Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: MCU

  • ‘Loki’ Head Writer Michael Waldron Teases ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Connection

    ‘Loki’ Head Writer Michael Waldron Teases ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Connection

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe has slowly changed throughout the years. Some stories were isolated while others would influence or have unforeseen consequences on the events of another. As Phase 4 starts to expand, we’re starting to notice that the stories being told are more interconnected than ever before. This appears to now have become the case with the release of Junes’ Disney+ show, Loki. According to Michael Waldron, the head writer for Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there could be a potential connection between the timeline shenanigans of both projects. In an interview with Total Film, Waldron teased the connection when discussing the Doctor Strange sequel:

    All of these stories, in their own way, are interconnected, and have ramifications. I think that certainly our aim with the Loki series was for it to have wide-reaching ramifications across the MCU moving forward. So, you know, was I having to clean up some of the messes that I made [with Loki]? Maybe so.

    In the past, we’ve theorized about how multiple projects could potentially tie into the coveted Multiverse of Madness besides the recent debut of WandaVision and the upcoming release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. With Loki delving into what occurs when variants alter the timeline and create branches into alternate realities, it seems as though the Sorceror Supreme could potentially have a lot on his plate by the time we reach the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness once it airs next year.

    Source: TotalFilm

  • ‘WandaVision’s Jac Schaeffer Inks a 3-Year Deal With Marvel Studios and 20th Television

    ‘WandaVision’s Jac Schaeffer Inks a 3-Year Deal With Marvel Studios and 20th Television

    It looks like WandaVision was a success, as Marvel Studios and 20th Television have signed a three-year deal with its head writer Jac Schaeffer. She will be developing projects for both companies with Marvel Studios’ entries being Disney Plus exclusive. Anything developed for 20th’s TV department will be made available for all platforms. She has quite the history with Marvel Studios, as she was also co-writer for Captain Marvel and was responsible for the script of the upcoming Black Widow film. It seems Marvel Studios is quite satisfied with her work and wants to continue their partnership. Interesting enough, there is no word if she might also be returning to film as part of the deal. Expanding her work to other platforms also gives her the freedom to explore new ventures outside of the ever-expanding comic book franchise.

    Schaeffer has worked on various projects with her writing debut being 2009’s Timer. She went on to write a screenplay for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure before working on Black Widow and WandaVision. She also directed her debut film, which she might want to revisit with a future project. There is currently no word on what project she might be tackling next, as there will naturally be rumors about a second season for Disney+’s first Marvel show.

    They could also spin it off into a completely new show, such as potentially exploring White Vision’s journey after the events of the film, which we even pitched an idea that you can check out by clicking here. No matter what direction they are taking, we are seeing that Marvel Studios’ investment into long-form storytelling has paid off. We’ve seen them explore more ventures, such as Ryan Coogler developing a Wakanda-based Disney+ series. Here’s hoping we see what series she might be be tackling in the near future.

    Source: Variety

  • How ‘Eternals’ Cosmic Energy May Connect to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Adam Warlock

    How ‘Eternals’ Cosmic Energy May Connect to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Adam Warlock

    After a long wait, we finally got our first look at Eternals. The trailer offers a closer look at how cosmic energy works within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It acts like golden fleece that is the basis of their abilities and can serve different purposes. Thena can create weapons out of it, such as the sword we briefly see. Sersi seems to summon water as the cosmic energy flows through the ground. Even Makkari’s superspeed leaves the golden lines in a similar design that Quicksilver did in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In a way, it seems to allude that most supernatural abilities might have close ties to the Eternals through this mystical, all-encompassing power. The MCU puts a strong emphasis on energy types and connecting them to specific colors, such as the prominence of purple in Black Panther’s technology. As such, it could add more context to a character tease that has yet to pay off who shares that color scheme.

     

    The Eternals": Erste Bilder im großen Marvel-Trailer | film.at

     
    The color gold hasn’t played a considerable role in the franchise. Well, there is one exception. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduced us to the Sovereign. They are a genetically engineered race that lives on a collective of planets. Now, you might remember that every member of this alien race has one thing in common, their skin is pure gold. They also utilize advanced technology painted in the color due to their strong belief in the purity they reflect. The color also plays an integral role in the birthing cocoons that brings this alien race to life. 

    We have to keep in mind that Adam originally was the holder of the Soul Stone. Just like the MCU’s Vision held the Mind Stone, it was implanted on his forehead and had a deep connection to his abilities. As the stones got destroyed in Avengers: Endgame, it was uncertain if Adam’s entire origin would change. He wasn’t originally part of the Sovereign but created by the Enclave, a group of human scientists, as the perfect human in the comics. So, the new direction of the films and the golden look may connect him to that cosmic energy. We never learn of their creators in the film, and it wouldn’t be too crazy to assume the Eternals or even Celestials had some play in that.

