Tag: Movie Features

Disney’s ‘Strange World’ is an Exploration of the Universal Father/Son Relationship

Walt Disney Animation Studio’s latest original adventure, Strange World, continues the long tradition of taking audiences to fantastical places to learn some of life’s real lessons. At its core, Strange World, which opens in theaters this Thanksgiving, is less about the exploration of the titular subterranean world and more about the exploration of the relationship between father and son.

Director Don Hall has a long history with Disney Animation, having helmed films such as Raya and The Last Dragon and Big Hero 6 and written Meet the Robinsons and the recent Baymax! shorts, so he’s no stranger to the nuances of weaving life lessons into the narrative tapestry of an animated film. For Strange World, Hall dug into his own life to find the heart of the story. According to the director, the genesis of his latest film came from “just thinking about my sons and the world they’re going to inherit. How is it different from what I inherited from my dad?”

To answer that question, Hall and co-director Qui Nguyen created a story focused on three generations of the Clade family: Jaeger, his son, Searcher, and his grandson, Ethan. A legendary explorer, Jaeger disappeared on an expedition. Rather than follow in his father’s footsteps, Searcher discovered a revolutionary power source derived from plants and lives with his family where teenage Ethan works on the family farm while questioning his future. According to Hall, Ethan’s arc in the story came from reflecting on his own experiences as a teen.

My dad and I have a great relationship. He is a farmer and I grew up helping out. But when I was 14 years old, it all changed. Suddenly, I was planting and doing more high-level stuff that I just didn’t want to do. It wasn’t me. It all turned out fine, but I always remembered that and thought it would be interesting to explore father/son relationships and the kind of expectations we put on our kids—intentionally or unintentionally.
Don Hall

Nguyen, a father of two, like Hall felt the exploration of the father/son dynamic was worth taking on for Strange World saying it was a story he “needed and wanted to tell.” Nguyen explained further saying, “We could relate to Jaeger and Searcher when it comes to our kids. This is the story that I’m going through, the story that Don is going through and the story our characters are going through.”

Producer Roy Conli, whose two decades of experience at Disney stretch from The Hunchback of Notre Dame to his more recent work on nature documentaries such as Polar Bear and Bear Witness, echoed the sentiments of Hall and Nguyen, calling the father-son dynamic “phenomenal and universal.” Like the directors, Conli cited his own experiences as an example of how the dynamic ultimately shapes all sons.

Father-son relationships are so beautiful and so fraught simultaneously. I came from the theater. My favorite play as a kid was ‘Death of a Salesman,’ which is a classic father-son tale. My father and I had an amazing relationship. I thought he was Superman until I was 15, when I realized he wasn’t Superman. We had a good 10 years of battle that fortunately, we came through. He was an amazing guy, and that father-son relationship is really special: it’s phenomenal and universal. I think fathers push their sons; sons reject their fathers, and then eventually they all come around.
Roy Conli

Strange World, a Walt Disney Animation Studio’s film, will be in theaters November 23rd, 2022.

September 21, 2022
Director Don Hall Details the Pulpy Influences of ‘Strange World’

From the earliest looks at its newest animated adventure, Strange World, it was clear that Walt Disney Animation Studio was looking to capture the nostalgia of pulp fiction common to the first half of the 20th century. Characters such as Doc Savage, Ka-zar and John Carter found their way to fame through pulp magazines and the exploration of fantastical new lands. And it turns out that’s exactly the kind of story director Don Hall set out to tell in Strange World.

I always loved big adventure stories. the specific kind of adventure story where explorers find a hidden world that was heretofore unknown to them or anybody else. And that goes back so far into late 1800s, early 1900s—Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. That was sort of the birth of the big adventure story in novel form. ‘King Kong’ is a good filmic reference that had a group of explorers find a new hidden world. I wanted to evoke that in this movie.
Don Hall

In Strange World, the new hidden world comes into play when Searcher Clade, the son of legendary explorer Jaeger Clade, has to undertake an expedition with nothing less than the fate of his entire planet at stake. That expedition takes him to the subterranean “strange world” and reunites him with his father, who has been missing for decades. Fans of pulp fiction, including stories from the authors whom Hall cites as influences, will know that along with the discovery of this wonderful, new land will come an all-new set of dangers and challenges that will test the mettle and the relationships of the Clade family.

The mysteries of Strange World will unfold in theaters beginning November 23rd, 2022.

