Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • ‘The Marvels’ Uncanny Post-Credit Scene’s Explained

    ‘The Marvels’ Uncanny Post-Credit Scene’s Explained

    By now, even if you haven’t seen the movie it’s likely you’ve heard about the beastly post-credit scene of The Marvels. The scene brought Monica Rambeau face-to-face with an alternate reality variant of her mother, Maria, and a very familiar furry friend. Despite it being clear who everyone is, there’s no clarity about exactly where in the multiverse she is, leaving the audience just as confused as Monica. While we can’t offer any clarity on that, we can look to the comics for a little help about what might have gone down in that universe before her arrival.

    After Kelsey Grammar’s Beast is revealed, a wider look at the facility in which Monica is recovering makes it clear that she’s in an X-Men facility. It’s also revealed that in this universe, Maria is a fully costumed superhero. While we’ve seen that idea fleshed out once before in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s a little different here as Beast refers to her as Binary and she’s wearing quite a different costume. Given what we know, it seems that this post-credit scene is very heavily influenced by longtime Marvel Comics writer Chris Claremont’s beloved Uncanny X-Men run.

    From 1975 through 1991, Claremont gave new life to the X-Men and made them one of Marvel Comics premier teams. In 1982, Claremont wrote Carol Danvers into Uncanny X-Men #158, kicking off a long run of her appearing in his X-book and even becoming an honorary member of the team. Claremont remade Danvers, who had never been anywhere near as fully realized as she was during her time in his books. In Uncanny X-Men #164, Danvers–with a brand new power set, took the name Binary.

    While not everything lines up perfectly, the universe in which Monica wakes up at the end of The Marvels may be one in which events much like those from Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men have unfolded. Just how that will impact the future of MCU, if at all, remains to be seen but it would be great to see nods to the Shi’ar space opera, Rogue’s interesting history with Carol (which would probably be with Maria, instead) or even the Morlocks pop up the next time we see that universe on screen.

  • Marvel Studios Overhauls Its Theatrical Slate

    Marvel Studios Overhauls Its Theatrical Slate

    Less than 24 hours after the Screen Actors Guild reached a settlement to end their strike, Disney made several adjustments to Marvel Studios upcoming theatrical slate. While the changes will make 2024 pretty barren, 2025 looks to be a strong year for the studio.

    As star Ryan Reynolds shared earlier in the day, the untitled Deadpool movie will hit theaters in the Summer of 2024, moving from May 3rd to July 26th. Two films that were still clinging to hopes of a 2024 release are no officially slated for 2025. Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts are headed to theaters on February 14th, 2025 and July 25th, 2025, respectively, and will surround Fantastic Four which is still slated for a May 2, 2025 debut. Finally, Blade, which has seen significant delays as the creative team has undergone multiple changes, is not set for a November 7th, 2025 release.

    Like 2025, 2026 is set to see four theatrical releases. Marvel Studios is holding dates in February, July and November for untitled films and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty remains on the slate for a May 3, 2025 drop.

  • Kevin Feige Addresses Harry Styles’ MCU Future

    Kevin Feige Addresses Harry Styles’ MCU Future

    It’s been just over two years since a post-credit scene from Eternals revealed Harry Styles and Patton Oswalt had joined the MCU as Starfox and Pip the Troll, respectively. As is often the case with Marvel Studios, the appearance of the two came with the unspoken promise of further adventures which, to date, have yet to occur or even be addressed. Eternals wasn’t especially well-received and between some changes to the inner workings at Marvel Studios and a pair of strikes that have greatly impacted production, there’s hardly been a deluge of news on future projects which has left some fans asking what future, if any, Styles’ character might have.

    During the premiere of The Marvels, ET asked Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, if he could shed some light on when fans might see Starfox again.

