Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • New ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Concept Art Reveals Unused Doctor Strange Variant

    New ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Concept Art Reveals Unused Doctor Strange Variant

    In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we took our first real trip throughout the multiverse, or at least Doctor Strange was forced to when helping a young America Chavez. Throughout his travels, we are introduced to two Variants of the talented yet arrogant sorcerer, yet it seems that there was one more that didn’t make it beyond the concept stage.

    Concept artist Darrell Warner revealed a new piece of concept that offers a first look at “Marvellous Melvyn,” a street magician version of our popular doctor. It seems this version of the character was part of the initial pitch by Scott Derrickson before Sam Raimi took over production, which took the production into a very different direction.

    The design is great and it’s really a shame that we didn’t get to see this version of the character. Not only would it have given Benedict Cumberbatch a fun new interpretation to bring to life, but perhaps he may have been an unwilling traveler that ends up getting dragged along for a journey he is definitely not equipped for. It’s also great that the designer got to work with thee costume designer Graham Churchyard to bring the idea to life.

    We can always theorize on the “what if” of the original Scott Derrickson‘s sequel of his Doctor Strange film that introduced magic into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps it is somewhere out there in the multiverse that got a chance to see it and they could use the What If…? series to introduce a few of those concepts that didn’t quite make it.

    Source: Instagram

  • Matthew McConaughey’s Soccer Film ‘Dallas Sting’ Scrapped Shortly Ahead of Production Start

    Matthew McConaughey’s Soccer Film ‘Dallas Sting’ Scrapped Shortly Ahead of Production Start

    Here’s a surprise but it looks like six weeks before Matthew McConaughey‘s film Dallas Sting was completely scrapped by Skydance. It was going to be directed by The Falcon and Winter Soldier‘s Kari Skogland but the plug was pulled due to allegations regarding how it’ll adapt the true story of a girl soccer team’s trip to China back in 1984 from Dallas.

    The story explores this soccer team’s story of beating the odds and defeating some of the world’s best players back in the day with McConaughey set to play their coach Bill Kinder. It seems that the drama this story was based on may have a much more “disturbing” story that hasn’t been told which led Skydance and the producers to pull the project six weeks ahead of production start.

    There is a disappointment in the air at Skydance, as they were excited to tell the story of this team’s accomplishments, but sometimes there are limitations and challenges when adapting real-world stories. It seems that the project was also in the stages of finalizing its casting and here’s hoping that everyone involved with the project gets a chance at another.

    The known cast so far consisted of Dopesick’s Kaitlyn Dever who was going to play the coach’s daughter. They already invested quite a bit of money, as they were hoping to include real soccer players, who they would train their acting abilities. Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch of GLOW fame worked on the script.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Thunderbolt’s Hannah John-Kamen Teases Ghost’s Biggest Challenge as Part of a Team

    ‘Thunderbolt’s Hannah John-Kamen Teases Ghost’s Biggest Challenge as Part of a Team

    The reaction to the new Thunderbolts line-up has certainly been interesting but there’s some exciting news in seeing some returning faces. Not only do we get a few cast members from the Black Widow film which will give us a chance to further flesh out this interpretation of Taskmaster but also Ava Starr, who is better known as Ghost. We haven’t seen Hannah John-Kamen in the role since 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp with many wondering what future she might have in the franchise.

    Now that we have an answer, it’s even more surprising to see Ghost return as part of a team considering she mostly worked solo. After D23, John-Kamen got a chance to tease the character’s biggest challenge as part of the Thunderbolts team. We know the character as a lone wolf and it looks like human contact outside of her caregiver Bill Foster is going to be quite the challenge.

    Well, she doesn’t like to be touched. So, that’s going to be interesting. She’s quite socially…Well, she’s not social. She grew up in the vat, so she’s never had human contact with anyone. It’s going to be interesting for Ghost to connect.

    Hannah John-Kamen

    Ghost was one of the most exciting additions, especially in how unique her move set is. We don’t know if they truly found a way to stabilize her abilities in some way. It initially seemed like they were trying to heal her but with people disappearing as a result of the Blip we may also find out what happened to her. Plus, who knows why she’s part of the team and where Foster might show up again, if not in this film.

