Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: The Mandalorian

  • RUMOR: Bossk to Appear in ‘The Book of Boba Fett’

    RUMOR: Bossk to Appear in ‘The Book of Boba Fett’

    It’s no surprise that once Lucasfilm starts developing a Boba Fett show, some bounty hunters from a galaxy far, far away are due for an appearance. And few would gather as much interest as the return of Bossk to live-action Star Wars. It seems we are indeed getting the Trandoshan back in the upcoming Disney+ limited series The Book of Boba Fett, according to a report by LRM. Bossk was first introduced in The Empire Strikes Back as Darth Vader gathered a few bounty hunters to track, find and capture Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon. He has since made many appearances in both comic books, videogames, and even The Clone Wars. In live-action, he only got a brief mention in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

    Now, after reintroducing Boba Fett in the second season of The Mandalorian, the deep dive into the world of the galaxy’s scum and villainy in the spin-off seems like a perfect place to bring Bossk back. Following the current massive comic crossover event that the Star Wars side of Marvel comics has been developing, The War of The Bounty Hunters, Lucasfilm appears to be doubling down on amplifying characters outside of the usual Empire or Resistance pairing. The Book of Boba Fett is due to premiere later this year, only on Disney+, with Temuera Morrison returning as Boba Fett and Ming-Na Wen reprising her Fennec Shand role. Plot details still remain under wraps and here’s hoping we get a trailer in the near future to give us a glimpse into what direction this series is heading.

    Source: LRM

  • RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 May Feature Chewbacca’s Wookie Race

    RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 May Feature Chewbacca’s Wookie Race

    The wait between the first two seasons of The Mandalorian was a long one. What didn’t help was that Disney+, at the time, barely had any high-profile content to make the year go by faster. Well, 2021 will certainly shake that up with various Marvel Studios productions and new Star Wars entries filling out the year. As such, the story of Din Djarin will be delayed by a bit as its first spin-off takes center stage, The Book of Boba Fett. News has been sparse on the upcoming Star Wars series outside of May’s Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Luckily, it seems that the Bespin Bulletin was able to get their hands on some interesting info, as they revealed that the third season will see the return of Chewbacca’s Wookie race.

     

    They point out that it is uncertain if this may be a familiar face or a brand new character for this series. There is a chance that it is just a background character. So, it is hard to say if the Wookiees will have any relevance to the series’ plot. We’ve seen various alien races in background shots and the galaxy is quite connected for them to appear. Now, there is also some production information regarding the two series, as The Book of Boba Fett was still in production as of April at the same location that The Mandalorian uses. They may still be filming at Manhattan Beach Studios. As such, it is hard to say if the third season will enter production any time soon, but they seem to be slowly wrapping up the Fett-focused spin-off. For now, it would be great to see Mando visit Kashyyyk to add some variety to his usual revisits to Tatooine.

    Source: Instagram

     

  • RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin May Cameo in ‘The Book of Boba Fett’

    RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin May Cameo in ‘The Book of Boba Fett’

    We’re going to wait a bit longer for the third season of The Mandalorian. Luckily, we’ll get a brand new series titled The Book of Boba Fett to tie us over until the return of Din Djarin. At least that was what we expected, as the iconic Bounty Hunter took over center stage. It seems that Cinelinx has heard from independent sources that Din will also make an appearance in the upcoming spin-off. So far, he would be the only familiar face from the first Disney+ series to join the show, which will focus on Ming-Na Wen‘s Fennec Shand and Temura Morrison’s Boba Fett.

    They do point out that there are multiple reports on why the character may show up in the new series, but nothing concrete. He will most likely only make a brief appearance, as it may tie into his next adventure. We don’t know how they went their separate ways after the finale from The Mandalorian‘s second season. It could pick up from there and fill the gaps. There is a chance that other characters might also make an appearance.

    There is a chance that the various shows that’ll spin out of the first might come together for a major story arc. So, The Book of Boba Fett might continue to build on that while he goes down his bingo book to take revenge on those that wronged him. Hopefully, it means that we’ll get more of Ming-Na Wen and Temura Morrison in the other spin-offs as well. It’ll be interesting to see how Din’s story continues after parting ways with Grogu. We might get a hint at his upcoming season once Boba’s ends.

