Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel

  • First ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos Tease The God Butcher’s Home World

    First ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos Tease The God Butcher’s Home World

    After a new wave of delays, the future of cinema seems uncertain once more. We are still waiting for another delay or announcement for Marvel Studios’ Black Widow. It already got delayed by an entire year, so it seems likely that it will continue getting pushed back. Disney is still testing out another round with their Premium Access strategy once Raya and the Last Dragon releases in March. They might be waiting out until then. For now, it is uncertain what the future has in store for Marvel. Yet, these delays aren’t stopping them from getting future projects filmed, so they are available for their original release date. As such, we were anxiously waiting for any updates or set photos.

    Thor: Love and Thunder is currently preparing to film in Sidney’s Centennial Park. The Daily Mail was able to get a few photos from the film’s production design being built. It may offer us our first real look at what may be one of the many planets visited throughout the film. It looks like they are preparing a desert-inspired biome, so they might cover the background with a green screen.

     

     

    Comic fans might instantly recognize the background. It looks like they are building the home planet of Gorr the God Butcher, who will be played by Christian Bale in the upcoming film. It would make sense that they explore his backstory, so they might be preparing a flashback or what could even be the opening of the film. It is uncertain what role Gorr will have in the film, as we’ve seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe adapt well-known characters in unique ways. There could even be a chance that Hela makes an appearance, as she was wielding the weapon we commonly connect with the God Butcherer. Hopefully, we might also get a closer look at the set once they officially start filming.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • ‘WANDAVISION’ Episode 3 Primer

    ‘WANDAVISION’ Episode 3 Primer

    The first two episodes of WandaVision covered a lot of ground. In episode one, Wanda and Vision got married, Wanda made a new friend, Agnes, Vision got a job at Computational Services inc. In the second episode, Wanda and Vision were making every effort to fit in. Vision went to a neighborhood watch meeting to be “one of the guys.” During that meeting, he swallowed a piece of gum and got all wacky. Meanwhile, Wanda went to a planning committee meeting where she first met Geraldine, played by Teyonah Parris, who we know was cast as Monica Rambeau. Wanda and Vision even won an award at the talent show. Dor most of the time, Wanda and Vision were living the American dream in Westview.

    However, there were a lot of weird things in these two episodes. Even though Wanda and Vision’s life seems to be nice and easy, something isn’t right here. Almost Immediately it is obvious things aren’t quite right, such as when they can’t remember why there is a heart on the calendar. They are confused and can’t seem to remember a lot. When Agnes comes over to say hello to her new neighbors, Wanda can’t seem to answer any questions about her life. While at work, it’s obvious Vision doesn’t know what they do at his job. When Vision’s boss comes over for dinner, they can’t answer anything about themselves like when they were married, or where they moved from. At the end of the first episode, things got even weirder when we realized that their “show” was being observed by a S.W.O.R.D. agent.

    WandaVision: What Is SWORD, Explained

    The strangeness carries into episode two with the loud banging outside their bedroom. It continued when Wanda found a S.W.O.R.D. logo on a helicopter, which was in color when everything else was black and white, in the rosebushes of their house. When Wanda was at the committee meeting she stayed after to help Dottie clean up, during this time the radio started saying “Wanda, who is doing to you?!”. Whatever happened with the radio seemed to make Dottie snap out of some sort of trance. Finally, at the end of the second episode, when Wanda and Vision found out they were having a baby, they were interrupted by another loud bang. Outside they saw a man in a beekeeper suit with the S.W.O.R.D. logo and it was here things got even weirder when we saw Wanda “rewind” time. There are also those creepy commercials that have led fans to develop a lot of crazy theories. Both episodes gave plenty of hints that Wanda and Vision’s American dream might be more of an American nightmare.

    Arlyn’s Assumptions

    Teyonah Parris Is Ready to Introduce a 'Badass' Monica Rambeau in ' WandaVision' (Exclusive) | Entertainment Tonight

    Wanda’s rapidly advancing pregnancy means that the long-awaited debut of Billy and Tommy is going to happen soon. In the comics, the twins have a very complicated back story, so the question is will it play out in WandaVision? Are they going to go into the complicated comic book storyline or will they create their own unique path in the MCU? I think Marvel Studios might make it a little easier and let the kids travel between whatever reality it is that they are into the real world. Wanda hasn’t figured out who Geraldine actually is, but she is bound to find out as we’ve seen in the trailer and it didn’t seem like Wanda would be too happy about it. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too long before the happy couple’s bubble bursts.

