Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: MCU Films

  • Disney Rumored to Be Killing Three Marvel Studios Franchises

    Disney Rumored to Be Killing Three Marvel Studios Franchises

    Since Bob Iger‘s return as Disney’s top dog, the House of Mouse’s major studios have been reflecting on the work they have been churning out. Chief among those is Marvel Studios, who after a string of projects that were critical and/or financial disappointments, has been mandated to slow down production and get back to the basics of what made the MCU the cultural phenomenon it was. The strikes served as a blessing in disguise in that regard, allowing Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios Parliament to rework several projects that were already in production and get ahead of the curve on others. As a result, it seems as though the end of the Multiverse Saga may ultimately be delayed a bit and while fans wait to find out when it will wrap up and what new projects will join those already known, a new rumor may help put that puzzle together.

    According to Marvel Studios insider Daniel RPK, Disney has decided not to move forward with a trio of sequels, effectively killing three Marvel Studios franchises. The scooper reports that the studio has decided not to move forward with more projects in the Captain Marvel and Ant-Man franchises and has “shelved” a sequel to 2021’s Eternals. The moves come as Iger reportedly wants Marvel to put their energy into projects that are sure-fire hits and reduce the number of risky projects in the pipeline.

    The Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, was a disappointment at the box office, falling well short of the big money its predecessor made in 2019. The target of a preemptive and hateful social media campaign that was successful in keeping fans out of theaters, the film has been fairly warmly received as it made its way to Disney Plus. The same can not be said, however, for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Plagued by rewrites, the film–which was supposed to be a major cornerstone of the Multiverse Saga–is the most critically panned MCU project. Neither of those projects were as risky as Eternals, which was also well-lambasted by critics. Word of development on a sequel to Eternals had been making its way around for some time but for now, it seems fairly unlikely to move forward.

  • ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Promo Art Provides First Look at Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader

    ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Promo Art Provides First Look at Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader

    2008’s The Incredible Hulk still stands as one of the MCU’s most critically panned films. Outside of Bruce Banner’s ongoing plight and a small recurring role for Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the characters and ideas introduced in the film were phased out of the MCU. Then, in 2021, a brief appearance by the Abomination in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings kicked off a renaissance for the project.

    Tim Roth returned as Emil Blonsky/The Abomination in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law which also put Banner’s blood–a key plot point in The Incredible Hulk–back in the spotlight. The renaissance is set to continue in Captain America: Brave New World where one of the MCU’s longest-gestating set-ups will finally pay off when Tim Blake Nelson will return as The Leader. While some photos from the set confirmed Nelson’s Samuel Sterns would be green in the new film, three been no good look at the character’s trademark massive dome, which audiences saw beginning to from after Banner’s blood dropped into an open head wound in The Incredible Hulk. Now, a new piece of concept art for the film, which was originally set to hit theaters in 2024, has found its way online.

    It’s certainly not the most revealing look but it does make clear that Sterns’ cranium has undergone some cosmetic changes since he was last scene.  The Leader’s role in the film has yet to be revealed but given his role in creating the Red Hulk in the comics, it’s possible he’ll find himself together with Harrison Ford’s Ross.

    Captain America: Brave New World is CURRENTLY set to hit theaters on February 14, 2025.

  • ‘Black Widow’ Writer Brought on to “Polish” Script for ‘The Fantastic Four’

    ‘Black Widow’ Writer Brought on to “Polish” Script for ‘The Fantastic Four’

    As the start of production on Marvel Studios long-awaited Fantastic Four reboot draws near, a new trade report has revealed a surprising bit of info about the studio’s efforts to improve the script. According to THR, Black Widow scribe Eric Pearson was brought on by the studio to “polish” the script before production begins this Summer.

    The Fantastic Four was originally written by Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer before being rewritten by Avatar: The Way of Water and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes writer Josh Friedman, who was brought on to beef up the science-fiction aspects of the project. According to THR’s report, Pearson, who also worked on Thor: Ragnarok and wrote the first draft of Thunderbolts for the studio, “has a reputation for taking projects over the finish line.”

    The Fantastic Four, which was first announced at SDCC ’19, was originally set to be directed by Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home skipper Jon Watts. However, Watts left the project in April 2022, leaving the project without a director until Matt Shakman took the regins in August 2022. Shakman and the studio are taking their time with the project as it stands to be one of Marvel’s biggest draws in years as it brings Marvel Comics First Family into the MCU. After an extensive casting search, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were announced as the Fantastic Four in February and production is slated to get underway this Summer in the UK.

    The Fantastic Four is currently slated to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

    Source: THR