Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Producer Debunks Doctor Doom Rumors

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Producer Debunks Doctor Doom Rumors

    Modern discussions surrounding any Marvel Studios project focus primarily on who might potentially appear from the larger mythos. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever mostly focused on highlighting that this story is an emotional rollercoaster paying tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. Yet, that doesn’t stop the Internet from new rumors springing up left and right on a potential high-tier appearance.

    In the case of Wakanda Forever, quite early before we even saw the first bit of footage from the film, there was a rumor that Doctor Doom may appear. The iconic Fantastic Four villain has been a popular choice to appear in the Marvel Cinematic ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, but they have shown quite a restraint so far.

    With the imminent release, theories started making the rounds even more and it seems in an interview with Phase Zero from ComicBook.com, producer Nate Moore shot down the rumors of his appearance. He doesn’t go into any details, especially with how specific some of the rumors have become over time, but points out that once Namor was locked in, they kept the focus on him.

    It wasn’t, to be quite honest, although I get why. He’s such a great character and the world of Latveria is so fantastic and Ryan is a fan. But once we decided Namor was the antagonist, that was always going to be the focus.

    Nate Moore

    He highlights that Ryan Coogler is quite a fan of Doom and the concept of Latveria. So, perhaps he’ll get a chance to explore the character at a later point, especially with his talent of lending a closer perspective on the cultural relevance of these characters, which a place like Latveria would definitely offer. In a way, Doom could become the antithesis to what it means to lead a country and the dangers of falling down a very specific route to reflect that of Wakanda’s future leader.

    Source: YouTube via The Direct

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Executive Producer Teases the New Meaning of Namor’s Name

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Executive Producer Teases the New Meaning of Namor’s Name

    One of Marvel’s first characters, Namor, is going through quite a bit of a change in his introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tenoch Huerta will take on the iconic role that is now strongly inspired by Mayan culture. The first teasers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever teased his new design and went on to reveal that his own people of Talocan describe him as a God. Yet, we never heard him referred to as Namor.

    As it turns out, the team behind Wakanda Forever may have found a clever way to establish his name, as revealed by executive producer Victoria Alonso. It seems that the meaning of Namor’s name is short for “El niño sin amor” which means “the boy who grew up without love.”

    It definitely is a clever way to find way to still use his name of “Namor” and tie it once again to the new origin. In some way, it also seems like the title of the name may tie into his story of the Black Panther sequel. He likely is a child of two worlds, especially with a massive tease of a burning home in the first trailer, and that he lost his family before becoming the leader of an underwater kingdom.

    Marvel continues to showcase how they can cleverly reinterpret these characters that have existed for countless years. It not only adds new layers to these characters but also offers some unique takes that make them stand out. The Mayan-inspiration also makes one of the most interesting additions that could open up many more new takes on classic Namor storylines for the future. So, we’ll see what the future has in store for Huerta‘s take on the character.

    Source: Twitter

  • New Zealand Cinema May Have Revealed ‘Avatar: The Way of the Water’s 3-Hour+ Runtime

    New Zealand Cinema May Have Revealed ‘Avatar: The Way of the Water’s 3-Hour+ Runtime

    We’ve all wondered just how long Avatar: The Way of the Water might end up being. James Cameron is famous for trying to incorporate as many shots as he can to offer a living experience through his films. It’s one of the reasons why the first Avatar became such a success in addition to its use of 3D technology; pioneering the model before it became a cinema regular offering.

    Now, if a listing from Monterey Lounge Cinema in New Zealand is to believe, the second of many entries in this franchise, The Way of the Water, is likely to run for 190 minutes. That would put the film at a runtime of around 3 hours and 10 minutes. As such, it would be even longer than the first entry, which ran for around 162 minutes when it was released in 2009.

    A Chinese outlet, Sohu, also had it at the same runtime, as pointed out by The Direct in their report on the potential runtime. The Avatar director also didn’t mince any words when he discussed that people shouldn’t complain about long theatrical experiences given the current climate of binge-watching multiple hours of television; though one could discuss that being at home gives you more freedom than in a theater. Still, it does seems safe to say that Avatar: The Way of the Water is going to be a lengthy entry.

