Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV News

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’s Piotr Adamczyk Talks Bringing the Tracksuit Mafia to Life and Kevin Feige’s Set Visit

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’s Piotr Adamczyk Talks Bringing the Tracksuit Mafia to Life and Kevin Feige’s Set Visit

    Hawkeye’s two-episode premiere introduced us to a couple of new characters in the Marvel Cinematic universe. In addition to Kate Bishop and Jack Duquesne, we have been introduced to the hilariously adorable Tracksuit Mafia, which consists of Eastern Europeans who call everyone “bro” a lot. One of its most prominent members was Tomas played by Piotr Adamczyk. In an exclusive interview, he shared some insight into what it was like being on set, especially when Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige visited.

    He was on the set. It was very special for us. He talked to everyone, so I had a chance to talk to him, and I was also surprised that for him this mafia, tracksuit mafia, is an important element. He even told us that it was a very significant element of the story.

    Piotr Adamczyk

    It highlights one of the reasons for Marvel Studios’ success is that Kevin Feige and the rest of the producers are comic geeks and care about properly adapting certain comic book elements. The Tracksuit Mafia was an iconic part of the comic My Life as a Weapon, and it’s no surprise that Feige‘s meticulous attention to this aspect is being taken to reflect them well in the series. Yet, Adamczyk highlights that it was a very different experience on set:

    We didn’t feel like that at that time, because we were mainly the group that was waiting to be needed, maybe they would use us. We were often on the set but not always working. Working on the set, especially of such a big, big-budget production, is waiting, especially if you’re not Jeremy Renner. But yes, it was an exceptional conversation, very uplifting. This is also a man who, with such a huge presence, is always in a hat, in sneakers, this is just a regular guy you can talk to casually.

    Piotr Adamczyk

    As Adamczyk highlights, a lot of working on these kinds of projects is waiting. Actors are around for specific scenes and with the Tracksuit Mafia’s presence throughout the story, they might have to wait around quite a bit. So, it’s great to see how approachable Feige is for cast members of any kind to chat with him. There’s a lot of care put into these projects by the various teams involved with the production.

  • First Look at ‘Hawkeye’s Funko Pops for Kate Bishop and Lucky the Pizza Dog

    First Look at ‘Hawkeye’s Funko Pops for Kate Bishop and Lucky the Pizza Dog

    The latest episodes have finally arrived for Marvel Studios’ last venture on Disney+ for 2021. Hawkeye takes a look at New York City’s underbelly, as Clint Barton is pulled into an unlikely adventure through his new protégé, Kate Bishop. As per tradition, it also meant we’re going to get a new slate of Funko Pops and it didn’t take them long to finally give us our first look at Kate Bishop’s Funko. The best part, she’s not alone as she is also joined by Lucky the Pizza Dog. You can check out the version found by @FunkoPOPsNews on Amazon EU.

    Lucky is quite adorable and they even included the detail of his left eye is closed. Kate Bishop is in her Hawkeye gear that was teased throughout the posters and trailers. We’ll see if we get some additional designs, as she even wears the Ronin outfit in the series. So, they might offer a special Funko. It’ll be interesting to see what other Funkos they might release, especially with the rumored characters set to appear throughout the series six-episode run. Echo seems like a very likely bet for the next release after she takes centerstage in the upcoming third episode.

    Source: Twitter

  • Netflix Mapping Out Multiple Films and TV Series for a ‘Power Rangers’ Cinematic Universe

    Netflix Mapping Out Multiple Films and TV Series for a ‘Power Rangers’ Cinematic Universe

    Netflix has been quite busy with its various ventures on expanding its available intellectual properties. After releasing their first of many live-action anime adaptations with Cowboy Bebop, the streaming giant is already setting its eyes on another popular franchise. In a new report by Deadline, they’ve shared that Jonathan Entwistle is still working on a Power Rangers Cinematic Universe for the streamer. They currently are working on not one but multiple series and movies that’ll interweave the iconic franchise.

