Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Spider-Man

  • How ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Can Fix the Iron Boy Jr. Perception

    How ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Can Fix the Iron Boy Jr. Perception

    Spider-Man is a very polarizing character with countless interpretations across multiple forms of media. So, as the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home grows closer, fans have started to become more vocal regarding multiple aspects of this film. With the rumors of the upcoming sequel potentially bringing in the previous iterations of the character, fans have started to point out the differences between the three live-action versions. The debate has begun on how one counterpart is better than the other. What stands out is that the harshest of criticisms definitely focusing in on the MCU’s interpretation of Spider-Man. Many believe that Tom Holland’s version of the character lacks many qualities about what would normally characterize the web-slinging hero. All of these critiques however can be neatly wrapped up into one singular question: Who is Spider-Man in the MCU really?

     

    Identity Crisis

     

    For the MCU Version of Spider-Man, you could argue that he is often opaqued by his connection to Tony Stark. In a way, making his character an extension of the MCU founder. The reasoning behind this train of thought is because when compared to the rest of the characters in the MCU, whose history always was part of an extended universe, Spider-Man had no connection. He was the only one to protect NYC in his past films. In most forms of media, he’s been perceived as this individual that understands what it’s like to be someone on opposite sides of the spectrum.

    An individual who knows what it’s like to be powerless to do anything and someone who has superhuman powers, but also understands the responsibilities that must come along with them. In a way, it’s what makes Spider-Man relatable and appealing to many audiences. When it comes to the MCU version of the character, some vocal Spider-Man fans have argued that this iteration of Peter Parker has a sense of dependence and reliance on others, rather than assuming responsibility wholeheartedly.

     

    The Solution

     

    Ironically enough, in a film that is rumored to be so jampacked and filled with characters, references, and nostalgia, Spider-Man: No Way Home may very well be the perfect film to make up for that past perception. Given what we already know about the film, Peter Parker’s secret identity has been ousted to the world. As he stands trial for Mysterio’s murder, he’ll have to step up and defend himself. That is a lot of responsibility to carry for a kid of his age.

    And with the worst kept secret being that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are set to reprise their respective roles in this film, then we are putting the MCU Peter Parker where he’ll learn what it means to hold that mantle from his true counterparts, or at least a Variant of himself. He’ll have the opportunity to learn what exactly inspired or motivated each Peter Parker to gain that sense of responsibility. It would give him the chance to re-evaluate his own perception of the responsibility he mentioned in Captain America: Civil War. As his character moves forward, we might get a clearer picture of what makes Tom Holland’s Spider-Man truly Spider-Man.

  • Pitching a Black Suit Trilogy After ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Pitching a Black Suit Trilogy After ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Believe it or not, it’s already been six years since Tom Holland was cast as the MCU’s version of Peter Parker. The actor has since appeared in five films with the final installment of his trilogy set to drop in December of this year. While the series capper, No Way Home, promises to be a jam-packed delight for fans of the iconic character, it does come packaged with a loaded question: what happens to Spider-Man once it’s over? Holland seems to be far from done playing the role. The occurrence of more films, set during Peter’s college years, has been theorized by fans for ages. Marvel boss Kevin Feige once used the Harry Potter franchise as a reference for the MCU’s take on Spidey. So, a collection of sequels with a darker tone doesn’t feel like it’s completely off the table.

    Luckily for Marvel, there actually happens to be a famous plot device in the Spidey mythos that could do wonders for shifting the character in that mature direction. That’s right, I’m talking about a certain famed alien symbiote. Venom bonding with Holland‘s Peter is something fans have wanted to see for a long time, but unfortunately, the two entities currently exist in separate cinematic universes. Luckily, Loki and the What If series are teasing a colliding multiverse. As such, there is a perfect opportunity to tell a “Black Suit Trilogy” inside of a bigger picture that includes three different franchises. The story would start with:

    Avengers: Secret Wars

     

    The creatives at Marvel Studios have been alluding to an adaptation of the classic event series Secret Wars for years now. Loki creator Michael Waldron even gave Murphy’s Multiverse a cheeky “We’ll see,” when asked about the concept during a recent interview. That storyline has had a few iterations, but the multiversal trajectory of Phase Four indicates the MCU may go with a project inspired by Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 series. That story dealt with the fallout of multiple Marvel universes colliding with each other and becoming a single continuity.

    This is something that could translate well on screen, with an array of live-action Marvel franchises already in existence. If this movie were to come to fruition, there is a chance that Tom Hardy‘s Venom may find his way into the Sacred Timeline. The event would be a great way to bring Venom and Spider-Man into the same universe. Holland‘s Parker finally getting the symbiote in Battleworld would be a wonderful homage to the original 1984 Secret Wars comic. It would act as his first step into his new life.

