Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • New ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ BTS Book Offers Insight Into Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s Ongoing Feud

    New ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ BTS Book Offers Insight Into Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s Ongoing Feud

    Vanity Fair has shared a look into Kyle Buchanan‘s new book Blood, Sweat & Chrome, which explores the troubled production behind Mad Max: Fury Road. There’s a lot we don’t find out about until many years later when people start discussing the ins and outs of working with different talent and the troubles they face. The new book on Fury Road revealed that there was an ongoing war between Charlize Theron, who played Furiosa, and Tom Hardy, who took on the role of the titular Max. We’ve long wondered what may have happened to a potential sequel, but it looks like working on the film wasn’t a lot of fun for everyone involved.

    In the interviews, it seems that there was quite a bit of tension between the two. Hardy gets described as “very provocative” that didn’t mix well with Theron‘s general approach. The animosity already was there during pre-production which carried over into the actual shooting of the film, where it even hit a boiling point even if they believe it may have added to the overall experience that fit the film’s core narrative. As director George Miller pointed out:

    The story is all about self-preservation: If it’s an advantage to you to kill another character, then you should do it and you don’t think twice about it. I think that crept into the actors.

    George Miller

    The excerpt of the book includes one specific storyline when Theron arrived on set in time and was ready to shoot, but Hardy was nowhere to be seen. She arrived on set and got into the War Rig waiting for him. She was so annoyed by his behavior, she actually spent around three hours, sitting in the vehicle with make-up and in full costume before he took his time to show up on set. That day, it seems it led to a full confrontation as she cussed him out for his behavior. She even highlighted that she didn’t “feel safe” on set.

    It’s very fascinating to learn just how different these two actors were and how this project ended up forcing both into a situation where their worlds seemingly collided. While the film has become a cult classic, it might not be easy to look at it the same way as before knowing just how much animosity was hiding behind the scenes. Yet, as Miller pointed it, it may have ironically added a bizarre heightened reality to the experience.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • New ‘The Flash’ Stunt Crew Shirt May Tease Movie’s Villain

    New ‘The Flash’ Stunt Crew Shirt May Tease Movie’s Villain

    Possibly one of the more interesting films this year is the first solo outing of The Flash. It’s crazy to think he still hasn’t gotten his own film after countless appearances throughout the DC Extended Universe. We don’t know a lot about the film officially but there have been countless rumors since it started production. The biggest question still remains who Barry Allen will face in the upcoming film, but it seems a crew wrap gift could hint at just who that could be.

    A member of the stunt crew from The Flash recently revealed the wrap gifts the crew members got and it features an interesting detail. Alongside Supergirl and Batman, you can clearly see the silhouette of the Flash. Yet, what makes this a bit of a head-scratcher is that the character is sporting a red lightning bolt with black tendrils crawling on his body. Their design seems to match what we saw from the Negative Flash, an incarnation of Barry Allen that recently appeared after being stuck in the Negative Speed Force.

    A while back, it was reported by The Direct that Barry Allen might face a darker version of himself in the film. We would later see photos of Ezra Miller filming on set with someone who would turn out to be a stand-in to play a second Barry Allen. He’s seen wearing a Flash painted Batsuit in the teaser from DC FanDome. It seems possible that maybe this Flash could be the one to turn into Negative Flash after accidentally tapping into the Negative Speed Force.

    The Flash is set to hit theaters on November 4th, 2022, and will star Ezra Miller with the film being directed by Andy Muschietti.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘White Lotus’ Star Fred Hechinger Joins Sony’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    ‘White Lotus’ Star Fred Hechinger Joins Sony’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    As Sony pushes ahead with its universe of Spider-Man characters, Kraven the Hunter is next in line. The film, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven, is set to begin production this month and has been filing out the rest of the cast. Today, a trade report indicates that they’ve cast another key role.

    According to Deadline, actor Fred Hechinger, who rose to fame for his role in the HBO series White Lotus, has joined the cast of Kraven the Hunter as Dmitri Smerdyakov, the half-brother of Kraven and better known as the Spider-Man villian the Chameleon. Hechinger joins Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe, who was reportedly cast as the father of the two half-brothers, in the film.

