Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Superman

  • James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Could Take the DCU to Year One

    James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Could Take the DCU to Year One

    We are nearing the reveal of some of the first wave of films in the new DCU headed up by James Gunn. This reveal should provide us with some idea of what we might get when this new era of DC Comics adaptations hits our big and slightly smaller screens. The Rock’s ego tried to highjack, and then derail, what Gunn had planned, but we are in for some shakiness while they release the last four movies in this era and simultaneously prepare for what’s next. What we do know definitively is that we are getting a new Superman movie and though Gunn plans to skip the origin, a strong argument could still be made for the new film to be an adaptation of Superman: Year One. 

    Superman: Year One is a 3-issue mini-series by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. that attempted to kind of modernize Superman’s origin while adding some more depth to a character that had been around for 80+ years. It provided some more information about Superman’s time on Krypton, and it provides a subtle shift to Kal-El’s mission to earth; instead of the destruction of Krypton being what propels him to be Earth’s savior, Miller and Romita Jr. make this future essentially pre-ordained. Kal-El will need to save Earth, and his parents need to prepare him for that on Krypton before he goes to fulfill his destiny. It’s a much weightier origin than Krypton’s destruction spurring Supes to save Earth because it means that there are more opportunities to show Superman learning how to use his powers in his environment and as a child. What does it mean for a child to be granted god-like abilities? How does that impact him growing up? And what kind of pressure does this child put on himself due to the knowledge that he will be responsible for saving a planet? These are all questions that Superman: Year One tackles really strongly, and this would give the fans a chance to see a new origin for Superman that would feel fresh. 

    Another change that is made to Clark’s origin is that he enlists in the United States Navy upon graduating from high school. Think about that: after spending his early childhood on Krypton knowing he was meant to save Earth, his first adult decision after being on this planet is to become a soldier. You have the traditional farmboy origin mixed in with some “of course a small-town kid would want to see the world”, and Superman at boot camp gives you the potential to really build up the hopefulness and love for his fellow man that Superman embodies since he’d be in literal fox holes with them. It would, also, make him remaining hopeful about Earth despite seeing the tragedies of war even more impactful. Zack Snyder made Superman this moody and angry and morose hero, and that’s just not who he is at all. In Year One, Miller and Romita, Jr. find a way to still show his power but to modernize his origin in a way that really keeps the essence of the character. 

    Year One, also, introduces Lori Lemaris, and this could be a way to start to build out the DCU in a subtle way. Lori Lemaris is a mermaid from Atlantis, home of Aquaman, who actually falls in love with Clark. In the comics, they meet while they’re both attending Metropolis University, where Lori is hiding her being a mermaid by appearing as a differently-abled person. The potential to show a Clark who had to go through all the things kids do before becoming a full-fledged Superman down the road would work so well on the screen; in Year One, he falls for Lori and actually asks her to marry him, which leads to her breaking his heart. She, also, dies during Crisis On Infinite Earths, in case James Gunn wants to plant the seeds for that from here. It could, also, lead to the beginning of the friendship between Arthur Curry and Clark Kent, and is the kind of minor character/big world-building approach that the DCU would benefit from. 

    This adaptation would be the perfect time to introduce Parasite, a S.T.A.R. Labs janitor who interacts with some chemicals and becomes one of Superman’s biggest threats. This accomplishes the approach we mention above, where it’s a smaller character introducing S.T.A.R. Labs and building out this world, but you also have Parasite taking Lori’s energy act as the catalyst for her breaking Clark’s heart and for Aquaman not trusting the surface world. Superman versus Parasite would look visually different than every Superman fight we have seen and would give us a fresh adversary versus some of the other ones we’ve seen multiple times. 

    Cut the check and make it out to Murphy’s Multiverse, James Gunn! 

  • A Brief History of James Gunn’s Love of Superman

    A Brief History of James Gunn’s Love of Superman

    Weeks after ascending to the top of DC Studios, James Gunn made a major statement about the future of the DC Universe when he announced that he was writing a treatment for an all-new Superman film. Gunn’s project, which he may ultimately direct, has no ties to Henry Cavill‘s Man of Steel or the Snyderverse and should be a signal to fans about the direction of the newly minted studio. Superman is a priority for DC Studios and by taking it on himself to write the script, Gunn is making sure his vision is the one that defines the character.