    Sadly, they are still shy about going into detail about how far along they are, as we first heard about Entwistle‘s involvement back in October 2020. While many cinematic universes have failed in the past, most notable Universal’s attempt at a modern Dark Universe, Power Rangers has been an interconnected series since the Mighty Morphin days. So, it’s quite a perfect choice for the concept. The recent boom in popularity with the aptly named Boom comics has also utilized a multiversal storyline for the Shattered Grid storyline. So, they might be building towards that event by having multiple teams exist throughout different dimensions.

    Bryan Edward is currently busy writing the script for one of the films. It may be the project to kick off the other projects and spin-out into multiple series. Some time ago, we learned that the story was going to explore time travel, which perfectly leads to the introduction of multiple Power Ranger teams and even foreshadows a major threat. It was smart of Netflix to enlist Entwistle as showrunner for all projects, as he’ll have a similar role to Kevin Feige for Marvel Studios. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait much longer for san actual production update.

    Source: Deadline

  • Kathleen Kennedy Hints That ‘Rangers of the New Republic’ is Possibly Shelved

    Kathleen Kennedy Hints That ‘Rangers of the New Republic’ is Possibly Shelved

    Sadly, it seems that we might finally have more information surrounding the mysterious Star Wars project, Rangers of the New Republic. It was proudly shared alongside their other The Mandalorian spin-offs during Disney’s Investors Day last year. Yet, we’ve heard very little about the project. What didn’t help matters was that its original star, Gina Carano, faced quite a bit of backlash for her actions on social media. Her contract with Lucasfilm was swiftly ended and it seemed like the series was going to look for a new leading star.

    Well, a new statement by Kathleen Kennedy in the new Empire magazine may have put the final nail on the coffin. Luckily, someone was kind enough to share a scan of the latest issue where the Lucasfilm CEO states that there is currently no script prepared for the series. While she doesn’t straight out confirm it is canceled, it seems likely they have no plans to enter pre-production at any time.

    We’d never written any scripts or anything on that. Some of that will figure into future episodes, I’m sure, of the next iteration of Mandalorian.

    Kathleen Kennedy

    It’s the final statement that some story elements may get integrated into the next season of Mandalorian may be the definitive statement that they have no interest to continue the series as it was originally envisioned. Quite the shame, as insight into how the galaxy has been rebuilding after the end of the Empire. There’s a lot of potentials to explore this storyline and its conflict with the remnants of a once tyrannical regime. So, maybe later down the line they find a way to make it work.

    Source: Empire via Imgur, ComicBook.com

  • ‘Watchmen’, ‘Iron Fist’ and ‘Inhumans’ Directors Helmed Episodes of ‘The Book of Boba Fett’

    ‘Watchmen’, ‘Iron Fist’ and ‘Inhumans’ Directors Helmed Episodes of ‘The Book of Boba Fett’

    Through two season of The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm has wisely and effectively used multiple directors. To nobody’s surprise, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau are relying on a similar approach when it comes to their next big streaming series, The Book of Boba Fett. While Robert Rodriguez’s passion for the character has led to a lot of buzz around his participation in the series, Bespin Bulletin correctly reported earlier this year that Bryce Dallas Howard, who previously directed episodes of The Mandalorian, would be directing an episode of The Book of Boba Fett and now, according to the new issue of Empire Magazine, we can add a couple more names to the team of directors for the show. Empire reports that Steph Green and Kevin Tancharoen were both behind the camera for at least one episode each of the upcoming series.

    Green has been nominated for both Oscar and Emmy awards, with her turn behind the camera for the HBO series Watchmen being responsible for the latter. She’s also directed episodes of the acclaimed series, The Americans, and one episode of Netflix’s Luke Cage, which gives her something in common with Tancharoen. While fans might best remember Tancharoen for his work as writer and director of the YouTube series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, he also directed one episode of Luke Cage’s Netflix besties show, Iron Fist. Tancharoen has quite a bit of experience in sci-fi and superhero work, with episodes of Supergirl, The Flash, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and, of course, an episode of one of the finest pieces of live-action television ever put to film, Marvel’s Inhumans.

    The Book of Boba Fett will see the iconic bounty hunter enter into the criminal underworld after killing Bib Fortuna and taking over the one-time throne of Jabba the Hutt. The show begins streaming on Disney Plus on December 29th and is expected to run for 8 episodes.

