Now, this is a huge reveal. We always theorized that the upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk will explore many aspects of Hulk’s history. We all were hoping that some from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk would finally return. Kevin Feige has just revealed that Tim Roth will return as Abomination in the Disney+ series. We will finally find out what he has been up to since he was taken into custody during the events of the 2008 film. This also opens up the possibility of The Leader finally making an appearance, which could still be possible.
Tag: Marvel
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New ‘What If’ Trailer Teases The Vast Multiverse
Finally, we got an update on What If series, which looks amazing. They are teasing some brand new episodes beyond the ones we already know about. Of course, we got another look at Agent Carter as Captain Carter. There is a scene on T’Challa being kidnapped into space meeting Yondu. The Watcher was also teased in a storyline featuring Doctor Strange, so he might have a bigger role than we might initially expect. The animation style really works and I cannot wait to find out how they are going to tackle a zombie storyline.
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EXCLUSIVE: Marvel HQ to Premiere Kids-Targeted ‘ETERNALS’ Animated Series in 2021
Murphy’s Multiverse has learned that Star India’s Marvel HQ is planning to release an Eternals animated series early in 2021. While we can’t confirm it for a U.S. release, Marvel HQ’s content often mirrors that of Disney XD.
Marvel loves its corporate synergy and is getting the Eternals into the limelight. A Kieron Gillen scribed Eternals comic book is set to debut in January of 2021 and will be shortly followed by the new animated series which looks to introduce younger audiences to the MCU’s version of the Eternals ahead of next year’s Marvel Studios feature film, currently set to hit theaters on November 5th, 2021.
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Ahead of Investor Day, Marvel Studios Green Lights AT LEAST One New Project
Disney’s 4-hour Investor Day presentation today is expected, among other things, reveal plans for a “significant expansion of the Star Wars universe”, unveil which of Disney’s feature films will head directly to Disney Plus and, most relevant to this piece, unleash a few new Marvel Studios projects. Ahead of today’s meeting, we have identified a new production company associated with Marvel Studios: Frequent Productions.
The creation of production companies is one of the earliest signs that movement has begun on new projects. Each project is assigned its own company and then work on the projects begin in earnest under those banners. At the moment, there are 3 production companies we are 100% sure are associated with Marvel Studios:
- Solve Everything (almost certainly the Fantastic Four film)
- Grass-Fed (we have no idea, but have a lot of guesses)
- Frequent (see some guesses below)
There are also 3 other production companies, uncovered earlier by Arlyn Murphy, that have been created and COULD be associated with Marvel Studios but, as of now, there’s not enough evidence to make the call; however, should they be associated with Marvel Studios, they’d represent another 3 projects which have been green lit:
- Blueberry Waffles
- Log Jam
- Standoffish
Based on what we know, the most logical assumption we can make is that Frequent Productions is related to the Nick Fury-centric series being developed by Kyle Bradstreet. That series (which I am increasingly more convinced is a Secret Warriors adaptation), would seemingly be the furthest along in development and “ready” to move into the earliest stages of “pre-production” in order to prepare to film next Spring. We’ve heard the studio hopes to film it in the Spring and is looking at Atlanta’s Tyler Perry Studios, which is currently being used by Marvel Studios to film Hawkeye, and Frequent Productions will be operating out of Atlanta.
Going into today’s Investor presentation with the knowledge that Solve Everything is likely to be Fantastic Four and Frequent could maybe possibly be the Nick Fury series, we can generate some realistic expectations about what projects the studio may “announce.” Keep in mind that as far as official Marvel Studios announcements go, the Nick Fury series and Deadpool 3 don’t “OFFICIALLY” exist yet, so out of these 2 “sure thing” companies (Grass-Fed and Frequent) and 3 “50/50” companies (Blueberry Waffles, Log Jam and Standoffish) we could guess that 2 of them belong to those 2 projects. That gives us 3 other “possible” projects that MIGHT POSSIBLY BUT WE CAN’T BE CERTAIN be announced. Among those most likely to match up with these production companies are Ironheart, Young Avengers, Ghost Rider, Secret Invasion and The Illuminati, all projects which were in the earliest stages of development earlier this year. It’s also possible that some other projects have moved up in order and we just don’t know about them yet.