    Telling a good Superman story isn’t easy in the 2020s which means Gunn’s taking a lot of responsibility in his new role as co-chair. If fans don’t respond well to the new project, Gunn will take the heat. That’s a long way off, however, as the script is obviously just being developed now but that doesn’t mean that Gunn hasn’t had Superman on his mind for quite some time. In fact, he’s been very vocal about his love for and interest in the character over the last several years and has come close to either developing a Superman or Superman-adjacent property more than once! Here’s a look, albeit a brief one, at Gunn’s love of Superman.

    For Gunn, it likely all started in 1978 when, as a 12-year-old, he saw Richard Donner‘s Superman at a theater in Des Peres, Missourri. Gunn called Superman a “great movie” that “rivaled Star Wars” for him and, in a 2021 interview, credited it with getting him “really excited about the genre.”

    Before becoming the driving creative force behind Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn wrote and directed 2010’s Super, a black comedy about a hero with no super powers which may or may not be a part of a cinematic universe where the “evil Superman” character from Brightburn exists, but even while he was tied up at Marvel, he remained a fan of Superman. In a long Twitter thread from 2016, Gunn made it clear that he enjoyed 2013’s Man of Steel despite some of his criticism about how it portrayed the hero, citing a lack of empathy as an issue.

    Gunn has always kept up a major presence on social media and in 2016 during a live Facebook Q&A, he was asked who would win in a fight between Hulk and Superman. At the time, Gunn was very much believed to be one of the architects of the future of Marvel Studios, making his response a bit surprising.

    Hulk vs Superman, who wins? Probably Superman, right?“He’s much more powerful than Hulk.

    James Gunn via Radio Times

    In 2017, after congratulating Zachary Levi for landing the lead role in Shazam!, Gunn was besieged on social media by fans for even mentioning a DC property. His response was pretty epic as he urged fans to drop the “Marvel vs. DC” mentality.

    Every time I mention anything DC, no matter what, my feed becomes an endless screaming match about BvS. You guys are never going to convince each other – it’s just a bunch of wasted energy. At least when you’re screaming at each other about Trump, it’s something of international importance. But it’s a 2 year old movie that some people like and some people don’t. Why is someone else’s opinion so important to you? As Marvel and DC super fans you have way more in common with each other than you do with the rest of the world. So why do you spend so much time raging at each other? It’s silly. Please just stop it. Stop engaging in that way.

    James Gunn

    Less than a year later, Gunn had been fired from Marvel and hired by the old guard at DC to direct The Suicide Squad. Interestingly enough, before moving forward on The Suicide Squad, Gunn had his pick of projects including a Superman film that he turned down. Gunn also indicated that while he ultimately chose not to direct it, he briefly considered a project centered around Superman’s dog, Krypto. Though he passed on the Superman project, Gunn later revealed that he nearly ended up including the character in The Suicide Squad…as the bad guy until he settled on Starro.

    I thought that was a very interesting story. But when I came up with Starro…he’s a character I loved from the comics. I think he’s a perfect comic book character because he’s absolutely ludicrous, but he’s also very scary in his own way … He used to scare the crap out of me when I was a child, putting those facehuggers on Superman and Batman and stuff. So, I thought he was one of the major DC villains that was probably never gonna be put into another movie. And if they did, they would do it like the ‘black cloud’ version of Starro — not a giant, walking starfish that’s a kaiju, that is bright-pink and cerulean blue. Just a ridiculously bright bad guy.

    James Gunn via Script Apart Podcast

    It’s safe to say that Superman, and the state of DC’s films, has been on Gunn’s mind for some time now. In that sense, it’s no surprise that he’s decided to make the character a priority in his early days as the co-chair after seeing him mostly sidelined by the previous regime. It looks like Gunn is going all in on that character as one of the building blocks of the DC Universe and given his love for the character, fans should look for a return to the character’s roots as a symbol of pure goodness and hope.