     

    Guardians of the Galaxy: All of Adam Warlock's Powers & Abilities, Ranked

     

    As such, the golden cosmic energy we see throughout Eternals may be the basis of this alien race. If Sersi can let water flow from cosmic energy, its potential could seem limitless. So, they tested out ways to create a new form of life that ended up becoming its collective over time. The cocoon we see in the Guardians‘ post-credit sequence could be his body getting weaved out of cosmic energy into the perfect being of Ayesha’s vision. Little does she know, the Sovereign queen is playing with powers she can’t control and may lead to Adam breaking free from that race. Eternals is introducing us to the energy that will have a larger role moving forward. Perhaps the golden cosmic energy will face its silver counterpoint known as Power Cosmic in the future as well. Instead of seeking the stones, he becomes an entity of pure cosmic energy seeking its opposite to unite against a larger threat.

  • Gil Birmingham’s Casting Revealed in ‘Eternals’ Poster

    Gil Birmingham’s Casting Revealed in ‘Eternals’ Poster

    After a long wait, the first teaser for Marvel Studios’ Eternals has finally dropped. It includes first looks at the massive cast that consists of Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Don Lee, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, and many more. We also got a brand new poster that teases the visuals the film is going for with the official cast listing. Now, if you take a closer look at the bottom, it also includes more names that haven’t been heavily promoted. We thought we knew the entire cast of the film, but it looks like some well-known names found their way onto the poster as it confirms that Yellowstone‘s Chief Thomas Rainwater, Gil Birmingham, has joined the film in an unknown role. His inclusion also showcases the diversity of the film’s cast.

     

     

    It is unclear which role he might have but going by his placement he will have a prominent role in the film. There is a chance he could be doing the voice for one of the Celestials or even the film’s main antagonist, the Deviant Kro. So far, that is the only main character whose actor has not been revealed. Either way, the addition of Birmingham is great to see and hopefully, his role might mean we’ll see plenty more of him in the near future. The first teaser gave us a glimpse of these new alien beings that supervised the development of our world. Hopefully, the next trailer will offer a closer look at the story and why the alien race finally intervenes in humanity’s development.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos Reveal a Secret New Asgard Set

    New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos Reveal a Secret New Asgard Set

    Thor: Love and Thunder will see the return of Taika Waititi in the director’s chair. Some of the first set photos teased a wild ride that could even trump his last outing with Thor: Ragnarok. The moment we saw Melissa McCarthy playing Hela in a stage play already teased what a wild ride is heading our way. It looks like the Daily Mail has uncovered some curious set photos from a hidden set that offers a closer look at New Asgard. They got their hands on some aerial photographs that show the construction of various buildings that reflect the set we saw in Avengers: Endgame. There are some interesting details, such as a New Asgard hotel showing they have a booming tourism economy. 

     

    There is an interesting lack of Asgard-inspired architecture, which may be added in through the blue screens. Yet, there is one very interesting piece of set design that offers some Norse flair to the set. In another aerial shot, we see a classic Viking ship with seats that seem straight out of a rollercoaster. The house next to it hints at this ship being used for sightseeing, as tourists might want to explore Norse history. Perhaps the re-enactment of Ragnarok could be part of this tour.

     

     

    What stands out with this ship is that it looks like the one we see in God of Thunder #8. Christian Bale‘s Gorr the God Butcher faced off against Thor. There is a good chance that the finale takes place on this ship. Unlike the comics, we don’t have three versions of the same character. So, it might be Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor fight the god butcher alongside the returning Natalie Portman‘s Jane Foster. There was also a comic panel where she threw a similar-looking ship at Enchantress, which would make for a fun way to take down someone. If it takes place in New Asgard, we may also see its new ruler, Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie, join the fray. We’ll get to spend a lot more time in New Asgard, which is exciting no matter what direction they take.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Head Writer Malcolm Spellman Teases Bucky’s Future

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Head Writer Malcolm Spellman Teases Bucky’s Future

    It has already been some time since Falcon and Winter Soldier ended. Sam Wilson finally took on the mantle of Captain America. Yet, the series also gave us a closer look at Bucky’s inner struggle of finally accepting his place in the world. He was tied down by the list of things he did as the Winter Soldier that he couldn’t find inner peace. It took him the entire season and some tough love from his frenemy that he needs to start amending rather than avenging. Now, the question remains what the future holds for Bucky. Head writer Malcolm Spellman offered a small tease on where this newfound freedom might push him.

