Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Sony

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Used VFX Teams from Previous Raimi and TASM Films

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Used VFX Teams from Previous Raimi and TASM Films

    As we steadily approach the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the anticipation grows for any new information or details regarding the upcoming film. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is whether or not the film will indeed adapt a “Live-Action” Spider-Verse storyline that will reintroduce Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as the Spider-Men from their respective universes. Along with that rumor, there are also murmurs that the film could potentially bring in tow their fellow crewmates from the previous films such as Kirsten Dunst, Emma Stone, and many of the film’s previous villains to form a multiversal Sinister Six. While those rumors remain to be confirmed until we get an official confirmation with either a poster or a trailer, there are clues that could certainly make that rumor mill spin even faster.

    Thanks to our sources, we are able to confirm that the upcoming installment in the MCU Spider-Man saga is incorporating VFX teams that previously worked on the visual effects for both the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and TASM films. This development is interesting for a number of reasons. First and foremost, they’ll be joining forces with the multiple teams that have worked on the effects for the previous MCU Spider-Man installations. Not only that, but Marvel Studios and Sony seem to be holding no punches when it comes to the supervisors that will helm the post-production for this project as a number of their VFX Supervisors were also the supervisors to some of the groundbreaking visual effects for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

     

    Having the VFX teams that worked on the previous Spider-Man franchises could be a huge indicator as to which direction this film could potentially go. If Maguire and Garfield are indeed involved in the film, then who better to have work on the VFX involving them than the people who actually worked on them all those years ago. They understand the character’s unique movements, styles, and micro-expressions better than anyone. Putting to use those models and animations that were used to bring to life the Raimi and TASM Spider-Men is a great way to differentiate the 3 Spider-Men from each other from a stylistic point of view. And even if this film doesn’t include the Spider-Verse storyline, there are scenes from both of these film franchises that have stood the test of time in terms of visual effects and it would be great to see those techniques and styles applied to better enhance the Spider-Man experience in this film. Just look at the train scene from Spider-Man 2 or the visuals from The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, which arguably had the greatest web-swinging sequence of the three iterations. Having this group of individuals work together for a film is absolutely outstanding and it’s certainly seeming like Spider-Man: No Way Home is setting itself up to be one of the most visually stunning films for Phase 4 and we can’t wait to see what this film has in store when it hits theaters in December.

  • ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Funko Offers Better Look at Carnage’s Design

    ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Funko Offers Better Look at Carnage’s Design

    After a long wait, the first trailer for Venom: Let There Carnage hs finally dropped online. It continued where the original left off, as Tom Hardy‘s Eddie Brock lives his life alongside the symbiote. We also got a new look at Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady. The mad man would eventually combine with a symbiote to form Carnage. We got a few good looks at the symbiote throughout the trailer, but as they are still working on the effects, they have kept him in the shadow. It seemed as if they muted his classic red coloring, but the newly revealed Funko Pops may have given us the best look yet.

    The trailer’s muted colors didn’t quite offer a great look at the newly formed symbiote. Luckily, the Funko Pops confirms that he will be mostly red with black tendrils mixed in. The design seems strongly inspired by his time in the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, where it was an artificial creature created by Dr. Curtis Conners with the help of Peter Parker’s DNA. Of course, in that run, the character wasn’t taken over by Cletus Kasady. The story that was hinted at seems to take a lot of inspiration from the Maximum Carnage run, as it also includes the character of Shriek.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Director Andy Serkis Opens Up About Potential MCU Connections

    ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Director Andy Serkis Opens Up About Potential MCU Connections

    Sony’s ever-expanding Spider-Man franchise is starting to expand. They have the cooperation with Marvel Studios, which allowed Tom Holland‘s version of the character to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Into the Spider-Verse created its own animated universe with a multitude of webheads. Now, we also have the additional live-action Venom franchise, which seems far removed from the MCU even though Morbius‘ first trailer included a direct reference with the inclusion of Michael Keaton. So, we’ve been wondering if Sony and Marvel struck a deal that their expanded compendium will also be part of the franchise. Well, it seems that Venom: Let There Be Carnage director Andy Serkis offered some insight during a trailer breakdown for IGN.

