Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV Features

  • ‘She-Hulk’ and ‘Captain America: New World Order’ Connection Explained

    ‘She-Hulk’ and ‘Captain America: New World Order’ Connection Explained

    Episode 6 of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law pulled back the curtain on the series’ one ongoing mystery just enough to send theory-loving fans scurrying on a search for answers as to just who is orchestrating the attacks on Jen. The episode name-dropped a pretty impressive group of villains from the Marvel Comics and linked them directly to the quest to get Jen’s blood. Was it just an Easter egg mean to set fans on a wild goose chase, or did Marvel Studios just give fans their first hint at the plot of 2024’s Captain America: New World Order?

    That name which was so casually dropped is Intelligencia. In the MCU, it’s a website run by “manbabies”, but in the pages of Marvel Comics, it’s a loose-knit group of some of the most brilliant and terrible minds to ever oppose Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Geniuses such as Egghead, M.O.D.O.K., the Mad Thinker and, most relevant to this line of thought, The Leader were among the masterminds who chose to team up to share knowledge, build some cool stuff and, interestingly enough, engineer a way to turn General Thunderbolt Ross into the Red Hulk as a means to combat Hulk when he returned to Earth in the pages of World War Hulk.

    With rumors of a World War Hulk movie in development at Marvel Studios and the return of Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader in Captain America: New World Order, the episode’s reveal of the Intelligencia’s HulkKing working with the still mysterious people behind the Wrecking Crew’s attempt to get Jen’s blood seems fairly significant. Is The Leader the HulkKing? Or is the HulkKing someone more familiar to the series? One potential candidate is clearly slimeball Todd Phelps, who is incredibly interested in Jen’s abilities. Todd certainly is not The Leader, but could he be another member of the Intelligencia that was known to have an alias or two in his time? It would make for an interesting twist if Todd turned out to be The Mad Thinker, a Fantastic Four villain who came up against She-Hulk many times and whose creation, the Awesome Android, eventually became a staple of She-Hulk comics.

    Whoever these people behind the curtain turn out to be, it seems that as the final third of the season of She-Hulk gets underway next week, fans will need to pay much closer attention. Will The Leader make an appearance in She-Hulk? Maybe a name drop? What state of mind will Bruce be in when he returns from his trip to Sakaar and what will he have learned while he’s there? And, most importantly, with the series wrapping up in nine episodes, where will these stories be picked up? Right now, it certainly seems like the connection to the Intelligencia makes Captain America: New World Order the prime candidate to continue the story. Perhaps it’s a World War Hulk movie in disguise. Of course, given She-Hulk’s irreverent tone and disregard for sticking to the comics when it comes to bringing characters to the MCU (the Wrecking Crew, Mr. Immortal and Titania are all far cries from their comic book counterparts), it remains possible that the MCU’s Intelligencia are truly just a bunch of manbabies of little significance.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who is Mr.Immortal?

    ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who is Mr.Immortal?

    Court is now in session and Jennifer Walters is here to represent the defendant in the matter of Superhuman law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has finally hit Disney+ as the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seems to be one of the studio’s most unique projects yet. With it comes a whole slew of C-listers and D-Lister heroes and villains that have found themselves in legal trouble.

    The Prosecution Calls To The Stand: Mr. Immortal!

    Craig Hollis, better known as Mr. Immortal first appeared in July of 1989 in The West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #46 and was created by Marvel Comics legend John Byrne. Just moments after his birth, before the death of his mother, Craig Hollis was visited by Deathurge who promised to look after Craig after his mother passed. Deathurge would act as a sort of imaginary friend to Craig, encouraging him to do incredibly dangerous things that would result in the death of his father after setting his house on fire. Deathurge then abandoned Craig until the love of his life killed herself, returning only to promptly leave once more. Craig attempted to kill himself but when his attempts failed numerous times, realized that he was unkillable…perhaps even immortal.

    After realizing this, Craig adopted the mantle of Mr.Immortal and jumped into action to foil the plans of some nearby bank robbers, but was quickly shot up by said robbers and left behind. That debacle inspired Craig to put together a team, thus bringing about the Great Lakes Avengers, bringing characters like Flatman, Doorman, Dina Soar, Leather Boy, and Big Bertha to the pages of Marvel Comics.

    Mr. Immortal’s abilities are pretty straightforward but come with a catch: his healing factor only kicks in when he faces life-threatening injuries. Simple cuts, bruises, and broken bones heal at a normal rate compared to him being shot, stabbed, gutted, decapitated, drowned, crushed, or any other way to kill a man. On top of all that, his body does not age as normally as others. Upon revival, however, he’s filled with an incredible rage that is difficult to knock out of him.

