Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV News

  • NYCC: DC Studios Head James Gunn Talks ‘Creature Commandos’ Team Dynamics and Rolls Out Bloody New Trailer

    NYCC: DC Studios Head James Gunn Talks ‘Creature Commandos’ Team Dynamics and Rolls Out Bloody New Trailer

    In less than two months, DC Studios’ all-new, all-different DCU will get with the debut of the canonical animated series Creature Commandos. Written by DC Studios co-chair James Gunn, the project will see characters from Amanda Waller’s Non-Human Internment Division team up with Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) to run black-ops missions.

    With a cast of stars including David Harbour, Maria Bakalova and Sean Gunn joining Grillo and Steve Agee, who will be reprising his role as John Economos from Peacemaker, Creature Commandos will set the tone for the DCU and, if the new trailer that debuted at NYCC 2024 is any indication, it will be a far more brutal and bloody universe than many expected. But while the trailer looked like it might give Amazon Studios’ Invincible a run for its money in terms of straight-up savagery, Gunn explained that the DCU does not have an “overall aesthetic.” “Each project out of DC Studios is going to be its own thing,” said Gunn. “It’s a connected universe, but there’s not an overall aesthetic.” So despite the gory trailer shown at NYCC, fans probably shouldn’t expect David Corenswet‘s Superman to have too much in common with Homelander.

    Gunn proved to be incredibly capable of balancing the dynamics and screentime of teams with Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy; however, according to the Creature Commandos writer and producer, there’s some difference between the two team projects. “The characters aren’t all perfect,” said Gunn before adding that some characters in the series die for no reason. As for how the team comes together, Gunn explained that while that happens in Episode 1, “Lost-style” flashbacks will provide additional background on the Commandos. From there, a bromance between David Harbour‘s Frankenstein and Grillo‘s Flag was teased as well as an interesting romance brewing between Flag and Princess Ilana Rostovic, played by Bakalova.

    It looks as though Creature Commandos will have a lot going for it when it streams on HBO beginning December 5th.

    Source: Comic Book Club

  • NYCC: Star Behind Major Marvel Villain Notably Absent From ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Cast List

    NYCC: Star Behind Major Marvel Villain Notably Absent From ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Cast List

    The changes made behind the scenes of Daredevil: Born Again have been well-documented. Following a hiatus from filming while Hollywood workers went on strike, Marvel Studios brought in a new creative team to overhaul the series. In doing so, the studio totally changed gears by tying the first season of the D+ project directly into the Netflix series, canonizing not only all three seasons of Daredevil but also the other Defenders-verse series.

    But now that some time has passed, now that we actually see how well-integrated the stories are, I personally, Brad Winderbaum, will confidently say that they are part of the Sacred Timeline.

    Brad Winderbaum

    Accompanying the release of Echo, the studio’s first Marvel Spotlight production and its first TV-MA offering, the studio made massive changes to the Timeline Order subsection of the Marvel Studios channel on Disney Plus. Though it’s not yet updated in all regions, the studio retroactively placed all 161 episodes of the Netflix series in the Infinity Saga. Doing so required some changes in the script of the series while allowing for Netflix stars like Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll and more to join the fray. However, despite trade reports of his inclusion and set photos showing his character on the set, one MAJOR Daredevil villain was left off the cast list.

    While Netflix Daredevil vets like Jon Bernthal and Ayelet Zurer were included, Season 3 star Wilson Bethel, who played psycho assassin Bullseye, was nowhere to be found on the casting list.

    The good news here is that the lack of inclusion of Bethel could simply mean the studio is making somewhat of an effort to take some focus off of not only his character’s appearance in the series but also his actions, which certainly seem to change the course of Matt Murdock’s life. Of course, the bad news would sound an awfully lot like Bethel’s Bullseye being cut from the project entirely but that hardly seems likely given the extent of his role in the series following the overhaul and the fact that he’s been spotted in the leaked trailer.