    Sources: THR, HH, Radio Times, Deadline, SYFY, Flickering Myth, Script Apart

  • The Sunday Paper—December 18, 2022

    The Sunday Paper—December 18, 2022

    dc studios slate

    The newly-formed DC Studios has continued to cause pure chaos and make the DC Entertainment brand messier than ever—which is hard to do. But perhaps better days are on the horizon for the studio, as co-CEO James Gunn told Twitter this week that DC Studios has a new slate set, and he plans to unveil the first part of it in early 2023. With that announcement, though, came the news that Superman actor Henry Cavill will in fact not be returning to play the character in the future. Cavill announced his return in October with his post-credits scene cameo in Black Adam to much fanfare. Black Adam, for a few reasons now, has become a fairly awkward moment in DC’s history. It probably does not help that Dwayne Johnson’s team reportedly leaked the film’s profit report based on false assumptions to try and prove to the public that the movie was profitable.

    Cavill Superman fans have much to mourn. To dream about what could have been, Walter Hamada’s original DCEU plan for the character was revealed. We also learned that the officially dead Man of Steel 2 would have placed Cavill against classic Superman foe Braniac. Now, fans will have to wait and see what Gunn’s new Superman script will look like.

    With everything happening at DC Studios, it begs the questions of whether the four remaining DCEU films with scheduled releases will actually happen, or alternatively, matter. If The Flash does go forward, it apparently cut Cavill’s and Gal Gadot’s cameos in its most recent cut, which would suggest that DC’s flagship characters across the board will likely get recast in a hard reboot situation. In that reboot scenario, it is very unclear how films like Blue Beetle will play any role in the studio’s grand new plan, but you can read the first official synopsis of the film here. It could be all we get.

    spiderman spinoff
    antman and the wasp cassie

    While DC is having a difficult time, Marvel—through Marvel Studios and Sony—is all business as usual. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania director Peyton Reed this week discussed how the film will be a major and important movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rather than a palate cleanser like many perceive the first two Ant-Man films. He also discussed how crucial Bill Murray’s mysterious character is to the story. Of course, Quantumania will be our first significant foray into Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conquerer. With him in mind, a wild new fan theory is circulating that fans have already watched the ending of Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Many speculate that the Deadpool 3 film will feature Deadpool and Wolverine annihilating the Fox Marvel universe. If you read into a specific word director Shawn Levy used in an interview, it lends a lot of support to that theory. The previous Fox universe of course includes two iterations of the Fantastic Four. While fans eagerly away who the MCU’s Fab Four will be, it seemed confirmed this week that John Krasinski will not be playing the proper Reed Richards in the 2025 Fantastic Four film.

    On the side, it was unfortunately confirmed that the Disney+ Hawkeye-spinoff Echo is delayed after murmurs about the show’s team not being satisfied at the end of production. Thor: Love and Thunder apparently cut Galactus from the film, and Elvis actor Austin Butler is personally gunning for a major MCU role, notably the Human Torch.

    Lastly, Sony keeps getting weirder and bolder with their Spider-Man universe. Yet another obscure villain is getting the solo film treatment in line with Morbius, Venom, Kraven the Hunter, and El Muerto. However, Hypno-Hustler will be produced by and star none other than Donald Glover.

  • What We’d Like to See From DC Studios Initial Slate

    What We’d Like to See From DC Studios Initial Slate

    As Hollywood gets ready to go on break, James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s initial vision for the first wave of DC Studios film in the all-new DC Universe has been communicated with the big bosses at Warner Bros. Discovery. Since then Gunn revealed that a Superman film, written by him, will be a top priority for the new studio while indicating that he and Safran plan to share part of the new slate with fans sometime early in 2023. While we wait to find out what the game plan is, here’s a Christmas-time wish list of what we’d like to see.

    Richard John Grayson

    For too long DC’s takes on Batman have made the mistake of robbing Batman of one of the most important relationships he’s ever forged. Dick Grayson hasn’t made an appearance in a live-action Batman film since 1997’s Batman and Robin and instead has been shuffled off to streaming land where some half-assed version of him exists on Titans. Gunn has said Batman is an important part of the stories DC Studios wants to tell. Dick Grayson is an important part of Batman’s stories. If DC Studios wants to be taken seriously by fans of Batman, this is a huge first step.

