Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • ‘The Batman-Part II’ Circling Another MCU Star for Its All-Star Cast

    ‘The Batman-Part II’ Circling Another MCU Star for Its All-Star Cast

    It may have taken a little longer than anticipated to get The Batman-Part II ready to roll but it’s beginning to look like it may have been worth the wait.

    According to Deadline, MCU vet Sebastian Stan has entered into talks to join the cast of The Batman-Part II. While the trade report didn’t reveal the nature of the role, it’s believed that Stan will portray Gotham’s White Knight, Harvey Dent.

    Harvey Dent is a prominent character in DC Comics, best known as the tragic hero who transforms into the villainous Two-Face. He first appeared in Detective Comics #66 in 1942, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Before his descent into crime, Harvey Dent was Gotham City’s youngest and most dedicated District Attorney. Known as the “White Knight” of Gotham, he was a close ally of both Batman and Commissioner James Gordon. Together, the three formed a secret pact to dismantle Gotham’s organized crime families from within the legal system.

    The turning point in Dent’s life occurred during the trial of mob boss Sal Maroni. In an act of desperation, Maroni threw sulfuric acid at Dent, hideously scarring the left side of his face. This physical trauma, combined with repressed mental health struggles (often portrayed as dissociative identity disorder stemming from childhood abuse), caused a total psychological break and turned Dent into Two-Face, a criminal mastermind obsessed with duality.

    News of Stan’s potential casting comes less than a month after fellow longtime MCU star Scarlett Johansson joined Matt Reeves-helmed sequel. Following her casting, industry insider Jeff “The In” Sneider reported that Johansson was set to play Gilda Gold, most famous for her role in Jeph Loeb’s seminal graphic novel The Long Halloween (which heavily influenced Matt Reeves’ first film). In a shocking twist at the end of that story, it is implied (and confessed by her) that she was the original “Holiday” killer.  She is a tragic figure, deeply in love with Harvey but constantly terrified of his dangerous work fighting the mob. In The Long Halloween, she secretly murdered gangsters on holidays to thin out the mob’s ranks. Her goal was not power, but to lighten Harvey’s caseload so he could finally retire, and they could start a family.

    Dent has been a central figure in nearly every Batman film or television series, including Batman: The Animated Series in which he was given a deeply sympathetic backstory that established his “Big Bad Harv” alternate personality before the accident that turned him into Two-Face.

    Following the news of Stan’s casting, social media was abuzz with the possibility that it may portend the demise of Bucky Barnes in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Currently a member of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers, Barnes’ death would serve as a potential catalyst for multiple plot points, including convincing Steve Rogers to get back in action.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Rumored to Feature a Classic Marvel Comics’ Odd Couple in the Lead

    ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Rumored to Feature a Classic Marvel Comics’ Odd Couple in the Lead

    Despite being two of Marvel’s most popular icons, Spider-Man and Wolverine spent the first few decades of their history largely avoiding each other. The pair finally met in 1982’s Marvel Team-Up #117 and then in 2005, Brian Michael Bendis struck gold when he added both characters to the roster of his New Avengers.

    Living together in Avengers Tower, the two quickly developed into the publishing house’s premier “odd couple” with Spider-Man as the talkative, moral optimist and Wolverine as the silent, lethal cynic. Eventually, Wolverine admitted that he respects Peter Parker more than almost anyone because of his unwavering moral compass, telling his fellow heroes that he believed Parker to be “the best of us.” Now it looks as though Marvel Studios is looking to tap into that magic in Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Following up on a report by industry insider Daniel Richtman that claimed Hugh Jackman and Tobey Maguire were set to play major roles alongside Tom Holland in Avengers: Secret Wars, social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello has now claimed that Jackman and Maguire are set up to be the leads of the final film of the Multiverse Saga.

    According to MTTSH, “The end of Doomsday set up Tobey [Maguire] and Hugh Jackman as the leads of Secret Wars.” Prior reports have indicated that the two heroes will square off in the final act of Avengers: Doomsday before making nice and FINALLY teaming up on the big screen. With reports that Marvel Studios is prepping a new, Hugh Jackman-less Wolverine project, it sounds as though the studio is willimg to give Jackman and Maguire‘s heroes a fitting send off as a thank you for starting the ball rolling on the modern CBM genre in 2000 and 2002, respectively.