    The third episode of WandaVision streams tomorrow on Disney Plus.

  • Theory Thursday: Dottie’s True Identity

    Theory Thursday: Dottie’s True Identity

    Dottie is the key to everything in this town…

    With the debut of WandaVision last week, the first 2 episodes certainly left viewers with a lot more questions than answers. Why is everything in black and white? Why are we in the past? Why is there a laugh track? How did Wanda rewind the tape? All very valid questions. But perhaps one of the most important ones being asked is, Who is Dottie? There have been a number of theories popping up here and there. Some believe Dottie is the leader of her own cult or coven of witches in Westview. Others believe she is the sorceress Clea. Others think she may actually be the supernatural being known as Mephisto. I actually have another interesting idea in regards to who Dottie may be. But for this character, we’re going to have to dig deep into the Marvel Comics lore.

    Dottie is…Arcanna Jones

     

    Arcanna Jones is a very classic Marvel Comics character, dating back to her debut in the 1980s, as part of the Squadron Supreme. While very little of her personal history is known, she has 1 unique characteristic: Arcanna was born with magical abilities. And not only that, but she is a full-on sorceress. Arcanna has magical ability over the elements of nature, earth, air, fire, and water, as well as the ability to cast illusions. Perhaps her connection to nature is why her roses are “divine” and “grow under penalty of death.” But how did I come to this conclusion? There’s one key character that connects it all together.

    Phil Jones looks more than meets the eye.

    At first glance, Phil Jones looks like the stereotypical side character of the show. But I assure you, he’s far from it. In the comics, Phil Jones is actually Arcanna’s husband and in WandaVision, we know that Phil Jones is married to Dottie. So perhaps in this new reality inside WandaVision, Arcanna underwent a similar change to that of Kathryn Hann’s Agnes, whom many believe to be Agatha Harkness, and assumed a new identity as Dottie.

    What do you guys think? Is Dottie Arcanna? Or someone else?

  • Scoop: Marvel Studios Throws a “Changeup”

    Scoop: Marvel Studios Throws a “Changeup”

    Identifying and tracking the projects Marvel Studios has “on deck” is one of our favorite things to do at Murphy’s Multiverse. Over the last 5 months, this has led us to the discovery of 6 new production companies. Beginning with Solve Everything and Grass-Fed, continuing to Arlyn Murphy’s discovery of Blueberry Waffles, Standoffish and Log Jam and identifying Frequent Productions the day of Disney’s Investor Day presentation. All 6 of these production companies have since been confirmed to be Marvel Studios productions so we recently had some fun trying to match them up with known upcoming projects; however, we might have to throw most of that out the window as it turns out we have to add another one to the mix: Changeup Productions.

    Just identifying a 7th production company was enough to put a hitch in any efforts to match them up, but that process was further complicated the fact that the creation of Changeup predates Blueberry Waffles, Log Jam and Standoffish by a month and the creation of Frequent by two months. While it’s not a sure thing, it likely indicates that whatever project Changeup is will be filming sooner than those other 4. With that in mind and knowing that Marvel Studios is looking to get filming on Secret Invasion going before mid-year, the Nicky Fury-centric series seems the most likely fit.

    Captain Marvel Directors Reveal Why They Made Skrulls the Good Guys

    Regardless of which project Changeup turns out to be, it leaves us with one more production company than known projects meaning that Kevin Feige didn’t play all his cards at Disney Investor Day and there’s another project which is likely to begin filming in either 2021 or early 2022.  Deadpool 3, Ghost Rider, Illuminati, Nomad (still not sure exactly what it is but it could be the vehicle for Chris Evans’ return to the MCU) Nova, Secret Warriors or Young Avengers are leading candidates for whichever production company ends up unmatched now, but for the moment, we’re still trying to put a puzzle together without all the pieces. As always, we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

  • The Commercials of ‘WANDAVISION’ Might Be Selling More Than We Think

    The Commercials of ‘WANDAVISION’ Might Be Selling More Than We Think

    As we’ve seen so far, the commitment to making the first 2 episodes of WandaVision as authentic to the sitcoms of old was pretty next-level. Whether it was the live studio audience, the aspect ratio of the screen or even the audio, it was clear that a great deal of effort was expended both in the planning and execution of making these sitcoms as close to the “real deal” as possible. No network sitcom would be complete without some great advertising and product placement targeting the subconscious of the viewer. To that end, Marvel Studios prepared an impressive and unexpected ad campaign based around the tragedies that have befallen Wanda Maximoff.

