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage had a lot to deliver. Arriving with positive reception, I look back at that time and remember the fans not welcoming the show with open arms like with the two previous entries. Likely due to Cage’s decline in the second half of the season, the show was great, I even skipped a lab class to binge it in my college library, but it was the first minor dip from Marvel and Netflix. The show also introduced Iron Fist, which fully lead to the decline.

    Iron Fist was constantly criticized and for good reason. The fighting choreography is lackluster at best, the writing was sloppy, and the entirety of the first season is a definite stain on Marvel’s pretty great track record. At this point only having negative reviews for Thor: The Dark World and The Incredible Hulk on the movie side of things and the lukewarm reception to Agents of Shield, Iron Fist definitely marked a critical point for Marvel TV. Lead by Scott Buck, the show ended with fans severely disappointed. I remember going into the show incredibly hyped after everything so far. Reviews started to hit the day before, but most of them were only for the first few episodes. So, I thought maybe it gets better. Even with some good characters, the show just did not deliver. Leading into The Defenders, this was definitely a bad look and a momentum killer going into the long promised team-up.

    The Defenders launched on my birthday in 2017. Even after Iron Fist, I remember being cautiously optimistic. Even if that show wasn’t great, this one was no longer in Scott Buck‘shands and has had time to develop. Alas, the show launched to mostly positive reactions, but suffered from pacing issues, a pretty lackluster story, and a crutch of once again using the Hand as villains. The show definitely could have delivered on those initial great seasons of TV that lead us there. It was said to be the least viewed show of the Netflix-Marvel shows, with a considerable drop in viewership. To me, this marked the downfall of the Netflix-Marvel era, even if we still got some great projects after.

    Following The Defenders, Marvel and Netflix attempted to capitalize on the success of the previous shows, without the major team-up this time. Daredevil got an incredible third season, largely considered to be one of the best seasons of Marvel TV to this day. Jessica Jones received two more seasons after an agonizingly long wait. Luke Cage and Iron Fist got another season each. Daredevil even received a spinoff in the form of two seasons of the gruesome series The Punisher. Even a few more spinoffs like Heroes for Hire were rumored. The Netflix shows looked to be getting back on track, and then in October 2018, the cancellations began.

    Shortly after its second season, which started to deliver a more quality experience compared to the first Iron Fist was cancelled by Netflix. Considering it was the worst reviewed show in the bunch, and rumors were flying of a possible Heroes for Hire spinoff, doom and gloom didn’t quite set in yet. Then, just a week later, Luke Cage was the second causality. Once again thanks to the Heroes for Hire rumors, fans felt like this could just be in anticipation of that show, I mean, both of those characters are in the team in the comics.

    Then came December 2018: Daredevil, the flagship show in Netflix’s Marvel arsenal, was cancelled despite a critically acclaimed and adored third season. At this point, we all knew the Netflix era was over. The Punisher and Jessica Jones both ended their final seasons and were also added to the cancellations. By February 2019, all of the Netflix Marvel shows were cancelled, finishing the era for good.

    Up until recently, you could watch the back catalog of these shows on their original home over at Netflix, but as the deal ends, Disney is regaining those rights. They are expected to remove the shows in March 2022 and move the shows to their international streaming services like Disney+, Star+, and Hulu. A definitive home is not yet known.

    While the Netflix Marvel era might be done, the characters they shaped and the stories they have built are not forgotten. From Matt Murdock appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home to Wilson Fisk’s return in Hawkeye, it is clear that the story of these beloved characters may be just starting. The history will always be there for generations of new True Believers to adore, but their return may be some of my most anticipated moments in the MCU even with things like Secret Invasion coming up. I literally grew up with these characters as you can tell from my writing above, and I cannot wait for a new generation of Marvel fans, even if just a few years later, to discover these stories for themselves.

  • New ‘Secret Invasion’ Set Photo Reveals An Avenging Presence in the Streaming Series

    New ‘Secret Invasion’ Set Photo Reveals An Avenging Presence in the Streaming Series

    The Marvel Studios streaming series Secret Invasion continues production overseas ahead of what’s becoming an increasingly likely 2023 debut on Disney Plus and, to date, details about the series have remained…a secret.

    Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn are heading up the series and are joined by Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Kingsley Ben-Adir. Set photos and videos haven’t revealed much in the way of the series’ plot or who is playing whom, but a new set photo does reveal that at least one Avenger will be making an appearance in the streamer.

    It looks as though Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes will be making an appearance in Secret Invasion. As revealed in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Rhodes is still an active member of the Air Force as of 2024. The set photo, which comes from IG user The_Insta_Phils, shows Rhodes on an in-universe newspaper with, presumably, American President Ritson. The newspaper also hints at some political tensions that’ll come into play in the series, as President Ritson is headed to the UK for “an emergency summit amid unprecedented tensions.” What info has leaked out about the series describes it as involving “political paranoia” involving spies, like Clarke’s yet-to-be-revealed character. Given the involvement of Skrulls, like Ben-Adir’s character, it’s no surprise that they’ll have found a way to pit the governments of the world against one another.

