Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Marvel Reportedly Set to Place Controversial Character Front and Center in the Mutant Saga

    Marvel Reportedly Set to Place Controversial Character Front and Center in the Mutant Saga

    For over two decades, Hugh Jackman has been the face of live-action X-Men films. After leading Fox’s original X-Men trilogy and a Wolverine trilogy and appearing in cameos across other Fox films, Jackman brought Wolverine into the MCU in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. The ending of Deadpool & Wolverine seemed to make it fairly clear that the heroic duo’s story had another chapter and in late 2024, a report indicated that Marvel hoped to keep Jackman on in the role beyond its rumored plans for him in Avengers: Secret Wars.

    The potential return of Jackman has already raised concerns that Marvel Studios will continue shining the spotlight on Wolverine, relegating other traditional X-Men big timers to the shadows as Fox often did. Among that group, none were done as dirty as Scott Summers. Portrayed in Fox’s films by both James Marsden and Tye Sheridan, Cyclops never rose to the same heights as his comic book counterpart, who was one of Stan Lee’s favorite characters and has undergone a wonderful and transformative journey in the comics. And a new report claims that Marvel Studios has decided that Scott Summers’ story will be at the center of its Mutant Saga.

    According to longtime industry insider Kristian Harloff, Cyclops and the Summers family “will be the focus of the new mutant saga.“

    While the move might initially stir controversy, if planned and executed correctly, a Summers-centric saga would allow for Marvel Studios to introduce numerous characters either underutilized or unused by Fox AND tell some of Marvel Comics greatest X-Men stories.

    Mister Sinister is rumored to be one of two main villains Marvel hopes to unleash in the Mutant Saga, set to kick off in 2028 with director Jake Schreier‘s youth-focused X-Men film, and his fascination with the Summers bloodline would indeed make him the perfect antagonist for a Cyclops-centric arc. Keeping Cyclops at the center also allows for the Starjammers, the Shi’ar and the Imperial Guard and the Mutant Messiah, Hope Summers, to organically enter the MCU. And given the quality of the comic book stories featuring those characters, that could only be a net positive as Marvel moves away from the roller coaster ride that has been the Multiverse Saga.

  • ‘Severance: Star Tramell Tillman Casts Doubt on the Nature of His Role in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    ‘Severance: Star Tramell Tillman Casts Doubt on the Nature of His Role in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    In August, trade reports indicated that Severance and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning star Tramell Tillman joined the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Initially, the word that Tillman was set to join the fourth installment of the Spidey franchise as a villain; however, months into filming, Tillman’s role remains a mystery and now the star has called into question the veracity of those early reports.

    In a brief interview with Variety, Tillman played coy about his role while responding to a question about his potentially villainous character by asking, “Who says I’m playing a villain?”.

    Interestingly, despite never having been caught on location yet, Tillman revealed he’s already begun work on the film, scheduled to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.

    I’m told that Marvel has a plan to say goodbye to Kang. They’re going to wrap him up. I think they want to give him the boot just to put to bed any…I think they’re going to deal with Kang somehow. A small little thing… probably in one of the Avengers movies. I’ve heard Doctor Doom could be the one who kills him.

    -Jeff “The In” Sneider

    While reports from early 2025 claimed that Tillman was set to take over the role of Kang from Jonathan Majors, more recent insider buzz has made an effort to discredit the idea. Truly, yet another villain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day seems like overkill with Tombstone, Scorpion and, allegedly, Sadie Sink‘s shape-shifting character set to antagonize Spidey while he’ll also have to deal with both a rampaging Hulk and The Punisher.

    Given the expansive roster of interesting characters in Spidey’s orbit, there’s no doubt that Tillman would be a far greater asset to the MCU as a character–ally or enemy–who can carry on beyond a one-off appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ and ‘Marvel Zombies’ Writer Zeb Wells Set to Write Legendary’s ‘Buck Rogers’ Film

    Marvel multimedia scribe Zeb Wells has been tasked with reviving one of the most significant figures to emerge from the pulp era. According to OG super scooper Umberto Gonzalez, Wells–who has worked for Marvel’s film, television and publishing studios–has landed the gig as the writer for Legendary’s Buck Rogers film.

