Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: She-Hulk

  • ‘She-Hulk’: Disney+ Series Adds ‘Sex and the City’ Cinematographer Florian Ballhaus

    ‘She-Hulk’: Disney+ Series Adds ‘Sex and the City’ Cinematographer Florian Ballhaus

    It seems that Marvel Studios is continuing its experimentation with genre into Disney+. While Falcon and the Winter Soldier was closer to a classic Marvel fair, it also acted as a geo- and social-political drama. WandaVision consisted mostly of sitcom-inspired episodes that got reinvented with each episode.

    Even Loki took the genre of mystery thriller and added some Office Space, and Wizard of Oz into the mix. We’ve known that She-Hulk would act as a legal comedy, but that might not be all it’s inspired by. According to film lens producer LEITZ whose lenses were used in the production, the Disney+ series’ upcoming Director of Photography is Florian Ballhaus.

     

    Allegiant (2016)

     

    The German cinematographer is famous for his work on films like The Book Thief, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Marley & Me, and, most notably, The Devil Wears Prada. He also worked on ten episodes of Sex and the City. There are hints that Jameela Jamil‘s Titania might be a Kim Kardashian-esque influencer. His work would add the perfect flair to the series to showcase the character’s lifestyle.

    Ballhaus is also no stranger to action, as he was the cinematographer for RED and Allegiant. So, he’s the perfect candidate to balance the legal comedy and Hulk action sequences. We’ve heard rumblings of the Wrecking Crew facing off against Jennifer Walters and with Mark Ruffalo‘s return as Professor Hulk, we might see these two team up against their unlikely foes. Here’s hoping we get some teases for the upcoming series. It seems likely with Marvel Studios skipping this year’s SDCC@Home, we might get our first look during Disney’s Investors Day in December.

    Source: Leitz, IMDb

  • REPORT: She-Hulk to Face the Wrecking Crew in Disney+ Series

    REPORT: She-Hulk to Face the Wrecking Crew in Disney+ Series

    She-Hulk has been quietly filming in Atlanta. Only a few tidbits found their way online. There was a rumor three weeks ago that Hulk’s son Skaar might make his live-action debut in the series. We got the official confirmation that Jameela Jamil will play the iconic villain Titania. Surprisingly, we haven’t seen much from the film’s set outside of a photo of Mark Ruffalo in his mo-cap suit and a brief tease of Tatiana Maslany as the titular heroine. So far, it’s been otherwise quiet, and we’ve been wondering what else the series might have in store for us. Well, it looks like Cosmic Circus might have gotten their hands on a juicy tidbit as it seems the Wrecking Crew will appear in the upcoming series.

    For those wondering who they are. The Wrecking Crew is a team that consists of four supervillains known as Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, and Wrecker. They made their first appearance in The Defenders #17 back in 1974. In the comics, Dirk Garthwaite, the future Wrecker, was mistaken for Loki and gained mystical powers when he got an enchanted crowbar by the Norn queen Karnilla. After his friends grabbed it when it got struck by lightning, they all got their abilities. It’s uncertain which members will appear, as the roster has changed over the years in the comics.

    As you can guess by their origin, they commonly get connected to Thor’s rogue’s gallery but some adaptations have also added Gamma radiation to their powers, such as The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The team seemed like a classic Saturday morning cartoon villain. So, it seemed unlikely they would get adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon. So, it’s great that Marvel Studios is using these Disney+ shows to introduce some minor characters from the comics.

    Source: Cosmic Circus

  • Murphy’s Law: Episode 92

    Murphy’s Law: Episode 92

    Charles and Charles got back on schedule this week and caught up on all the Marvel and DC news and gave their brief thoughts on their screening of Black Widow.

  • Rumor: Hulk’s son Skaar set for MCU Debut in ‘SHE-HULK’

    Rumor: Hulk’s son Skaar set for MCU Debut in ‘SHE-HULK’

    According to a report by TheDirect, Jennifer Walters won’t be the only relation to the Hulk that She-Hulk will be introducing. Apparently, Skaar, The Hulk’s son from the time he spent on Sakaar during the Planet Hulk storyline, is set to make his MCU debut in the upcoming Disney+ series.

    As The Hulk rose to dominance in the planet he was once exiled to, his relationship with Caiera the Oldstrong developed, and they conceived a son. When the warp core on Hulk’s ship exploded, killing Caiera, Hulk believed his son had died in her womb. Unbeknownst to him, Skaar survived and was raised by his mother’s Shadow People amongst the ruins of Sakaar before being exiled to Earth.