    What role, if any, Cheadle’s Rhodey will have in the series is completely unknown. It’s possible the photo in the newspaper is the character’s only appearance and we wont’ see Rhodes at all. Of course, it’s also possible that Rhodes isn’t Rhodes at all and a Skrull-simmed Rhodes could be sewing all kinds of discord using his political pull. That, after all, is what Secret Invasion is all about. Who do you trust?

    Source: Instagram

  • Latest ‘Secret Invasion’ Set Photo Includes ‘Hawkeye’ Connection

    Latest ‘Secret Invasion’ Set Photo Includes ‘Hawkeye’ Connection

    We’ve known for some time that Secret Invasion has been busy filming in the United Kingdom. Just recently, set photos have found their way from Halifax, where a secretive shooting location was leaked online through some behind-the-scenes photos. We’ve had a few set photos find their way online for some time now, but a brand new one includes a curious Hawkeye connection.

    Twitter user @Roxmanoff shared a new photo from the production that includes a reference to the Rogers musical that highlights “Coming to the West End.” That is a reference to the famous London theater location, which is a new hint at another location that is part of the series globetrotting Skrull hunt. You can check it here:

    At this point, the Rogers musical has appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home and two Disney+ series. It’s a fun connection across the universe and hopefully, they might also add more elements like these that create more visual connections, especially as the franchise starts expanding into multiple storylines that may or may not interconnect moving forward.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Moon Knight’ Merch Offers a New Look at Mr. Knight

    New ‘Moon Knight’ Merch Offers a New Look at Mr. Knight

    Not too long ago, we got the official confirmation that the upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight would feature the alter-ego known as Mr. Knight. It offered a good look at the live-action design but mostly focused on his upper torso. Now, some more merchandise has found its way online featuring a closer look at the character’s look, such as revealing he is seemingly wearing white sneakers. @FISTOFKHONSHU has provided the merchandise designs, which you can check out below:

    https://twitter.com/FlSTOFKHONSHU/status/1497983949414580229

    The design still looks great, and the Egyptian-inspired artwork that takes inspiration from hieroglyphs and classic character depictions from that era just have a nice touch. The merch does highlight Mr. Knight as a separate form of the Moon Knight specter. It’ll be interesting to see how the series dives into their differences.

    We still have a month to go until the series finally releases, but it still seems like one of the most promising projects by Marvel Studios. The darker tone will also be a strong push forward for the franchise, as it tries to expand its offerings and viewership beyond Disney+’s restrictions on family-friendly entertainment. For now, we have some great merchandise to tease what the upcoming series has in store for us and we won’t be running out of great designs anytime soon.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Ironheart’ Adds ‘This is Us’ Lyric Ross

    ‘Ironheart’ Adds ‘This is Us’ Lyric Ross

    The casting is well underway for the upcoming Ironheart Disney+ series, as The Hollywood Reporter has just reported that Lyric Ross, who has made a name for herself in the NBC series This is Us, has joined the project starring Dominique Throne as Riri Williams. The actress will join as Williams’ best friend but no further details were offered on her role.

    Snowpiercers’ staff writer Chinaka Hodge took on the role of head writer for the project, which is eyeing a June production start. Not much is known about the series outside of it following some elements from her comic origin as a genius teenage inventor who ends up creating a new Iron Man suit in her MIT dorm. The character is quite a new addition to Marvel Comics, as she was first introduced by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato in 2016.

    Riri Williams will make an appearance ahead of her show’s debut, as she’s set to have a role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It is unsure just how much of that story might help set up the series and if it might even mean some characters might reappear there. Anthony Ramos recently joined the project in a role that might have bigger implications for the franchise moving forward. THR does hint that he could be playing the show’s villain. So, we’ll see what exactly Ironheart has in store for us.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • New Disney+ Listing Hints Netflix’s Marvel Shows May Not Release Worldwide Simultaneously

    New Disney+ Listing Hints Netflix’s Marvel Shows May Not Release Worldwide Simultaneously

    There’s been a lot of debate about when and where we might see the Marvel Netflix shows finally appear on Disney+. Suddenly, Canadian subscribers were sharing a newsletter that revealed that Daredevil, Luke Cage, and more were heading to the streaming service. There was no mention of the Star branding, which gave hope that it may also appear on the US subscription model with some rumors even adding fuel to the fire. Yet, the official listing from Disney+ Spain may have put a wrench in those hopes.

    The listing, as shared by The Direct, includes all the series and films that are heading to the streaming service in March. As you can see clearly, Turning Red and Moon Knight are listed with their respective international release dates. Yet, the Marvel Netflix shows are nowhere to be found, which may hint that this isn’t a straightforward international release.

    Disney+ Spain

    It’s kind of a surprise that it wouldn’t get an international release, especially if you consider that the series is leaving Netflix worldwide around the same time. There’s still no official word from Disney+, which may signal they can’t really talk about it until it has left Netflix. Either that or they are still figuring out distribution plans and timing windows for the various series. We’ll have to wait and see until an official word drops just what the future has in store after all.