    These have been widely broken down and discussed but with another episode of WandaVision just a couple of days away, it’s a good time to get your gears spinning again in anticipation of the continued trip through Wanda’s tragic past. So far, both episodes of WandaVision have had short commercials hosted by actors Ithamar Enriquez and Victoria Blade. While they’re definitely following the script of 50’s and 60’s TV commercials, the couple themselves are a bit of an enigma and have been the source of some pretty wild and pretty great theories, including one of great interest: that the commercial hosts are the parents of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. In all of Marvel Comics there’s probably no more muddled, twisted and retconned backstory than that of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. It seems like most casual fans are under the impression that their father is the classic X-Men villain Magneto, but that’s not been the case for some time, and in fact, in current continuity, Wanda and Pietro are no longer mutants dating back to 2014’s AXIS event. While it’s highly unlikely that Enriquez is Magneto incognito, the case could be made that he’s some version of Django Maximoff, the brother of the twins’ mother, Natalya, and the man that raised them as his own children. If that’s the case, it’s possible that Blade is playing either his wife, Marya, or, more intriguingly, his sister Natalya.

    As explained in James Robinson’s 2015 Scarlet Witch, Natalya Maximoff was herself an incredibly powerful witch herself from a line of witches who each held the title of Scarlet Witch before Wanda inherited it. A panel from Robinson’s series was among the many we found in the background of the Expanding the Universe documentary, indicating that it was likely a book that had some influence on the development of WandaVision. The One-Above-All himself has told us that this series will explore the backstory of Wanda and see her truly become the Scarlet Witch, so it’s not completely ridiculous to think that we might just be meeting (or already have met) Wanda’s mother.

     

     

    As for the nature of the commercials themselves, while it’s clear that they are alluding to the tragedies that have befallen Wanda, there’s certainly some more subtext to them than that. The toaster in the first commercial has widely been interpreted as analogous to the bomb that Wanda and Pietro talked about in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the tagline (“Forget the past, this is your future”) is clearly aimed less at viewers and more at Wanda herself. The Strucker watch in the second commercial is a clear call back to the time she spent being experimented on by Baron Strucker and Doctor List, but its appearance in an episode that reveals time isn’t quite right (Wanda appears visibly pregnant the morning after she and Vision get it on) is also probably relevant.

    As we move forward, we can certainly expect to see other tragedies relived (the deaths of her brother and Vision sure to be among them), but let’s also continue to pay attention to the hints to Wanda being trapped, apparently against her will, which are coming through in classic commercial attacks on the subconscious.

    A new episode of WandaVision streams this Friday!

     

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Adds Ginger Gonzaga in a Major Supporting Role

    ‘She-Hulk’ Adds Ginger Gonzaga in a Major Supporting Role

    The upcoming She-Hulk series is one of the most anticipated projects coming to Disney+. Many fans are ecstatic to see Jennifer Walters make her live-action debut. It wasn’t until Disney’s Investors Day that Tatianna Maslany got confirmed as the Gamma-powered lawyer. The show will be Marvel’s first attempt at a half-hour courtroom comedy. So far, we only know that Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner and Tim Roth‘s Abomination will reprise their roles in the series. Luckily, Deadline revealed that a supporting role got cast.

    Ginger Gonzaga joins the production in the role of Walter’s currently unnamed best friend. Deadline doesn’t offer much info on what role she is playing specifically. She has worked on several comedy shows, such as Jim Carrey‘s Kidding, Mixology, and The Morning After. Gonzaga may be playing Jill Stevens, who briefly appeared in Savage She-Hulk #2. In the comics, she was Jennifer Walters’s best friend since childhood. Illuminerdi also reported they are looking into casting a character that fits the description of Angie Huang. She was Jennifer’s assistant in the comics. They may have combined both of these characters into one.