  • Former Pink Power Ranger Amy Jo Johnson Directing an Episode of ‘Superman and Lois’ Season 2

    Former Pink Power Ranger Amy Jo Johnson Directing an Episode of ‘Superman and Lois’ Season 2

    Here’s a great surprise. It looks like Amy Jo Johnson is currently directing an episode of the CW’s Superman and Lois show. If that name seems familiar, Johnson became famous as Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. She has long moved on from that role and has been quite busy directing short films. She has also tackled feature-length productions, such as include 2017’s The Space Between and 2019’s Tammy’s Always Dying. Now, she is also joining the production of one of CW’s flagship DC shows, as she shares her excitement on Twitter.

    It’s great to see her excitement for tackling the project and it looks like she is responsible for the sixth episode in the upcoming second season. She has made quite a name for herself with her film projects, especially during 2019’s Toronto International Film Festival with Tammy’s Always Dying. If she is tackling this project, it’ll be interesting to see if she’ll become a mainstay for future entries in the series and if she might even get a chance to tackle other projects from DC’s library.

    Superman and Lois has been one of CW’s strongest showings, as it’s also co-produced by HBO Max. As such, the effects and production stand out from the other entries in their repertoire similar to Stargirl. It’ll also carry on the torch for the now discontinued Supergirl, which first introduced Tyler Hoechlin as this universe’s Superman. It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle the family drama for the Man of Steel in the second season and what the future has in store for this family.

    Source: Twitter

  • Hailee Steinfeld Talks How Kate Bishop Was Affected by Thanos’ Snap

    Hailee Steinfeld Talks How Kate Bishop Was Affected by Thanos’ Snap

    When Hawkeye‘s first episode starts, we find ourselves back in the Chitauri invasion from the first Avengers film. Afterward, we see Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop’s story from a young kid growing into the young archer that’ll join Clint Barton in his unlikely adventure. The only thing that we don’t find out is if Bishop was affected by Thanos’ snap from Avengers: Infinity War.

    Luckily, Steinfeld offered some insight into if she was affected by it in an interview with The Wrap. As they point out, we are introduced to the character when she is 22 years of age. If she was still a kid around ten years old during the Battle of New York of 2012, then it would work out that she’s that age in the year 2024 going into 2025, as confirmed by director Rhys Thomas. Luckily, she also confirms that she wasn’t snapped:

    No, I believe that we see her survive and we see, you know, loss there as well. And that didn’t happen to her.

    Hailee Steinfeld

    It’s a strange event that the various film and series writers have to work around, as the on-time we got a definite timeline, it didn’t quite work in Spider-Man: Homecoming. To avoid this, Marvel Studios has gotten sly with giving definite timelines and mostly working around when it takes place of specific events. We’ll see if more series might still explore how these events affected NYC from the events of Infinity War and the Blip from the sequel Avengers: Endgame.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Almost Featured Ant-Man At One Point

    ‘Hawkeye’ Almost Featured Ant-Man At One Point

    The first two episodes have dropped for Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye series on Disney+. It gave us some hints of what’s to come in the future episodes, but we also know that Black Widow set up an appearance by Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Turns out, director Rhys Thomas had one more MCU character in mind while creating the series. In an interview with The Playlist, the director revealed that early on he hoped to include Paul Rudd‘s Ant-Man.

    Sadly, it seems he didn’t make it into the series but their dynamic certainly would’ve added something fun to the series, as highlighted by the director. It’s good though that it didn’t happen, as he might stick out a bit too much in a series that is taking a more grounded approach to its story. So, a guy that can shift sizes at will might take away from Clint and Kate’s story. Thomas‘ full quote is on what inspired his potential addition:

    I don’t want to reveal anything because we do kinda get to introduce [some characters]. Here’s one—Ant-man. Paul [Rudd] and Jeremy’s dynamic together I enjoy. I enjoyed their press tour dynamic when they were on the ‘Avengers’ run. So [Ant-Man] was a character that felt like a fun way to play at the absurdity of Clint’s situation…but I did get to have a little nod to that.