September 21, 2022
Theory Thursday: ‘Captain America: New World Order’ is Actually Marvel’s ‘World War Hulks’

Perhaps the most unexpected development to come out of D23’s Marvel panel was the reveal that Tim Blake Nelson would return as Samuel Sterns for Captain America: New World Order. Better known as “The Leader”, Sterns is traditionally a Hulk villain, and hasn’t been seen since he made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in The Incredible Hulk over a decade ago. Tim Roth‘s surprising comeback as Emil Blonsky in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, another famous Hulk baddie thought to be forgotten by Marvel Studios, had given fans hope that Nelson may also show his face again, but nobody seemed to suspect that Captain America would be the franchise he’d do it in. Now that it’s confirmed to be the case, the casting begs a very serious question – why would The Leader be the main antagonist in a Captain America movie?

Rumors swirled for a long time that Marvel had plans to revive the Hulk franchise with an adaptation of either World War Hulk or World War Hulks, two very different comic arcs with very similar names. A recent episode of She-Hulk sent Mark Ruffalo‘s Bruce Banner back to space and gave credence to the former title, in which the untimely destruction of Sakaar leads the Hulk to wage all-out war on Earth and its heroes, but the unveiling of Leader’s looming threat at D23 implies the MCU might secretly be on track to adapt the latter. The villain has a long history of attempting to manipulate gamma radiation as a means of molding the future in his image, and World War Hulks is one of his best efforts. As part of a supervillain group known as the “Intelligencia”, essentially the evil version of the Illuminati, Sterns plotted to create an army of Hulks that would help him and his cohorts take over the world. Although the phrase “New World Order ” is typically used when discussing much deeper, more political topics – something it would make sense for a Captain America film to cover – it is possible that Marvel Studios is using the name as a minor misdirect. In fact, it might actually make more sense if the New World Order in question is actually The Leader’s vision for his own personal Gamma World.

With a threat that large in scale, it would also stand to reason that The Leader’s plan does not unfold in its entirety in just one project. More likely than not, it plays out across multiple projects in the next couple of years, making Tim Blake Nelson a quiet connective tissue between Marvel’s fourth and fifth phases. To help explain this idea, it might be best to break the theory down by project:

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

At this point, what happens for the remainder of She-Hulk is anyone’s guess. Over the course of several episodes, the series has widened the window on how fans can view the MCU and raised its fair share of questions regarding the franchise’s future. Among the many ponderings, however, lies one untied thread that nobody seems to be talking about. In the pilot, Bruce makes a pretty big deal about the dangers of his blood and the blood of Tatiana Maslany‘s Jen Walters falling into the wrong hands. After all, they’re both Hulks, and the wrong person gaining access to their irradiated blood could lead to an awful lot of unfortunate shenanigans. A few episodes later, a group of hired goons, the MCU’s version of The Wrecking Crew, brought the matter up again when they tried their best to beat down and steal some of Jen’s blood. They were not successful, on account of She-Hulk’s skin being too difficult to pierce, but the attempt revealed there is truly someone out there who wants that gamma-laden plasma.

The identity of the person who hired The Wrecking Crew could end up being anybody, but now that The Leader is definitely on his way back to the spotlight, it seems more and more likely that he’s the one up to his old comic book ways. If this is the case, one has to wonder why he wants the DNA and how he would use it. Bruce explicitly says that the most terrifying outcome would be more Hulks in the world, specifically ones that won’t use their powerful abilities for the sake of good, so that seems like a pretty logical next step in The Leader’s grand scheme. Perhaps he’ll even play a major role in the She-Hulk finale, making a big play and stepping out from behind the curtain at the eleventh hour. There is a comic arc in which Mallory Book, played by Renee Elise Goldsberry in the show, represents Sterns in court and successfully argues that he is not responsible for his crimes because his exposure to gamma radiation forcibly altered his personality. Maybe Attorney at Law adapts this as a final case, with Sterns using the scenario to get closer to Jen and ultimately snag some of her blood. His first test subjects could even be The Wrecking Crew, who, in some sort of post-credits scene, finally grow to match their size in the pages of Marvel comics.