    Gonzalez’s report states that Wells will be adapting author Philip Francis Nowlan‘s novella, Armageddon 2419 A.D. for the feature film. The original story, published in 1928, featured Rogers being exposed to a gas, going into suspended animation and waking up in a dystopian future to fight invaders with advanced technology like ray guns and flying belts. Nowlan’s action-adventure style was common to the pulp era and the character, originally named Anthony Rogers, inspired the creation of countless characters and stories including Flash Gordon, Adam Strange and Star Wars.

    While the character gained his greatest mainstream fame through the hugely popular newspaper comic strip (where he was renamed “Buck Rogers”), radio serials, movie serials, and TV series including Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, which ran from 1979-198.

    A Buck Rogers project has been in development at Legendary since they acquired the rights to the character in 2020.

    The Thrill Machine: A Look Back at the Pulp Era 💥

    The Pulp Era was a golden age of popular fiction, spanning roughly from the 1890s through the 1950s. It was a time when fantastic, action-packed stories—from hard-boiled detective tales and jungle adventures to the earliest forms of modern science fiction—burst onto newsstands and defined much of 20th-century pop culture.

    What Defined the “Pulp”?

    The term “pulp” comes directly from the cheap, rough wood pulp paper on which these magazines were printed. This inexpensive material allowed publishers to print vast quantities of fiction magazines at low cost, selling them for just 10 or 25 cents.

    These magazines were easily identifiable by several key characteristics:

    • Low Cost: Their affordability made them the primary mass-market entertainment before television and comic books took over.
    • Distinctive Covers: They featured vibrant, lurid, and often sensationalistic painted covers designed to grab a reader’s attention and hint at the wild action inside.
    • Genre Focus: Unlike literary magazines, pulps were unapologetically dedicated to specific genres, giving rise to specialized titles.

    A Multiverse of Genres and Heroes

    The Pulp Era didn’t just entertain; it served as the essential proving ground for nearly every genre and archetype that would later define comic books, movies, and television.

    Science fiction titles such as Amazing Stories–in which Rogers debuted–adventure titles such as Doc Savage Magazine and detective titles such as Black Mask broke ground for the eventual rise of comic books.

    The Birth of the “Superhero”

    Crucially, the pulps invented the concept of the “Super-Hero” long before Superman. Characters like The Shadow (who had a secret identity, a hidden headquarters, specialized gadgets, and fought a constant war on crime) and Doc Savage (a polymath adventurer with near-superhuman skills and strength) established the fundamental tropes that would later be directly adopted by comic book creators. Many early Golden Age comic book writers and artists were, in fact, veterans of the pulp industry.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Details from Marvel’s Scrapped Avengers Film Reveal One New Team Was Set to Play a Key Role

    Details from Marvel’s Scrapped Avengers Film Reveal One New Team Was Set to Play a Key Role

    In February 2023, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness described Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, as “the biggest movie in the world.” However, whatever “big, sweeping” ideas Loveness had for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty were thought to be lost to time as he was replaced as the film’s writer by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron in November 2023. By July 2024, original director Destin Daniel Cretton had also left the project and was replaced by Anthony and Joe Russo, who brought along old pal Stephen McFeely to work on the script for what became Avengers: Doomsday.

    One early rumor about Loveness‘ plans for the film indicated that it would include multiple teams of heroes, something that was all but confirmed when concept art from Marvel Studios Senior Concept/Visual Development Mushk Rizvi was discovered online in early 2025. While there’s always plenty of space between concept and execution, we now know one “big idea” Loveness had for one particular team whose presence in the film was revealed by the concept leaked art.

    In a Reddit Q&A, Waldron pulled back the curtain on plans he and Loveness had for the Young Avengers before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was scrapped in favor of Avengers: Doomsday.

    Jeff Loveness and I spent an afternoon pitching on the Young Avengers defeating a version of Kang and being so stoked about it…only to discover that that particular Kang carried a little card that said to Be Patient with him, it was his first day as a Kang. And then they were so bummed. I think he was gonna be the lizard Kang from the end of Kang Dynasty? I don’t know. Anyway we had fun.

