Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Thor Love and Thunder

  • 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.

  • Russel Crowe May Have Confirmed That He is Playing Zeus in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Russel Crowe May Have Confirmed That He is Playing Zeus in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    It looks like Russel Crowe may have joined Alfred Molina‘s approach to discussing their work with Marvel, as in an interview he revealed that he is playing Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder. It was shared on Twitter by user @tlatnews with the audio bit from the actor’s interview with Joy 94.9. In it, he talks about taking a bicycle to film his final day and just outright states that he is playing the Greek father of the gods.

    https://twitter.com/tlatnews/status/1385291213490769925

    It is kind of hilarious how he states how he’ll be “Zeus-ing about” and it sounds like a line that would actually be in the film from Taika Waititi. Marvel Studios is famous for keeping a lot of their projects under secrecy, but Crowe is the second person to let slip about his involvement and role in an upcoming film. Alfred Molina famously just dropped the bomb by confirming the rumors of his involvement with Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    Now, the addition of a Greek god in the fourth entry of Thor is quite a game-changer. It opens up the possibility of Hercules making his MCU debut in the film. There is also the confirmation of Gorr the God Butcher having a major role in the film, which could hint at a dark future for these gods as they might come face-to-face with the character played by Christian Bale. We’ll see if the first trailer also gives us a glimpse of how they might factor into the story.

    Source: Joy 94.9 via Twitter

  • Russell Crowe Joins The Cast of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Russell Crowe Joins The Cast of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    The upcoming Thor film could be the biggest yet, as it will see the Guardians of the Galaxy and all your favorites from Thor: Ragnarok come together. We’ll also get introduced to the treacherous Gorr the God Butcherer, who’ll serve as the film’s main antagonist. The Dark Knight‘s star, Christian Bale, will tackle the role.  Natalie Portman‘s Jane Foster will also make her return and take on the mantle of Mighty Thor. Now, it looks like they are adding one more iconic star to round out the cast, Russell Crowe.

    Many had begun to speculate if Crowe had joined the production after he was spotted with the cast at a rugby match. Not just that, he also teased a secret project in which he was sporting a massive beard. Although it’s unclear how big of a role he has and who he will be playing, it’s still a great addition. Crowe‘s role is described as just “one of many surprises too come out of the film” as they planned to keep his role under wraps.

    Thor: Love and Thunder will release on February 11th, 2022. Taika Waititi returns to direct the mighty return of Thor following the events of Avengers: Endgame. The film also stars Natalie Portman, Chris Pratt, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillian, and Pom Klementieff.

    Source: Deadline

  • How Marvel Studios Plans to Take the Fight to Superhero Fatigue

    How Marvel Studios Plans to Take the Fight to Superhero Fatigue

    It probably feels like a lifetime ago but it was only in 2017 that the MCU started releasing three feature films every year. By that time the franchise was approaching its 10th year with 17 movies under its belt and many started wondering just how long could Marvel Studios’ dominance at the box office truly last until audiences’ superhero fatigue managed to creep up on it. The following couple of years presented everyone with a resounding answer to that question as five out of the six movies released in that period surpassed the 1 billion dollar mark at the box-office, with two of those going over the 2 billion dollar mark while making Avengers: Endgame the highest-grossing movie of all time.

    By that point, and besides being the final chapter of a story being told since 2008 through 23 interconnected movies, the end of the Infinity Saga had audiences saying goodbye to arguably its two most important characters, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, that had been at the forefront of the MCU since its inception. So being, Marvel Studios had a few problems on their plate as 2019 came to a close: How to reintroduce surviving characters making them a bigger presence within the franchise filling the void of the ones lost, how to make fans care for the new characters being introduced as they did the legacy ones, and most importantly how to maintain global audience interested in the MCU avoiding the aforementioned superhero fatigue to finally become a real thing, in what the MCU is concerned.

    A few of the issues mentioned above had already started being addressed head-on by taking a chance on characters like Black Panther and Captain Marvel, allowing for a larger and more diverse audience to feel embraced by the superhero cinematic universe Marvel created, all while keeping longtime fans engaged by diversifying the type of stories being told, the angles in which they were told, and the voices that told them. Phase 4 would be doubling-down on this idea of bringing into the franchise a much more diverse group of filmmakers (Cate Shortland, Destin Daniel Cretton, Chloé Zhao, Nia DaCosta) and introducing characters like Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Ironheart, and the incredibly diverse cast of Eternals that are further living proof that the MCU is trying to evolve and become a much richer and relevant franchise by allowing so much different voices to shine through.

