Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Leak Offers First Look at ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Jemma Simmons

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Leak Offers First Look at ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Jemma Simmons

    We have discussed Marvel’s Avengers here quite often. There were the leaks of War Machine and Black Panther’s design. Among them, there was a strange audio leak teasing a ghost-related storyline featuring Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Jemma Simmons. Of course, as a fan of the series, I was excited to see this character potentially getting added in a later update. Well, it looks like she might already be in the game but not in the way you would think.

    Avengers data miner @mmmmmmmmiller has been a reliable source in the past. He revealed quite a few details on the game and was the one to showcase War Machine’s initial design. He initially pointed out that there were voice files for the character. Well, it looks like he managed to get a good look at the character’s earlier in-game design.

    Okay, so she looks nothing like Elizabeth Henstridge, which shouldn’t be surprising. They would have to pay to use her likeness in the game. Also, as Miller points out, this is not a finalized character model as she isn’t in the final build of the game. Still, there are many big takeaways from this. It seems that her unique mission might’ve been scrapped at some point in development.

    Miller also confirms she was far into development, so they might still want to use the existing assets later. He does point out she may have been replaced by Maddy Cho, which is interesting if you consider she is part of the Inhuman Resistance rather than SHIELD. It could be that they used the character model as a template. I have to point out that her surroundings would place her in Substation Zero, so we will see if there is more to this story. I hope to see her added to the Helicarrier in the currently unused science lab.

    These weren’t the only older models he could find that got replaced later on. Sadly, it also debunks the other leak that Big Hero 6‘s Go-Go Tomago could make an appearance, as we finally get a reveal for the character, who was named Tanaka in the audio files. Jitterbug was also in these audio files, so it may confirm that these ended up unused at some point in development.

    It is interesting to see these NPCs so far into development before they got scrapped. They have names, audio files, and rendered models, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we still see them added at a later date. Hopefully, we will see these characters return as the game grows. Simmons’ inclusion would also be perfect once they add Quake, who is mentioned in the game and was part of the DLC leak a while back. Still, this is a nice look into what may have changed throughout development and could tease what else might be coming our way further down the line. 

    Source: Twitter (Simmons), Twitter (Characters)

  • Murphy’s Law Podcast: Episode 69

    Murphy’s Law Podcast: Episode 69

    In this record breaking 69th episode of Murphy’s Law, Charleses M. and V. discuss the casting of Oscar Isaac as Moon Knight, the various Marvel Studios projects that wrapped over the past couple of weeks and the return on Boba Fett to the Star Wars universe in Chapter 9 of The Mandalorian! Dig in with your ears.

  • Leaked ‘WANDAVISION’ Funko Pop Description Reveals Major Spoiler

    Leaked ‘WANDAVISION’ Funko Pop Description Reveals Major Spoiler

    A leaked description of an Emerald City Comic Con exclusive two-pack may have revealed a huge spoiler for Marvel Studios Wandavision. The leak comes courtesy of @Serlent pops, who has a stellar reputation for digging up such things, and reveals that the ECCC exclusive will apparently feature Wanda’s dead brother, Pietro, aka Quicksilver!

    As Serlent Pop’s clearly says in the tweet, the two-pack is, at the moment, only rumored but the user’s history with uncovering these things in addition to rumors and what we already know about the series make this one a little easier to believe. Marvel Studios’ first trailer for the Disney Plus streaming series clearly indicated that Wanda has, somehow, created an alternate reality of some sort where her dead lover, Vision, is alive and well and even has the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead. If Wanda can “bring Vision back from the dead”, there’s no reason to believe she couldn’t and wouldn’t do the same thing for her brother, who sacrificed himself in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

    Evan Peters Back for X-Men: Dark Phoenix | CBR

    This isn’t the first we’ve heard of Pietro’s potential return to the MCU. An audition tape for who appeared to be one of Wanda and Vision’s twin sons referenced the boys’ uncle sleeping on the couch and while MCU Quicksilver Aaron Taylor-Johnson has indicated he would not return to the role and was never spotted in or around the Wandavision set, Evan Peters, who played Quicksilver in Fox’s X-Men films was cast in a “mystery” role in the series. While there’s no confirmation of  Quicksilver’s return nor of Peters’ stepping into the role, evidence continues to point in the direction of at least one of those two things being true and, if Disney is true to their word, we won’t have much longer to wait before we find out as WandaVision is supposed to stream in 2020.