    We’ll all find out soon just what role Bullseye has to play in Daredevil: Born Again as the new series debuts on March 4th, 2025.

  • Marvel Studios Reveals Official Synopsis, Rating and Premiere Date for ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ at NYCC

    Marvel Studios Reveals Official Synopsis, Rating and Premiere Date for ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ at NYCC

    New York Comic Con ’24 is in full swing and while Marvel Studios has not typically used the convention to promote projects, they took full advantage of being on Daredevil’s home turf. In a surprise move, Daredevil: Born Again stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio were in attendance as the studio showed a trailer for the first season of the new Disney Plus streaming series and officially revealed the premiere date as well as a new synopsis and the rating every Netflix fan had been hoping for.

    Though it has been known for some time that Daredevil: Born Again was set to debut in March 2025, today’s NYCC presentation revealed that the series, which received a TV-MA rating, will hit Disney Plus on Tuesday, March 4th, 2025.
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 19: Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox speaks onstage during the Marvel Fanfare with C.B. Cebulski at New York Comic Con at Javits Center on October 19, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Disney)

    In Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.

    -Official synopsis for Daredevil: Born Again

    Additionally, Marvel Studios released a partial list of cast members for the project, confirming the return of many veterans of the Netflix series. Joining Cox and D’Onofrio in the series are Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, with Ayelet Zurer and Jon Bernthal.

    Following a creative overhaul, Dario Scardapane took over as showrunner for the series which will be directed by a team of directors made up of the duo of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead as well as Michael Cuesta, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and David Boyd.

  • ‘Invincible’ Season 3 Teaser Reveals Release Date, Confirms No Mid-Season Break

    ‘Invincible’ Season 3 Teaser Reveals Release Date, Confirms No Mid-Season Break

    After a two-and-a-half year wait following its debut, Season 2 of Amazon’s animated Invincible came out of the gate strong…and then took a four month hiatus before finishing on a somber note. Mid-season delays have become more common in the streaming era and with animated series already taking longer to produce, fans began to wonder just how long it might be before they could enjoy all of Season 3. Now they have the answer.

    After a leaked version of the Season 3 trailer made the rounds over the weekend, the studio decided to share the real thing complete with a release date and a promise that the new season won’t take a break!

    Season 3 of Invincible will make its way to Amazon Prime Video on February 6, 2025

    As promised by show runner Simon Racioppa, the wait between Seasons 2 and 3 is significantly shorter than the 30 month wait fans had after the breathtaking Season 1 finale.

    We’re an hour long animated show which is very unusual, but we have so many characters and so many settings, even in just one episode that we’re really kind of pushing the limits of what can be done in animation. So it takes a long time to make it. But it has also taken a long time to learn how to do it and figure it out because we’re doing a lot of things that you don’t necessarily do in animation.

    –Invincible creator Robert Kirkman

    The quick turnaround is encouraging not only in that it will allow for a much shorter gap following the devastating second half of Season 2 but also holds potential for further seasons of the adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s graphic novel to start to roll out in shorter order as well. With Kirkman hoping the series runs for seven or eight seasons, that isn’t only good news, it’s also quite necessary.

  • ‘Avengers’ Star Casts Doubt on Prospects of Solo Spinoff Project

    ‘Avengers’ Star Casts Doubt on Prospects of Solo Spinoff Project

    Don Cheadle‘s MCU debut as James Rhodes in Iron Man 2 was played as an ironic, in-universe joke meant to make light of him replacing Terrance Howard in the role. Over a decade later, it’s starting to seem as though Cheadle’s latest appearance may end up being his last and, unfortunately, an unironic joke.