  • ‘Andor’ Still Manages to Follow a Traditional Star Wars Template

    ‘Andor’ Still Manages to Follow a Traditional Star Wars Template

    If you’re familiar with Star Wars, or with many other literary and cinematic works such as The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard Of Oz, Iron Man, The Matrix, Lost or The Lion King, you’ve come to be pretty familiar with the a common template of stories, hero myth pattern studies popularized by Joseph Campbell: The Hero’s Journey, also known as the Monomyth. While divided into several steps, all of which are incredibly flexible, it has three main parts that can be easily summed up as 1) The Separation 2) The Initiation 3) The Return. These are the fundamental components of each Hero’s Journey, and they can be applied in a number of ways to strengthen, examine, and develop vastly different narratives on vastly different subjects.

    With the first three episodes of Andor having been released, it becomes clear how Cassian’s journey has, for now, managed to fit the steps of the journey included in The Separation. It’s interesting to notice how a show with such a tonal departure from the most recent set of Star Wars properties, still manages to capture the essential spirit of the franchise. With little to no bells and whistles, it demonstrated that there are a number of valid approaches that can be taken when developing a project within this universe, as long as the true foundations that led to the franchises’ success are still addressed and given room to serve the story being told.

    • Ordinary World

    The first step isn’t as much a step as it is a starting point. Although it may be hard to qualify Cassian’s life when we find him as ordinary, it is still the life that he has become accustomed to. Living in Ferrix, scouring the galaxy for his long-lost sister. His attempts to lay low when traveling to other planets like Morlana One are obvious, all things that help to clearly define the world he lives in.

    • Call to Adventure

    The moment when he must decide whether or not to take a step outside his comfort zone, in order to answer the appeal of his inner quest, comes when Cassian, still on Morlana One, is faced by the two Pre-Mor Authority employees. By deciding to engage them, and later to kill them off in order to leave no witnesses, Cassian clearly goes beyond his initial mission statement and, even if inadvertently, sets in motion events that will lead to him leaving his ordinary life behind.

    • Refusal

    While making preparations to leave Ferrix for good, Cassian decides to meet with Bix Caleen’s contact, Luthen Rael. Someone who initially was to only serve the purpose of handing Cassian the necessary credits to follow through with his intentions of leaving his life behind, ends up offering Cassian something more: the opportunity to fight the Empire not as an individual, but as part of something greater. Cassian, being true to himself, initially refuses to do so, questioning Rael’s true reasons and how futile such an endeavor would be.

    • Meeting with the Mentor

    This is also the moment where Cassian, albeit unbeknownst to him, meets what is sure to become an essential figure in his forming years as a Rebel intelligence officer. Luthen Rael demonstrates to have a special interest in Cassian, admiring his capabilities and basically offering himself to provide him with all the tools that will allow him to become the fighter he was always meant to be.

    • Crossing the Threshold

    When leaving Ferrix, Cassian is overwhelmed by memories of him leaving his home planet of Kenari, knowing that his life is about to change, maybe even more than it did then. At this point, Andor genuinely enters the domain of adventure, stepping outside of his world’s known bounds and into a perilous new world with unknown laws and boundaries.

    The next step.

    Following these initial steps in the Andor storyline, and if the Hero’s Journey is to continue, Cassian will undergo an Initiation of sorts, where a Road of Trials will come before him, as he proves himself worthy of continuing on the path that The Separation has led him down. It will be interesting to understand how the way his story develops in Rogue One will affect the way Andor’s structure over its two seasons is approached. Will Rogue One serve as a metaphorical Ressurection and Return, or will those final steps be addressed in the series with the movie serving as a worthy epilogue to the story of Cassian Andor?

  • ‘House of the Dragon’- Episode 5 Recap

    ‘House of the Dragon’- Episode 5 Recap

    The board is set. Pieces from the past are in place. And they’re moving fast.

    Viserys’s Desperation

    The King is dying by the second. Collapsing multiple times, the Iron Throne wounds are festering all over the place on him. Even with this, he braves stormy weather to go to Driftmark and set things right with Lord Corlys Velaryon, by combining their houses through the marriage of Rhaenyra and Laenor, giving Corlys what he’s been vying for since day one: his family and blood on the Iron Throne. Viserys isn’t used to being the one to ask for things, because being the king, his word is law. He recognizes the danger that Rhaenyra will be in if he dies and she is still unwed and heirless, especially with his son Aegon in the picture. He needs to cement his daughter as the one heir, and this marriage should seal the deal. Maybe…

    Another key factor is Lyonel Strong, the replacement Hand of the King, having taken over from Otto Hightower. He’s been following Otto’s example in finagling his children into the mix, with his son Larys whispering in Alicent’s ear to create more of a rift between her and Rhaenyra. Passing on the knowledge that Rhaenyra drank the moon tea seemed to cause Alicent quite a problem. And Larys really laid it on thick that he hoped Rhaenyra isn’t ill. The other Strong, Harwin, saved Rhaenyra from the brawl at the end of the episode. If you didn’t notice on first watch, take a look at how Lyonel prods Harwin to go after her. Shades of Otto telling Alicent to comfort Viserys in the early part of the season.