    Source: @Serlentpops

     

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Teases Inhumans, AIM Lab Update, Loot Revamp and So Much More

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Teases Inhumans, AIM Lab Update, Loot Revamp and So Much More

    Just today, we got the first full look at Black Panthers’ costume leaked online for Marvel’s Avengers. It was a little something to tide us over until the next update arrives. Players are still anxiously waiting for the first release of the AIM Cloning Lab, which is being teased by Crystal Dynamics. The good thing is that the developers have been very active in their communication. You’ll find them reacting to tweets, Discord chats, and Reddit throughout the day to find the best to solve people’s issues. The developers are very passionate about the game, and it shows. Today, we got a live-stream of the developers that highlight this fact. It included their Community Manager @StrumSlinger and one of the developers from behind-the-scenes Phil, who many might recognize from his many Reddit posts. We didn’t get any reveals as it was a community stream. Yet, they did answer a lot of questions that included some teases for the future. 

    Before we get into any game-related topics, I have to highlight the biggest reveal from this stream. Crystal Dynamics, like many other companies, was hit hard by the pandemic. They confirmed that motion-capture work is happening, but they have to abide by the two-week quarantine rule putting them back weeks. Not just that, they also had to face the California wildfires, which don’t even count issues that they face in their own homes, such as power outage or Internet loss. All this can set you back days or even weeks of work. With the mo-cap reveal, an afternoon of recording turns into multiple weeks of work. The honesty was a great touch, and it must’ve been hard. They also confirmed that all these delays were because of these circumstances. We would’ve seen most of this content much earlier. It doesn’t make it easier for anyone, but I do believe that it is essential to note what kind of circumstances these developers are facing. Even with all of this happening, they still manage to get out patch after patch, which I believe is impressive.

    Now, let us recap the reveals and major talking points from the stream:

     

    • There was a brief mention that caught my attention. It seems a small little addition will be available with an upcoming patch that focuses on a highly demanded Inhuman. CD highlighted it is a small addition. So, this could be a character showing up in an outpost, or maybe even a short cutscene. My theory right now is that it is Inferno, also known as Dante Pertuz. He had a brief cameo in the campaign, so we hopefully get more of him.
    • A frequent question during the stream focused on if they will add Marvel Cinematic Universe skins. It seems they are actively looking into it and that new skins for every character are already in development.
    • One major reveal is that they are actively working on multiple new villains. Currently, the game only includes four Villain sectors, excluding MODOK and Monica from the campaign. So, it is a welcome and needed change to give an incentive for the daily challenges. The way they phrased it gives me some hope that we could see their addition outside of character expansions. So far, it got confirmed that every new character received a unique villain, but that would restrict them quite a bit. I think smaller villain updates could add some flair to the faction missions that tend to repeat very frequently.

    • Our hosts also mentioned that they are adding some complexity to bosses, so that is an exciting prospect. There was mention of the AIM Cloning Lab as the first step towards that direction. It’ll be interesting to see how this game evolves once its content updates start rolling out.
    • They teased the AIM Labs quite heavily. So, there is a chance we might see it sooner rather than later. There was mention that they are doing some final testing over the weekend, so if everything goes well, we could see it next week potentially. They teased a larger patch update, so there might be a connection here. Do not expect Kate before the Labs update. 
    • They are actively looking at revamping their loot system. CD has some short-term and long-term plans for its development, which is promising. I shared my idea of a weapon slot that could add some incentive with visual changes and even gameplay adaptations. If you’re interested, you can check it out here. They also confirmed they are looking into loadouts as well, which will help people with their builds.
    • Currently, they are not planning on anything relating to PvP, so that probably should not be expected anytime soon. I do believe there is potential here with inspirations from Secret Wars or Avengers Arena. Heroes fighting each other is a tradition of its own at this point.

