Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Dave Bautista May Have Further Hinted at ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ as His Final Appearance as Drax

    Dave Bautista May Have Further Hinted at ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ as His Final Appearance as Drax

    announcing that they’ve wrapped work on the third entry of Guardians of the Galaxy, which has been heavily hinted at as James Gunn‘s last. The same set of photos with the cast hanging out to celebrate their work was now also shared by Dave Bautista, who has included a rather curious hashtag that may further add to the rumors that he’s potentially moving on from the role of Drax the Destroyer.

    In the latest post on Instagram, Bautista includes a reference on how surprising it “ended so suddenly” and that he’s already working on his next film project. Yet, the big surprise is the inclusion of a hashtag that states “#GoodbyeDrax.” Considering he’s hinted in the past that he’s nearing his end with the franchise, this may be some further evidence that he truly is moving on once we see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 next May.

    There have been many hints that the current version of the Guardians of the Galaxy will very likely come to an end with the third entry. We don’t know if we’ll further explore the galaxy with a different incarnation of this team, but it adds some tension to who might end up surviving the events of the film, as well as who will completely set out on their own adventure. The future still seems possible for some characters, it’s simply uncertain until we actually get to watch the film.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Dirty Dancing’ Sequel Nabs ’Warm Bodies’ Director

    ‘Dirty Dancing’ Sequel Nabs ’Warm Bodies’ Director

    The Dirty Dancing sequel has found its director.

    Deadline has announced that Jonathan Levine will direct the sequel for Lionsgate. Levine, of course, is perhaps best known for directing films such as Warm Bodies and 50/50. The long-awaited sequel to the 1987 hit, Dirty Dancing, will be brought to the Cannes market next week by Lionsgate and will reportedly feature a mix of music from the original and 90s hip-hop.

    Levine spoke exclusively to Deadline and revealed that the sequel, also titled Dirty Dancing, will be a coming-of-age romance much like the first film. The sequel will center on a young woman at the original summer camp that’ll see Baby’s own journey intertwine to create a “multi-layered narrative.” Along with serving as a director on the film, Levine also co-wrote the sequel along with Elizabeth Chomko (What They Had).

    As it stands, Jennifer Grey, who starred in the original, is the only cast member attached to the film. However, the team behind the sequel reportedly has a “shortlist of names” to play the lead character. It’s expected that the cast will consist of name actors and a slew of newcomers. “We are about to talk to people and are exploring that,” Levin told the outlet. “The most important thing for us was having Jennifer on board. She is an invaluable collaborator. We’re going to try to involve as many people from the original as is appropriate. We want to be respectful in every way.”

    Dirty Dancing starred Grey and the late Patrick Swayze. While it was never a critical darling, the original film is beloved and has spawned countless sequels and even saw a made-for-tv adaptation in 2017 that starred Abigail Breslin as Frances “Baby” Houseman.  

    Production is expected to kick off later this year for a 2024 release.

    Source: Deadline

  • Earlier ‘Moon Knight’ Drafts Referenced ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr the God Butcher

    Earlier ‘Moon Knight’ Drafts Referenced ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr the God Butcher

    With a series in development based on Moon Knight and his connection to the Egyptian pantheon, as well as the arrival of Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder seemed like the perfect time to set up his arrival. Yet, the Disney+ series surprisingly remained self-contained and didn’t include any references to Christian Bale’s upcoming god-slaying character. Yet, Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater revealed that earlier drafts of the script did, in fact, include references to Gorr. In an interview with The Direct, he talks about

    Both a lot and a little. But the reality is that we had no idea—when we started working on the show, we didn’t know when we were debuting. We always sort of assumed it would be later down the road, and we would sort of be coming out in fall of 2022, and we thought we would probably be following Thor [Love and Thunder]. But at that time, Thor didn’t necessarily have a concrete release date either, everything was sort of up in the air, and it’s like we might be ahead of Thor, or we might be finishing up. So there were different versions of the script where the Gods would sort of talk about, ‘This thing with Gorr the God Butcher just happened, and now we’ve got this new problem.’ And then there were other versions of the script where they sort of talked about, ‘We’re hearing rumors [that] Gods are dying, this is not the right time to get involved.’ Like we tried to have our cake and eat it too

    Jeremy Slater

    The meeting of the gods referencing the looming threat would’ve made sense, but it does seem like the uncertainty of some productions has added a new layer of challenge, especially with how the pandemic shifted their projects around. It also would’ve been confusing for some viewers to hear references to Gorr, especially if they potentially retcon his backstory and his activities at a later date. He goes on to highlight that they were aware of the “general beats” of Love and Thunder, but Marvel supported them in not forcing in the reference.