    But today, exactly one week after the WandaVision finale and one week before The Falcon and The Winter Soldier premiere, it’s becoming increasingly clear that, as contradictory as it may sound, another way Marvel Studios is trying to avoid superhero fatigue is by going all out and delivering ten projects in a single year. One would think that that would be against their interests as this means that there’ll be hardly a week throughout the year without some sort of new MCU content, but Marvel Studios is managing to circumvent that by turning inwards and redefining what the superhero genre can aspire to become. This way, instead of only releasing properties that could be described as being the generic superhero production and thus paving the way for audiences to quickly lose interest by the lack of novelty, they are expanding into sub-genres that are already a reality across the industry.

    As WandaVision played with sitcom tropes while combining romance, mystery, and drama, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is set to be more of an action-thriller experience. Ms. Marvel could be categorized as a teen drama while Hawkeye (mystery-thriller), Eternals (action epic), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (martial arts action film), and Loki (sci-fi adventure) will each have their particular characteristics, making each project fresh in its own right. Going beyond 2021 we’ll find the same being applied to shows like She-Hulk (courtroom drama) or movies such as Thor: Love and Thunder (space opera rock show). All of this seems to mean that Marvel Studios is thinking that, by diversifying, audiences won’t grow tired of what they have to offer in the same way they don’t get tired of movies and tv in general. Even if all properties are a part of a larger franchise, their particulars will allow all of them to be experienced without the added weight of being presented with the same formulaic concepts and narratives.

    Marvel Studios broke the mold for what franchises of this magnitude could become, and by keeping themselves in the public eye year-round but also understanding that a gimmick can only keep itself relevant for so much time, so much so that it’s not afraid to reinvent itself on the go (as we were able to see with WandaVision), is likely doing it again, before our very eyes.

     

  • ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photos Reveal Miek’s New Power Suit

    ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photos Reveal Miek’s New Power Suit

    Following set photos depicting a brand new Asgardian play featuring Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth, Melissa McCarthy’s cameo, and Sam Neill’s return, we now continue the deluge of leaked pics from the fourth Thor installment with new looks at Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder as well as big hints on the brand new look Miek might have on the upcoming movie. 

    https://twitter.com/Marvel_TH/status/1367038578664960001?s=19

    The new photo seem to take place around Thor arriving at New Asgard via his goats, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder, and a glimpse of the new look Miek will be sporting in the film. Both goats had already been sighted a few weeks back, but we now get much clearer looks at the animatronics production is using to depict them on set, to make it easier for actors to interact with what are sure to be mostly CGI characters when it’s all said and done. The goats are heavily featured in Jason Aaron’s Thor run, which is also being referer to in two other major ways in Thor: Love and Thunder: The introduction of the villain Gorr, The God Butcher (Christian Bale), and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) wielding Mjölnir and thus becoming The Mighty Thor. 

    These new set photos also give us a look at Miek, reminding us of an old Taika Waititi statement during an Instagram live broadcast where he watched Thor: Ragnarok along with fans, that Miek would feature brand new exoskeletons in the following movie, including one clearly resembling a female figure. He then went on to share a few of the looks his team had been working on, and one of them seems to have been now caught on camera.

    Thor: Love and Thunder is currently filming in Australia with a release date of May 6th, 2022.

     

     

  • Melissa McCarthy Sighted on ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set as Hela

    Melissa McCarthy Sighted on ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set as Hela

    Taika Waititi has been busy filming Thor: Love and Thunder in Australia. Just a few hours ago, we got the revelation that Matt Damon, who was revealed to return for the film, was indeed playing the character from the last entry in the franchise. It would see the return of the iconic play sequence, which will offer a quick recap of the last film’s events. Once we saw Liam Hemsworth also return to portray Thor, it made us wonder who might take on the role of Hela, who was an essential character in Ragnarok. Well, it looks like we finally got our answer and it is quite a surprise. @loveandthundernews shared some images from Daily Mail glimpse at the iconic headgear that reveals that Melissa McCarthy is playing the fake Hela in the play.