    • Events are coming, but as a result of the current issues, it will take some time. We can potentially expect seasonal additions once things calm down, so here’s looking forward to it.
    • There was a brief mention of them working on better ways to communicate with the community. As I mentioned above, they’ve been much more active. However, they are trying to find new ways to effectively tease content changes and additions, which might be their way of solving the “soon” issue. We got another tease of the road map, which seems to be taking shape. We could see it during the upcoming November War Table video.
    • There were rumors on Reddit that Thor got nerfed, as his Heroic rating is very high. Luckily, those rumors were untrue through an official confirmation during the stream.
    • CD also mentioned some other minor updates. They are working on changing up existing content, highlighted the issue with Captain America’s slow running speed, and that the trophy bugs might get fixed with the next update.

    Overall, this was a fun stream to watch. Yes, we didn’t get any timings, but that wasn’t the point of the stream. They took their time to be as transparent as they can while spending time with the community. A personal highlight was the reveal that Phil created a Mjolnir prop, which got used during the motion capture. There were some fun moments, and sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to join them in a game. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance in a future stream, as they are planning on making this a weekly event. I believe we are slowly nearing the end of the dry spell with Avengers, but I know as little as everyone else. The delays have made it difficult for many, which is understandable, so hopefully, the November War Table video isn’t too far away, and we finally get to see the game grow.

    Source: Twitch

  • ‘WandaVision’ Adds Jolene Purdy in a Recurring Role

    ‘WandaVision’ Adds Jolene Purdy in a Recurring Role

    We got a rather sneaky reveal for an additional cast member in the upcoming Disney+ show WandaVision. Deadline just reported the casting of an HBO satire titled The White Lotus. The listing included five additions. Among them was the mention of Orange Is the New Black‘s Jolene Purdy. In the same article, they point out that she just recently wrapped filming for the upcoming MCU series. Not only that, but she also has a recurring role. This reveal signifies her involvement with multiple episodes throughout the season. There is a chance that she might be one of Wanda’s neighbors. So far, there has been no confirmation on this casting, so this is a great surprise. Purdy is well-known for her appearances on Under the Dome, The Magicians, and she even appeared in 2001’s Donnie Darko.

    It is also interesting that it confirms that the series has only finished up recently. WandaVision still is rumored to release in the upcoming month, so they will be finishing up the effects on the later episodes as it releases. Plus, they will most likely have a Christmas break for a few weeks, which would give them more time to work on the post-production. We currently still don’t have a release date for the series. At least they seem to be aiming for a 2020 release for now. Hopefully, we will get a release date announcement in the comings weeks. The Mandalorian’s second season just released, so Disney doesn’t have to worry about the marketing cannibalizing each other.

    Source: Deadline, IMDb

  • First Full Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther Leaked

    First Full Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther Leaked

    Marvel’s Avengers teased during its premiere that we will see Black Panther added to the game at one point. The reveal was shortly after the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, so they decided to postpone it out of respect to the actor. It was a fitting decision at the time, and we’ve been very anxious about what design they may have cooked up over at Crystal Dynamics. A while back, someone shared a cropped version of what looked to be a Black Panther costume. This snippet was then confirmed by Avengers data miner @mmmmmmmmiller to be true at the time, but we never got the full view of it. Well, as Miller was sharing some icons from the game, which seem to be connected to future missions, a user going by @Evan18217824 shared the first full look at Black Panther.

    The thing that confirms this design is that it matches the snippets we saw initially. The additions on the shoulders are a dead giveaway that this is the same design that was confirmed. This take on the character is unique, but it does feel fitting. Instead of a bodysuit, it has these armor-like elements to highlight T’Challa’s Royal position. I especially love the attention to detail here, as his symbol is on the chest plate surrounded by what seems to be traditional Wakandan inscriptions. Of course, we will get various other costumes, so this may be the default design for his story arc.
    In general, I like this design, as it’s such a unique take on the character. The idea of using a traditional king’s armor is an interesting one to focus more on his role within the African country. I am curious to see what other costumes they include and if we get this design in action once the promised November War Table video is released. Still, we finally got a good look at the character and something to tie us over until Kate Bishop is playable.

