Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel

  • What I Heard This Week: Namora and ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’

    What I Heard This Week: Namora and ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road. With that in mind, understand that this piece of news is NOT confirmed by Disney, Marvel or any other source and, for now, should fall under the category of rumor until further confirmation comes through.

    10 Amazing Characters Marvel Studios Still Can't Use - The Geek Twins

    We’ve known for a while now that Marvel Studios was looking to cast two major, supporting characters in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Illuminerdi were first to report that the casting calls for two Mayan warriors, codenamed Zyanya and Cadmael, were for the roles of Namora and Attuma, two major Atlantean characters from the comics set to join Tenoch Huerta’s Namor in the 2022 sequel. Now, we may be able to associate a name with one of those roles. I heard this week that actress Mabel Cadena has joined the cast as Namora, the cousin of Namor and one of the original members of the Agents of Atlas!

    Mabel Cadena

    The 30-year old Mexican actress checks all the boxes for the role of Namora. Marvel Studios was looking for an Hispanic or Latino actress, 20-40, with previous experience in physical roles. Cadena, who recently starred in Dance of the 41 (now available on Netflix) and Hernan (now available on Amazon Prime), has been in the Atlanta area and been hitting the gym to prep for the role.

    Huerta also recently began interacting with Cadena on Instagram, which may add a little more fuel to the rumor mill fires, if you’re into that sort of thing. Again, at this point there is no confirmation from any official source, so this should be treated as a rumor; however, a lot of supporting evidence does exist.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit theaters next summer!

     

  • ‘What If’: Captain Carter to Utilize Scrapped Captain America Storyboards

    ‘What If’: Captain Carter to Utilize Scrapped Captain America Storyboards

    We’ve seen some creative ideas make their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, there is still something that sadly ends up on the cutting room floor. Normally, a franchise doesn’t get a chance to revisit them, but Marvel Studios’ new animated series What If gives them a unique opportunity. Director Bryan Andrews confirmed that some unused concepts will get utilized through the newly introduced Captain Carter. He’s been with the company since 2010s Avengers as a storyboard artist and finally has the chance to reuse scrapped ideas.

    There’s a ton of Captain America stuff that I had done over all the years that just never quite got in there. And I was like, ‘Ah-ha!’ ‘Cause now we have Captain Carter and she’s got the shield, there’s a lot of stuff ready to go… The moves are visually invigorating and they should be on the screen.

    Of course, he does confirm there will be a lot of unique elements that belong to Captain Carter and make her stand out from Steve Roger’s time. It’s great they get to bring back old ideas through this show. Who knows, we might even see some concepts from earlier entries that never made it on the silver screen but get adapted in animated form.

    The concept of the What If series opens up what feels like endless possibilities and could become a mainstay in Marvel Studios’ line-up. We know that they’ll also adapt a prelude comic, as head writer A.C. Bradley confirmed a version of Fury’s Big Week will get adapted as an Agatha Christie-style story. It’ll be interesting to see what else the ten-episode season might offer once it premieres in a few weeks.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘What If’: Tom Holland’s Absence in Cast List May Confirm Spider-Man’s Leaked Identity in Disney+ Series

    ‘What If’: Tom Holland’s Absence in Cast List May Confirm Spider-Man’s Leaked Identity in Disney+ Series

    The official cast list for Marvel Studios animated series What If finally got revealed. It includes a long list of iconic MCU actors that are returning to the franchise to lend their voice to this new venture. Yet, there are some notable absences. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Brie Larson, and Scarlett Johansson are noticeably absent from the list. We’ve known that Tony Stark will get a new voice actor through the first trailer, but there never was a statement regarding why they didn’t join the production. Yet, there’s another absent actor in the list, whose character we know makes a return to the series, Tom Holland. Toy leaks confirmed a version known as Zombie Hunter Spidey. Yet, a leak hinted that it isn’t Peter Parker in the iconic role.