    Obviously, there are links between Venom and Spider-Man and the Marvel Universe and the Spider-Man story. We’re treating this very much as it’s his own world. The Venom story is his own world. There are nods and little moments [like the shot of the newspaper the Daily Bugle], of course, but on the whole, he’s unaware. They are unaware, at this point, of other characters like Spider-Man. So, that’s the way we’ve chosen to play this particular episode of the movie, but, well, we’ll wait and see. We’ll see what little things you can pick out of it.

    In a way, he continues to keep the door open if Tom Hardy‘s Venom could eventually become part of the MCU. The referenced newspaper includes words that seem to spell out “Avengers” which is printed on a Sam Raimi era Daily Bugle newspaper. We’ve had this confusion before when Morbius included references to the MCU version of Spider-Man, but also included a mural of his 2002 film. “Murderer” sprayed over it would imply the film takes place after Spider-Man: Far From Home. For now, the connections remain vague until we get a clearer picture of where or if the franchise takes place in the wider MCU.

    Source: IGN

  • How ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Set-Up a Joe Manganiello-led ‘Agent Venom’

    How ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Set-Up a Joe Manganiello-led ‘Agent Venom’

    There are enough signs that the upcoming Spider-Man threequel will explore the multiverse in one way or another. Of course, this opens up new possibilities to how they can further expand the franchise. With Disney and Sony making deals for Disney+, it seems like their partnership will extend beyond the release of No Way Home. Now, if we get reintroduced to some Spider-Man legacy characters, which Alfred Molina outright confirmed, we may also get a chance to see other characters join the franchise in the future. There were also rumors of Tobey Maguire getting spotted on the film’s set. Once the gears get turning, an idea popped in my head how a minor character from Sam Raimi‘s first Spider-Man film would be the perfect candidate for an unlikely spin-off. How about the multiverse gives us an Agent Venom project starring Joe Manganiello as Flash Thompson?

     

    JJMM on Twitter: "Spider-Man 2002film #JoeManganiello as #FlashThompson #Marvel #ThrowbackThursday… "

     

    The actor only had a brief appearance in the first and third entries of the films. The role continued by Chris Zylka and Tony Revolori in the remakes. Since, the actor has played a variety of roles, such as Rampage, The Sleepover, and recently Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Sadly, it seems that his future as DC’s Deathstroke seems uncertain, but that also means there is another opportunity waiting. As the multiverse unfolds, there might be a new possibility to expand the franchise in creative ways. In the comics, Thompson ended up losing his legs during the Iraq War. Afterward, he enlisted in the Project Rebirth 2.0, which saw him bonded with the Venom symbiote. It gave him the same abilities as Spider-Man and new artificial legs. Manganiello’s Thompson is the only version that is connected to a symbiote that bonded with Spider-Man. As such, he would be the most likely candidate to recreate the origin story.

    Tom Hardy‘s Venom remains disconnected from the rest of the franchise and already bonded with Eddie Brock without gaining any spider-based abilities. So, the best way to introduce the symbiote similar to the comics, where Spidey found it during 1984’s Secret Wars event. Instead of forcing Hardy‘s version to bond with Peter and then return to Eddie, the Spider-Man 3 variant already went through the process. Maguire‘s Peter did destroy it during the finale, but that doesn’t mean a part of it may have survived. So, the government got its hand on it and found a way to graft it unto a desperate Thompson. Years later, he is still an active agent and finds his way into an unfamiliar multiverse.

     

    In Venom, Eddie Brock Briefly Teams Up With Flash Thompson's Agent Venom

     

    He is stranded in an unfamiliar world with dangerous living armor grafted onto his body. There was no one there to help him keep it under control, which meant he needed to find a solution. After breaking into a facility that offered him a solution to keep the Venom symbiote at bay, he ends up getting knocked out. Now, he ends up in the government’s captivity and is forced to join their efforts on repairing the aftermath of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He becomes a temporary asset for the Thunderbolt project but is trying to find a way home. The events left rifts across the world and he finally manages to get through one to follow the breadcrumbs back home. He ends up in a dystopian version of Earth that has been conquered by symbiotes, as their leader tries to call out to him. He is pulled away by the TVA before they are able to get close and is now enlisted to solve another world-altering event caused by his symbiote leaving a piece behind in the mainline Marvel Cinematic Universe. Morbius M. Morbius was already tired of having to deal with an unhinged Loki. It looks like their job isn’t quite done yet with the Multiverse.