    Source: Monterey Loung Cinema via The Direct

  • ‘Wicked’ in Final Talks with Jeff Goldblum to Play The Wizard

    ‘Wicked’ in Final Talks with Jeff Goldblum to Play The Wizard

    In the IP renaissance, we’re seeing many iconic franchises making a grand return. As such, almost every iconic film or TV series is seemingly returning with a new design and style. Even musicals aren’t safe, as it seems that Jon M. Chu‘s upcoming two-part Wicked adaptation is still busy casting. While Fiyero has already been cast with Jonathan Bailey set to star alongside Ariana Grande as Glinda, and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, they may have also found their Wizard.

    As reported by Variety, it seems that Jeff Goldblum is currently in final talks to take on the role of the Wizard. It seems that the deal is still not fully finalized, but there’s a good chance he’ll take on the role. He would definitely be a perfect addition to the cast, as Goldblum is always a scene-stealer when given the opportunity and he’s also no stranger to music.

    Goldblum famously performed music with The Mildred Snitzer, where Haley Reinhart even joined him. Plus, who wouldn’t think of him as a fun rendition of the character with his usual charm that manages to add fun to any project he’s involved with? The two films are set to release in 2024 and 2025. So, we’ll see if he signs on and what he may bring to the role.

    Source: Variety

  • Daniel Bruhl Teases the Return of Zemo

    Daniel Bruhl Teases the Return of Zemo

    When Marvel Studios introduced the roster of characters set to appear in their 2024 Thunderbolts film, fans were immediately stunned by the absence of Baron Zemo from the team. In the Marvel Comics, the first iteration of characters to take on the mantle of Thunderbolts (like every Marvel Comics team, the roster has changed many times over the years) were led by Zemo under the guise of a hero known as Citizen V. With Zemo nowhere to be found among the members of this MCU-based team, fans began to wonder if Marvel Studios was simply withholding him from the public reveal to serve as a surprise later. After all, following the events of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, there’s no readily recognizable reason that fans shouldn’t expect Zemo to return to the MCU.

    Actor Daniel Bruhl took his performance as Zemo up a notch in the Disney Plus streaming series and was given much more to do than in his previous turn in the role, making the lack of Zemo even a little more confusing to fans. He danced, he fought, he betrayed, he came back…by the end of the series, it would be hard to argue that Zemo wasn’t among the highlights of it. With fans anxious to have him back in the role and no news about him being attached to any upcoming projects, Radio Times asked Bruhl if he could say whether or not fans might expect him to turn up in Thunderbolts when it hits theaters. Bruhl, unfortunately, didn’t give much away.

    Even if I could… I couldn’t, you know. The only thing I can say, everybody knows – is I’m not dead!

    Daniel Bruhl

    Not only is Zemo not dead, his last scene in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier showed that he was still able to orchestrate large-scale operations from inside his prison cell in The Raft. Zemo, of course, is a man of great patience, so while he may not appear in the Thunderbolts, at least not as a member of the main team, it’s very likely there’s still some use for the character down the road which means fans will have to adopt his patience while they wait. But it does sound like Bruhl expects to revisit the character sometime soon.

    Source: Radio Times

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Star Teases How They Shot Underwater

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Star Teases How They Shot Underwater

    Expectations are high on what Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will deliver. The first reactions from the film’s premiere are definitely quite positive; especially with the film’s emotional arc but they also tease the excitement for the newcomer, Namor the Submariner. Tenoch Huerta takes on the role of a leader of a long-sunken Mayan civilization.

    With the film taking place under water, there’s no surprise that a big part of it will also feature its stars floating about but it was unclear if they’d actually film underwater or mostly rely on CG. According to actor Alex Livinalli, who plays Attuma in the film, they filmed quite a bit underwater and it seems like they had a lot o fun with the challenge.

    We had the training underwater. Don’t get me wrong, it was hard, it was a lot of hard work but it was so exciting. Everything that we shot underwater was on one breath; meaning that everyone–the whole crew, the actors–were at the surface, then everyone took a breath, we went down and shot for as long as [until] the first person came up, then we all came up. In what other project would you get to do something like that?

