Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV News

  • ‘Heroes’ Star Cast As ‘Doom Patrol’ Villain

    ‘Heroes’ Star Cast As ‘Doom Patrol’ Villain

    It would appear Doom Patrol has found another baddie for its upcoming fourth season. According to a recent report from TVLine, former Heroes star Sendhil Ramamurthy has been cast in a recurring role as the villain ‘Mr. 104.’ The character, who will appear throughout Season 4, is being described as a “charming and mysterious man of many elements.” This will be the second time Ramamurthy portrays a DC Comics antagonist, following a stint as Ramsey Rosso, a.k.a. Bloodwork, on the sixth season of The CW’s The Flash. The actor won’t be pulling double duty, however, as that character was written off the show by the end of the season.

    Mr. 104, while relatively obscure, does have some basis in the comics. Initially known as Mr. 103, the villain is a genius biochemist named Jonathan Dubrovny, who possesses the ability to transform his body – or parts of it – into any element he would like. He uses this power to commit crimes and eventually becomes a foe of the titular superhero team. This power set certainly matches the “man of many elements” portion of his television bio, and will likely not be a problem for the typically-quirky Doom Patrol to adapt.

    Ramamurthy joins a cast that includes Brendan Fraser, Diane Guerrero, Joivan Wade, Matt Bomer, and April Bowlby. He won’t be the only new addition this season, as Twin Peaks veteran Madeline Zima takes on the role of comic character Space Case. Doom Patrol Season 4 will begin airing on HBO Max on December 8th.

    Source: TV Line.

  • ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ to Begin Filming in a Month

    ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ to Begin Filming in a Month

    After being one of the biggest surprises in upcoming shows announced by Marvel Studios, Agatha: Coven of Chaos has been subject to numerous questions as to what the show may pertain to. Though with a recent update, it may not be too long until there will be some idea of what to expect from the WandaVision spin-off. While at the Chicago Film Festival, Kathryn Hahn (who is set to star in the titular role) spoke about her excitement about what this opportunity has provided. As well, Hahn provided a somewhat surprising update on the speed at which the show is moving along.

    It’s nothing I could have ever dreamed of, was to be asked to play a centuries-old witch that no one had ever heard of. And then all of a sudden, cut to a spin-off show, which is just like, ‘What?’ So, it’s very, very exciting. We’re in the middle of getting the Coven ready, and it’s going to be very delicious. I’m very excited for people to see that. We start shooting in about a month.

    Kathryn Hahn

    Production starting next month is certainly an exciting development for Marvel Studios as it begins producing the next swath of shows that will make up Phase Five. Some rumors, though, have already begun to surface for major players in the series. Firstly, a casting grid has been discovered that seems to potentially involve the inclusion of both Wiccan and Hulkling in Agatha: Coven of Chaos. And then comes the currently developing rumors that Sacha Baron Cohen will be playing the infamous Mephisto in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While his debut would seemingly be in Ironheart, rumors suggest he will play a larger role in Marvel Studios’ future in projects such as the Agatha series. Either way, the concept of magic in the Marvel Universe is certainly set to be further explored for Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

    The series is currently set to be released on Disney+ in the winter of 2023 and/or 2024.

    Source: Brooke Geiger McDonald via Twitter

  • Oscar Isaac Confirms Active Discussions for ‘Moon Knight’ Follow-Up with Marvel Studios

    Oscar Isaac Confirms Active Discussions for ‘Moon Knight’ Follow-Up with Marvel Studios

    After Moon Knight proved to be a critical and commercial success for Disney+ and Marvel Studios, star actor Oscar Isaac has confirmed that he is actively discussing a follow-up to Moon Knight with Marvel Studios executives. Though the major point of note comes in the uncertainty of whether this would come in the form of a second season or in a film. While talking with Comicbook.com, this is what the actor had to say about his future with Moon Knight.

    There have been some specific conversations. They were pleasant. The spilling of the details is that there’s no details. We don’t know [if there will be a second season], but we’re talking about it.

