Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: News

  • Ewan McGregor Updates the Status of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Season 2

    Ewan McGregor Updates the Status of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Season 2

    When it premiered on Disney Plus in 2022 Lucasfilm’s Star Wars streaming series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, debuted as the service’s most-watched series opener ever, surpassing even the incredibly popular first season of The Mandaloian. Though viewership declined over the course of the series, the Ewan McGregor-led project was generally well-regarded critically and included some incredible and iconic moments, including a reunion between Obi-Wan and his former Padawan, Darth Vader.

    Despite mostly positive vibes coming from Obi-Wan Kenobi and McGregor’s eagerness to continue on as the character, Lucasfilm had other irons in the fire. During an interview at 2023’s Star Wars Celebration Europe, Lucasfilm’s head honcho, Kathleen Kennedy made it clear that any further Kenobi stories would only potentially come “down the road.” Now it seems as though McGregor and the studio have begun walking that road.

    That is not an active development. But I never say never, because there’s always the possibility. That show was so well-received and [director] Deborah Chow did such a spectacular job. Ewan McGregor really wants to do another. Everybody’s all hands on deck with what we’re doing right now, as you can see by what we showed everybody [at the Celebration]. We’ll turn our attention to that again maybe down the road.

    -Kathleen Kennedy on a second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi
    During an appearance at Los Angeles Comic Con, McGregor revealed to the audience that he and Lucasfilm were “exploring ideas” for a sophomore season of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    Among those ideas is one that will certainly thrill fans of Lucasfilm’s iconic animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: a further reunion with McGregor’s prequel co-star, Hayden Christensen, that would include potential flashbacks to the Obi-Wan and Anakin’s time in the Clone Wars!

    I was saying this to someone earlier. That armor! Putting on that armor would be a great joy. Then me and Hayden can really get back together.

    While ideas are wonderful, there’s plenty a slip twixt cup and lip. However, McGregor remains one of the studio’s most iconic, beloved and marketable stars and may be one of the only stars of the franchise capable of willing something into being.

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ to Restart Production with Original Stunt Coordinator Returning

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ to Restart Production with Original Stunt Coordinator Returning

    Here’s a big move for the reboot of the Netflix Daredevil series. It seems that Marvel Studios is trying to push forward after the strong push that was their Echo binge release just a few weeks ago. We’ve known for some time that they are reworking their TV slate moving forward after learning quite a bit in their experimental phase, but as they restart production they are making one significant move.

    They have seemingly hired a familiar face for the production, as Philip Silvera is returning as stunt and fight coordinator. The stunt coordinator made quite a vocal statement when he wasn’t asked back not too long ago after defining many of the iconic fight sequences from the original Netflix series.

    He’ll also act as the project’s second unit director, further highlighting that they have embraced the Netflix originals now that they are official canon according to Disney+. Production is seemingly going to resume next Monday and they might be adjusting the episode count. They are moving away from the 18-episode model initially announced closer to what the Netflix shows did. If that means 10 or 13 episodes remains an open question.

    The release of Echo seems to have sparked quite a bit of interest in the classic series, as it had a halo effect that saw a massive increase for the classic Daredevil and Punisher series. Not just that, even Hawkeye got a major bump in viewership, which may be a telltale sign for Marvel Studios moving forward with their strategy. We might be seeing some old trends return as we did during Phase 2 and 3 of the franchise.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Hasbro Reveals Marvel Legends Wave for ‘The Marvels’

    Hasbro Reveals Marvel Legends Wave for ‘The Marvels’

    In another universe, Marvel Studios’ The Marvels would be hitting theaters in less than 2 months. In this universe, Disney moved the release date from July 28th to November 11th, but not before the gears on the machine that is merchandising had already been set in motion. Today, Hasbro released the first look at one of the many branches of merchandise associated with Marvel Studios projects: Marvel Legends.

    In has to be one of Hasbro’s most hodgepodge waves to date, The Marvels wave of Marvel Legends includes only 3 figures from the film (Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Photon) while the other 4 figures (Commander Rogers, Heroes Return Iron Man, Karnak and Marvel Boy) and the Build-A-Figure (Amadeus Cho’s Totally Awesome Hulk) are all comic based.

