Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: MCU

  • 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

  • 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

  • ‘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)

  • New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Funko Leak Teases Multiple Strange Variants

    New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Funko Leak Teases Multiple Strange Variants

    It looks like a new Funko Pop list has found its way online that leaks some rather interesting new additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It includes a list of characters for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel. There aren’t many surprised in the Disney+ list, but the Strange sequel has the most interesting teases. The list includes the known characters of Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Christine Palmer, Mordo, America Chavez, and Rintrah.

    That is not all, as it also teases different Variants of our titular hero and Wong. The list includes Supreme Strange, Defender Strange, and Defender Wong. The Defender naming could be a new costume, but the inclusion of Supreme Strange, who is to make his debut in the upcoming What If series hints at him facing different Variants across the multiverse. Instagram user mariobros612 shared the leak.

     

     

    The inclusion of the dark version of Doctor Strange is a curious one. In a way, it makes sense he would join the live-action adaptation, as we did see a regular version of the character in the first What If trailer. So, the series and his upcoming film might intersect at some point, which also adds some credence to the live-action inclusion of Haley Atwell’s Captain Carter. It’s only been a few days since she was rumored to appear in the Doctor Strange sequel. So, the inclusion of his What If counterpart adds more credence to this rumor. The film is set to release in March and we might get a trailer before the end of the year that may finally hint at how much of the multiverse Strange will face in the upcoming film.

    Source: Instagram

  • New ‘What If’ Funko Pop for Party Thor Revealed

    New ‘What If’ Funko Pop for Party Thor Revealed

    We’ve covered quite a few of Marvel Studios’ Funko Pop lines. They’ve offered some insight into character designs or even confirmed leaked storylines for the upcoming What If series. We normally get a small line-up of characters ahead of the series premiere with new reveals following shortly after. Yet, the animated series might have the largest line-up ahead of its August premiere.

    It makes sense with each episode focusing on a new Variant from the recently established multiverse. Just the other day we got our first look at an exclusive Black Widow and Collector Funko Pop for Marvel’s Collector Box. It seems they aren’t the only one, as Party Thor’s Funko Pop is heading to Walmart.

     

    The episode will explore a party so large, it threatens the future of the galaxy. We got a glimpse of this version of Thor facing Ultron bots in an earlier trailer, which may hint at them intersecting at some point. We still don’t know exactly if each episode will be unique and then crossover at some point. We did get a full look t his golden armor with some early artwork leaks. It seems like this version of the God of Thunder never learned humility as he became the next ruler of Asgard. Here’s hoping we get another glimpse n the coming weeks of what this party is all about and who the guests might be. If he involves the entire galaxy, we might see quite a few familiar faces join the festivities.

    Source: Twitter

  • Top 5 Directors To Direct ‘SPIDER-MAN’s Next Trilogy

    Top 5 Directors To Direct ‘SPIDER-MAN’s Next Trilogy

    Jon Watts‘ time behind the Spider-Man camera is coming to an end. The director will close his run on the character with this year’s No Way Home before making a lateral move to take control of Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four franchise. This means that, should Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker be renewed for a second trilogy, the series will require a brand new supervisor. Luckily, there is no shortage of hungry talent in Hollywood that would be perfect to helm one of the world’s most profitable intellectual properties. I’ve taken the liberty of combing through the endless list of names to present you with five that I think have a shot at keeping things interesting.

     

    Rick Famuyiwa

     

    Let’s talk about Dope. The 2015 indie hit is a coming-of-age tale about an intelligent, nerdy kid thrust into a bigger, more dangerous world than he ever intended to join. Doesn’t it sound familiar? It was all pulled off with softhearted, fast-paced brilliance by the maestro Rick Famuyiwa, who is perhaps my top pick to direct the next entry in the Spider-Man mythos. If his name sounds familiar to all the geeks out there, it’s because he’s spent the past couple of years directing acclaimed episodes of The Mandalorian. His work shows his good relationship with Disney and his adeptness at mixing big-budget action with tender personal moments. Famuyiwa‘s early projects, like Brown Sugar, prove he can handle Peter’s romantic personal life, and the brief time he was hired to direct Warner Bros.’ The Flash gave the world a tease at how committed he could be to bringing a comic adaptation to life.

