Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: MCU News

  • Rumored Casting Call Could Bring an All-New Team of Heroes to Marvel Studios ‘Nova’

    Rumored Casting Call Could Bring an All-New Team of Heroes to Marvel Studios ‘Nova’

    While Marvel Studios Blade continues to struggle to get into production, a character whose “immediate potential” to enter the MCU predates the 2019 SDCC announcement of Blade is still waiting for an entry point. Nova, Marvel’s Human Rocket, was first identified by Kevin Feige as a character to keep an eye on at 2018’s premiere of Avengers: Infinity War and while the studio put the gears in motion on a streaming series over two years ago, little progress has been made. However, it sounds as though the project may be getting closer to lift off and a new casting call could point toward a classic late-80s, early-90s comic book team showing up in the streaming series.

    According to insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios has brought a showrunner on board for Nova and in addition to having begun the search for the show’s lead, the studio is also searching for additional talent that has been described as a “group of young protagonists.” While there’s been no indication of whether or not the series will feature Richard Rider or Sam Alexander, the inclusion of a group of young protagonists could be a clue that it’s Rider and the group could just be…The New Warriors!

    While Rider’s time as Nova is certainly most associated with Cosmic adventures such as Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest, many of his early adventures took place on Earth, including teaming up with Night Thrasher, Vance Astro, Firestar, Namorita and Speedball to form the original New Warriors. Introducing the team alongside Rider in a Nova streaming series would be a surprise to be sure but a welcome one.

    The New Warriors almost made it to the screen as a traditional TV series on Freeform. After being greenlit as a 10-episode series in 2017, the series filmed a pilot which was highly regarded but never made it out of the can. Created and written by Kevin Biegel, New Warriors would have featured Squirrel Girl, Mr. Immortal, Microbe, Debrii and original team members Night Thrasher and Speedball. After being dropped by Freeform, New Warriors never found another studio and ultimately was shelved. Could Nova give new life to the group? It’s far too early to say but it is an interesting possibility.

  • Marvel’s Rebuilt ‘Vision’ Series May Be Searching for A Key Young Avenger

    Marvel’s Rebuilt ‘Vision’ Series May Be Searching for A Key Young Avenger

    After being in development under the care of Jac Schaeffer for over a year and a half, the Paul Bettany-centric WandaVision spinoff series originally titled Vision Quest, is now under new management. In April 2024, Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas was revealed to have taken over development on the now-untitled series. Despite Matalas only recently taking over, the series remains on track for a late 2024 start of production with an eye on streaming on D+ in 2026. To that end, the studio has begun the casting process and some details on the search for an actor to fill one of the series’ key roles may hint at one of Marvel Comics Young Avengers popping up.

    According to insider Daniel RPK, the studio is casting for an 18 to 20-year-old to star as one of the series’ co-leads. While no further details were provided, one very interesting possibility comes to mind as to which character might co-lead the series alongside Bettany‘s Vision.

    While we’ll keep additional details about the role under wraps, for now, they do exist. By connecting those dots to the ones revealed by Daniel RPK, it’s possible that the co-lead of the series will be Tommy Shepherd, the son of Vision and Wanda and the brother of Billy Kaplan.

    Kaplan, played by Joe Locke, is set to make his debut this Fall in Agatha All Along which will have to provide some explanation as to how the soul of Billy Maximoff, who disappeared when the Hex was broken, has come been reborn..sort of. If Billy is back, Tommy can’t be far behind and by casting for someone 18-20, they’re right in the same age range of Locke, who is 20 years old. In the comics, Tommy was part of the Avengers Fail-Safe program and was one of the original Young Avengers. With Kamala Khan gathering heroes and a Young Avengers project reportedly coming together quickly, it makes a whole lot of sense for Tommy to show up sooner rather than later.

  • ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Black Widow’ Scribe to Take Over Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Black Widow’ Scribe to Take Over Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    The road to getting Marvel Studios’ Blade into production has been more nightmarish than facing off with a pack of vampires. First announced at SDCC ’19, the film has struggled mightily to get off the ground. Originally set to be penned by the Emmy-nominated Stacy Osei-Kuffour, directed by Bassam Tariq and in theaters on November 3, 2023, Blade has seen more turnover on its creative staff than any project in Marvel Studios’ history and will almost certainly not make its latest release date of November 7, 2025. Now on the hunt to replace Tariq’s replacement, Yann Demange, the project has also hired a new writer to take over the screenplay and this time, it’s one the studio has collaborated with frequently.

    According to Variety, Eric Pearson has taken over screenwriting duties for Blade, following Logan writer Michael Green–among others–in that task.