    The inclusion of Skaar in the series is incredibly surprising yet entirely sensible and opens up some room for more of the Hulk’s time on Sakaar to be explored. While Caiera didn’t appear in Thor: Ragnarok, concept art of her people, the Shadow People (or the Oldstrong) was developed for use in Thor: The Dark World and it wouldn’t be too difficult to work her relationship with Hulk into the time between Age of Ultron and Ragnarok. Skaar’s arrival on Earth would certainly rattle not only Bruce Banner’s cage but also those who have always been leary of the Hulk. And of course multiple Hulks could be the first step down the road towards something like World War Hulks being adapted into the MCU. The folks at Marvel Studios certainly continue to find ways to surprise and excite us.

    Source: TheDirect

  • REPORT: Jameela Jamil to Play ‘She-Hulk’ Villain Titania

    REPORT: Jameela Jamil to Play ‘She-Hulk’ Villain Titania

    It looks like there is no end to the news surrounding Marvel Studios’ future on Disney+. We’ve recently got a tiny glimpse behind the scenes of She-Hulk with a look at Mark Ruffalo donning his CGI suit. Now, it seems that Illuminerdi got their hands on some news, as they just shared the info that The Good Place‘s Jameela Jamil is playing the villainous Titania. She’s an interesting addition as the main foil for Jennifer Walter. Illuminerdi believes that she was the character that went under the code name “Lucy.” She was described as a Kardashian-esque social media influencer with a dark side. We don’t know exactly how the series will play out, but it certainly would be a unique take for the class Marvel villain. Jamil‘s addition will surely offer a lot of fresh comedy to the series and she could make for an interesting dynamic between the two unlikely villains.

    If they truly follow this social media-focused character, it could give us a glimpse at what role She-Hulk might have. We know from Avengers: Endgame that Hulk is a well-known hero. So, the existence of a female version of his would also get quite a bit of attention. She might end up becoming more famous than Tatiana, which pushes her over the edge to keep up with her unlikely enemy. Of course, she could also just end up being one of Jennifer’s clients throughout the legal comedy’s run.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Offers First Look at Mark Ruffalo in Latest Set Photos

    ‘She-Hulk’ Offers First Look at Mark Ruffalo in Latest Set Photos

    Marvel Studios has been busy working on their various Disney+ shows and it seems that their latest entry has just entered production. Actress Anais Almonte took to Facebook to share a few images from the She-Hulk set that offer us a small glimpse of what they are working on. The picture includes a look at Mark Ruffalo, who is in full mo-cap gear. He most likely will return to play Professor Hulk, who was introduced in Avengers: Endgame but there is no look yet at the titular heroine, who is played by Tatiana Maslany. We did get a brief glimpse of her around a month ago when the series slowly started production.

    The set photos don’t reveal too much, but it does showcase the film’s production title Clover, which was revealed in Production Weekly a few months ago. It is uncertain which role Almonte has in the series, but she could play a minor role or even act as a double for another character. We still know very little about the series’ plot and which direction they might be heading with the character. Here’s hoping we get some of her fourth wall breaking that mixes up the way we see the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anyone involved with Marvel is under are under strict NDAs until the series’ releases. So, it’s quite surprising she released these images online as they are still working on the Disney+ series. We’ll see how long she’ll be able to keep those on her Facebook page. Either way, it is great to get a glimpse at the series production.

    Source: Facebook, Production Weekly

  • Theorizing MARVEL STUDIOS’ Interconnected Storylines

    Theorizing MARVEL STUDIOS’ Interconnected Storylines

    It’s been a little over three months since Marvel Studios properly kicked off its Phase 4. Both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are now behind us, two shows that gave us but a glimpse of what is in store in the coming years in terms of the interconnectivity between the different IPs that make up the MCU. This is something Kevin Feige himself made extremely clear this past December, during the Disney Investor Day 2020:

    The Cinematic Universe weaves storylines of heroes and villains across twenty-three feature films to date, and with Disney+ we’re able to extend this way of storytelling to a new format, creating series that are connected to our theatrical releases making the MCU more immersive than ever.

    As for WandaVision, it managed to bring together characters from properties that seemed somewhat foreign to its titular characters (bringing them in from Thor, Captain Marvel, and Ant-Man). The Falcon and The Winter Soldier did almost the exact opposite. It grabbed most of its main characters from the same feature (Captain America: Civil War) and continued their arcs in a way that seems to hint at them diverging into several other (new) IPs. The common ground between both approaches seems quite simple: when the story asks for it, characters will come and go from whatever property that needs them to. With this in mind, and with the number of projects Marvel Studios has already announced, it’s hard to not try and envision some of the paths the stories these characters might take us on.

    The existing connective tissue between properties is stronger with some than with others, even though Marvel Studios will always end up surprising us one way or another. But most of the more realistic theorizing (if there even is such a thing), taking into account the information that has already come out regarding casts, plots, and so on, seems to hint at a clear/not clear separation between what are the military-powered, skill-driven heroes and the more mystic and cosmic side of the MCU. So being, we’ll now focus on the first of these two groups.