     

    Edgar Wright

     

    Maybe the fan-favorite pick to helm the next generation of Spider-Man. It makes so much sense that I barely feel the need to elaborate. Edgar Wright makes crowd-pleasing movies that are fast, fun, and colorful. His protagonists are typically quirky, with skill and a heart of gold. All in all, Wright‘s sensibilities feel tailor-made for the realm of Peter Parker, and comic purists would be pleased to know the guy who ripped Scott Pilgrim vs. The World straight off the page was in charge of bringing Spidey into adulthood. He has worked with Marvel Studios in the past, and while it didn’t end on the best of terms, it seems that hatchet got buried some time ago. 

     

    Zoe Lister-Jones

     

    You may best know Zoe Lister-Jones for her work in front of the television camera. She had a recurring role on New Girl and Life in Pieces. Yet, some of her best work in the industry might have happened in the director’s chair. Lister-Jones entered the scene with an underrated masterpiece, Band Aid, which focused on a married couple who use music as a form of couple’s therapy. More recently, she produced How It Ends, wherein a woman tries coming to terms with herself before the world ends.

    If you didn’t pick up on it, there’s a theme in her body of work. She’s obsessed with discussing the human condition, and it’s the kind of obsession any director needs to have if they’re going to get to the heart of Spider-Man correctly. She might not have a gigantic resume, but Marvel loves to hire up-and-coming indie filmmakers with a good pitch and a better passion.

     

    Justin Lin

     

    Justin Lin is the unsung hero of the modern blockbuster. This is the man who made the Fast & Furious franchise a global sensation and reminded audiences that a big-budget Star Trek film could be both beautiful and thought-provoking. As ridiculous as some of Lin‘s projects can be, there are few directors working today that manage to produce such outrageous action scenes while keeping the idea of love and family so central to their story. Many people forget that the Taiwanese filmmaker also has a background in acclaimed television. He directed the famous paintball episode of Community and episodes of the Emmy-winning True Detective. His range alone, with experience in both low-budget and big-budget comedy, action, and drama, is enough to justify a Spidey nod from Marvel Studios.

     

    Rob McElhenney

     

    At first, it may sound like a reach, but hear me out. Rob McElhenney has never directed a film before, but he has produced some of the last decade’s best episodes of television history. Everyone knows he co-created America’s finest comedy series, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, but fewer people seem to know about his work on the AppleTV+ show Mythic Quest. There, McElhenney has directed what could be equated to four nearly-perfect short films, handling topics like the downfall of marriage, the growth of man, and the brutal COVID-19 pandemic with grace and understanding. If Marvel Studios and Sony wanted to go outside the box with their pick to bring Peter Parker’s college years to life, they could do a lot worse than McElhenney.

  • New ‘What If’ Funko Pop Leak Offers Closer Look at Black Widow and Collector

    New ‘What If’ Funko Pop Leak Offers Closer Look at Black Widow and Collector

    It looks like the next wave of What If Funko pops have found their way online. It’s been only three weeks since the first wave found its way online featuring Captain Carter, Star-Lord T’Chall, Hydra Stomper, Gamora, and Doctor Strange Supreme. Now, the next two Funko’s have found their way online from the upcoming animated series that will be available with the Marvel Collector Corps. They feature the version of Black Widow from the post-apocalypse and The Collector. Instagram user dis.trackers provided the first look at the new Funko Pops that are a must-buy for many collectors.

     

    It’s been around two months since we first heard about the post-apocalyptic episode featuring Black Widow. The episode would explore the aftermath of Ultron dropping Sokovia and decimating the planet. It could be the first time we see the comic location known as the Wasteland in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We don’t have any details on the episode, but the official poster does tease Vision in Ultron armor wielding all Infinity Stones. So, he might’ve finally obtained his perfec body and ruled the galaxy while he was at it.

    The Collector isn’t too much of a departure from what we know of the character. There was a tease of T’Challa facing off against him, which seems to be the most likely episode to feature him. In it, Yondu picks up the Wakandan instead of Peter Quill and he becomes an integral part of the Ravagers. The trailer teases a very unique dynamic between the two and could see the world unravel in a unique way. Wht If premieres August on Disney+ and we can’t wait to see what other scenarios we might witness.

    Source: Instagram