Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Sequel Adds Kevin Bacon

    ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Sequel Adds Kevin Bacon

    It looks like the cast of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is continuing to grow. Now set to join the returning Eddie Murphy, Taylor Paige, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Kevin Bacon. They are also joined by original cast members Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, John Ashton, and Bronson Pinchot, who all appeared in the initial Beverly Hills Cop films. It’s unclear currently who Bacon will be playing though, as they remain under wraps.

    The film will be the third sequel in the franchise and marks the fourth entry after Beverly Hills Cop III released in 1994. As of now, it’s unclear just how they will tackle this storyline and follow up on the original. They may pick up with Axel Foley looking back at his career with a new generation taking over, but with Eddie Murphy, you never know if he’ll go in a completely unexpected direction.

    Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman are set to produce the film alongside executive producers Charisse Hewitt-Webster and Ray Angelic. Mark Molloy, known for his work on Apple At Work – The Underdogs is taking over directing duties based on a script by Will Beall, who some might know as the writer of Aquaman and Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Blade’: Five Directors Who Could Replace Bassam Tariq

    ‘Blade’: Five Directors Who Could Replace Bassam Tariq

    The news is out! Blade, the long-awaited cinematic reboot of Marvel’s resident vampire hunter, is now without a director. Bassam Tariq, who had been attached to the project since the summer of 2021, relieved himself of his duties after multiple delays in production forced the film past his range of availability. Marvel Studios is said to already be in search mode for a new filmmaker to take over Mahershala Ali‘s much-anticipated bloodsucking debut, but with relatively short notice and a tight schedule to work with, it might not be easy to lock a creative down. Luckily for Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel, Murphy’s Multiverse has a few suggestions that just might do the trick.

    When thinking of a potential new director, it’s important to keep in mind that Marvel will need somebody who can step in quickly and pick up the reigns of production with ease. It’s very likely the studio will reach out to talent they already know, and keep to names that likely won’t demand a total restart of the creative process once they’re on board. This narrows down the list considerably, but also provides an excellent list of helmers that would be sure to make the best Blade film possible.

    Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah

    Adil & Bilall

    When one thinks of directors who’ve worked with Marvel Studios in the past and recently had their schedule pretty cleared up, one thinks of the duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The creative pairing have had a rollercoaster year, and essentially all of it has been within the realm of live-action superheroism. Adil and Bilall spent the last couple years directing the first and last episodes of the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel before moving on to make DC’s Batgirl film. As has been widely reported in recent months, only one of those two projects actually released. At one point, the team was supposed to take over Eddie Murphy‘s Beverly Hills Cop IV, but that job has also since fallen through.

    The point being made here is that, despite an immense amount of talent between the both of them, Adil and Bilall are not currently tied down to any known movie or series. Following the loss of Batgirl, Marvel boss Feige sent the duo an apologetic email that implied he hoped to work with them again soon, and their previous directing credits (namely Bad Boys For Life) suggest they’d be a perfect fit for the action-packed world of Blade. The biggest setback in this plan would be if Feige prefers they return for a potential second season of Ms. Marvel instead, but since that project is merely a rumor and not officially in the cards, the betting man would be smarter to put it all on Blade and hope for the best.

    Antoine Fuqua

    Antoine Fuqua

    Similarly to the previous entry on this list, filmmaking veteran Antoine Fuqua is currently without an immediate project. The director, known for his work on films like Training Day and The Equalizer, recently lead production on a Will Smith-starring movie titled Emancipation for Apple TV+. However, controversy surrounding the actor’s now-infamous Oscar’s slap and a handful of filming delays have caused Emancipation to be put on the back burner. Couple that with the fact Fuqua supposedly met with Marvel Studios about the potential of directing something back in 2018, and there may be cause to believe the filmmaker could be on the list of talent being sought out by Feige at this very moment. While it has been a long time since that widely-reported meeting took place, Marvel is well-known for their ability to circle back around to creatives and concepts that didn’t work out in the past. At the very least, Feige has Fuqua‘s phone number, and the latter’s notable filmography of gritty, action-based plots with plenty of real-world symbolism would mix perfectly with a take on Blade that has Mahershala in the titular role.

