Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Streaming

  • James Gunn Seemingly Confirms a Surprising Hero Will Make His DCU Debut in ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2

    Recently, DC Studios co-chair and Peacemaker creator James Gunn has drawn parallels between how John Cena‘s Christopher Smith was able to move from an “in-between universe” into the DCU and his plans for Blue Beetle, who made his big-screen debut in 2023.

    “Peacemaker was always in a weird place. People say he was part of the DCEU but he wasn’t really,” said Gunn in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes.”He was part of this “in-between Universe” of DC when there was nobody really making sure that everything was connected and at a time when they were going to rewrite everything with The Flash.We were kind of able to do whatever we wanted and we had that brash ending, which I loved, it was one of my favorite things from the whole season, but it just didn’t fit in with the DCU. And Peacemaker, there’s hardly anything else that you need to change for him, he can slide very easily into the DCU, same with Blue Beetle. They just kind of fit in very nicely, we just have to retcon a couple of things,” the DC boss explained. And it seems as though heat have had Blue Beetle on his mind for a reason.

    In an additional portion of the Rotten Tomatoes interview, Gunn seems to all but confirm that Blue Beetle will appear in an upcoming episode of Peacemaker Season 2.

    After the interviewer shares his love for the character with Gunn and expresses his desire to see Blue Beetle appear in Peacemaker, a grinning Gunn “Well, you know, I won’t say you’re not in luck.”

    Given Season 2’s use of the Multiverse as a primary plot device, a number of options are in play, including following up on the disappearance of Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle, that was mentioned in the 2023 film. Whatever the path, it’s certain that the film’s star Xolo Maridueña, who has been teasing his character’s DCU future, will play some role.

    New episodes of the second season of Peacemaker debut weekly on Thursdays on HBO Max.

  • James Gunn Explains ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2’s Big Retcon

    James Gunn Explains ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2’s Big Retcon

    Before the DCU officially got underway with Creature Commandos in December 2024, DC Studios co-chair James Gunn had already muddied the canon waters. In what seemed to be an odd choice at the time, Gunn explained that events from The Suicide Squad or Season 1 of Peacemaker would “automatically become canon” when they were talked about in Creature Commandos.

    Released in 2021, The Suicide Squad introduced John Cena‘s Peacemaker to fans as part of a second team of degenerates sent by Amanda Waller to Corto Maltese. The events of The Suicide Squad, including the death of Rick Flag at the hands of Peacemaker, serve as the set up for Season 1 of Peacemaker. With Amanda Waller, who was featured in both projects, and Rick Flag’s father both appearing in Creature Commandos, and again in Season 2 of Peacemaker, a clear line of continuity seemed to be established from one project to the next…but then Gunn threw in a twist.

    “The truth is almost all of Peacemaker is canon with the exception of Justice League… which we will kind of deal with in the next season of Peacemaker,” Gunn teased in a November 2024 interview.

    Gunn was, of course referring to the season finale of the first season of Peacemaker, which featured some high profile cameos following the episode’s big battle. As Peacemaker and his crew walked away from the ashes of the barn battle, four members of the Justice League arrived on the scene. But with the DCEU dead and buried, how could they exist if Peacemaker is DCU canon?

    Ahead of the Season 2 premiere of Peacemaker, social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello shared word that Gunn’s decision to “deal with it” was to erase the Justice League entirely, replacing them with the Justice Gang during a “Previously in the DCU” opening. And that’s exactly how it went down, almost.

    3 CENTURIES AGO, the first superpowered beings, known as METAHUMANS, appeared on Earth, ushering in a new era of GODS AND MONSTERS.

    3 DECADES AGO, an extraterrestrial baby was sent in a spacecraft to Earth, and adopted by Kansas farmers.

    3 YEARS AGO, the baby, now grown, announced himself as SUPERMAN, the most powerful metahuman of all.

    3 WEEKS AGO, Superman stopped the country of BORAVIA from invading JARHANPUR, sparking controversy around the world

    3 HOURS AGO, a metahuman called the HAMMER OF BORAVIA attacked Superman in the city of METROPOLIS.

    3 MINUTES AGO, Superman lost a battle for the first time.

    While Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Superman and Supergirl did appear, the latter two were NOT members of the Justice Gang at that time because as Gunn reminded fans on Threads, the events of Peacemaker Season 1 happened “before Superman.” That also explains the absence of Metamorpho, who teamed up with the heroes, and why Clark was so familiar with those characters in Superman. According to Gunn, the Man of Steal and his cousin have been able to “team up with them a lot like they did in Superman,” in the three years since Clark announced himself as Superman.

    To recap, the events of Peacemaker Season 1 take place in the new DCU continuity before Superman and, as made clear by Rick Flag Sr.’s reference to the “Luthor incident,” Season 2 takes place after the events in Metropolis. Easy as that!