    While an argument could be made that each of the comic-based figures are Captain Marvel and/or Ms. Marvel adjacent, it’s surprising nonetheless to see Marvel Boy and Karnak get their own figures. Karnak’s inclusion could bode well for fans of Marvel Comics Inhumans as it could indicate that Hasbro may start pushing out individual Inhumans over the next few years.

    As for Amadeus Cho’s Totally Awesome Hulk, his connection to Kamala Khan as a fellow member of the first modern-day iteration of The Champions seems to explain his inclusion here. It’s worth noting, however, that Cho was long-rumored to be in The Marvels.

    Pre-orders for the wave will go live on June 7th at 1:00 PM ET on Hasbro Pulse, Amazon and other online retailers.

  • ‘It’, ‘The Flash’ Director Andy Muschetti Reportedly Set to Helm a New DC Studios Film

    ‘It’, ‘The Flash’ Director Andy Muschetti Reportedly Set to Helm a New DC Studios Film

    While the old DCEU begins to flame out, James Gunn and Peter Safran look to be grabbing one of its hottest embers to start the fire of their new DCU. One Take News is reporting that The Flash director Andy Muschetti has agreed to direct DC Studios’ upcoming film, The Brave and the Bold.

    The report comes on the heels of earlier rumors that Gunn would look to find a way to retain Muschetti as the transition from the Snyderverse era continues. Described by Gunn as a “a very strange sort of father-son story,” The Brave and the Bold will introduce the DCU’s new Batman alongside his son, Damian, and will also “feature other members of the extended Bat-Family just because we feel like they’ve been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long.”

    Muschetti, who recently refused to comment on the rumors saying only “I don’t think I can talk to that yet,” became a hot commodity after turning in two stellar films as an adaptation of Stephen King‘s It. As a follow up, he is currently filming the Max streaming project and It prequel, Welcome to Derry. According to OTN, The Brave and the Bold is currently without a script or release date.

    Source: OTN

  • AMC’s Second Season of ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Production, Release Updates

    AMC’s Second Season of ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Production, Release Updates

    Season 1 of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire, which fascinatingly served as a sequel to and a reboot of the 1994 film, was overwhelmingly well-received by critics, notching a 99% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metascore of 81 on Metacritic. The first season focused on the love-hate relationship between Jacob Anderson‘s Louis de Pointe du Lac and Sam Reid‘s Lestat de Lioncourt and the discord sewn into it by Louis decision to give Bailey Bass‘s Claudia the Dark Gift to save her life. The season finale saw Louis and Claudia hatch a plot to kill Lestat and ended with the revelation that Louis’s sometimes servant/feeding trough, Rashid, was actually the vampire Armand. Armand’s appearance had fans speculating about the premise of Season 2 and now a new interview with the series’ producer Adam O’Byrne and writer Hannah Moscovitch has confirmed fans’ suspicions and given an idea of when they can expect the second season to stream.

    In an interview with the Toronto Sun, Moscovitch confirmed that Season 2 of Interview with the Vampire will adapt the second half of Anne Rice‘s novel of the same name, picking up in 1940 and following Louis and Claudia as they head to Paris. Fans of the novel know what’s waiting for them there and how Armand’s story is tied to it. As Moscovitch says, “The first half of the book is all setup. And then the second half is all payoff.”

    That payoff comes in the form of Louis and Claudia meeting with just the type of vampires Lestat warned them about over the course of the first season: a coven of Parisian vampires who operate the Théâtre des Vampires who live under a very different set of rules and guidelines than the ones Louis and Claudia know. According to O’Byrne, production on Season 2 will predominantly take place in Prague, which will double as Paris.

    O’Byrne has some unfortunate news for fans, however. Production for the second season won’t get underway until April 2023 and is expected to last around four months which means it almost certainly won’t follow in the footsteps of Season 1 and release in October. “My guess is we won’t make that window,” said O’Byrne, while adding, “that is an AMC call.” It looks like fans will have to wait until late 2023 or early 2024 to see where the show takes the vampires next.

    Source: Toronto Sun

  • ‘Wonder Woman 3’ Dead at Newly Formed DC Studios

    ‘Wonder Woman 3’ Dead at Newly Formed DC Studios

    In a shocking turn, Gal Gadot’s third Wonder Woman film is no longer a part of the future slate at DC Studios. According to a report by THR, director Patty Jenkins recently turned in a script treatment for the third film, co-written by longtime DC Comics guru Geoff Johns, and it was determined that the script did not fit with the new vision at DC Studios.