    -Michael Waldron, Reddit Q&A, October 28, 2025

    Given the response to the defeat of Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, it seems unlikely such a scene, even if treated as a joke, would have landed well with the grumbly segment of the Marvel “fan base.” However, it is entirely in line with the sensibilities of Loveness and Waldron and also at least partially consistent with one of the Young Avengers first collective missions in the comics.

  • Fans Believe Marvel Studios May Have “Soft Launched” Its New Black Panther

    Fans Believe Marvel Studios May Have “Soft Launched” Its New Black Panther

    In January 2025, a report from Jeff “The In” Sneider indicated that Marvel Studios planned to recast the role of T’Challa, with a new actor set to portray the character originally played by the late Chadwick Boseman. Sneider claimed the new actor would step into the role for three upcoming films, starting with Avengers: Doomsday and continuing on in both Avengers: Secret Wars and Black Panther 3.

    Sneider’s report was quickly countered by social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, who claimed that the recast wasn’t for the character played by Boseman but rather for T’Challa II, played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Former Marvel Parliament member Nate Moore seemed to put the rumblings to rest in February, explaining that without a story in place for Black Panther 3, the studio was unable to make a decision about replacing Boseman in the role. However, as believable as Moore‘s words were, one of the biggest oopsies ever quickly turned the tide of the story one more time.

    We don’t know what the story is, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not we’re open to recasting. It certainly wasn’t our instinct for Wakanda Forever. I’ll never say never to anything, but it’s too early to talk about any of that stuff. We have to figure out what the story’s going to be.

    -Producer Nate Moore

    In March, Senior Concept/Visual Development Artist Mushk Rizvi posted a significant amount of concept art from the studio’s upcoming slate to her Art Station account. Among there were several designs for a new Black Panther that looked to be using actor Damson Idris as a model. 

    The idea of Idris as the MCU’s new T’Challa took hold quickly among the fanbase; however, further inspection of the files posted on Art Station revealed that the character in the concept art was T’Chanda, the Black Panther of Wakanda in World War II and the grandfather of T’Challa. Despite the excitement, the buzz died down and with principal photography on Avengers: Doomsday having been completed with no sign of Idris among those revealed to be part of the cast, fans seemed to have moved on…until now.

    An appearance by Idris at Vogue World: Hollywood, alongside Black Panther franchise star Angela Bassett, has fansvonce again believing he’s set to be the MCU’s next Black Panther.

    With Bassett spotted holding hands with Idris while outfitted in the same garb work by her Queen Ramonda, fans quickly began to call the event a “soft launch” for the recasting of Boseman‘s iconic role. Theories and speculation have begun to spread across social media platforms and message boards, though no single theory seems to be taking hold. Is Idris a Multiversal Variant, a grown T’Challa II or T’Chanda? Has he been cast in Avengers: Doomsday at all? Given the fact that characters from the World of Wakanda are confirmed to play a major role in the film, all of the options would seem to be in play. With the studio rumored to be planning to roll out a teaser for the film before year’s end, perhaps we’ll all find out soon.

  • Excelsior! ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ D+ Debut Date Revealed

    Excelsior! ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ D+ Debut Date Revealed

    Hot on n the heels the release of physical media, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is headed to Disney Plus.

    In an official release provided across its social media outlets, Disney revealed that the Marvel Studios film will hit the streaming platform on November 5th.

    The film, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, introduced Marvel’s First Family to the MCU in time for the group to star in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The film took in just over $520M worldwide and played well for critics and audiences alike and will likely continue the trend of Marvel Studios’ films becoming streaming darlings.

    Following Disney CEO Bob Iger’s statement that the film “successfully launched this important franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Marvel boss Kevin Feige reportedly set his sights on developing a sequel with director Matt Shakman back on board. Though no official word has come down, screenwriter Eric Pearson shared some ideas about the direction of a potential sequel, which could allow the project to come together in time for a 2028 theatrical release.