  • ‘Andor’ Creator Comment Sparks Canon Controversy

    ‘Andor’ Creator Comment Sparks Canon Controversy

    Tony Gilroy unquestionably created something singular and exceptional in Andor. Only after watching both seasons in their entirety  can the full weight of what Andor truly is be felt: it is the most important project in the overall mythos of the Star Wars universe. And by and large, it stands as one of the most well-received projects in the expansive Star Wars universe; however, there’s nothing a growing sect of Star Wars fans hate more than Star Wars–especially if it’s made by Disney–and that even applies to something otherwise universally recognized as epic as Andor.

    Following a set-up in Season 1, the sophomore season of Andor dove deep into the canonically pre-established Ghorman Massacre. During a top secret Imperial retreat at the Maltheen Divide, Ben Mendelssohn‘s Orson Krennic lays bare the Empire’s plan to destabilize Ghorman through any means necessary to allow Emperor Palpatine to establish energy independence. As is Gilroy’s way, some of the time spent on Ghorman also serves to establish the planet’s culture, including the ghorlectipod silk industry that allowed it to become the center of the Galaxy’s fabric and fashion industries. The investment into details about the planet’s history and its people by Gilroy made the massacre by the Empire that much more impactful and in a new interview with Titan Magazine’s Star Wars Insider, Gilroy revealed another such detail that amplifies the evil of the Emperor.

    Tony Gilroy and Genevieve O’Reilly on the set of Lucasfilm’s ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    According to Gilroy, after eventually strip mining Ghorman and turning it into a virtual hellscape, Sleepy Sheev Palpatine had his black robes made of Ghorman twill. It’s a small detail, to be sure, but a disgustingly evil one. And it riled up some fans.

    After Star Wars Holocron shared the detail on X, fans expressed their problems with the new detail. The gist of the grief seems to stem from the obviously incredibly well-known fact that Palpatine’s robes were made from Zeyd cloth and/or that someone other than George Lucas dared to make an official statement about something in the Star Wars universe.

    https://twitter.com/LocalElfKiller/status/1958073289005293954?t=XmkR9Nss2pTBhfwMQRUjjg&s=19

    Concerning himself with Palpatine’s robes is the kind of thinking that allowed Gilroy to make Andor into foundational Star Wars. Even if his statement retcons the fabric from which the Emperor’s new clothes are made, it isn’t as if Lucas himself hasn’t retconned countless things for far less interesting reasons. But, as they say, haters gonna hate…hate…hate…hate.

  • Wyatt Russell Joins the Cast of Another MCU Project

    Wyatt Russell Joins the Cast of Another MCU Project

    After debuting as an antagonistic force in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Wyatt Russell‘s John Walker has becoming an increasingly sympathetic character as he’s worked through a redemptive arc. His rough persona made him the perfect foil to Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts* and now, as part of the New Avengers, he’ll help Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as they attempt to save the Multiverse in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, fans will have another chance to catch Russell’s U.S. Agent before he hits the big screen again in 2026.

    According to a recently updated project profile for Marvel Animation’s Marvel Zombies, Russell will voice (presumably) Walker in the four-episode mini-event.

    Debuting on D+ on September 24th, the TV-MA series spins out of the ending of Episode 1.01 of What If…?, “What If…Zombies?”, and sees the survivors of a zombie plague search for answers to their survival.

    After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.

    -Official Synopsis for Marvel Animation’s Marvel Zombies

    Whether Walker finds himself among the infected or not is unclear; however, given that David Harbour and Florence Pugh are also among the announced cast members, it is possible an alternate reality version of the Thunderbolts could be on display in the series.

  • New ‘Marvel Zombies’ Synopsis Teases a Key to Stopping the Super-Powered Undead

    New ‘Marvel Zombies’ Synopsis Teases a Key to Stopping the Super-Powered Undead

    Marvel Animation’s What If…? spinoff, Marvel Zombies, was recently given a new, earlier release date that will see it hit D+ well ahead of Spooky Season. The four-episode TV-MA mini-event was originally developed as a movie before being broken into four parts and according to director Bryan Andrews, it will deliver on its premise and unleash “a lot of insanity.” And now, thanks to an updated Disney press release, a new synopsis for the story has been revealed.

    Spinning right out of the ending of “What If…Zombies?”, which saw Spider-Man, Black Panther and the head of Ant-Man travel to Wakanda where zombie Thanos awaits, the event series will introduce additional surviving heroes to the mix including Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Shang-Chi and Yelena Belova. The new press release confirms that Paul Rudd will return to voice Scott Lang and that Wyatt Russell and Tessa Thompson also lent their voices to the project.

    After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.

    -Official Synopsis for Marvel Zombies

    Starring Awkwafina, David Harbour, Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park,
    Florence Pugh, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Hailee Steinfeld, Tessa Thompson, Dominique Thorne, Iman Vellani and Todd Williams, Marvel Zombies will debut on D+ on September 24th.