     

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Suit Revealed for ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’

    ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Suit Revealed for ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’

    We are only a few weeks away from PlayStation’s Spider-Man spin-off finally releasing. The new game will focus on Miles Morales growing into his role as Spider-Man. It was a fantastic reveal during the PS5 reveal event, and everything we saw of the game was already quite promising. Now, they are adding an easter egg for fans of the character. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is paying tribute to his cinematic debut Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse by including an original animated costume from that film.

    The animation looks beautiful. It even seems like Insomniac has even adapted the animation style of the character to fit the way the design. If you look closely, you can even see some pop-ups of Onomatopoeia when you punch someone. We did get something similar, as the 2018 game also included an animated Spider-Man costume that paid tribute to the original 90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

    As Miles just recently had his cinematic debut, it made sense to add the costume from his first cinematic appearance. Some might have noticed that he is part of the pre-order, but Insomniac has confirmed that you can unlock the costume in-game, so there is no exclusivity deal. I have to say that these costumes look amazing. My personal favorites so far are the one that includes Spider-Cat and the Daft Punk-inspired suit. I cannot wait to see what other designs they might have ready once the game releases on November 12th.

    Source: Twitter

  • Leaked Funko Pops Offer First Full Look at Anthony Mackie’s New Falcon Suit

    Leaked Funko Pops Offer First Full Look at Anthony Mackie’s New Falcon Suit

    It is crazy to think that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier originally was going to release in August. Now, we are still anxiously waiting for a release date. WandaVision took its place as the first MCU original show on Disney+, but we don’t even know when that will air. Still, the pandemic has not stopped the production of tie-in products that tease what we can expect from these series. Not too long ago, we got our first look at a very comic-accurate Zemo through his leaked Funko Pop. Now, we got another closer look at the Funko Pops that gives us a great first full look at Anthony Mackie‘s Falcon suit for the upcoming series. We only got glimpses of it in the initial poster.

    The first poster teased a stronger focus on red, which is paying tribute to the characters’ original costume. The back of the box confirms that three Funko Pops are available from the series. There is a chance, however, that these are just a limited run. Still, there is no sight of that Captain America costume that Falcon will most likely wear once he accepts his new role. His Funko also includes the returning Red Wing, who we briefly saw in Captain America: Civil War. It will be interesting to see if his companion gets a bit more action in the upcoming series.

    I also have to mention the parallel between Winter Soldier’s star and that of Captain America’s shield. It’s a small visual added to the box that serves no real purpose, but I love this kind of detail. These are certainly must-buys for fans of the MCU and these respective characters. Hopefully, we will get a trailer soon that shows these new costumes in action.

    Source: DisPops IG (Full Look), DisPops IG (Back)

  • Schrödingers’ Khonshu: More Myth Than Moon Knight’s God

    Schrödingers’ Khonshu: More Myth Than Moon Knight’s God

    Moon Knight is a fascinating character and a great addition to Marvel Studios’ Disney+ line-up. Initially, he was Marvel’s answer to Batman. He even had moon-shaped versions of the Batarangs. Yet, the character grew into his own as time went on. Marc Spector is commonly known for having a Dissociative Identity Disorder, so he started to adopt a variety of names and identities over the years. One of his most recent additions was the detective, Mr. Knight. The most iconic aspect of Moon Knight is also his relationship with a God known as Khonshu. In a mission in Egypt as a mercenary, he gets betrayed by his employer Raul Bushman. Left for dead, an Egyptian God gave him a new lease on life. He would, later on, believe that this encounter was nothing more than an illusion. Yet, the Moon God’s influences stuck with him in his designs. His disorder also made him an unreliable narrator, so it was uncertain for quite some time if he was real. As the show is slowly starting production, it is unclear if Khonshu is an actual character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

