Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV Rumors

  • Rumor Control: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’-Part 1

    Rumor Control: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’-Part 1

    Within moments of its announcement at SDCC ’22, Daredevil: Born Again immediately became one of Marvel Studios most controversial projects. Though stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio had already reprised their roles from the Netflix Daredevil series, each actor seemed to have a different take on whether or not their characters were the same as those characters and with the series taking place during the Multiverse Saga, there are plenty of opportunities for them not to be. While D’Onofrio was pretty bullish on the idea that the Wilson Fisk seen in Hawkeye was the same guy from Netflix, Cox began to make people wonder after calling Born Again “a whole new deal” rather than a continuation of Daredevil, which ended after 3 seasons. Later, D’Onofrio’s tune changed a bit saying that the Disney Plus series is “definitely a new show” and “not the Netflix show.” When production on the series started, there were certainly plenty of set photos and rumors that really didn’t help clear up what Netflix fans should expect. However, with production now on hiatus due to the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes, now’s a great time to look at some of those rumors and see what’s real and what’s imaginary.

    Foggy and Karen

    Easily the biggest hot button for Netflix fans is the idea that Daredevil: Born Again will take place without two of Daredevil’s biggest supporting cast members. Rumor has it that neither Foggy Nelson nor Karen Page will appear in Born Again…and that rumor is mostly true. While there’s still plenty of time for reshoots and additional photography to change things, neither Nelson nor Page are set to have any significant screen time. In fact, their absence from the series is one of the opening arc’s most important plot points. It’s very possible that Elden Henson filmed some scenes as Foggy but as far as the first arc of the series goes, those scenes are likely to be flashbacks or used to explain why he’s not around.

    A popular rumor as to why the two supporting characters wouldn’t be in the new Disney Plus series was that it would be set during the Blip. In sad but true news, that’s just not the case. While there are a lot of flashbacks in Daredevil: Born Again, the main portion of the series is not set during the Blip (the fact that the PymvanDyne Foundation is seen in set photos disproves that) and that’s not the reason Foggy and Karen aren’t around.

    Mayor Fisk and His Anti-Vigilante Agenda

    Set photos confirmed the long-standing rumor that D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk would be running for and becoming the Mayor of New York in Daredevil: Born Again. But what about the rumored anti-vigilante agenda? It’s absolutely true and as we understand it, one of Matt’s big trials is connected to it. We’ve heard that Fisk will publicly go after a handful of costumed heroes including Daredevil, Punisher, one being defended by Matt…and masked menace known as Spider-Man.

    The Punisher

    “We’re not the same.”

    Jon Bernthal’s return as Frank Castle gave another boost of adrenaline to an already highly-anticipated series. However, the character’s return immediately became steeped in controversy when it was rumored that it would feature the character taking on–and taking out–a group of racist cops who have misappropriated his logo. It ain’t gonna be pretty, folks, but it is in the cards. Hopefully, it helps rectify the horrid scenario that unfolded in his last appearance where he massacred a group of teens right before a touching tribute to Stan Lee came on screen.

    Matt’s Love Interests

    Always a lady’s man, Matt Murdock has had several lovers in and out of his life over the years. With Karen Page out of the picture and no sign of Elektra, rumors have not one but two of Matt’s comic book flames set for Born Again in Heather Glenn and Kirsten McDuffie and we’ve heard the same. Margarita Levieva is set to play party girl Heather Glenn while Nikki M. James will portray Kirsten McDuffie. In the comics, McDuffie’s relationship with Matthew was a bit of a slow burn while Glenn’s was a bit more short-lived. That’s probably why James’ contract came with options while Levieva signed a one season deal.

    With the series set to run for 18 episodes, there are plenty more rumors out there to sort through at a later date! Daredevil: Born Again is currently slated for a 2024 debut on Disney Plus.

  • Rumor Control: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    Rumor Control: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    As the first of Marvel Studios’ streaming efforts, WandaVision blazed the Disney Plus trail for the MCU and that wasn’t always a good thing. Matt Shakman’s nine-episode series was a wonderful character study of Wanda Maximoff but week after week outrageous fan theories led to outraged fans. One such outrage came when the obvious villain of the series, Agatha Harkness, was revealed to be the actual villain of the series. Kathryn Hahn was wonderful in the role and is set to reprise it in an Agatha-centric series, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, which is tentatively slated to release in 2024. The series has been closely followed by the very same fans of WandaVision whose uproarious online behavior made early 2021 so memorable and the rumor mill around the sequel series has been churning for quite some time. Let’s look at the most popular rumors and see what’s what.

    The Identity of Joe Locke’s Character

    One of the most ridiculous controversies around Agatha: Coven of Chaos centers around the character being played by one of the series co-stars, Joe Locke. While semi-obscure comic book character Nicholas Scratch became one of the most popular characters in the history of Marvel Comics overnight as people were led astray in believing Locke was set to portrary the weird wizard, that’s simply not the case. Locke is set to play Billy Kaplan, as we’ve believed since October of last year. That’s not to say Scratch have an impact on the series but he’s certainly not played by Locke and isn’t even expected to appear.