    There was a toy leak that first confirmed Spidey’s appearance in the series. Yet, it wasn’t Parker, but rather mentioned that Steve Rogers took over the role at some point. There’s a chance he took on the mantle after something happened to Peter during the zombie outbreak. He’s also wielding the iconic cape of Doctor Strange, which means the survivors of the outbreak are using all the weapons they have at their disposal. Yet, we know there’s a Zombie Captain America in the series, which opens up a lot of questions about how this zombie outbreak affects the multiverse.

     

    Das sind angeblich die 6 (!) Gegner von Spider-Man in seinem neuen MCU-Abenteuer - Kino News - FILMSTARTS.de

     

    It might connect to the issue regarding Sony’s rights to that specific version of the character. If you look closely, the costume provided in the animated series is different from the films, as the redesign is closer to the ones we see in Disney’s theme park. It’s the one used in the Worldwide Engineering Brigade attraction. So, it seems likely they had to fall back on this version of the character due to the rights.  The animated rights to the character returned to Disney and were the reason why Spectacular Spider-Man got canceled back in the day.

    So, they might’ve taken this unorthodox direction to include him in the series without requiring Sony’s input. Of course, it could also be a similar case to the absence of other actors. There’s a chance he simply couldn’t return to the role, but they still included a version of Peter Parker that becomes a zombie hunter. The leak teasing Captain America taking on the role could be from another storyline if it turns out true. The Zombie version of Steve Rogers would put a dent in this leak but with a series exploring the multiverse, anything is possible.

    Source: Polygon, Comic Book

  • Marvel Studios ‘What If’ Cast List Confirms Clark Gregg’s Return as Agent Coulson

    Marvel Studios ‘What If’ Cast List Confirms Clark Gregg’s Return as Agent Coulson

    Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ series will explore the alternative realities of stories we’ve followed throughout the last few years. We’ve learned that quite a few iconic actors will reprise their iconic roles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Surprisingly, there are some receptions as Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel will get new voice actors as confirmed in the latest trailer. Yet, there are some great minor characters finally making their return to the franchise, such as the official cast list confirming Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson returning to the franchise. Here’s the complete cast list for the series as provided by Comic Book:

    Andy Serkis, Angela Bassett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Benicio Del Toro, Bradley Whitford, Carrie Coon, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Sullivan, Clancy Brown, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Danai Gurira, David Dastmalchian, Djimon Hounsou, Dominic Cooper, Don Cheadle, Emily VanCamp, Evangeline Lilly, Frank Grillo, Georges St-Pierre, Hayley Atwell, Jaimie Alexander, Jeff Goldblum, Jeremy Renner, John Kani, Jon Favreau, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Kat Dennings, Kurt Russell, Leslie Bibb, Mark Ruffalo, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Douglas, Michael Rooker, Natalie Portman, Neal McDonough, Ophelia Lovibond, Paul Bettany, Paul Rudd, Rachel House, Rachel McAdams, Samuel L. Jackson, Sean Gunn, Sebastian Stan, Seth Green, Stanley Tucci, Taika Waititi, Tilda Swinton, Toby Jones, Tom Hiddleston, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor.

    It’s crazy to think how many actors returned to lend their voices to the animated series. Yet, some major actors did not return. If they continue the series with multiple seasons, it’ll be curious to see if they can keep this sizeable voice cast. Gregg’s return is a great one, as it also adds to the show, potentially connecting the franchise with the events of Agents of SHIELD, whose canonicity is always an open question. He’ll likely appear in the episode that is based on Fury’s Big Week, the first adaptation of the prelude comic.

    Source: Comic Book, Variety

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ and a Multitude of Cameos: Exploring the Film’s Many Rumors

    ‘Doctor Strange’ and a Multitude of Cameos: Exploring the Film’s Many Rumors

    Besides a few hints and plenty of rumors, we know very little about Doctor Strange’s travel through the multiverse. The aptly titled Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will build upon the events of Loki and will follow after Benedict Cumberbatch’s appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Yet, the multiverse opens up the franchise to what seems like endless possibilities. We know that Wanda Maximoff will return after the events of WandaVision, as she searches for her children throughout the multiverse. America Chavez will also make her MCU debut with the upcoming film. Yet, there are countless more rumors  So, let’s take a closer look at the multitude of cameos and appearances rumored for the sequel.