    “He’s excited. We’re excited. We will see,” said Feige of Styles. “You introduce a lot of new characters in a lot of movies and a lot of tags. Where do the tag folk reappear? That’s a good question.“

    While it’s not the first time Feige has addressed when Styles might reappear, he’s still not giving much of an answer here. As is the case with most of the Eternals, there’s no clear-cut path for Starfox to have further adventures within in the ongoing Multiverse Saga. Many of the character’s common comic book companions are no longer involved in the MCU which means like many characters who have made the jump from page to screen, whatever adventures await Starfox are likely to be original ones. Additionally, it’s very likely that the MCU version will mostly be Starfox in name only as he’ll almost certainly undergo major changes from his troublesome comic book counterpart.

  • Early Reactions Call ‘The Marvels’ “Crazy” and a Fun Time at the Movies, Praise Iman Vellani

    Early Reactions Call ‘The Marvels’ “Crazy” and a Fun Time at the Movies, Praise Iman Vellani

    Ahead of its wide release this weekend, The Marvels screened for select members of the media across the globe and at its own red carpet premiere yesterday. While the film is currently tracking to have a woeful opening weekend, there’s some hope that positive reviews and word of mouth may give it a boost. While full reviews are embargoed a bit longer, first reactions have hit social media and are–to nobody’s surprise–overwhelmingly positive.

    The short run time is a big seller…

    One of the dumbest social media trends of our time is to prejudge projects based on their runtime. The Marvels is officially the shortest entry in the MCU’s long history…and nobody that has seen it is complaining.

    Iman Vellani is the truth…

    Anyone who watched Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Ms. Marvel knows how wonderful Iman Vellani was as Kamala Khan. It seems nothing has changed on that front.

    https://twitter.com/heylarry/status/1722120709680361743

    There’s some crazy surprises…

    Apparently, director Nia DaCosta understood the assignment and made sure to pack the short runtime with a wild surprise or two.

    https://twitter.com/heylarry/status/1722121587342594065

    It’s not all good….

    Though it sounds like it’s no fault of Zawe Ashton’s, the film’s villain, Dar-Benn, seems to be a Phase 2 level miss.

  • Wes Ball to Direct Live-Action Adaptation of ‘The Legend of Zelda’

    Wes Ball to Direct Live-Action Adaptation of ‘The Legend of Zelda’

    You read that right, it has finally been announced. Nintendo is developing a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. After the success of their animated adaptation of Super Mario Bros. many expected them to stick to their deal with Illumination. Yet, it seems they are going live-action with one major Nintendo franchise after all.

    In the official announcement, the film will be produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad, who is most famous for his work on the Spider-Man films. It seems they also have a director in Maze Runner’s Wes Ball, whose next major release Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes just recently got its first trailer.

    According to Miyamoto, he’s already been working on this adaptation for many years with Avi Arad and it is now officially starting development. So, this isn’t a first kick-off announcement but the confirmation that they are getting ready to start progressing on the project. However, they still highlight that it’ll take time until it is finished and until we’ll likely get the next update on the film.

    Source: Nintendo, Twitter

  • New Synopsis for ‘The Marvels’ Promises Multiversal Madness

    New Synopsis for ‘The Marvels’ Promises Multiversal Madness

    Down to days before the release of The Marvels, Marvel Studios has made some significant changes in its marketing approach. Facing a disappointing opening weekend at the box office, the studio released a new trailer full of scenes ripped from the film’s third act (something they have typically avoided over the years) that play up the film’s multiversal stakes. Now, a new synopsis further teases the problems caused by the tear in space.

    In Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels,” Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”

    As seen in the trailer, Monica Rambeau is tasked with investigating and repairing the wormhole created by Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn. Given what awaits on the other side of that tear, it’s shocking that the studio featured it in the latest trailer (they’ve also already shown what’s over there as well). While all signs point to The Marvels winding up as a box office disappointment for the studios, first reactions will hit social media later today so maybe some positive last-minute word of mouth can help boost the opening weekend take.