Captain America: New World Order

With his new Hulk drug ready to be dispersed, The Leader will need someone who is able to push it around the globe. Luckily for him, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier reintroduced audiences to someone who specializes in exactly that. Emily VanCamp‘s Sharon Carter, now known to criminal syndicates as The Power Broker, was last seen planning to use her newfound government position as a means of stealing high-level weapons and secrets to supply her nefarious underground business dealings. Whether The Leader is caught in She-Hulk or not, it stands to reason that she would have full access to whatever drug Sterns creates with Walters’ blood. In partnering with her, The Leader would have a means of sending gamma around the world without having to craft some sort of massive gamma dome in the middle of the desert, as he does at one point in the comics and in a multi-episode arc on Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Carter’s involvement in The Leader’s plot is enough by itself to get Sam Wilson’s attention, but as the MCU’s new Captain America, it will probably be the random denizens of Earth transforming rapidly into Hulk-like creatures that draws him to the scene. If Sterns’ plan is enacted fully, it would mean a threat on a global scale that Wilson probably can’t handle on his own. Though the Avengers supposedly no longer exist following Avengers: Endgame, there are plenty of heroes who could come to Captain America’s aid in this time of The Leader’s “new world order” (of Hulks). Danny Ramirez has already been confirmed to return as Joaquin Torres, likely the new Falcon by this point, alongside Shira Haas‘ Sabra, in addition to any number of surprise appearances that could come to fruition between now and the time filming begins. New World Order would then follow in the footsteps of Civil War, acting as a miniature Avengers film that tests Sam Wilson’s mettle as a team leader for the first time. Granted, Wilson doesn’t really need this sort of test, but that seems to be the way the MCU is handling his tenure as Cap, and so it fits with the theory.

As for Bruce Banner, and how he aligns with everything, that remains a slightly bigger question mark. There are a few options, now that he’s in space. The Leader could have orchestrated a false Sakaarian situation to get him off-planet before he put his plan into action, as Sterns probably sees Banner as the biggest threat to his success, or Banner could really now be the father to Skaar, his half-Sakaarian son who played a big role in the World War Hulks story in the comics. At some point, the duo could return and join in the effort to put down Sterns or be saved for a separate project entirely. The details get a little messy here, but the general theory sentient remains – New World Order is about The Leader turning everyone into Hulks, with the first part playing as a thriller where Sam and his crew try to stop the spread of Gamma drugs, and the second part as an all-out World War Hulks adaptation that forces Sam Wilson to embrace his role as Earth’s Mightiest Hero.

Thunderbolts

It was said on stage at D23 that Thunderbolts exists because the word needs a team it can “trust” by the end of Phase 5. Secret Invasion probably plays a big role in this, but New World Order might too. Even if The Leader is taken down, he could still have done some irreparable damage to the world that the Avengers are partially blamed for, or at the very least, his actions might have proven that the world still needs a team of superheroes on its side. In the comics, after the fall of the Intelligencia, a captive Sterns is taken into the custody of General Thaddeus Ross’ Red Hulk and his newly formed team of Thunderbolts. Soon after, he is killed by The Punisher, who is a member of that team and still horrified by The Leader’s actions in World War Hulks. It’s possible something similar plays out in the MCU, with Sebastian Stan‘s Bucky Barnes taking the Punisher’s role after learning what The Leader did to his friend, Sam Wilson. As for why The Leader would be in the custody of the Thunderbolts in the MCU, that’s an entirely different theory.

If the Intelligencia is at all involved in New World Order, the line-up would have to be altered slightly to make sense. There’s a chance that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by the incomparable Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, is in that group, and manipulates her way to controlling Sterns while she forms her own government-sponsored superteam. Basically, she would take the place of the comics’ General Ross, whose actor, William Hurt, passed away earlier this year. In that position, she could force Sterns to use his gamma drug to turn her into a Hulk herself, much in the same way Ross made Sterns and M.O.D.O.K. transform him into the Red Hulk during World War Hulks, so that she may have her own bit of power and act as the Thunderbolts’ muscle, something fans noted was missing from the line-up when it was revealed at D23. The source material has Betty Ross becoming the Red She-Hulk, but it doesn’t look like Liv Tyler will be returning to the MCU anytime soon, so it might make more sense if Val becomes an amalgam of a few characters and takes that spot to simplify things.

With that, the theory is just about summed up. It’s completely feasible that The Leader is planned to be the sub-villain of Phase 5, connecting several projects and bringing Hulks back to the forefront of Marvel lore by bringing World War Hulks to the fourth Captain America film. It’s not clear why Marvel would go this route instead of giving Banner another solo film unless the rights issue with Universal is still an ongoing problem. Either way, it’s an option, and one you heard here first.