    First breaking in as the writer of several of Marvel Studios’ One-Shots, Pearson has worked with the studio on Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four. According to the trade report, the powers that be at the studio see Pearson as “ a closer who can bring scripts over the finish line.” In the case of Blade, perhaps just getting to the starting line would represent growth.

    Marvel Studios’ Blade is currently as real as vampires and its release date cannot be seen in a mirror.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Blade’ Now Hunting for a New Director

    ‘Blade’ Now Hunting for a New Director

    Nearing the five-year mark since Marvel Studios’ One Above All, Kevin Feige, surprised the crowd at SDCC ’19 by bringing Mahershala Ali on stage to announce a Blade reboot was in the works. It may be another five years before the vampire film sees the light of day. The film has been delayed multiple times as original director Bassam Tariq left the film in 2022 and at least five different writers have taken a turn on the script after original scribe Stacey Osei-Koffour parted ways with the project. Now, the project has taken yet another stake to the heart.

    According to a new report from THR’s Borys Kit and Aaron Couch, director Yann Demange, who took over for Tariq, has exited the project.

    According to THR, Marvel Studios and Ali remain committed to bringing Blade to the screen but given all the delays, they are in no rush. Though Michael Green was the latest reported scribe to give Blade a pass, THR reports that Marvel’s finisher, Eric Pearson, has taken a cup of coffee on the film.

    Currently slated to hit theaters on November 7, 2025, Blade could be one of the first casualties of the studio’s mandate to cut back on the number of projects released per year. While it was expected to enter production this Fall, there’s no telling how long a search for a new director may take which could see the film move to 2026.

    Source: THR

  • Marvel Studios Big Horror Crossover Project Gets an Encouraging Update

    Marvel Studios Big Horror Crossover Project Gets an Encouraging Update

    In 2022, Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation Werewolf By Night was an unmitigated success. Michael Giacchino‘s 53-minute black-and-white feature paid homage to Universal’s classic horror films and opened the door for monsters to make their way into the MCU. However, nearly two years later, the studio has yet to follow up on that premise despite having a hotly anticipated film in the genre, Blade, in the works since 2019. Beset by a worrying inability to put together a script good enough to get the project up and running, a change in directors and the 2023 Hollywood writers’ strike, Blade has been delayed again and again, though it sounds like production will finally kick off later this year.

    Despite the delays to Blade, rumors have persisted for some time that the studios was already developing a follow-up project, Midnight Sons, that would see the Daywalker team up with the cast of characters from Werewolf By Night, Moon Knight and, possibly, Ghost Rider to take a major supernatural threat. While it was originally rumored that Marvel Studios was hoping to reteam with Giacchino on the project, other names, such as Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez, have also been tossed into the mix. Despite all the rumors, however, the project has yet to be mentioned by either the studio or a trade and until that happens, it’s best to let rumors be rumors no matter how interesting they may be. On that note, a new rumor about the project has popped up that, if true, could suggest Midnight Sons is on the fast track to the big screen.

    According to Nexus Point News, Logan and Blade Runner 2049 scribe Michael Green—who took over writing duties on Blade in 2023–has agreed to write the screenplay for Midnight Sons.

    Green’s impressive resume includes quite a few superhero properties in addition to Blade and Logan. Though he has the misfortune of having 2011’s Green Lantern on his filmography, he also worked on Smallville and Heroes in addition to writing for DC Comics. While we wait for anything official about Midnight Sons to come down from the studio (that COULD happen this summer during the convention circuit) we’ll continue to monitor the more interesting rumors about the project.

    Source: Nexus Point News

  • Mystery Marvel Streaming Series to Reportedly Have the Highest Live-Action Episode Count in the D+ Era

    Mystery Marvel Streaming Series to Reportedly Have the Highest Live-Action Episode Count in the D+ Era

    From 2013 to 2019, fans grew used to Marvel Television churning out seasons of traditional and streaming TV series that mostly consisted of 22 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) or 13 (Netflix’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage). As Marvel Studios began to produce their own series for Disney Plus, episode counts dropped significantly as did total runtime. The studio’s first series, WandaVision, was made up of 9 episodes that added up to only just about six hours of content. To date, with the exception of the five-episode Echo, the studio’s live-action series have had either six or nine episodes that have been structured more like films than TV series. Moving forward, the studio’s production practices are said to be changing and a series that the studio has hardly addressed at all may be one of the first examples of those changes.