    The Green Dress

    Alicent has tried to play nice with Rhaenyra. She didn’t choose to be Viserys’s wife and has been a pawn of her father’s since the very beginning. She is doing what the Westerosi society requires of a noblewoman: to marry a lord, be faithful, follow the rules, and spit out those kids. So when she sees that Rhaenyra is throwing a fit because she has to marry, and can even choose who to marry, it’s easy to feel sympathetic towards Alicent. Last week we noted that Rhaenyra lied right to her face about her extracurricular activities and that quickly came to a head this episode. Alicent brings Ser Criston Cole in to grill him about Rhaenyra, still thinking that it was Daemon who was the partner. Criston folds like a lawn chair and confesses almost instantly, with Alicent taking it all in silence and rage that her best friend would lie so easily to her.

    This combined with Otto stating that her children will never be safe if Rhaenyra takes the throne, were the final dominoes for Alicent. In his mind, the children will always be rivals and Aegon being male makes him the better claimant, and Rhaenyra will eliminate them from contention. Her arriving late to the feast dressed in traditional Hightower green was a statement in itself, and this is the scene that names Alicent’s faction The Greens. The Hightower light burns green when at war.

    Laenor, Rhaenyra, and That Scene

    Rhaenyra and Laenor grew up together, so they’re very familiar with each other. Laenor is gay, Rhaenyra knows this, and takes some advice from Daemon in that they will marry, make public appearances together, do all the necessary stuff, but also have some paramours on the side. Laenor’s partner is Joffrey Lonmouth, and for now, Rhaenyra’s side piece is Criston Cole. Both Laenor and Rhaenyra agree with this notion, and happily go into the feast with a plan in place.

    Criston Cole will be one of the most polarizing characters in this series that isn’t named Rhaenyra or Daemon. He feels that he’s simply being used and that his vows mean nothing to his Princess (which is very true). The only way he sees he can redeem his honor is if he and Rhaenyra run away to the Free Cities in Essos and start over. For some reason, Rhaenyra doesn’t want to give up her entire kingdom and family for a guy she’s been sneaking around with. Who knew! So with them done and finished, Cole was staring daggers at Rhaenyra, something Joffrey noticed. Joffrey sauntered over, thinking that he could come in and make quick friends with his paramour buddy, and what he got in return was his entire skull caved in with everyone looking on in horror. Whoops! Maybe don’t approach a Kingsguard knight sworn to celibacy and tell him you know that he’s been porking the Princess he’s sworn to protect, since, you know, if it gets out that is a death sentence for him. Cole, destroyed by the entire ordeal, was about to seppuku in the Godswood before Alicent came to save the day.

    Rhaenyra and Laenor’s wedding was a little depressing after that debacle, along with Viserys collapsing for the 17th time this episode.

    Halfway Through Season 1

    This episode ends the first part of the timeline for House of the Dragon, and both Rhaenyra and Alicent will have different actors (Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke) take the stage beginning in Episode 6, which also means there will be a substantial time jump. Next time you’ll see them, Rhaenyra will have 3 children to keep up with Alicent. From the promotional pictures, Rhaenyra’s children are all dark-haired. Pretty odd that two silver-haired parents gave birth to someone with dark hair.

    The sides are established, the seeds have been planted, and you’ll see the growth next Sunday. It’ll only get crazier from here.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘We Light the Way’

    ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘We Light the Way’

    Yikes. Now, there’s an episode that feels like Game of Thrones. The latest edition of HBO’s House of the Dragon, titled We Light the Way, is a rollercoaster ride of political intrigue and romantic persuasion. Milly Alcock’s Princess Rheanyra Targaryan is engaged to be married with Theo Nate’s Ser Laenor Valeryon, only neither of them are all that interested in each other. Instead, they’d rather be with their paramours. For Rheanyra, that is Fabien Frankel’s dashing Kingsguard soldier Ser Criston Cole, and for Laenor, it’s Solly McLeod’s Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, his secret partner and battle companion. As the wedding draws near, things begin to take a turn for the worse, with Paddy Considine’s King Viserys Targaryan growing increasingly ill and Emily Carey’s Queen Alicent Hightower learning the truth about her closest friend. If that wasn’t enough, Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon Targaryan is still up to his violently mischievous ways and causing quite a bit of trouble all on his own.