September 15, 2022
5 Hulk Characters Who Deserve to Return to or Join the MCU

With the announcement that Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns would square off with Sam Wilson in Captain America: New World Order, the revitalization of 2008’s oft-panned The Incredible Hulk continues along an impressive arc. 2021 saw the return of an updated Abomination in Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, followed by Tim Roth’s return to the MCU as Abomination’s alter ego, Emil Blonsky, in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. Suddenly what was very, very old (in MCU years) is new again and creating a fairly significant buzz among MCU fans.

With the returns of Blonsky and Sterns and the addition of Jennifer Walters, the Hulk family of characters is suddenly looking incredibly strong and with the rumors of a World War Hulk project in the works, it’s possible that even more of the characters from The Incredible Hulk might return AND some classic comic book characters could join the fray. Here’s a look at some interesting options to consider from both groups.

Betty Ross

The character that’s long been the center of much of the online chatter as a favorite to return is Betty Ross, played by Liv Tyler in The Incredible Hulk. It’s hard to believe that a character so central to the life of Bruce Banner played so small a role in the MCU, but even though rumors have poped up over the years, Betty hasn’t been seen since the earliest days of Phase 1. However, if Sterns and Blonsky can be written into the Multiverse Saga, there’s no reason to think Betty can’t be. With the plot of She-Hulk involving efforts to get ahold of Jen’s blood (which Bruce admits is BETTER), there’s a whole mess of ways that Betty, and other characters, could get reintegrated into the MCU as gamma mutates. Betty’s had a couple different turns in the comics as Red She-Hulk and Harpy, and it would be a blast to see her join up as either of those, especially with the passing of William Hurt likely meaning General Ross will never be the MCU’s Red Hulk.

Doc Samson

Ty Burrell played Leonard Samson back in 2008 and while he didn’t really get much to do, a foundation was built that could allow the character, even if not the actor, to return. Like his comic book counterpart, the MCU Samson is known as a brilliant psychiatrist. Of course in the comics, Samson was exposed to gamma radiation and became a green-haired, muscled up gamma mutate, so there’s certainly room to grow. Over the years, Samson has served as the Hulk’s psychiatrist and an ally. With Hulk’s trip to Sakaar set to reveal some interesting news, it’s looking like a call to Doc to chat about some issues could be on the docket.

Glenn Talbot

One of the more interesting options, should the MCU be willing to expand the Hulk’s cast of supporting characters is Major Glenn Talbot. I know what you’re thinking, Talbot’s already in the MCU because he was big star in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, if you think Feige’s touching the convoluted disaster that became of Adrian Pasdar’s character, you need to chat with Doc Samson. Should the MCU be marching towards a World War Hulk project, one might expect a military presence and Talbot would be the perfect fit to lead the charge from Gamma Base. Josh Lucas portrayed the character in Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk and the now 51-year old actor might be willing to play the Multiversal Variant card and join the MCU.

Rick Jones

No character has suffered as Rick Jones has suffered. In the comics, Jones was both the reason that Bruce Banner became the Hulk and the Hulk’s best friend. Jones spent time with Captain America and being bonded to Mar-Vell and yet has never even sniffed the opportunity to join the MCU. The time could be now for Jones as the potential for the creation of other gamma mutates could open the door for Jones’ alter ego of A-Bomb. It would be a great tragedy if Jones and A-Bomb never moved beyond Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

Amadeus Cho

While he eventually became the Totally Awesome Hulk, it’s Cho’s friendship with the Hulk at a time where everyone else betrayed him that makes him a fun potential addition to the MCU. Cho’s mother, Helen, already exists in the MCU and fans have sort of always assumed that she was introduced in Age of Ultron so that Amadeus might eventually be brought along. With the MCU’s present day taking place in 2025, a teenage Cho could pop up in a few years. And having him around while both the Hulk and Hercules are making noise would be a great nod to his early comic appearances.

