Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV News

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Actor Confirms Role as Leap-Frog, not Frog-Man

    ‘She-Hulk’ Actor Confirms Role as Leap-Frog, not Frog-Man

    Dozens of fans can now rest easy. In an interview at the green carpet premiere of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, actor Brandon Stanley confirmed that the frog-based character seen in promotional footage for the show is indeed Leap-Frog (as reported here) and not Frog-Man, as most fans believed.

    Stanley’s comments also reveal that the character will indeed be a mash-up of both amphibian-inspired characters from the comics (as first reported here). In She-Hulk, Stanley will be playing Eugene Patilio and using the moniker of Leap-Frog. In the comics, Eugene, who goes by Frog-Man, is the son of Vincent Patilio, a Daredevil villain who goes by Leap-Frog. Since it’s unlikely the MCU is willing to invest the time into a multi-generational Patilio saga, they’ve combined the characters into one: Eugene Patilio, aka Leap-Frog.

    Interestingly enough, Stanley indicates that Leap-Frog is a hero in the show. In the comics, Eugene, who went by Frog-Man, followed that trend even recently appearing as an ally to Tony Stark in the current, ongoing Iron Man run. It seems likely from the footage that She-Hulk might feature Leap-Frog undergoing some sort of cathartic rebirth as he is certainly squaring off with Daredevil (who is just off camera) in one of the trailers.

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law debuts August 18th on Disney Plus. Leap-Frog debuts sometime later!

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Writer on Daredevil Appearance: “This is Our Version”

    ‘She-Hulk’ Writer on Daredevil Appearance: “This is Our Version”

    After nearly a year of rumors, Disney let the cat out of the bag about Daredevil’s appearance in She-Hulk, using the character in a promo for the show and removing all doubt about the veracity of said rumors. What is still in doubt, however, is whether or not the character, last seen briefly in Spider-Man: No Way Home, is the same character who lead 3 seasons of his own show on Netflix. Some fans are sure he is; others are sure he is not. All the while, Marvel Studios has remained silent on the matter. However, in an interview with Comic Book, She-Hulk head writer Jessica Gao and director Kat Coiro gave some insight into their understanding of the scenario.

    Unfortunately, neither Gao nor Coiro confirmed or denied whether or not Charlie Cox‘s character’s story is a direct continuation of the Netflix series. According to Gao, the creatives behind She-Hulk looked at the opportunity to include Daredevil as a chance to put their own spin on the character, one that ended up very different from the dark, gritty Netflix series.

    We were like, ‘This is our version,’ and it’s true for any character. Like every character that we’ve used that existed in the MCU, it gets to be a little bit different on our show because you see them in very dramatic roles like these big high pressure, high stakes kind of situations but on our show because our show is more of a slice of life, they can kinda take a break from that. 

    Jessica Gao

    Gao further explained that with She-Hulk’s lighter tone, characters who join the show in smaller roles were stepping into that comedic world and were reshaped by it, though not permanently:

    They get to take a little bit of a comedy vacation. Of course, after our show, they get to go back to save the world, saving the universe, very serious, intense story but on our show, they get to just take a little break and when the universe is not at stake like, ‘What’s going on with you?’ They get a chance to really explore like a different part of their character because not everyone can be at a 10 saving the world every minute of every day.

    Jessia Gao

    Coiro was much less forthcoming about what to expect from Cox’s character in the upcoming series. When asked if his appearance in She-Hulk would continue his story from the Netflix series, Coiro played…coy…saying, “I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about it, but it’s very conscious and it’s very much planned. That’s all I can say.“

    It’s easy enough to say, “fans will just have to wait and see” whether or not Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin are picking up in the MCU where they left off, but there’s also an opportunity for Marvel Studios to stay quiet on the matter, allowing the speculation and conversation to continue. One of those things serves them better than the other.

    She-Hulk: Attorney At Law debuts this Thursday on Disney Plus.

    Source: Comic Book

  • ‘John Wick’ Prequel Series Finds New Home in Peacock

    ‘John Wick’ Prequel Series Finds New Home in Peacock

    NBCUniversal is slated to add another potential stalwart series to its young streaming service in Peacock. The Continental, which serves as a prequel series to the John Wick film franchise, is set to move from Lionsgate’s Starz to the NBCU streamer.

    This serves as a highly unconventional move in the streaming age in a developing property outright switching to a different distributor. It certainly is a large win for Peacock, who recently also acquired the film rights for Keanu Reeves-led John Wick. Meanwhile, this move is in line with the restructuring Starz has been in the process of recently focusing more on targeting female-demographic audiences.

    In an official statement about the acquisition, Peacock’s president Kelly Campbell spoke about the excitement of having the new series under the NBCU banner.

    The John Wick films have become a global phenomenon, are among the most watched titles on Peacock and we are thrilled and honored to partner with Lionsgate to extend this incredible franchise. We understand the value of a global franchise and Val Boreland (EVP and Head of Content Acquisitions for NBCUniversal) and team knew that by bringing this special event series to Peacock and putting the full power of NBCUniversal behind it, the premiere of The Continental will be the streaming event of the year.