    Source: Cinelinx

  • ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Takes Over ‘Attack on Titan’s Spot As The Most Popular Show

    ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Takes Over ‘Attack on Titan’s Spot As The Most Popular Show

    Unlike cinema releases, we will never truly know how successful a show or film is on a streaming service. They refuse to publicize any information that would allow analysts to get a good idea of how a project is doing. Luckily, there are a variety of companies that analyze data to offer a glimpse of a show’s performance. Well, it seems that Falcon and the Winter Soldier may have already gained the title of “most popular show” beating out the last owner of that title, the anime series Attack on Titan.

    Keep in mind, with only its second episode, the show managed to beat out the finale of the highly popular manga adaptation. Not just that, it is also tracking ahead of the previous Marvel Studios entry, WandaVision after its first week with two episodes. Now, Parrot Analytics does point out that the show is behind The Mandalorian‘s demand, but it makes sense if you consider that the show was one of the major selling points of the streaming service when it was released. They do not include a comparison to the second season.

    Of course, the show’s demand grows with each week and it has already managed to do what WandaVision didn’t accomplish until its fifth episode. Of course, we have to keep in mind that these aren’t actual numbers. They are based on external analysis. So, we need to accept a potential margin in tracking errors, but it certainly proves the show’s popularity. It’s going to be interesting to see if they continue this trend once Loki releases in June.

    Source: Forbes

  • ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Is Disney+’s Most Watched Premiere Ever

    ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Is Disney+’s Most Watched Premiere Ever

    Streaming services are commonly very shy about sharing any insight into their viewer numbers. It made us dependent on what external analysts can figure out based on Social Media buzz and external data sources. Well, it looks like Falcon and the Winter Soldier may have broken a record, as Disney+ has officially shared the news that its second Marvel Studios show has beat out The Mandalorian and WandaVision‘s debut numbers. They have announced that the debut series didn’t just have the biggest premiere, but is also their most watched title worldwide.

    Of course, they didn’t provide any numbers. According to Deadline, they have only mentioned that Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and the second season of The Mandalorian are their top three most-watched weekend premieres. It would be interesting to know what they are measuring that and if they also evaluate the drop-off between episodes.

    Unlike cinemas, we have no public data to really confirm or evaluate its validity. Still, it shows how much anticipation there was for the series’ more action-focused series. According to Nielsen, WandaVision was watched around 6.5 million times in America, which was the only data point we had for its opening weekend. It was ranked sixth amongst all shows. Its weekly release strategy would then pay-off as later episodes would give the series the top spot. It showcased how binge shows only have a temporary increase before trailing off unlike these series continuing to grow their audience over time. It’ll be interesting to see how much Falcon and the Winter Soldier grows over its six-week runtime.

    Source: Deadline, Forbes

  • ‘STAR WARS’: Roles Thought to be Bound for a New Series are Instead Set for ‘The Mandalorian’

    ‘STAR WARS’: Roles Thought to be Bound for a New Series are Instead Set for ‘The Mandalorian’

    Late last year, before there was any sort of official confirmation regarding The Mandalorian spin-offs, reports came out announcing a couple of roles that were supposed to be destined for one of those shows. The roles, labeled “Drash” and “Skad”, were both for British-sounding supporting characters, one male and one female, both in their late teens/early twenties, both members of a street crew.

    In what can only be assumed as either as a small mistake made in the initial reports or as a natural evolution of the writing process of these shows, we can now confirm that these two characters will instead be appearing alongside Pedro Pascal‘s Din Djarin in the third season of The Mandalorian, in what seem to be the first additions to the cast after the record-setting season 2. With Grogu having left the show (or did he?) to be trained by Luke Skywalker, both “Drash” and “Skad” might turn out to be two characters that will try to fill that gap, as Din Djarin will need someone close to interact with.