    The newly formed DC Studios is being co-piloted by James Gunn and Peter Safran who are said to be meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Walter Zaslav soon to pitch their plan for the direction of the studio. Wonder Woman 3, as it exists, does not fall in line with whatever that vision is. There is currently no word on what the future might hold for Gadot or Wonder Woman.

    Source: THR

  • The Sunday Paper—November 27, 2022

    The Sunday Paper—November 27, 2022

    kang the conqueror

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is now the next Marvel Studios film up to continue the franchise. Accordingly, we are seeing plenty of news bits here and there about the upcoming film which will feature potential Multiverse Saga Big Bad Kang the Conquerer.

    Actor Jonathan Majors previously played He Who Remains on Loki and teased he was just one of “many iterations” of Kang that he’d be playing during his tenure in the MCU and now Ant-Man franchise director Peyton Reed has chimed in on which version audiences will see in Quantumania. “Kang The Conqueror in our movie is a very different character,” from Majors’ He Who Remains, teased Reed in an interview. “He’s someone who has dominion over time, and he’s a warrior and a strategist,” added Reed, whose description is in lockstep with how Majors has previously described this version of the character. Reed finished the thought by describing this version as, “an all-timer antagonist“, giving fans of the comics a pretty good idea of what to expect.

    A Funk Pop that made its way to stores earlier than expected offered fans the first look at M.O.D.O.K. A new theater standee shared on Twitter has indicated that in addition to the main cast of Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Michael Douglas returning for the film, one other actor is set to return for his third MCU film—David Dastmalchian. The actor has played Kurt Goreshter in the previous two Ant-Man films and along with Michael Pena’s Luis and T.I.’s Dave was a frequent source of comedic relief.

    the marvels ms marvel
    jon bernthal mcu
    superman cavill
    namor spinoff

    There’s been a lot of hype around Tenoch Huerta‘s incredible performance as Namor, the leader of Talocan and antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Many have hoped that this performance would kick off interest from Marvel Studios to get this character his own solo project, but sadly it seems that rights are still an issue for some of the Marvel characters. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore has confirmed that the character can definitely return in a future project, but Disney is not able to produce a standalone project based around the character. It seems the rights are still with Universal, who also holds the rights to Hulk and was the reason that character never got a sequel since the Edward Norton film back in 2008.

    As shared on Instagram, there’s already a The Marvels‘ shirt available that gives us a good look at the main trio of Monica Rambeau, Carol Danvers, and Kamala Khan. The biggest reveal from this merchandise is the costume that Monica will seemingly wear during her outing as a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onforio made a comment about Daredevil: Born Again that had everyone speculating this week. Though he’s often been clear that he’d love to see Kingpin take on Spider-Man in the MCU, he’s also made it known that a Punisher vs. Kingpin battle is on his list of goals. With the rumors of Jon Bernthal’s return to the role continuing to swirl, perhaps D’Onofrio’s comments could give fans of the character a little more reason to hope he’ll be included.

    In the world of DC, James Gunn took to Twitter to shoot down reports about Henry Cavill’s alleged contract(s) with DC Studios to play Superman down the road after his return in Black Adam. Gunn made it clear that only he and co-head of DC Studios Peter Safran know anything about the subject, and any report out there is likely false.

    Any time a legendary filmmaker comments on superhero films, the internet discourse goes instance, and Quentin Tarantino’s recent comments ignited the discussion again. Tarantino is not a big fan of modern superhero films. The acclaimed director recently said he’s never helmed one because he’s “not a hired hand” and while “the writing’s not quite on the wall yet”, he believes the fascination with superhero films will eventually fade.” However, when asked about what type of comic book film he would be interested in making, Tarantino revealed it would be the 1963 Stan Lee and Jack Kirby series Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandoes, which actually inspired Inglorious Basterds.

    Despite Tarantino’s lack of interest in the superhero genre, we wrote about his long history with comic book movies, which you can check out here. While you’re at it, you can check out our feature on comics Avengers who are a bit “too wack” for the MCU.

