Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: MCU

  • ‘Secret Invasion’ Adds ‘Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke

    ‘Secret Invasion’ Adds ‘Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke

    It looks like one more cast member is joining the upcoming Secret Invasion Disney+ series and this one is quite the catch for Marvel Studios. Variety has exclusively learned that Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke is in talks to join the original series. Marvel Studios has declined to comment and her role remains unspecified. There is a possibility she is playing the character “Mina” who is described as a “very competent spy that can slip in and out of situations with ease.” It’s uncertain what role she may play in the story, but she could be one of Fury’s closest allies. Of course, she may also turn out to be a Skrull as you cannot trust anyone in an adaptation of 2009′s Secret Invasion. It’ll be interesting if we see more announcements in the coming days.

    She’s the second casting announcement for the Disney+ show this week, as just yesterday Olivia Colman was revealed to be in negotiations. Marvel Studios is still keeping the lid shut on the story and who they might be playing. So, we might not find out until later in the year, as production starts to ramp up. Clarke is a massive addition to the cast, as the four-time Emmy nominee has been continuing to rise in star power since her time as Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s Game of Thrones. It isn’t her first time working with Disney, as she also had a large role in Solo: A Star Wars Story that seemed to set up a future storyline for the actress.

    Source: Variety

  • RUMOR: Latest LEGO Toy Leak Hints at a New ‘What If’ Spider-Man and ‘Loki’s Throg

    RUMOR: Latest LEGO Toy Leak Hints at a New ‘What If’ Spider-Man and ‘Loki’s Throg

    At this point, I think Marvel Studios will not trust any toy companies anymore. It looks like, once again, a leak from the toy company has offered a bit more insight into an upcoming project than it should be. The site Brick Fan has uncovered a list of LEGO Minifigures that are inspired by the various Disney+ shows. It includes quite a long list of characters, such as WandaVision‘s Scarlet Witch and White Vision alongside Bucky and Sam Wilson’s Captain America, which got heavily teased in the last episode of Falcon and Winter Soldier. It also includes some confirmed characters for the What If series, T’Challa as Star-Lord, Zombie Captain America, and Captain Britain. Of course, you’re not here for the already well-known characters.

    The list includes the first mention of Lady Loki. She’s been rumored since the first potential hint at a child-version of the God of Mischief hit the web. There is also the mention of Loki alongside Throg, which could hint at the character’s live-action debut in the June series. He isn’t just a Thor version of frog, but actually, a man named Simon Walterson. He was turned into a frog by Loki in the comics. Now, the list also includes some reveals for What If. There is mention of a version of Steve Rogers, who holds the title Spider-Man. There was an interview some time ago where Chris Evans revealed he would love to be Spider-Man, but disliked the costume. So, maybe his wish finally came true. We have to take this with a grain of salt, but it would be quite a curious direction if it turns out to be true.

    What gives this some credence is the inclusion of a Thanos version of Gamora. Her artwork was leaked alongside Ultron not too long ago. If we consider that would imply the other characters included in this Minifigure group may make their appearance in the MCU’s future. The curious inclusion of Steve Rogers as Spider-Man makes it a bit questionable, as the character does belong to Sony. Perhaps this could be a sign for a new era, as he can appear on the Disney+ projects. It’ll be interesting to see how this potentially pays off once the series release.

    Source: Brick Fan via The Direct, ScreenRant

  • Marvel Studios’ Nate Moore Hints at a ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Season 2

    Marvel Studios’ Nate Moore Hints at a ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Season 2

    Ever since WandaVision kicked off a new era for Marvel Studios. They’ve now explored the ventures of long-form storytelling with series that run over multiple episodes. Of course, any series has the potential to expand with future seasons. There have been some hints that Loki might be the first to explore a multi-season run, but it looks like Marvel Studios is already eyeing a second series to expand. In an interview with IndieWire, Marvel Studios VP of Production and Development, Nate Moore, offered the following insight on Falcon and Winter Soldier getting a sequel season in comparison to Wanda’s take-over of Westview.

