Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Season 2

  • Kathryn Hahn Addresses the Future of Agatha Harkness

    Kathryn Hahn Addresses the Future of Agatha Harkness

    Kathryn Hahn‘s performance as the wicked witch of Westview, Agatha Harkness, has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving. After a show-stealing performance in 2021’s WandaVision, Hahn took the lead in the spinoff Agatha All Along and once again left audiences asking for more. Despite what appeared to be the end of the road for the character, the final scene of Agatha All Along saw the spectral sorceress embark on a new journey, showing there’s still some “life” in the old gal yet.

    While whatever the future holds for the wraithlike witch may not have been divined, it certainly seems as though the next chapter in her story will be closely tired to the next chapter in the story of Joe Locke‘s Billy Maximoff. And while we all wait for official word about what that shape that might take, Hahn has shared her thoughts about returning to the role.

    “Am I personally done with playing this witch? No,” said Hahn when asked by TV Line about her future as Agatha. However, the star stopped short of confirming the recent reports and rumors that Marvel Television was close to moving forward with Season 2 of Agatha All Along. “We’d have to let the powers that be make those decisions,” said Hahn when asked if Marvel had given the go-ahead for another batch of episodes.

    Of course, even if Marvel and Hahn are attempting to keep a sophomore season of Agatha All Along a secret, some omens do seem to augur well for an extra season of the witch. Series creator Jac Schaeffer‘s abrupt exit from the Paul Bettany-led Vision series led many to assume she had moved onto another project. And while speculation seemed to center on the rumored Scarlet Witch solo project, a greenlight given to a second season of Agatha All Along would certainly provide a reasonable explanation for her choice to bail on Vision, especially since Schaeffer indicated that she had plenty of unused Season 1 ideas which could be repurposed for Season 2.

    There was more [of Agatha and Rio’s backstory] in the writer’s room. There was never any more on the page. It was our story instinct, I would say, that getting too far into their backstory would sort of be too much of a counterweight to the Nicky material. And so, we really included what we felt was vital to this chapter.

    -Jac Schaeffer on ideas cut from Season 1 of Agatha All Along that could be explored in a potential Season 2

    Beyond that, there’s the interesting decision by Marvel Studios to submit Agatha All Along as a comedy series rather than a miniseries in an effort to snag awards for the project. It’s a strong indication that they plan to make more episodes, something Hahn herself acknowledged. “It does suggest that,” said Hahn, though she held tight to her claim that she had no idea of future plans for her character. “I am as in-the-dark as you are. There’s going to be a Vision show, so that could be of a trilogy [with WandaVision and Agatha All Along]. But who knows?”.

    Despite Hahn‘s hesitance, reluctance or inability to confirm Marvel Television’s plans to move ahead with a Season 2 of Agatha All Along, it’s starting to feel like there’s a growing chance of more purple in the near future.

    Source: TV Line

  • ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Adds Key Characters to its Cast

    ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Adds Key Characters to its Cast

    The Last of Us is slowly preparing for its second season. The upcoming continuation of the iconic story will adapt The Last of Us Part 2. It’s still unclear if it’ll be a direct adaptation of the entire sequel or rather split up into multiple seasons given the story’s length. Still, the first two castings confirm that we’re not getting any unique take or original expansion, as the HBO show has found its Abby and Jesse.

    The big addition is Kaitlyn Dever, who will take on the challenging role of Abby. Besides the stellar emotional performance the role offers, a lot of weight comes with tackling this character due to reactions to the original game it’s adapting. Not to give away any major spoilers, but it will be interesting to get a feeling of how they tackle that scene in general.

    She’ll be joined by Young Mazino, who will take on the role of Jesse. While not the biggest role in the original story, he’s still an important recurring character. There’s still no news on how many from the original cast we can expect to return and if they’ll tackle the season the same way, but it’s great to see that things are getting moving on the second season. We’ll likely get a few major castings news in the weeks to come as they slowly start preparing for the production start.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline

  • Ke Hey Quan’s ‘Loki’ Character Revealed

    Ke Hey Quan’s ‘Loki’ Character Revealed

    Season 2 of Loki is set to stream on Disney Plus sometime in the Summer of 2023 and following a reported screening of the first two episodes to Disney employees, some details are starting to emerge. While some are a little spoilery than others, one detail that should be pretty safe is the identity of fan-favorite actor Ke Hey Quan’s character which comes from insider Daniel RPK.