     

    WandaVision“: Das Ende von Folge 9 erklärt – Das steckt hinter den Post- Credit-Szenen · KINO.de

     

    Let’s start with those that might have larger roles in the film. A recent Funko Pop leak teases the addition of different Variants of Strange and Wong. There will be Supreme and Defenders versions, which may or may not be allies in their multiversal travels. It also included the naming of Rintrah, who Adam Hugill is reported to be playing. The iconic comic character will also get a Funko alongside the Variants, which may hint at them having a somewhat larger role in the story.

    The only hint at an overarching villain we got was the hint at the appearance of the multiversal being, Shuma-Gorath. The upcoming What If series may have hinted at his inclusion, and he seems like the perfect choice for this type of storyline. He’ll likely connect to the appearance of America Chavez, whose abilities may become the catalyst for the overarching narrative in the film. Now that we got the bigger roles out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the various teased or rumored cameos for the upcoming film:

     

    Doctor Strange 2: Does Shuma-Gorath Work For Mephisto? | CelebJar

     

     

    Bruce Campbell in 'Doctor Strange'-Sequel dabei?

     

     

    There are quite a few rumors and who knows what else might appear online in the coming months, ahead of its release. At one point, Mads Mikkelsen was rumored to make a grand return before it swiftly got debunked. It was a given that the moment Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange jumped into the multiverse that almost any possible appearance has become a possibility. So, if the rumors surrounding Spider-Man: No way Home turns out true, who knows if they may also connect with Strange’s upcoming adventure with his appearance confirmed. So, we’ll see if this list ends up growing as time goes on.

  • Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Offers First Look at Black Panthers Comic-Inspired Outfits

    Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Offers First Look at Black Panthers Comic-Inspired Outfits

    After a brief hiatus, Marvel’s Avengers came back with a vengeance. The latest developer stream featured Crystal Dynamic’s Lead Character Artist. He gave us some insight into all the work that goes into creating these characters, which you can watch lie alongside some showcase of the details made to bring the Vibranium weave to life.

     

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1421218782744301568?s=20

     

    Let’s take a closer look at the various new comic-inspired costumes that were featured in the game. They started with a costume that initially showed up in a trailer for a few seconds. The Most Dangerous Man outfit was inspired by Kasper Cole’s time as the character, who was a New York police officer. He stole the costume without having any abilities. The artist pointed out that the toughest part was to make the long cape work due to how specific their engine’s physics work.

     

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1421216919726723078?s=20

     

    The next outfit is Black Panther in his king uniform. Yes, it is an actual playable skin in the game and not just used for cutscenes. What stands out is that T’Challa always has rings on his hands that he can use as claws to fight. It’s a Crystal Dynamics original design, but it takes inspiration from the character’s many iterations.

     

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1421219148886159363?s=20

     

    The next design is strongly inspired by Jack Kirby‘s original design from 1966. CD confirmed that they included the skin after seeing everyone’s excitement for him having a cape. They also teased that you’ll get a good look at every detail while using photo mode in the game.

     

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1421221857181769729?s=20

     

     

    Last but not least, the Strategist outfit is inspired by the 2010 run Black Panther: Man Without Fear. In it, T’Challa lost the abilities of the heart-shaped herb and still protected New York City during Daredevil’s absence. This version of the outfit includes many pockets to utilize the different tools while lacking his usual abilities.

     

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1421222994966454278?s=20

     

    The showcase of Black Panther in action also confirmed that he will not use a spear in action, but his claws. When the initial reveal of Christopher Judge in the role featured mainly pictures of him wielding a spear as a weapon. The heavy attack animation also showcases a special purple animation that showcases his attacks.

     

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1421224093475655680?s=20

     

    We’ll get a closer look at the costumes in a blog next week, alongside the first emotes. A Wakanda Forever emote was teased by the developers. We also can expect more outfits and even gameplay through their Social Media in the coming weeks as we near his August 17th release.