    Chameleon, whose involvement in the film was first reported last summer by the Illuminderi, shares a father with Kraven in the comics, but as the bastard son of a servant of the family, was never treated as an equal to his brother. From a young age, he trained as a spy and became a master of disguise and, eventually, joined his brother as a partner in crime. According to the Illuminerdi’s report, Chameleon will serve as one of the antagonists in Kraven the Hunter.

    Kraven the Hunter, directed by J.C. Chandor, is currently set to hit theaters on January 13th, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • Sebastian Stan Didn’t Think He’d Return as Bucky After ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

    Sebastian Stan Didn’t Think He’d Return as Bucky After ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

    There’s such an abundance of superhero projects, it seems unlikely that they would ever come to an end. Yet, that wasn’t the case around ten years ago when the first Marvel Cinematic Universe projects found their way into cinemas. It wasn’t until Avengers in 2012 that cemented the production company and the genre into the landscape of financial security. Sebastian Stan, who famously plays Bucky and the Winter Soldier, certainly did not expect to tackle the role for as long as he has. As he reveals in an interview with Vanity Fair:

    I certainly did not know that I would be playing the role for 10 years. I remember going in for the Steve Rogers role and not getting it. And then being told about this role and where it could go. But it didn’t seem like there was any commitment, really

    Sebastian Stan

    Many of us probably would’ve never guessed that the films would become such juggernauts at the box office that we’d get stories like Ant-Man or the Guardians of the Galaxy on the silver screen. Stan reveals that he actually thought the scene wouldn’t get followed up because they took away the one thing that would’ve teased his future in the MCU.

    I knew at the end of the story, I was going to fall off this train, and then I was going to be given this green sleeve. That was the only indication I had that I could potentially be coming back. But no one said anything to me. Then, on the day we were shooting that scene, they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re not going to be doing that green sleeve.’ And I just thought, ‘Oh. That’s it. I’m just going to die on that train. There’s no coming back.’ But they just didn’t know what arm they were going to use or something, and it kept going from there

    It’s weird to think they took away the sleeve at the last second. Perhaps they deemed it too violent with the poor guy getting his entire arm ripped off. It may have also been too obvious later on once he made his return in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Of course, the fact they didn’t know which arm they were going to use is also funny and makes sense as they’d want to avoid forcing themselves into a corner. It’s great to hear his thoughts and look back at where the franchise was.

    You can check out his recap of his career right here:

    Source: Vanity Fair via The Hollywood Reporter

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Fast and Furious 10’ Eyeing April Production Start

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Fast and Furious 10’ Eyeing April Production Start

    Just recently, Vin Diesel took to Instagram to tease that the production start for their first of the final two Fast and Furious films is just “minutes away.” Initially, it was going to release in January, but it’s not uncommon for productions to face some kind of delay nowadays. We can exclusively share that Fast 10 is now eyeing a production start by mid or late April in the United Kingdom.

    Justin Lin’s will take on the final two films in the series back-to-back. So, technically they will jump into production on the eleventh and final entry once they wrap up on the tenth Fast and Furious entry. The film is currently still casting two roles for the film, as they are looking to cast two twin boys of the age of seven to nine years of Afro-Latino or mixed-race. It seems that they will have an essential role in the story.

    The Vin Diesel-led franchise started back in 2001. What started as this story about illegal street racing turned into an action-packed thrill ride for many viewers. Now, the series includes multiple spinoffs like Netflix’s Spy Racers series or the film focused on Hobbs & Shaw. There also was the video game that was announced with a lot of hype during the Video Game Awards, but sadly couldn’t live up to expectations. While the upcoming two entries might end the Fast Saga as we know it, there is no stopping this nitro-fueled franchise from running out of gas.

  • ‘Uncharted’ Director Open to Return for a Sequel

    ‘Uncharted’ Director Open to Return for a Sequel

    Uncharted, the Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg-led adaptation of the popular video game franchise, made its debut this weekend to mixed reviews – you can read ours by clicking here. Despite an uninspiring critical success, Uncharted is projected to rake in a solid $51 million domestic haul over its four-day opening weekend, well above its original $30 milllion estimate.