    Quan, who starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies in the 80s, was announced as part of the cast of the second season by Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige at D23 in Anaheim, but no details were given at the time. According to the new report, Quan will be playing a character called Oroboros, the TVA’s tech specialist, and will go by “B-O.”

    A character known as Mr. Orobouros, one of a group of clones TVA employees that included Mobius M. Mobius, was first introduced to the pages of Marvel Comics in 2006 during Dan Slott’s Time Trials arc on She-Hulk. However, Marvel Studios has essentially reinvented the TVA for the MCU and it seems safe to say that Quan’s character will be a mostly original character who happens to share a name with a comic book character.

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Directors Tease Lockjaw in Possible Season 2

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Directors Tease Lockjaw in Possible Season 2

    Ms. Marvel captured the attention of fans and critics during its six-week run on Disney+. The series, starring Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan is now one of the highest-rated projects in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. While we know that Ms. Marvel will appear next in the upcoming The Marvels, the show’s success begs the question of whether Kamala will end up with a second season or solo feature.

    There are plenty of reasons why Season 2 of Ms. Marvel could be in the cards for Phase 5 or 6 in the MCU. Unsurprisingly, series directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have been questioned numerous times about the possibility. In an interview with IGN, Fallah remarked that “there’s much more we can do with Kamala Khan,” including further exploring and growing her powers. El Ardi added an additional, and potentially exciting, comment:

    “[Ms. Marvel] has that big dog. If there’s another season or a movie, the big dog is going to have to be a big character in it.”

    Adil El Arbi

    El Arbi is referring to Lockjaw, a massive dog and loyal companion to the Inhuman royal family with the power of inter-dimensional teleportation. The idea of Lockjaw appearing in future Ms. Marvel solo projects is interesting on multiple levels. First, of course, it adds to the question of whether Inhumans exist in the current MCU and Kamala’s connection to them. This traditional aspect of the comic book character was seemingly changed when the series finale indicated that Kamala was a mutant. Second, Lockjaw has already made a live-action appearance in the greater Marvel Universe in Marvel TV’s infamous Inhumans. Like Blackbolt in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Lockjaw could appear as a multiversal variant of his Inhumans version.

    In any event, Ms. Marvel’s directors and showrunners seem keen on ideas for a second season of the series. In Ms. Marvel comics, Lockjaw was a frequent ally and companion to Kamala, sent by the Inhuman royal family to watch over her.

    Ms. Marvel is streaming on Disney+.

    Source: IGN

  • SDCC: ‘X-Men ’97’ Already Renewed for Season 2

    SDCC: ‘X-Men ’97’ Already Renewed for Season 2

    Marvel Studios and Disney+ are looking to tell more X-Men stories. It was announced today during the Marvel Animation panel that the second season of X-Men ’97 is officially in the works. The first season, which is a reboot of X-Men: The Animated Series, will bring back many members of X-Men: The Animated Series’ voice cast, as well as some of the creatives behind the beloved cartoon.

    Producer Brad Winderbaum has previously called head writer Beau DeMayo’s pitch for the series an emotional one, noting that it honored the original series, while still moving it into the modern world. Production on X-Men ’97 has seemingly been underway since December 2021, when Lenore Zann announced that she’d already begun recording her parts as Rogue.

    The first season, which will consist of 10 episodes, is expected to hit Disney+ in mid-2023.

    Source: SDCC via Twitter

  • SDCC: ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Release Date Revealed

    SDCC: ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Release Date Revealed

    Marvel Studios first animated series, What If…?, premiered last year and was well-received by critics. Spinning out of the events of Loki, which opened up the multiverse, the first season of What If…? spanned nine episodes and explored alternate realities where things didn’t play out exactly the same as they did in the since-officially-named 616-universe. It was always part of the plan to tell more of these alternate reality stories and now fans know when to expect Season 2.

    As part of the first-ever Marvel Studios Animation panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the release date for Season 2 of What If…? was revealed. Season 2 of the streaming series is headed to Disney Plus in early 2023!

    Updating…

  • Signs That ‘Ms. Marvel’ Will Have a Season 2

    Signs That ‘Ms. Marvel’ Will Have a Season 2

    Now that Marvel Studios has formally ventured into television, new questions arise about the future of characters and plots that debut in the Disney+ series format. While we know some series—such as WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier—lead into feature films, the announcement of Loki’s second season has made fans interested in other series getting the same treatment. While no show besides Loki has been confirmed for a Season 2, there are many signs that Ms. Marvel could be the next. 