    It’s a lot to tackle, but nothing Murphy’s Multiverse can’t divide into “best” and “worst” categories. Let’s get into it.

    BEST – Planning a Wedding

    Obviously, what is now being called “The Green Wedding” was the big spectacle of We Light the Way. It’s what everyone will be talking about coming out of this week and the highest point of the entire season thus far. However, none of that pageantry would be possible if it weren’t for the exceedingly wonderful build-up happening in the first three-fourths of the episode. King Viserys and Princess Rhaenyra’s trip to visit Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys, played by Steve Toussaint and Eve Best, in their home provided immaculate foreshadowing for what was to come. The wordplay between Corlys and Viserys in coming to political agreements, the conversations Laenor has with both his future wife and his lover, and the moment shared between Rhaenyra and Criston aboard her ship – all existed to serve the episode’s ending, and yet still managed to be more interesting in the long run.

    As has been said before, this sort of thing is actually the juice that keeps this franchise running. It’s the slow build-up and quick pay-off combo that keeps fans coming back for more, and oftentimes, it’s the first half that really stays with viewers for weeks to come. For example, Alicent’s arc in this episode alone is magnificent. Yes, it’s her beautiful green dress and dramatic wedding entrance that stands out, but it’s the tearful argument with her father and the quiet rage she displays as Ser Criston drops a bombshell that stick in the brain. Game of Thrones’ infamous Red Wedding had seasons worth of material to play off of when everything went down, but the Green Wedding had no such advantage. It had only a handful of episodes to use as meat in the emotional grinder, and We Light the Way did a fantastic job of bringing all those elements together before finally pulling the rug out from under Westeros.

    WORST – The Death of Ser Joffrey Lonmouth

    It’s so unfortunate that people can never just be happy in these shows. It’s even more unfortunate how often it’s women and LGBTQ+ folks who face the brunt of the suffering. All commentary aside, Ser Laenor and his partner were so close to having the best kind of future Westeros could possibly afford them, and then Joffrey had to have his face bashed in for, assumedly, making a comment he shouldn’t have. It’s an old and tired trope, to have the gay character suffer for being gay, and it would have been nice if the show could have embraced Joffrey and Laenor as an interesting subplot instead of slaughtering the former and forcing the latter into a loveless marriage against his will. Alas, this is how it is and how it shall continue to be. There is much opportunity for storytelling with Laenor going forward.

  • Inside Pug’s Shoe Closet

    Inside Pug’s Shoe Closet

    Episode 5 of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, entitled “Mean, Green and Straight Poured into These Jeans”, gave some of the show’s supporting cast a little more room to breathe than they had been given in prior episodes. While Jen worked with Mallory Book (Renée Elise Goldsberry), Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga) and Pug (Josh Segarra) went to work on updating She-Hulk’s wardrobe.

    Turns out Pug has a “Drip Broker” who he trusted not only to find Jen a superhero costume designer but also to help him build the stock part of his “rock and stock” shoe collection. While in Episode 5 he was after the Iron Man 3s (which were teased in an earlier episode), it turns out he has QUITE the collection. As the credits rolled, fans were treated to an Easter egg extravaganza in Pug’s shoe closet, something that definitely warrants a closer look.

    There are a whole lot of shoes and not all of them are immediately discernable, but here’s a rundown of what characters seem to be represented in Pug’s shoe closet.

    **UPDATED WITH SOME INPUT FROM “SIR STRANGE FOLK”***

    First Row

    Spot #4 Jack of Hearts
    Spot #5 Hawkeye (maybe his classic costume color scheme?)

    Second Row (left to right), just above Pug’s head:

    Spot #2 Doctor Strange
    Spot #3 Falcon
    Spot #4 Hulk
    Spot #5 Doctor Doom
    Spot #6 Luke Cage
    Spot #7 Maybe Cable(?)
    Spot #8 America Chavez or Captain America

    Third Row (left to right)

    Spot #2 Ghost Rider
    Spot #3 Nova
    Spot #5 Bishop(?)-you can see what looks like the “M” that’s branded on Bishop’s face
    Spot #6 Thing
    Spot #8 Deadpool

    Fourth Row

    Spot #1 Speedball
    Spot #4 Namor
    Spot #5 Green Goblin
    Spot #6 Vision(?)
    Spot #8 Silver Surfer (?)

    Fifth Row

    Sot #4 Electro
    Spot #5 Captain Marvel
    Spot #6 Cyclops
    Spot #8 Thor

    Sixth Row

    Spot #5 Scarlet Spider
    Spot #6 Black Panther

    Seventh Row

    Spot #5 Moon Knight

    There are plenty more shoes there to think about, but what a great way to sneak a plethora of Easter eggs into the episode!

