Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’: Wakandan Translations Hint at Tribute to Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’: Wakandan Translations Hint at Tribute to Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa

    It looks like the Internet already uncovered the secret behind the mysterious new location teased from the first Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set video. We haven’t visited it before in Wakanda. So, it opened up the question of what purpose it might hold and it seems a bit darker than we assumed at first. It’s not just any location but one that also spoilers how the film will pay tribute to the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. Twitter user @CreamOrScream shared a translation of the various pillars that hint at a tribute to the fallen king that reads:

     

     

    We were able to verify the translation, and there might even be the iconic line “Rest in Power” ahead of T’Challa’s name. There are some ways to translate the Wakandan language, as the lettering is available through the official Wakandan Files. It is an in-universe book written by the princess of Wakanda, Shuri. There are hints in the original video that this might be the council room and not a burial site. Still, they would want to keep their former king’s legacy alive by integrating it into the pillars.

    It’s heavy realizing what this location truly represents and the implications moving forward. The translation is a somber reminder of the events that transpired and the tragic loss of Boseman. It would make for a beautiful tribute that continues the actor’s legacy. It also gives the character the proper send-off he deserves. We don’t know how much of the film will get spent here, but it’ll be a location many of us will surely never forget.

    Source: Twitter

  • First ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Set Video Teases New Wakandan Location

    First ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Set Video Teases New Wakandan Location

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been actively filming for some time now. While being kept a secret, it seems the first set video found its way online. We first heard it enter production around three weeks ago, as it aims to hit its July 8th release next year. The plot details have been kept tightly under wraps. Still, some rumors are hinting Wakanda preparing to go to war with the MCU equivalent to Atlantis. After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, the franchise’s future is uncertain, as Marvel Studios still hasn’t officially announced who would take over the role of Black Panther. Still, director Ryan Coogler has been outspoken about the film, and it’ll continue Boseman‘s legacy.

    We haven’t gotten any look behind the curtains so far. So, we don’t know how Wakanda might’ve changed in the sequel. They opened up to the rest of the world that will interestingly change the once isolated country. There’s also a lot of locations we never got a chance to visit in the brief visits we had throughout the MCU, but a new leaked set video offers us a glimpse of a brand new location we’ll visit in the upcoming Marvel sequel. The video is provided by Instagram user coolfreetv who shared it directly from Tyler Perry Studios.

     

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CRxb7MjhFhX/

    The most frequently visited location in the film was the iconic throne room. So, it’s great we get to explore more corners of this fictional African city. The only question remains what this location is meant for. The black panther statues seem to indicate it is connected to the symbol of the country, or it might even connect to T’Challa’s unknown fate in the story. We’ll see what they’ll reveal ahead of the film’s July release and if we get a glimpse at its story ahead of the first trailer.

    Source: Instagram

  • James Gunn Shares First Details on ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’

    James Gunn Shares First Details on ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’

    James Gunn has been busy working on his DC film The Suicide Squad and the HBO Max spin-off, Peacemaker. His next project will finally be his grand return to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise to end the trilogy he started back in 2014. Marvel Studios even wen one sep above and we’ll get the franchise’s first Holiday Special ahead of the release of the third enry. In an interview with Collider, Gunn offered our first insight into what we can expect from the upcoming film.

    It’s in canon. It’s about the Guardians. You’ll learn stuff you’ll need to know ahead of Guardians 3.

    It made sense that the storyline would take place in the mainline continuity. We still don’t know if the I Am Groot special will also be part of it, but even the first animated series What If takes place in the multiverse. We might get to explore the history and backstory of the team that might tie directly into the film. Star Wars‘ infamous Holiday Special featured Life Day as the Christmas equivalent for the galaxy far far away. So, we might also learn how the galaxy celebrates it and how they spent it growing up.

    He also confirms that they will film the special at the same time as the third entry of the film. Gunn’s team will reuse the same actors and sets. So, they will make use of that during production. It is set to release ahead of the film. So, we might even get some teases of which characters will appear in the threequel. The special won’t be long as he teased it’ll be shorter than 40 minutes. It’ll be interesting to see if other franchises might also join in on the fun in the future.