    She-Hulk will reportedly begin filming its ten-episode count in the next few months. Currently, it seems likely it will release on the Disney+ streaming service sometime next year. The series tapped Rick and Morty writer Jessica Gao with Kat Coiro and Anu Valia directing the episodes. Illuminerdi also reported they are looking into casting Augustus Pugliese and Titiana, so we might get some news on their casting as we near the production start.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Marvel’s Behind the Mask’ Documentary Heading to Disney+

    ‘Marvel’s Behind the Mask’ Documentary Heading to Disney+

    Marvel has just announced that a brand new documentary is heading to Disney+ exclusively on February 12th. Marvel’s Behind the Mask will focus on the secret identities rather than the costumed vigilantes. It will feature writers and artists from Marvel’s history who have worked on characters, such as Miles Morales, Ms. Marvel, Luke Cage, and many more. It will be a feature film directed by Michael Jacobs and got produced by Marvel New Media. The documentary aims to explore the topic of equal rights in a world filled with heroes and villains alike while exploring the impact of these characters on pop culture and media.

    This is the second documentary produced by Marvel for the streaming platform. Most notably, they released a series of documentaries titled Marvel 616 just a few months ago. It explored a variety of topics, such as the original Japanese Spider-Man series, the woman of Marvel’s history, and the fan’s dedication to the series. So, Behind the Mask seems like a perfect addition to Disney+. It gives Marvel a chance to explore the many facets of their history.

    I am quite curious how they approach this story. Exploring the secret identities is a great idea. It is insane to think that the brand has 80+ years of history on its back, so they certainly have many different corners they can explore. The mentioning of their adaptation into media may also tease that we could get some new footage for Ms. Marvel as she will be making her debut later in the year. Luckily, we won’t have to wait long until the film debuts on the streaming service, as it will stream on February 12th.

    Source: Marvel

  • Karen Gillan Confirms Nebula’s Return in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Karen Gillan Confirms Nebula’s Return in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Just a few weeks ago, we got hints that Nebula actress Karen Gillan was joining Thor: Love and Thunder. She was sharing various photos on Instagram about her heading to Australia. Since then, it seems that more Guardians of the Galaxy were joining the production. Just yesterday, we even got the news that Matt Damon was going to become a part of the production. So far, it still has never been officially confirmed. In a recent Instagram Story, she gave away that she is indeed returning as Nebula in the upcoming Thor sequel.

    I cut it the other day in preparation for Nebula, so that we don’t have to get so much hair into the bald cap because I have so much hair, it’s unbelievable. It’s just so thick.

    It is still crazy to think back to when she shaved her head for Guardians of the Galaxy. While they did find a way to use a bald cap, seems her hair still doesn’t make it an easy process. It is great to finally get a confirmation on her addition. So far, only Chris Pratt‘s return as Star-Lord was officially announced, so this is a safe sign the rest of the Guardians will also make their return. They probably will only have a brief appearance in the film, as Thor took off alongside them at the end of Avengers: Endgame. There is also the possibility that we spend some time with him on various space adventures alongside the Guardians. They might have a bigger role, as they aid the Asgardian in his battle against the God Butcher. There is still some time until the film officially airs, so it will be interesting what else might get announced in the coming months.

    Source: Digital Spy

  • Analyzing the Influences of the 50s and 60s Episodes of ‘WANDAVISION’

    Analyzing the Influences of the 50s and 60s Episodes of ‘WANDAVISION’

    WandaVision has finally premiered on Disney+, which means we’ve finally got our first real showcase of the way the cast and crew incorporated various sitcoms into the story. Each of the first two episodes was not only rooted in a different decade, but a specific show from that decade…well, sort of.

    The 1950s

    Did You Catch This Easter Egg in the WANDAVISION Trailer? - Nerdist

    Episode 1 begins the series in the era which marked the dawn of television sitcoms: the 1950s. I was expecting a lot more imagery and references to the most iconic of 1950’s sitcoms, I Love Lucy, and that it would be the main inspiration behind the episode, but that show has been parodied and referenced so much that it seems almost like a cliche at this point and to do too much of that would have probably felt cartoonish.

    So I was totally game to see different way of taking on the era. But it was odd that the main overall inspiration for the 1950’s set episode is clearly The Dick Van Dyke Show…which first aired in 1961.