  • ‘House of the Dragon’- Episode 4 Recap

    ‘House of the Dragon’- Episode 4 Recap

    Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

    Incest is back on the menu, folks. We got to see the beginning of Daemon lusting after Rhaenyra, after coming home from the Stepstones as a self-proclaimed King. With the episode preview, it seemed that the brothers would be at odds with each other, but Daemon handed the King his crown without hesitation. They were happy and joking throughout the beginning of the episode…but that didn’t last very long.

    Rhaenyra was itching to have a night away from the Red Keep, and Daemon was more than willing to show her some of the after-dark activities in King’s Landing. They happened upon a street performance about the Targaryen successors, where spectators were actively jeering towards the proposition of Rhaenyra being queen, with Rhaenyra pushing aside their concerns, since they don’t have a choice in the matter. Keep an eye on that. Another foreshadowing in that same sequence was the blind woman asking if Rhaenyra wanted to see her own death. Did you catch what the next frame was?

    Next stop? A brothel, where there was all sorts of extracurricular activities going on. Both Rhaenyra and Daemon had some drinks and started making out and coming pretty close to sexing each other before Daemon had second thoughts and disappeared. Rhaenyra was still rearing to go, so she found a suitable replacement in the Kingsguard Criston Cole. This is a big change from the book, where Rhaenyra had a big crush on him, but they never actually did the thing. That was saved for someone else who you saw in the episode (not Daemon!).

    Rhaenyra’s Exploits

    Over this entire season, Rhaenyra has had some existential crises. First losing her mother, then losing her best friend-who became her stepmother- followed by worrying about being supplanted as heir, and now feeling like she is just a prize to be sold off to the highest bidder. She’s yearning for freedom and to escape these pressures, and these last two episodes she’s had Criston and Daemon to help her out.

    Otto Hightower once again overreached, spilling the beans on Rhaenyra and Daemon, but Viserys was having none of it, and sent him back to Oldtown, finally. He knows that Otto’s ambition is to place his grandson, Aegon, on the Iron Throne and any ammo he gets he will use. The source of his information is none other than the White Worm, or Mysaria. She’s becoming the Varys, Master of Whisperers, of this generation. It’s shown that Daemon wakes up in her room, hinting that Daemon and her planned for Rhaenyra to be seen in the brothel and this information to get back to Viserys. Daemon’s endgame here seems to be to ruin Rhaenyra so no one else will marry her so he can snatch her up and take the throne. Kind of a dumb move, especially with your brother’s daughter.

    Alicent and Rhaenyra’s time in the Godswood was also important. Alicent is horrified that Rhaenyra would even think of doing these things, especially with her uncle. Rhaenyra lies, swearing on her mother’s own grave that Daemon never touched her, and Alicent believes her. How far will Rhaenyra lie and go to make herself seem innocent?

    The Tea

    So, what was that drink that the maester handed Rhaenyra at the end of the episode? If you watched Game of Thrones, this should seem familiar. It’s Moon Tea, a Westeros type of Plan B that would save you from any unwanted pregnancy. Lysa Arryn, the sister of Catelyn Stark, took it after her and Littlefinger had sex. The tea came directly from Viserys, who does not care who the father is, or even if there is a father. He only wants to make sure there aren’t any repercussions. The episode ends before it’s revealed if she took it. Will she keep Criston Cole’s baby, setting off a rumor mill of whose father her bastard is? Or will she take the tea, and possibly create a rift between her and Ser Criston? He was already pretty reluctant to take off that white cloak and destroy his vows, so this might put it over the top.

    Somehow the show has seemingly sped through 4 episodes of this first season, and there has been a lot of setup and time jumps already. Even with years passing between episodes, it seems like we aren’t missing much, and we’re due for an even bigger jump after episode 5. If you’ve seen any previews or know the backstory, you know that Rhaenyra and Alicent both have younger and older versions of their characters in the show, and we haven’t met the older versions yet (Besides older Rhaenyra being the narrator in the pilot). This coming episode will likely be the last of the younger versions (Milly Alcock and Emma D’Arcy) as the primaries, so enjoy their performances while you can.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘King of the Narrow Sea’

    ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘King of the Narrow Sea’

    Phew. There is much to unpack in the fourth episode of HBO’s latest hit, House of the Dragon. Luckily for readers, the purpose of this article is only to address the best and worst of all the chaos. It’s almost comical that the episode is titled King of the Narrow Sea, after the fancy new moniker given to Matt Smith‘s Daemon Targaryen, because really, this week was all about Milly Alcock‘s Princess Rhaenyra. With Paddy Considine‘s King Viserys hellbent on finding her a groom, Rhaenyra is forced to confront what it is she truly wants out of a relationship, and the answer isn’t so simple. As with any breathing human being, her Grace does not want to feel like a prisoner in her own marriage. Unfortunately, the rules of the time are the rules of the time and this type of arrangement may be a fate she’s not ever able to outmaneuver. Her restlessness ultimately leads to a, well, uncomfortable night out with her uncle, and a few realizations that make her slightly more comfortable in her own skin.