    With such box office success, it becomes more and more likley that Sony will want to churn out a sequel. Director Ruben Fleischer is certainly on board to take on the sequel, which was heavily teased in the film’s post-credit sequence. In an interview with Deadline, he says that:

    I can’t help but hope we’ll be doing a sequel…I think Sony is appropriately superstitious and they don’t plan things without knowing how they’ll be received.

    Ruben Fleischer

    While Sony may hold off on announcing any sequel while Uncharted is still in the eraly days of its release, it seems like audiences cannot get enough of Holland, who has been dominating the box office with Uncharted as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home. In any event, Fleischer is down to direct any followup that Sony might greenlight.

    Source: Deadline

  • First ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ LEGO Set Teases Gorr the God Butcher Wielding His Necrosword

    First ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ LEGO Set Teases Gorr the God Butcher Wielding His Necrosword

    We’ve been wondering just how the upcoming Marvel Studios film Thor: Love and Thunder would bring the iconic Gorr the God Butcher to life. Especially if they would include his All-Black the Necrosowrd, which many of us assumed was already used by Thor’s sister Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. Luckily, the first merchandise has found its way online and the official LEGO set “The Goat Boat” sees the already confirmed trust goats pulling a Viking ship. While most of the characters we’ve seen through promotional material in the past, it’s our first look at Christian Bale‘s Gorr the God Butcher.

    Of course, the LEGO Minifigure won’t give us a full look at his costume but does hint that they’ll mostly remain true to his comic design. While in the comics he ran around butt naked, he does seem to have some clothes on that gives him the “white” design he had. It doesn’t seem like he has his black hoodie included, which was created from the Necrosword, but his weapon of choice can be found in the second image.

    Here for a closer look:

    If he is included in this LEGO set, it would mean we might get our first full look at his design soon. Plus, if they are releasing merchandise now we might also get ready for an upcoming teaser trailer in the coming weeks. They interestingly left Gorr out of the action figures, but he may get added once the first full look has been revealed, as they don’t want to take that away from the upcoming trailer. Spider-Man: No Way Home did something similar with only focusing on the story’s heroes in its earlier merch run.

    Source: Marvel

  • Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 18: MoM Trailer Reactions

    Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 18: MoM Trailer Reactions

    Anthony Canton III

    The trailer really gave us an inkling of what’s to come. Visually, it makes this movie feel like a spectacle of epic proportions. The multiple Strange variants and Wanda variants were quite the treat. It leans into some of what we know as far as Wanda being the real villain of the story. Seeing the Ultron bots and what seems to be Charles Xavier and the Illuminati was quite the shot. It was just enough of an appetizer to make us speculate and think what’s next.

    One of the bigger questions personally, is we see what clearly seems to be a variant version of Mordo. Where’s the original one? With his plan of no more sorcerers from the end of Doctor Strange, it has to feel like he’ll be in direct conflict with someone like Wanda who’s been studying the Darkhold. To bottom line the trailer, you get the sense that the MCU is in the process of big change. When it’s all said and done you have to wonder if Kang will be waiting at the end to pick the bones of what’s left of this multiverse of madness.

    Filip Manka

    The new trailer looks fantastic to me and that board with Sam Raimi’s name on it is not a lie, because indeed his style is evident in this trailer. It was already clear at the teaser trailer that visually the film would be interesting and better than the “standard” Marvel movie, but this trailer has raised the bar and my expectations. It looks insane and conceptually it’s inventive and creative (the shot of Strange’s face falling apart or the zoom in on Wanda’s eye). Moreover, the special effects aren’t plastic this time and look spectacular, at least at the trailer stage, and the improved color grading and photo saturation enhance that layer.