    Cheadle played a supporting role in the universally panned Disney Plus streaming series Secret Invasion. As revealed at D23 2022, Rhodey’s role in the series was intended to directly tie into Armor Wars, a Rhodey-centric project first announced during Disney’s 2020 Investor Day presentation. Originally conceived as a streaming series, the studio began developing Armor Wars as a film when, according to Marvel Parliament member Nate Moore, they realized “it felt too big for that show.“

    Our Disney+ shows are awesome and we love them, but the budgets are not the same as the features, that’s not secret. And when you’re talking about a show that wants to be about seeing all the cool armors, and Don Cheadle interacting with all these armors, and the legacy of Tony Stark, that became cost-prohibitive to do as a show.

    -Nate Moore

    Indeed, according to Moore, the studio’s plans for Armor Wars had grown so large that the project would not only connect to Secret Invasion but also “affect other movies down the line.“

    And we realized as a feature, not only can we get into some of the beautiful imagery that is from publishing and there’s certainly an Armor Wars run, but also there’s ways then to leverage the ideas of that movie that affect other movies down the line. So it becomes a multiplication really of, once you figure out what is cool about something…

    -Nate Moore

    Now, it’s beginning to look like that line of movies that were set to be affected by Armor Wars might just have to find another project to be products of. In an interview with TV Line, Cheadle cast some incredibly serious doubt on whether or not Armor Wars will ever see the light of day.

    Don Cheadle as James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

    When asked if he knew where Armor Wars stood on the studio’s rapidly evolving slate, Cheadle replied, “You can find out and let me know.” When TV Line followed up by indicating the last real news on the project was that it had “switched from a TV series to a movie”, Cheadle made it clear that Rhodey’s solo project was not happening anytime soon. “Yeah. I think the word that’s the most salient in that sentence is “switched.” [Laughs] I don’t know, I’m not sure where anything is right now. I think things are going through a lot of changes, and we’ll see what happens, we’ll see what it is.“

    Even the most optimistic interpretation of Cheadle’s comments would not leave much room for hope that Armor Wars remains a priority for Marvel Studios as they look to wrap up the Multiverse Saga and further comment from Cheadle does nothing to change that. After being asked about how the revelation that the Rhodey seen in Secret Invasion was a Skrull, meaning there’s no real indication of when the last time any significant time had been spent with the character, Cheadle replied, “Yeah, no shit.” The star then went on to explain that while he was willing to take the detour in Secret Invasion, it certainly seemed like it was part of a package deal that included Armor Wars.”Uh… you know, there was no… it wasn’t a demand. It was a request. “What do you think about playing this?” And it was to set up stuff in the following thing,” explained Cheadle. “So, if the following thing happens, and all those things were set up, then that’s one thing. If, as you said, it doesn’t, then we can talk about how I feel about it after!” As the studio looks to move ahead, it seems more and more likely that Armor Wars has been left behind.

    Source: TV Line

  • Marvel Studios Officially Reveals the Identity of Joe Locke’s Teen

    Marvel Studios Officially Reveals the Identity of Joe Locke’s Teen

    For MCU fans who are also comic book fans or those who spend a great deal of time online, the identity of Joe Locke‘s Teen was never truly a mystery over the first 5 episodes of Agatha All Along. More casual fans, however, may have found themselves a bit more engaged in the series’ fun teases that led to the revelation in Episode 5 that Teen was a powerful witch in his own right. While the episode’s ending, which showed Teen in a magical blue crown, was all the confirmation most fans needed of who Locke was playing, Marvel Studios has erased all doubt ahead of Episode 6.

    In a post shared across its various social media platforms, Marvel Studios has confirmed that Locke is playing Billy Maximoff, the son of Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch!

    Though the secret was out long ago, series’ creator Jac Schaeffer and the writing room did an admirable job of attempting to lead the audience in other directions. Those misdirects worked so well that, according to Locke, the majority of fans missed a tease that linked his character to Wanda in one of the series’ earlier episodes: his mother’s crown stitched into the back of his sweater.

    You can do the most unsurprising thing in the most surprising way, and that’s how you hook an audience.