    Quite a few other major developments occur, like the dramatic demotion of Rhys Ifans‘ Otto Hightower and the ongoing depressive state of his daughter, Alicent, played by Emily Carey. Yet, none of those things ever really live up to the shock value of the episode’s main plotline, which holds the honor of producing both talking points in this week’s breakdown. So, without further ado, it’s time to talk even more about superstar Milly Alcock.

    Best – Milly Alcock

    Milly Alcock will not be around House of the Dragon forever. In fact, she won’t even be around for the entirety of this season. But boy, oh boy, is she making the most of the time she has as Princess Rhaenyra. Alcock has been the standout of this show from the very beginning, and King of the Narrow Sea proves exactly why that is. Rhaenyra is not a simple type of character to portray, having to come off as both stubborn and charming at the same time while also maintaining a sense of regality in every action. It’s much easier to be unlikable than not in this kind of role, but Alcock manages to pull off every scene with grace, poise, and appeal. She makes the audience want to follow her down whatever path she travels, and that is a skill that simply can’t be taught.

    King of the Narrow Sea deals with a lot of subject matter that won’t sit well with everyone. There are some very dark rabbit holes that Rheanyra finds herself exploring. Yet, in spite of that, Alcock remains a steadfast champion of everything that’s good in House of the Dragon. She takes the dark path, however terrible it may seem, and flips it into one that the audience is curious in exploring themselves. She sells the story, and her character, as something worthwhile, even when a person’s brain might be telling them otherwise. This show could not have found a better successor to Emilia Clarke‘s Daenerys, and fans should remain hopeful the series finds a way to keep her around even after Rheanyra hits her growth spurt.

    Worst – Incest, Duh

    This almost doesn’t even feel worth typing. By far the worst part of King of the Narrow Sea, and perhaps the show at large, is Daemon manipulating his teenage niece into trying to have sex with him. Inside of a brothel, no less. It’s a power move and a disgusting one at that. Yes, Daemon is, thus far, the villain of this show and at no point does the project want us to be on his side. However, that does not negate the fact that every second of that sequence was terrible enough to make a viewer’s skin crawl ten times over. The word one might be looking for is probably “icky”. This type of sexual deviancy, a phrase that feels strange to use, is becoming something of a theme for House of the Dragon. Hopefully, it’s just a phase and one that the show grows out of sooner than later.

  • Five Marvel Monsters Who Should Get a Special Next

    Five Marvel Monsters Who Should Get a Special Next

    Marvel Studios had a pretty stacked panel at this year’s D23 convention, but there was one reveal that seemed to stand above the rest. Werewolf by Night, a zany new Halloween-themed short film, was finally unveiled after numerous months of rumors. Being released under the new banner “A Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation,” the project will be unlike anything the Marvel Cinematic Universe has attempted before. Michael Giacchino‘s fright fest is filmed entirely in black-and-white, with animatronic effects and cheeseball dialogue ripped straight from the classic Universal horrors. Should Werewolf by Night succeed, the studio will likely want to follow up on its new formula with more terrifying specials in the years to come. Luckily for them, there are plenty of Marvel monsters to choose from.

    Follow along as Murphy’s Multiverse breaks down some of the best options:

    1. Man-Thing

    Man-Thing

    This one is sort of a cheat because Werewolf by Night‘s trailer has already confirmed Man-Thing is coming to the MCU, but maybe his appearance simply exists to set up a future spin-off? The character is sort of the flagship monster on Marvel’s roster, so it feels like, if the studio plan on delving deeper into its spooky lore, Marvel Studios will end up giving him his own project somewhere down the line. There’s plenty of source material to draw from, and the tone of the final product could fit into any number of genres. Heck, according to Thor: Ragnarok, the Man-Thing has somehow already been off-world. Unfortunately, despite all the potential, the creature may not warrant his own feature film (2005’s cult classic Man-Thing was not well received), so another Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation could be the landing spot for his solo story.