On the film side of things, the slate through 2023 seems pretty firm with Thor: Love and Thunder, Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness, Captain Marvel 2, Black Panther 2, Ant-Man 3 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 all either currently shooting or scheduled to shoot and Fantastic Four, Blade and Deadpool 3 seemingly “next up.” Of that list, only Blade and Deadpool 3 aren’t yet known to be tied to any production companies, so they might occupy 2 of those as well. Of course, Marvel Studios could add to their upcoming film slate in a surprising way today as well, but extending it much beyond 2023 given the current environment might be an unnecessary risk.
So truly out of the 5 unoccupied production companies, 3 of them might belong to projects we already know about in Blade, Deadpool 3 and the Fury series. Still, that leaves 2 “surprises” should Marvel Studios choose to reveal them. Personally, I look forward to getting some interesting updates and finding out about the new D+ series they plan to produce in 2021, but am always willing to be surprised! For now, we can say with certainty that Frequent Productions belongs to one of these upcoming Marvel Studios projects but since we don’t know, we’re asking you guys to vote on it over at @MultiverseMurph!
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Rachel McAdams Set to Return in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’
We are only a few hours away from Disney’s Investor’s Day live stream. There are high expectations for the event to reveal the future of Disney+, and maybe offer a tease for the new Marvel Studios’ shows. It looks like we’ll get one more piece of news to build up to the event, as Deadline has revealed that Rachel McAdams is set to reprise the role of Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor are also set to return in their respective roles. They’ll be joining Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, and Xochitl Gomez. sam Raimi has taken over the director’s seat from Scott Derrickson.
They could not offer any information on how big a role McAdams will have in the film, which will see Strange traverse a broken multiverse. Cumberbatch is currently filming Spider-Man 3, which may also tie into the film so who knows if we spend a lot of time with Palmer. There is also the question of how WandaVision ties into the project, as her story will most likely be the set-up why the fabric of our reality is torn to shreds.
McAdams just recently starred alongside Will Ferrel in Eurovision, where she was able to show off her comedic side. While I don’t believe she’ll have a major role given the nature of the story, she is a great actress that deserves a bit more screentime. They could surprise us and introduce Clea as a character that takes over Palmer’s body. Her sudden disappearance may be the reason that Strange ends up traversing the multiverse.
Source: Deadline
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‘Black Widow’ Still Eyeing a Theater Exclusive Release
Ever since Warner Bros. dropped the bombshell that all their 2021 releases will be available via HBO Max, all eyes were on Disney if they would follow suit. Black Widow was among the many films that got delayed. Many were hoping it would take a Premier Access route just like Mulan did. Sadly, it seems it didn’t pan out with the additional paywall, so they postponed the film further into 2021. We were only a few weeks away from its initial release, and now we still have five months ahead of us. Tomorrow’s Investor’s Day had us think we will get a confirmation on how they’ll move forward with the film, and it looks like the New York Times might’ve gotten their hands on some curious details.
They confirm that Disney might be splitting their projects into different categories. Big-budget films, such as Black Widow, will remain as theater exclusive releases while minor projects are heading online. Their primary focus remains to strengthen Disney+, which might be their most lucrative venture in these trying times. Of course, a streaming service is a long-term investment, so analysts don’t expect it to become profitable until 2024. Just this year, they had a loss of $2.8 billion in their direct-to-consumer division, which will only peak in 2022 until the rollout costs decline. It isn’t an easy venture, so growing the subscriber numbers at a rapid rate can help that cause.
So, why not add Black Widow to streaming? Well, if, and that is a big if, the pandemic slows down by that point, they can make more money through a theatrical release. Plus, they can use it to support their streaming service as eight Marvel shows are planned to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe. WandaVision releases in January, so its success could also change the direction potentially. NYT also points out that Premier Access isn’t lost but might return in some form or another. It makes sense, as they did invest money for the branding and programming to utilize this service. We will get an official word tomorrow, but it looks like we’ll still have to wait until we get to revisit Natasha’s story in May.
Source: NY Times
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‘Daredevil’ Should Kick-Off Disney+’s Expansion
Spider-Man 3 is going to be quite the film. It is bringing together so many corners of Marvel franchises that it feels like it might reinvent our expectations of a Spider-Verse film. João has offered an overview of how this concept could work for the untitled threequel. There was one piece of news that may have caught everyone off-guard. Charles V. has revealed that Charlie Cox will return to play Matt Murdock once again. This reveal is massive, as not too long ago, the rights moved back to Marvel, as the last season of the Netflix series released two years. Now, we are also left with the question: will Daredevil finally get a continuation or new series?