  • ‘The Marvels’ Projected for Weak $140M Worldwide Opening

    ‘The Marvels’ Projected for Weak $140M Worldwide Opening

    Currently, projections are down for The Marvels given that the presales didn’t pick up much speed over the course of the last few weeks. It remains a surprise that Marvel Studios didn’t risk pushing the project back further given the current climate and uncertainty surrounding the SAG-AFTRA strike ending anytime soon and how important the main cast is to the film. Yet, it could also be that pushing it back again would’ve made the project even more expensive moving forward.

    Initial local projections went from $60M down to $50M, though some even had it at a potential $70M – $80M. BoxOfficePro has also lowered expectations at a potential $45M to $65M opening weekend with a domestic total of $109M. That would put it on track where The Flash ended up and could mean that the film will definitely not make up its $250M production budget at the box office alone.

    Is it superhero fatigue? At this point, it doesn’t really matter what it is as the box office in general is struggling. Five Nights at Freddy’s second weekend plummeted in the worst weekend we’ve seen in a long time after a big frontloading by fans. It had a strong forecast going by early presales which is why The Marvels is currently faltering as it seemed to not pick up any pace in the earlier weeks, but also hasn’t had a lot of output by Marvel Studios or Disney outside of a big final trailer push yesterday.

    The strikes are definitely hurting this film as its main selling point was the trio cast at the forefront, which was a no-show during any of the film promotions. That means no showcase during talk shows, interviews, or anything else one would hope to promote their film with. Even the long-awaited prequel to The Hunger Games is looking at a soft $38M to $50M opening currently. Who knows if this fall is going to be just a depressing reflection of the summer box office?

    Globally, the predictions stand at a $140M opening worldwide, which is on par with what The Flash had in the summer (taking into context an off-season release it hurts just a smidge less than one of the expected biggest blockbuster releases). The big questions in the room are the initial reactions to the film, which are expected to drop some time tonight, and the reviews. As mentioned previously: people are a bit more frugal with their money and after going all-in with Barbenheimer, viewers may be a bit more cautious going into the rest of the year as inflation and the cost of living crisis is a big factor in decision-making nowadays. Plus, if it releases on Disney+ in the coming months it hurts far less than spending upwards of $40 bucks to go to the movies.

    It’s not an excuse and it will stand to reason that The Marvels could potentially end up as the worst box office opening for any MCU release so far. Even lower than Eternals which had to fight off COVID during its initial release, but also benefitted from far fewer releases in theaters. It all depends on those previews as if they open to around $6M on Thursday, the film could face a $40M opening weekend. It all depends on word-of-mouth and reviews ahead of time; something Marvel Studios hasn’t been dependent on in a long time.

    A big point is that men in the age range of 18 to 34 are the key factor for most Marvel releases, but, oddly, expectations are purely on this demographic given the film’s very strong female leads. If the film hits the right cords with its core audience, women between 17 and 34 could make up for that fact as they are closer to what the film is aiming for going by its leads and core demographic. That may also be one of the reasons its unusual presales core audience isn’t really invested given the current (depressing) political climate. Perhaps showing a special trailer ahead of Taylor Swift’s films may turn out as a surprise push for the release. For now, we have to wait and see just a few more days until the numbers give us a clearer picture.

    Source: BoxOfficePro, Deadline, The Numbers

  • ‘Blade’ Director Yann Demange Confirms Rating of the MCU Reboot

    ‘Blade’ Director Yann Demange Confirms Rating of the MCU Reboot

    In the wake of multiple Marvel Studios hit pieces that have made the rounds in the past week, actual news about one of the studio’s most frequently targeted properties has emerged. In an interview with Deadline, director Yann Demange, who replaced Bassam Tariq as the director of Blade in November of 2022, detailed plans for the film, including its rating.