    Kelly Campbell

    In addition, Kevin Beggs, the Lionsgate Television Group Chair, equally shared excitement for the partnership between the two groups to expand the John Wick franchise.

    John Wick has become part of the cultural zeitgeist with a massive, passionately engaged fan base around the world. We’re delighted to partner with Peacock to continue expanding the John Wick Universe. This agreement reflects the collaboration of our Motion Picture Group, which has grown the franchise from the beginning and was excited by the opportunity to bring it to the next level, Jim Packer (President of Worldwide Television and Digital Distribution for Lionsgate) and his Worldwide Television Distribution team, which found the perfect home for The Continental, and the Lionsgate Television creative group, which created a brilliant and enduring property that is one of the most highly-anticipated streaming events of 2023.

    Kevin Beggs

    The Continental, which will follow the perspective of a young Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell in the series, and previously portrayed by Ian McShane in the films) as he navigates the criminal-filled underbelly of 1970s New York City at the titular hotel. The series is slated to release in 2023. Meanwhile, the franchise’s next theatrical release John Wick: Chapter Four is scheduled to release in theaters in March of 2023.

    Source: Deadline 

  • ‘Jessica Jones’ David Tennant Open to Return in a Future MCU Project

    ‘Jessica Jones’ David Tennant Open to Return in a Future MCU Project

    There have been many villains throughout Marvel’s history on television and on the silver screen. We’ve witnessed a variety of adaptations but none left a darker impact than the one that David Tennant did on his iconic run as Kilgrave on Netflix’s Jessica Jones. The man was more than just a villain and joined the ranks of one of the franchise’s most iconic.

    While he has passed away in the original series, the current return of Netflix characters is opening up the possibility of some iconic actors returning. With that window open, some fans had the chance to ask the Purple Man himself, David Tennant, if he’d be open to returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    While he believes that it’ll be difficult to bring his character back, he definitely is open to the possibility. He also praised the talented writers hinting that they’d have a way of finding a way to bring him back into the fold. With the multiverse already established, there’s quite the opportunity to bring him back in interesting ways.

    Imagining dimensions where he took over with a reluctant group of heroes doing his bidding would make for an interesting addition to the multiverse. He could also be a weapon that’ll help everyone involved to take down Kang the Conqueror due to his unique ability. Whatever they may have planned, Tennant is always a delight and definitely worthy actor to bring back into the MCU.

    Source: Twitter

  • Nexstar Acquires 75% Stake of The CW

    Nexstar Acquires 75% Stake of The CW

    We’ve reported on it some time ago, but there were hints that The CW was potentially going to have a new owner. It looks like it has finally been confirmed as the Nexstar Media Group is currently set to acquire a 75% stake in the broadcast network moving forward.

    As such, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will still retain a 12.5% stake ownership in the CW. It also means they will continue to produce scripted content for the network, but it’s unclear just how much that’ll be the case moving forward. It also seems that the leadership won’t change with Mark Pedowitz set to remain as CEO of the CW.

    There are no financial terms disclosed but it seems that a big part of this company acquisition is Nexstar taking over the CW’s debt rather than the usual “upfront considerations.” It’s a big move for the company, which includes quite a few local TV stations and even the cable network NewsNation. If you’re worried this might spell the end of the CW, it seems they intend to once again put the network on the ma

    Source: Deadline

  • First ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Set Video Leaks as Production Seemingly Starts

    First ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Set Video Leaks as Production Seemingly Starts

    Not too long ago, the official The Boys‘ official Twitter account shared that some of the cast were already heading to Toronto to start filming on the fourth season. The Amazon Prime Video series saw a spike in popularity with its recent third season, excitement has been quite high for what the next entry might have to offer.

    While we still have to wait a bit longer for any official information, it does seem like they may have started work already on the production. Twitter user @Justin3ric has taken to Twitter to share what seems like it is part of the set at a restaurant. On the side we can clearly see posters for A-train and potentially other heroes.

    https://twitter.com/Justin3ric/status/1558856146596904961

    It should be noted that there’s a chance this set is also used for the upcoming spinoff Gen-V. There’s no cast on location which makes it difficult to say for sure, but the timing does hint at it potentially being part of the fourth season, especially with the upcoming spinoff taking place mostly in a college setting.

    There’s a lot of hope for many characters to return and see how it potentially builds upon the previous season. Jensen Ackles became a season favorite with his performance as Soldier Boy and it’ll be interesting to see how they continue to add elements that pull from the genre it’s also technically mocking. We’ll have to see but it’s great to know they wasted no time tackling the next season.

    Source: Twitter (The Boys Account), Twitter

  • Giancarlo Esposito Reveals He Turned Down a ‘Loki’ Role

    Giancarlo Esposito Reveals He Turned Down a ‘Loki’ Role

    Giancarlo Esposito has been on the top of many people’s lists for joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To be fair, he has been gunning for a role for quite some time as well. Not too long ago, he revealed he’s had talks with the production company and even pointed out he’d been interested in taking on the role of Professor X. Now, in a new interview at the Fan Expo he has revealed a role he declined.