  • Elizabeth Olsen Details What Would Bring Her Back for More as The Scarlet Witch

    Though she hasn’t appeared since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff continues to impact the events of the MCU’s ongoing shared narrative. Agatha All Along revealed that her son, Billy, was alive and well ..sort of…and 2026’s VisionQuest will see the return of his twin, Tommy. Still, fans are hungry for more of Elizabeth Olsen‘s Scarlet Witch, whose apparent death even Kevin Feige has called into question.

    There really is so much more to explore. We still haven’t touched on many of her core storylines from the comics. I don’t know that we saw her under rubble? I saw a tower coming down, and a little red flash. I don’t know what that means.

    -Kevin Feige

    For her part, Olsen has always remained open to returning to the role and seems to have something particular in mind should she do so. Now, in a new interview with InStyle, Olsen details why she will always be open to returning as Wanda.

    “Making the films are fun. Goofy. It’s ridiculous. We’re grown people like children on a playground,” said Olsen of the experience of making MCU films. “We’re flying. We’re shooting things out of our hands. And it’s a character that I’ve gotten to return to so many times after over 10 years. It’s good to put her down and then I miss  her and I want her back. I’d jump at the opportunity to be in her shoes again.”

    “It’s the consistency of a community and a job, which is hard to find. The insane camera movement, stunt work and special effects, visual effects that are happening in real time,” Olsen explained. “It’s a lot of coordination, it’s hundreds and hundreds of people on set, and it’s a powerful thing to be a part of all those people working towards one goal. The people doing the visual effects are artists… The soul, the spirit, the heart is fulfilled doing it. It does mean something. I care about the acting being great — everyone does.”

    Rumors of a Scarlet Witch solo project circulated for years. When given the opportunity to shoot them down, WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer chose not to, fueling the fire of legions of social media Wandas. While Olsen remains mum on WHEN she will return, it continues to sound as though she most definitely WILL.

    Source: InStyle

  • James Gunn Compares ‘Supergirl’ to One of Marvel Studios’ Most Beloved Franchises

    James Gunn Compares ‘Supergirl’ to One of Marvel Studios’ Most Beloved Franchises

    Following a successful theatrical launch in 2025 with Superman, another Kryptonian will headline DC Studios return to cinemas in 2026. Directed by Craig Gillespie, Supergirl stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El–the cousin of David Corenswet‘s Kal-El–who made a brief appearance in Superman.

    Kara was on Krypton. She was on a piece of Krypton that drifted away from the planet and she lived there for the first fourteen years of her life in a horrible situation where she watched everyone around her die. So, she’s a much harsher and more fucked up Supergirl than you’ve been used to thus far.

    -James Gunn on Supergirl

    Based on DC Comics Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the film has been described by DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn as a “little more rock and roll” than Superman…and maybe as rock and roll as one of Marvel Studios’ most beloved and successful franchises.

    In an interview with Rolling Stone, Gunn compared the upcoming DC Studios’ project to Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.

    While discussing the past and future of the DCU, Gunn said “Supergirl especially is a space adventure,” adding, “It’s like Guardians [of the Galaxy].”

    The film will see Kara travel the galaxy and ultimately do battle against the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills, played by Matthias Schoenaerts and was reportedly radically redesigned to be a more monstrous baddie than his comic book counterpart. Supergirl will also feature Jason Momoa as Lobo, the Ultimate Bastich and a hyper-violent, spacebike-riding mass murderer. The casting of Momoa as Lobo works incredibly well both in that the actor loves the character and in that he won’t have to act at all.

    Setting Supergirl in space not only allows for the film to hold true to writer Tom King‘s comic but also to expand the DCU into corners of the universe that have rarely been explored in live-action.

    Supergirl is scheduled to hit theaters on June 26, 2026.

  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Set Video Sets Off Speculation on the Identity of Liza Colón-Zayas’ Role 

    ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Set Video Sets Off Speculation on the Identity of Liza Colón-Zayas’ Role 

    Since Tom Holland returned to the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, photos and videos from the set have indicated that one of the film’s major set pieces will involve Michael Mando‘s Mac Gargan being pursued by Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle. Recently, Mando was spotted on set exiting a helicopter in the same prison gear he was wearing at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Fans have generated plenty of theories about what might happen in that scene, including the potential for the adaptation of an incredible action sequence based on a portion of a scene from a video game but whatever the case, it looks like the aftermath will be nothing short of disastrous.