    Still my most anticipated MCU movie this year. I’ll swallow the cameos and fanservice, but let’s hope the direction and visuals will deliver because the trailer gave me an appetite for more. Finally, we get Ditko’s weirdness in a proper release. Raimi, I trust you <3

    Joseph Aberl

    I didn’t expect a full trailer drop during the Super Bowl, but what a way to let people know there’s a big one heading our way. The multiverse opens up many possibilities, and it was uncertain just how much the marketing might lean into it. Luckily, the trailer did exactly that while still offering a grounded focus on Strange as its central figure. The Patrick Stewart tease was fitting, as they leaned into the rumors without giving it fully away. We get small bits of the story here or there, as they still keep America Chavez as somewhat of a mystery. It did add a lot of excitement to its release and I cannot wait to see what the first 2022 Marvel Studios film has in store for us.

    Mary Maerz

     I absolutely adore how intense and eerie the trailer is–I think it is worth noting that there is not a single joke or moment of comic relief in the entire thing. The visuals so far look phenomenal and on point with what I would want in a Doctor Strange story. It was no secret that the movie would have horror-inspired elements, but the trailer really showcased that Multiverse of Madness might genuinely have a dramatically different tone than other MCU films. It’s pretty clear that Marvel is putting a lot of importance on this one, which is cool to see for a solo film, and for a film without the traditional A-team MCU heroes. I’m actually so excited! I really think it has the potential to be one of the most visually exciting, adrenaline-pumping, awe-inspiring MCU film. I’m ready for Wanda to go nutty. Mentally unstable, confident, evil-adjacent or adversarial women are vastly underrated. I have yet to see better villains or threats than those.

    It did completely hide the ball when it comes to…the plot. I get that it wants to preserve some sort of secrecy, but it is hard to gauge from the trailer if the substance of the movie is going to live up to the grandiosity of the trailer and the potential I think it has. Honestly, I barely care about all the teases and surprise cameos at this point. Maybe it is No Way Home fatigue, but the idea of seeing mostly (I’m guessing) one-off cameos is cool but not something that is going to make or break the film for me. Big cameos are exciting, but less so after Twitter has thoroughly broken down every single one of them, and once they’re revealed, they lose that “wow!” shine pretty quickly. Don’t get me wrong, when we’re talking about a dive into the multiverse, there should definitely be some multiversal characters, but I hope they add quality rather than just fan service quantity.

    Nathan Miller

    I loved the trailer! I’ve watched it quite a few times since it debuted, and am still stunned by small discoveries I pick up with each new viewing. I’m fascinated by the fact that the story seems to be building for Stephen Strange from his debut, through other appearances and into this film. I love the themes that seem to be developing around control, corruption and complexities. I can’t wait to see Wanda and the spectacle it seems she will deliver! The trailer gives just enough hints and the things to come without giving too much away. Really intrigued by how it pushes the Marvel Cinematic Universe forward. The sign for whether I really enjoyed a trailer is how much I go back to watch it and whether the music sticks with me and both seem to be the case. In some ways, I can’t believe this film is real. I’m counting down the days until we can buy tickets and then go see it!

    Charles Murphy

    Not your run-of-the-mill Marvel Studios trailer…and I love it. Obviously, we’ll have to wait to see the movie until we know for sure, but it feels like Marvel Studios is working hard to move away from their standard fare and to begin creating some truly unique experiences for audiences. This seemingly began with Eternals and will continue with Moon Knight and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That starts with having a director on board with a strong vision and that, in this case, is Sam Raimi. I’d say this trailer looks more like a trailer for a Raimi film than a Marvel Studios film…and that’s just fine with me.

    Dalbin Osorio

    One word: amazing.
    Marvel’s decision to give us as much as they did (a Captain Marvel that isn’t Carol Danvers, Patrick Stewart’s Xavier, a Sanctum that looks like it’s residing at the very end of time and may have Kang waiting for Dr. Strange) leads me to believe that a) we don’t know as much as we think and b) we know enough to continue piecing where we are headed. 


    Whispers Secret Wars.

    The theme for Phase 4 seems to be that our heroes get put through the ringer post-Endgame: as if the fight to save the universe didn’t take enough, you now have Wanda losing Vision again, Strange losing Christine Palmer, and this is after Spider-Man lost MJ. This movie has the distinction of building out three new teams, I’d suspect: the Defenders, Illuminati, and the Young Avengers, all with very distinct missions going forward. The trailer gave us pieces of all 3, and left us with more questions than answers, and in that respect it accomplished it’s mission. Oh, and Professor Xavier has never sounded so regal.