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seems to be at the heart of the stories we might end up exploring on this side of the spectrum. With Karli Morgenthau being one of the few main characters to have (apparently) died, all the others are now ready to move on, each doing their own thing. With Sam Wilson as Captain America, he seems like a given to star in the upcoming fourth installment of the Captain America series. As for Bucky Barnes, with a Nomad series apparently in development, Barnes seems like a perfect fit. As for James “War Machine” Rhodes, he might now become the direct link to Iron Man’s legacy Riri Williams comes into contact with in Ironheart, before both move into Armor Wars, where they could be met by Sharon Carter in her newfound MCU role. Black Widow will introduce us to Yelena Belova who can seamlessly move on to Hawkeye (even if just to attend a memorial service), where Echo will be show up before staring in her own show.

    Shifting our attention to the other side of the diagram, we find several connections between shows that have already been confirmed. Monica Rambeau will be back in the franchise where she was first introduced, where she will be met by Kamala Khan who will have already been introduced in the Ms. Marvel series. Both might be met in The Marvels by Talos, who will also have a role to play in the upcoming Secret Invasion alongside Nick Fury. As to Wanda Maximoff, now the Scarlet Witch, she is certain to continue her story in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which may become the epicenter of every upcoming property dealing with the Multiverse. Loki and Spider-Man: Far From Home seem like projects that are likely to have strong connections to the second Doctor Strange feature for obvious plot reasons, at the same time as they connect through other storylines to yet another set of properties. With the information coming out of Loki that Gugu Mbatha-Raw will be playing Judge Renslayer (meaning that almost certainly that makes her Ravonna Renslayer) it becomes highly likely that Kang will make an appearance, ahead of his already highlighted presence in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, played by the brilliant Jonathan Majors.

    These stories alone are certain to keep Marvel gaining momentum for years to come, but what seems to be the endgame here? Establishing new properties where characters from all over manage to meet for the first time, bringing together story threads from all sides of the MCU, certainly seems like a possibility. Projects that haven’t been announced as that might somewhat spoil the plots leading up to them. It should be no coincidence that a number of upcoming projects will seamlessly allow for the introduction of Young Avengers members, much like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier managed to do with Tommy and Billy Maximoff, and Eli Bradley, respectively. Kate Bishop is already confirmed to be debuting in Hawkeye, and the rest of the team will probably soon follow, with Teddy perhaps being introduced in Secret Invasion, America Chavez in Doctor Strange 2, and Cassie Lang returning, as Stature, in Quantumania. Therefore, a Young Avengers series/movie should definitively be in the works bringing together their individual storylines. Another team being put together, even though a much different one, should be the focus of the Thunderbolts. With Baron Zemo and Abomination brought back, Taskmaster (the mantle) surviving Black Widow, and with Ghost still alive after Ant-Man and the Wasp, there is no reason for it not to be in the cards. Another feature that could serve as a continuation to John Walker’s story, maybe even bringing Yelena into the mix, and perhaps managing to dig up an Osborn to lead them, is The Dark Avengers. Marvel Studios knows that they can’t top the Avengers team they built up until Avengers: Endgame, so this focus on alternate teams, some of dubious character, would certainly be welcomed as a great change of pace. 

    There are a few projects that have already been announced that played no part in this theory. For all I know they might end up becoming the most crucial chapters of the MCU going forward. The Fantastic Four, due to their relevance, or the Eternals, due to their scope, certainly have that ability. But for now, this is it. Maybe in a couple of months, the script will be flipped and a new article will be in the works.

  • First Look at Tatiana Maslany on the Set of ‘SHE-HULK’

    First Look at Tatiana Maslany on the Set of ‘SHE-HULK’

    Marvel Studios second Disney Plus streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, finished its run today but the big wheel keeps on turning. Production on one of the studio’s first 2022 series is underway and today, courtesy of Atlanta Filming, we have our first look at Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters.

    While we have no details on the scene, Maslany’s hair and her sweatshirt could hint at flashbacks to Walters’ time in law school at UCLA, where she acquired her law degree in the comics. We know that the show will focus on Walters’ time practicing law, so a flashback to her origin stories as both lawyer and gamma-powered Hulk could quickly set the stage for the meat of the story.

    Maslany will be joined by Mark Ruffalo and Tim Roth who will be reprising their respective MCU roles and newcomers Ginger Gonzaga and Renee Elise Goldsberry.

    Source: Atlanta Filming

  • Renée Elise Goldsberry to Co-Star in ‘SHE-HULK’

    Renée Elise Goldsberry to Co-Star in ‘SHE-HULK’

    Actress Renée Elise Goldsberry has joined the cast of the upcoming Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series She-Hulk. According to Deadline, Goldsberry is playing a character named “Amelia”; Amelia is a code name for a yet to be revealed character, but we can add that Goldsberry will portray a high-powered lawyer who keeps her private and work lives very separated.