    I think ‘WandaVision’ is a show you can only do once. She can’t go back into that reality. That is such a complete arc of what that character can do and what that story wanted to do, whereas ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ is really about dealing with, to me, the legacy of what a superhero is, through the lens of Captain America and his shield, but ultimately through the lens of all these different characters. And that’s a story I think you can revisit in subsequent seasons because it’s an evergreen story. It’s a conversation.

    It’s certainly an interesting approach and there is a lot they can explore about the title of Captain America in future seasons. We only scratched the surface with Bradley’s story and they could also revisit the storyline of Nuke. There have been countless failed experiments to revive the super-soldier serum. So, it offers a lot of opportunities to expand upon that. Plus, there was the hint that maybe Danny Ramirez‘s Joaquin Torres may take on the mantle of Falcon. With Sam Wilson most likely taking on the title of Captain America, Torres has to live up to a brand new legacy. It’s not a confirmation just yet, but certainly, a pretty big indicator that a potential future season is on Marvel Studios’ radar for Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

    Source: IndieWire

  • ‘Shang-Chi’ Continues Marvel’s Exploration of Father Issues

    ‘Shang-Chi’ Continues Marvel’s Exploration of Father Issues

    Finally, the trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dropped. We got our first look at Simu Liu in the titular role, as he tries to live his own life out of the shadow cast by his father Tony Leung‘s Wenwu. After a ten-year rest, his father calls upon him to take over the leadership of the Ten Rings. His return into the world he tried to leave behind will re-awaken some dormant issues between him and his estranged parent. Now, producer Jonathan Schwartz highlighted the focus

    The core of Shang-Chi’s arc in the comics is really a family drama. That was something that Destin keyed into really early on in our conversations, the idea of taking this broken family and this really dark, even abusive family background and seeing what that does to a child over time.

    This story isn’t the first time that Marvel Studios has explored a dark and abusive relationship like this. Avengers: Infinity War put quite a bit of focus on how Thanos turned his adoptive daughter into the perfect killing machine. Of course, it pushed her away from him, as his warped view of the world left a deep rift between them. Let’s not even get started on his abusive behavior towards Nebula and how that even destroyed any chance for his daughters to bond.

     

    Avengers: Endgame fan theories that could be true

     

    Now, Thanos wasn’t the only father leaving a long-lasting scar on his child. Tony Stark’s journey was haunted by the sins of his father early on. The second entry in his trilogy highlighted that very legacy weighing down on Stark, who translated that into some rather destructive behaviors. Learning to overcome his issues allowed him to embrace his mentor role for Peter Parker. Now, unlike Gamora, he was able to make amends with his father in Avengers: Endgame even if Howard Stark had no idea he was talking to his son from the future. Still, it offered a more positive ending for Tony to take away and push him towards his final decision.

    Marvel Studios wasn’t the only live-action adaptation in the Marvel family exploring family ties as a core anchor for their storytelling. Marvel TV gave us the ever-expanding family in Agents of SHIELD. The relationship between Phil Coulson and Daisy Johnson, especially during the second season while being hunted by her biological father. We witnessed her even sacrifice a potential relationship with him to ensure he doesn’t have to live with the nightmares of his own actions driven by desperation to find her. Daisy carried that weight with her with Coulson taking on that role she was missing.

     

    What Happened To Daredevil's Dad? This 'Defenders' Moment Brought Up The Past

     

    Now, an episode that hit home with me was in Daredevil. The close relationship between the Murdocks before tragedy would eventually separate them was laid out in just a few episodes. We see a father struggling to meet ends meet by doing the only thing he believes he can do. The weight of trying to take care of his son and ensure he doesn’t repeat his mistakes will tear at anyone’s heartstrings. In a way, the story of parentage and how it defines the next generation will continue carrying an important role in the MCU, as younger heroes take over legacy titles. It looks like Shang-Chi is kicking off a new generation of heroes with father issues.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’: Marvel Studios Teases Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Future Role in the MCU

    ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’: Marvel Studios Teases Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Future Role in the MCU

    The latest episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced the world to a Marvel legacy character. Julia Louis-Dreyfus entered the scene and introduced the world to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The character has deep ties to the comics as she was a member of SHIELD, Nick Fury’s lover, temporarily Madame Hydra, and so much more.