     

    Spider-Man: Identity Crisis (or Last Hunt)

     

    Before a live-action Spider-Verse was on the table, it appeared the third MCU Spider-Man film would focus on the consequences of Peter’s identity being publicly revealed. Michael Mando felt poised to don a Scorpion suit, and there was heavy speculation Marvel’s ultimate hunter Kraven would come to NYC to find new prey. Despite not ending up this way, that plot would still make for a pretty good movie. Should the story of Peter’s unmasking not be concluded in No Way Home, it wouldn’t be hard to shift this concept to a fourth film.

    If Secret Wars were to bring all the cinematic universes together, we would already have an established Kraven ready to go. Throw in the idea that Peter’s family and friends would also have targets painted on their backs, you’ll have a pretty good amount of physical and emotional threats to test Peter’s morals while influenced by the Venom symbiote. Just imagine the story of J.M. DeMatteis‘ Kraven’s Last Hunt combining with J. Michael Straczynski‘s Back In Black. 

    Venom: Separation Anxiety

     

    If Let There Be Carnage does as well as the first Venom flick, you know there’ll be another sequel. After going through his origin story and duking it out with a redheaded Woody Harrelson, what’s left for a symbiote to do? It’s logical to assume the third movie is where we’ll finally see Holland‘s Spider-Man confront Hardy‘s Venom. If Peter has the symbiote, Eddie Brock is going to want it back.

    The project could even take inspiration from the mid-90’s Separation Anxiety storyline, in which a Venom-less Eddie finds himself up against a horde of spawns created by the Life Foundation. If Peter were wearing the black suit in a world of rampaging symbiotes, it stands to reason he’d be attracted to the carnage. Once he meets back up with Eddie? Game, set, match.

    Source: Collider, Marvel, Good Reads

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man Eyeing an End of 2021 Release

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Spider-Man Eyeing an End of 2021 Release

    Marvel’s Avengers set out to accomplish an interesting goal. Through the Games-as-a-Service model, we would get a continuous expansion of its core roster. We’ve already gotten our hands on Kate Bishop and Clint Barton with Black Panther to release next month. There was also the open question about when we can expect the PlayStation exclusive Spider-Man. In the FKNA podcast, lead animator Anthony Garttmeyer from Crystal Dynamics offered some insight into the game’s development, which included the following line:

    Spider-Man is the End of the Year. That is all I can say.

    We have to take into account that the lead animator is not involved directly with the approval process. So, we shouldn’t take this as an official confirmation. We’ll most likely get a clearer picture once the Year 2 Roadmap drops this or next month, which could potentially include the character. He is also exclusive for one console. So, it’s uncertain how large his content drop will be and if we might see him get added alongside other content. At one point, PlayStation’s official magazine confirmed a March release but that didn’t pan out as planned.

    Garrtmeyer also discusses the details on how long heroes take to get developed, such as around four to eight months until the animation is finished. We have to also keep in mind that early data mines showed that a lot of prep work has been accomplished for the game, which is rather common for the GaaS genre. So, they might have done a lot of prep work to keep a tight timing for the releases. Of course, the pandemic and launch bugs have delayed the game’s initial roadmap. A potential December release would align with Spider-Man: No Way Home, but we’ll have to wait for an official word

    Source: Twitch, YouTube

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Funko Pops Offer Closer Look at Anti-Ock Inspired Suit

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Funko Pops Offer Closer Look at Anti-Ock Inspired Suit

    That didn’t take long. Just yesterday, we found a listing for the upcoming Funko Pops inspired by Spider-Man: No Way Home. Well, it looks like the Funko Pops already found their way online via Marvel. What stands out is that it includes Doctor Strange holding a shovel, which is a rather curious detail. It also confirms which suits are given the respective title and it seems I was off by quite a bit. Check out the Funko Pops right here:

     

     

    The Iron Spider combo is the Integrated Suit that was listed. It seems the Gold Suit wasn’t just a gold-covered figurine but the black and gold mesh teased through the LEGO set. It’s interesting to note they connected the hat costume to a set that was inspired by Spider-Man: Homecoming and it’ll be interesting to see why Peter creates this suit. In Far From Home, it was made through Stark technology. So, perhaps he gets back to Happy to build it after his previous suit didn’t work. What makes this design stand out is that it seems strongly inspired by the 2018 Insomniac game’s Anti-Ock suit. Perhaps he might upgrade his arsenal to take on the confirmed return of Alfred Molina in the iconic role. The additionally leaked Legends figurines showcase red fingertips for the design, which are absent with the Funko Pops.

     

     

    It’s also noticeable that the pops focus primarily on Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. Even as many other classic characters are rumored to appear, it seems very unlikely they’ll reveal everything so early. The film is set to release this December and there is enough time to tease the overarching plot of the film. Doctor Strange seems to have a more prominent role in the promotion and might be. the dominant figure in the film’s first trailer. All we can do now is just wait for it to finally release.