    John Sabato

    First of all, Sam Raimi back in the directors chair and on a comic book film is just absolutely perfect. He’s such a bright mind and his filmography is amazing, so this movie is surely going to have that classic Raimi flair.  Multiverse of Madness looks pretty nuts and, based off that new trailer, I feel like it can definitely live up to NWH and even exceed it. I’m definitely even more interested to see Cumberbatch and Olsen return as Strange and Maximoff after the ending of WandaVision. I feel like we’re gonna see a real push forward on the mystical/supernatural side of the MCU and see that expanded like crazy. But what really has me excited is how close the movie is and how we won’t have to spend months and months listening to awful fan theories and “will they wont they” like Superior Iron Man compared to how annoying the lead up to Spider-Man: No Way Home was.

    Joao Pinto

    he trailer certainly did its job in hyping up a movie that’ll prove pivotal to the MCU’s future. The Doctor Strange IP has managed to bring us some of the most innovative visuals ever since its 2016 debut, the battle between Strange and Thanos on Titan in Avengers: Endgame and even the Mirror Dimension sequence in Spider-Man: No Way Home. By taking advantage of these insane visual cues the trailer made the movie truly feel like a big cinematic event, that’ll manage to breathe fresh air into the MCU as a whole by moving away from the usual landscapes and moving into whole new realities. These new realities, apparently inhabited by not-so-new characters, are yet another huge draw that the trailer manages to bank on.

    I’m personally mostly against bringing specific versions of characters into the MCU that perhaps should have been simply rebooted in this new universe. But the concept of the Multiverse basically permits infinite versions of each reality and/or character, and this allows for the best of both worlds. We now can get iconic actors playing iconic roles that bring the intended emotional resonance to the movie without really needing to bring all the useless baggage from their earlier features. And in that sense, the references to the cameos that we are all sure to get in a couple of months are immensely gratifying, making the trailer a home run on all fronts.

  • ‘Uncharted’ Beats Expectation with $51M Over the President Day Weekend

    ‘Uncharted’ Beats Expectation with $51M Over the President Day Weekend

    It looks like Tom Holland‘s latest film has managed to once again beat expectations, as Uncharted is now on its way to a domestic opening with $51M. Initially, it was expected to make around $30M+ with around $40M being its potential highest point, but the film beat out expectations. Its above-mentioned total is for the President Day weekend with its three-day total landing at $44.2M. Globally, the film has already passed $100M as of this point and received a B+ CinemaScore from its male-dominated audience. Sony Motion Picture Group president Josh Greenstein shared the following statement:

    Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg are brilliant together. Thank you to our sister company, PlayStation, for their incredible partnership, and all the many people who worked so hard to bring this film to life in a big, theatrical way.

    Josh Greenstein

    It’s another win for director Ruben Fleischer, who also made quite the splash in the box office with Venom some years ago. Another winner for the weekend was Channing Tatum’s Dog which also beat out expectations and took in $15.1M over the three days. The film is inspired by the 2017 HBO documentary War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend and seemingly struck a chord with audiences. The third spot went to Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Sony-Marvel film is still holding on tightly to the box office as it continues to take in as much as it can before its physical release.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Uncharted’: Mid-Credits Scene Explained

    ‘Uncharted’: Mid-Credits Scene Explained

    Uncharted has only just landed in theaters, but that never means it’s too early to start speculating about a sequel. Like any good modern blockbuster, the movie ends with an extra scene that plays after the credits begin rolling, teasing the potential future of the franchise. Director Ruben Fleischer recently expressed interest in coming back for another treasure hunting adventure but made sure to clarify a second installment would be entirely dependent on the financial success of the first film. Luckily for Fleischer, and those hoping for more Uncharted, the movie’s opening weekend is doing just fine. Hopefully, this means the filmmaker will eventually get the chance to capitalize on that intriguing mid-credits stinger.