    We knew the general beats of what would happen in Thor: Love and Thunder, so that we wouldn’t be contradicting anything. But we had versions of the story that sort of teased Gorr’s arrival, and [ones] that were sort of taking place in the aftermath of that movie. Ultimately at some point, Marvel just made the creative decision, ‘You know what, we don’t necessarily need this.’ The way that Ennead scene ultimately panned out in Episode 3, it didn’t feel like there was an organic place to sort of drop-in, like, ‘Oh, and by the way, this has nothing to do with the story we’re currently telling, but there’s a thing happening over here.’ I think Marvel is getting very smart about how they sort of work in those references and cameos, and they’ll do it if it makes sense. [They won’t] do it if they hurt the story, [so] they don’t do it just for the sake of doing it. I think that was a time where they felt like, ‘We’re stretching to make this connection, we don’t really need it

    Jeremy Slater

    Moon Knight is in a better place for remaining within its own pocket of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While some hoped the post-credit sequence might introduce Gorr, it would’ve been confusing for many, especially if they wanted to keep the door open for further exploration of its main character rather than him being overshadowed by Gorr. We’ll see if the Egyptians might have a potential appearance in Love and Thunder once it hits theaters in July..

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Confirms the Designation of MCU’s Sacred Timeline

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Confirms the Designation of MCU’s Sacred Timeline

    There’s been a surprising amount of discussion on what exactly the name is for the Marvel Cinematic Universe within the universe. As the comics’ main timeline was always called 616, it was given a unique number from fans over the years to make it stand out as a part of the greater multiverse. For years, fans have dubbed it 199999 but it looks like that has now officially changed quite a bit with the arrival of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and his exploration of the multiverse. We’ve now learned that there are indeed two incarnations of the 616 universe out there.

    The article will include spoilers to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If you haven’t seen the film yet, only continue at your own risk.

    Interestingly enough, it would imply that the comic multiverse is not part of this cinematic multiverse. When Strange lands in the universe of the Illuminati, he meets their Variant of Christine Palmer. While they discuss which reality they’re currently visiting, Palmer reveals that they’ve “decided” to designate their universe as the one known as 616. As we’ve seen in Loki, the storyline we’ve followed since the first Iron Man film back in 2008 was called the Sacred timeline, though no clear indication if it’s multiple universes that follow a strict storyline or just one specific one supervised by the TVA. After the events of that Disney+ series, the multiverse was unleashed and it opened the floodgates for Spider-Man: No Way Home and Multiverse of Madness.

    For comic fans, this also opens up a bigger concept in the form that this franchise exists solely within its own multiverse. So, we shouldn’t expect elements from the comics to carry over or even to meet characters that have that kind of history. It’s a clever way of introducing viewers that have no real connection to the comics into this concept, as well as the trend of establishing 616 as the “main” timeline of the multiverse. The passion behind these creatives shows that they want to keep iconic phrasing and concepts from the comics, but the freedom to tell the universe the way they want to moving forward.

  • Elizabeth Olsen Explains Wanda’s Evolution From ‘WandaVision’ to ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Elizabeth Olsen Explains Wanda’s Evolution From ‘WandaVision’ to ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has garnered attention for many reasons. But one aspect of the sequel that has many fans debating is Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch and the character’s descent from hero to villain. While Maximoff was introduced to the MCU as a villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron and was certainly more of an antihero at best in WandaVision, some feel as though her redemptive arc at the end of that series does not square with where we find her in the Doctor Strange sequel.

    As it turns out, actress Elizabeth Olsen also had a hard time with the transition. In an interview with Variety, the Emmy-nominated actress discussed her reaction to learning Wanda was the villain of Multiverse of Madness:

    Well, I knew I was gonna be in “Doctor Strange,” but I thought I was gonna be, like, in an ensemble thing. So at first I think I was nervous and conflicted, because I hadn’t finished “WandaVision” yet, but we were almost finished. And I was like, “Oh my god, how do I make this all work together?” We got there; I got there. And it became an amazing opportunity to have people be won over by this woman in “WandaVision” and feel for her, and then, you know, manipulate them into this film, where they get to be on her side and then feel conflicted themselves. So I thought that was a great opportunity.

    Elizabeth Olsen

    Ultimately, Olsen understood Wanda’s dark journey from the end of WandaVision as being a result of the trauma that remained at the end of the series, particularly the loss of her twin boys. The actress went on to describe Wanda’s evolution:

    I just wanted everything to feel like some version of an advancement, even if the advancement is someone feeling a different reaction to the pain and loss. We also haven’t seen her have a reaction to what happened in Westview. Even if we watched her go through trauma and loss, we haven’t seen her go through the loss of the children. I think, for any parent — I would assume, because I’m not one — the loss of the child would always be much harder than the loss of anyone else important in your life. I just wanted to make sure it was a constant evolution forward and not repetitive…How do we make this different but still part of the woman that we know?