    According to a tweet from ComicBook.com’s Liam Crowley, he has revealed that he turned down a role for Marvel’s upcoming TV ventures, where he highlighted that he believes it was going to be a part of Loki. Of course, he doesn’t disclose any details on what precisely that role could’ve been or in what capacity, it does raise quite a few curious questions. He highlights that he held out on the role to get one on the movie side of the MCU.

    The first thought maybe that he could’ve had the role of the upcoming central villain, Kang the Conqueror. He briefly appears as He Who Remains, played by the talented Jonathan Majors. He was set to appear in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel, Quantumania, which would deter that this wasn’t sold as a movie role.

    So, he may have had another role that would eventually grow, as Marvel Studios wouldn’t just use Esposito on a singular role with how committed he is to joining the franchise. Perhaps he was going to be Mobius or even a Loki Variant at one point. Still, it’s great to see how excited he is to join and hopefully they find the right role soon.

    Source: Twitter

  • Report Reveals Emilia Clarke’s ‘Secret Invasion’ Role

    Report Reveals Emilia Clarke’s ‘Secret Invasion’ Role

    Some of the earliest set photos from Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Secret Invasion showed star Emilia Clarke sharing scenes with Cobie Smulders‘ Maria Hill and an unknown character played by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The photos spurred speculation about who Clarke might be playing in the spy thriller with names like Abigail Brand and Jessica Drew thrown around online. Now it seems Clarke’s role has been uncovered and it’s not one that people seemed to be expecting.

    According to insider Daniel RPK, Clarke is playing a Skrull named G’iah, first introduced in Marvel Comics in the 2019 limited series Meet the Skrulls. Interestingly enough, nearly a year ago, G’iah’s husband, Klrr, was included in a speculative piece about who some of the series’ villainous Skrulls might be. In the comics, Klrr and G’iah, along with their 3 children, served the Skrulls as spies within Stark Industries and worked to sow the seeds of a second Skrull invasion of Earth.

    It would not be surprising to see Meet the Skrulls serve as inspiration for at least part of Secret Invasion, especially given who Clarke’s character was seen interacting with on set. Should she truly be G’iah, it would appear from the set photos, where she seemed to be very friendly with Maria Hill, that she’s been on Earth for a while and developed some solid relationships with powerful and influential people. That’s assuming Hill was actually Hill and not a Skrull herself. After all, who do you trust?

  • RUMOR: ‘Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’ May Be Heading to Disney+

    RUMOR: ‘Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’ May Be Heading to Disney+

    Disney has been quite busy trying to continue building its streaming platform. They invested quite a bit when they purchased all of 20th Century Fox to make use of its library, building upon it as one of the biggest competitors to join the market and producing original productions for Marvel, Star Wars, and more. Now, they have started embracing their international audiences with original Korean dramas and even trying to venture into anime, such as Star Wars Visions. If a new rumor is anything to believe, they may have seen the opportunity in building their anime offerings.

    Known leaker @SugoiLITE has taken to Twitter to share that the upcoming continuation of the Bleach anime might be getting a new home. Supposedly, Disney has acquired the streaming license for Disney+ as the show is about to get its revival to tell the final saga from the manga, Thousand-Year Blood War. We have to keep in mind that there is no official confirmation and we’ll have to take it with a grain of salt.

    https://twitter.com/SugoiLITE/status/1558106191146143745

    There is still something interesting if this does turn out to be true. Disney+ has been trying to become a strong competitor with Netflix. Disney’s three streaming service totaled even managed to surpass Netflix’s subscriber count and while the numbers are slowing down, as to be expected with more competitors entering the market, it’s still seeing growth. Disney has recently upped the price with a new ad-supported model added in, which is likely to shake up things moving forward but we’re entering the cost-covering era for these streaming ventures. We’ll see if this potentially pays off for the streaming service.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Rogue One’ Returns to IMAX With ‘Andor’ Sneak Preview

    ‘Rogue One’ Returns to IMAX With ‘Andor’ Sneak Preview

    It looks like Lucasfilm found the perfect way to promote the upcoming release of Andor. While it was postponed to September 21st, it does look like they will build up to its release with a re-release of the Star Wars film, Rogue One. It is currently eyeing an August 26th release in select IMAX theaters as revealed by Fandango, which included the following tease as it’ll also include a special preview of the Disney+ series Andor.

    Experience Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in select IMAX theatres. Plus, get an exclusive look at the new Disney+ Star Wars series, Andor! In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

    Image

    So, it’s quite the treat for fans of Rogue One that are excited to see what the upcoming prequel series has to offer. Andor will explore the earlier days of Diego Luna‘s character Cassian Andor. There are still no exact details on how the story will evolve, but the first trailers have teased that they are sticking to a similar vibe from the spinoff film.

    It’s still crazy to think that we haven’t had a film release in the franchise since 2019 and there is currently not a single one in production. Lucasfilm has focused all its efforts on Disney+, which still offers some exciting and sometimes even experimental projects but it does feel like something is missing when it comes to whatever their plans are on expanding the franchise.

    Source: Fandango