    The Brave and The Bold

    The Brave and The Bold is the Marvel Team-Ups of DC Comics, but to a lot of readers, it calls to mind one of DC’s most beloved pair of bros: Barry Allen and Hal Jordan. 2023 will see the oft-delayed The Flash film finally hit theaters, CW’s The Flash is ending following its 701st season and there’s been exactly one terrible live-action version of Hal Jordan to date in 2011’s Green Lantern film. Given that it’ll be a few years before DC Studios’ new slate starts rolling out, pushing out a new version of Barry Allen might not be as big of a deal as it seems in 2022. Even though he’s been out of the spotlight for a while, Hal Jordan probably doesn’t need an entire film’s worth of origin. Give these two a buddy film and get them involved in the bigger narrative ASAP.

    J’onn J’onzz

    The Snyderverse certainly could have used more J’onn J’onzz, a character who was nearly criminally underutilized over the last decade. J’onzz, better known as Martian Manhunter, has been around since the Silver Age and is an OG Justice Leaguer. Moreover, including him in the first wave of films allows DC Studios with someone who can narrate whatever version of the history of the DC Universe they wish to tell because, over his 225 million years, J’onn J’onzz has seen some things.

    The League, the Whole League and Nothing But The Leauge

    If Gunn is making a shared cinematic universe, there will ultimately be a Justice League. Not too many people outside of Gunn and Safran know what they have in mind for the first wave of films, but it’s likely that at some point, a League will come together and there’s no reason that it can’t be comprised of the original 7. Aquaman, Batman and Wonder Woman may or may not need solo projects ahead of a Justice League film because they’ve all been more recently present than Superman, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern; alternatively, maybe all 7 original members need solo projects. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the 7 OG JLA members have NEVER shared the screen in live-action and that’s something we’d like to see Gunn remedy in the near future.

    The Hall of Justice

    The Justice League is coming and they need a sick HQ. The Hall of Justice, which is based on the real-life Union Terminal building in Cincinnati, Ohio, has never been in a live-action DC film. By the time the new slate reaches the end of its first arc, it would make sense for the heroes to have established an HQ and this one is as iconic as it gets.

    Some Off-Beat Heroes

    The Trinity will likely be the foundation of the DC Universe. Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern will likely be there, too. Hopefully, Martian Manhunter makes the cut. However, if there’s one thing Gunn should be proud to carry over with him from his time at Marvel Studios, it’s the fact that he took a group of off-beat, unknown heroes and turned them into a globally recognized brand. So bring on Metamorpho! Throw Red Tornado into the mix. Plastic Man probably has some free time on his hands. What’s Animal Man up to these days? With the ability to introduce characters not only in films but also through streaming series, get some of these off-beat heroes into the mix. 3 years ago, nobody knew who Peacemaker was and now fans are eagerly antipating the second season of a streaming series starring John Cena as the butt of an ongoing joke.

    The OG Leaguers can’t do it all themselves (they totally can, but they never do), so throw some of these guys into the mix and give them a shot at becoming beloved by a new generation.

    A Lex Luthor That Can Be Taken Seriously

    This one is tough because while Gunn and Safran will want to break away from the stigma of the Snyderverse’s absurd take on Luthor, there’s arguably no more sensible villain for DC Studios’ first wave of films than Luthor. The character has been done to death on TV and in films, but never in a way in which he posed a threat to the entire Justice League. He doesn’t have to be the villain of Gunn’s Superman; in fact, he probably shouldn’t be. However, establishing him and then letting him grow into the type of character that could be powerful enough to threaten the entire league would set him apart from any previous version. And that version of the character probably includes…