  • Rumors Suggest the Russos Brothers May Have Cleverly Sown Chaos into the Mix in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Rumors Suggest the Russos Brothers May Have Cleverly Sown Chaos into the Mix in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Slowly but surely, fans are starting to believe that Avengers: Doomsday might not be so bad after all. Teaser trailers featuring Steve Rogers, Thor, Magneto, Charles Xavier and Cyclops have all generated significant buzz and it sounds as though the studio plans on keeping the momentum going with additional teasers yet to come.

    The marketing for the film has cleverly appealed to multiple different demographics but there’s one large sect of the fandom that hasn’t had reason to be excited just yet. However, a new rumor may be about to change that and get the Wandas back in the game.

    John “The Outlaw” Rocha shared an update on an old rumor about Avengers: Doomsday featuring multiple Doctors Doom. According to Rocha’s source, “Doom has a female sidekick [who] also has a mask. This person thinks it is a female Doom. You’ll get a male and female Doom team.”

    A “female Doom” is interesting enough on its own but it’s also not something that would seem to serve the story well when there are so many other options available to the Russo brothers that would.

    As Rocha’s news makes its way around the usual spots, social media scoopers and leakers and bullshitters have begun chiming in about the true identity of Doom’s masked “sidekick.” While some have suggested it’ll be Lucia Von Bardas–Latveria’s Prime Minister in the comics–her inclusion wouldn’t really move the needle for fans. However, another rumor about who is behind the mask that seems to be gaining traction would indeed move the needle, perhaps to 11: Wanda Maximoff.

    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

    Though Elizabeth Olsen has denied her involvement with the project, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, previously made it clear that there Marvel would always bring her back for more and that there is “so much more to explore” with the Scarlet Witch. Adding her to the mix in Avengers: Doomsday as the mysterious masked counterpart of Doom might just be the best option as it would not only tie up several threads left hanging over the course of the Multiverse Saga but allow for an adaptation of a comic project that has long been rumored to be on Marvel Studios radar.

    Prior to Bob Iger’s return to Disney, Olsen was rumored to be at the center of a pair of projects: an adaptation of Alan Heinberg’s limited series, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade, and a Scarlet Witch solo film.

    On the surface, adapting The Children’s Crusade provides the perfect opportunity to continue the story of Wanda Maximoff in the MCU. Following her multi-year arc as a villain which concluded in House of M, Wanda Maximoff lived powerlessly and without her memories for years. It wasn’t until her son, Billy Maximoff, aka Wiccan, began to lose control of his own immense powers that a search began for her in earnest.

    While it’s hardly the same sequence of events, Wanda’s heel-turn as the Scarlet Witch over the course of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and her apparent death in the final act of the latter provide the opportunity for a similar story to be told within the shared tapestry of the MCU,. especially once Billy and Tommy are reunited, presumably by the conclusion of Marvel Television’s upcoming D+ streaming series VisionQuest.

    Revealing the “female Doom” an amnesiac Wanda would retcon Doctor Doom’s presence in the MCU back to the conclusion of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, provide a reason for the Young Avengers/Champions to become involved in the plot(s) of Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars and get one Marvel’s most talented stars involved in the two biggest projects of the decade. Obviously it’s nothing more than a barely-sourced rumor (and likely just a guess) at this point but it makes more sense than any other option in terms of the story-telling possibilities it opens up.

    Source: The Hot Mic

  • Get Out! New Report Claims Recent Rumors Teasing Us about an Academy Award-Winning Director Teaming Up with Marvel Studios Project Are a Nope

    Get Out! New Report Claims Recent Rumors Teasing Us about an Academy Award-Winning Director Teaming Up with Marvel Studios Project Are a Nope

    24 hours after a report from a trusted industry insider generated some serious hype, another report from another insider has shut it down. Following the news that Jordan Peele and Marvel Studios had met over the possibility of Peele leading an MCU film—and the subsequent social media reaction to the news from Peele’s production company–it’s beginning to sound as though it’s all just old news.

    According to Jeff “Th In” Sneider, it is true that Marvel is interested in Peele helming an MCU flick.