    Source: Twitter, Marvel

  • Leaked ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Funko Listing Teases Three Suits and August Release

    Leaked ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Funko Listing Teases Three Suits and August Release

    It’s been a busy day for toy leaks, as we got our first look at the What If Funko Pops and the first Spider-Man: No Way Home LEGO sets found their way online. It looks like we might have gotten more information, as Reddit user BubblesBorn shared a Funko listing. What stands out is that the listing hints at an August release, which could potentially hint at a trailer release in the current month. They would commonly make Funkos available after the designs got revealed. It also includes three different suits, which include the upgraded, integrated, and gold suit. So, the recently leaked suit that combined Spider-Man: Far From Home‘s design with the Iron Spider suit from Avengers: Infinity Wars could be the upgraded version.

    Some news I found on the No Way Home Funko pops!
    byu/BubblesBorn inmarvelstudios

    There is also the listing of Doctor Strange, MJ, and Ned. It’s interesting how much focus Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Strange is getting in the toy leaks, which hints at him getting the focus in the upcoming trailer. Of course, the main focus will be his suits. It does seem strange to include three unique suit designs so early on. There is a chance that the “Gold Suit” isn’t actually part of the film but Funko’s usually complete golden version of a character.

    The previously mentioned suit on the LEGO packaging might be the upgraded one, but the “integrated” design is a rather curious naming. The name is used by the military for Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology, or JSLIST, which serves to protect soldiers from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards.  So, he might face a villain specialized in that kind of weaponry. whatever he might face, the August release might hint at the No Way Home trailer is just around the corner and it’s going to be an exciting next few weeks.

    Source: Reddit

  • First Look At ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Costume Revealed By Lego Promo Art

    First Look At ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Costume Revealed By Lego Promo Art

    The next film in the Spider-Man franchise is undoubtedly the most anticipated MCU film since Endgame with so much mystery shrouding the film and rumors flying high about just what exactly the movie is about. For a while now it’s been speculated that the film would feature a multiversal outbreak that would cause villains of franchise-past and their Spider-Men to all come together in one big film that could change the MCU forever. With no clue as to when the marketing may start for the film, it seems Lego’s gotten a bit of a jumpstart, giving us a bit of a clearer look at the film.

    In a recent post to their online store by Lego, they’ve revealed multiple sets in for the upcoming release of No Way Home, with a few being inspired by films past. The most interesting detail is the box art, offering our first look at a brand suit for Peter in the upcoming film. On the box, we see what looks to be the red and black suit from Spider-Man Far From Home now combined with the Iron Spider Suit seen in Avengers: Endgame. Some upgrades must be in order if Spider-Man is to face off against the likes of Doc Ock and Electro.

    The first set is one “Inspired by Spider-Man: Homecoming” and features Spider-Man facing off against the Vulture in an Anti-Ock-inspired suit from the Spider-Man PS4 Game, along with a giant yellow drone.  The second set looks to actually be from Spider-Man: No Way Home, featuring Spidey and MJ in the Sanctum Sanctorum workshop alongside Wong and Dr. Strange as they face off against a monster bug. While the promo art is very real, it’s always worth noting that Lego sets are very unreliable so we shouldn’t necessarily expect action scenes in the film to play out the way they do in these toy sets.

    SOURCE: Twitter, LEGO

  • RUMOR: Olivia Wilde’s ‘Spider-Woman’ to Tackle Jessica Drew’s Comic Origin

    RUMOR: Olivia Wilde’s ‘Spider-Woman’ to Tackle Jessica Drew’s Comic Origin

    There are a lot of Spider-Man-related projects going around. Sony has been busy expanding the IP in curious ways, such as the upcoming Amazon Silk project. It just recently added showrunner and is moving forward. Now, there was also the revealed Olivia Wilde film that’ll introduce cinema-goers to Spider-Woman. We haven’t had many details regarding the projects, but it seems Illuminerdi may have gotten some curious details. They shred that the main character will indeed be Jessica Drew, as we reported around a year ago, and that’ll follow her comic storyline of fighting through amnesia. In the comics, it was due to her past with HYDRA but that may get changed in the upcoming adaptation. Sony is currently looking to cast someone between 25 to 35 years of age.