    Now, with a resumé like that, it is a miracle she hasn’t had a larger role earlier in the series, but it seems her timely appearance to aid John WAlker at his low point may have a darker implication for the future. Marvel released a new interview with the team over at Marvel Studios discussing her addition. Executive producer Nate Moore discusses the parallels between her and Fury, as well as teasing her future.

    Whenever we talked about Valentina, even in the writer’s room, she was sort of a more acerbic, funnier, but darker Nick Fury. Someone who knows her secrets, who’s not afraid to operate in the moral gray area, but maybe who isn’t as inherently altruistic. Having a character like Valentina in the show, and actually in the MCU, is interesting because I think she’ll be making more waves sooner rather than later.

    Of course, if you compare a character to Nick Fury, it leads to a rather interesting parallel. Just like the eye-patch-wearing SHIELD agent, she seems to be recruiting people for something. It looks like the possibility of a Thunderbolts or Dark Avengers team has become a reality. Of course, Moore also hinted that we’ll get a lot more of Valentina shortly. He could be referencing that the character was originally to appear in Black Widow, which may hint at her return in July. There are also the other Disney+ shows that offer Valentina some new potential recruits.

    Source: Marvel

  • Olivia Colman In Negotiations to Join ‘Secret Invasion’ Disney+ Series

    Olivia Colman In Negotiations to Join ‘Secret Invasion’ Disney+ Series

    It looks like Marvel Studios is continuing its reign as the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion is adding Olivia Colman to its cast. She is currently in negotiations for an unknown role, as Marvel Studios remains silent on the series’ plot. The series will continue where Captain Marvel left off with Samuel L. Jackson‘s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn‘s Talos returning, as the Skrull infiltrate Earth. About a month ago, Kingsley Ben-Adir has also been cast as the series’ still-unnamed villain.

    Colman has been nominated for the best-supporting actress Academy Award for her work in The Father. Her work alongside Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz on The Favorite landed her an Oscar and other projects. Many might recognize her for her role as Queen Elisabeth II on Netflix’s highly-acclaimed The Crown series. She will also lend her voice to the upcoming The Mitchells vs the Machines animated film.

    Kyle Bradstreet will follow up his work from Mr. Robot as the show’s showrunner, as they still are on the search for the series’ directors. Marvel is still keeping a lot of details bout the series close to the chest, which will most likely lead to the Captain Marvel sequel. There is a chance she could be playing a villainous role, as there is no word on the potential appearance of Queen Veranke. If they do stick to the evil Skrull storyline from the original, we might see some betrayal left and right throughout the series. Yet, there are also some friendly cast members potentially joining the series. So, anything is possible at this point. It’s going to get interesting once we get our first look at this new series, as we’ll never know who to trust.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • New ‘Shang-Chi’ Marvel Legends Leak Offers More Details on Awkwafina’s Katy

    New ‘Shang-Chi’ Marvel Legends Leak Offers More Details on Awkwafina’s Katy

    After months of clamoring from fans, the trailer for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is finally here offering our first real look into the MCU’s world of martial arts. The film will see the big-screen debut of Simu Liu as the titular hero. He must face his past that he once ran away from and confront his father Wenwu, better known as the villainous Mandarin. Awkwafina will play the character Katy, who seems to be Shang-Chi’s good friend. A new toy leak has revealed a Target exclusive figure that will join their upcoming Marvel Legends line for Shang Chi. The figure in question is Awkwafina’s character Katy, whose description details that she is “Shang-Chi’s oldest friend, is free-spirited and fiercely loyal”. The toy teases a very different character from what we saw in the trailer.