    Source: YouTube

  • David Harbour Teases “Drama and Comedy” in ‘Thunderbolts’

    David Harbour Teases “Drama and Comedy” in ‘Thunderbolts’

    Thunderbolts was only recently announced at San Diego Comic-Con but Marvel Studios didn’t waste any time giving us a tease of the film’s mixed batch of unlikely teammates. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky and Florence Pugh‘s Yelena are in for a lifetime challenge by trying to keep a functioning team consisting of Taskmaster, Red Guardian, the returning Ghost, and US Agent. While many hoped for a more diverse group of powers, the dynamic seems promising.

    Shortly after D23’s Marvel Studios panel, ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis got a chance to talk to some of the cast visiting the event. During that time, he highlighted what we can expect from the dynamic of this unlikely team and Red Guardian himself, David Harbour, took the chance to tease that the film will have “drama and comedy” based on the characters that have to interact alone.

    I mean I think they’re all difficult people who have many weaknesses. And as you may know, I certainly do, if you put a bunch of people with various weaknesses together: there’s often drama and comedy. So, I think you can expect both of those things.

    David Harbour

    It definitely sounds like the team is in for quite a difficult time, and that might be the big selling point of this story. While the Thunderbolts have served many purposes in the comics, they are going down a more anti-hero route. It likely is the best way to also make it stand out from Suicide Squad, which is likely the direct comparison made throughout the film’s promotional campaign, as it was a project focused on villains that were forced to work together. Of course, we’ve only seen a single image and have no idea about any details.

    Source: YouTube

  • Winston Duke on M’Baku’s New Role in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    Winston Duke on M’Baku’s New Role in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    Winston Duke’s M’Baku became a fan favorite after the actor’s wide-ranging performance in Black Panther. While he was one of T’Challa’s first foes in the comics, the MCU version of the character became of T’Challa’s allies, fighting alongside the King during the Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War. Duke returned for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the 2018 film, and his character now inhabits a world where the King and Black Panther of Wakanda is dead and the world is forever changed following T’Challa’s decision to break from tradition and step out of isolation.

    With T’Challa now dead, the fallout from his decision will now be in the hands of others, including his mother, Queen Ramonda, and the members of the Tribal Council. In an interview with Phase Zero, Duke described how the time gap between the two films has changed his character.

    M’Baku is really forced to catch up with the times. His role is changed. He survived the Snap. He is now part of their Tribal Council, so he’s more forward-facing and less insular. So he’s been forced to really be a part of the collective transparency. I think that’s a really cool thing for him and you get to see a whole new dynamic including him.

    Winston Duke

    Duke’s M’Baku has been a fan favorite choice to take on the mantle of Black Panther ever since the tragic passing of star Chadwick Boseman. While the identity of the character in the costume in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever remains a mystery, it certainly seems M’Baku has taken some steps in a direction that might allow him to suit up at some point.

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

    Source: Phase Zero

  • David Harbour to Star in Film Adaptation of ‘Gran Turismo’

    David Harbour to Star in Film Adaptation of ‘Gran Turismo’

    It has been a busy year for David Harbour, and his slate is set to grow with a new marquee film project. The actor has been announced to be starring in a film adaptation of PlayStation’s Gran Turismo video game franchise. The project is set to be co-produced by Sony Pictures and Playstation Productions, based on a screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylan with Neill Blomkamp set to direct. 

    The film is said to be based on the true story of a teenage gamer who subsequently became a competition-winning professional race-car driver thanks to it. It’s unknown at this time how Harbour’s role will play into the narrative.

    The Japanese-originated franchise Gran Turismo released its first game, created by Kazunori Yamauchi, in 1997. The franchise has been praised for revolutionizing the racing genre of video games through its authenticity to the driving experience. The most recent game in the franchise, Gran Turismo 7, was released for Playstation consoles on March 2, 2022.

    For Harbour, this adds another notable role to his calendar, shortly after it was announced that he was set to return as Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. The Red Guardian, for Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts. Harbour continues this hot streak after 2022’s fourth season of Stranger Things , and will subsequently return for the fifth and final season.