    Gina Prince-Bythewood

    Gina Prince-Bythewood

    A name that’s currently hot in Hollywood, Gina Prince-Bythewood could be an incredible sleeper pick for Blade if her schedule allows it. The director has spent the last couple of years building an impressive resume in the action genre, adapting The Old Guard graphic novel to positive reviews in 2020 before releasing The Woman King to critical acclaim just this past month. Both projects were praised for their fight choreography and story elements, putting Prince-Bythewood at the top of the list of people who could likely handle what Blade requires.

    Not only that, but the former Love & Basketball filmmaker has a history with Marvel projects, having worked on Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger in 2018 before developing the unmade Silver & Black for Sony’s Spider-Man universe. With Sony and Marvel Studios now so friendly, it seems plausible that Feige could have a standing relationship with Prince-Bythewood that leads to her taking over directorial duties for Blade. The creative already passed over directing The Old Guard 2, so the next few months might be open enough for her to slide in and make her mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    F. Gary Gray

    F. Gary Gray with Vin Diesel

    Bringing it all the way back to 2015, when F. Gary Gray topped Marvel Studios’ shortlist of possible directors for the megahit Black Panther. Obviously, he didn’t take the gig, which ultimately went to Ryan Coogler with Gray helming Universal’s The Fate of the Furious instead. However, the fact Marvel was so high on the filmmaker at that point could mean he’s still on their radar nearly a decade later, with his only upcoming project being the undated Kevin Hart heist film Lift. The creative has a history of crafting movies with over-the-top action scenes, and has worked with major studios on summer blockbuster-style products on many occasions. All of this could make Gray the perfect veteran presence to step in and course-correct Blade in an efficient manner.

    Regina King

    Regina King

    The least likely name on this list, but one that could be a lot of fun. Best known for her stellar acting career, Regina King has spent the last decade dabbling with work behind the scenes as well. She’s been directing episodes of television since 2013 and made her feature film debut with One Night in Miami… in 2020. According to showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, the iconic creative almost directed an episode of Marvel’s Luke Cage during its two-season run, and although she’s since denied it, King was once listed as a name in contention for DC’s Superman reboot. Her busy schedule may not permit it, but if she could find the time to fit Blade in, it could make for one of the most exciting and original directing choices Marvel Studios has ever made.

    Source(s): CBR, Collider, Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Blade’ Delayed Indefinitely Following Bassam Tariq’s Departure

    ‘Blade’ Delayed Indefinitely Following Bassam Tariq’s Departure

    Following director Bassam Tariq’s departure from the project, it now seems that production on Marvel Studios’ Blade is unsurprisingly going to be delayed. Tariq’s departure leaves the project, which has already faced several delays, without either of the members of the original creative team now that Beau DeMayo has taken over script duties from Stacy Osei-Kuffour. With so many major shifts occurring in such a short span of time, Marvel Studios has made the wise choice to delay the start of the project but will continue pre-production work on the script.

    Just when principal photography on Blade may get underway is still in question and will likely remain that way for some time until Marvel can lock down a director. Following news of Tariq’s exit, several outlets and individuals, including Big Screen Leaks, shared news of the expected delay with a target date of early 2023.

    https://twitter.com/bigscreenleaks/status/1574973513743863808

    Later, Angela Boehm Casting in Ohio, an agency that had been working to find extra for Blade’s shoot in Cleveland, announced that the agency was halting its search for actors until the Spring.

    While these reports certainly don’t conflict with one another, they both indicate that the reality is nobody knows exactly when Blade will begin filming. It’s already very likely that the film will be moved from its November 3rd, 2023 slot. Now the focus becomes how soon it will be ready for theaters. With the studio recently moving its February 2024 film, which was just announced yesterday to be Deadpool 3, to September of 2024, a spot has opened up for Blade to land somewhere in the first quarter of 2024. Certainly, none of these things are linked together and are all just a series of unrelated, happy coincidences.

  • BREAKING: Hugh Jackman Returns as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3’, Gets September 2024 Release

    BREAKING: Hugh Jackman Returns as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3’, Gets September 2024 Release

    No, you read that correctly but it looks like Hugh Jackman isn’t quite done yet with his role as Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds shared a new video on his official Twitter account and suddenly dropped the news that Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in the upcoming third Deadpool movie. Not only that but he also revealed that the film will premiere on September 6th, 2025.