    For those outside of the know, Man-Thing is a rather large swamp monster who traditionally exists within the Florida Everglades. He began life as Dr. Ted Sallis, a biochemist working to recreate the Super Soldier Serum, until his wife Ellen Brandt – played by Stéphanie Szostak in Iron Man 3 – turned him over to agents of A.I.M. and indirectly sent him and his car crashing into the nearby swamp. There, a dosage of the new Serum and a splash of magic turn Sallis into the Man-Thing, a lumbering plant-matter beast with little human intellect. Famously, among many other magic and science-based abilities, Man-Thing is empathic and angered by fear, which causes him to burn those who show the emotion around him. As his classic comic covers put it, “Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing’s touch!”

    2. The Living Mummy

    N’Kantu, The Living Mummy

    If Marvel Studios wants another horror special that plays to the Universal classics and sticks with the pulpy nature of Werewolf by Night, then N’Kantu might just their man – er, mummy. Known to comic fans as “The Living Mummy,” the character is not actually the Egyptian baddie most people think of when they see a human covered in wraps. The chieftain of a North African tribe, N’Kantu and his people are taken by Egyptian soldiers and forced into slavery for the Pharaoh Aram-Set. Always a fighter, N’Kantu ends up leading a rebellion that results in the death of the Pharaoh but puts himself in a tomb instead. Aram-Set’s priestess finds a way to mummify N’Kantu while keeping him alive, and when he’s unearthed several millennia later, the Marvel Universe is forced to confront a mystic mummy situation they weren’t expecting.

    Plainly put, this would be a great way for Marvel to counter Sony’s Morbius film. They can keep their Living Vampire, because Marvel has the Living Mummy instead. All jokes aside, N’Kantu actually has several strong comic ties to both Werewolf by Night and Man-Thing, having encountered them both on many occasions, and could be tied firmly to the greater MCU with only some minor tweaking. An easter egg in Moon Knight confirmed Kang the Conqueror’s Egyptian alter-ego, the Pharaoh Rama-Tut, did in fact exist at some point in the timeline. Perhaps a Living Mummy special could elaborate on this further, making him N’Kantu’s captor instead of Aram-Set, and giving the hypothetical Halloween spooktacular even more reason to be part of the Multiverse Saga. Or maybe fans will just get to see a mummy roam the streets of modern America. Either option is fun.

    3. Manphibian

    Manphibian

    Should Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation: Man-Thing not work out, Marvel does have another marsh-based monster hidden up their sleeve. Well, sort of. Manphibian, who has the greatest name in comics, is actually an alien from another world. They just look a lot like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and are therefore, often thought of as a fish monster. Instead, they come from a once peaceful civilization where no one Manphibian ever harmed another. That is, until someone killed their mate, and the Manphibian felt a strong urge to pursue revenge. Traveling across the galaxy in search of their mate’s murderer, the nautical-faced extraterrestrial finds themself on Earth, where they confront their enemy and are then stranded with their children. Oh, they’re also a single parent.

    If the Werewolf by Night trailer proved anything, it’s that Marvel is going all-out for weird with these shorts. Manphibian’s classic monster look, combined with an out-of-this-world backstory, could make for the perfect Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation recipe. It also ticks off the ‘alien’ box on the long list of horror tropes the studio could be looking to cover. Imagine an opening that feels like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, only for Manphibian and their many kids to come tumbling out of the spaceship. Terrifying, and also incredibly watchable.

    4. FrankenCastle

    FrankenCastle

    Ok, hear this one out. Marvel does have its version of Frankenstein’s Monster, but he’s not the patchwork behemoth that should get his own special. That honor should belong instead to FrankenCastle, an undead version of – wait for it – Frank Castle, better known as The Punisher, sewn together and resurrected to aid the Legion of Monsters after being dismembered by Wolverine’s child, Daken, on orders from Norman Osborn. A mouthful, for sure, but also a great set-up for another pulpy adventure set within the MCU. Of course, it’s debatable whether Castle, played by Jon Bernthal in Netflix’s universe of shows, actually exists in the MCU at the moment. Even if he doesn’t, though, there are plenty of opportunities coming up (like Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again) to get him in and set him up before Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation comes calling.

    So, why The Punisher and not Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s most morbid creation? Because the story of Frankenstein’s Monster has been told a thousand times over, and Frank Castle offers something new to the age-old tale. A few years from now, there’s a very real possibility the character has reappeared in the MCU and had one or two more stories thrown his way. If so, Marvel could find a way to briefly make him dead and then alive again in time for his very own horror special, fitting in a fan favorite comic arc without awkwardly changing the tone of a potential solo series mid-way through or sacrificing a whole film to a rather risky premise. Also, Castle’s time as a monster is mostly spent with the other characters mentioned on this list and his resurrection is only made possible through the use of the Bloodstone, which will also seemingly be a focus in Werewolf by Night. As Marvel always likes to say – it’s all connected.