    Evil': Renée Elise Goldsberry Set For Multi-Episode Arc – Deadline

    Though Deadline was unable to get comment from Marvel Studios, it is possible that Goldsberry is playing Mallory Book, a lawyer who worked with Jennifer Walters at Goodman, Liever, Kurtzberg & Holliway and is known as “the face that never lost a case.” First introduced in Dan Slott’s 2004 She-Hulk #1, Book had a very roller coaster relationship with Jennifer Walters and was also a victim of an attack by Titania, who is rumored to be the villain of the show, on the firm.

    Goldsberry won several awards for her performance as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton and can currently be seen co-starring alongside Tina Fey in the Peacock streaming series Girls5eva. She-Hulk, starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, is expected to stream on Disney Plus early in 2022.

    Source: Deadline

     

  • How Marvel Studios Plans to Take the Fight to Superhero Fatigue

    How Marvel Studios Plans to Take the Fight to Superhero Fatigue

    It probably feels like a lifetime ago but it was only in 2017 that the MCU started releasing three feature films every year. By that time the franchise was approaching its 10th year with 17 movies under its belt and many started wondering just how long could Marvel Studios’ dominance at the box office truly last until audiences’ superhero fatigue managed to creep up on it. The following couple of years presented everyone with a resounding answer to that question as five out of the six movies released in that period surpassed the 1 billion dollar mark at the box-office, with two of those going over the 2 billion dollar mark while making Avengers: Endgame the highest-grossing movie of all time.

    By that point, and besides being the final chapter of a story being told since 2008 through 23 interconnected movies, the end of the Infinity Saga had audiences saying goodbye to arguably its two most important characters, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, that had been at the forefront of the MCU since its inception. So being, Marvel Studios had a few problems on their plate as 2019 came to a close: How to reintroduce surviving characters making them a bigger presence within the franchise filling the void of the ones lost, how to make fans care for the new characters being introduced as they did the legacy ones, and most importantly how to maintain global audience interested in the MCU avoiding the aforementioned superhero fatigue to finally become a real thing, in what the MCU is concerned.

    A few of the issues mentioned above had already started being addressed head-on by taking a chance on characters like Black Panther and Captain Marvel, allowing for a larger and more diverse audience to feel embraced by the superhero cinematic universe Marvel created, all while keeping longtime fans engaged by diversifying the type of stories being told, the angles in which they were told, and the voices that told them. Phase 4 would be doubling-down on this idea of bringing into the franchise a much more diverse group of filmmakers (Cate Shortland, Destin Daniel Cretton, Chloé Zhao, Nia DaCosta) and introducing characters like Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Ironheart, and the incredibly diverse cast of Eternals that are further living proof that the MCU is trying to evolve and become a much richer and relevant franchise by allowing so much different voices to shine through.

    But today, exactly one week after the WandaVision finale and one week before The Falcon and The Winter Soldier premiere, it’s becoming increasingly clear that, as contradictory as it may sound, another way Marvel Studios is trying to avoid superhero fatigue is by going all out and delivering ten projects in a single year. One would think that that would be against their interests as this means that there’ll be hardly a week throughout the year without some sort of new MCU content, but Marvel Studios is managing to circumvent that by turning inwards and redefining what the superhero genre can aspire to become. This way, instead of only releasing properties that could be described as being the generic superhero production and thus paving the way for audiences to quickly lose interest by the lack of novelty, they are expanding into sub-genres that are already a reality across the industry.

    As WandaVision played with sitcom tropes while combining romance, mystery, and drama, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is set to be more of an action-thriller experience. Ms. Marvel could be categorized as a teen drama while Hawkeye (mystery-thriller), Eternals (action epic), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (martial arts action film), and Loki (sci-fi adventure) will each have their particular characteristics, making each project fresh in its own right. Going beyond 2021 we’ll find the same being applied to shows like She-Hulk (courtroom drama) or movies such as Thor: Love and Thunder (space opera rock show). All of this seems to mean that Marvel Studios is thinking that, by diversifying, audiences won’t grow tired of what they have to offer in the same way they don’t get tired of movies and tv in general. Even if all properties are a part of a larger franchise, their particulars will allow all of them to be experienced without the added weight of being presented with the same formulaic concepts and narratives.

    Marvel Studios broke the mold for what franchises of this magnitude could become, and by keeping themselves in the public eye year-round but also understanding that a gimmick can only keep itself relevant for so much time, so much so that it’s not afraid to reinvent itself on the go (as we were able to see with WandaVision), is likely doing it again, before our very eyes.