    Elizabeth Olsen

    While fans will never stop debating whether Wanda’s arc was consistent enough, Olsen is suggesting that the extreme grief that audiences did not see after Wanda left WestView was the driving factor of her descent. The character’s corruption from the use of the Darkhold certainly would have influenced and turned those dark emotions into something much more volatile. So, the fact that Multiverse of Madness saw the Scarlet Witch using her full power to get what she believes she should rightfully have is not too hard to comprehend.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is playing in theaters worldwide.

    Source: Variety

  • Elizabeth Olsen Reveals Wanda Was Originally “Supposed to Kill More” in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Elizabeth Olsen Reveals Wanda Was Originally “Supposed to Kill More” in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    The article will contain spoilers on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So only continue at your own risk if you haven’t had a chance to watch the film yet.

    Now that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is rounding out its debut weekend, the creators and stars are opening up about making the ambitious film. While Doctor Strange, as the title suggests, is the film’s main protagonist, it is also the sequel’s villain that turned a lot of heads. Wanda Maximoff and Scarlet Witch actress Elizabeth Olsen has been discussing her take on the complicated character.

    One of the most memorable aspects of Multiverse of Madness is perhaps Wanda’s violent and ruthless killing of countless characters, including the star-studded Illuminati including John Krasinki’s Mr. Fantastic, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter, Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel, Anson Mount’s Black Bolt. While killing off such a major ensemble is surely a lot for an MCU film, Olsen revealed in an interview with Variety that the final cut was more merciful than the original plan. The actress stated:

    I was also supposed to kill more. I had a hard time with it. I was like, these are human beings and Wanda is okay with ending their lives? But I just had to buckle down and think all these people are in her way and she’s warned Doctor Strange not to get in her way. And he did. He didn’t listen. And so I just had to go from that point of view. 

    Elizabeth Olsen

    The idea of the Scarlet Witch killing even more (probably) high-profile characters is not too crazy of a concept after the events of Multiverse of Madness. It certainly begs the question of who else may have been part of the Illuminati initially, or what other characters almost met their end in the Doctor Strange sequel.

    It is also interesting how Olsen “had a hard time” with Wanda killing people. While viewers saw a redemptive arc for the character in WandaVision, the Scarlet Witch undoubtedly went on a darker path since the finale of that series. While some may find it hard to understand the character’s journey, Wanda’s corruption via the Darkhold had a strong role to play in the fall of the mother grieving her lost children.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters worldwide.

    Source: Variety

  • Wanda Maximoff Was Originally Meant to Make Her MCU Debut in ‘Doctor Strange’

    Wanda Maximoff Was Originally Meant to Make Her MCU Debut in ‘Doctor Strange’

    With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness coming to a close on its first weekend, reactions have been somewhat mixed, but the film has been extremely successful at the box office. While the Doctor Strange sequel follows its titular character, it also puts the spotlight on one of the most complicated Avengers and now villain, Wanda Maximoff.

    While Wanda more recently has seen quite the extensive MCU treatment with WandaVision and now Multiverse of Madness, her history in the MCU prior to Phase Four was much different. The Avenger was first introduced in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and her path throughout Phases Two and Three of the MCU centered on her membership on the iconic team.

    It was not until WandaVision that Wanda took on the mantle of the Scarlet Witch, and it was not even revealed she was a witch until then. Recently, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Bionic Buzz that her more magic-focused arc was the original plan for the character, rather than the Avengers arc. Feige stated:

    At one point, one of the initial ideas we had for Doctor Strange was to introduce Scarlet Witch in the Doctor Strange movie because those two characters were always two we really wanted to see together and sort of fit in that same world. Obviously, we ended up introducing her in [Avengers: Age of Ultron], and thank god we did, because we got to do all the other things with her. But this is really something that has been in the works for a very long time, and finally, here we are.

    Kevin Feige

    Had Wanda not been introduced as an Avenger, we may not have seen her pivotal roles in Avengers stories. For example, her loss of control of her powers in Captain America: Civil War sparked the Sakovia Accords, and it was through the Avengers that she met Vision. While she may have been able to have been utilized in a similar way had she been introduced in the original Doctor Strange, her journey surely would have been much different.

    After Multiverse of Madness, the Scarlet Witch is cemented in the magical realm of the MCU, though history would suggest a return to the Avengers is still an option down the line. While the character had a seemingly tragic ending in the Doctor Strange sequel, all bets are on the Scarlet Witch returning in the MCU.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters worldwide.