    I did not expect that casting, but I love it. McCarthy seems like an actress, who we wouldn’t expect to appear in this franchise anytime soon, so this is the perfect way to give her a brief role. We don’t know if these characters are only going to appear briefly in the play, especially those who wrote this version. In Ragnarok, it was Loki disguised as Odin that created the play to glorify his “death.” I cannot wait to see her interpretation of the character that Cate Blanchett played. These events may have been written by Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie, who has taken over as the ruler of New Asgard after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Whatever they might have planned, I cannot wait to see the reenactments and McCarthy in her Hela costume on the silver screen.

    Source: Daily Mail via Twitter

  • How Mjolnir May Return in ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’

    How Mjolnir May Return in ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’

    In 2019’s SDCC, it got announced to thunderous applause that a fourth Thor film is in production. Titled Thor: Love and Thunder, the film will draw heavily from writer Jason Aaron‘s early work on the character where the God of Thunder fights one of his greatest foes, Gorr the God Butcher. He also lost his title and hammer to his former romantic partner, Jane Foster, who went on to take the mantle for herself as the Mighty Thor. As such, one could surmise that Love and Thunder exist mainly to be a passing-of-the-hammer tale in the MCU. Unfortunately for Natalie Portman‘s character, the hammer was in multiple pieces the last time we saw it. Director Taika Waititi made a concerted effort on the Comic-Con stage to let fans know that Jane Foster would indeed be holding Mjolnir when she arrives in theaters in 2022. So, how the heck are they going to pull that off? Let’s dig into three of their most likely options in an increasingly wacky order.

     

    Eitri and Nidavellir

     

    Let’s face it. It isn’t the first time we’ve seen Mjolnir in shards. Thor has lost his trusted sidepiece on multiple occasions in the comics, whether it’s at the hands of the aptly-named Destroyer or his grumpy grandfather Bor. More often than not, he realizes that he can make a new Mjolnir. Marvel comics have commonly found Odinson making his way to various forging locations to put the pieces back together. Magic isn’t even always required, as the Thunderer once even managed to reconstruct the legendary hammer in a steel mill in Pittsburgh. The MCU’s Thor wouldn’t have to resort to such methods, as he’s already pals with an answer to fixing Mjolnir. We met the last of the dwarves on the dying star Nidavellir, and it doesn’t seem like a reach that he could put the hammer back together if the remnants get found in that fateful Norwegian field. Sure, the last time we saw Eitri, Nidavellir was a little worse-for-wear, but who’s to say Thor hasn’t gone back to help in the time since Thanos’ defeat? With any luck, Hulk might have even been able to bring back some of the dwarves when he reversed the Snap. This direction might be the quickest explanation for Mjolnir’s return and a great reason to give us more of giant Peter Dinklage.

     

    Time-Travel 

     

    Marvel Studios has already brought back Mjolnir once before through time travel. While that hammer had to be taken back to its original point in time, Waititi may attempt to go two-for-two on those shenanigans. After all, there is a precedence for this in the comics that the film is adapting. The arc that introduces Gorr takes place throughout several millennia, bringing him into conflict with a younger Thor from the Viking Age, a modern Thor we all know and love, and an older Thor who lives alone on a desolate Asgard. Gorr’s rather unusual abilities lead to all three versions of Thor fighting side-by-side against the God-Butcher on his home planet. Set photos have already leaked showing what could potentially be our first look at the said planet. If that’s the case, we could see a younger Thor bring his Mjolnir to the present-day, where it somehow ends up in the hands of Jane Foster. That reminds me, there is still an entire Disney+ series on the way based around Loki. It’s unlikely that he ends up worthy of carrying the hammer, but we may see him pull off his greatest trick and deliver Mjolnir through time and space. Actually, now that we mention Loki.