    After a cameo-filled second season that paved the way to several spin-off announcements by introducing to live-action Star Wars characters like Bo-Katan, Cobb Vanth, Ahsoka Tano and bringing back Boba Fett, The Mandalorian’s third season might be returning to the template used on season one, by focusing mostly on new characters, created specifically for the show.

    The Mandalorian season 3 will begin filming shortly and is set for a 2022 release. 2021 should still bring us its first spin-off, as the Boba Fett and Fennec Shand centered The Book of Boba Fett, staring Tamuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen, is set for release this December, only on Disney+.

  • UPDATE: Disney Will Not Recast Gina Carano’s Cara Dune

    UPDATE: Disney Will Not Recast Gina Carano’s Cara Dune

    UPDATE: The moment we dropped the news, it seems that THR has updated their article and states that they won’t be recasting Cara Dune moving forward.

     

    Source: THR, DiscussingFilm

     

    It was only a week ago that Disney fire The Mandalorian star Gina Carano from her role in the galaxy far, far away. It came after months of scrutiny from fans. Carano has been divisive due to her questionable social media posts. The final straw for Disney was an Instagram post that many viewed as anti-semitic, but the former MMA fighter maintains it was a call for unity. Whatever the case may be, the future of Cara Dune is in doubt. According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Carano was to headline a Disney+ spin-off series. As such, their insiders claim they are considering a recast of Cara Dune for a story and merchandising reasons.

    Initially, it seemed as though we’d seen the last of Dune. After a recurring role over two seasons led her character to the ranks of New Republic officer, it did not appear that any future appearances were vital to the series’ plot. However, the news that Disney is considering a recast would indicate that they have big plans, which may correlate with the recently announced Mandalorian spin-off Rangers of the New Republic. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Carano was supposed to be part of the Disney Investor’s Day roll-out that revealed the show to the public. However, the backlash over previous Twitter comments led to her getting booted from the event. If Carano was to play a role as Dune in any of the projects announced that day, New Republic would have been the one that made the most sense.

    Hasbro has halted the production of Cara Dune-based toys. Even Amazon has removed almost all of its merchandise for the character. A recast would most likely allow the companies to salvage some of the potential losses from any toys they’re currently unable to sell with a new face and re-branding. There are no details given if Carano also gains a licensing fee for their use of her image through the toys, so there might be some legal discussions are happening behind the scenes. It will be interesting to see how it develops as Star Wars rolls out their future Disney+ slate.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘WandaVision’ Takes the Top Viewing Spot Worldwide

    ‘WandaVision’ Takes the Top Viewing Spot Worldwide

    Disney+ has seen astounding growth throughout its first year. It already surpassed 90 million viewers, which was originally meant to be the streaming service’s four-year prediction. It is impressive if you consider that the only real high IP that was provided for the service was The Mandalorian‘s two seasons. Last month’s release of WandaVision did make people wonder if the first Marvel Studios’ original series would continue the service’s growth. Well, according to Parrot Analytics, the series has become the number one series worldwide.

    The interesting aspect is that the show didn’t start as the most popular show. It seems the initial three episodes kept it between the seventh and the 35th spot. Once the third episode hit, it skyrocketed up to the third or second spot. Ever since the major twist at the end of the fifth episode, it has officially taken the number one spot and hasn’t left it since the episode aired. It shows the relevance of the weekly release model. Wade Payson-Denney, an analyst of Parrot Analytics, points out the difference between Disney+ and Netflix’s binge strategy:

    They really pop up at first but quickly trail off. It’s a quick hit for these streamers. Whereas with weekly release, we see popularity gradually build over time, especially for a show like The Mandalorian and WandaVision

    The Mandalorian actually didn’t peak until its season finale, as it just saw a continuous growth since its initial episodes. WandaVision still has three more weeks to go, so it is sure to stick to that top spot before Falcon and the Winter Soldier takes over in March. Netflix’s focus on releasing their shows in one burst means they have an early peak but fizzle out fast. It’ll be interesting to make a comparison between the Marvel shows. The next two shows will have shorter runtimes of six episodes, which may go through a faster viewer cycle. As Payson-Denney points out, these shows remain in the conversation longer and are able to grow their audience as a result of everyone sharing their viewing experiences and theories online. It’ll be interesting to see how far WandaVision goes in the coming weeks.