     

     

    Not much was known about Katy and this look is certainly a new one for her. It may hint at her character having a secret past that will be explored in the film. longside the figure, it seems that she comes with a Dijiang, a creature seen in previous leaks alongside Legos, and puzzled many fans. It’s unknown what the connection is to the character but quite possibly has a stronger connection to Awkwafina‘s Katy.

    Marvel Studio’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is currently set to release in theaters on September 3rd, 2021 coming from director Destin Daniel Cretton. The film is set to star Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Ronny Chieng, and Florian Munteanu.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’: Tony Leung’s Wenwu is an MCU Original Take on the Mandarin

    ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’: Tony Leung’s Wenwu is an MCU Original Take on the Mandarin

    After a long wait, we finally got our first look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Asian-American superhero, Shang-Chi. Chinese-Canadian Simu Liu will take on the role that introduced the world to the Ten Rings. They were a consistent part of the MCU since its inception back in 2008. Of course, it means that we’ll also meet the organization’s leader, the Mandarin.

    It looks like they might be taking a new direction for the villain from 1964’s Tales of Suspense #50. In the recent coverage by Entertainment Weekly, we got a few details on Tony Leung‘s mysterious character. He was formerly announced as Wenwu and teased to be the Mandarin. Yet, the recent interview may hint at a new approach to the iconic comic villain.

    They confirm that Wenwu is technically an original character for the film. As such, he isn’t a direct adaptation of the iconic character, who has gone through various aliases, such as Gene Khan or Zhang Tong. Producer Jonathan Schwartz and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige hint that he has gone through many names. Mandarin is just one of many. Director Destin Daniel Cretton pointed to how Leung brought a new level to the character’s portrayal. 

    A character like Wenwu could have easily been a one-dimensional villain with no heart. Tony opened this character up [so] this is an antagonist who has a deep ability to love

    Schwartz confirms that their approach to the character was to add more complexity. They didn#t want him to get shackled by its comic roots. The just dropped trailer offered some small glimpses at Wenwu. It even includes a comic-accurate inspired depiction of the original character. Shang-Ch wasn’t related to the Mandarin in the comics, as he was the son of the rather controversial Fu Manchu. Family drama will remain at the core of Shang-Chi‘s story, and it’ll be interesting to see how the legacy of the Mandarin may get expanded in the MCU. If you haven’t had the chance, check out the recent trailer release.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly, Twitter

  • First Look at ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Released

    First Look at ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Released

    It’s a bit day for Marvel fans. Black Widow may have taken over Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ original July slot, but it looks like the production company believes they can keep that September release date. To celebrate his birthday, Simu Liu released the film’s first poster with a closer look at Shang-Chi in all his glory. He took to Twitter to share the first look at the new poster that shows the Master of Kung Fu in all his glory:

    Now, that wasn’t all as Entertainment Weekly also released a few new images that offer a small glimpse at what we can expect from the film. It features some of the film’s major cast members, such as Tony Leung‘s Wenwu, Awkwafina‘s Katy, and Meng’er Zhang‘s Xialing:

     

     

    Not just that, it seems like shortly after Marvel Studios already released the first trailer for the film. It seems they didn’t quite coordinate with Simu Liu, who teased that it wouldn’t drop for another few weeks. Marvel Studios wanted to celebrate his birthday by releasing the trailer early and it offered a fantastic first look at the action we can expect from the film.

    https://twitter.com/shangchi/status/1384137506795319300?s=20

    Source: Twitter, Entertainment Weekly, Twitter

  • ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’: The Truth Of It All

    ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’: The Truth Of It All

    The landscape in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has shifted after the fifth Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode titled “Truth” was released. The stakes have been raised, and the pieces on the board get set up for the finale. So, let’s take a closer look at where our protagonists are.

