Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Marvel Studios Star Confirms Extensive Changes to ‘Avengers 5’

    Marvel Studios Star Confirms Extensive Changes to ‘Avengers 5’

    As part of Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at SDCC ’22, head honcho Kevin Feige revealed plans to wrap up the Multiverse Saga with a pair of Avengers films set to hit theaters just one year apart. The first of those films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, scheduled for May 2, 2025, written by Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania scribe Jeff Loveness and meant to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, would have featured Jonathan Majors‘ Kang as the lead much in the same way Avengers: Infinity War did with Thanos.

    In the original plan for Avengers 5, then called Kang Dynasty, Shang-Chi would’ve been one of the film’s main leads. A lot’s changed since then; Avengers 5 was meant to focus on Kang the Conqueror, but Marvel has since completely retooled the film to introduce Victor Von Doom.

    -Inverse

    Fast forward to January 2025: Majors and Marvel Studios have parted ways, Loveness was replaced by Michael Waldron who was replaced by Stephen McFeely, Cretton left to work on Spider-Man 4, Anthony and Joe Russo and just over four months before it’s original release date, the film, now called Avengers: Doomsday, hasn’t even begun production. It’s been widely assumed that the studio all but started from scratch once McFeely and the Russos came aboard but despite rumors and reports that Waldron‘s draft has been scrapped, Marvel has, of course, stayed quiet…until now.

    In an interview with Variety, one of the studio’s biggest stars, Benedict Cumberbatch, not only confirmed that the studio has completely overhauled the film but also the cast. Once intended to play a major role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Cumberbatch revealed that Doctor Strange will not appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

    Is that a spoiler? Fuck it!

    -Benedict Cumberbatch


    Cumberbatch provided a simple explanation as to why Strange won’t appear in the film, saying “the character not aligning with this part of the story.” Concerned fans shouldn’t worry themselves too much, however. The star also told Variety that Strange remains “quite central to where things might go” and that the character is “in a lot” of Avengers: Secret Wars, also written by McFeely and directed by the brothers Russo.

    With Cumberbatch’s Master of the Mystic Arts no longer part of Avengers: Doomsday, the task of taking on Robert Downey Jr.‘s Doom looks to fall to the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man and a group of Avengers that may just include some New* ones.

    Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to begin principal photography this Spring ahead of a May 1, 2026 release.

    Source: Variety

  • Lucasfilm’s Targeting Computer Locking in on Ryan Gosling to Lead Shawn Levy’s Untitled Star Wars Movie

    Lucasfilm’s Targeting Computer Locking in on Ryan Gosling to Lead Shawn Levy’s Untitled Star Wars Movie

    Never tell me the odds! In a near unprecedented move for Lucasfilm, the studio has entered into negotiations with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to lead its next Star Wars film. According to THR, Ryan Gosling is preparing to board director Shawn Levy‘s long-developing Star Wars film.

    Despite a steady stream of Star Wars projects heading down the garbage chute (fly boy), THR’s report indicates that should Gosling and Lucasfilm come to terms on a deal, production on Levy‘s film–which he’s been developing since 2022–will go into production this Fall.

    With production on The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will lead a new era of theatrical Star Wars projects, having recently wrapped, attention has turned toward Lucasfilm’s next film. While Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy‘s Rey-led film was originally expected to lead lead the charge back into theaters, the project has struggled to come together and was recently removed from Disney’s release schedule. And even as Dave Filoni and James Mangold continue development on their own untitled Star Wars films, it seems as though Levy’s film has jumped ahead in the queue and may end up filling the December 17, 2027 date Disney has set aside for Star Wars.

    Levy’s film will reportedly be a standalone project and not part of the Skywalker Saga. As it stands, it seems as though that honor will fall to the trilogy of films being developed by Simon Kinberg, the co-creator of Star Wars Rebels and a recurring villain from Fox’s X-Men films.