    Source: Twitch via Twitter

  • Report Hints at Internal Strife Between Kevin Feige and Disney Over ‘Black Widow’s Release

    Report Hints at Internal Strife Between Kevin Feige and Disney Over ‘Black Widow’s Release

    It looks like the Black Widow drama might leave its scars internally. There have been various hints that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was a strong contender for Disney to wait out the pandemic for a pure theatrical release. Yet, Disney moved forward with pulling it on their streaming platform. This decision has now recently led the film’s lead, Scarlett Johansson, to file a lawsuit against the company. Disney’s backlash by calling out her actions may have stirred up some discomfort within the company. Hollywood Reporter’s Matthew Belloni shared a “What I’m Hearing” newsletter that hints at Feige being unhappy with the overall release and seemed to have predicted the potential lawsuit.

    [Feige is] a company man, and not prone to corporate showdowns or shouting matches. But I’m told he’s angry and embarrassed He lobbied Disney against the day-and-date plan for Black Widow, preferring the big screen exclusivity and not wanting to upset his talent. And then when the sh-t hit the fan, the movie started tanking, and Johansson’s team threatened litigation, he wanted Disney to make this right with her.

    This report matches what has been talked about for some time and opens up the question about Disney and Marvel Studios’ relationship moving forward. It also doesn’t bode well for Disney CEO Bob Chapek‘s current run as the new head of the company, after only recently taking over from Bob Iger. The hope of utilizing the streaming service within the pandemic made sense, but it seems they simply moved forward without consulting internally.

    Of course, it’s not an easy decision to make, but this move could leave some scars between the house of mouse and its subsidiary. It also reveals the limitations of what Feige can decide and with backlash after backlash, Jungle Cruise may lead to similar events. It’s Disney’s hands to do the right thing, but their first legal and public action left a sour taste. So, we’ll keep an eye out on how this develops.

    Source: What I’m Hearing Newsletter via Comic Book

  • What ‘Black Widow’s Third Act Could’ve Learned from Marvel Studios’ Phase 1

    What ‘Black Widow’s Third Act Could’ve Learned from Marvel Studios’ Phase 1

    Marvel Studios has come a long way from where it started. In 2008, they introduced the world to Iron Man and slowly started expanding into the entertainment behemoth they are today. Even among Disney’s many star IPs, Kevin Feige‘s work has reestablished what it means to be a comic book fan. Even to this day, they still try to test out new genres to reinvent their approach to films. Disney+ has become a new playground, with WandaVision and Loki offering very distinct storytelling among the many heroic tales.

    Yet, the recent release of Black Widow has also showcased that it’s hard to avoid your own trappings. After a visceral and grounded first two-thirds, the grand finale falls back into some bombastic and over-the-top action sequences. In a way, in the studios’ early days, they didn’t have the budget for it. So, they were able to keep the main battle focused on the protagonist and antagonist.

     

    Scarlett Johansson: Black Widow Star verklagt Disney

     

    Even if Marvel Studios’ first phase was a bit simpler. Iron Man’s final battle was a simple confrontation between Tony and his former mentor. Yes, they were in mechanical suits, but the backdrop didn’t take away from the confrontation. Even the first Thor film ended on a magical rainbow bridge in space, but it was a battle of hesitance. If the God of Thunder had a choice, he wouldn’t even be fighting his brother.

    We technically get a similar emotional core with Romanoff’s confrontation against Taskmaster. Her regret pushes her to free her and leads up to the final confrontation on the ground.  The collapse of the Red Room, which fits right in with other James Bond inspirations in the film, makes for a fantastic backdrop. Yet, the final battle doesn’t happen until they safely land.

     

    Neues Bild beweist: Darum ist der neue Marvel-Bösewicht Taskmaster so gefährlich · KINO.de

     

    It felt like a waste of having the confrontation be on the floating fortress. It would’ve added a sense of urgency as they lose footing. In a way, it would even be the way to give Natasha an advantage against the soldier capable of copying everything she does. It would’ve allowed for a more creative fight sequence. Taskmaster can copy all her abilities, but might not take the environment into account. So, like the Arc Reactor in the first Iron Man and Thor‘s rainbow bridge, the backdrop adds urgency and becomes an integral part of the core fight sequence and character’s arc.