    Source: The Direct

  • REPORT: Marvel Studios’ Rumored ‘Werewolf by Night’ Special Now Eyeing March Production Start

    REPORT: Marvel Studios’ Rumored ‘Werewolf by Night’ Special Now Eyeing March Production Start

    We’ve been waiting for some tie on an update for the Disney+ Halloween special that is currently in development from Marvel Studios. It’s been long rumored that the project is an adaptation of Werewolf by Night, but that has yet to be confirmed. Last month, we’ve learned that Laura Donnely has joined the project alongside Gael Garcia Bernal, who will play Jack Russell in the story. One Take News has offered a small update on the project’s production.

    It seems it was originally going to start in February, but production was pushed back to mid-March. It’s unclear what may have led to the later start, but it seems they are soon to finish the casting process on the special. The interesting tidbit is that the production will only run for around two to three weeks. So, we shouldn’t expect a full-on film production for this project.

    Composer Michael Giacchino is currently attached to direct the project, and if they start production soon, we might get some kind of announcement by Marvel Studios sooner rather than later. If they are filming this early, they might be planning in quite a bit of effect work to prepare it for a Halloween release later this year. Perhaps we’ll get a tease on the project during the upcoming Moon Knight series, which will also jump straight into the supernatural corners of the MCU. We’ll see if there are also other specials heading our way in the near future if this one turns out popular.

    Source: One Take News

  • Marvel Studios Already Teased the End of the Multiverse Arc

    Marvel Studios Already Teased the End of the Multiverse Arc

    Avengers: Endgame Director Joe Russo made a great statement earlier today that “too much of one thing is a bad thing.” It was about the current trend of superhero films embracing the multiverse in their storytelling. To be fair, we’ve been quite spoiled with Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s way of handling its multiversal guests from Spider-Man’s cinematic past but not every project will manage that balance. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is just around the corner and has already teased the return of another legacy actor from Marvel. Yet, doesn’t it seem like we’re rushing through it?

    The next entry in the MCU’s Multiverse Arc could’ve been dragged out quite a bit with multiple storylines exploring various multiversal scenarios. Even No Way Home could’ve split up its cameos and had one film introduce Andrew Garfield before building up to Tobey Maguire. Even Strange’s next adventure is introducing multiple cameos from across the multiverse in one neat package that is very likely the film’s version of the Illuminati.

    They could’ve dragged this out quite a bit more, especially if you consider Loki, the series that kickstarted the multiverse, technically focused primarily on a single character’s “variety.” It eased us into the concept with the TVA, the rules of the concept, and opens the gateways to the fact that the same actor doesn’t have to play every version of the character. It’s strange to think how it eased us into the project before No Way Home just went: “Here are five classic villains, two former Spider-Man actors, and if Strange didn’t do his job there would’ve been millions more!”

    It almost seems like the speed-up was on purpose. Yet, not to bank purely on the fact that the nostalgia will be strong with viewers, but to use the concept before it overstays its welcome. Revisiting the series that started it all, you start to realize why they are taking this route. They know exactly where it is heading and are spacing out the project in a way to build up to a film that may even surpass Avengers: Endgame in its size. Even if was indirectly teased, there’s no way it won’t end with a film based on Secret Wars.

    The multiverses will collide and Kang the Conqueror is at the center of it all. So, it wouldn’t be too surprising to think that his storyline will end in a Secret War crossover. If we look at time as a flat circle, they are bound to repeat history and a new TVA would be formed in its wake. The Sacred Timeline will once again form only to be destined to break again. Our favorite heroes don’t know it but their stories are trapped in a loop. Even if they win the fight with the future He Who Remains being left behind, the story would still manage to find a nice way to end it.

    Once we’ve exited the Secret Wars event, we might continue the stories of the various heroes, but the multiverse will no longer be a focal point moving forward. While it’s unclear if it’ll take three phases to get to that point, it seems that Marvel Studios has unshackled itself from a single overarching narrative but rather splitting up multiple roads. One thing is for sure, we already know where this one path will end and it seems that we’re on an express train towards it before it loses any momentum.

  • ‘Avengers: Endgame’s Joe Russo Warns on Overdoing the Multiverse Storyline

    ‘Avengers: Endgame’s Joe Russo Warns on Overdoing the Multiverse Storyline

    The multiverse has arrived last year in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Loki kicked off events that would eventually set the stage for Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. We don’t know how big the plans are for the concept, but even DC is jumping in on the trend with The Flash set to potentially even rewrite the history of the DC Extended Universe. Avengers: Endgame‘s director, Joe Russo, was asked about his thoughts in regards to how much more we can expect it moving forward. He had a simple approach by stating that “too much of one thing is a bad thing.” His full quote is as follows:

    So yeah, too much of one thing is a bad thing, but I think there are enough creators and innovators in the space where you can expect to be surprised. Just don’t expect corporations to surprise you.

    Joe Russo

    He’s definitely right that too much won’t be good for the film’s long-term. There’s always a chance that it gets too convoluted or difficult to figure out how everything connects. Plus, it’ll bloat the market if all these films provide are cameos of familiar faces just because they could. It does seem like the MCU version of the multiverse might come to an end once the story teased with He Who Remains hits its boiling point. Who knows if an adaptation of Secret wars might be the project that brings it all together once again.

    Source: IGN