    Source: THR

  • A Second MCU Star Rumored for a Major Role in Disney’s Live-Action ‘Tangled’

    A Second MCU Star Rumored for a Major Role in Disney’s Live-Action ‘Tangled’

    With The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey in like to direct, Disney looks to be moving full speed ahead in preparation for the studio’s next live-action reimagining, Tangled. With a script in place from Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who worked with Disney-owned Marvel Studios on Thor: Love and Thunder, the studio has already reportedly begun seeking out stars to fill out the cast of the film, with Kathryn Hahn and Jennifer Lopez already having been rumored as potential candidates to fill the role of Mother Gothel.

    Hahn’s portrayal as the MCU’s wicked witch, Agatha Harkness, has fans believing she’d be the perfect fit for the role of Tangled‘s own power-hungry crone. Now, a second Marvel Cinematic Universe star has had her name thrown in the ring to potentially join Hahn in the upcoming project.

    According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Florence Pugh, who is set to lead this summer’s Thunderbolts* for Marvel Studios, is considered a “front-runner” to land the lead role of Rapunzel in Disney’s currently undated Tangled reimagining.

    Of course, being the front-runner and landing the role are two very different things; however, Pugh‘s working relationship with Disney has been very beneficial for both parties. As the lead in this July ‘s Thunderbolts*, Pugh, who joined the MCU in 2021’s Black Widow, will continue her rise as one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars.

  • New Reports Could Point Toward Marvel Studios Delaying ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    New Reports Could Point Toward Marvel Studios Delaying ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    With three films in theaters in six months,  Marvel Studios will look to continue to reestablish box office supremacy in 2025. The first film, Captain America: Brave New World is projected to have a very solid opening weekend with some estimates going as high as $100M+ when factoring in the potential President’s Day haul. Though Thunderbolts* might present as a bit of an unknown, fan response to the first trailer for the film was overwhelmingly positive, putting it on track for a strong opening as well. And in this or any reality, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with its other worldly cast, will almost certainly blow up the box office.

    Looking ahead into 2026, the picture remains cloudy with only two films set (Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4) and two other scheduled release dates still awaiting titles. As Marvel Studios’ Parliament continues to work behind the scenes on matching films to those dates, a new report has revealed two projects that look as though they’re destined for 2027 releases. Insider Daniel Richtman recently reported that Destin Daniel Cretton‘s long-developing sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the third installment in the Doctor Strange franchise are expected to begin production next year, putting them in like to fill the studio’s two unclaimed 2027 release dates. However, should those two films indeed be  intended for release in 2027, their presence may actually make those waters a bit murkier.

    As it stands, Marvel Studios has three theatrical dates earmarked for 2027 and two of them have always been presumed to be intended to be post-Multiverse Saga projects. Avengers: Secret Wars is currently slated to kick off 2027 on May 7th with additional films set to hit theaters on July 23rd and November 5th. However, both Doctor Strange and Shang-Chi have always been believed to be major players in the Multiverse Saga and while that plot has certainly evolved since the studio moved on from Jonathan Majors‘ Kang, it’s hard to believe the characters have been completely erased from the outline and that Marvel couldn’t use a couple more films between Spider-Man 4 and Avengers: Secret Wars to help set the stage for the final chapter of the saga. Additionally, as explained by Kevin Feige, the next saga will revolve heavily around the X-Men and while any Marvel character could easily slide in and out of those stories, leading off the new phase with two films starring non-mutant characters would be an odd decision, even for modern day Marvel Studios.

    If all the above points can be considered reasonable possibilities, an intriguing conclusion can be inferred from the report, should it indeed be accurate. If Shang-Chi 2 and Doctor Strange 3 are on track to hit theaters in 2027, Marvel Studios may be considering pushing the release date of Avengers: Secret Wars to November 5th, allowing the Shang-Chi and Strange sequels to provide some requisite exposition for the finale. As it stands, Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to begin principal photography in the spring of 2026 but that could easily be changed to accommodate a greater need for additional story telling. Considering that Stephen McFeely is reportedly still writing scripts for both Doomsday and Secret Wars, it’s not too difficult to believe he’s hit some narrative potholes that could be filled by Shang-Chi and Strange films.