    Nope – It was the emoji seen around the world… A pair of eyes tweeted from the official account of Jordan Peele’s production company, hovering over a report from noted-yet-somehow-faceless scooper DanielRPK that suggested Marvel wants Peele to direct a movie for the studio. Here’s a news flash for ya – l said that last year. Peele did, in fact, take a meeting with Marvel Studios.

    -Jeff “The In” Sneider

    However, according to Sneider, “Peeley is not directing a Marvel movie as of now” and is “still hard at work…at whatever he’s working

    So what? That’s what Marvel Studios does – it takes meetings with the town’s best and brightest filmmakers. So while I’m sure Marvel would love to work with Jordan Peele one day – it’s true!!! – I can assure you that Peele is not directing a Marvel movie as of now. Not Blade or Midnight Sons or Doctor Strange 3, or anything else that Kevin Feige & Co. are cooking up in Burbank. I get that it’s fun to speculate, and meetings can be tempting to report on, but there simply is no story here. It’s pure vapor that came out of thin air. Maybe next time, we shouldn’t Jump to conclusions based on emojis, eh, folks? Peele is still hard at work on… whatever he’s working on… which could be ready as soon as 2027. Stay tuned!

    -Jeff “The In” Sneider

    And so, for Blade, it seems it’s back to the drawing board; and as for Midnight Sons, plenty of rumblings about the film have emerged without an official peep from Marvel Studios.

    Source: The Insneider

  • Fan Favorite Netflix Defenders-verse Character Reportedly Joins the Cast of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    Fan Favorite Netflix Defenders-verse Character Reportedly Joins the Cast of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    Following the creative retooling of Daredevil: Born Again‘s first season, the Netflixification of the MCU’s street-level storytelling on Disney Plus was underway. Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Wilson Bethel, Jon Bernthal and Ayelet Zurer all took on major roles AFTER the overhaul and the back half of the series started down a dark and familiar path that will continue in what’s begun to sound more like Daredevil Season 4 than Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, especially with the return of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones.

    Bernthal‘s Frank Castle playing a major role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks the first time that a Marvel Netflix character will feature in a Marvel Studios film. The powers that be have made it clear that this version of The Punisher won’t be quite as bloodthirsty as fans have grown accustomed to (they’re saving that for The Punisher Special Presentation) but he also won’t be the only Netflixer making an appearance.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, Rosario Dawson will appear as Claire Temple, aka Night Nurse, reprising her role from the Netflix Defenders-verse projects.

    Fans are already beginning to believe that Dawson’s appearance will be part of a recreation of a scene depicted in Marvel Comics Civil War #5 in which Castle saved Spidey from an ambush by Jack O’Lantern and the Jester before rushing him to the hospital for medical assistance.

    After patching up Matt Murdock in Daredevil Season 1, Dawson’s Night Nurse  popped up in Jessica Jones Season 1 and Daredevil Season 2 before taking on a much larger role in Luke Cage Season 1, Iron Fist Season 1 and The Defenders. In the past, Dawson has shared her willingness to return to the role and fans will certainly be happy to have her join and already jam-packed installment in the Spidey franchise.

  • ‘Supergirl’ Trailer Description Teases Intergalactic Action

    DC Studios held a “launch event” in New York City to unveil the first teaser trailer for Supergirl ahead of its release sometime this week. The film’s star, Milly Alcock, was joined by director Craig Gillespie and studio co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    As expected from such an event, a description of the teaser quickly made its way online and while it sounds as though the new film will have comedic beats, it also seems to be very much a “road trip” film in which Kara Zor-El will come to terms with her past traumas.

    The description below comes via social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello. The teaser will be released online this week, though no date has been confirmed by DC Studios at this time.

    The trailer opens with Krypto peeing on a newspaper with Superman on the cover.

    Kara wakes up hungover, and we then see her boarding a space bus.

    She’s shown celebrating her 23rd birthday alone at a bar, really emphasizing her isolation.

    The trailer then moves into a montage of her and Ruthye traveling across the galaxy to different locations.

    Krem appears briefly in a shot. Lobo is shown walking down a hallway.

    The trailer ends with Kara in full costume, fighting enemies aboard a massive space battleship.