September 13, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Georgina Campbell Discusses Feminist Themes of ‘Barbarian’

Georgina Campbell is the star of this year’s most surprising horror film, Barbarian. The movie centers around a woman who is shocked to find the Airbnb she booked is already occupied, and the increasingly dangerous events that transpire once she ultimately steps inside. As the premise suggests, much of the plot is based on the female perspective – examining dangerous scenarios through a lens that men might not always have to worry about. Speaking exclusively with Murphy’s Multiverse, Campbell explained how this theme impacted her appreciation for the film and how director Zach Cregger helped her understand how it all comes together:

To be honest, I didn’t necessarily get it all the first time I read it, because so much is happening. And then I spoke to Zach and he really kind of broke everything down to me, and y’know, there’s all these different things going on that all kind of connect. He gave me a book that was about fear, and it was about women’s instincts and all these stories of women that have been through kind of traumatic situations and then look back on it and go, ‘there was actually this moment or there was this moment and I just kind of forgot about it or didn’t worry about it because it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time’. So that was really interesting, and he just, y’know, wrote that so beautifully. It was great.
Georgina Campbell

Once everything clicked for Campbell, she couldn’t get enough. The actress, known for her work on Black Mirror, also commented on how much she enjoyed the story at large. After being nudged to discuss what she really thought of the script, Campbell replied:

It was so interesting, right? The first time I read the script I just, was like, amazed at the story itself. I just thought it was fantastic, and all those twists and turns. I was entertained reading it. It was like a breath of fresh air. You get sent so many scripts and it’s very rare you get these scripts that you just can’t stop thinking about.
Georgina Campbell

Barbarian arrives in theaters on September 9th.

September 8, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Barbarian’ Director Teases Next Project

Barbarian has yet to hit theaters, but critics are already raving about the directorial effort from Zach Cregger. The creative came to prominence in the world of comedy, as part of The Whitest Kids U’Know sketch troupe, before transitioning to horror with his latest film and earning high praise as both writer and director. These types of occupational change-overs don’t always go well, but if early online reactions are any indication, Cregger might just have a new career path laid out in front of him.

Speaking exclusively with Murphy’s Multiverse, Cregger was asked directly if working on Barbarian had sparked any interest in crafting more scares down the line. Surprisingly, the filmmaker revealed he was already coming up with his next story. He explained that his idea was not an easy one to nail down, and while it may never actually come to fruition, it is something he’s actively trying to get right:

I have another one that I’m writing right now but it’s very weird and I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to pull it off. I’m still writing it, and it’s hard. I think it could be better than ‘Barbarian’ but I have to figure out how to land this plane and I haven’t cracked it yet. But I’m working on it.
Zach Cregger

Before getting into his future, Cregger dove a bit into his past. The conversation began with a question on how a comedic performer ends up helming a horror feature, to which Cregger replied – “Nothing about the creation of this movie was calculated.” He elaborated:

It wasn’t something I always wanted to do, but I just have to follow the inspiration when it comes to me. Y’know, I was in my garage late at night and I wanted to write something spooky and I kinda cranked it out. Nothing about the creation of this movie was calculated. It was all just sort of a fun exercise. It was really a joyful experience. Just trying to entertain myself, and this is what came out of it.
Zach Cregger

Hopefully, his next film turns out to be a joyful experience as well. Barbarian hits theaters on September 9th.

September 8, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Georgina Campbell Teases What’s Under the House in ‘Barbarian’

Barbarian is set to hit theaters fairly soon, and somehow, the film’s marketing has managed to keep most of its plot a secret from audiences. Trailers have shown the basic premise of the movie, which revolves around a woman arriving at her AirBnB to discover it’s already housing a total stranger, but only hints have been made towards the true evil waiting inside. Is Bill Skarsgard‘s mysterious inhabitant the biggest threat 476 Barbary has to offer, or is there something far more terrifying lurking in the basement?

In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, star Georgina Campbell teased what viewers can expect to see when they sit down for this year’s most unpredictable horror project. When asked what it was like to be on set for the crazier parts of the film, Campbell worked her way around the question, but still revealed a little bit of information on what’s under the house:

Yeah, it’s so hard to talk about without spoilers, but everything that goes on down there was incredible. Like, y’know, the design – I guess I’ll say there’s a creature, an entity – and it was very beautifully designed and very scary.
Georgina Campbell

The former Krypton actress continued, joking about what it was like between takes when her and the “entity” were not in character:

It’s funny, because when you’re on set and you’re acting, y’know, everything’s going. But then there’s so much time in-between where we’re all sat around and having a chat and talking about the weekend. So those moments were very surreal. [laughs] Yeah, it was very strange. It took some getting used to.
Georgina Campbell

Campbell then laughed about the imagery of the “creature” casually sipping coffee beside her, a concept that could be compared to the popular picture of Jamie Campbell Bower‘s Vecna on the set of Stranger Things. Hopefully, once the film is in cinemas, a few shots like this can be released by the cast and crew. Until then, audiences will have to wait until September 9th to see it for themselves on the big screen.