    To be fair, we know we will see Kamala Khan in The Marvels, so it would be easy to say that Ms. Marvel’s follow-up will be in that film. But The Marvels is a sequel to Captain Marvel and will feature, from what we know, three main leads. To think that Kamala’s individual story will be able to fully continue without her own solo project is brave. With only the finale to go, Ms. Marvel has left quite a lot of story on the table. Even a strong finale—which Marvel Studios is not known for—cannot reasonably wrap it all up. And that may very well be part of the plan to give Ms. Marvel a Season 2.

    First, Kamala’s entire high school-level plot has taken a backseat for the second act of the series. The last time we saw Nakia, she had just learned that Kamala was the masked hero and was no longer speaking to her. Bruno was jealous of Kamran and also told Kamala he was going to leave to attend CalTech. Kamran is clearly integrated into the superhero side of the plot, but the love triangle there is still up in the air. Many of these plot strings, particularly Nakia and Bruno, seem to come straight from Ms. Marvel comics and are nowhere near a resolution. Kamala’s personal life—the one she had before the bangle—has been set up for a longer journey than what the finale could handle. There is a very strong chance that the last episode will specifically leave these stories open and ready to explore in the future. And they would not make much sense in The Marvels.

    If Episode 5 of Ms. Marvel made anything clear, it is that the full extent of Kamala’s powers might not be explained in the series (or the first season). While we have come a long way since Episode 1, there are so many questions remaining about Kamala’s heritage and powers. The finale will without a doubt answer some of these. To be fair, it could answer them all. But when Kamala’s grandmother cut off the questioning as to how and why Kamala can do what she does to suggest it is all about how two people fell in love and made something bigger than themselves, it seemed like a way for the series to say, “don’t worry about it.” Regardless of what we learn in the finale, the implications of the Noor Dimension and Kamala’s bangle are surely things that cannot adequately be resolved yet. That’s where The Marvels may very well help out, but something even bigger remains elusive.

    Kamala has not yet become Ms. Marvel. She almost certainly will in the finale, but we will not have seen her be the masked hero of Jersey City in Ms. Marvel. The series has received high praise from critics, and audiences and Marvel Studios alike love Iman Vellani. The character will be part of future team-ups in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the idea that they would not explore her solo adventures more is both laughable and sad. Unlike Moon Knight, which does not appear to have plans for a second season, the lead character in Ms. Marvel has not actually been the titular superhero during the series. Also unlike Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel is based on much more beloved and popular comics. Kamala is relatively new to Marvel, but her stories of heroism in Jersey City have a broad audience and can likely be relatively easy to adapt into (more) series-based content. 

    MCU series have a troubled history with resolving their own stories by the end of their runs, but the many-lingering plots in Ms. Marvel might be by design. If, like Loki, a Season 2 has been part of the bigger plan, the series is free to set up ideas that will continue to be explored. The points surrounding Kamala’s teenage life and relationships are, arguably, a very clear sign that this is happening. In particular, her and Bruno’s long will-they-won’t-they romance is set up for the long haul. Kamala also deserves to spend time in the spotlight as a solo hero, Ms. Marvel, in a way that team-up films and events are suited for. So, don’t be too surprised if a Ms. Marvel Season 2 announcement comes soon. 

    The first five episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney+. 

  • ‘Swiss Army Man’ Directors Passed On ‘Loki’ Season One Because of Another Multiverse Project

    ‘Swiss Army Man’ Directors Passed On ‘Loki’ Season One Because of Another Multiverse Project

    The multiverse is quite popular these days, for Marvel Studios and beyond. The Marvel Cinematic Universe kickstarted its own multiversal adventure in the finale of Loki’s first season, and it has already been followed up with What If… ?, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and soon Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The chaotic branching of timelines seen in Episode 6 of Loki may very well go down as one of the most iconic moments of the MCU, and the series as a whole was generally critically succesful as well.

    Director Kate Herron ultimately brought Loki to the small screen. However, apparently Marvel was in early talks with a directing duo who ultimately said no to the Disney+ series because of another multiverse project. Swiss Army Man directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert revealed the ironic twist of fate in an interview with IndieWire, as their multiversal project Everything Everywhere All At Once was in production about the same time:

    [Scheinhert] “There were meetings with Marvel about ‘Loki’ that we didn’t even take. We were trying to make our own multiverse movie,”

    [Kwan] “No, the meeting was set, and we went, but by the time we went we said we probably weren’t going to do it,” he said. “We were trying to shoot our own movie at the same time.”

    Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

    While the duo passed on Season One of Loki, the fact that they were in the mix at some point could mean that Marvel still has its eye on the directors for future projects. Still, the two expressed their doubts on working on an interconnected project, like those found in the MCU:

    “Then we can just throw out anything that’s not working. I respect people who are able to play in someone else’s sandbox but that’s kind of intimidating because if there’s a preexisting fanbase for a character, and a lore, a mythology and I’m not allowed to throw out something that’s not working, that seems hard.”

    Daniel Kwan

    Marvel Studios has clearly found great success with directors that were not already well-established blockbuster filmmakers. Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi and Captain America and Avengers franchise tentpoles Joe and Anthony Russo are a few of the biggest examples.

    Loki is confirmed for Season Two, and directing duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are attached to the project. While it will be some time before it is ready for release, Mobius actor Owen Wilson said in February that production on the second season would begin soon.

    Source: IndieWire via The Direct

  • Tom Hiddleston Talks Season 2 of ‘Loki’

    Tom Hiddleston Talks Season 2 of ‘Loki’

    The God of Mischief joined Loki co-stars Sophie DiMartino and Jonathan Majors in London this past weekend at MCM Comic Con and gave just enough information about the second season of the series to make it interesting.

    While summarizing the events of Season 1 of the Disney Plus streaming series, Hiddleston indicated that Season 2 would “start from there”, after referencing the frantic final moments of the first season that saw Loki rush to explain things to Mobius and B-15 only to find they had no memories of any of the recent events that should have taken down the TVA.

    Okay so look, we can’t say anything unfortunately, but at the end of episode six, season one, Loki comes back to TVA. He’s quite traumatised, he’s quite emotional, and he tries to explain what happens to Mobius, and Mobius doesn’t recognise him. And then he turns to look at the statue of the timekeepers, but it’s not a statue of the timekeepers, it’s a statue of someone else… And I guess we’ll start from there. I’m so sorry to disappoint you!

    The cliffhanger left fans with a sense of urgency and frustration and with The-One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, indicating production on the second season isn’t beginning anytime soon as they continue to search for a replacement for director Kate Herron, fans are going to have to wait for quite some time before we find out what’s next for Loki and Mobius.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Season 2 Gets a New MCU Director

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road. For instance, on February 19th, I wrote this piece relaying some rumors I’d heard about Marvel Studios updating its Disney Plus slate; the next day, the news broke that a special Disney Plus event would be held in London on March 5th where it is expected that Marvel Studios and Star Wars slates will be updated.

    It’s not very often something Star Wars related comes my way. There are several incredible Star Wars sites out there that do a great job covering the news and breaking it themselves, so I’m very excited to share this information with you. Before I share the information, I have to stress that as of now, this information is unconfirmed which, in my case, means I was unable to corroborate the information with a second source. However, this information came from a source who provided accurate information in the past (about a Marvel Studios project), so while I am wholly inclined to believe the source, I want to be up front with readers about the scenario. That having been said, here you go: Peyton Reed is set to direct 2 episodes of the second season of the Disney Plus streaming series, The Mandalorian and Taikia Waititi is once again contributing to the series!

    Fans of the series will recall that in addition to voicing the rewired bounty hunting droid, IG-11, in season 1 of The Mandalorian, Waititi also directed the finale, bringing his signature wit to the series. While it is unclear whether or not Waititi will be directing an episode, helping to produce or coming back to voice another character, the message was clear: he’s been working with show runner Jon Favreau on the second season.

    For Reed’s part, the seeds for his potential involvement may go as far back as November of 2018 when he, along with Waititi and Joe and Anthony Russo visited Favreau on the set during production of the shows’ first season, pictured below.

    Image result for peyton reed mandalorian set

    Favreau and Reed have a working relationship dating as far back as 2006 when the former co-starred in Reed’s comedy, The Break-Up, and have certainly had a chance to exchange notes given their ongoing relationships with Marvel Studios. Last season, 3 directors (Deborah Chow, Rick Famuywia and Dave Filoni) helmed two shows each, so it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibilities that Reed could fit into that same mold.

    This news comes at a time when James Mangold publicly denied that he’d be involved with the show after a recent rumor surfaced, so it’s a scary time to put this out there. However, with Disney Plus holding an launch event this Thursday in the UK (as I first reported here) where they are expected to make some announcements and update the slates for their major properties, it was time to share this info.