Even after its cancellation, the series was the third most popular series on the streaming service with an average of 25M viewers. It brought the character to the forefront of the popular consciousness and defined Charlie Cox in the role. It also introduced us to a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that broke beyond the PG-13 barrier. Sadly, it got canceled after its third season pushed the franchise to new highs. Erik Oleson, who took over the role as showrunner duties for the final season, even pitched a fourth one before Netflix axed it. It was also no coincidence that Disney was looking into developing its streaming service at the time.
Disney+ introduced us to a familiar-friendly streamer, so it seemed unlikely it would get added to its library. From that perspective, it seemed like there was no chance that Daredevil would make it to the service. Well, that was until the recent developments may have changed the playing field. Rumors are going around that Disney+ will combine with Hulu in the US while Europe gets the Star branding. It allows them to include R-rated content that will help grow their subscription numbers exponentially. It seems probable that they could announce this at the upcoming Investor’s Day, which Edward points out in his latest article.
Such a massive announcement could use a headliner series. So, why not explore the return of Daredevil as a big selling point. They could even include Moon Knight in this expansion to explore the character’s darker side in a future season. If they also buy the rights to stream the original Netflix shows via this service, we could get a confirmation that this is a continuation of the character we already know. There have been hints that Spider-Man 3 is bringing back the iconic actors to play new versions of existing characters. Plus, the whole multiverse aspect could also add to the confusion whatever direction they go with the character. I am sure Daredevil returning with a brand new show on Disney+ Star will certainly get everyone’s attention at the streaming service expansion.
Source: Forbes, Business Insider, Digital Spy
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RUMOR: Tobey Maguire Spotted at a Potential ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’ Costume Fitting
Spider-Man 3 is turning into quite a massive film. Just in the last week, we’ve gotten so many crazy confirmations about what classic characters from the original films might make their return. It got confirmed that Andrew Garfield and Kirsten Dunst are set to return. Marvel Studio’s cooperation with Sony is turning into quite the tribute piece to the franchises that laid the groundwork for Tom Holland‘s interpretation. The original cinematic Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire, has yet to sign a contract since the announcement. Well, a recent sighting might add some more discussion to the potential of his addition.
According to JustJared, they shared images of Maguire getting ready for a costume fitting in North Hollywood. Now, there is no significant evidence that this is indeed for the upcoming threequel. We still have no official word on his casting, but the timing is rather peculiar. It also helps to note that Marvel Studios is located in North Hollywood, where he might be finalizing the deal to return in the upcoming film. Getting to join Alfred Molina would be quite the selling point, who is set to return as Doctor Octopus.
If he is indeed there for a costume fitting, it makes you wonder if they have the original one or they remade it from scratch. It is crazy to think of how many classic characters might be returning in this film. At this point, it is going to be a live-action adaptation of the Spider-Verse icon. Marvel Studios has balanced a massive cast before while not losing their focus on the main character, so we’ll see how they manage to balance it out.
Source: JustJared
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What To Expect from Disney’s Investor Day
Disney’s Investor Day will be held virtually this year on December 10th, 2020.
2020 has been quite an unconventional year, to say the least. Especially if you’re a big Hollywood studio. Movies and movie studios have taken a heavy hit this year with the pandemic forcing theaters worldwide to shut down. As time went on, some studios tried to return to a sense of normality by reopening some theaters and distributing their movies there. Others adapted and tried a more “direct-to-streaming” PVoD approach with their films. But no matter the case, it’s forced some studios to delay their projects and production slates. But now, we’ll able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, as the Walt Disney Company will hold its virtual Investor Day tomorrow.
What exactly goes down on Investor Day?
Disney’s Investor Day is this particular event where Disney gathers its assets and fellow production companies to discuss their current status and what’s ahead for the company either next year (2021) or in the foreseeable future. Now last year, Disney focused its Investor Day on its “Comprehensive Direct-to-Consumer Strategy”, giving presentations for Disney+, Hulu, Hotstar, ESPN+ and of course, they also discussed how Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic fit into their program at the time. That presentation lasted for about 2 hours and 30 minutes. This year, it is expected that they will follow suit to last year and discuss the future of Disney+ in a presentation that is expected to last a total of 4 hours. Deadline has also confirmed that they will announce “new projects from Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar that will encompass TV as well as theatrical.”