September 7, 2022
The Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V1

In March of 2022, it was reported that Sabir Pirzada, who worked with Marvel Studios on both Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, was developing a Nova project with the studio. The trade report indicated that it was unclear whether or not Pirzada’s work was for a film or streaming series and, as of publishing, that was still unclear. However, Prizada’s current track record with Marvel allows one to lean towards expecting a series about The Human Rocket.

Confidence is high that Destin Daniel Cretton’s sequel to 2021’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings will hit theaters ahead of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. It seems like Cretton and star Simu Liu are going to be very busy starting in 2023.

When the search for an actress to portray Kamala Khan was ongoing, a rumor indicated that whoever would eventually take on the role would have a pretty heavy workload that would consist of Season 1, a film, and Season 2 all being filmed over the course of 3 years. If that rumor still holds any water, Iman Vellani is going to find herself on set for Season 2 of Ms. Marvel sometime in the next year so that she can also be available to fit Avengers: The Kang Dynasty into her schedule. It would not be incredibly surprising if this were among the announcements made during either Disney Plus Day or Marvel Studios’ Showcase at D23.

It’s been a long, long time since our original scoop that Marvel Studios was developing a Nomad project. However, no news does not always equal bad news. Confidence is high that Nomad is still in development and is intended to be included as part of the Multiverse Saga.

The first of what is currently set to be a 2025 Avengers double-feature, The Kang Dynasty might just have a lot to do with some of the artifacts fans have already seen in some of Phase 4’s early projects. It remains to be seen, but it’s very possible that both Ms. Marvel and Shang-Chi’s accessories might play major roles in the Multiverse Saga.

A second Moon Knight season seems a sure thing. Star Oscar Isaac and director Mohamed Diab have teased it. Fans are hungry for it. There’s no reason Kevin Feige doesn’t announce it at D23…unless it’s not happening. That would be a good reason not to announce it.

At this point, why not? Rumors about this film have dried up, but a recent piece of information that Marvel Studios may regain the distribution rights to live-action Hulk films does give some hope that it might come to fruition. Bruce Banner’s trip to Sakaar in Episode 2 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is right in line with the earliest rumors I ever heard about what will essentially be a prelude to this film, but we’ll have to wait until Episode 9 to find out if Marvel Studios is going forward with this project…unless they decide to grace fans with a Hulk-sized gift at D23.

*NOTE*

While it’s not a Disney project and won’t be announced at D23, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Spider-Man 4 hit theaters in the space between Marvel Studios May 2nd film and their November 7th film.

According to the Phase 6 slate unveiled by Kevin Feige at SDCC ’22, there’s one spot left to fill and, to be honest, there isn’t enough strong info around any one project to confidently place it here. With that in mind, rumors of a Harry Styles-led Starfox project made the rounds some time ago, and while I initially dismissed them, I was told by someone I trust that to keep an ear to the ground as there might be some fire to that smoke. So while we’d set the odds very low here (I’d say under a 1% chance this is correct), it’s as good of a guess as any.

The capstone of the Multiverse Saga, fans should expect Marvel Studios to pull out all the stops for this one and for it to include all the bells and whistles, including possibly bringing back some of the biggest stars from the Infinity Saga. It could also serve as a way for the studio to reset things with new actors in old roles, old actors in new roles, or any manner of shenanigans.

September 7, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Barbarian’ Director on Film’s Surprises

Barbarian is the next major horror film to hit theaters, and it already has social media buzzing. Early online reactions to the movie claim it as a must-see for fans of the genre, and there has been almost unanimous praise for its many supposed twists and turns. Luckily, whatever those surprises are actually are remains a secret for viewers who wish to enjoy the plot unspoiled. All that is publicly known is what can be found in the trailer – a woman knocks on the door of her AirBnB to discover it’s already occupied, and after going inside, learns that something terrible is waiting for her under the house.