    Of course, it’s easy to argue that those films aren’t written yet either but that may not be entirely accurate. Cretton has been working on the second Shang-Chi film for over three years and while he would certainly need to alter his original ideas, it could easily be production ready by next spring. Doctor Strange 3 is likely another story entirely given that there’s been no public acknowledgement of any momentum building behind that project; however, should Marvel Studios have its sights set on a July 2027 release for that film, there’s plenty of time to pair creatives together and build a script.

    Though bulilt on speculation with a foundation in unconfirmed reports, the movie is still worth contemplating, especially because it would likely make things easier for Marvel Studios on a couple fronts. On one hand, two more films in the Multiverse Saga would provide not only more narrative fabric through which to tell a complete story and get more heroes involved; on the other hand, it would allow Marvel to end the Multiverse Saga in 2027 and start fresh with the “Mutant Saga” in 2028, where three dates have already been set aside for untitled films (February 18th, May 5th and November 10th). Then again, Marvel Studios has seemed eager to accelerate the end of the Multiverse Saga, so the Feigester and crew may just choose to get it over with in May 2027 and move on.

  • Wild Rumor Points to a Fan-favorite Clone Wars Villain Appearing in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

    Wild Rumor Points to a Fan-favorite Clone Wars Villain Appearing in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

    Though set in the previously unexplored New Republic era, Lucasfilm’s D+ Star Wars series have included plenty of familiar faces. The studio’s creative grand admiral, Dave Filoni, has utilized The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka as vehicles to allow a dozen characters from a pair of animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, to make the jump to live-action.

    Appearances by Filoni faves such as Bo-Katan Kryze and Cad Bane, who played key roles in the animated series, have been largely well-received, though nothing pleases everyone, especially not the very divided Star Wars fandom. With plenty more projects to go before Filoni puts a bow on the Mandoverse, comes plenty of time to bring a few more animated favorites to life and an absolutely wild new rumor suggests that one of Star Wars: The Clone Wars deadliest bounty hunters will make his first live-action appearance in 2026.

    According to Kristian Harloff, Kyuzo bounty hunter Embo will reportedly have a major role as one of the main villains in director Jon Favreau‘s The Mandalorian and Grogu.

    Harloff’s report indicates that The Mandalorian and Grogu will feature Din Djarin and Grogu attempting to save Rotta the Hutt from Embo–voiced by Filoni–who has been hired to kidnap the offspring of Jabba. It was recently announced that Jeremy Allen White was set to portray Rotta (another Clone Wars character set to move into live-action) and there are some pretty wild theories and rumors out there about what’s become of the Hutt since last time he was seen.

    Of course, should this rumor turn out to be true, it would certainly make for a fun adventure but with the Shadow Council also set to appear, there will be more to the plot of The Mandalorian and Grogu than a kidnapping.

    The Mandalorian and Grogu will hit theaters on May 22, 2026.

    Source: YouTube

  • Kathryn Hahn Eyed for Major Role in Disney’s Next Live-action Reimagining

    Kathryn Hahn Eyed for Major Role in Disney’s Next Live-action Reimagining

    Kathryn Hahn‘s portrayal of MCU’s wicked witch, Agatha Harkness, in the 2021 streaming series WandaVision was so enchanting that the powers at be at Marvel Studios greenlit am Agatha-centric spinoff. Originally titled Agatha: House of Harkness, the series hit D+ in the Fall of 2024 as Agatha All Along and was a huge hit for Marvel Television. Hahn’s performance was widely praised, earning her a Golden Globe nomination and leaving fans asking for more of the character. While it’s starting to sound as though the Marvel Parliament is listening and considering a Season 2 of Agatha All Along, Hahn may be preparing to inhabit the role of another power-hungry witch.

    According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Hahn is at the top of Disney’s list for the role of Mother Gothel in the recently announced live-action reimagining of Tangled.

    Also included in Richtman’s report is news that in relation to Disneyland’s recently revealed Villain’s Land attraction, the company will be producing multiple live-action, villain-centric projects and that Hahn, or whoever lands the role of Mother Gothel, would be in line for a Mother Gothel film or series.