    If you are interested, you can watch the brief interview with Collider here:

     

    Source: YouTube

  • Sylvester Stallone Returning for ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3’

    Sylvester Stallone Returning for ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3’

    Sylvester Stallone’s appearance as Stakar Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was a pretty tightly kept secret up until just a few months before the film’s release. Stallone’s Ogord, who was incredibly loosely based on Marvel Comics character Starhawk, an enormously strange and powerful member of both the 31st century and “present day” Guardians of the Galaxy, was a Ravager captain who exiled Yondu after the blue space hillbilly broke the Ravager code by trafficking children. Yondu’s funeral served as an impromptu reunion for Stakar’s old Ravager buddies who decided to reteam and get back to thieving together.

    Gunn has always hinted that we’d see more of the Ravagers in the future and now, according to director Randall Emmett, a close personal friend of Stallone, it looks like Stakar (and presumably the rest of the gang) will be back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In a Zoom Q&A following a screening of his new film Midnight in the Switchgrass, Emmett revealed that Stallone is working on “the next Expendables and Guardians of the Galaxy.” The threequel is confirmed to begin work in Atlanta this November and is expected to be Gunn’s last go with the franchise, so it’s not surprising that he’ll have the team of Ravagers, including Michael Rosenbaum’s Martinex, Ving Rhames’ Charlie-27, Michelle Yeoh’s Aleta Ogord, Mainframe and Krugarr back to wrap things up.

    Source: Reddit

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently set to hit theaters May 5, 2023.

     

  • Namor Connection Teased in ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Casting

    Namor Connection Teased in ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Casting

    It looks like Shuma-Gorath might not be the only tentacle monster in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. A listing by actress Yenifer Molina reveals she has a role in Sam Raimi‘s film. What stands out is that her character’s name is Gargantos 2. Long-time comics fans might recognize it as a sea monster under the control of the Lemurian known as Naga. They only appeared in 1969’s Sub-Mariner #13 and X-Factor Annual #4 in 1989 but vanished since.

     

     

     

    Its inclusion in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is quite a surprise. We still have no idea how Strange will travel through the multiverse and if each pocket dimension gets a unique arc. Her acting credits include minor roles as an office worker in Detective Pikachu and a waitress on HBO Max’s Tom and Jerry. So, this role might only have a minor part in the film. We don’t know how many universes the doctor will travel through. The creature’s backstory connects to Namor. So, it would make sense that they’d appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which will potentially feature the character.

    The Funko leaks hinted at Supreme and Defender Variants of Doctor Strange. So, they may end up joining their multiversal counterparts in their story. Moviegoers might get introduced to the concept of the Serpent Crown, which got tossed into a pocket dimension for safekeeping. It got created by the Elder Gods, which could connect back to Shuma-Gorath. Perhaps it is the McGuffin necessary to stop the Devourer God from taking over the multiverse.

    Source: Mandy

  • Seth Green Teases Howard the Duck’s Role in Marvel Studios’ ‘What If’ Disney+ Series

    Seth Green Teases Howard the Duck’s Role in Marvel Studios’ ‘What If’ Disney+ Series

    It seems Howard the Duck may have more than a bit role in Marvel’s What If…?, according to actor Seth Green. The Hollywood Reporter recently published a retrospective on 1986’s Howard the Duck film, in honor of the cult classic’s 35th anniversary. The piece includes numerous interviews, including one from Green, who has been portraying Howard in the MCU since 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Among his comments on the character were interesting tidbits on his future in the Marvel wheelhouse, and a confirmation in which episode we can expect him:

    […] it resulted in a scene between T’Challa and Howard.