    The Legion of Doom

    If anyone has the balls to bring this ridiculous team of villains together, it’s James Gunn. Though numerous iterations of the team have since appeared in the comics, the OGs first appeared in 1978 in the 16-episode Challenge of the Superfriends animated series that aired on ABC. The original team, which operated out of Darth Vader’s helmet, aka the Hall of Doom, was led by Luthor and consisted of rogues from all of the principal Leaguers galleries. Bizzaro, Black Manta, Brainiac, Captain Cold, Cheetah, Giganta, Gorilla Grodd, Riddler, Scarecrow, Sinestro, Solomon Grundy and Toyman all plotted to take over the world and failed again and again. DC Studios may not be able to pull all 13 of these baddies together and it doesn’t have to. But a JLA vs Legion of Doom movie would certainly garner some attention and one-up Marvel Studios in the sense that they have somehow failed to put together a live-action Masters of Evil 14 years in.

    There’s so much more that Gunn and Safran should try to accomplish as they build out the DC Universe, but the hope is that they’ll have the time necessary to do so. Great live-action versions of the JSA, The Question, The Spectre, the Green Lantern Corps and Damian Wayne all deserve to exist. But those characters probably don’t get the treatment they deserve without a solid foundation in the first wave of DC Studios’ slate. A safe, solid slate with some surprises thrown in. Let’s get it done, DC Studios.

  • Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot’s Cameos in ‘The Flash’ Cut

    Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot’s Cameos in ‘The Flash’ Cut

    We know that the DC Extended Universe is no longer what it once was, but it looks like we’re already seeing the ripples of James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new direction already taking effect. 2023 will feature the last films produced under the old leadership and it’s too late to just not release the, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make any changes along the way. Henry Cavill already had to give up the mantle of Superman and Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman 3 is seemingly dead in the water. Now, they’re also being removed from already shot projects.

    In a new report by The Hollywood Reporter, they talk about why Cavill ended up not returning to the role of Superman. The spark that gave him hope was mainly driven by a selfish push by Dwayne Johnson to receive full creative control over his own corner in the DCEU, but with new leadership in town that is no longer happening. Now, it seems his already shot cameo in The Flash set for a release next year has been cut alongside scenes featuring Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman. It looks like we’ll have a complete clean plate moving forward.

    There is only one uncertainty and that is what it means for the film. We don’t know if the truly only had cameos or maybe even appeared in some form in the production. It is strange that they didn’t just keep the cameos as a last hurrah for that era. Yes, it makes sense to recast for their new adaptation and DC Studios’ New 52 take but why not have them appear one last time before they just reboot the series? We’ll have to see what this means for the future of the franchise.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Villain for the Scrapped ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel Reportedly Revealed

    Villain for the Scrapped ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel Reportedly Revealed

    As news came this week that Henry Cavill‘s tenure as Superman had officially come to an end, fans lamented what could have been for his version of the character who first appeared in 2013’s Man of Steel. A scrapped sequel for the film had been in the works at Warner Bros. Discovery, but as James Gunn and Peter Safran stepped into their new roles as co-chairs of DC Studios, that project was scrapped. Now a new report has revealed who Cavill‘s Kal-El would have squared off with in the sequel.

    According to THR, Man of Steel 2 would have pitted Superman against one of his classic foes: Braniac. Braniac and Superman have been going at one another since 1958 with his vilest plot being the miniaturization of Krypton’s capital city of Kandor which he then kept in a jar! The sick bastard!!

    Braniac has a pretty long history in live-action,ost notably as an ongoing antagonist in Smallville where he was played my James Marsters. The character was also a major player in Superman: The Animated Series.

    While fans mourn the lack of Brainiac in the Snyderverse, keep in mind he’s far too important of a character in Superman’s story to stay out of a long form story about the character in Gunn’s all-new DC Universe.

  • Henry Cavill Won’t Return to ‘The Witcher’ Even After Losing Superman Role

    Henry Cavill Won’t Return to ‘The Witcher’ Even After Losing Superman Role

    Just yesterday, we’ve been hit with some depressing news as just as Henry Cavill finally got a chance to return in the role of Superman one more time in Black Adam, it seems DC Studios has decided to move forward without him after all. He seemingly even left his role of Gerald of Rivia from Netflix’s The Witcher. Just as he lost one role, many hoped this would mean he’d get a chance to return to the franchise that is near-and-dear to his heart. Yet, it seems that won’t be the case either.