    There’s a fun reference in regard to the film not being featured during D23 but this random drop is right up Reynold‘s usual marketing scheme for the character. Instead of being a part of the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe, they are still going to explore Deadpool as part of the original 20th Century Fox era of the X-Men. Perhaps this is meant to not only send off the character into the multiverse but also as a way to wrap up the trilogy, which has repeatedly mocked their relationship.

    We also got a new logo fitting for Wolverine’s return and includes the Marvel Studios logo.

    This is technically the first non-mainline MCU project to release throughout the Multiverse Saga and it seems fitting that they’d make use of some familiar elements. If they are still waiting for an opportunity to fully use some elements from the original before they start building their own. Who knows if this also opens up the possibility of Hugh Jackman reeturning in Avengers: Secret Wars. After him seemingly leaving the role behind, it’s crazy to think Wolverine is back in style and perhaps he hopefully gets to finally wear the iconic suit this time around.

    Source: Twitter

  • Kevin Feige Teases the Scarlet Witch’s MCU Future

    Kevin Feige Teases the Scarlet Witch’s MCU Future

    Elizabeth Olsen has become a driving force behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her character’s journey from orphan to one of the most powerful characters in the Multiverse has been one of the MCU’s most impressive, long-term character arcs and Olsen’s work in WandaVision stands among the best performances given in the 14-year history of the franchise. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw Wanda turn heel, fully embrace the Scarlet Witch and eviscerate some of the Multiverse’s mightiest heroes before realizing the enormity of what she’d done and bringing Mt. Wundagore down around her.

    Since Multiverse of Madness premiered early in 2022, rumors have begin to swirl that despite her apparent demise, Marvel Studios had future plans for Wanda in not one, but two projects. A solo Scarlet Witch project and an adaptation of Avengers: The Children’s Crusade have both been the source of fairly legitimate rumblings, though Marvel Studios has had nothing to say on the subject…until now. In a recent interview with Variety, both Kevin Fiege and Olsen gave some insight into what the future might hold for the character.

    As fans of the MCU might come to expect, Olsen is hesitant to reveal even the slightest bit of information about whether or not there even is a future for the character, saying “I really don’t know my future. There’s nothing that has been agreed on.” Fortunately, and perhaps a bit uncharacteristically, Feige was a touch more loquacious.

    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

    Essentially, Feige is subscribing to the narrative that many fans have been quick to point out: though the circumstances seemed dire for Wanda as Wundagore came crumbling down, there’s no reason to surmise that one as powerful as the Scarlet Witch couldn’t have survived. More than that, Feige’s praise of Olsen is effusive, calling her “incredibly humble and incredibly down-to-earth” behind the scenes while also stating that she is “a force of nature” when “those cameras roll.” To cap it off, Feige enthused that he’d “work with Lizzie for another 100 years” before teasing “anything’s possible in the multiverse!” Certainly not the type of “I-said-a-lot-without-saying-anything” answers Feige tends to give nor a nail in the coffin of the character.

    Even after being told of Feige’s comments, Olsen remained mum on the topic of her return. But with her sons rumored to appear in Agatha: Coven of Chaos, two rumored projects that would feature her and Avengers: Secret Wars ahead, it’s hard to imagine that Marvel Studios would leave the Scarlet Witch buried in the rubble.

    Source: Variety

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Blade’ Recruits ‘X-Men ’97’ and ‘Moon Knight’ Scribe Beau DeMayo

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Blade’ Recruits ‘X-Men ’97’ and ‘Moon Knight’ Scribe Beau DeMayo

    Beau DeMayo is becoming a go-to-guy for Marvel Studios. Part of the writer’s room for Moon Knight and the head writer and executive producer of X-Men ’97, the revival of the iconic X-Men: The Animated Series, it looks like DeMayo may have joined the crew of one of Marvel Studios’ most anticipated feature films, Blade.

    While Disney has not commented officially on it, DeMayo has taken up temporary residence in Atlanta where Blade is in pre-production. In a recent Instagram post first pointed out by a Murphy’s Multiverse Discord patron, DeMayo showed off the Atlanta skyline from what he called his “new office.” While there are other Marvel projects underway, as a writer DeMayo would almost certainly not be joining one that was already deep into production. After running through the possible scenarios, Blade becomes the only logical choice. The start of principal filming has been delayed several times, recently pushed from an October kickoff to November, potentially allowing DeMayo a pass at the script.