    The scene in question features Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake, now a fully-fledged fortune seeker, doing business with a suspicious-looking individual named Gage, played by Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk. Of course, the deal quickly goes south, and Nate has to be bailed out by his new partner-in-crime, Mark Wahlberg’s Victor Sullivan. Although only a few moments longer, the sequence is an absolute delight for fans of the series. Not only does it feature the protagonists in game-accurate outfits, including Sully with a freshly grown mustache, but it’s chock-full of hints and references that may reveal where the next film is headed.

    During Nate’s conversation with Gage, it’s mentioned that the eye-patch-wearing criminal works for an employer by the name of “Roman.” That bit of information should have set off alarms for any informed fan, as it refers to the very first threat players ever saw Nate and Sully face. Gabriel Roman, a wealthy British crime lord, and collector of artifacts, served as the main antagonist of the original Uncharted game. In Drake’s Fortune, the villain hires mercenary Atoq Navarro and pirate leader Eddy Raja to oppose the two protagonists in their search for the fabled El Dorado. With a small army of outlaws under his thumb, he nearly succeeds in killing Sully (who owes him a large debt) and proves to be a major thorn in Nate’s side. That is, until he’s betrayed by his accomplice, Navarro, and tricked into opening a cursed statue.

    Though fairly similar in look, story, and demeanor to Antonio Banderas‘ Santiago Moncada, the mid-credits scene makes it likely that some version of Roman has been set up to be Nate and Sully’s next major adversary. Adding to this theory is the presence of Gage, who shares some things in common with the aforementioned Eddy Raja. Audience members with a keen eye might have noticed that Gage wields a golden pistol in the movie, the same weapon that Raja used for the duration of Drake’s Fortune. The pirate is also known for having a bit of a dramatic flair, which Gage demonstrates with his white suit and big temper. Perhaps Gage is intended to be a reimagined version of Raja, working in accordance with Roman? He could even be an amalgamation of Eddy and Navarro, condensed into a single character for use in a hypothetical Uncharted 2. 


    The events of the Uncharted movie drew inspiration from nearly every game in the series but seemed to primarily focus on elements from Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. With the inclusion of Roman and the Raja-esque Gage, it’s possible that the next film travels backward in series order and adapts the first game directly. However, a specific comment made during the Nate and Gage exchange could hint at another mishmash storyline, comprised of factors from multiple entries. In Drake’s Fortune, the only thing Roman wants from Nathan is his knowledge of El Dorado. In the movie, he instead seems interested in possessing Drake’s iconic necklace ring, which Gage implies is important to Roman’s goals.


    If this sounds familiar, it’s probably because it’s one of the main plot points from Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. In the series’ third game, Nate and Sully go head-to-head with Katherine Marlowe, the ruthless leader of a secret Hermitic cult hellbent on finding the Atlantis of the Sands. Marlowe needed Drake’s ring to unlock a cipher device that would aid in locating the lost city and used all of the vast resources in her power to obtain it from around Nate’s neck. It’s not far-fetched to think Roman could need the ring for a similar purpose in the sequel, either to find El Dorado or take over Marlowe’s role in the story of Uncharted 3. After all, both villains are elderly and British, so it could be another case of amalgamation.

    Also of note is the object Nate considers trading his ring for in the mid-credits scene. Gage, and by extension Roman, are the owners of a World War II Nazi map, something Nate is hoping to swindle away from them. In Drake’s Fortune, Nate uses a Nazi map in his quest to find El Dorado, and first encounters Roman and Navarro outside of an old grounded Nazi Uboat in the rainforest.

    Ultimately, the mid-credits scene points the film franchise in a fairly specific direction. Unless the next project ignores this tease completely and goes with a wholly original storyline, a la Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, the second Holland-led Uncharted appears to be readying some sort of mix between the first and third games. Let’s not forget that Rudy Pankow’s Sam Drake, probably played by a new actor, will doubtlessly make a return, and Fleischer has stated he’d love to adapt the fourth game’s car chase sequence if he has the chance. So, maybe throw some more of Uncharted 4 in there as well?

    Uncharted is now in theaters.