  • After Skipping the Summer Convention Circuit, Marvel May Be Ready to Make Some Noise

    After Skipping the Summer Convention Circuit, Marvel May Be Ready to Make Some Noise

    By choosing not to put together a big Hall H presentation at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Marvel Studios seemed content letting Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps do its talking this Summer. Both films were a hit with critics and fans and generated plenty of discussion; however, with a year-long wait until the next MCU film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, hits theaters, there will need to be some additional topics of conversation. And while production on Destin Daniel Cretton‘s Spidey film has been making headlines, it’s likely to move inside for a significant chunk of time, disappearing from the spotlight. That leaves Marvel Animation’s Marvel Zombies and Marvel Television’s Wonder Man on the docket and, so far, neither have drawn much interest from fans. So, what can Marvel Studios do to make some noise?

    Without its every-other-year D23 convention on the calendar, it looked as though the studio may have intended to go the rest of the year without showing off its future slate; however, over the past week, the revelation that the studio will have a presence at a pair of events has provided some hope for a look at Marvel’s plans for 2026!

    First up, Destination D23

    Destination D23 is a Disney fan event, specifically a smaller, biennial event held in Walt Disney World that alternates with the larger, flagship D23 Expo. This year, it’s taking place from August 29-31 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. The event offers fans a chance to celebrate Disney’s past, present, and future through exclusive presentations, behind-the-scenes looks at upcoming projects, special guests, and unique shopping experiences. On Saturday, August 30th, the Walt Disney Studio’s Showcase will give fans in attendance “an exclusive look at the movies fans love, and a glimpse into what to look forward to from Disney’s film studios,” which, of course, includes Marvel Studios.

    While Marvel has not been confirmed to have a presence, it is possible that the event will include an appearance by Kevin Feige. And with no films on the slate until next year, the panel could contain some information about Avengers: Doomsday, which remains in production in the UK.

    New York, Neeeeeew Yoooooork…Comic Con

    Held at the Javits Center from October 9-12, NYCC will be “Four jam-packed days of pop culture, film and TV studios, studio and brand activations, comics, celebs, authors, voice actors, panels, and geeky goodness right here in NYC. And most importantly, a home for heroes, villains, and nerds to be accepted and embraced,” and Marvel Studios WILL be there.

    On October 11th, fans are invited to “join special guests for a look behind the scenes at Marvel’s upcoming Disney+ shows from Marvel Television and Marvel Animation.” With Marvel Zombies  streaming on September 24th, only Wonder Man remains on the 2025 slate. It is possible–perhaps even likely–that Marvel uses the panel to roll out the first full trailer for that project but that’s almost certainly not all that they’ll get up to.

    With Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again set to hit D+ in March, Marvel could wow the NYCC crowd with a first look at the upcoming episodes. Additionally, given Marvel Animation’s presence, a look at Season 2 of X-Men ’97 and/or Season 2 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man could be in order. It’s possible the studio could also provide a first look at the Paul Bettany-led Vision series and reveal additional animated projects in the works.

  • Lucasfilm’s CCO Addresses the Future of Animated Star Wars Projects

    Lucasfilm’s CCO Addresses the Future of Animated Star Wars Projects

    Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have arguably done as much to build the Star Wars mythology and fandom as any projects made since George Lucas‘s original trilogy. Created by Dave Filoni—who has since become Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer–the series introduced original characters and have become springboards for stories set in the New Republic Era. Lucasfilm’s latest ongoing series, The Bad Batch, came to an end after its third season, leaving fans without an ongoing series to look forward to and with a mandate issued by Disney President Bob Iger that slowed the company’s major production studios down significantly, there were plenty of concerns that the end of the animated era was near. Fortunately, Filoni sees it differently.

    While speaking at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Filoni told fans that animation has hand and will continue to have the support of Lucas, stating that the studio was to produce animated projects for “20 more” years.

    I thought my job at Lucasfilm Animation would last about two years – it has now been 20. This is truly possible because of the incredible dedication and hard work of the many talented people who have worked at Lucasfilm Animation. Fans have embraced our work in a way that no one could have predicted – well, maybe one person did. George Lucas always believed in animation and believed in our team. He said, ‘Dare to be great,’ and that’s what we’ve done for the last 20 years. I hope we do it for 20 more.

    -Lucasfilm CCO Dave Filoni

    The next 20 years of animated action will kickoff in 2026 with Star Wars: Maul- Shadow Lord, which was announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan earlier this year. Set after the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the new series will follow Maul as he “rises again to lead the underworld factions,” and “rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire.”

    Beyond that, always in motion, the future is but with Filoni serving as its curator, fans have reason for new hope.