  • ‘Andor’ to Air on Hulu, ABC, and More For Thanksgiving

    ‘Andor’ to Air on Hulu, ABC, and More For Thanksgiving

    Disney is giving Andor a nearly unprecedented cross-platform push. The critically acclaimed Star Wars series, which is now most of the way through its 12-episode first season, will reportedly be available to stream on Hulu over Thanksgiving weekend. The service will only carry the show’s first two episodes, which will also air on ABC, FX, and Freeform throughout the holiday week. The special broadcasts will occur on back-to-back-to-back nights, with each channel taking a turn in the spotlight. ABC will air the premiere episodes on Wednesday, FX on Thursday, and Freeform on Friday.

    While Andor, created by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story writer Tony Gilroy, has been the most critically well-received series from Lucasfilm since it began putting projects on Disney+, it’s struggled to find a sizable audience in the same way Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Mandalorian have before it. Starring Diego Luna in the title role, the series acts as a prequel to Rogue One, telling the story of Cassian Andor in the years before his fateful Rebel mission to steal the Death Star plans. It has thus far been praised for its character work and storytelling, with many fans labeling it as the best Star Wars has been in a long time. Hopefully, the decision to temporarily make the series available elsewhere, other than exclusively on Disney+, helps garner the project a larger audience before its second season arrives in the coming years.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ Prequel Announced as Graphic Novel

    ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ Prequel Announced as Graphic Novel

    This is Halloween, everybody make a scene! Or in this case, a full-blown graphic novel. TOKYOPOP, publisher of Western manga-style works, has officially announced a new installment in their line of comics based on Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Subtitled The Battle For Pumpkin King, the series will act as a prequel to the critically-acclaimed film, exploring a time before Jack Skellington was the undisputed Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.

    The story, set years prior to the events of the movie, will see Jack and his future rival – Oogie Boogie – as close friends. Eager to prove themselves, the pals pour all their passion into spooky projects so they might be known as the scariest duo in town. However, only one can earn their rightful place as the titular Pumpkin King. The Battle For Pumpkin King will reveal what happens between the two that turns them into bitter enemies, and leads to Jack’s eventual crowning.

    Written by Dan Conner, based on a story by Shaun McLaughlin and D.J. Milky, the full-color project features art from Deborah Allo and Roberto Scalia in another deep-dive into the holiday-themed world crafted by Tim Burton. The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle For Pumpkin King will be released as five single issue comics beginning in March of 2023, before dropping as a collected graphic novel in time for next Halloween. The novel follows two others previously produced by TOKYOPOP – Zero’s Journey, also written by Conner, and Mirror Moon, written by Mallory Reaves. Both are currently available.

  • Marvel Launching Official ‘Black Panther’ Podcast 

    Marvel Launching Official ‘Black Panther’ Podcast 

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is closer than ever, but it’s not the only Black Panther project on the horizon. In collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment, Proximity Media has announced an official podcast dedicated to the iconic character with a premiere date of November 3rd. Titled Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast, the six-episode limited series will be written and hosted by acclaimed creative Ta-Nehisi Coates. The goal of the project will be to explore the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the next major chapter in the Black Panther saga, while honoring the remarkable legacy of star Chadwick Boseman.

    Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast will be executive produced by Ryan Coogler, the co-founder of Proximity Media and the director behind both live-action Black Panther films. Also producing are Paola Mardo, Proximity’s Head of Audio, as well as Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. Mardo released the following statement regarding the creation of the podcast:

    Ever since Ryan, Zinzi, and Sev entrusted Proximity’s Audio division with this project, our goal has been to tell the story of the making of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ with as much heart and authenticity as the film itself. With our premiere episode, we’ve accomplished this goal while breaking new ground in the process, thanks to the awesome collaboration between our incredible host Ta-Nehisi Coates, our talented podcast production team, and our collaborators at Marvel and Disney.

    Paola Mardo

    The debut episode will feature a conversation between Ryan Coogler and Coates, in which the two friends reflect on the cultural impact of 2017’s Black Panther and the late Boseman. After the series’ November 3rd premiere, subsequent episodes will release weekly beginning in January of 2023. Scheduled guests include actors Dominique Thorne and Angela Bassett, composer Ludwig Göransson, production designer Hannah Beachler, writer Joe Robert Cole, producer Kevin Feige, and many more. Each episode will weave scripted host narration with an original score from Göransson, film clips, and field recordings. Fans will be able to experience the making of Wakanda Forever like never before.

    The first episode of the podcast drops on November 3rd. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11th.

    Source: Disney