Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • New Leaked ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Merch Offers Closer Look at Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez

    New Leaked ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Merch Offers Closer Look at Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez

    Earlier today, we’ve shared a new piece of merchandise for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that featured Shuma-Gorath and even teased his allies. Luckily, it seems that wasn’t the only piece we got, as a new piece of merch has found its way online featuring Strange alongside Wong, Wanda, and a closer look at America Chavez. While it’s not in high-resolution, the pose is inspired by Chavez’s debut comic cover for America #1. So, it’s technically our first look at actress Xochitl Gomez in the titular role.

    It’s certainly interesting that the visual tease all four as part of the same team. There have been countless rumors that Shuma-Gorath is the main threat, but the same has been the case with Wanda. Her role is quite unclear but she might have her own goals after the events of WandaVision. There’s also the question of how Chavez will play into the multiversal storyline. Given her abilities, there’s a good chance she’s the key to whatever inspires Gorath to unleash the madness upon an unassuming multiverse.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Morbius’ Teaser References Spider-Man Villains Rhino and Black Cat

    ‘Morbius’ Teaser References Spider-Man Villains Rhino and Black Cat

    When the pandemic hit, Sony was forced to push back most of its upcoming slate. Spider-Man spinoff Morbius was originally going to release in July 2020 but now won’t open until January. Even Venom: Let There Be Carnage was fast-tracked to an October release while the vampire storyline was pushed back further. After a long bit of silence, the film got its first teaser in a long-time. While it’s not the real first trailer for its upcoming January release, it did feature a few glimpses at what the film has to offer. the biggest reveal comes in a brief moment of the Daily Bugle, which is similar to that used in the Sam Raimi films, that has headlines featuring classic Spider-Man villains Rhino and Black Cat.

    The interesting aspect of their mentions in this news headline would confirm that they are active in this universe. The timeline on how exactly Sony’s films fit into the MCU’s version of the character has been quite muddled. The first trailer included Michael Keaton‘s Vulture but had Raimi’s Spider-Man costume on a wall with “murderer” plastered across it. So, it technically means Dr. Morbius’ story takes place in the same universe and someone just had a different costume used for the graffiti.

    Yet, we got introduced to an Info Wars-inspired version of the Daily Bugle in Spider-Man: Far From Home, which wouldn’t have a printed format. Plus, the logo is reused from Raimi’s version as mentioned previously. So, Sony’s lack of consistency has been adding more confusion on if this will actually connect or if they are building their own franchise. Plus, we never meet Black Cat or Rhino in the main universe. So, this might also take place at some point in the future where they got established over time.

    Source: Twitter

  • First Look at ‘The Matrix: Resurrections’ Funko Pops

    First Look at ‘The Matrix: Resurrections’ Funko Pops

    Any popular medium nowadays can’t help but get a Funko Pop. So, when The Matrix: Resurrections dropped its trailer, it was just a matter of time before we get our first look at them. Luckily, it seems that @DisTrackers noticed that they’ve already started to surface on Amazon’s European markets. The first look includes Keanu Reeves‘ new look as Neo with some John Wick-inspired flair, Carrie-Anne Moss‘ Trinity in her classic outfit, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II‘s take on Morpheus. An official release by Funko did include his psychiatrist and Morpheus with an additional suit.

    Matrix is no stranger to getting its own collection of Funkos. It’s fun to compare how these characters have evolved from one entry into the next. Resurrections might become one of the most mind-bending parts of the franchise. It’s interesting they are only currently focusing on these three, as we meet a few other familiar faces in the trailer. So, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they share some new additions in the lead-up to the film’s release or afterward due to their spoiler nature.

    You can pre-order the Funkos from Entertainment Earth by clicking the links below:

    The Matrix Trinity Pop! Vinyl Figure” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Trinity pre-order

    Twitter

    Murphy’s Multiverse is an Entertainment Earth affiliate.

  • ‘Eternals’ Dominating Pre-Sales in South Korea, Currently Ahead of ‘Black Widow’

    ‘Eternals’ Dominating Pre-Sales in South Korea, Currently Ahead of ‘Black Widow’

    It’s Eternals release week! Fans from across the world will be heading to cinemas to see the Marvel Studios epic on Wednesday. They will be eager to see the film for themselves as executive producer Nate Moore said the studio wanted to “take some chances and give audiences something that feels completely new.” It will be interesting to see audience and box office reactions this week as it releases to the wider population. While the local predictions softened after its critical reception, it looks like ticket sales from South Korea are hitting a high and crushing the competition. 

    According to data from the Korean Film Council seen by K-Odyssey, Eternals had sold 200,000 pre-sold tickets in South Korea two days ahead of its release. The film accounted for 78.8% of all tickets sold, while Dune was at 8.6% and Venom: Let There Be Carnage at 2.3% at the time of the data being noted. Eternals pre-sales also outpace Marvel Studios’ Black Widow by 30, 000 at the equivalent moment in its release schedule. South Korean actor Ma Dong-Seok, who is also known as Don Lee, stars as Gilgamesh, one of the Eternals in the film and is the first actor from South Korea to take a major role in a Marvel Studios film. There’s a chance his inclusion might be one of the film’s selling points. 