    There’s little doubt that Hahn would be excellent in the role. Truth be told, Gothel and Agatha have quite a bit in common, allowing Hahn to tap into the irreverent energy she’s brought to her performance as the MCU’s ancient witch.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Recasting a Major MCU Hero Ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Recasting a Major MCU Hero Ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Recasting key actors is hardly a novel idea at this point in the MCU. Edward Norton and Terrence Howard were rather unceremoniously removed from their respective roles as Bruce Banner and James Rhodes after just one outing each. More recently, Harrison Ford joined the MCU as Thaddeus Ross following the passing of William Hurt, who portrayed the character in five films. Multiple actors have also portrayed Cassie Lang, Billy Maximoff and even Thanos, among others. However, one beloved MCU character seemed off limits to a recast…until now.

    According to a report from Jeff “The In” Sneider, “Marvel is looking to recast its Black Panther hero T’Challa ahead of the two Avengers movies and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther 3.“

    Following Chadwick Boseman‘s death, Marvel Studios weighed its options about how to move forward in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, ultimately deciding to work T’Challa’s death into the sequel rather than attempt to recast the role. Though it would seem problematic to recast the character now, Sneider ‘s report could be interpreted at least a couple of different ways.

    As the studio approaches the end of the Multiverse Saga, the most logical option for “Recasting” T’Challa would be the introduction of a multiversal Variant of the character. Certainly any attempts t resurrect the Sacred Timeline’s T’Challa would be incredibly controversial and, frankly, unnecessary. Presumably, as Avengers: Secret Wars draws near, more alternate universes, or at least more heroes and villains from the ones that have already been introduced, will come into play and a Variant T’Challa would be a great addition to any team of heroes taking on Doctor Doom.

    Of course, another option for the “recast” might involve the studio searching for an older actor to step into the role of T’Challa II, played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While it’s unclear when Avengers: Doomsday will be set, if the studio does indeed have a three-film arc in store for the character, they may be looking to age the character up a touch.

    In either case, it would seem that Letitia Wright‘s Shuri, who took up the mantle of Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is headed for a reduced role despite delivering a fantastic performance in the sequel. That is, of course, unless the studio chooses a third option: introducing a multiversal Variant of T’Challa who is aligned with Doctor Doom and finds himself at odds with Shuri, T’Challa II and the rest of the Wakanda.

    With production on Avengers: Doomsday set to kick off this year, it’s likely fans will have some clarity on the reported recast of T’Challa relatively soon.

  • ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Promo Art Reveals Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader

    ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Promo Art Reveals Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader

    After a quiet year theatrically in 2024, Marvel Studios has three films scheduled for release in 2025, including its first February release since Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Finally taking center stage in a film, Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson will take on Harrison Ford‘s ragey Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World, but despite being a serious threat, the President is only a puppet whose strings are being pulled by far more sinister baddie.

    Sixteen years after the next chapter in his story was set up in The Incredible Hulk, Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns returns in Captain America: Brave New World as the nefarious, super-intelligent supervillain, The Leader. And while he’s been hidden in the shadows in all of the film’s marketing materials, a fantastic look at the character has been revealed via new promo art.

    Notably, Nelson’s Leader is certainly sporting a subdued and noticably less macrocephalic look than his comic book counterpart, though the case could be made that his cranium could still double as a drive-in movie screen. He is, however, indeed green, so he’s got that going for him, which is nice.

    Captain America: Brave New World and The Leader arrive in theaters on February 14th!

  • ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ Directing Duo Resurrecting a 1950s Pirate Classic at Disney

    ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ Directing Duo Resurrecting a 1950s Pirate Classic at Disney

    Five years after their indie film, The Peanut Butter Falcon, garnered wide-ranging acclaim as a charming, character-driven adventure, director Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz are back on the scene with their follow-up film, Los Frikis. Described by Schwartz as “Spanish-language Cuban movie about HIV and punk rockers,” Los Frikis was a passion project for the pair who turned down major studio offers following their successful debut. However, as they look ahead to what’s next, Nilson and Schwartz may move away from their indie roots.

    In an interview with THR, Nilson and Schwartz revealed that one possibility for their next project is a 70s, “Australian surfer” version of the 1950 Disney film, Treasure Island.