    Multiverse

    If there’s one thing we know the MCU is delving into in the coming years, it’s the multiverse. Between recent revelations on WandaVision, all the rumors surrounding Marvel and Sony’s third Spider-Man film, and the literal title of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, you can bet we’re in for some “alt-u” impacts moving forward. Although complicated, we could hypothetically see a Mjolnir pop in from somewhere else in Marvel’s massive catalog of alternate worlds. Our very own Ms. Lizzie Hill suggested the idea that the hammer-wielding Jane we meet in the film could hail from a different universe, where Gorr had already done away with the Odinson, and his Mjolnir ended up in Jane’s possession. The resulting pairing between Portman and Hemsworth against Gorr could be a fitting substitute for the Thor Trio team-up from the comics, though this could lead to more questions than answers. If Kevin Feige did want to commit to a hammer from the multiverse, it would be on my wish-list that it came from Beta Ray Bill, a legend among man and horse alike. It could be unlikely, but it is just too much fun to theorize on his potential appearance.

  • ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photo hints at Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder

    ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photo hints at Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder

    After a few sets of Thor: Love and Thunder behind the scenes photos surfaced overnight, a closer look at a particular photograph seems to hint at the first appearance of Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder in an MCU project. The animatronics don’t seem complete even though we seem to be able to see where the horns will go as they are set up for the shoot.

     

    Based on Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, the goats that pull Thor’s chariot in Norse mythology, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder are heavily featured in Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor books, a run that we already knew to be inspiring the fourth Thor project. With Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) becoming the Mighty Thor, and Christian Bale portraying Gorr, The God Butcher, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder are yet another interesting addition to Taika Waititi’s feature. And considering the Kiwi’s iconic brand of humor, the comic relief these mystical goats could bring to the table is huge.

  • First ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos Tease The God Butcher’s Home World

    First ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos Tease The God Butcher’s Home World

    After a new wave of delays, the future of cinema seems uncertain once more. We are still waiting for another delay or announcement for Marvel Studios’ Black Widow. It already got delayed by an entire year, so it seems likely that it will continue getting pushed back. Disney is still testing out another round with their Premium Access strategy once Raya and the Last Dragon releases in March. They might be waiting out until then. For now, it is uncertain what the future has in store for Marvel. Yet, these delays aren’t stopping them from getting future projects filmed, so they are available for their original release date. As such, we were anxiously waiting for any updates or set photos.

    Thor: Love and Thunder is currently preparing to film in Sidney’s Centennial Park. The Daily Mail was able to get a few photos from the film’s production design being built. It may offer us our first real look at what may be one of the many planets visited throughout the film. It looks like they are preparing a desert-inspired biome, so they might cover the background with a green screen.

     

     

    Comic fans might instantly recognize the background. It looks like they are building the home planet of Gorr the God Butcher, who will be played by Christian Bale in the upcoming film. It would make sense that they explore his backstory, so they might be preparing a flashback or what could even be the opening of the film. It is uncertain what role Gorr will have in the film, as we’ve seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe adapt well-known characters in unique ways. There could even be a chance that Hela makes an appearance, as she was wielding the weapon we commonly connect with the God Butcherer. Hopefully, we might also get a closer look at the set once they officially start filming.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • Matt Damon Lands in Australia to Join ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Matt Damon Lands in Australia to Join ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Here’s an interesting surprise. It seems that while everyone was getting ready for the production of Thor: Love and Thunder, Matt Damon was also sighted alongside his family in Sidney. According to news.com.au, he arrived there for the mandatory quarantine before joining the production. This isn’t the first time he appeared in a Marvel Studios or Thor film. He had a brief sequence in Thor: Ragnarok, where he played the role of Loki reenacting The Dark World‘s death sequence. As noted by the source, it is rather unlikely he’d fly all the way to Australia and go through quarantine for just a brief cameo, so he may have a larger role in the film. There is no official word on it, so we can probably assume that it may just be director Taika Waititi who wanted to continue his running joke. Perhaps we will also see the return of Sam Neill, who played Odin in the previously-mentioned play.

    The site also offers some interesting teases of the film’s upcoming production. It is currently set to invest $178 million in the local economy. As a result, it will create 2,500 jobs and work alongside 1,650 Australian businesses. They got a location incentive of $24,1 million from the Australian government. The budgets behind films are high but they play a key role in many economies, as they reinvest that money into local businesses and offer new job opportunities. They also mention that other actors are in Australia for different productions, most notably Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. Elba is especially noteworthy after his character passed away in Avengers: Infinity War. There is still a chance he may have a cameo of some kind, maybe helping Thor through the challenge that faces him.

    Source: News