    Rhys Thomas

    Still, Rudd‘s dynamic with Jeremy Renner was a highlight in the press tour and even in Captain America: Civil War. Here’s hoping that they get another chance to team up in the future. At least we got a tease of what’s to come in the series with four more episodes releasing in the coming weeks that may hold plenty of surprises for viewers.

    Source: The Playlist

  • ‘Hawkeye’s Battle of New York Sequence Was “Done Brand New” for the Disney+ Series

    ‘Hawkeye’s Battle of New York Sequence Was “Done Brand New” for the Disney+ Series

    The latest Marvel Studios Disney+ series has finally arrived and Hawkeye starts off with a unique look at the original Battle for New York during The Avengers. The opening of the film introduces us to a young Kate Bishop when the Chitauri attacked.

    It’s also the moment that she witnesses Hawkeye taking down aliens and becomes a fan of the Avenger, which leads to her interest in archery. In an interview with The Wrap, director Rhys Thomas reveals that the sequence was “completely done brand new” outside of one single scene.

    The whole thing was completely done brand new, it was all new off the showroom floor, except there was one moment of Jeremy leaping off the building that we [used]. But we also had to shoot the other side. So we had our double recreate the leap as well. I had this great chance to look at dailies from the original ‘Avengers,’ which was kind of cool.

    Rhys Thomas

    It’s not the first time we revisited the events of the first Avengers film, as Spider-Man: Homecoming famously opened up with its aftermath. WandaVision also had an episode of the events from the crossover films, such as seeing what the events of the Blip meant for people that vanished after Thanos snapped his fingers.

    The sequences are reminiscent of the Marvels comic storyline, which showed the big events from the perspective of a regular photographer from the Daily Bugle. Here’ shopping they high continue teasing these events and how they establish the franchise’s future.

    Source: The Wrap

  • New Data Hints at Marvel Studios Being Responsible for More than 60% of Disney+ Subscribers

    New Data Hints at Marvel Studios Being Responsible for More than 60% of Disney+ Subscribers

    Disney+ has seen quite extensive growth since it was released last year across the world. Just recently, it celebrated its long history with Disney+ Day that offered some insight into what the future has in store. Now, the company Whip Media has offered a bit more insight into how exactly the growth of the app may have been strongly pushed through the addition of Marvel Studios’ original series. While The Mandalorian laid the groundwork for its success, their data hints that the Marvel Studios additions that started with January’s WandaVision, are a reason why people subscribe to the service.

    Keep in mind, this isn’t official data provided by Marvel Studios or Disney. It is a statistical analysis based on a survey of US TV Time apps, where interviewees were at least 13 years of age. The server showcased that only 10% were not interested in the latest show, Hawkeye while 66% were “definitely” going to check it out. Generally, it looks like 63.5% have subscribed to the service in the first place due to the Marvel Studios offerings.

    Whip Media

    It’s an impressive showcase of just how popular the Marvel Studios series are. Keep in mind, this also doesn’t include the film releases like Black Widow and Shang-Chi, which may also add a boost due to early access to Marvel Studios films. When asked if they see value in other offerings outside of Marvel on the platform, 73.9% believed there is enough on Disney+ to keep them using the platform.

    Whip Media

    So, while Marvel Studios’ offering might be the reason people are subscribing, they do stick around for the other offerings on the service. In November, we saw that the service was facing some troubles in its growth during the last quarter with only 2.1M new subscribers. It was far removed from their initially expected 10M. It was also when releases slow down for Marvel Studios and their other offerings due to the pandemic pushing back quite a few releases. The only offering was What If…? that had the least people complete the viewing according to Whip Media’s survey.

    Whip Media

    Statistically speaking, it’s certainly a showcase that Marvel Studios might continue to be a priority for the service moving forward. To be fair though, we’ve only had two new series releases under the Star Wars umbrella, The Mandalorian‘s first two seasons and The Bad Batch. So, we might see a stronger push once Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and the various spin-offs, which kick off with The Book of Boba Fett next month, start releasing on the service. Plus, Marvel Studios has quite a big year planned for 2022 and we’ll see if their new ventures like She-Hulk or Moon Knight might even draw in a new audience.

    Source: Variety via The Direct, Variety