    As the film releases this week, box office and audience reactions will be interesting to contrast with critics’ reviews who have remained somewhat divided by the film. Still, with the studio trying big swings at new things, it isn’t completely unheard of for critics and fans to be slightly out of sync with their perception of how well these new attempts land. At the very least, it seems fans will have a whole range of new characters to love and some thematic thoughts to consider! 

    Source: Korean Film Council via K-Odyssey

  • ‘Eternals’ Early Box Office Predictions Soften, Now Eyeing $96M Opening Weekend

    ‘Eternals’ Early Box Office Predictions Soften, Now Eyeing $96M Opening Weekend

    All eyes were on Eternals after the first critic reviews found their way online. It was met with a positive to mixed reception, which sometimes may hamper the early predictions. Well, it seems that it may do exactly that as early predictions have softened in the last few days. Earlier this month, it was eyeing around 110M at the highest. It was shortly after the film managed to outsell Black Widow and Shang-Chi on its first day, which put it on a trajectory for a large opening weekend. Now, the numbers are still strong but there’s a question mark if it’ll pass the $100M mark.

    As of now, the three-day prognosis has the film heading towards a box office opening bewteen $67M and $92M. It’s dropped by around 12% since the last prediction. They highlight that the mixed critical reception is why they revised the model and could lead to a potential slowdown in pre-sales. Yet, the film had a strong early push which could potentially make up for it.

    One could also argue that the first Marvel Studios film to not become an instant critical darling may garner quite an audience. Even Box Office Pro highlights that the MCU as a brand might be review-proof at this point. So, the first film to go against the grain might garner quite a bit of additional attention by fans and viewers. Eternals also is quite a different take on a classic Marvel film which may caught some wanting more from the previously-released Dune. If you are interested, you can check our review of the film here.

    Source: Box Office Pro

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Merch Offers First Look at Villains, Key Allies

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Merch Offers First Look at Villains, Key Allies

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw its release date pushed back from March to May of 2022 recently in order to allow for another round of additional photography to be completed. As is always the case with the big world of Marvel Studios, however, even when a project is delayed, the big merch machine usually doesn’t slow down. To that end, a couple of items have made their way into online storefronts for pre-order, including a puzzle that gives fans a look at one of the film’s main villains and a coloring book that shows off America Chavez’s star-shaped, multiversal portal! For those of you looking to avoid some first act spoilers, turn back now.

    America (America Chavez) In Comics Powers, Enemies, History | Marvel

    Twitter user @starwarsmcu tipped us off this morning to a couple of products that showed up on several online storefronts. The 1,000-piece puzzle, available for pre-order through Booktopia, shows Doctor Strange in battle with the multiversal monster Shuma-Gorath. Shuma-Gorath is an ancient demon with enormous power; it has been rumored since the earliest days of production on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that Shuma-Gorath would be in pursuit of America Chavez and that pursuit would lead him into the Sacred Timeline where he’d do battle with Doctor Strange. The puzzle also shows an updated look to Strange’s costume, which now sports the classic blue symbol. It’ll be interesting to see how accurate this is to Stephen’s look in the film.

    In addition to the puzzle, there’s also a coloring book in the set. While the image on Booktopia is extremely low-quality, Strange, America, Wong (?) and the Scarlet Witch can be seen. The coloring book cover looks the same as an image that was seen earlier this year and showcased America’s star-shaped portal. America’s abilities to hop through the multiverse are a key plot point to the sequel.

    The puzzle and coloring book combo go on sale in April and can also be found for pre-order at Wheeler’s and Scholastic. With additional photography underway the next two months, time will tell how accurately this puzzle depicts the events of the film.

  • ‘Eternals’ Barry Keoghan Teases Druig’s Darker Side

    ‘Eternals’ Barry Keoghan Teases Druig’s Darker Side

    Eternals is set to take a new stab at what it means to be a Marvel Cinematic Universe film. In it, we’ll meet the titular alien race and its many members. With ten new characters taking center stage, there are bound to be some members that might break conventions. Among them is the character of Druig, who is played by Barry Keoghan, who has quite a dark history in the comics. ComicBookMovies.com got the chance to sit down with the actor to discuss his potential darker future. In a way, he teased we might get a glimpse of that side in the upcoming film.

    Yeah, I think so. I don’t want to put any ideas out there. I definitely think he’ll take a stand. He finds it hard not to interfere and stuff. It’s for the right reasons. He has some valid points to interfere and he’s doing it for good reasons, but yeah, maybe he does. Maybe he does. I’ve got no idea!