    Source: Games Radar

  • Reactions Call ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 a Winning and Violent Next Chapter for the DCU

    Reactions Call ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 a Winning and Violent Next Chapter for the DCU

    Nearly three years after the first season caught audiences by surprise and became regarded as one of the best shows of 2022, the second season of Peacemaker is almost finally here. Ahead of the August 21st debut, DC Studios held a red carpet premiere on August 13th in New York City and now reactions and reviews have begun to land online.

    Through the first 34 reviews, Season 2 of Peacemaker held a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, enough to make sure the project earned the Certified Fresh label. Critics largely praised series star John Cena‘s continued work as the damaged hero Christopher Smith and lauded James Gunn‘s work in making the Multiverse work for the DCU.

    Screening packages which were sent out to select members of the media only contained the first five episodes with Gunn claiming that not even his publicist could see the final three because they contained such major spoilers.

    While some journalists levied some minor criticisms against the new season, the consensus seems to be that it’s going to be a wildly entertaining, funny and violent ride.

  • James Gunn Explains How ‘Peacemaker’ Forced ‘Superman’ to Digital So Soon

    James Gunn Explains How ‘Peacemaker’ Forced ‘Superman’ to Digital So Soon

    After an incredibly short 35-day theatrical window, DC Studios Superman is now available to rent or purchase on digital platforms. Though the film hasn’t been pulled from theaters, fans were caught off guard earlier this week when the August 15th digital debut was announced; however, it turns out there’s a pretty logical reason behind the first film in the Superman Saga heading to small screens so soon.

    “Well, it’s very complicated, but the truth is it is because of Peacemaker,” Gunn explained in an interview with Screen Rant. The DC Studios co-chair previously stated that “Peacemaker season 2 is very connected to Superman,” though now it sounds as though watching the Man of Steel’s DCU debut may be required reading for the new season of John Cena‘s streaming series.

    -Photo courtesy of WB Media Pass

    I originally thought Peacemaker was going to be coming out next month [September]. There was a lot of things that are beyond our control, so that Peacemaker is coming out now, and, at the end of the day, I wanted everyone to be able to see Superman that wanted to, even those people who couldn’t get to a theater before Peacemaker. And that’s really the reason for it.

    -James Gunn

    Reading between the lines of Gunn’s comments, it sounds as though Warner Bros. Discovery made the decision to release Season 2 of Peacemaker in August, scuttling the original plans for Superman‘s digital release. In all reality, the quick turnaround is unlikely to cause much harm to the box office total of the film and will more than likely spur another round of social media hype as fans who hadn’t seen it in theaters check in.

    Peacemaker Season 2 debuts on HBO Max.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Share Conflicting Information on the Future of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Share Conflicting Information on the Future of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    As Season One of Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again was finishing its run on Disney Plus in March, production on Season Two was getting underway in New York City. As is always the case, shooting scenes in the Big Apple allowed fans and professional photographers to capture pictures and videos of the action, including catching star Charlie Cox in a black suit complete with, for the first time, a “DD” logo on the chest.

    The suit–which upon a closer look appeared to be the red suit with a layer of black paint on top–resembles the one worn by the character in the Shadowland event or the “Back in Black” suit from the 2015 Charles Soule and Ron Garney run and generated some serious hype.

    Though it’s been a while since the photos landed online, Cox was asked about them during an appearance at Galaxy Con and teased that the black suit isn’t the only new get up Ol’ Hornhead will be sporting in the follow-up season.

    “I know there have been some leaked set photos…so the one we’ve just finished with in Season Two of Born Again, I think is my favorite for a couple of reasons,” said Cox. “One, because it is badass. But also because every suit that we’ve had so far, in some way, is represented in the comics,” explained the actor. “We’ve had a couple of red one. Two, I think three red ones. We’ve had the She-Hulk golden yellow and red…but there’s a particular…there’s something I can’t without giving away too much…there’s something that we do in this final season that doesn’t exist in the comics. So it is unique to our show and so I’m pretty excited about that.”

    Season 2 will come out next year, and then hopefully season 3 and season infinity after that. I think this world is extremely rich, and there are many stories to be told on the streets of New York.

    -Brad Winderbaum

    Cox’s reference to the new season as the “final” one understandably had fans concerned, especially since Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum revealed long-term plans for the series earlier this year. Perhaps the star simply misspoke; perhaps Marvel will retitle the show for Season Three, making the second season the final season of Born Again; perhaps Cox had a Freudian slip and accidentally revealed his desire to move on from the character. Whatever the case, co-star Vincent D’Onofrio was quickly able to put out a growing fire. In response to multiple fans asking him about Cox’s comments, D’Onofrio confirmed plans for the series to continue.

    D’Onofrio’s comments are consistent with what he had to say in an interview earlier this year in which he explained that while there are plans for more Daredevil, it’s “up to the fans to watch and to get excited,” and convince Disney to move ahead with those plans.