    Since SDCC 2019, when Kevin Feige revealed that the studio was working with Mahershala Ali to bring the Daywalker to the MCU, the film’s rating has been the subject of speculation and debate among fans. While it’s not unheard of for vampire films to be rated PG-13, it’s certainly much more commonplace for them to receive an R-rating. Each of Wesley Snipes‘ Blade trilogy films, which introduced the character to mainstream audiences beginning in the late 1990s, received an R-rating and fans seem to staunchly believe that the MCU’s take on the character needs to be every bit as mature and violent. As it turns out, Demange shares that belief.

    “They gave me the R, which is so important,” said Demange of the rating of the Ali-led reboot. According to the director, part of why that rating was so important to him was because of the singular talent of the project’s star. “We are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor. I’m excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that. He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen.“

    Though the film has had its share of issues in pre-production, Marvel Studios renewned committment to ensuring its upcoming projects hold up to the high expectations of the audience should pay dividends…and Blade, depsite all its ups and downs, may end up being the poster child of those efforts. Blade is currently slated to release on February 14th, 2025.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘The Marvels’ Presales Currently Behind ‘The Flash’ and ‘Black Adam’

    ‘The Marvels’ Presales Currently Behind ‘The Flash’ and ‘Black Adam’

    At the current rate, The Marvels‘ may be facing the lowest opening since The Eternals,w which opened to $71.2M during the pandemic. Of course, it’s not definite but the presales are currently tracing behind Black Adam and The Flash according to a new piece by Deadline. It’s the first MCU film truly affected by the strike, as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was still able to promote with its cast before SAG went on strike as well. There’s also the hot debate regarding Marvel and superhero fatigue with the latter showing its fangs with other releases like Blue Beetle, Shazam: Fury of Gods, and The Flash.

    Marvel normally pulls in viewership and has strong openings with bigger drops going into its second weekend. So, it’s unclear if it’ll pick up the pace going into its final week, especially with hopes that the SAG strike is wrapped this weekend and the cast can start promoting the film. Whether that’ll make a major change is a different point of discussion and remains surprising that Marvel Studios has yet to postpone the release.

    Some are pointing to the “homework” aspect which is a hot debate online. It’s hard to believe that those expectations are set by non-online viewers given that we’re introduced to a variety of characters in films for the first time and not everyone watches every single MCU project faithfully.

    Of course, there’s also the potential that current film visits are closer to a “wait and see” approach rather than going all-in with presales. While Five Nights at Freddy’s managed to pull in strong numbers, they were above the initial expectations due to strong word-of-mouth. The same could also go for the MCU’s latest entry. So, all eyes are going to be on those reviews which are also only going to drop shortly before the release. For now, we can only wait until the film releases with the first Thursday preview numbers and its Friday box office hinting at where the film will end.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Facing a Harsh 78% Drop in its Second Weekend

    ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Facing a Harsh 78% Drop in its Second Weekend

    Five Nights at Freddy’s had a record-breaking opening for a horror film, which some believed was the highlight of the continued rise of video game adaptations. While it’ll take some time before people get tired of these adaptations, it seems that fans have front-loaded the latest entry quite a bit. As of now, the horror adaptation is going to have a second weekend at around $17.8M. That would mark a painful 78% drop.

    The weekend is looking to be quite slow in general, especially as Dune Part 2 was delayed from its original release date due to the writer’s strike. Still, it’s not a good sign for day-and-date streaming releases to remain a thing moving forward, but there’s also a good chance that the film generally was frontloaded by fans similar to what we’ve seen with Marvel films throughout the last few years since the pandemic.

    The rest of the weekend isn’t looking too great. Taylor Swift: Eras Tour is still at the second spot with $12M to $15M, which is a stronghold so far. Killers of the Flower Moon dropped to $6.5M which isn’t too bad given it’s initially a streaming release but given its $200M price tag still stings a bit. Priscilla also opens this weekend with a minor release with around $5M, which will put it on the fourth spot.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter