Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: MCU

  • Marvel’s Punisher Special Presentation May Take Inspiration from a Gritty Comic Classic

    Marvel’s Punisher Special Presentation May Take Inspiration from a Gritty Comic Classic

    Frank Castle may not have won the battle against Wilson Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force in the Daredevil: Born Again Season One finale, but he spilled plenty of blood. Most importantly, he lived to fight another day, escaping his dungeon cell and setting up the next chapter in his story. Set to stream on D+ in 2026, The Punisher Special Presentation, co-written by star Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green, will film later this year but to date, no details about the project’s plot or cast have been officially revealed.

    It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story.

    -Brad Winderbaum

    When the Special Presentation was first announced in February 2025, Bernthal posted a picture of the cover of The Punisher #53, the first of a seven-part arc entitled “The Final Days.” Published in 1991, “The Final Days”, written by Mike Baron, saw Castle tangle with Wilson Fisk. Given that Fisk is the central villain in the street-level corner of the MCU, an adaptation of “The Final Days” in which Frank takes down the Fat Man would make plenty of sense. However, it sounds as though the new project may be introducing a new crime boss to the MCU for Frank to set his sights on.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, The Punisher Special Presentation is currently searching for an actress to play a female crime boss who will serve as the primary antagonist of the project.

    I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve. We’re giving it our all and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience — it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light, and I think it’s the version that this character deserves and I’m just beyond honored and grateful that we get the opportunity.

    -Jon Bernthal

    Though that’s about as generic as a character description can be, the information has fans beginning to believe that the villain will be Isabella “Ma” Gnucci, the head of the Gnucci Crime Family who tried to take Castle out in Volume 5 of The Punisher, written by Garth Ennis. The 12-issue arc, known as “Welcome Back, Frank”, launched Ennis’ 49-issue run with the character and has long been hailed as a classic Punisher tale. Harboiled and gruesome, “Welcome Back, Frank” took the character back to his roots and allowed him to do what he does best: kill bad guys with extreme prejudice…and a flamethrower. In terms of MCU Punisher continuity, Ma Gnucci makes quite a bit of sense as an antagonist for the project given that Frank wiped out several members of the Gnucci Crime Family, including her son Tony, in Episode 1.01 of The Punisher, “3 AM.“

    Earlier this year, Bernthal promised fans that the D+ Special Presentation would match the tone set over the two seasons of The Punisher, which streamed on Netflix. “It’s going to be dark; Frank has no interest in breaking out the darkness,” Bernthal said. “It’s not going to be easy. I don’t know if that’s the Netflix tone then that’s what it’s going to be. It will not be Punisher-lite, I promise you that.” If Bernthal’s new Punisher story does indeed draw inspiration from Ennis’ “Welcome Back, Frank” arc, there’s plenty of darkness from which to draw.

    Sources: THR

  • First Look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom Reveals Classic Inspiration for the MCU’s Take on the Villain

    First Look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom Reveals Classic Inspiration for the MCU’s Take on the Villain

    The recent Disney Blockbuster Consumer Products was not the sort of place one would expect first looks at Marvel Studios upcoming projects; however, it seems to have been the most revelatory convention for the studio in some time.

    Marvel reportedly let is slip that Scorpion, Boomerang and Tombstone were set to antagonize Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, potentially putting to rest a number of rumors about the film’s plot and villains. As if that wasn’t enough, a short sizzle reel of footage from Avengers: Doomsday was also shown and according to on attendee, it provided the first look at that film’s villain, Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr.

    According to Film Threat’s Chris Gore, Doom’s face will indeed be disfigured and, in his opinion, looks to be inspired by the look of creatures from “classic Universal Monster movies.”

    Without any additional context, Lon Chaney‘s Phantom of the Opera would seem to be one possible comparison and would like up with Jack Kirby‘s belief that Victor Von Doom was “paranoid” because of the damage done to his face. The extent of that damage has varied widely over the years, with Kirby drawing it as only a small scar, others, such as Esad Ribic depicting a much more complete disfiguration and John Byrne drawing something intermediate to the the two extreme ends of the spectrum.

    …he’s a good-looking guy, and he only has a tiny scar on his cheek, but because he’s such a perfectionist, he can’t bear to see that imperfection. He isn’t hiding his face from the public, he’s hiding it from himself.

    -Jack Kirby
    Doom as drawn by Jack Kirby
    Doom as drawn by John Byrne
    Doom as painted by Esad Ribic

    The description of a disfigured Doom certainly helps explain the tracking dots seen on Downey’s face in a recent behind the scenes photo of the actor and may indicate that Ribic’s interpretation of the character’s face, seen in Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 Secret Wars, inspired the villain’s MCU appearance. With less than a year until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters, perhaps it won’t be long before the studio chooses to let the whole world behold the face of Doom.

  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Villains Reportedly Revealed

    ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Villains Reportedly Revealed

    With production set to kick off on Spider-Man: Brand New Day in just a few months, it’s relatively incredible how little is known about the Sony and Marvel Studios collaboration. While there have been plenty of rumors about potential plots, characters and locations, little has emerged outside of the casting of Sadie Sink, whose role may be linked to Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man Trilogy. However, in an unexpected turn, it’s possible Disney revealed a great deal of information all at once.

    Instagram user Chris Higashi was in attendance at the Disney Blockbuster Consumer Products presentation and took to his account to share what he took in, including the identity of THREE villains set to appear in Spider-Man:  Brand New Day.

    According to Higashi, the fourth installment in Sony’s MCU-set Spider-Man franchise will feature Tom Holland’s Spidey taking on Scorpion, Boomerang and Tombstone.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ215H_PDij/?igsh=MnJxbXVxMWkwMnk5

    If accurate, the trio of villains is miles apart from the rumors that have made the rounds over the past few years. Additionally, it would call into question the legitimacy of recent reports of Mister Negative being the film’s protagonist, though it’s still possible he could appear if one of the other villains, such as Boomerang, wasn’t meant to have a major role or, as happened in the comics, he’s also a friend of Peter’s.

    Should Scorpion be among those tangling with Spidey in Brand New Day, it would follow up on one of the MCU’s many unresolved post-credit scenes and should mean the return on Michael Mando in the role. Interestingly, Scorpion and Tombstone featured in Marvel Animation’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

    While no confirmation has come down on these characters appearing in the film, it’s also not yet been debunked. We’ll continue to monitor this interesting development

  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Rumored to Feature a Major Connection to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy

    ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Rumored to Feature a Major Connection to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy

    The fourth film in Sony and Marvel’s MCU-set Spider-Man franchise, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, won’t begin production for several more months but that hasn’t stopped the project from routinely making headlines.

    After years of rumored plot lines that stretched from a street-level Civil War to a massive Multiversal adventure featuring The King in Black, the casting of Stranger Things star Sadie Sink set off an all-new, all-different wave of rumors centered on the identity of her character. Originally rumored to be a contender for the role of Jean Grey in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot, Sink‘s likely isn’t portraying that character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day but was, at one point, reportedly playing an alternate universe Mary Jane Watson which would be incredibly disappointing. Now, a new rumor suggests Sink will not be playing Mary Jane but rather someone with whom she would be awfully familiar.

    According to the Hot Mic Podcast’s John Rocha, Sink is set to portray May “Mayday” Parker, the daughter of Tobey Maguire‘s Peter Parker and, presumably, Kirsten Dunst‘s Mary Jane Watson.

    Tied to the controversial 1990s Clone Saga in which Mary Jane and Peter’s baby was stillborn, Mayday was brought back into the fold in What If…? #105 and was a major character in Marvel’s MC2 imprint. The character was so popular that the studio launched a Spider-Girl solo book by creators Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenzy that, at the time, grew to become Marvel’s longest-running female-centric title.

    Should Sink indeed be portraying Mayday, it might truly be a stroke of genius by the studio. As the daughter of Peter-Two/The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Mayday would not only introduce another web-slinger (with one of THE best Spider suits ever designed) to work alongside star Tom Holland but also potentially become a major player in Avengers: Secret Wars. And, should Sony and/or Marvel so choose, become either a key player in the next MCU saga or help Sony relaunch its Spidey-related efforts.

  • Marvel Television’s ‘Wonder Man’ Adds Béchir Sylvain in Mystery Role

    Marvel Television’s ‘Wonder Man’ Adds Béchir Sylvain in Mystery Role

    Seven months before it’s scheduled release on Disney Plus, Wonder Man remains largely shrouded in mystery. The Destin Daniel Cretton-created series will feature Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams with Ben Kingsley reprising his role as Trevor Slattery and Demetrius Grosse filing the role of Eric Williams, brother to Simon and, in the comics, known as the villain The Grim Reaper. Beyond that, the roles of the rest of the cast haven’t been made clear and much of the cast hasn’t been revealed at all. However, one new name did emerge following Disney’s Upfront presentation.

    According to Variety, Béchir Sylvain (Black Summer, BMF and Diarra from Detroit) has joined the eight-episode series in a “mysterious role.”

    Based on the character of Wonder Man, one of Marvel’s oldest characters, first introduced in 1964 in the pages of Avengers No 9. Known as Simon Williams, a celebrity actor and stuntman. In a nutshell, it is a story of two actors struggling to make it in the Hollywood of the MCU, [asking] the big question what does Hollywood look like in a world where super heroes are real?

    -Official Synopsis for Marvel Television’s Wonder Man

    Once dismissed by The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon, longtime Avenger Wonder Man will finally join the MCU this summer and it sounds as though the studio will be strongly influenced by the comics. “If you’re a fan of the West Coast Avengers, you know a little bit about Simon Williams…you’re going to be very excited to see how much homage to the source material there is actually in the show,” said Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum. However, as the studio continues to work to keep the new series a mystery, we’ll have to wait to find out just what that influence will be.

    Source: Variety

  • Marvel Television’s Next Series Set to Roll Out ‘Andor’-esque Premiere

    Marvel Television’s Next Series Set to Roll Out ‘Andor’-esque Premiere

    During D23 2022, Marvel Studios shared a wonderful trailer for the streaming series Ironheart, which at the time was slated to hit Disney Plus in the Fall of 2023. However, as the studio began to reconsider its streaming output, the project’s release date was put on hold. Almost 3 years after the trailer was shared with attendees in Anaheim, the studio has still not officially shared anything with the public…but now, we know when to expect the first trailer and that the studio is coming out swinging when the series debuts on June 24th.

    Set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Television’s Ironheart pits technology against magic when Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne)—a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world—returns to her hometown of Chicago. Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Parker Robbins aka “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos).

    -Official Synopsis for Marvel Television’s Ironheart

    Via social media, the studio revealed that the first trailer for Ironheart will debut on May 14th and that the series, produced by Ryan Coogler, will open with a three-episode premiere.

    Online rumors suggest that Marvel will release the final three episodes of Ironheart the following week, giving the series a two-week window.

    Marvel Television’s Ironheart stars Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Manny Montana, Matthew Elam and Anji White.

  • Neve Campbell’s Marvel Role Revealed by Former Showrunner

    Neve Campbell’s Marvel Role Revealed by Former Showrunner

    The news that Scream franchise icon Neve Campbell had joined the MCU as Polaris spread quickly, with some “insiders” disagreeing on what the nature of her role was. While original reports indicated Campbell was cast as Magnet’s daughter for the studio’s upcoming X-Men reboot, other reports indicated she would make an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday. As it turns out, Campbell’s casting was for neither of those projects.

    According to former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo, Campbell was cast by him as the voice of Polaris for Season 2 of Marvel Animation’s streaming series.

    Voiced by Terri Hawkes, Polaris appeared in one episode of the third season of X-Men: The Animated Series. It’s unclear how big of a role the character will have in Season 2 of X-Men ’97; however, Marvel Television head man Brad Winderbaum did tease the potential return of X-Factor in the new season, which could set Polaris up for a large arc.

  • ‘Scream’ Franchise Star Rumored to Be Joining the MCU in Major Mutant Role

    ‘Scream’ Franchise Star Rumored to Be Joining the MCU in Major Mutant Role

    Fox’s X-Men: Days of Future Past stands as one of the studio’s strongest efforts in brining Marvel’s mutant heroes to the big screen, merging the talent from the original films with the First Class stars in a surprisingly satisfying film. Though the continuity reset provided by the film was largely ignored by Fox in its subsequent films, it’s possible it opened up the perfect avenue for Marvel Studios to work the OG big screen X-Men into the MCU.

    When Logan returns to his new present day, he finds that all the friends he’d lost along the way are alive and well in the new timeline. While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, that timeline may well be the one in which Monica Rambeau found herself stranded following the events of The Marvels. If that’s the case, it’s clear much has changed there as Lashana Lynch‘s Binary is see hanging out with Beast. Whatever the case, a significant amount of time has passed since Logan’s return which means that in that universe, the X-Men have had time to add and subtract from their roster of heroes. Now, a new rumor suggests an X-Man never before seen on the big screen maybe joining their ranks.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Scream franchise star Neve Campbell has been cast as Lorna Dane, the mutant known as Polaris.

    The daughter of Magneto, Polaris has been an X-Man and a member of X-Factor and would make for a very interesting addition to the mix given she has often drifted into some dark places over the years.

    While some outlets are assuming Campbell has been cast for Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot, it seems far more likely at this point that, if the rumor is accurate, she has been cast for Avengers: Doomsday. With production already underway on Doomsday and most of Fox’s original X-Men cast reprising their roles in the project, an older Polaris (Campbell is 51 years old) seems a better fit in that universe than one created from scratch by Marvel for their reboot.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Keen on Casting ‘Avatar’ Franchise Star in Key ‘X-Men’ Role

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Keen on Casting ‘Avatar’ Franchise Star in Key ‘X-Men’ Role

    The House of Mouse has always liked to work in-house, often sharing talent across its major studios. Paul Bettany, Oscar Isaac, Samuel L. Jackson and Mads Mikkelsen, Lupitia Nyong’o are among those who have starred in both the Star Wars and Marvel franchises; Jon Favreau has directed projects for three of Disney’s major production studios; and…Pedro Pascal.

    Reinforcing that trend, following a very successful opening for Thunderbolts*, Marvel quickly worked to get that film’s director, Jake Schreier, back in the chair for their currently untitled and undated X-Men reboot, which is arguably the studio’s most important project since 2008’s Iron Man. Now, a new rumor suggests that Marvel will be reaching across the aisle to borrow a star from 21st Century Fox’s Avatar franchise.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, the young star who plays Tuk in James Cameron‘s Avatar films, is being considered for the role of Jubilee in Marvel Studios’ X-Men.

    A central character in X-Men: The Animated Series and Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97, Jubilation Lee never made it out of the background in Fox’s original X-Men trilogy. However, Kevin Feige has reportedly been keen on including the character in the MCU reboot and, over a year ago, she was been reported to be part of the upcoming film’s core cast.

    With Schreier boarding the project now, it’s likely the studio is looking to get production underway next summer, allowing X-Men to hit theaters in July 2027, launching the studio’s post-Multiverse Saga era.

  • ‘Daredevil Born Again’ Set Photos May Confirm a Popular Season 2 Theory

    ‘Daredevil Born Again’ Set Photos May Confirm a Popular Season 2 Theory

    After some time out of the public eye, production on Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again hit the streets of New York once more and may have confirmed a growing theory about the role Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye might play.

    Following an action scene filmed in public in early April, fans began to believe that Season 2 may see Bullseye teaming up with Daredevil to take on Mayor Kingpin. While that would make for some uncomfortable moments, Bullseye has no love for Fisk and Matt Murdock is in no position to turn down help. Now, new photos captured from the set show the two frenemies together again…and it’s clear some time has passed.

    Shared by @_DaredevilShots, the new images reveal battered battle-buddies and a closer look at Matt’s gear gives the impression that the right against Kingpin has been raging on for quite some time. A side-by-side comparison with Matt’s suit from the April set photos shows that the black paint job has significantly worn away, revealing more of the original red suit.

    At last check in April, Episodes 3 and 4 were being filmed, which would bring the second season to its halfway mark. It’s unclear if the recent shots are from those episodes or if production has progressed beyond at this point; however, it would seem that Matt’s fight against Fisk hasn’t gone well up to wherever in the season these photos are from and, eventually, he’s going to need to find further help in taking down the Fat Man.