    The Red Room falling apart is a physical visual of Natasha finally breaking free from the past, but it doesn’t feel quite fully realized. Integrating the fight into its fall would add more suspense to her decision. Once they were safely on the ground, the result of their fight felt simple. We’re not as connected with the moment like we were when Thor tried to save his brother. There’s no real sacrifice for Natasha, and neither is it a difficult decision to make. We have stakes, but they feel disconnected from the rest.

     

    Black Widow-Stars teilen Details zur Produktion des Films - Warnung: Spoiler sind jetzt in Sicht

     

    It’s something Marvel Studios’ first phase did quite well and is hopefully something they return to with future installments. They’ve learned a lot over the years, and after their massive release of Avengers: Endgame, it seems like the perfect time to take a step back. We’re about to meet a whole new world, and the Disney+ ventures are already exploring these smaller, more personal stories. Here’s hoping the films don’t forget that is what drew us to this universe in the first place.

  • Disney Fights Back Against Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit

    Disney Fights Back Against Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit

    It’s not every day we get to discuss legal actions on this site. In a sudden move, Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for breaching her contract on Black Widow being a theater-only release. The claim is that this would keep her from gaining the benefits written within her contracts. The film was released in theaters, but also on Disney+ Premier Access. We don’t know if she originally was set to receive a specific type of percentage from the Box Office income, which has been hampered by the digital release.

    It looks like Disney wasn’t going to sit there and take it, as they already gave a public statement in regard to this legal action. It confirms that her bonuses were tied into its Box Office earnings. They offered a public statement regarding their contractual obligations and that she received $20M for her work with additional compensation on top of the digital release. Disney’s statement is as follows:

    There is no merit whatsoever to this filing.  The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Of course, we have no further details on the matter. To some degree, it seems like a public display rather than an actual lawsuit. We’ve seen open discourse regarding contracts and combined releases. HBO Max and Warner Bros. are no strangers to this discussion. The bigger question is if this will end the working relationship between Disney and Johansson for future projects. It seems very unlikely we might see her return in any capacity if they burn bridges with this lawsuit. Here’s hoping they come to a consensus, and it doesn’t put the final nail in the coffin on Natasha Romanoff’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Source: Variety, Variety (Disney)

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: New Story Details Revealed for Black Panther’s ‘War for Wakanda’ Expansion

    We’ve finally gotten the confirmation on when Black Panther will join Marvel’s Avengers. He is releasing on August 17th and will be fully playable alongside a unique story titled war for Wakanda. In the past few weeks, we got some teases of the story and even a word from his voice actor, God of War’s Christopher Judge. With the official release date, we also got a bit more details on what the expansion entails, which was called the biggest content drop since the game initially launched last year.

    The official press release by Square Enix confirms that the free update will get a special War Table showcase that includes trailers and insight into the expansion on August 16th. We’ll also get an in-game event that will also add to the overall world-building, which is a curious tease. We also get our first story summary, which teases betrayal in T’Challa’s future.

    The story of the free War for Wakanda expansion revolves around King T’Challa, the Black Panther, devoted protector and current ruler of Wakanda. Blindsided by a betrayal and the resulting tragedy, T’Challa finds it difficult to entrust his duty to anyone else, even his sister Shuri, while also confronting those who wish to do Wakanda harm. When arch-villain Klaw’s forces threaten Wakanda’s safety, T’Challa must take the fight right to them to defend everything and everyone he holds dear.

    The mission will let you explore the jungles of Wakanda and various new environments, which were teased in an exclusive developer stream some weeks ago. To celebrate, the game also offers a free-to-play weekend from 29th of July up until the 2nd of August on PlayStation, Steam, and Stadia. All players get a resource grant, and you earn XP four times faster than usual. A new PlayStation tweet offered a tease of the new content:

    Source: Square Enix Press, Play Avengers, Twitter