In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, writer and director Zach Cregger was asked how he hoped audiences would react to what he has in store for them. Upon hearing the word “surprise”, Cregger fessed up to being as taken aback by his own script as anyone else. He explained his writing process, and how he weaponized it to make a genuinely shocking picture:

I was surprised. [laughs] I didn’t beat this movie out. I didn’t outline it, I just started writing it. I was discovering it as I was going. So, I didn’t know what was down under the house until it happened. I didn’t know. So, I was just as surprised as anyone. [laughs] That was my rule for writing. If I don’t know what’s gonna happen, there’s no way the audience could. And so, I just kept to that spirit throughout the whole process.
Zach Cregger

Prior to creating Barbarian, the filmmaker maintained a successful career in comedy as part of the iconic sketch troupe The Whitest Kids U’Know. It would seem his many years of comedic improvisation have paid off in a rather unexpected way, flexing the same creative muscle in a wildly different genre.

Barbarian crawls its way into theaters on September 9th.

September 6, 2022
The Hypothetical 2024 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V3

Thanks to Kevin Feige’s presentation at SDCC ’22, not much has been left to the imagination for 2024. Marvel Studio’s One-Above-All blew the doors off Hall H by officially revealing Daredevil: Born Again, Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four would all be released in 2024. He did, however, leave one currently scheduled film date unfilled and what look to be three Disney Plus series. Feige also gave a time frame for when Agatha: Coven of Chaos should start streaming and from the looks of it, 2024 is going to be a very full slate for Marvel Studios live-action productions.

As per Feige at SDCC ’22, Coven of Chaos will bridge 2023 and 2024, so if Marvel Studios sticks to that timeline, it’s just a matter of when in December it starts and when in January it ends, assuming a 6-episode run until otherwise indicated.

Once upon a time, it seemed like a sure thing that Deadpool 3 would hold down this spot. I even got wind at one point that it might start production in the Spring of 2023, making this the perfect date. However, as time goes on, confidence in Deadpool 3 being ready in time for this date continues to decrease. But until such a time that confidence hits absolute zero (and I hear that something else is taking this date), it’ll stay here.

Daredevil: Born Again will be Marvel Studios’ longest series yet, with an 18-episode first season on the docket. Everyone has their own idea about how this series will work out: three six-episode pods; a nine-episode “part one” and a nine-episode “part two.” But as of now, Marvel Studios hasn’t given any indication of what to expect so we’re rolling with this being 18 consecutive weeks of DD goodness. 18 weeks is over a third of the year and there are plenty of other streaming series they want to roll out, so a March 1st start date allows this big event series to bridge the gap between films.

It took a little longer than expected to crack the script and find a director, but now things are headed in the right direction with Julius Onah taking the helm. Expect casting news to start trickling out over the last quarter of 2022 and for production to get underway early in 2023.

The first draft of Thunderbolts has been complete for quite a while now, having been done by Black Widow’s Eric Pearson. With Jake Schreier now on board as director and much, if not all, of the cast of the film already in place, don’t expect a ton of news to roll out about this one.

Whether or not this project, which was announced back in February of 2021, is called Midnight Angels or not remains to be seen; however, once fans see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, they will certainly have an understanding of what this project could be about should Ryan Coogler chose to center this Wakanda-centric spinoff on those characters. Of course, there will be a couple of other potential stories that could also make for an interesting D+ series and Ironheart is itself a Black Panther-related spinoff, so the World of Wakanda will continue to grow in many directions regardless of what this series is titled.

Wonder Man finally gets his chance to step into the MCU! While I don’t expect this show to begin filming until 2023, there may be something to the rumors about them already looking to cast Simon Williams, meaning that the character would debut in another project ahead of his streaming series. Wonder Man and the Wakanda series do seem to be next up, so which one debuts first in the Fall of 2024 will just be a matter of which one gets into production first and successfully avoids the kinds of delays that have hit all of Marvel Studios live-action streaming series.

Nearly five and half years after first being teased at SDCC ’19, Marvel Studios will debut their version of the First Family. Matt Shakman was recently chosen to shepherd the project and early word is that his vision lines up nicely with not only what Kevin Feige has in mind but with the original vision of the characters who first appeared in the World’s Greatest Comics Magazine over 60 years ago.

Fans have had a field day wondering “what’s going on with Armor Wars?” The answer is probably much less sinister than the internet believes. The project is still in development and as is the case with so many of Marvel Studios’ projects, they are simply just taking their time to make sure they put together a solid project before heading into production.

*NOTE* While confidence is fairly high that 2024 will include Midnight Angels, Wonder Man, and Armor Wars (though it’s possible a Nova series pushes one of them to 2025) confidence is much lower on the order in which they might arrive.

September 6, 2022