    Oscar Isaac

    It should definitely come as a point of excitement that Isaac remains interested in continuing the story of the multi-personalities of Moon Knight. While further elaborating on the topic, Isaac talked about his openness to whatever type of story best keeps him passionate for the character (whether that be a second season, transferring him to a film franchise, or placing him as part of a team).

    Truthfully, it’s about the story. Is there a story worth telling? Is it interesting? Will I feel embarrassed about it when it comes out? So it’s just about, is there something worth pouring everything you have into. And with Moon Knight, that was very much about that. It’s creating a structure so that every morning when the alarm went off, I couldn’t wait to get to the set because I wanted to try something different. Whether that’s in a group thing or maybe a great idea comes around for a season two or if it’s a standalone film or whatever it could be. I think it’s just approaching it in that kind of way. It’s the story first.

    Oscar Isaac

    Ultimately, it will be quite interesting to see what direction Marvel Studios will take with the character in the current landscape of the Multiverse Saga. The end of the first season of Moon Knight certainly left the door open for a solo follow-up focusing on the Jake Lockley persona and openly facing his Marc Spector and Steven Grant identities. Whether that will be in the form of a narratively extended second season or a more streamlined feature film or a special presentation remains to be seen at this point.

    As well, Isaac‘s suggestion of a team-up is interesting with the current line-up of heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the Avengers franchise is gearing up for its next two outings in the coming years, one of the more appealing teams for Moon Knight would potentially be the Midnight Sons (or whatever they’d be referred to as by Marvel Studios). With Werewolf by Night releasing this month and Blade (finally) arriving in the future, Moon Knight could have ample amounts of compelling stories in the supernatural side of the universe.

    The entirety of the first season of Moon Knight is available to watch on Disney+

    Source: Comicbook.com

  • Charlie Cox Debates Himself on Daredevil’s Continuity Continuing in the MCU

    Charlie Cox Debates Himself on Daredevil’s Continuity Continuing in the MCU

    In true Marvel Studios’ fashion, their latest project, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, has continued to make news nearly a week beyond its finale streamed on Disney Plus. Most of that news has come from post-finale interviews and most of those have been focused on guest star Charlie Cox, whose appearance as both lawyer Matt Murdock and the costumed vigilante Daredevil in Episode 8 fully integrated his character into the MCU after a brief appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Cox has a lot of MCU in front of him, with a rumored appearance in Echo and an 18-episode series of his own, Daredevil: Born Again, set for 2024. With all that ahead of him, however, much of the focus remains on his past and whether or not this Matt Murdock is the same one introduced in Netflix’s Daredevil.

    In the past Cox has been clear that whatever the case, Daredevil: Born Again will not serve as a continuation of the Netflix series, calling it a “whole new deal” and explaining that Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige sees it as Season 1 rather than Season 4. Cox has also expressed enthusiasm at the fact that his future in the MCU will allow for the opportunity “to potentially get to tell some of the stories over and over again.” These comments certainly leave room for this iteration of the character to be a multiversal variant rather than THE exact same character seen over three seasons of the Netflix series.

    Interestingly enough, EW addressed this very topic in a recent interview by asking Cox if he was playing Daredevil “the same as in the Netflix series”

    It should be and it is always the same character. The difference is just like with people, we morph and change and are very different based on what’s going on in our lives. The Matt Murdock from the Netflix show, that world and what was going on for Matt meant that most of the time we were living with a man who had a huge amount of pressure and strain and tonally the show was very dark and gritty and heavy. I don’t know what the new show will be like, but when I came over to do Spider-Man and She-Hulk, the tone is much more lighthearted and tongue in cheek and fun and witty and full of levity, so the hope was that Matt is able to fit into that world and participate in it without it being a different character, a different person.

    Charlie Cox

    Pretty clear cut. Same character, same person. However, asked by THR if the character he will be playing in Daredevil: Born Again will be “the exact same character” as the one from the Netflix series, Cox’s response was a little different.

    I honestly don’t know. I haven’t read any scripts yet, and we haven’t really talked at length about what this current iteration will be like. Just by the fact that they’re using me as an actor to play the part, it’s clear that there are going to be some consistencies and … some differences. We have an opportunity to at least take what worked really well and then also add some cool elements, ideas, concepts and themes that we weren’t able to do before. So it’s Daredevil, but upgraded.