    After nearly 20 years in development as an animated film, Disney pivoted and produced Treasure Island, adapted Robert Louis Stevenson‘s 1883 novel of the same name, as its first live-action film. A pirate adventure through and through, the film features Long John Silver, played by Robert Newton, whose over-the-top accent and antics have become ingrained in pirate pop culture. Over fifty years later, the studio finally delivered its animated adaptation, the sci-fi space adventure, Treasure Planet.

    While Nilson and Schwartz’s new take on Treasure Island is still in development, it sounds as though it will be anything but another beat-for-beat Disney remake. “It has the patina of the 1970s surf world. It’s all there,” explained Nilson of the duo’s vision for the project. “It’s an Australian surfer version of Treasure Island,” said Schwartz, “and if they ever make it, it would be so fun. It has the vibes that we do, and there’s found family, brotherhood, drama and outsider energy.“

    Source: THR

  • ‘Superman’ Set Prop Solves New Teaser’s Major Mystery

    ‘Superman’ Set Prop Solves New Teaser’s Major Mystery

    The first teaser for DC Studios’ Superman garnered over 250 million views in its first day, making it, according to DC Studios’ co-chair and the film’s director James Gunn, the most viewed trailer in the history of DC and its parent company, Warner Bros. Given the latter’s century-long history of producing some of Hollywood’s biggest movies, that’s an incredible accomplishment.

    The teaser provided the first look at David Corenswet‘s Man of Steel and the all-new DCU and it looks as though there will be a lot going on both in Metropolis and around the globe. In fact, it’s possible that at least a few of those 250 million views came from fans checking out the trailer multiple times while trying to uncover some clues about a mysterious figure seen on the front page of The Daily Planet.

    Visible in several different scenes, the front page story of the paper boasts the headline “Hammer of Boravia Creates Havoc Downtown” next to a photo of said Hammer. Without a clear look at the photo, fans began to theorize about who the character may be with classic DC villain and Legion of Doom member Gorilla Grodd a popular pick. The character does, after all, appear in Creature Commandos and the blurry image does contain a pretty bulky figure. However, a high-res copy of the paper obtained by Twitter user DCU Updates reveals exactly who the chaos causer is and some very intriguing details that add context to the teaser.

    It turns out the mysterious “Hammer of Boravia” is actually just the Hammer of Boravia, a character it seems that Gunn created for the movie rather than someone drawn from DC Comics’ lore. And he’s made the front page The Daily Planet because he came to town looking to tangle with Superman after the Man of Steel took it upon himself to end Boravia’s invasion of its neighboring country, Jarhanpur.

    Metropolis was targeted by a superpowered mystery man on Sunday, resulting in over 20 million dollars in damage to the city. The self-titled “Hammer of Boravia” attacked Downtown Metropolis claiming it was retribution for the recent political interventions in Boravia by Superman. This vengeful expedition turned into a terrorist assault on American soil, hospitalizing 22 Metropolis citizens. Boravia has been the source of numerous headlines worldwide in recent weeks as it invaded its neighboring country Jarhanpur, only for the brief war to be swiftly ended by the Superman. The President of Boravia, Vasil Glarkos(?), maintains the Hammer of Boravia is not a representative of the national government, but rather an independent vigilante.

    As theorized here, Superman seems to have taken inspiration from one of the character’s earliest comic book adventures which saw him single-handedly put a stop to a civil war raging in Boravia. It remains to be seen what stake, if any, LuthorCorps has in the Boravian invasion of Jarhanpur and if that’s how Superman ends up in the sights of Nicholas Hoult ‘s Lex Luthor.

    When addressing the political ramifications of his actions, Superman said, “While critics thousands of miles away from this conflict continue to argue if what I did was right or wrong, the bottom line is peoples lives were threatened. I had to act.”

    The notion of Superman inserting himself into global geopolitics isn’t novel, having played a major role in the character’s DC Comics history, with the character once having renounced his U.S. citizenship in Action Comics #900. “I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy,” the hero said, adding “Truth, justice and the American way – it’s not enough anymore. The world’s too small. Too connected” And that certainly seems to be the vibe Gunn was after by having the character involved in the invasion of Jarhanpur.