Expect “Expansion”
We can expect Disney to shed some light on exactly how well the streaming platform did for its first year of service since debuting on November 12th last year. As of September of 2020, Disney+ had gained a net total of 73.7 million subscribers, and that number is before Disney+ was made available in Latin America, so we expect that number of subscribers to grow by the time the event rolls around tomorrow. Not only that, but we can also expect Disney+ to make some expansion announcements tomorrow, specifically to Southeast Asia. Twitter User @DrewsClues found this very interesting information, with Disney making a search in Southeast Asia, hiring personnel for Disney+ in Southeast Asia.
https://twitter.com/drewsclues/status/1335442360667426817?s=21
Expect some shifts from Disney’s theatrical slate.
We might see Disney officially confirm projects that were originally slated to release in theaters shift to Disney+. Some of those projects include the likes of Cruella, and the live-action remakes of Peter Pan and Pinocchio.
We may also hear announcements of possible Disney live-action remakes that may be making our way to the big screen soon, as well as possible announcements to future Disney+ original shows. Speaking of Disney+…
Expect more details on ‘premier access’
We all know of Disney’s experiment with Mulan and Premier Access from way back when in September and it seems the experiment really took off. Let’s take a look at what Bob Iger had to say regarding Premier Access during their Q4 2020 Earnings Results Webcast back in November:
Based off on what we’re reading, it seems that those ideas of Premier Access being a “one-off” are certainly untrue and that we can expect more titles to be released on Premier Access. However, I find it possible that Disney might consider reducing the price tag on the films they might release under their platform considering the reception Mulan received. Now, what titles could Disney release under the brand? There’s a number of potential candidates that could be released via this format as a way to compete with Warner’s decision to push their entire 2021 slate to HBO Max.
Expect the announcement of ‘Disney+ Star’
Joseph Aberl could probably tell you more about this project than I can but one of the most exciting parts of this upcoming Investor Day is the announcement of a new section in Disney+ called “Disney+ Star.” Now, Disney+ Star is rumored to essentially be a section of Disney+ that’s more focused on adult content and that it will require a pin code to access such content. We might see the addition of films from some of the companies Disney managed to purchase in recent years such as 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, A&E, and more. To read more on that, feel free to check out Joseph’s article on Disney+ Star.
Expect announcements/trailers from Marvel Studios
As we mentioned earlier in the article, Deadline confirmed that we can expect announcements regarding new projects from Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar that will encompass TV as well as theatrical. So let’s start with Marvel Studios. Right now, Marvel Studios has been extremely silent and rightfully so. It is the first time since 2009 that we go an entire year without a Marvel Studios production. The entire Phase 4 slate has seen a bit of mix up these past few months, with a lot of projects currently left up in the air without an official date. Now that the pandemic is starting to lift the pressure off studios and we see the light at the end of the tunnel, with the rollout of vaccines across the world, it might be a good time for Marvel to set some of its dates in stone.
1. We’ll see a new Phase 4 slate (Extremely Likely)
As of today, these are ALL of the projects Marvel Studios has OFFICIALLY announced, and before the pandemic, most of their production and premiere dates were all set in stone. But since the pandemic, a lot of these projects were forced to delay their releases, with no official dates in sight outside of WandaVision, which premieres on January 15th, and Black Widow which premieres in May. Notice how originally, Black Widow was meant to kick off Phase 4 but with the pandemic forcing its delay, it pushed WandaVision to the front of the line. We may expect to see some new dates set for these films and perhaps a slight shift here and there.
2. We’ll get our first looks at some of the upcoming Disney+ shows (Likely)
With WandaVision set to debut on January 15th, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Loki finally having completed filming, and the animated What If? show well into nonstop production since its announcement, 2021 is completely stacked in terms of Marvel Studios content for Disney+ shows. Now that nearly all of these projects are pretty much completed in production it might be a good time to present investors (and fans) with another trailer for the upcoming WandaVision show. We believe that Marvel has been setting up a sort of countdown in these past few days with some posters for WandaVision so be sure to check out that theory piece. It’ll also be a good time for Marvel to give us our first trailers for shows like The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, and the animated What If?. I also expect Feige to give us an update on shows like Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel, which just started production as well as the upcoming Moon Knight and She-Hulk series, starring Oscar Issac and Tatiana Maslany respectively.