    First reported to be in development in June 2022, Wonder Man will finally introduce one of Marvel Comics’ classic Avengers to the MCU. Yahya Abdul-Mateen ll will play stuntman turned super hero Simon Williams in the series which was written by Community and Brooklyn Nine-Nine scribe Andrew Guest and overseen by Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton. Despite photos of the production making their way online, fans have questioned if the series truly existed or if they were experiencing the Mandela Effect. Now, another trade has provided an update on the series that should help alleviate any concern.

    According to Deadline, Wonder Man—which was produced under the Marvel Spotlight banner–will consist of ten episodes.

    In February 2023, Stephen Broussard provided the only official comments by the studio about the series.


    [Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.

    -Stephen Broussard

    While there’s no timeline for when fans can expect the series to hit Disney Plus, it seems possible that it may not debut on the streamer until 2026 as it was left out of the studio’s Upfront presentation this Spring.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios Targeting a Familiar Face to Direct ‘Avengers 5’

    Marvel Studios Targeting a Familiar Face to Direct ‘Avengers 5’

    The road to Avengers 5 has been bumpy but it seems as though things are smoothing out as Marvel Studios begins the march toward production. First introduced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty at SDCC ’22, the project quickly gained momentum with Jonathan Majors set to lead the way as the titular villain, Destin Daniel Cretton signing on to direct and Jeff Loveness set to draft the screenplay. Originally slated for a May 2nd, 2025 release as part of the studio’s Phase Six plans, there were rumblings that the production on the project would kick off in late 2023. However, rather than see the project come together, late 2023 saw it fall apart entirely.

    I have this opportunity to write a vast, American epic–I’ll use American in a general term–but a big, American movie. I don’t take it lightly and I want to make it this big, sweeping and exciting, funny movie and I think we have the best actor in the world as the most complicated villain in comic books. So I can’t say too much, but we’re really swinging for the fences and I can’t wait for you to see what Jonathan does.

    –Jeff Lovenss on Jonathan Majors, February 2023
    Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is revealed as part of Phase Six at SDCC ’22

    As part of a complete overhaul of the theatrical slate due in part to the WGA strike, the release date for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was bumped down the road into May 2026. In order to focus on a pair of other projects at Marvel (Wonder Man and the Shang-Chi sequel), Cretton stepped down as director in November 2023. Just a couple of weeks later, Loveness–whose work on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania was the target of intense scrutiny–was replaced by Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron. Finally, just ahead of Christmas, Marvel cut ties with Majors after the actor was found guilty of reckless assault and harassment. With Majors gone and Waldron on the script, the studio dropped the subtitle The Kang Dynasty and went back to the drawing board, leaving the project draped in uncertainty. However, with the studio aiming to move into production on the project early next year, things are starting to come together quickly.

    According to Deadline, Marvel Studios has offered Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Shawn Levy the opportunity to direct Avengers 5.
    (L-R): Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Director Shawn Levy on the set of Marvel Studios’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

    With Levy’s first collaboration with the studio looking to be a sure hit, Deadline reports that Marvel has given Levy first crack at taking the job and provided him with Waldron’s latest draft of the script. While Levy ponders where the project could or could not fit in his very busy schedule and the studio waits for his decision, they are reportedly scheduling meetings with other talent to helm the project should Levy decline the gig.

    Despite a rough couple of months at the end of 2023, recent reports indicate that Marvel Studios fully intends to have cameras roll on the project early next year and have the film in theaters on May 1, 2026. To that end, Marvel reportedly started reaching out to talent earlier this year in the hopes that they’d clear their schedule to star in Avengers 5. Should everything come together, it would not be surprising to see the newly-retitled film be at the center of the studio’s convention circuit this summer, whether that be at July’s SDCC ’24 or August’s D23.

    Source: Deadline

  • Robert Downey’s MCU Return Sounds…Inevitable

    Robert Downey’s MCU Return Sounds…Inevitable

    It’s been made clear by all parties involved: Tony Stark’s heroic sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame will never be undone. But in an infinite Multiverse in which Stark himself invented time travel, the opportunities for the character–or a Variant of him–to show up seem truly infinite. And Robert Downey Jr. is starting to sound increasingly like someone who knows he’s going to return to his career-definig role sooner rather than later.

    Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, “Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.” It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.

    Robert Downey Jr., Esquire, 2024

    Since Endgame, Downey‘s career has reached all-new heights thanks to roles in projects such as Oppenheimer, for which he won an Oscar, and The Sympathizer. While some might think the success would lead him further away from the MCU, Downey has been quite forthcoming recently about his willingness to return to work with Marvel. Now, in a new interview with Jodie Foster Variety, he’s at it again and this time, the hints seem stronger.