    A new behind the scenes video shared by X user @batuhansafakk shows Spidey working with first responders in the midst of a significant mess in the streets. At one point during the footage, a female police officer approaches Spider-Man and the two have an extended conversation. Even given the distance from which the footage was recorded, it seems clear that the actress working with Holland is Liza Colón-Zayas, who was cast in the film earlier this year. And given that she’s a police officer working closely with Spidey, speculation about the identity of her character has taken off.

    When she was originally cast, fans speculated that Colón-Zayas may end up playing Miles Morales mother, Rio. Now, thanks to online scooper My Time To Shine Hello, a new theory has taken hold and it does indeed track with Marvel Studios and Sony setting Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the streets.

    MTTSH believes Colón-Zayas could be playing NYPD Detective Jean DeWolff, an ally of Spidey’s created by Bill Mantl and first introduced in 1976’s Marvel Team-Up #48. The two formed a close working relationship over the years and her death at the hands of her partner Stan Carter, the Sin-Eater, took a major toll on the Web-Slinger. In the Ultimate Universe, DeWolff worked with Spidey but was ultimately revealed to be a pawn of the Kingpin.

    Should Colón-Zayas indeed be playing a version of DeWolff, she’ll be this version of Spidey’s first NYPD ally and could end up as a recurring character, setting up an adaptation of Peter David‘s four-part “The Death of Jean DeWolff” arc, considered one of the best Spidey stories of all time.

  • Disney Acquires Rights to  Best-Selling Fantasy Series ‘Impossible Creatures’, Sets Sights on Adapting First Two Novels as Films

    Disney Acquires Rights to  Best-Selling Fantasy Series ‘Impossible Creatures’, Sets Sights on Adapting First Two Novels as Films

    After rolling the dice in an auction to acquire the rights to develop author Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures novels into films, Disney is hoping to have found its own fantasy phenom.

    Like Harry Potter, The Maze Runner and The Hunger Games, Impossible Creatures has quickly grabbed the attention of studio heads as the first two novels in what is now planned as a five part series rocketed to #1 on children’s book charta across the globe. Rundell, an Oxford professor, won Author of The Year and the first novel, Impossible Creatures, won Children’s Book of The Year at 2024 British Book Awards. The sequel, The Poisoned King, races to #1 on charts as well, kicking off a studio scramble that includes Disney, Warner Bros. and Netflix, with the House of Mouse coming out on top.

    When I read Impossible Creatures, I knew it belonged here at Disney. I was immediately drawn into the vibrant world Katherine imagined and the possibilities of what we could do together with this story.  Written by Katherine herself, these movies are in the best of hands with our Walt Disney Studios team, and I can’t wait to see this tale brought to the screen.

    -Disney CEO Bob Iger

    An epic fantasy adventure that plunges two unlikely young heroes into a secret world where all the creatures of myth are real—and in grave danger, Impossible Creatures is the kind of IP Disney has been craving as it has slowed the pace of production by its major studio brands.

    The first irdt novel centers on a young boy from the human world, Christopher, and a fierce girl on the run from the magical world, Mal. Christopher’s life changes forever when he meets Mal, who appears with a baby griffin he saves from drowning. He is introduced to the Archipelago, a hidden cluster of unmapped islands in the Atlantic where creatures like dragons, unicorns, sphinxes, and kraken have thrived for millennia.

    However, the Archipelago is dying. The magic, known as the “Glimourie,” is fading, and the mythical creatures are perishing. Mal and Christopher embark on an urgent quest, traveling across the wild islands to discover the source of the magical crisis. They must consult sphinxes for secrets, battle fearsome monsters, and negotiate with dragons, all while being pursued by a dangerous murderer.

    As part of the deal, Rundell will develop screenplays for the first two films with Charles Collier via their Impossible Films production studio which worked in Paddington 2 and Wonka. And, of course, such a fantasy world may well lend itself nicely to Disney’s theme parks, where there is an entirely different amount of money to be made.

    Source: Deadline