    Stacy Osei-Kuffour was brought on as the film’s writer in February of 2021 and the studio had originally intended to begin production in late Summer of 2022 ahead of the project’s November 3, 2023 release date. Looking back at the bread crumbs, it’s likely that DeMayo has been attached to the project for a month or two now to polish up an already finished script by Osei-Kuffor rather than completely rewrite the story. Having multiple writers take a pass at movie scripts has become a fairly common practice at Marvel Studios, using the opportunity to take advantage of the strengths of different writers. Having DeMayo in Atlanta as pre-production gets underway is entirely in line with Marvel Studios’ past precedent and gives the new writer time to work intensely and closely with the film’s cast and crew to ensure the script is tight before filming begins. At this point, there’s no expectation of the film’s release date being delayed, keeping it on track for a late-2023 release.

  • REPORT: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Runtime Makes It the MCU’s Second Longest Film

    REPORT: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Runtime Makes It the MCU’s Second Longest Film

    The final film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may be one of Marvel Studios’ longest features to date. According to new listings on the Cineplex and Regal websites, the Ryan Coogler-directed sequel will be 161 minutes (two hours and 41 minutes) long. If true, that runtime makes it the longest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind Avengers: Endgame, which ran over three hours.

    While still unconfirmed, a longer runtime could suggest that Wakanda Forever is taking its time to explore a larger story amidst the heavy nature of the film stemming from the passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020. According to the film’s synopsis, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and the Dora Milaje fight to protect Wakanda from intervening world powers as the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, along with War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). Tenoch Huerta will be making his appearance in the MCU as Namor, and the sequel also features Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, ahead of the Ironheart Disney+ series.

    While runtimes ultimately say quite little about the contents of a film, fans love to speculate. Before they were released, Eternals was deemed too long and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was deemed too short by those on social media. If Wakanda Forever does end up being the longest non-Avengers film in the MCU, it could be the result of a packed storyline, a slower-paced narrative, or both. In any event, the filmmakers likely took their time crafting the emotional follow-up to the iconic Black Panther.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11, 2022.

    Source: Cineplex and Regal

  • First ‘Black Panther’s Post-Credit Almost Included Namor

    First ‘Black Panther’s Post-Credit Almost Included Namor

    It’s no secret that the upcoming sequel of Black Panther will introduce the world to Namor the Submariner, played by Tenoch Huerta. We’ve heard news throughout the last few years that there were many times they thought of including him, such as a member of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Yet, it turns out the earliest we could’ve seen him was all the way back when the first Black Panther film hit theaters.

    In a new piece from Empire, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reveals that they initially had plans for a post-credit sequence that would set up the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on the character. It seems director Ryan Coogler initially pitched it as a tag, which means this sequel’s main story has been on his mind since he started work on the very first entry.

    Ryan had a pitch for a tag at the end of Black Panther. The camera would push through the palace in Wakanda, and then we’d see wet footprints leading up to the throne.

    Kevin Feige

    It definitely would’ve made for an imposing tease though open many questions on how he got past the Dora Milaje. Still, it would be the perfect way to tease the character without giving away any details, which would’ve led to casual audiences having to question who exactly the person might be. Coogler having that character in mind so early on also makes us wonder if he generally mapped out a full trilogy for the franchise and if he’ll follow through with those initial plans if he kept Namor in his back pocket up until now.

    Source: Empire

  • How ‘She-Hulk”s Intelligencia Sets Up’ Captain America: 4’s True Main Threat

    How ‘She-Hulk”s Intelligencia Sets Up’ Captain America: 4’s True Main Threat

    The latest episode of She-Hulk, Attorney at Law has premiered not too long ago and introduced (or rather re-introduced) Iintelligencia into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We first learn about them through a simple mention on Ulysses Klaue’s portfolio confirming he was once a member but we never really find out who exactly they are. As it turns out, it’s pretty much the MCU’s equivalent to a Reddit server with obvious connections to modern political discourse. On top of it all, they seem to have their own operation eyeing Jennifer Walter’s blood for some nefarious purpose.