    Sam Wilson

    Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson Trends After The Falcon And The Winter Soldier's Episode 5

     

    The journey for Sam has been about realizing why Steve Rogers gave him the shield. Through it all, Bucky questioned him, and he got confronted by John Walker. It got exacerbated by Walker’s actions in which he tainted the shield with blood. It was time to get it back. There was more to the lesson. His world view is similar to Barack Obama‘s when he said: “Yes we can.” He believes in his way of not only fighting but figuring things out. More importantly, he believes that there’s a better way to do so. It wasn’t until he speaks to Isaiah Bradley that the truth and the context push him forward. Isaiah is steadfast in his belief that:

    They will never let a Black man be Captain America. And even if they did, no self-respecting Black man would ever wanna be.

     

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Wer ist Isaiah Bradley?

     

    The heartbreaking tale of Bradley’s past would’ve deterred most men and maybe it should have, but Sam thought otherwise. He empathized with what he went through but understood that by avoiding the reality of things, he wouldn’t be able to make a change.

    But what would be the point of all the pain and sacrifice, if I wasn’t willing to stand up and keep fighting?

    It was time for Sam to become Captain America. He had to live his truth beyond what Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, or Isaiah Bradley thought. As Sam gets ready to take flight with an assist from Wakandan technology, he’s finally in a position to take on Karli and the Flag-Smashers. This time, he’ll do it his way on his terms.

    Bucky Barnes

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    Bucky has had to come to grips with his reality. Steve Rogers is no longer there to be his crutch to lean on. He’s not aimless, but he’s struggling to find his place in the world. Sam confronted him with the cold-heart truth to stop depending on others. Ultimately we’ve seen Bucky start to make his own decisions to varying results.

    The moment he freed Zemo to locate the super-soldier serum as a means to an end ended up as a betrayal. Ayo and Wakanda took care of Bucky at a very vulnerable time in his life. He’ll have to live with that decision. There’s still a part of him that believes it was the right movie. It’s why, even though Zemo gets taken into custody, Bucky’s path is more open-ended than Sam’s. There’s a chance that these two will eventually cross paths again. It feels like those two are destined to work together in some capacity.

     

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Bucky Barnes MCU History Recap | Den of Geek

     

    Finally, Bucky learned a bit about accountability. There was the ignorance that he had towards Sam’s plight and the complexity of becoming Captain America. There’s also the idea that just because you’re trying to make amends doesn’t mean you’re making them. As Sam advises: “Start with one.” We can surmise that in the finale, Bucky may try to give some closure to Yori. As Bucky promises to help Sam with Karli, we also know there’s always a bit of Winter Soldier inside of him.

    John Walker

    Falcon and Winter Soldier: John Walker's Fall Mirrors Steve Rogers Killing Baron Blood

    John Walker started the season as the face of propaganda. Now he’s the symbolism of Captain America’s values. They’re tainted, like the blood on the shield. After losing the fight to Bucky and Sam, John immediately got shunned. He loses his rank, title, and pension. The same government who trotted him out as the savior has discarded him like trash.

    After he met with the senate, what perhaps could be an important nod to his future, Walker is greeted by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) or “Val” for short. She offers him not only sympathy for what he’s done but a role in the future. In the comics, she’s known for a spell as Madame Hydra. In this iteration, she could be the Fury for a team of villains. So, we might finally get the Thunderbolts in the MCU. One has to think Walker will take her call.

     

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Why John Walker's Dark Turn Was Inevitable - IGN

     

    Walker’s dishonorable discharge also led to him lying to Lemar’s parents about getting revenge for their son. His lying dishonors Lemar’s legacy and continues his denial of truth. Walker isn’t down for the count, as we see him mid-credits creating his shield. It looks like John is going to be an agent of chaos.

    All roads lead toward Karli and the Flag Smashers in the finale. One can only wonder how our main characters handle their new personas as they try to live their truth.