    Source: Forbes

  • Disney+ Surpassed 90 Million Subscribers Even Before ‘WandaVision’ Released

    Disney+ Surpassed 90 Million Subscribers Even Before ‘WandaVision’ Released

    Disney+ has proven to be quite the powerhouse in the streaming wars. As of January 2nd, the subscription service has reached a new record high subscription number with 94.9 million. It has risen by 8 million in just one month, as it was at around 86.8 million the last time we got an update on it. As such, its growth already surpassed the service’s original prediction of 90 million in four years. It is a massive win after Disney has announced a slew of brand new originals heading to the service throughout 2021. The release of The Mandalorian’s second season and Pixar’s Soul were essential boosters in the last months. Especially the latter, which dominated streaming numbers during Christmas. These numbers also don’t include the subscribers gained after they released the first Marvel Studios original series, WandaVision.

    The streaming service has seen substantial growth that is not going to slow down anytime soon. Variety does point out that 30% of its subscribers are through India and Indonesia’s Disney+ Hotstar subscription model, which comes at a lower price. They are also about to launch the STAR brand in selected markets. So, the service will see a slight increase in the pricing in those regions. Still, In the latest financial meeting, they stated that they aren’t expecting profitability until 2024, but the current increase is still impressive. It’ll be interesting to see if WandaVision managed to push the subscription beyond the milestone of 100 million. Marvel Studios plans to release around six shows this year, so they will certainly see an increase over the coming months. December will also kick-off with the first The Mandalorian spin-off that is certain to draw in some attention. 2021 is going to be a big year for the service and an indicator how fast its growth will continue in its second year.

    Source: Variety, Forbes

  • Rosario Dawson Teases Live-Action Sabine Wren for ‘Ahsoka’ Series

    Rosario Dawson Teases Live-Action Sabine Wren for ‘Ahsoka’ Series

    Star Wars has quite a bright future ahead of it. Just today, a brand new open-world game was announced as Lucasfilms starts expanding beyond their EA deal. The Mandalorian kicked-off a slew of brand new series for Disney’s newest streaming service after being a key factor in its launch. It all seems to be going well for the service and all eyes are on its future. Among the many announced shows, many are excited to further explore the story of Ashoka Tano. The character was first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. After a mixed reception, she grew into one of the show’s most popular characters.

    Just last year, she finally made her live-action debut on The Mandalorian‘s second season. Rosario Dawson took on the character’s role for one episode before it was announced that she would get an entire series focused on her. Now, many wondered how her story would interlink with that of Star Wars Rebels. It seemed like her story picks up where that left off, especially after the mentioning of Thrawn during the episode’s climax. Of course, fans will know this also means we would potentially see the return of Sabine Wren, but it was uncertain if she’d make it to live-acton. Well. Dawson liking a tweet reporting on the possibility may add some credence to it:

    https://twitter.com/starwarstuff/status/1349338989891878915?s=19

    It makes sense that she would appear in the upcoming live-action show. Ahsoka will focus on her hunting down Thrawn through the galaxy, as he is the only connection she has on the whereabouts of Rebels‘ Ezra Bridger, which was talked bout in Kessel Run Transmissions’ latest exclusive. It seems the original plan was to create an animated sequel to Rebels that would’ve explored his storyline before Jon Favreau convinced Dave Filoni to continue her story in live-action. It seems that the sequel was already well into production, as they were unsure how successful Din Djarin’s adventures in The Mandalorian would turn out at the time. There may still be a chance that these animated sequences are released in some form or another if they already worked on them. Perhaps some of it was reworked as part of the upcoming animated The Bad Batch series so they don’t lose the existing assets. Dawson‘s like of a report on Wren is just the icing on the cake for how this story may unfold.

    Source: Twitter, YouTube, ComicBookMovie