    There’s been a curious trend of She-Hulk openly calling out or rather predicting quite correctly how certain sub-groups of the Internet react to these projects. We’ve seen it time and time again since Captain Marvel’s release in 2019 and it continued to fester to this day. “Fandom Menace” has become a rather depressing word used for a subset of fans putting a lot of pressure on these projects, and it’s not too surprising to see a project reflect that as well.

    These reactions aren’t exclusive to female-led projects as showcased with the discussions surrounding Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson taking on the role of Captain America. Thee entire of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored the weight of that shield placed upon an African-American, which has been continuously highlighted to still being denied even after we took time to explore his journey of accepting that title. Yet, there are still statements like “Steve Rogers is Captain America” being floated around each time it comes up.

    In a way, it seems safe to say that the set-up for Intelligencia in She-Hulk was made to lead to Captain America: New World Order. Any Captain America project didn’t shy away from exploring political discussions in the United States and given the current climate, Sam Wilson’s own struggle makes for the best set-up to explore the current climate left in a post-Trump and Qanon world. Hell, one could make the argument that the latter is potentially being echoed to some extent. It’s even in the title as many were concerned given its ties to conspiracy theories online from white supremacists that used those three words to spread anti-semitic topics across the web.

    The confirmed return of Tim Blake Nelson as the Samuel Sterns, who is better known as the Leader, also potentially leads to how they’re setting up his return. We don’t know how they’ll tackle his design or even return, but when we first met him back in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, the character was communicating through chat rooms. So, it seems fitting if his time is hidden away in SHIELD’s prisons he’s been using a different strategy to build his own empire. His goal is very likely still to get his hands on Hulk and he’ll use any means necessary.

    As much as commentaries on “woke” Hollywood have scattered across the web, they are politically stirred on every side and it makes sense for the new Captain America to explore that very divide. Steve Rogers had a similar challenge when it came to standing up for what is right, and we know that Wilson has been a mediator for most of his pre-heroic career. So, there’s something fitting for him to take on that very role, he’s not a super soldier but has his own strengths to stand by what he believes is right.

    Intelligencia and the white supremacist ties of NWO could be the way Marvel introduces the Serpent Society; the once joke title for Civil War. A modern twist on that group would be fitting and further pull into the backlash we see in the real world over a fictional character. You don’t look far for those kinds of discussions like with The Little Mermaid remake, which became the focus of its own online drama. And all these reactions to fictional characters are also reflections of real-world issues; something we’ve been continuously reminded of throughout the last few years.

    There likely won’t be an end to such backlash and if they further explore Intelligencia in that project, there’s likely going to be even more reactionary tales for this entry. As highlighted by She-Hulk, there’s a certain predictability to the online chatter and further exploring the dark corners of the world in a project with a lead that reflects the lived experiences creates a strong meta-commentary. It’s no longer a man from World War One stuck who is stuck in a different time. This is someone whose lived experience is very different in a modern context. As such, his threats are fittingly going to be more modern and reflect the current political climate.

  • ‘Avatar’s Re-Release Pulls in Mighty $10M, Potentially Hinting at ‘Way of Water’s Performance

    ‘Avatar’s Re-Release Pulls in Mighty $10M, Potentially Hinting at ‘Way of Water’s Performance

    This weekend saw the re-release of James Cameron‘s original Avatar. Not only did it include new elements to better lead into the upcoming sequel The Way of Water, but it also acts as a reminder of one of the biggest releases in theaters many years ago. The film has managed to pull in $10M over the weekend landing in third place and with a higher box office than most of this year’s re-releases.

    Spider-Man: No Way Home was also a massive re-release a few months ago, it did so on around 4,000 theaters while Avatar managed to pull in its numbers on only 1,860. So, it’s looking quite good that Way of the Water is going to open massively worldwide. While it’s unclear if it’ll have the legs to pull off a $2 billion release window, there’s a decent chance at play here.

    As one might expect, the film that established the modern 3D boom also pulled in most of its money through that format. It’s no surprise, especially with Cameron‘s promise to bring a new era to that very technology with his upcoming sequels. It’s fascinating to see the reception to the film that has been coined as “forgotten” for quite some time and likely given the long breaks in-between re-releases. We’ll see if that momentum carries over throughout multiple sequels released every two years.

    Source: Twitter