    Charlie Cox

    Given that Daredevil entered the MCU in the Multiverse Saga, the second statement seems to fall in line with what Marvel Studios has put on film so far in Phase 4. Plenty of examples exist of characters who are almost identical, but just a little different. And that statement also points out the creative freedom of choosing to portray Daredevil (and Kingpin or any other Netflix character for that matter) as a Variant. As Cox says, they would have the “opportunity to at least take what worked really well” while also having the freedom to change parts of the story they didn’t like. A well-placed Nexus Event essentially makes Matt Murdock the same character at his core but allows Marvel Studios to retell stories (as Cox indicates they are willing to do) in a way that fits their shared narrative rather than having to force the Netflix stories into it.

    Fans of the Netflix series may not love it, but Cox said it himself: “it’s Daredevil, but upgraded.” Ultimately it’s clear that Cox isn’t even sure himself what’s happening and the truth is that the longer he and fans are kept in the dark, the better it is for Marvel Studios because it allows them to do what they do best: keep interest in their characters and project alive even when there’s nothing new to see.

    Sources: THR and EW

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Writer Discusses How ’70s Homage in Finale Came to Be

    ‘She-Hulk’ Writer Discusses How ’70s Homage in Finale Came to Be

    The big fourth wall break in the middle of the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finale may be the most memorable part of the episode, but the very beginning was also iconic. The opening was a stellar homage to the opening credits of The Incredible Hulk television series starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno that aired on network television in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was not too off-the-wall that the self-aware show would reference the classic Marvel show, but head writer Jessica Gao recently opened up about the somewhat surprising way it came about. Speaking to Comicbook.com, Gao said:

    One day, out of the clear blue — this was post-lockdown, so everyone’s just working from home — my fiance, Truck Torrence, just walks into the room that I’m in working. And just announces, ‘I think you should do an opening that’s like an homage to the 1970s Incredible Hulk. That is all.’ And then he just walked out of the room. And I thought, ‘That’s a great idea,’ and then it just snowballed from there.

    Jessica Gao

    The idea luckily worked in practice at the end of the day. Even if some younger viewers did not immediately make the connection, most did and the aesthetic was absolutely on point. Gao continued:

    And I am so tickled that we actually got to do it…[i]t looks fantastic. Our second unit director, who is also our stunt coordinator, Monique Ganderton, directed that. And you could tell that Tatiana and Mark had so much fun in those ’70s clothes. In the scripts I wrote ‘Ruffalo is in a Bill Bixby wig.’ But what was great is Mark naturally has this beautiful curly hair, so we didn’t need to put a wig on him. Like his hair naturally could support that wonderful ’70s volume.

    Jessica Gao

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Comicbook.com

  • Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader Was Included in the Original Pitch for ‘She-Hulk’

    Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader Was Included in the Original Pitch for ‘She-Hulk’

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law ultimately ended without a major hook into the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe. The tail end of the episode featured the brief introduction of Hulk’s son, Skaar, which will undoubtedly have ramifications down the line. But one common Hulk-related theory did not pan out for fans. However, apparently, the show’s original pitch had it in mind.

    Considering She-Hulk brought back major references to 2008’s maligned and often ignored The Incredible Hulk, many thought that additional characters from that movie might make an appearance. Specifically, some theorized that Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, who was last seen beginning his transformation into the supervillain known as The Leader, would be the overarching or background villain of the series, especially after he was announced to be returning in Captain America: New World Order.

    While The Leader was nowhere to be found in She-Hulk, head writer Jessica Gao says he was in her original pitch for the series. Speaking to Comicbook.com, Gao stated:

    In my original pitch, I did have The Leader in there. Just as an option, as a suggestion, you know?…[b]ut really, I can’t remember why [it was taken out]. I don’t remember if it was organically taken out, because we just came up with other stuff, or if we were told no. I honestly don’t remember. But there was thought about either bringing him back or doing some version of a new version of Leader, or some relation to him. But, I mean truly, this was three years ago, and the show has evolved so much that I don’t remember what actually happened.