    Thankfully, the clothing, manner of speech, and music (“Yakety Yak” came out in 1959) are all grounded in the intended decade. The main things inspired from The Dick Van Dyke Show are the house set and the episode’s plot. While the storyline isn’t directly lifted from the series, the very first episode of Dick Van Dyke sees the show’s central couple attend a dinner party in order to impress the main character’s boss and being coerced into entertaining the guests at the event.

    The other element of the episode that is reminiscent Dick Van Dyke’s is the theme song, from the similar music and tune to the imagery, specifically the moment with Vision trying to carry Wanda into the house bridal-style but dropping her as he walks through the door without opening it. (On Dick Van Dyke the bridal carrying is ruined by tripping upon entering the house).

    The 1960s

    WandaVision Episode 2 Recap: 1960s Magic, for the Children | NDTV Gadgets 360

    The creators of WandaVision probably elected to pass off The Dick Van Dyke Show as a 1950’s series so they could reserve the 1960’s episode for the show most obviously suited to a show about Scarlet Witch, Bewitched.

    The references to Bewitched in this episode are similar to that of The Dick Van Dyke Show in the previous one. The set is very similar to the one seen on the classic sitcom, and the theme song for this era of WandaVision is mostly instrumental and the video for it is entirely animated. While Bewitched is the show most famous for this theme song format, several others of this era used it as well, including I Dream of Jeannie and Angel.

    Like the first, this episode’s plot also takes inspiration from the show it’s emulating; the Bewitched episode “It’s Magic” sees Samantha, the “witch” referenced in the show’s title, subbing in for a magician’s assistant at a charity show and secretly using magic in order to help him perform successfully despite his drunkenness.

    Another aspect of this episode’s storyline that also references Bewitched (and many other shows that were produced during the 1960s) is the change from black-and-white to color; Bewitched similarly began its run in black-and-white, but switched to color a few seasons into its run in 1966.

    Not a Crutch, But a Tool

    What I’m finding interesting about the sitcom elements of WandaVision is that some of the more minor references aren’t necessarily from shows that were on the air during the episode’s set time period. At one point in the first episode, Agnes brings a pineapple over for Wanda to use in the dinner party’s dessert, which some have speculated to be a reference to “The Pineapple Incident” on How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014). Later in the episode, a lobster appears as a door-knocker (which was not on the door when it was opened earlier in the show) which could be a reference to the famous lobster/soulmate comparison on Friends (1994-2004).

    So far it appears that WandaVision isn’t necessarily trying to make a lot of specific references to a bunch of famous sitcoms (other than the one inspiring the episode’s overall aesthetic and tone) but incorporating various tropes and using the style of the genre to tell its own story, which is ultimately the wisest decision for a show that will ultimately help propel the MCU forward.

  • Matt Damon Lands in Australia to Join ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Matt Damon Lands in Australia to Join ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Here’s an interesting surprise. It seems that while everyone was getting ready for the production of Thor: Love and Thunder, Matt Damon was also sighted alongside his family in Sidney. According to news.com.au, he arrived there for the mandatory quarantine before joining the production. This isn’t the first time he appeared in a Marvel Studios or Thor film. He had a brief sequence in Thor: Ragnarok, where he played the role of Loki reenacting The Dark World‘s death sequence. As noted by the source, it is rather unlikely he’d fly all the way to Australia and go through quarantine for just a brief cameo, so he may have a larger role in the film. There is no official word on it, so we can probably assume that it may just be director Taika Waititi who wanted to continue his running joke. Perhaps we will also see the return of Sam Neill, who played Odin in the previously-mentioned play.

    The site also offers some interesting teases of the film’s upcoming production. It is currently set to invest $178 million in the local economy. As a result, it will create 2,500 jobs and work alongside 1,650 Australian businesses. They got a location incentive of $24,1 million from the Australian government. The budgets behind films are high but they play a key role in many economies, as they reinvest that money into local businesses and offer new job opportunities. They also mention that other actors are in Australia for different productions, most notably Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. Elba is especially noteworthy after his character passed away in Avengers: Infinity War. There is still a chance he may have a cameo of some kind, maybe helping Thor through the challenge that faces him.

    Source: News