    5. Ghost Rider: Kushala

    Kushala

    Let this be prefaced with a true statement: Ghost Rider deserves his own franchise. That being said, he can hypothetically have a franchise that’s kickstarted by a short film. It’s well-known that Johnny Blaze, the character most people associate with the Rider, made a deal with the devil and lost his soul in the process, becoming the Spirit of Vengeance and tearing pavement across the globe in his lifelong search for evildoers. However, most people don’t realize there have been quite a few Ghost Riders over time, and a Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation covering a Rider from elsewhere in the Marvel timeline could be a very unique chance to expand the mythos and tell the kind of story that couldn’t otherwise be told in Ghost Rider film.

    Kushala, specifically, gives Marvel the best chance at something truly unique. An Apache woman who lived in the mid-1800s, Kushala’s wish to avenger the death of her parents led to a possession by the Spirit of Vengeance, transforming her into a version of the Ghost Rider she referred to as the ‘Demon Rider’. Seeking to learn more about her curse, Kushala traveled the world learning magic, eventually becoming so skilled she achieved the rank of Sorcerer Supreme in her own era. Yes, that’s right, this is a single character who is both Ghost Rider and Sorcerer Supreme. The storytelling possibilities are endless. Moreover, this could be fans’ best shot at finally seeing Mephisto done properly in live action. Without the involvement of one Ralph Bohner.

  • The Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V1

    The Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V1

    In March of 2022, it was reported that Sabir Pirzada, who worked with Marvel Studios on both Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, was developing a Nova project with the studio. The trade report indicated that it was unclear whether or not Pirzada’s work was for a film or streaming series and, as of publishing, that was still unclear. However, Prizada’s current track record with Marvel allows one to lean towards expecting a series about The Human Rocket.

    Confidence is high that Destin Daniel Cretton’s sequel to 2021’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings will hit theaters ahead of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. It seems like Cretton and star Simu Liu are going to be very busy starting in 2023.

    When the search for an actress to portray Kamala Khan was ongoing, a rumor indicated that whoever would eventually take on the role would have a pretty heavy workload that would consist of Season 1, a film, and Season 2 all being filmed over the course of 3 years. If that rumor still holds any water, Iman Vellani is going to find herself on set for Season 2 of Ms. Marvel sometime in the next year so that she can also be available to fit Avengers: The Kang Dynasty into her schedule. It would not be incredibly surprising if this were among the announcements made during either Disney Plus Day or Marvel Studios’ Showcase at D23.

    It’s been a long, long time since our original scoop that Marvel Studios was developing a Nomad project. However, no news does not always equal bad news. Confidence is high that Nomad is still in development and is intended to be included as part of the Multiverse Saga.

    The first of what is currently set to be a 2025 Avengers double-feature, The Kang Dynasty might just have a lot to do with some of the artifacts fans have already seen in some of Phase 4’s early projects. It remains to be seen, but it’s very possible that both Ms. Marvel and Shang-Chi’s accessories might play major roles in the Multiverse Saga.

    A second Moon Knight season seems a sure thing. Star Oscar Isaac and director Mohamed Diab have teased it. Fans are hungry for it. There’s no reason Kevin Feige doesn’t announce it at D23…unless it’s not happening. That would be a good reason not to announce it.

    At this point, why not? Rumors about this film have dried up, but a recent piece of information that Marvel Studios may regain the distribution rights to live-action Hulk films does give some hope that it might come to fruition. Bruce Banner’s trip to Sakaar in Episode 2 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is right in line with the earliest rumors I ever heard about what will essentially be a prelude to this film, but we’ll have to wait until Episode 9 to find out if Marvel Studios is going forward with this project…unless they decide to grace fans with a Hulk-sized gift at D23.

    *NOTE*

    While it’s not a Disney project and won’t be announced at D23, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Spider-Man 4 hit theaters in the space between Marvel Studios May 2nd film and their November 7th film.

    According to the Phase 6 slate unveiled by Kevin Feige at SDCC ’22, there’s one spot left to fill and, to be honest, there isn’t enough strong info around any one project to confidently place it here. With that in mind, rumors of a Harry Styles-led Starfox project made the rounds some time ago, and while I initially dismissed them, I was told by someone I trust that to keep an ear to the ground as there might be some fire to that smoke. So while we’d set the odds very low here (I’d say under a 1% chance this is correct), it’s as good of a guess as any.

    The capstone of the Multiverse Saga, fans should expect Marvel Studios to pull out all the stops for this one and for it to include all the bells and whistles, including possibly bringing back some of the biggest stars from the Infinity Saga. It could also serve as a way for the studio to reset things with new actors in old roles, old actors in new roles, or any manner of shenanigans.