    -Joe Locke on his character reveal in Agatha All Along

    As the series heads into the back half, Locke, now free from the stress of keeping secrets, teases how the shift in power dynamics will play a major role moving forward. “The show starts with Billy being very much the familiar, the secondary to all the witches. Now we know he is also a witch, and that changes things,” explained Locke. “Also, we now know that he has the ability to cause harm to them. Therefore, he is now the most powerful person on the Road. What does that change in the dynamic of the group and how does that change the future of those relationships?“

    Just how powerful is the most powerful person on the Road? Fans of the comics may have already figured that out and given the character’s ability in the comics to manipulate reality, they may well be right…

    Source: EW

  • DC Studios Officially Reveals Its ‘Lanterns’ Co-Stars

    DC Studios Officially Reveals Its ‘Lanterns’ Co-Stars

    DC Studios’ Lanterns is ready for launch. After assembling an all-star team of writers led by Ozark‘s Chris Mundy, DC Comics’ ace Tom King and TV icon Damon Lindelof, the first DCU streaming series quickly began the process of assembling talent on both sides of the camera with an eye of some big time stars filling the roles of co-leads Hal Jordan and John Stewart. After an extensive search that included some A-list turndowns, DC Studios has officially announced the pair of talented actors that will lead the HBO prestige series.

    John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.

    -DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran on Lanterns
    Via social media, Max revealed that Rebel Ridge breakout star Aaron Pierre and Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) have been cast as John Stewart and Hal Jordan, respectively.

    Previously described as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” that “plays a really big role leading us into the main story” in the DCU’s first chapter of stories, Lanterns will revolve around the central characters finding an “ancient horror on Earth.” Word is that Jordan will be a grizzled vet–which makes Chandler a great choice–and that Stewart, played by the up-and-coming Pierre, will be a new member of the Corps working with him as “supercops on Precinct Earth.”

    We have a few other Lanterns peppered in there but this is really a terrestrial based TV show which is almost like True Detective with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over Precinct Earth in it they discover a terrifying mystery that ties into our largest story of the DCU.

    -James Gunn on Lanterns

    News of Chandler‘s inclusion in the project was first shared by the THR at the end of September. Pierre had recently been reported to be on the DC Studios’ shortlist for the role of Stewart. Production on Lanterns is slated to being in Atlanta early in 2025 which means the series is likely to find its way to HBO in 2026.

  • DC Studios Lands ‘Penny Dreadful’, ‘Doctor Who’ Director to Helm ‘Lanterns’ Openers

    DC Studios Lands ‘Penny Dreadful’, ‘Doctor Who’ Director to Helm ‘Lanterns’ Openers

    DC Studios’ first live-action streaming series, Lanterns, continues to evolve into a n impressive construct worthy of its two lead ring bearers. Led by what DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn labeled as a crack team of writers, the project has begun to sound more and more like a potential prestige series for HBO. After nabbing Kyle Chandler to portray Hal Jordan, the studio has narrowed the search for an actor for co-lead John Stewart to the impressive pair of Aaron Pierce and Stephan James. And now it’s being reported a director for the first two episodes has also been found.

    According to THR, James Hawes has agreed to direct the first two episodes of Lanterns. Over a career that has spanned three decades, Hawes has directed episodes of sci-fi staple Doctor Who, Penny Dreadful and, most recently, AMC’s Snowpiercer and Apple TV’s Slow Horses.

    John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.

    Though previous reports had the studio targeting HBO’s Watchmen director Stephen Williams to helm the pilot, THR’s report would seem to indicate that either Williams passed or could be working on another part of the series.

    Described by DC Studios’ co-chair Peter Safran as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” in the vein of HBO’s True Detective, the series will be focused on Green Lantern Corps members Hal Jordan and John Stewart who “find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are supercops on “Precinct Earth” which will play “a really big role leading us into the main story” of the studio’s initial shared narrative.

