Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Spider-Man

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Finale Almost Included Spider-Man At One Point

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Finale Almost Included Spider-Man At One Point

    In an ever-expanding franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it almost seems like the possibilities are endless. You have such a long list of characters to choose from to explore the vast corners of the universe. Well, it seems that the Falcon and Winter Soldier team were just as ambitious when they were mapping out the story. At some point, they originally wanted to include Peter Parker in the season finale, as it took place in New York City. Well, it seems that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was the one to shoot down that idea. Malcolm Spellman revealed in an interview with Inverse:

    Then Kevin Feige tells you, “No. Stop it.” Listen, when you first show up to these projects, in your mind you think you’re gonna get to use everybody in the MCU. But Marvel always asks, “Does this person belong in this story? You cannot just geek out and put all of our characters in your project because you like them. They have to occur organically.” So Spider-Man did not make it.

    The inclusion of Spider-Man would’ve made sense with it being his home turf, but the approach says a lot about how Marvel Studios approaches their characters. Instead of forcing every hero to show up in every project, they need to fit the story organically rather than getting forced in. Falcon and Winter Soldier already included Zemo, Sharon, and the Dora Milaje. At one point, it could take away from Sam and Bucky’s story. It is interesting to note that Feige didn’t exclude the fact that Tom Holland‘s Peter could appear in the Disney+ show, which opens up a lot of other questions if you consider the recent dealings between Disney and Sony. We’ll see if more is to come to this aspect of the franchise. Luckily for Sam, he won’t be able to steal the shield again.

    Source: Inverse via The Direct

  • 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

  • RUMOR: Latest LEGO Toy Leak Hints at a New ‘What If’ Spider-Man and ‘Loki’s Throg

    RUMOR: Latest LEGO Toy Leak Hints at a New ‘What If’ Spider-Man and ‘Loki’s Throg

    At this point, I think Marvel Studios will not trust any toy companies anymore. It looks like, once again, a leak from the toy company has offered a bit more insight into an upcoming project than it should be. The site Brick Fan has uncovered a list of LEGO Minifigures that are inspired by the various Disney+ shows. It includes quite a long list of characters, such as WandaVision‘s Scarlet Witch and White Vision alongside Bucky and Sam Wilson’s Captain America, which got heavily teased in the last episode of Falcon and Winter Soldier. It also includes some confirmed characters for the What If series, T’Challa as Star-Lord, Zombie Captain America, and Captain Britain. Of course, you’re not here for the already well-known characters.

    The list includes the first mention of Lady Loki. She’s been rumored since the first potential hint at a child-version of the God of Mischief hit the web. There is also the mention of Loki alongside Throg, which could hint at the character’s live-action debut in the June series. He isn’t just a Thor version of frog, but actually, a man named Simon Walterson. He was turned into a frog by Loki in the comics. Now, the list also includes some reveals for What If. There is mention of a version of Steve Rogers, who holds the title Spider-Man. There was an interview some time ago where Chris Evans revealed he would love to be Spider-Man, but disliked the costume. So, maybe his wish finally came true. We have to take this with a grain of salt, but it would be quite a curious direction if it turns out to be true.

    What gives this some credence is the inclusion of a Thanos version of Gamora. Her artwork was leaked alongside Ultron not too long ago. If we consider that would imply the other characters included in this Minifigure group may make their appearance in the MCU’s future. The curious inclusion of Steve Rogers as Spider-Man makes it a bit questionable, as the character does belong to Sony. Perhaps this could be a sign for a new era, as he can appear on the Disney+ projects. It’ll be interesting to see how this potentially pays off once the series release.

    Source: Brick Fan via The Direct, ScreenRant

  • ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ Sequel Director Trio Revealed

    ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ Sequel Director Trio Revealed

    It looks like the next entry in the animated Spider-Man franchise will have a trio of directors. The official Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse shared the new trio of directors that will tackle the project in a Twitter post. It reveals that Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson are taking over directing duties.

    It isn’t uncommon for animated features to have multiple directors due to their complexity of coordinating the various aspects of the process. They are taking over from Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, who brought the story of Miles Morales to life. The reveal is in a clever thread where they played on the bagels scene from the original film before suddenly dropping the director revealed.

    It’ll be interesting to see how they continue the previous entries’ story. Some time ago, we did report that there is a possibility they are adding the villain of Spot into the film. His abilities would be the perfect addition to a multiversal storyline that forces Miles to meet up with others and explore brand new environments. We might remain focused on the primary three from the first film. It is also a curious surprise that none of the previous directors are making a return. So, they might be trying to reinvent with each film to add a new flair to it. We cannot wait to see what direction the sequel will go and if it will remain focused on Miles, or even introduced a brand new member of the Spider-Verse family.

    Source: Twitter