    While it’s great that Wiccan is finally going to appear in the MCU, Locke’s Kaplan isn’t going to be an exact translation from the comics. In fact, the path the people at Marvel have chosen to explain how Billy Maximoff becomes Billy Kaplan seems incredibly odd on paper and may end up ruffling more than a few feathers. Whatever the case, Locke’s your Wiccan and will be paired up with Agatha over the course of the series.

    Salem’s Seven

    Not too very long ago, a plot summary of Agatha: Coven of Chaos emerged which indicated that the witches of Salem’s seven were out for revenge. As explained here, it’s not too hard to figure out what these witches have been holding against Agatha for a few centuries. Agatha’s lust for power put her in a bad spot and she responded by…taking more power and killing 8 witches, including her mother. That leaves 7 other witches whose descendants will be coming for vengeance now that Agatha’s hiding spot has been revealed to the world thanks to The Hex.

    Aubrey Plaza’s Character

    As was recently revealed, Aubrey Plaza’s Rio and Agatha have a LONG history together that will be explored in the series. Were they married? Not married? I truly don’t know but whatever the case, the two WERE lovers and did have a son (told you Scratch had some part in all of this). In the comics, Agatha Harkness is over 20,000 years old and while these two haven’t known each other that long in the MCU, their time together can be measured in thousands of years. While Plaza’s character seems to be an original character, her identity as the Green Witch could have been influenced, in part, by James Robinson’s work with the Scarlet Witch for Marvel Comics. In 2015, Robinson introduced the Emerald Warlock to the witchy world of the comics and while Plaza’s character is certainly not him, the idea of different witches tied to different colors is certainly a theme in Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

    Fans looking for a page-to-screen adaptation of Billy Kaplan’s origin story, The Children’s Crusade or James Robinson’s Scarlet Witch series will be sorely disappointed with Agatha: Coven of Chaos as that’s just not what Marvel Studios does. Instead, buckle up for an original adaptation inspired by (parts of) those stories–and more–that while may be full of some weird choices has some very good performances and sets the stage for another project set in the same corner of the MCU…should it ever come to fruition given the absolute chaos in Hollywood and the climate around the TV side of things at Marvel Studios.

  • Evan Peters’ Ralph Bohner Rumored to Pop Back into the MCU

    Evan Peters’ Ralph Bohner Rumored to Pop Back into the MCU

    It appears that Marvel Studios did NOT learn anything from WandaVision. Marvel Studios first streaming series generated an inordinate amount of buzz each week as fans theorized that everyone from Reed Richards to Magneto to Mephisto would appear and then went into frenetic outrage when their theories came up empty. Adding to the frenzy was the appearance of Evan Peters who after portraying Quicksilver in the Fox X-Men franchise, popped into WandaVision as Wanda’s twin brother only to be revealed to be an out-of-work actor named Ralph Bohner. Week to week, the outrage over Bohner grew and grew as it became clear that Peters‘ Bohner was nothing more than a misdirection. Despite all the rage over Bohner, a new rumor suggests that Marvel Studios is ready to revisit the flaccid role in its WandaVision follow-up.

    According to insider Daniel RPK (via @ScarletWitchUpd), Peters‘ will take another stab at Bohner in the WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

    It might seem that revisiting Peters‘ Bohner might not have much left to offer the MCU following a disappointing first ride but clearly Jac Schaeffer and the powers that be don’t see it that way. However, while it seems unlikely that Bohner will fill a huge gap in the plot of the series, given where WandaVision left his character and Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha, there’s probably a little space for the character to slide into the plot in some satisfying way.

    Agatha: Coven of Chaos is currently expected to stream on Disney Plus at some point in 2024.

    Source: Twitter

  • Viv and Vin Vision Reportedly Set to Appear in ‘Vision Quest’

    Viv and Vin Vision Reportedly Set to Appear in ‘Vision Quest’

    Though the WGA strike has stopped work on the project’s script, the Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Vision Quest has found its way back into the news. The project, which will focus on the white, blank-slate Vision last seen scooting out of Westview in the finale of WandaVision, was announced to be in development late in 2022 with WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer heading the charge. Previous rumors about the project indicated it would be at least partially inspired by Tom King‘s 12-issue run on Vision, which debuted in 2015. Now, a new rumor seems to echo that sentiment.