    Source: Bionic Buzz

  • Elizabeth Olsen on [SPOILER]’s Absence in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Elizabeth Olsen on [SPOILER]’s Absence in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    The upcoming article will spoil some story elements from the latest Doctor Strange film. If you want to remain unspoiled in the Multiverse of Madness, then only continue at your own risk.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduces us to Wanda after the Darkhold took full control over her hopes and dreams. She’s looking for a way to travel throughout the multiverse in hopes that she can reunite with her children. Yet, many might have wondered why there’s a noticeable absence of her other family member, Vision.

    We do see a multiversal representation of her kids but she seemingly isn’t actively looking for her husband either. In an interview with Collider, Elizabeth Olsen not only talks about how many people she could end up looking for in the multiverse but also why the version we meet is seemingly on her own. She is asked if Wanda wouldn’t want to bring back more people from her past, and she goes on to highlight that:

    There’s a whole list of things, like my brother, my parents. I think the main reason when we would talk about if there is this multiverse, and in the version of the universe this woman wasn’t with Vision. We liked having that be a mystery. For some reason he’s not in her world. I always thought of her as more of a domestic Wanda. They got divorced. They’re separated. She’s not wearing a wedding band for a reason. Like those kinds of things. We liked the idea of her being on her own. The idea really is that the most important thing once you become a mother in the world are your children, and that’s why.

    Elizabeth Olsen

    It definitely seems like this aspect builds upon what the ending of WandaVision gives us. Not only was she able to say her farewell to Vision but her focus on her kids is exactly what the Darkhold had focused on when it started influencing her mind. The fact she’s completely focused on her kids and a multiverse where it’s only them may highlight that her good intentions were being manipulated greatly by the evil book of sorcery in her possession. It’ll be interesting to see if the Scarlet Witch may have a bigger story to tell.

    Source: Collider

  • Benedict Cumberbatch Has “A Lot Left to Give” as Doctor Strange 

    Benedict Cumberbatch Has “A Lot Left to Give” as Doctor Strange 

    Benedict Cumberbatch’s latest Marvel adventure, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has only just hit theaters, but the actor is already looking at what’s next. In an interview with Extra TV, the former Sherlock star opened up about his excitement for his character’s on-screen future. Sam Raimi’s sequel leaves the Master of the Mystic Arts in a rather interesting place, and Cumberbatch can’t wait to see how it’s further explored down the line:

    I really can’t wait to see what the fan reaction is to this and where it takes Strange, and who he is by the end of the film. But I think it sets him up for a really exciting future.

    Benedict Cumberbatch

    As for whether or not the actor is willing to stick around for the journey, it apparently won’t be a problem. In a different interview, this time with Total Film, the British icon confirmed his love of playing Doctor Strange, and revealed that he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon:

    I’m not tired of it all yet. I really enjoy playing this character, and I’ve still got a lot left to give as him, and a lot more adventures I want to have with him.

    Benedict Cumberbatch

    See Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in theaters now, and discover for yourself just how thrilling the next chapter of Strange could be.

    Sources: ExtraTV & TotalFilm via Direct

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ is Sam Raimi’s Biggest Opening Weekend Ever, En Route to Pull in $450M Worldwide

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ is Sam Raimi’s Biggest Opening Weekend Ever, En Route to Pull in $450M Worldwide

    The numbers are finally in and it looks like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has made quite the splash, as it currently is on its way to ending the weekend with $185M domestically. It may still make the $190M if it picks up some momentum going into the Sunday, but it’s still looking good that the film remains on this route. That’s not all, as it also now stands at an impressive global tally of $450M. This makes it the best opening ever for a Sam Raimi-directed film and is now the biggest release of 2022.

    Keep in mind, that these numbers are what Disney is calling with some experts still thinking it could manage between $194M to $197M. It’s an impressive kickoff and the best Disney opening since the pandemic started, which could potentially place it in the top ten openings of all time. Its development currently is expected to be on par with Avengers: Age of Ultron, as Mother’s Day, could drag it down a bit, but that’s already been accounted for according to Deadline.

    The film did face a B+ CinemaScore, but the development highlights that it’s not going to get dragged down by it. The film even saw a 9% increase over Friday going into Saturday, which may hint at it having a similar development to other horror titles, which are strong legs even with lower Audience ratings. Internationally, the film drew in $265M, which is the second biggest global release for Hollywood and is only 17% behind Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    What stands out is that its development is 160% ahead of the original 2016 Doctor Strange and making it one of the biggest leaps from one entry to the net. A true showcase of how strong the interconnectivity of the MCU is supporting its projects. It also has to take into account that it’s been banned from releases in specific countries like Saudi Arabia and China for the inclusion of LGBTQ references, which highlights just how strong the release truly is. We’ll see once the final numbers for Sunday roll in if the film managed to reach the $200M domestically after all and if it gets an additional boost worldwide.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter, Deadline