    It’s been almost nine months since we last heard anything on the project, as Wilde confirmed that she is working or at least in talks with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. The character had a rather important role in the Secret Invasion comic storyline, which will now become. Disney+ series. If any character, besides Peter Parker, of course, would join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Drew would be a perfect choice. Nothing has been confirmed but the hint of an older version of the character could tease a very unique origin story for the character. Exploring her origin through amnesia would make for a unique superhero storyline, as she has to retrace her steps. They could turn it into a detective storyline as she tries to figure out what exactly happened to her before she woke up. Whatever direction they may take, hopefully, we’ll get some official information soon.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • Marvel Studios’ Partnering With Sony on ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Marketing Campaign

    Marvel Studios’ Partnering With Sony on ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Marketing Campaign

    There has been quite a lot of discussion surrounding the exact timing when we’ll see the first trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. The third entry in Tom Holland’s trilogy has been heavily rumored, and in some instances even confirmed, to expand beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reintroduce the world to some familiar faces. It has been well documented that Marvel Studios is mainly responsible for the creative development of these films and it was uncertain if they have any hand in the marketing.

    As there will be a lot of secrets to keep and Sony is notorious for spoiling entire plotlines in their trailers, it seems that Marvel Studios might be more hands-on now. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Disney Marketing President Asad Ayaz confirmed that the marketing plan is currently being mapped out by Sony, but the Disney subsidiary is also ensuring that the trailer works out for everyone involved.

    Sony is absolutely handling the marketing for Spider-Man. Kevin Feige and his team are closely partnering with the Sony team on those. So there is coordination in that sense. We also make sure we are aware of who is dropping what when. But we are not working together on the campaigns because it’s their film. They are handling it but there is a level of coordination to make sure that it’s a win-win for everybody.

    Of course, he doesn’t give away when we can expect the trailer, but it certainly is a showcase that they’re actively mapping out the marketing activities. It’s not uncommon for them to be planned months in advance, but the pandemic has shortened the time window for when trailers and promotional material is made available for the public. Here’s hoping the wait isn’t too long.

    Source: Cinema Blend, Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Watchmen’s Tom Spezialy Joins Amazon’s ‘Silk’ as Showrunner

    ‘Watchmen’s Tom Spezialy Joins Amazon’s ‘Silk’ as Showrunner

    It looks like development is finally underway for Amazon Studios’ Spider-Man spin-off, Silk. Deadline reported that the executive producer of HBO’s Watchmen series, Tom Spezialy, has signed a deal with Amazon that also includes him joining the Sony Pictures Television project as showrunner. He will work alongside executive producer Lauren Moon, who wrote the series that’ll explore the story of Korean-American superhero Cindy Moon. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the minds behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, will also act as executive producers and are overseeing the various TV projects based on the webheads’ popular IP.

    What is interesting to note is that Illuminerdi broke the news that Sang Kyu Kim joined the project as showrunner around four months ago. It’s uncertain if he actually was involved with the project and potentially moved on to others. Either way, it seems that Spezialy has taken on those duties moving forward. Story details are still kept tightly under wraps, as the series continues to eye an August production start. Hopefully, it means we’ll get a casting announcement by the latest of July that will finally unveil who will take on the role.

    The development continuing is also an interesting indicator that the series won’t move to Netflix after all. Shortly after the spin-off was announced, Sony and Netflix unveiled their new partnership for exclusive first-look deals on any of their future projects. As of now, it’s uncertain to what extent this deal will work but it’s safe to say that any other Spider-Man-based projects will premiere there first. They also made a multi-year deal with Disney+ to ensure their franchises will be made available on the platform. So, Sony has secured its place in the streaming wars by simply partnering with everyone. It’ll be interesting to see if the amazon series might make international debuts on various other outlets moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: ‘Kraven the Hunter’ to Face Off Against Chameleon

    RUMOR: ‘Kraven the Hunter’ to Face Off Against Chameleon

    The Spider-Man franchise continues to expand but not in the ways many expect. Sony has been quite eager about exploring new ventures by exploring individual stories surrounding the webhead’s vast amount of characters. Now, they aren’t necessarily connected to Tom Holland’s incarnation of the character, but we’ve already seen their work with Venom and the upcoming Morbius. Sony has now set its eyes on an adaptation of Kraven the Hunter‘s story with Aaron Taylor-Johnson cast in the titular role. It seems that wasn’t all, as Illuminerdi shared that the Chameleon, better known as the Russian master of disguise Dmitri Smerdyakov, will be a villain in the upcoming spin-off.

    They couldn’t offer any details outside of his potential inclusion. They are currently looking for someone in their thirties to take on the villainous role. It is uncertain if he’ll have to contend with others or if he’ll be the sole adversary of the film. The character actually has some connections to fellow Russian, as he was his half-brother in the comics. So, they might explore this aspect in the upcoming film.

    It is also unknown if he’ll have his iconic face mask and switch between them, or simply act as a mastermind in the background. It is most likely not connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe directly, but they might utilize the technology introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier that allowed someone to replace their face. They could also give him a unique visual to make the character stand out, especially if Sony might do their own thing with this spin-off. Whatever direction they end up taking, it’s going to be curious to see how they adapt these characters without their common foe.

    Source: Illuminerdi