    Alex Livinalli

    It definitely sounds like it was a challenge to film as much as you could with everyone holding their breath for as long as possible. There is a fun irony in the mention of “what other project would you get to do something” like Wakanda Forever with Avatar: The Way of the Water on the horizon, but it’s great to see the technology being used to full effect this year.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is Nielsen’s Biggest Recorded Opening Weekend for a Movie

    ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is Nielsen’s Biggest Recorded Opening Weekend for a Movie

    It looks like the Sanderson sisters put a hex on Disney+, as the Nielsen ratings have revealed that Hocus Pocus 2 has become Nielsen’s biggest-ever recorded opening. The film was watched a whopping 2.7 billion minutes after its September 30th premiere on the Disney-owned streaming platform. Not only is it quite a testament to the cult status of this film, but it also reveals that people were just waiting for a fun Halloween special. It does make you wonder if this is another proof of the power of legacy sequels in the modern market, or perhaps the urge for something different on the platform.

    That isn’t the only record that was broken from the week of September 26th to October 2nd. Ryan Murphy‘s Jeffrey Dahmer series, Monster, once again took the top spot in the Nielsen Top 10 ratings with 4.4 billion minutes viewed. Not only is it a massive success for Netflix; even with the controversies surrounding the project, but it managed to break the previous record and is now the seventh most-streamed program within a single week.

    It looks like it was a great week for the streaming market. Some have been pushing ongoing online wars on what “series is winning” the various weeks; most notably with the House of the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings debates, as well as people trying to prove personal beliefs on if She-Hulk: Attorney at Law‘s a success. Yet, direct comparisons between streaming services with unique viewership demographics and various KPI basis makes any direct comparisons nothing more than personal discussions rather than

    Source: Variety

  • First Reactions to ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Hit Social Media

    First Reactions to ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Hit Social Media

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to premiere worldwide earlier next month but select members of the press have now been able to experience the highly anticipated Black Panther sequel and are making their thoughts known. With the social media embargo lifted, here are some of the early reactions to, what seems to be, another Ryan Coogler masterpiece:

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuts in theaters November 11th.

  • Kevin Feige Teases Marvel Studios ‘Young Avengers’

    Kevin Feige Teases Marvel Studios ‘Young Avengers’

    Marvel Studios Phase 4 has seen the introduction of Billy and Tommy Maximoff, Elijah Bradley, Kate Bishop and America Chavez. Those characters join Cassie Lang as members of the comic book team knowns as the Young Avengers who are currently making their respective ways through the MCU. With fans now familiar with the members of the core team, it seems just a matter of time before they find themselves assembling and avenging. At last night’s premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios One-Above-All Kevin Feige was asked what he could say about the potential future for the Young Avengers.

    I think people pick up what we’re putting down, sometimes, and we take our cues from the comics. And yes, introducing as many characters as we can from the comics is what I’ve spent the last 22 years doing and those are among the many that we’ve introduced.

    Kevin Feige

    It’s no secret that Marvel Studios was looking to develop a Young Avengers project not too long ago. As the Multiverse Saga goes on, it’s not clear if that project will be part of Phase 6, which now looks to begin in 2025 with Fantastic Four, or if their first team-up might take place in another live-action project. But given Feige’s response, it feels like fans should feel good about the chances of seeing them together sooner rather than later.

  • Kevin Feige Responds to Questions About the X-Men’s MCU Debut

    Kevin Feige Responds to Questions About the X-Men’s MCU Debut

    The mutants are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe…in fact, some are already here. Ms. Marvel made a major change to Kamala Khan’s origins and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which premiered last night in Hollywood, introduced Namor, often known in the comics as The First Mutant, even though that’s a wildly misleading misnomer. But the question that everyone wants answered, including She-Hulk, is when are the X-Men going to join the fray.

    Marvel Studios One-Above-All Kevin Feige was asked that very question at the Purple Carpet Premiere of Wakanda Forever and gave an answer all too familiar to this reporter: “No answer.“

    Feige did go on to give a little more information about the potential future of mutants in the MCU saying, “Deadpool and Wolverine…we’re getting close” in reference to the news that Hugh Jackman joined the cast of Deadpool 3, if that’s what it ends up being titled, after years of being pursued by co-star Ryan Reynolds.

    Even with that little bit of information, Marvel Studios’ plans for the X-Men remain a tightly-guarded secret. Three years after the merger between Disney and Fox that allowed for the characters to be used in the MCU, no live-action X-Men projects have been announced and it’s unclear whether or not the X-Men are expected to play any role at all in Marvel Studios’ ongoing Multiverse Saga. The studio is, however, working on a revival of the classic X-Men: The Animated Series titled X-Men ’97, which is expected to stream on Disney Plus in 2023.