    Variety has shared that Cavill won’t return to The Witcher even as the fan demand has spiked since he moved on from Superman. Season 4 is still moving forward with Liam Hemsworth in the title role that Cavill held for the first three. Of course, the reception of him leaving the series was not met with welcome arms by the community, especially after recent reports that the writing staff openly mocked the original source material. Add them moving away from the original source material, fans are peeved even as the series remains a strong Netflix Original.

    Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich has denied the recent allegations made by former writer Beau DeMayo, but there still has been some doubt. It’ll be interesting to see if the series can remain its viewership with the new lead. If they don’t manage to pull in their audience, they may have to reconsider their plans for the franchise moving forward especially now as the spinoff Blood Origin is about to release.

    Source: Variety

  • Henry Cavill Comments on ‘Superman’ News: “This News Isn’t The Easiest”

    Henry Cavill Comments on ‘Superman’ News: “This News Isn’t The Easiest”

    Following the news that DC Studios is developing a new Superman movie with James Gunn penning the script, Henry Cavill has taken to social media to comment on the matter. In an Instagram post shared late Wednesday evening, Cavill confirmed that he will not be returning as Superman, despite being given the okay to announce his return a month earlier.

    “I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone,” he wrote. “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”

    News that Cavill wouldn’t be returning as Superman first came courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter last week. Since then, the actor has been noticeably quiet, more than likely awaiting more information from the studio. Unfortunately, though, it simply wasn’t meant to be.

    The actor is said to have been given the option to re-join the DC Universe as a different character down the line. It is unknown, however, whether or not he’ll choose to do so as of this time.

    Source: Instagram.

  • James Gunn to Pen New ‘Superman’ Movie, Won’t Star Cavill

    James Gunn to Pen New ‘Superman’ Movie, Won’t Star Cavill

    Last week, reports suggested that Warner Bros. Discovery was no longer looking to make Man of Steel 2 with Henry Cavill returning as the Man of Steel. The news came just weeks after the actor excitedly announced his return as Superman on the big screen. Unfortunately, those reports appear to be true. James Gunn, who is now in charge of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, recently tweeted out that Superman was a priority for DC Studios, but never fully addressed Cavill’s future as the character as plans were still being worked out. Now, it appears the decision has been made to cast a new actor in the role.

    The news was announced on Wednesday evening. The latest Superman film will focus on a younger Clark Kent, which led to the decision not to bring back Cavill. Both Gunn and Safran sat down with the actor recently to discuss their decision with him. While he won’t return as Superman anytime soon, they seemingly offered him a potential chance to return to the DC Universe on screen as a different character down the line.

    Source: THR.

  • James Gunn Confirms Superman as a “Priority” for DC Studios Future

    James Gunn Confirms Superman as a “Priority” for DC Studios Future

    As fans continue to move past the chaotic week of news within the world of DC Studios, questions are beginning to arise about what direction the studio will take with its DC heroes on film. The news of Wonder Woman 3 not moving forward and rumors of various sequels to old-guard projects being canceled has led to the thought from some that there’d be a distinct lack of these characters in the future. However, new Co-CEO of DC Studios James Gunn has confirmed at least one of the characters will remain a priority. In a tweet today, Gunn has made the point that Superman will be a marquee part of the relaunch of DC Studios.

    This shouldn’t come as any bit of a surprise. Superman is one the most recognizable characters in fictional media and it’d be wildly foolish to not have him as a centerpiece. The big question will be whether or not it will be the Henry Cavill take on Clark Kent. After his return for the post-credits of Black Adam, many assumed him to be a lock for a probable sequel to Man of Steel. However, it seems that it may not yet be that far in the works. And with the turnover at the WarnerMedia subsidiary, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that James Gunn and Peter Safran take the character of Superman in a different direction.

    Ultimately, it will come down to a decision of prioritizing a true fresh start for DC in the cinematic landscape or holding onto at least one (fairly well received) remnant of the under-utilized previous generation. Either way it certainly will be an interesting story to follow.

    Source: Twitter.