    Jessica Gao

    Now having seen the full She-Hulk series, The Leader’s absence did not weighing heavily on the character or story. Still, Gao’s comments add fuel to the growing theory flames that Marvel Studios is plotting a grand and expansive Hulk-related plotline in the future.

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Comicbook.com

  • Paul Calderón Joins ‘Ironheart’

    Paul Calderón Joins ‘Ironheart’

    Deadline has announced that Paul Calderón has joined the cast of Marvel Studios’ Ironheart. Details regarding the actor’s role are currently unknown. The actor is the latest to join the cast of the Marvel Studios title following news that Sacha Baron Cohen has apparently joined the cast as none other than Mephisto.

    Calderón has quite the impressive resume, having appeared in titles such as Pulp Fiction, Girlfight, and King of New York. The actor has also appeared in television shows such as Law & Order, Hostages, Boardwalk Empire, and Bosch. He most recently appeared in an episode of This is Us and is in pre-production on 10-13 from writer and director David Zayas.

    Ironheart, which consists of six-episodes, hails from head writer Chinaka Hodge and stars Dominique Thorne as Marvel character Riri Williams. Olayiwola joins a cast that includes Anthony Ramos, Shakira Barrera, Manny Montana, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Shea Couleé, and Zoe Terakes. Sam Bailey (Dear White People) and Angela Barnes (Atlanta) are directing the forthcoming Disney+ series.

    As of now, Ironheart doesn’t have a release date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Charlie Cox Endorses Jessica Henwick as MCU’s Iron Fist

    Charlie Cox Endorses Jessica Henwick as MCU’s Iron Fist

    By now, it’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is bringing back it’s Netflix characters. Charlie Cox, who headlined the corner of Marvel Television that came to be known as the ‘Defenderverse,’ has slowly returned to his role as Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, in projects over the last two years, while Vincent D’Onofrio made a surprise comeback as his archnemesis Wilson Fisk in last year’s Disney+ series Hawkeye. There are even rumors swirling that the likes of Jon Bernthal and Krysten Ritter may soon reappear as their respective characters, Frank Castle and Jessica Jones. However, nowhere to be found are claims of Iron Fist‘s cast joining their fellow street-level heroes in the MCU sandbox.

    Fortunately for them, Cox stated in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he would ‘put in a good word‘ for some of his former Defenders castmates. Specifically, the actor mentioned Jessica Henwick as someone he thinks should get a second chance with Marvel Studios. The actress portrayed Colleen Wing, a New York City-based martial artist who begins as an ally of Finn Jones‘ Danny Rand before becoming the Iron Fist herself. When asked about the potential of her reprising the role, Cox stated:

    Yeah, she’s amazing. She’s amazing. Look, I agree with you, wholeheartedly. I could also say that about a number of people that I worked with not only on Daredevil, but also on the other shows we did there. So I don’t know what they’re thinking, but I will absolutely put in a good word. And you’re 100 percent right about that. [Jessica] is awesome. And I did get a lovely text from her the other day saying that she read the news and was thrilled for me.

    Charlie Cox

    Iron Fist was not loved by many, but Henwick was almost universally praised for her performance. With the way her story was left off, it seems plausible that she could end up taking over as the MCU’s main Iron Fist should she be contacted by Marvel boss Kevin Feige. At the very least, Cox seems to think she deserves the chance.

    Source: THR

  • RUMOR: Yaha Abdul-Mateen II in Talks to Join the MCU as Wonder Man

    RUMOR: Yaha Abdul-Mateen II in Talks to Join the MCU as Wonder Man

    According to a new report, Aquaman and Candyman star Yaha Abdul-Mateen II is in talks to add a third man to his resume: Wonder Man. According to Screen Geeks, the information comes from a casting grid that also indicates the Marvel Studios streaming series is casting from a female lead and a talent manager for Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man.