  • Theory Thursday: How Doctor Strange May Became an Unwilling Mentor in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Theory Thursday: How Doctor Strange May Became an Unwilling Mentor in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe has established a motif in its Spider-Man films. Parker has a mentor of some kind watching over him over the course of the film. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, that role was introduced with Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark. That concept was twisted in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where it seemed like that role was Mysterio but need up being Talos disguised as Nick Fury. Now, in the upcoming threequel Spider-Man: No Way Home, we have a new mentor entering the fray. Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Doctor Strange seemingly may take on this role. In the comics, these two have frequently crossed paths and Strange is no stranger to guiding the wall-crawler through the magical world. Now, the main question is how he will factor into this potentially multiversal storyline.

     

    What We Know So Far

     

    Spider-Man’s identity was ousted to the world and he is accused of murdering Mysterio. We know that most of the main cast from the previous two films will return, along with the addition of Cumberbatch reprising his role as Doctor Strange and not one, but two villains (so far) that will go toe to toe with our protagonist. What’s interesting about these antagonists is that they’re characters we’ve seen before in previous Spider-Man films, portrayed by the same actors.  Jamie Foxx returns as Electro, which e played in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Alfred Molina also officially confirmed he will play Spider-Man 2‘s Doctor Octavius again. Ever since the news hit that we might get some legacy characters, the rumor mill started to spinning.

    Many believe that this film could delve into the concept of the multiverse and a possible live-Action adaptation of the Spider-Verse storyline. The reason is that Doctor Strange’s involvement hints at a connection to his upcoming sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So, his appearance is no accident. Having the Sorceror Supreme appear in the film certainly points this film in a more “magical” direction compared to the previous installments. With nearly dozens of different adventures to adapt in the comics, Marvel Studios’ approach is to often mix and match different moments from a number of comics. And with that thought, here’s today’s theory.

     

    Taken from the Comics

    In Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Vol. 1 24, Spider-Man goes to Stephen to see if he could help his Aunt May after a fatal gunshot. The doctor sadly couldn’t help him. As such, he decides to take matters into his own hands and tries to meddle with forces beyond his understanding. We’ve explored this idea if it may have gotten set up via WandaVision back in the day. They end up altering the fabric of reality. And in the Happy Birthday Story Arc, Doctor Strange is trying to keep evil forces from stepping into our reality. Spider-Man accidentally messes with the incantation that ends up throwing them across time and space. They end up reliving moments from their lives and facing countless villains, as well as peering into the future.

    My theory is that the film could potentially combine these two events. It is possible that Peter could seek Doctor Strange for a magical solution to his current predicament, but is given the same answer as in the comics. In the heat of the moment, Peter may not listen to Strange’s warnings as he wants his old life back. As such, he’ll end up causing a ripple by meddling with magic beyond his comprehension, which affects the flow of time and perhaps even ruptures the fabric of the multiverse. As such, it’ll be up to the duo of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange to face whatever threats come their way, no matter how Sinister.

  • Andrew Garfield Retracts His Denial and Leaves the Door Open for ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Andrew Garfield Retracts His Denial and Leaves the Door Open for ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    It’s incredible how much can happen within 24 hours. You may recall that yesterday, Andrew Garfield continued what seems to be an ongoing tradition at Marvel Studios by wholeheartedly denying his involvement in the upcoming Spider-Man sequel, Spider-Man: No Way Home. The first rumors of his involvement started months ago. It was believed that multiple actors from the previous  Spider-Man franchises would be returning to reprise their roles.