    Barry Keoghan

    In the comics, Druig has gone by many names since his introduction in 1977. He even was called Satan by some, as each member of the Eternals becomes representative or confused with deities of old. At one point, he even worked for the KGB where he learned to love torturing people. So, it wouldn’t be too surprised if we learn he had a hand in some of the darker moments of history.

    The trailers also highlight that the Eternals are not allowed to influence human history after they give them the initial push to evolve. We get a few teases of Druig’s role in the film and the shots do give him a sinister “watcher” vibe as what looks like Pompeii is burning. There’s also the strange village he is in, which might have a deeper meaning as the story continues. I doubt he’s truly an antagonist but he may represent a darker side of this group. He also highlights he’d love a Loki team-up, which adds to the darker future of the character.

    Source: ComicBookMovie

  • Marvel Studios Wanted to “Take Some Chances” With ‘Eternals’

    Marvel Studios Wanted to “Take Some Chances” With ‘Eternals’

    Marvel Studios’ upcoming film Eternals will explore a new aspect of the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. For the first time, we’ll start at its beginnings and explore how the universe we’ve come to love sparked into existence. Indie director Chloé Zhao took over the reins of this ambitious project and it looks like they’ve tried their hands at a project unlike any other. In an interview with Toronto Sun, Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore highlighted this very fact, as he pointed out:

    It’s our most ambitious first film. Because of that we wanted to take a big swing. We wanted to take some chances and give audiences something that feels completely new

    Nate Moore

    It certainly is an ambitious project if you consider it introduces an ensemble cast of ten aliens that explore 7,000 years of MCU history. Of course, the ambition to break their own norm may also reflect in the highly debated Rotten Tomatoes score, which currently sits lower than that of Thor: The Dark World with 60%. It’s not uncommon for new ventures like these to become controversial due to their “love it or hate it” nature.

    In a way, the galactic direction for director Zhao also creates a new approach. Her work on The Rider and Nomadland showed a more down-to-earth approach to storytelling. It’s great to see Marvel Studios take a unique approach and even if it’s not a critic pleaser, there’s a chance the project will garner quite a bit of love from viewers for trying out something new.

    Source: Toronto Sun, Rotten Tomatoes

  • ‘Eternals’ Sequels Not a Guarantee for Marvel Studios

    ‘Eternals’ Sequels Not a Guarantee for Marvel Studios

    Marvel Studios has built up a collection of trilogies with their iconic heroes. Some ended their runs long before the Infinity Saga ended while others are only just continuing. Thor: Love and Thunder is their first attempt at going beyond the classic trilogy concept. So, with new entries on the horizon, it seemed like a logical next step is to build new franchises.

    Recent rumors already hinted at a Shang-Chi sequel, but there’s also the upcoming Eternals film. With a cast of ten main characters that spans 7,000 years of Marvel Cinematic Universe history, it seems like it’s made for a sequel. Yet. producer Nate Moore hints that there’s no guarantee we’ll get any sequels.

    It’s not something that is a must-have. Obviously, we have ideas of where we could go, but there isn’t a hard and fast rule where we have to have three of these things and this is the first.

    Nate Moore

    While some may make a connection with the recent discussions surrounding its Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s most likely a question of if the Eternals as such are going to have their own franchise or live on through others. Plus, it’s great for Marvel Studios to also give some films their unique voice and let them stand on their own. Not every new entry requires a trilogy or full franchise. Especially a project with 10+ protagonists that could expand into their own storylines separate from the group. It may become like an Avengers project in reverse, where we then continue our stories with the various members.

    Source: Toronto Sun

  • ‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel Eyeing Fall 2022 Release on Disney+ as it Rounds Out its Cast

    ‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel Eyeing Fall 2022 Release on Disney+ as it Rounds Out its Cast

    Disney has long wanted to bring back the iconic Hocus Pocus film. A staple for many people’s Halloween, it was surprising that the House of Mouse waited this long before they’d greenlight a sequel. After all this time, it has finally happened as we got our first tease for the upcoming second entry and a confirmation that the Sanderson sisters will make a return. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will return in their iconic roles.

    Of course, they’ll get joined by some familiar faces which include Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, Hannah Waddingham, Juju Brener, Froy Guiterrez, Taylor Henderson, and Nina Kitchen. Doug Jones is also set to return as Billy Butcherson in the upcoming sequel. The new entry is eyeing a Fall 2022 release on Disney’s streaming service. While I mentioned previously it’s surprising they didn’t create a sequel, it was a box office bomb at the time. Millenials revived the franchise later on as it skyrocketed in popularity.

    It’ll be interesting to see how they revive this franchise and stick to the set-up from the original. There’s always a chance that they’ll try to twist some of our understanding from the original franchise to add something unique to the story. Disney+ has become the home to various returning franchises such as Turner and Hooch, as well as the upcoming release of a new Home Alone entry. It’ll be interesting to see what other iconic franchises may make a return at some point.

    Source: Twitter