  • CCXP: DC Studios’ ‘Supergirl’ Exhibit Confirms Title Change, Shows Off New Suit and Reveals Lobo’s Comic-Accurate Weapon

    CCXP: DC Studios’ ‘Supergirl’ Exhibit Confirms Title Change, Shows Off New Suit and Reveals Lobo’s Comic-Accurate Weapon

    Additionally, photos from the exhibit have provided wonderful shots of Milly Alcock‘s Kara Zor-El’s costume and teases the chained hook that will be used by Jason Momoa‘s Lobo.

    Ahead of CCXP ’25 in San Paulo, Brazil, DC Studios’ Supergirl exhibit has become a hot spring of news.

    Thanks to Omelete, it’s been confirmed that the film–originally titled Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow–has indeed been simplified to Supergirl, as has long been believed.

    Updating…

    Source: Omelete

  • Talented Trio Tops Reported Shortlist to Tackle Techno-Organic Terror in ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    Talented Trio Tops Reported Shortlist to Tackle Techno-Organic Terror in ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    After months of speculation and teasing, confirmation finally came down the pipe that the sadistic supervillain Brainiac would indeed make his theatrical debut in the Superman not-really-but-also-kind-of-sequel Man of Tomorrow.

    The Coluan Collector of Worlds will serve as the “bigger threat” that catalyzes the team up between David Corenswet‘s Kal-El and Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor, which director James Gunn has described as a “complicated” scenario.

    With principal photography on Man of Tomorrow set to get underway in April, casting for the film has begun, including the search for an actress to play a character believed to be Wonder Woman and an actor willing to disappear behind prosthetics to bring Brainiac to life. In mid-November, Dracula star Claes Bang reportedly read for the role and now, a follow-up report claims that a pair of actors have joined Bang on the shortlist to land the role of Brainiac.

    According to Nexus Point News, Doctor Who star Matt Smith and Academy Award-Winning actor Sam Rockwell have joined Bang on the shortlist to play the supervillain.

    The report makes it clear that no offers have been made at this point and that ultimately, a cash-conscious approach by parent studio Warner Bros. may constrain Gunn‘s casting reach.

    Man of Tomorrow will hit theaters on July 9, 2027.

    Source: NPN

  • First Reactions Hail ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ as a Beautiful and Epic Return to Pandora

    First Reactions Hail ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ as a Beautiful and Epic Return to Pandora

    Sixteen years ago, James Cameron introduced audiences to the world of Pandora in Avatar. Three years ago, Avatar: The Way of Water expanded the mythology of Pandora’s interconnected biosphere while once again stretching the boundaries of filmmaking. In just a few weeks, the next installment in the franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash, hits theaters, introducing new villains while keeping the focus on the Sully family.

    The film screened for critics ahead of its December 19th release and following the lifting of the social media embargo, reactions to the film have arrived online. As always, it’s worth noting that these types of reactions don’t always line up with full-length reviews from critics; however, they can provide a glimpse of what to expect. In this case, one thing seems clear: Cameron has crafted another stunning visual masterpiece.

    Cameron has spent an enormous amount of time, effort and money on pushing VFX to their limits to create an immersive experience for the audience. In this case, according to Cameron, that involves seeing the film in theaters with 3D Dolby Vision and Atmos, as was the case with the previous film.

    The previous two films scored 81% and 76% Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, and while Fire and Ash does retread familiar franchise territory to some extent, it’s likely to accrue a similar score while also blowing up the box office.

  • Additional ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Info Intensifies Wonder Woman Buzz

    Additional ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Info Intensifies Wonder Woman Buzz

    On the heels of a report that DC Studios was searching for a character believed to be Wonder Woman for a key role in Man of Tomorrow, a second report has surfaced containing additional details about the role.

    Following the initial report by insider Daniel Richtman, Nexus Point News has come through with some new information that certainly makes the new character sound like Wonder Woman. Take a quick look at a breakdown of the key points:

    • Late 20s
    • Has “an edge to her”
    • Height requirement/taller actresses
    • Strong physique
    • Character is a warrior

    As NPN pointed out, though the description does lend itself to Diana, there are indeed other tall, female warriors that could be pulled from the deep DC Comics roster. However, with a Wonder Woman film on the way, having the character appear in Man of Tomorrow does seems relatively sensible.

    Source: Nexus Point News