    The report indicates that talks with the star are ongoing, meaning it’s not a sure thing that Abdul-Mateen will ultimately take on the role of the Ionic Avenger. In the comics, Williams was born into a wealthy family as one of the sons of Sanford Williams, a successful weapons manufacturer. When Simon’s brother, Eric, declined to take over the company, Simon did…and shortly ran it into the ground. Eric, who became the villain known as the Grim Reaper, came to his brother’s aid by setting him up with some shady characters. Eventually, Simon found himself in debt to Baron Zemo, who experimented on him turning him into Wonder Man, a being composed of ionic energy. A few wild turns later, Simon was an Avenger who then became a stuntman, taking advantage of his inability to sustain damage.

    The MCU series will be produced by Destin Daniel Cretton and is being written by Brooklyn Nine-Nine scribe Andrew Guest. It’s believed that it will be a Hollywood parody and pick up Simon as a failed actor. No timeline has been given for production on the show and Marvel Studios has yet to officially place in among their two upcoming phases, but if casting is underway now, it would be reasonable to assume it might begin filming in the first quarter of 2023.

    Source: Screen Geeks

  • ‘Watchmen’ Creator Alan Moore Disowns HBO Series

    ‘Watchmen’ Creator Alan Moore Disowns HBO Series

    It’s been nearly three years since Watchmen, HBO’s acclaimed sequel to the original graphic novel, finished its run. Created by Lost veteran Damon Lindelof, the live-action series took place 34 years after the events Alan Moore’s seminal masterpiece, and served to explore similar themes as the 1986 classic in the modern world. Since its release, Moore has remained mostly quiet about the continuation of his world. The creative has a long history of disliking adaptations of his work, and in a recent interview with GQ, he revealed that HBO’s Watchmen did nothing to change this.

    As a disclaimer, Moore confirmed that he has not actually seen the series, which starred Regina King in the lead role. He explained:

    I would be the last person to want to sit through any adaptations of my work. From what I’ve heard of them, it would be enormously punishing. It would be torturous, and for no very good reason.

    Alan Moore

    According to Moore, showrunner Lindelof sent him a letter during the show’s production in which he stated – “Dear Mr. Moore, I am one of the bastards currently destroying ‘Watchmen.’” The comment was possibly in reference to the aforementioned idea that Moore does not like seeing his writing adapted, but even if it was made in jest, it didn’t sit well with the V For Vendetta creator. He claimed that the letter resulted in him telling Lindelof and the folks at Warner Bros. not to contact him again:

    That wasn’t the best opener. It went on through a lot of, what seemed to me to be, neurotic rambling. ‘Can you at least tell us how to pronounce “Ozymandias”? I got back with a very abrupt and probably hostile reply telling him that I’d thought that Warner Bros. were aware that they, nor any of their employees, shouldn’t contact me again for any reason.

    Alan Moore

    Moore elaborated to GQ that he was upset by Watchmen using his characters and concepts to tell its own story, and that he wanted to disown the series so it wouldn’t be associated with him in the minds of viewers:

    I explained that I had disowned the work in question, and partly that was because the film industry and the comics industry seemed to have created things that had nothing to do with my work, but which would be associated with it in the public mind. I said, ‘Look, this is embarrassing to me. I don’t want anything to do with you or your show. Please don’t bother me again.’

    Alan Moore

    HBO’s Watchmen had a heavy focus on white supremacy in the United States, something that wasn’t present in Moore’s comics. The writer continued to explain that he was mortified by the show’s success, worried that it may come to replace his work as the definitive version of Watchmen going forward, despite – in his words – not fully representing the message of the franchise:

    When I saw the television industry awards that the ‘Watchmen’ television show had apparently won, I thought, ‘Oh, god, perhaps a large part of the public, this is what they think “Watchmen” was?’ They think that it was a dark, gritty, dystopian superhero franchise that was something to do with white supremacism,” Moore said. “Did they not understand ‘Watchmen’? ‘Watchmen’ was nearly 40 years ago and was relatively simple in comparison with a lot of my later work. What are the chances that they broadly understood anything since? This tends to make me feel less than fond of those works. They mean a bit less in my heart.

    Alan Moore

    HBO’s Watchmen is currently available in full on HBO Max, while Moore’s graphic novel can be found online or in comic stores around the globe.

    Source: Variety