3. We’ll get some more Disney+ series announcements (Likely)
Charles Murphy had taken up the task of creating an incredible article about what to expect from the future of the MCU and when to expect it, so do be sure to check that out! But back at the matter at hand, it is likely that Marvel might also take the time to announce some projects, some that we already know of like the Nick Fury Disney+ show. Marvel might also take the time to address some of the Disney+ rumors of characters that might join the MCU via these types of shows like Ironheart, S.W.O.R.D., Secret Warriors, and Ghost Rider.
4. We’ll get some more theatrical news (Unlikely)
If you’ve been paying attention to the news as of late, you might have noticed that multiple trades and blogs have been dropping Marvel news these past few months regarding the MCU films such as Kang the Conqueror being confirmed for Ant-Man 3, Christian Bale in Thor: Love and Thunder, and the massive bombshell that dropped yesterday regarding Spider-Man 3 with the castings of Alfred Molina, Andrew Garfield, Kirsten Dunst and the rumors of Tobey Maguire and Emma Stone joining the film for what seems to be a live-action iteration of the Spider-Verse. We’ve discussed the possibility of Marvel making the move to push Black Widow to a possible hybrid release both in theaters and Disney+ via its Premier Access service. AND not only that but Marvel has yet to address any details regarding films like Captain Marvel 2, Black Panther 2, Blade, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Deadpool 3, and so on. Whether or not Kevin Feige takes the opportunity to announce any details regarding any of these projects remains to be seen, but I at least find it unlikely.
Expect announcements and details from Lucasfilm
Apart from Marvel Studios, we also expect Lucasfilm to announce some of its upcoming slate as well. They might tout some of the massive success that the second season of the Mandalorian has generated and will discuss what might be in store for the future of the show as well. Our very own João Pinto had also taken up the task of creating an incredible article about what to expect from the future of Star Wars and when to expect it, so do be sure to check that out! In there, we discuss A TON of goodies that Lucasfilm might discuss tomorrow. Among those are the series focused on Boba Fett, Cassian Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the Bad Batch. We also might get the confirmation of series that have been rumored to be in development for some time, such as a show focused on Bo-Katan as well as a show around Ahsoka Tano. And of course, there is the possibility that Kathleen Kennedy might possibly discuss the future of the Star Wars films as well, so we’ll have to stay tuned for that one.
Expect announcements from Pixar
We are also expected to take a peek at what Pixar has been working on behind the scenes in terms of future animated films (and possibly even series). They may discuss the upcoming movie Soul, which is expected to be released on Disney+ this coming December 25th, as well as discussing their upcoming project, Luca.
Whatever happens tomorrow during Disney’s Investor Day, you can be sure that Murphy’s Multiverse will be sure to keep you all covered on all the announcements the event brings.
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First Look at ‘Hawkeye’s Tracksuit Mafia Revealed in BTS Images
At this point, we have seen more of Hawkeye than any of the Disney+ shows that were meant to release this year. We got our first look at what seemed to be Kate’s prototype Hawkeye suit from a leaked set of photos from the series’ Disney+ set. Now, it looks like we have one more reveal from the set, as lord_fxk shared some shots from behind-the-scenes that offer us our very first look at the Tracksuit Mafia. Hailee Steinfeld is also wearing her outfit from the earlier leak, so there is a good chance this is from the same sequence. Going by their wounds, they might be hunted down by the mafia, which could also be a follow-up or take place before the earlier scenes shot in the subway. You’ll find a very familiar-looking member of the gang in the third image.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIjjKe8njYx/?igshid=11zmg2yv44afv
The Tracksuit Mafia was heavily featured in the Matt Fraction run. In the comics, Hawkeye called them the Tracksuit Draculas but was never given an official name. He actually had quite a few synonyms when referencing them. They are actually the reason why the Clown got involved, as he kept getting involved in their business. The interesting thing is, the person shown is wearing a black tracksuit, unlike the usual red. Well, there is one character with a very similar mustache in the comics known as Ivan Banionis. He was a member of the mafia that actually rented out the building Clint was staying in during that run, which could hint at him also renting out the place in the series.
There is also the running gag of the Russian mafias constantly saying “Bro” to such a degree it became a name for them. Well, it looks like the series is also leaning into it, as lord_fxk also shared a story that gave us a look at a company named “Trust a Bro”. Yesterday, @evgrieve shared a redesigned location in the East Village that became Brothers Heating & Air Supplies. We’ll be seeing a lot of them in the upcoming Disney+ series once it releases sometime next year.