    Gran Turismo is currently scheduled to release theatrically on August 11, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • Kit Harrington Discusses Potential MCU Return as the Black Knight

    Kit Harrington Discusses Potential MCU Return as the Black Knight

    Following his appearance in Eternals, questions have been raised about the status of Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film’s post-credit tag definitely set the stage for his character to take on the superheroic mantle of the Black Knight. Between seemingly being about to reveal his family lineage to Sersi (before her abduction by Arishem the Judge) and retrieving the Ebony Blade, Marvel Studios made it clear there are bigger plans for his character beyond his supporting role in Eternals. 

    According to Kit Harrington, however, the plans for when he would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe remain unclear. In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor discussed his uncertainty about what Marvel Studios has planned for him.

    I don’t know how much they’re planning. And you know, I hope to be involved in future stuff, with that character, with Dane Whitman, and that he might go on and be the thing that everyone quotes at me in the street. But I honestly don’t know. I don’t know what their plans are. I know they’re going into a kind of Phase 5.

    Kit Harrington

    While one can certainly take his quote at face value, a fair amount of skepticism that there are currently no plans for Kit Harrington to return as the Black Knight can also be applied. This is based on the well-documented history of actors feigning ignorance about their future at Marvel Studios, only to subsequently be revealed to be in a notable role for an upcoming project. A most recent example of this is Wyatt Russell’s denial of having any plans to be brought back as John Walker, and then being revealed just months later to be a lead in the upcoming Thunderbolts film.

    With that in mind, the most obvious place to anticipate a return for Harrington would be 2023’s Blade. It would serve as the obvious connection after the film’s star Mahershala Ali provided a voice cameo for the post-credit scene of Eternals. Though whether or not Kit Harrington does show up in Blade, it will be interesting to follow what character direction is taken with the Black Knight.

    Source: Happy Sad Confused

  • ‘Riverdale’ Actress Madelaine Petch To Lead ‘The Strangers’ Remake Trilogy From Lionsgate

    ‘Riverdale’ Actress Madelaine Petch To Lead ‘The Strangers’ Remake Trilogy From Lionsgate

    As reported by Deadline, Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale), Froy Gutierrez (Cruel Summer), and Gabriel Basso (Hillbilly Elegy) have been cast in the Lionsgate remake of The Strangers, which has begun production in Slovakia. Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger) is directing the first installment of a trilogy and has already signed on to direct the second and third installments.

    The original The Strangers was a home invasion film written and directed by Bryan Bertino in his feature debut, starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. It was a sleeper hit when it was released in May 2008 by Universal Pictures and became a cult classic in the years since, with the sequel The Strangers: Prey at Night being released in March 2018.

    Producer Courtney Soloman described why the remake was being tackled:

    When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world. Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.

    Courtney Soloman

    The new Strangers movie will follow Petsch’s character as she drives across the country with her longtime boyfriend to start a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they are forced to spend the night in a remote Airbnb, where they are terrorized by three masked strangers from dusk to dawn. Lionsgate intends to expand the story in novel and unexpected ways with its sequels.

    Source: Deadline

  • 5 Hulk Characters Who Deserve to Return to or Join the MCU

    5 Hulk Characters Who Deserve to Return to or Join the MCU

    With the announcement that Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns would square off with Sam Wilson in Captain America: New World Order, the revitalization of 2008’s oft-panned The Incredible Hulk continues along an impressive arc. 2021 saw the return of an updated Abomination in Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, followed by Tim Roth’s return to the MCU as Abomination’s alter ego, Emil Blonsky, in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. Suddenly what was very, very old (in MCU years) is new again and creating a fairly significant buzz among MCU fans.

    With the returns of Blonsky and Sterns and the addition of Jennifer Walters, the Hulk family of characters is suddenly looking incredibly strong and with the rumors of a World War Hulk project in the works, it’s possible that even more of the characters from The Incredible Hulk might return AND some classic comic book characters could join the fray. Here’s a look at some interesting options to consider from both groups.