    Fans discovered Howard would be involved in the show via a surprise appearance in its first full-length trailer. Green’s comment seems to confirm he will appear in an episode featuring Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa replacing Peter Quill as Star-Lord and reveals he will play a big enough role to include a speaking part. The famed comedian also shared how he chose to portray the character, with a manner more in line with his comic history:

    He’s a punk rock noir detective, at least that’s the way I play it.

    Howard was written as a private eye in Chip Zdarsky’s 2015 run on the character, and it appears that former Howard the Duck actress Lea Thompson found inspiration from the same comics when developing her ideas for a potential MCU reboot. Thompson has been vocal about wanting to direct a modern remake of Howard, and some of her comments on the topic, from the same retrospective, do hint at a future for everyone’s favorite space Duck in the MCU:

    Marvel liked the pitch, but they have different plans for the different characters.

     Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Finds Its Bushman

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Finds Its Bushman

    CONNECTING IMAGINARY DOTS ARE PIECES WE WRITE HERE THAT ALLOW US TO BE WHAT WE ALL TRULY ARE: FANS. THESE SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS SCOOPS, EXCLUSIVES OR FACTS; JUST SPECULATION ABOUT THE THINGS FOR WHICH WE ALL SHARE A GREAT PASSION.

    Marvel Studios Moon Knight has filmed in near complete secrecy in Budapest, Hungary. Other than a few fans snagging pictures with stars Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, vert little has made its way to fans. We know May Calamawy will play a key role in the series, but like Hawke, her role is unknown at the moment, and it seems French actor Gaspar Ulliel has snagged a supporting role as Moon Knight foe Midnight Man. Somehow, after months of filming, that’s all we know; however, if we connect some dots found on Instagram, we might be able to add one more to the cast of the upcoming Disney Plus streaming series.

    A look at French actor Loic Mabanza’s IG page might just reveal that the actor has joined the cast of Moon Knight. A couple of recent posts indicate that Mabanza spent several weeks in Budapest, where the series has been filming. Additionally, Mabanza and Calamawy mutually follow one another on the social media app, which could indicate the two have spent some time together on set.

    There are certainly plenty of other reasons the 31-year old Mabanza could be in Budapest and its possible that he and Calamawy met somewhere else (a quick check of IMDB does not list them as having worked together in the past); however, connecting the dots as done above leads to an interesting bit of speculation: Mabanza may have joined the cast of Moon Knight as Marc Spector’s archenemy, Raul Bushman.

    Bushman was a mercenary who was working with Spector to protect an archaeological dig in Sudan. The job went sideways when Bushman killed the archaeologist and then shot Spector. As Spector lay dying, he was saved by the Egyptian god Khonshu and became Moon Knight. While Hawke is playing the series’ lead villain, Bushman plays a key role not only in Spector’s origin as the Fist of Khonshu but also throughout his career. Mabanza has the size and physique to pull off the physically intimidating Bushman and as a young, international performer, also fits the profile of actors that Disney has been casting for the show. Of course it’s entirely possible that Mabanza isn’t playing Bushman or even that he’s not part of the series, but if we connect the imaginary dots, we might have stumbled onto a key casting for the upcoming series.

    Marvel Studios Moon Knight is expected to stream on Disney Plus early in 2022.

     

     

     

     

  • ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Foe Midnight Man to Appear in the Disney Plus Streaming Series

    ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Foe Midnight Man to Appear in the Disney Plus Streaming Series

    With so little being known about Marvel Studios upcoming Disney Plus streaming series Moon Knight, any tidbit, no matter how small, seems exciting. This one certainly falls into the small tidbit category: French actor Gaspard Ulliel’s agency page, Hamilton Hodel, has updated a listing showing that Ulliel will be bringing the little known character Midnight Man to the MCU.

    Anton Mogart, aka Midnight Man, first appeared in 1981’s Moon Knight #3 and made just a handful of appearances over the years. An art and jewel thief who liked to do his dirty work right at midnight (hence the clever moniker), Mogart had a run in with Moon Knight that resulted in his face being partially melted by some nasty NYC sewage. Mogart swore vengeance against Moon Knight but never accomplished much other than getting himself killed. His son, Jeff Wilde, partnered with Moon Knight for a time under the name Midnight. He eventually flipped out and got himself killed by Moon Knight.