    If I tell you, then you’re going to ask me what that would be. I think Bucky is free in a way. Even coming out of Wakanda, he still wasn’t totally free. He was freed programming, but I believe Bucky is free now in a way. Look at the way he smiled at the end; he got a family, he’s invited to the cook-out, as we say in the community. He is free in a way that I think we haven’t seen, and that leads to a lot of possibilities for him.

    The way Spellman talks about Bucky’s freedom does hint at there being some potential plans for the character. Some time ago, he confirmed that we only have seen a glimmer of what Marvel Studios is working on and a Winter Soldier-focused story could be one of them. Almost half a year ago, our very own Charles Murphys uncovered that a Nomad project was being developed, which could be the perfect continuation for the character. It would also fit the description of how Bucky is free moving forward. He may also make an appearance in the newly announced Captain America 4, which Spellman is writing. At this point, anything is possible and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for Sebastian Stan and his character.

    Source: Playlist

  • MCU Production Timelines: Infographic & Methodology

    MCU Production Timelines: Infographic & Methodology

    In this piece I’m just going to explain a few of the finer points behind the data I put together for the Phase 3 and Phase 4 production timeline infographic, which João has again so excellently put into a graphic.  My purpose in working with João on this one is just to help people understand another piece of the puzzle of how MCU movies tend to get put together.  Fans understandably love to obsess over the release slate, particularly what’s coming next and when it is coming.  It can get a little confusing as to what is and isn’t further along in the timeline. Hopefully, we’ve laid that out in an understandable format.

    A couple of notes I want to make on the data.  First of all, this is a relatively imprecise set of information.  What I’ve put into the spreadsheet is largely the dates as combed from the Wikipedia entries for each film (I did trace back the references in those articles to trade reports in most cases). Now if a director is hired in a forest and it doesn’t make a sound, are they still the director?  In other words, these dates for when writers and directors are hired are based on trade reports.  It may be that someone was hard at work for weeks or even months before the media found out.  I’m taking the information that is publicly available.  In particular, I assume the “filming start” dates are very approximate.  Captain Marvel, for example, filmed a few things before the official start of filming for weird tax purposes.  Also, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania did some kind of plates filming already this year, but the filming hasn’t really started in earnest yet. Again, I’m taking the Wikipedia dates in most cases and there will be some imprecisions there.

    As far as director and writer hirings, I have listed the first hiring for each in most cases.  Directors in the MCU haven’t changed that much in recent years.  The major exception that will come to mind for most astute readers is the change from Scott Derrickson to Sam Raimi for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  As such we’ve included that change as a separate item.  Writers, however, switch with much more frequency.  The process for hiring writers, managing rewrites, and then deciding who gets the final credit for both writing and story is byzantine at best.  To keep it simpler, we just took the first report of any writer or any director, regardless of their final involvement or non-involvement in the project.  I also am somewhat arbitrarily determining what counts as this production.  For some projects, development on the IP might have happened decades ago, but I’m treating those as a different project altogether.

    It’s worth noting that sequels are pretty obviously different.  Often the director and lead actor are already in place and returning for the sequel.  As such directors get “named” essentially as soon as the project is greenlit.  This is also the case of writer/directors like James Gunn.

    Release dates are a little tricky on this graph, given the interference of COVID.  We’re giving you both the original date and the final date in most cases.  Black Widow, for example, was almost totally finished when the pandemic started.  As such it isn’t that the production really took longer, it just all got delayed.  Sorting out a movie like Thor: Love and Thunder is a much more complicated matter.  We’ve done our best to give you a sense of the normal operating procedure and hide the confusion pandemic delays caused.

    Two other major exceptions deserve a mention.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is another one that looks rather weird due to the firing and rehiring of James Gunn.  The movie never officially got a release date, but I think before the whole mess it was likely that the May 2020 date would have been Guardians Vol. 3’s planned landing spot.  Also, Avengers: Endgame was shot pretty tightly with Infinity War, so there is some weirdness in its extended production time.  I think it is highly likely that those two Avengers productions mixed and mingled quite a bit.  Certainly, the screenplays seemed to happen at the same time.

    I think that is all the details. I hope you all enjoyed this. Again, this is all an exercise with approximation. I’m sure some slight variance in the data is possible if you look at different reports. Enjoy!

  • REPORT: First Plot Details for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Revealed

    REPORT: First Plot Details for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Revealed

    We’ve been excited for the future of Marvel Studios as they start embracing the multiverse. There have been various rumors hinting at Spider-Man: No Way Home exploring the vast incarnations of the characters, but there is one project that wears it proudly. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will thrust Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Stephen Strange into the countless realities that could’ve been. Story details still remain under wraps, but it looks like Illuminerdi got their hands on some interesting details for the upcoming film.