    Betty Ross

    The character that’s long been the center of much of the online chatter as a favorite to return is Betty Ross, played by Liv Tyler in The Incredible Hulk. It’s hard to believe that a character so central to the life of Bruce Banner played so small a role in the MCU, but even though rumors have poped up over the years, Betty hasn’t been seen since the earliest days of Phase 1. However, if Sterns and Blonsky can be written into the Multiverse Saga, there’s no reason to think Betty can’t be. With the plot of She-Hulk involving efforts to get ahold of Jen’s blood (which Bruce admits is BETTER), there’s a whole mess of ways that Betty, and other characters, could get reintegrated into the MCU as gamma mutates. Betty’s had a couple different turns in the comics as Red She-Hulk and Harpy, and it would be a blast to see her join up as either of those, especially with the passing of William Hurt likely meaning General Ross will never be the MCU’s Red Hulk.

    Doc Samson

    Ty Burrell played Leonard Samson back in 2008 and while he didn’t really get much to do, a foundation was built that could allow the character, even if not the actor, to return. Like his comic book counterpart, the MCU Samson is known as a brilliant psychiatrist. Of course in the comics, Samson was exposed to gamma radiation and became a green-haired, muscled up gamma mutate, so there’s certainly room to grow. Over the years, Samson has served as the Hulk’s psychiatrist and an ally. With Hulk’s trip to Sakaar set to reveal some interesting news, it’s looking like a call to Doc to chat about some issues could be on the docket.

    Glenn Talbot

    One of the more interesting options, should the MCU be willing to expand the Hulk’s cast of supporting characters is Major Glenn Talbot. I know what you’re thinking, Talbot’s already in the MCU because he was big star in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, if you think Feige’s touching the convoluted disaster that became of Adrian Pasdar’s character, you need to chat with Doc Samson. Should the MCU be marching towards a World War Hulk project, one might expect a military presence and Talbot would be the perfect fit to lead the charge from Gamma Base. Josh Lucas portrayed the character in Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk and the now 51-year old actor might be willing to play the Multiversal Variant card and join the MCU.

    Rick Jones

    No character has suffered as Rick Jones has suffered. In the comics, Jones was both the reason that Bruce Banner became the Hulk and the Hulk’s best friend. Jones spent time with Captain America and being bonded to Mar-Vell and yet has never even sniffed the opportunity to join the MCU. The time could be now for Jones as the potential for the creation of other gamma mutates could open the door for Jones’ alter ego of A-Bomb. It would be a great tragedy if Jones and A-Bomb never moved beyond Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

    Amadeus Cho

    While he eventually became the Totally Awesome Hulk, it’s Cho’s friendship with the Hulk at a time where everyone else betrayed him that makes him a fun potential addition to the MCU. Cho’s mother, Helen, already exists in the MCU and fans have sort of always assumed that she was introduced in Age of Ultron so that Amadeus might eventually be brought along. With the MCU’s present day taking place in 2025, a teenage Cho could pop up in a few years. And having him around while both the Hulk and Hercules are making noise would be a great nod to his early comic appearances.

  • ‘Iron Man 2’ Star Open to Return as Justin Hammer for ‘Thunderbolts’

    ‘Iron Man 2’ Star Open to Return as Justin Hammer for ‘Thunderbolts’

    When it was first announced that we’d be getting an adaptation of Thunderbolts, theories went wild on who may have a role and who may not. While the reception has been mixed to positive, mostly due to the concern of a lack of variety given the abundance of super soldiers, there still was some excitement for a group of anti-heroes tackling a mission the Avengers wouldn’t. Still, many were definitely missing Iron Man villain, Justin Hammer.

    Luckily, The Playlist got a chance to interview Sam Rockwell, who played the character in Iron Man 2 and even the All Hail the King One-Shot, if he’d be interested to join the Thunderbolts line-up. While throughout the interview, he was mostly confused about who that was, making sure it’s not a new name for War Machine he shares his excitement to potentially join.

    Yeah, I would be into that. [Thunderbolts] sounds cool… What villains would be in that?

    Sam Rockwell

    He’d definitely make for a perfect addition to the team, especially with them going to require quite a few weapons to take on whatever they may be facing. Perhaps he’s been out of prison for a while and has been working with the Power Broker, maybe Agent 13 is also just pretending to be the face as he provides whatever weaponry she required. We’ll see if there are a few members that haven’t been revealed yet for Thunderbolts.

    Source: The Playlist via The Direct