    Source: THR

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Developing ‘Agatha All Along’ Spinoff

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Developing ‘Agatha All Along’ Spinoff

    Three and a half years after Marvel Studios’ first Disney + streaming series, WandaVision, took audiences by storm and led to a weekly deluge of theories and speculation, the studio’s latest series has followed a similar pattern. Through its first four episodes, Agatha All Along has been highly entertaining and despite being plagued by plot leaks, has managed to keep general audiences in its trance and keep them guessing. While the series’ biggest mysteries are yet to be revealed, Agatha All Along has further carved out space in its own corner of the MCU that’s being curated by series creator and WandaVision writer Jac Schaeffer. And it seems as though the studio is more than willing to let Schaeffer continue to work her own brand of magic.

    While Agatha All Along is the first project delivered by Schaeffer after signing a three-year overall deal with Marvel Studios and 20th Television it certainly won’t be the last. Already rumored to be developing a Scarlet Witch solo film, Schaeffer is quickly becoming one of the studio’s most valued creators which means she may find herself incredibly busy over the next few years.

    Jac is unbelievable. Any chance I get to walk around that woman’s imagination is like a gift. She’s an absolute genius storyteller. 

    -Brad Winderbaum, head of streaming, television and animation for Marvel Studios.

    Though the Scarlet Witch solo project is something Schaeffer is keen to make happen, it’s only a rumor at this point; however, it is worth noting that after developing a Vision-centric WandaVision follow-up series for some time, Schaeffer departed that project, handing it over to Star Trek: Picard Season 3 showrunner, Terry Matalas. It’s worth asking why Schaeffer would leave a project she had begun to develop and the simplest answer is because she needed more time to develop another project. And while the Scarlet Witch film may be that project, a new report by a Marvel Studios insider may provide another option.

    According to Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios is developing an Agatha All Along spinoff series that will feature the search for Tommy Maximoff.

    While it’s long been believed (and may still be true) that Tommy would have a role in the studio’s VisionQuest series, RPK’s report seems to indicate that this series is quite separate from the upcoming Paul Bettany-led spinoff. To be clear, the insider’s report does not indicate that Schaeffer is working on the project but given how Agatha All Along concludes, it’s very reasonable to assume that is the case.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Lanterns’: DC Studios Search for John Stewart Reportedly Nearing Its End

    ‘Lanterns’: DC Studios Search for John Stewart Reportedly Nearing Its End

    Lanterns will be the first HBO original series created under the DC Studios banner that will be part of the shared narrative of the all-new, all-different DCU.  Described by DC Studios’ co-chair Peter Safran as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” in the vein of HBO’s True Detective, the series will be focused on Green Lantern Corps members Hal Jordan and John Stewart who “find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are supercops on “Precinct Earth” which will play “a really big role leading us into the main story” of the studio’s initial shared narrative.

    Developed by what Safran’s partner James Gunn described as “a crack team of writers” that consists of Tom King, Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof, the series was ordered straight to series by HBO earlier this year. Shortly thereafter, the studio began searching for a star to portray Jordan and after being turned down by a few big names, landed Emmy-award-winning actor Kyle Chandler for the part. With Chandler on board, the search for Stewart is underway and it seems to be moving quickly. Just hours after a rumored shortlist of actors for the part made its way online, THR’s Borys Kit reported that only two actors are left in contention.

    According to Kit’s report, either Rebel Ridge breakout star Aaron Pierre or Stephan James (Beacon 23 and Selma) is expected to land the role. Additionally, Kit’s sources believe that the casting could be finalized quickly with a decision being made before the end of September.

    John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.

    –James Gunn and Peter Safran on HBO’s Lanterns

    Gunn and Safran’s DCU will debut this December with the animated streaming series Creature Commandos but, according to Gunn, kicks off in earnest when Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025. Fellow Green Lantern Corps member Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion, will appear in Superman, setting the stage for the introduction of Jordan and Stewart when Lanterns hits HBO, presumably in 2026.

    Source: THR