    According to them, the intergalactic being Shuma Gorath, whose inclusion has been teased some time ago, will have close ties to Xochitl Gomez‘s America Chavez. Her abilities would give him full control over the multiverse. Illuminerdi reveals that he will be the main antagonist of the project. No word on how Wanda Maximoff will fit into the overarching story.

    Gorath hunting down Chavez is an interesting story element that may be the reason that Strange ends up exploring the multiverse. The ending of WandaVision could hint that the Sorcerer Supreme stumbles upon Wanda, who is exploring a part of the multiverse to find her children. Perhaps they might even have a connection to the Eldritch being instead of being parts of Mephisto’s soul. There are a lot of angles they can take with this film and it’ll be exciting to see what direction Sam Raimi and Marvel Studios take when bringing it to life.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • Peyton Reed Shares First ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quanumania’ Production Image From ‘The Mandalorian’s Volume

    Peyton Reed Shares First ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quanumania’ Production Image From ‘The Mandalorian’s Volume

    It looks like the third entry in the Ant-Man and the Wasp series is finally entering production. Director Peyton Reed took to Twitter to share an image teasing as they prepare for the threequel’s production. In it, he also confirms that they will be using the Volume. It is a 20 feet tall, 270-degree stage that allows ILM to create the backgrounds during production. Instead of adding them into the film through post-production and green screens, they create a space that allows the actors to interact with CG backgrounds. It is the next evolution step from classic green screens that offers a new experience for those involved.

    Of course, Ant-Man’s shrinking abilities are perfectly suited for production in the Volume. We may get to explore the world from a new perspective through this technology. It may also be an easier way to film sequences in the Quantum Realm, which will have a larger role going by the title. It is uncertain if the snow background shown in the image will be used in the film. As they are only preparing, they may be testing out different environments as they get a feel for this new technology.

    There was also the filming that took place in Turkey a few months ago. At the time, the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, revealed they were filming in the country. Of course, there were no sightings of the actors at the time. As such, they may have been filming background sets that’ll get used for pre-viz and the Volume. Instead of purely relying on digital backgrounds they can use pre-shot footage to add more realism to the backgrounds. It’ll be exciting to see how much they share from the production and their experiences with the technology.

    Source: Twitter, TechCrunch

  • How ‘Loki’s Variant Concept Opens the Door for Recast Characters to Return

    How ‘Loki’s Variant Concept Opens the Door for Recast Characters to Return

    Loki‘s latest trailer offered a closer glimpse into the newly introduced Time Variance Authority. After the Avengers played around with time, they gave the God of Mischief a chance to escape his fate that would’ve been Thor: The Dark World. Of course, the TVA wouldn’t allow it and Made sure he can’t do more damage by roaming free. We learn that this alternative version is called a Variant and uncover that there are potentially more out there. With rumors going around that multiple Lokis might appear in the series, which aren’t all played by Tom Hiddleston, and the addition of other Spider-Men in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it seems we will see many different interpretations of our favorite heroes soon. As such, Marvel Studios could explore its own history and bring back some familiar faces that got replaced as the series expanded.

    While Marvel Studios has been quite good with keeping its various characters consistent, there have been a few recasts throughout the years. The most notable one for the franchise was when Mark Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. As production ramped up for Avengers, Norton‘s vision of the character didn’t mesh with Marvel Studios’ and they parted ways. It made many questions if that film was still considered canon until William Hurt‘s Thaddeus Ross returned in Captain America: Civil War. There are other cases of recastings in the franchise’s long history. Don Cheadle took over from Terrence Howard in Iron Man 2 while Zachary Levi replaced Josh Dallas‘s Fandral in Thor: The Dark World.

     

    Nicht düster genug: Edward Norton erklärt seinen Hulk-Ausstieg

     

    Now, with the introduction of Variants in Loki, it opens up a lot of new possibilities. Of course, there is the obvious option to also bring back the before-mentioned recasts, who could make an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Strange may seek the help of the Hulk only to meet a completely different version of Banner, which gives us a brief cameo of Edward Norton returning as his interpretation of the character. They might even explore this aspect with the recent replacement of Cassie Lang, as Kathryn Newton took over the role from Emma Fuhrman in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Scott Lang can’t recognize the face of his daughter that becomes a catalyst for the events of the film, as he tries to get back the Cassie he knew and loved. Why stop there? How about they introduce Tom Cruise as an alternative version of Tony Stark to pay tribute to almost playing the character before it went to Robert Downey Jr. It opens up a new way to explore the ever-expanding universe as they face real-world limitations and give these actors one last shot at revisiting these old roles or what could’ve been.

    Source: CinemaBlend, ScreenRant, Geo