    “It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” said Downey when asked if he’d think of suiting up as Iron Man again. Then, as if he was reliving Tony Stark’s speech at the end of Iron Man but deciding to stick with what’s on the cards, Downey added “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea.”

    While that’s stopping short of saying “I am Iron Man…again,” Downey’s rhetoric around his return has continued to sound more and more it’s a when and not an if. The TVA playing a large role in Deadpool & Wolverine provides one interesting possibility as do upcoming projects such as Ironheart and Armor Wars and, of course, Avengers: Secret Wars. It sure sounds like it’s only a matter of time before fans see Downey back in action in the MCU.

  • ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Trailer Teases Major Implications for the MCU’s Multiverse, ‘Secret Wars’

    ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Trailer Teases Major Implications for the MCU’s Multiverse, ‘Secret Wars’

    Sony’s third installment in the Venom franchise, Venom: The Last Dance, will land in theaters on October 25th. While it looks as though The Last Dance will indeed be the last dance for Venom, the first trailer for the project just teased some major implications for Marvel Studios Multiverse which could open the door–or did it shut it?–for Tom Hardy to continue on as Eddie Brock.

    As the trailer opens, Hardy’s Brock is seen to be wearing the same outfit he was wearing in the post-credit scene to Spider-Man: No Way Home. As a quick refresher, that scene–which followed up on the post-credit scene to Venom: Let There Be Carnage–was seemingly set in the MCU’s main 616 timeline. In it, Hardy’s Brock/Venom learned all about the MCU’s “superpeople” and their tangle with Thanos from Ted Lasso actor Cristo Fernández’s friendly bartender but, as he was transported back to whatever universe he counts as home, a bit of the symbiote was seen left behind at the bar. While online rumor and speculation has led to the belief that the symbiote bit would eventually find Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, the trailer for The Last Dance seems to indicate otherwise.

    In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

    Official Synopsis for Venom: The Last Dance

    At the 1:28 mark of the trailer, Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s character can be seen trapping the symbiote as Fernández’s character is interacting with it. Given Ejiofor’s character is shown interacting with Juno Temple’s character in the presence of a large collection of symbiotes, it would seem that he’s capturing the bit of Venom for study and, presumably, removing it from the 616.

    The scene has some fairly large-scale implications beyond the removal of the symbiote from the 616. Unless there’s some serious subterfuge at play, Ejiofor’s character will spend at least some portion of Venom: The Last Dance in the 616 in the immediate aftermath of the post-credit scene from Spider-Man: No Way Home. This means that someone from Brock’s universe has discovered a way to travel the Multiverse and the fact that a door has been opened between that universe and the MCU could tie directly into Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Secret Wars. Whatever the case, this seems to indicate an all-new level of cooperation between Marvel Studios and Sony and that can only benefit both moving forward.

    Venom: The Last Dance stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.

  • Giancarlo Esposito Set to Appear in a 2025 Marvel Studios Film

    Giancarlo Esposito Set to Appear in a 2025 Marvel Studios Film

    For years, fans have dreamt of Giancarlo Esposito landing a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Esposito recently revealed that dream had become a reality and teased fans that his character, which he hinted would be “new and original and fresh” would be revealed “sooner than you think.” He wasn’t wrong.

     Wouldn’t you like to see me play a character in a Marvel movie who is original, and new, and fresh? So, mark my words: This will happen sooner than you think.

    Giancarlo Esposito, CCXP24
    Murphy’s Multiverse can confirm that Giancarlo Esposito is set to appear in Captain America: Brave New World.

    A significant portion of Captain America: Brave New World was filmed in 2023 before the Hollywood work stoppage forced the production to go on pause. During that time, Marvel Studios execs determined that the project needed a major overhaul and brought writer Matthew Orton on board to assemble a script for reshoots. It would seem that Esposito‘s character, who appears as an antagonistic agent of chaos in the film, was added by Orton.

    The MCU has knocked on my door and it’s a role you won’t predict. It will be teased and there will be a series afterwards.

    Giancarlo Esposito, Phoenix Fan Fusion 2024

    Esposito has thrived as a disruptive force on the screen for nearly 20 years. The actor played arguably one of TV’s greatest villains as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and has since continued to make his mark as a big bad as The Mandalorian‘s Moff Gideon, the corrupt Stan Edgar in The Boys and, recently, Stanley Johnson in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen. While he won’t be playing Magneto or Doctor Doom in the MCU, as so many had hoped, Esposito‘s role in Brave New World certainly matches the actor’s indication of it being one which fans will not have expected and it appears as though he’s set to be a serious thorn in Sam Wilson’s side.

    Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 14, 2025.