    Moon Knight is currently filming overseas and is expected to stream on Disney Plus in early 2022.

  • Peyton Reed Shares First BTS Photo as ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Starts Production

    Peyton Reed Shares First BTS Photo as ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Starts Production

    It looks like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has officially entered production. Director Peyton Reed shared the first image from the principal photography on Twitter, which features Cassie Lang’s iconic ugly rabbit from the first film. The director teased their use of The Mandalorian‘s Volume around two months ago, as they prepared for production. Its official start isn’t too far off from the June 2021 start predicted around a year ago. Even Evangeline Lilly hinted at the summer production start in her Instagram post from a few months ago.

    The brief look of Cassie’s rabbit is a curious detail, as it may hint at the story revolving around her becoming Stature. The Biohazard sign in the background doesn’t tease an easy journey ahead. It’s still uncertain why they recast Lang’s daughter, as Kathryn Newton will take over the role of Avengers. Endgame‘s Emma Fuhrmann.

     

    There’s a good chance that Cassie may start her journey to becoming the Young Avengers’ member Stature. We’ve seen countless members appear throughout the last few projects. Plus, the inclusion of Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror also hints at their connection. We still don’t know how exactly the stories will connect. Perhaps the change in casting is a catalyst for the story, as Lang tries to find out what happened to his daughter that he reunited with during the events of Endgame.

    It leads them on an adventure through the Quantum Realm and comes face-to-face with Kang. There are still some open questions surrounding Michelle Pfeiffer‘s Janet van Dyne and her time in this realm. So, it might connect to the overarching multiverse plotline that got kicked off by Loki‘s final episode.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Black Widow’ Passes $150M Domestically as M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’ Takes Top Spot

    ‘Black Widow’ Passes $150M Domestically as M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’ Takes Top Spot

    We’ve entered the third Box Office weekend for Black Widow and it’s not looking good for the domestic Box Office overall’s development. M. Night Shyamalan‘s Old took the top spot with a painful $16.5M. It beat out Snake Eyes, which aimed to revive the G.I. Joe franchise. The Henry Golding-led project garnered $13.3M at the Box Office. Even with a smaller budget of $88M, the overall Box Office of the weekend has been rather subpar. Even last week’s top spot holder, Space Jam: A New Legacy, dropped to the fourth spot by 69%. It proves that pandemic releases are extremely frontloaded.

    Black Widow held unto the third spot of the domestic Box Office. It even managed to break the pandemic record for passing $150M ahead of F9‘s record. The film did hold surprisingly stated in comparison to its second weekend with a 55% drop. It seems very likely it might pass the latter’s overall domestic Box Office, but worldwide suffering from a limited release. Especially F9‘s dominance in the Chinese movie market is making it this summer’s tentpole release. $215M of its total $621M Box Office was purely in China.

     

    F9 Review: Justin Lin Gets Fast & Furious Back on the Right Track | IndieWire

     

    Marvel Studios’ latest entry release in the market remains uncertain. Its Disney+ release has been hurting the film’s potential longevity. But, there have been some similar developments with and without digital releases. The second-week drops have been around 65 to 70% for each film. Space Jam continues the tradition and showcases that repeat viewing is reserved for home. Disney has never released the follow-up numbers for their digital release, but there were hints through third-party analysis that it almost even doubled in its second week.

    The lack of transparency is the issue and in comparison to other MCU films, Black Widow is on par with Phase 1 releases. The true test will end up being Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Its September release without a Disney+ Premier Access option may offer a better look at how strong the hold is for an MCU project without the digital influences. Yet, current developments with the Delta Variant may hint at Plus, the current issue with its Chinese release also opens up many questions regarding Marvel’s dependency on foreign Box Office.

    Source: Variety, Forbes (BW), Forbes (SE), The Numbers, The Numbers (F9)