    The rumors also included the return of Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx, who will reprise their roles as Doc Ock and Electro, respectively. Of course, Garfield’s return seemed like a shoo-in after multiple rumors until he denied it in an over-the-top manner. Now, in an interview with Access, The Amazing Spider-Man actor was once again asked about the rumors, calling the potential of him returning “a really cool idea” and to “never say never”.

    This is definitely quite the tone shift from “I’m not the werewolf” from the last interview. It’s not the first time an actor has denied their involvement in a Marvel project. Several MCU actors and actresses have denied their involvement in the past. Jeremy Renner, Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Rudd, and most recently Tatiana Maslany have all denied their involvement as part of the MCU. It’s obvious Marvel Studios and Sony are trying to make sure nothing regarding this film is potentially leaked out to the public, especially if the cast for this film is rumored to incorporate the three live-action Spider-Men from different franchises.

    Andrew Garfield‘s comments yesterday did nothing more than fan the flames of perhaps the worst kept secret in Hollywood. However, he is no stranger to keeping secrets. For the moment, we’ll have to take his word and say he isn’t involved in the film until we receive some sort of official confirmation. But until such a time happens, we’ll have to keep very close attention to see how this tangled web unfurrows.

    Source: Twitter

  • Andrew Garfield Continues a Marvel Tradition by Denying Involvement with ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Andrew Garfield Continues a Marvel Tradition by Denying Involvement with ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Spider-Man: No Way Home seems like the worst kept secret in the industry. It all came to a boil when Spider-Man 2 actor Alfred Molina just outright confirmed his involvement with the project. He confirmed that he was returning as Doctor Octopus and that he may even continue from Sam Raimi‘s original film. It has quiet down since production wrapped on the project, but there are still countless unanswered rumors going around. Months ago, the rumor hit the web that Andrew Garfield might be returning alongside other Spider-Man franchise veteran. There was also the posts on Instagram by Garfield‘s stunt double William Spencer alongside Greg Townley. Why was that significant? Townley is Tom Holland‘s stunt double. Well, the Amazing Spider-Man actor was interview by Josh Horowitz on the rumors going around in which he denied the rumors.

    It’s a bit of a strange interview, as Garfield seems to harp on the topic for quite some bit and is dodging the question. He does deny his involvement but is vague enough to still keep the door open in a way. Of course, it isn’t new for actors to deny their involvement with projects. It’s almost become a tradition that MCU actors deny their involvement with these projects. We even prepared an overview of various denials in the past. Tatiana Maslany was a recent addition to that list after getting confirmed by Mark Ruffalo. In the past, Jeremy Renner, Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Paul Rudd have also famously denied their involvement. Of course, we won’t know for sure that he is involved until we get an official confirmation, but there are enough hints to put together that he is involved in some capacity. We’ll see how the story unfolds. It’ll be interesting to see if Tobey Maguire will join the tradition.

    Source: Twitter

  • REPORT: Amazon’s ‘Silk’ Eyeing August Production Start

    REPORT: Amazon’s ‘Silk’ Eyeing August Production Start

    It looks like we got some more news on the upcoming Sony-Amazon series adaptation of Silk. The character was famously introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #4 but appeared as a faceless background character in the three issues before. She was part of the Original Sin storyline that revealed that Korean-American Cindy Moon was also bit by the spider that gave Peter Parker his abilities. Variety revealed that Sony was developing the project together with Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are acting as executive producers on the Amazon series.

    It seems we have an update on the project, as Discussing Film has exclusively learned that they are currently eyeing a late-August production start. They are still actively looking to cast their Cindy Moon. The character actually made their live-action debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming where she was played by Tiffany Espensen. As this project seems detached from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they will most likely recast the character with rumors pointing to them approaching Adeline Rudolph for the role. Sang Kyu Kim is reportedly working on the series as its showrunner with Korean American writer Lauren Moon working on the project.

    This news confirms that they are still actively working on the project with Amazon after making a deal with Netflix. They got a first look deal on future projects. Shortly after, they also made a deal to release their projects on Disney+ and Hulu. So, it’ll be interesting to see if Amazon will connect their project with Sony’s future films and movies based on the Spider-Man universe, or if it will be a unique project for the studio.