    Well, that was until a report by The Direct was pointing to the addition of four Egyptian characters. This casting is interesting if you consider that Moon Knight’s main base of operation in New York City. One character’s definition is as a female lead. So, they will play somewhat of an essential role in the series of some kind. Now, this may tease that Khonshu’s past is a massive part of the story. The hiring of Mohamed Diab also highlights that the characters’ Egyptian heritage will have some influence, so it makes sense to explore this mystical aspect of the MCU. Thor is proof that Gods do exist, so this would allow us to get another perspective on one of the many undiscovered corners of the MCU.

    Yet, Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige toyed a bit with audiences when he announced the show initially. He said that Marc might be crazy, which opens a lot of questions. Khonshu, as a character, adds a lot of depth to this universe, so it would be a waste for him not to exist. Yet, at the same time, they could use him as a red herring to make you question the sanity of Spector. If Khonshu exists, we will be learning about his history with the other Gods. It also allows us to uncover how their existence played into the MCU’s past. Plus, they can use that aspect to make you accept Khonshu exists in Spector’s view of the world before pulling the rug from under your feet. This aspect is what sells Moon Knight as a show. It isn’t as crazy as WandaVision‘s sitcom-based multiverse shenanigans, but it can screw with its audience. As I mentioned before, Marc is an unreliable narrator, so if he retells the story of Khonshu, there is a chance it is just all made-up in his head. It would also open up the possibility to see his already broken mind fall apart as he begs for a God for help that does not exist.

    In the comics, Khonshu is very much a tangible existence. He even got into conflict with the Avengers, which ended up with him fighting Robbie Reye’s Ghost Rider and Black Panther. In Avengers Vol. 8 #37, he ended up losing and being apprehended by the team of heroes. Even if he exists in the comics, it doesn’t chain the series to do the same. He may be an illusion by Spector after seeing an idol of the lunar God shortly before he passed out. It’s a great way to play with expectations, especially as it allows the director to play around with some crazy visuals. I do hope we get the design from Moon Knight Vol. 7 that features him in a white suit with a bird skull instead of a head. It’s such an iconic visual that can also add a unique atmosphere to this show, as he may seem like just one of the many personalities. Yet, in his thirst for vengeance is manipulating Marc to follow a darker path. Right now, we have no idea as they could go either direction. We might get to meet a real Egyptian God, or just the remnants of a broken mind. Until Moon Knight releases on Disney+, he is Marvel Studios’ Schrödingers’ Cat.

    Source: The Direct, YouTube

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Adds Egyptian Director Mohamed Diab

    ‘Moon Knight’ Adds Egyptian Director Mohamed Diab

    Just yesterday, we got the massive reveal that Oscar Isaac was in talks for the titular role of Moon Knight. Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ series was the last to be announced, so it still has some time before it is released but that isn’t stopping the studio. According to Deadline, they have added Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab to direct the series. As such, he will be joining showrunner Jeremy Slater. Diab is well-known for his film Eshtebak, or Clash, which got him into the selection for the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.  He also directed various Egyptian franchises El Gezeira and Cairo 678. As Deadline points out, these were some of the highest-grossing films from the Arabic and Egyptian filmmaking market.

    His filmography and Egyptian heritage will help solidify Moon Knights’ deep connections to Khonshu. Marc Spector is a mercenary with a variety of alter egos. His mind is damaged, as he is also haunted by an Egyptian God known as Khonshu. He became its conduit after being left for dead by Raoul Bushman, his former employer. He was Marvel’s answer to Batman before growing into his own twisted take on a masked vigilante.

    Mohamed Diab will surely lend his very unique voice to make this series stand-out among the upcoming Disney+ slate. It will be interesting to see how much time we spend in Egypt and if they will focus more on his personality disorder before jumping into the mythology aspect. Also, will his costume be closer to that of his original run or could we see the latest Mr. Knight persona being adapted as well? Whatever direction they may go, this is certainly going to be an exciting addition.

    Source: Deadline