    Source: Discussing Film

  • How Sony is Winning the Steaming War By Not Participating

    How Sony is Winning the Steaming War By Not Participating

    Sony hasn’t had the easiest time. While possessing some major franchises, it still had a rough time staying competitive. Unlike some competitors, the company isn’t truly dependent on the film market, but it still hurts if an entire studio faces some harsh developments. Sadly, it wasn’t just their film department. The Sony conglomerate had hit a low after losing £3 billion in 2012. The £800 million write-downs for its film division weren’t helping matters due to falling DVD sales in 2017. At the start of the pandemic, many questioned the studio’s longevity, as many others establish their own streaming services. Well, Sony took a very different approach that is finally paying off.

     

    Poor Corporate Governance Fueled Sony's Meltdown | Nippon.com

     

    Their filming divisions finalized two major streaming deals in the last month. First, they announced that Netflix would become their exclusive streaming home. It meant that upcoming films would join the service as of 2022. Also, they get a first look at any new projects. It was a curious choice after they pitched Silk to Amazon. Many wondered if this was the end for Marvel Studios ever getting to bring all the Marvel properties together on Disney+. It also could have darker implications for the ongoing cooperation between Disney and Sony, as they already had a falling out in the past for the character’s continued existence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Suddenly, Sony dropped the news that they have signed a multi-year contract to make their projects available through Disney’s streaming service. It revealed that Netflix has access for a limited time before they’re made available on Disney+. While the Spider-Man franchise was in the spotlight, they will have access to all of their available franchises from 2022 to 2026. There was no word if original scripted series might also be heading to Disney+, but it doesn’t exclude the chance that Tom Holland‘s Spidey could get an original series at some point. It’ll be interesting to see the implications for their overall deal and the longevity of Spider-Man within this universe.

     

    How anyone can make a Spider-Man suit, step-by-step - befores & afters

     

    Why is this such a clever idea? Well, the streaming market is getting crowded. Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ have established their position at the top. CBS All Access took on the new name Paramount+ and is trying to sell the service with the long-awaited Halo live-action series. Apple+ had 33 million users but is struggling to get them to pay. HBO Max is also dominating the market as they even managed to see a higher subscriber growth than Netflix in the first quarter of 2021. Instead of worrying about surviving in this highly competitive market, Sony made the right call by using the franchises they own as leverage to make deals with not just one but two of the biggest competitors in the market. Now, they pretty much reap the rewards without the work of programming and marketing an entirely new service. It’ll be interesting to see how Sony continues to develop with this new deal.

    Source: The Guardian (Resurgence), The Guardian (Sony Pictures) PR Newswire, Variety, Financial Times

  • ‘Spider-Man’ Heading to Disney+ Through Multi-Year Disney-Sony Deal

    ‘Spider-Man’ Heading to Disney+ Through Multi-Year Disney-Sony Deal

    It looks like Disney and Sony have been busy making deals behind the scenes, as Deadline just reported that they have reached a multi-year deal for post-day-1 releases of Spider-Man and other franchises on Disney+. This deal also covers Hulu and the various outlets owned by Disney. Now, the major reveal is that every theatrical release from 2022 to 2026 will move to Disney once their runs on Netflix end. Keep in mind, there is no confirmation when or how this will take place, as the specific plans haven’t been finalized.

    […] gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films.

    Now, this is quite the game-changer. We all expected that the Spider-Man franchise wouldn’t find its way to Disney+ after the Netflix deal, but it seems that Sony has been playing the long game here. At the time, the wording hinted at the streaming giant becoming their main home for digitally accessible content, but this changes the landscape. There is also the possibility that it opens up the possibility for Disney to develop Spider-Man spin-offs that connect to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or if this deal will also extend Tom Holland‘s franchise. There are a lot of questions coming out of this deal and we probably won’t get any answers anytime soon, but the developing partnership between Disney and Sony is a rather curious one. Hopefully, we will get some more news on how this deal may affect the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise in the near future.

    Source: Deadline