    According to CanWeGetSomeToast, a scooper who is hiding in the Multiverse, Vision’s synthezoid children, Vin and Viv, who were created by Vision so he might enjoy the human experience of having a family, are both set to appear in Vision Quest.

    https://twitter.com/CanWeGetToast/status/1663288084245389312?s=20

    While Viv has gone on to join the Young Avengers and have some wild adventures, the cookie crumbled a little differently for Vin who died within the same 12-issue series in which he was introduced. While any news or rumors about Marvel Studios projects are welcome at this point, it’s also a sobering reminder that Vision Quest, which was once on track to head into production in early 2024 will almost certainly be delayed by the ongoing WGA strike and the potential pending strikes of Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America. Though Disney was looking for a way to spread out its streaming content, this probably wasn’t what they had in mind.

  • Rumor: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ to Decanonize ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’

    Rumor: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ to Decanonize ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’

    Over the course of seven seasons of the ABC melodrama, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the events of the show seemingly became more and more detached from the goings on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Indeed, the majority of the events of the show’s final season were revealed to have taken place in an alternate timeline complete with its own unique history. Even before the show ended in 2020, the canonicity of it was a matter of debate and Marvel Studios has added fuel to that fire more than once in the last couple of years. Now, a new rumor suggests they may be preparing to do it again.

    Production on the WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, has been ongoing for a few months now and while not much in the way of spoilers has made its way off the Atlanta set, something incredibly interesting–and in line with the decanonization of AoS–just did. According to insider Daniel RPK, the Kathryn Hahn-centric streaming series will delve a little further into Agatha’s personal past and explore her history with one of the MCU’s most dangerous objects: the Darkhold.

    The Darkhold played an important role in both WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before being destroyed by Wanda so while it may not play a role in the future of the MCU, Agatha: Coven of Chaos is rumored to include a revelation about the book’s past that will open a Pandora’s Box. According to RPK, Agatha: Coven of Chaos will make clear that Agatha Harkness has been in possession of the Darkhold for hundreds of years. Fans of both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Runaways will most certainly understand how impactful that rumored revelation will be to the canonicity of those shows.

    Fans haven’t learned anything from WandaVision so while there’s certain to be any number of wild theories generated to work around what Agatha’s centuries-long possession of the book means, if this rumor is true it would effectively (once again) call into question the canonicity of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Darkhold played an integral part in Season 4 of the ABC series but if Agatha has kept the book with her for over one hundred years, Lucy and Joseph Bauer didn’t find it in a basement and Robbie Reyes didn’t take it to Hell with him because…you know…Agatha had it.

    In cases like this, Occam’s Razor works best and the simplest explanation makes the most sense: the Darkhold in Agatha’s possession in WandaVision isn’t the same as the one from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. because the two shows don’t take place in the same timeline. Fans can still enjoy all seven seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. but the evidence continues to mount that the entire series should not be considered MCU canon though an argument could be made that some early seasons were. Marvel Studios already went well out of their way to completely redesign the book for WandaVision, so this rumor shouldn’t ultimately be too shocking; however, we’ll have to wait to see Agatha: Coven of Chaos to get the full context and history of the Darkhold before knowing for sure what Marvel Studios intentions are.

  • Ed Harris Reportedly Joins Marvel Studios ‘Wonder Man’

    Ed Harris Reportedly Joins Marvel Studios ‘Wonder Man’

    Marvel Studios streaming series Wonder Man, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, is gearing up for production and continues to add to its already stellar cast. Demetrius Grosse was recently confirmed to have joined the series as Eric Williams, the brother of Abdul-Mateen‘s Simon and the villain known as the Grim Reaper, but it’s been known for some time now that Wonder Man will feature another villain. In late 2022, rumors swirled that Bob Odenkirk was offered the role of Simon’s agent, a role that was later revealed to be the primary antagonist of the project. Unfortunately, Odenkirk and Marvel Studios didn’t strike a deal but they did find a very capable replacement.

    According to YouTube personality Jeff Snieder, Westworld’s Man in Black, Ed Harris, has joined Wonder Man as Simon’s agent, Neal Saroyan. Murphy’s Multiverse first posited that Neal Saroyan was the identity of the character and the villain of the piece shortly after Odenkirk’s name was circulated in association with the project.

    The 72-year-old Harris is one of Hollywood’s most well-respected method actors and capable of turning any role into a memorable one. Harris has played memorable villains in The Rock, Enemy at the Gates, The Truman Show and National Treasure: Book of Secrets as well as a chilling performance in A History of Violence. He’ll certainly bring something special to the role, though it looks as though it will be quite some time before audiences get to see exactly what that is. Marvel Studios has dramatically slowed the streaming pipeline and Wonder Man isn’t expected to stream until late 2024 at the earliest.

    Source: YouTube

  • Marvel Studios Developing a Pair of Follow-ups to ‘Werewolf By Night’ (Rumor)

    Marvel Studios Developing a Pair of Follow-ups to ‘Werewolf By Night’ (Rumor)

    Marvel Studios has had to learn and adjust on the fly over the past two years as they’ve rolled out streaming content onto Disney Plus. The first batch of streaming series was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the second wave of series was, according to social media, too long and too short all at once. Part of the adjustment to that criticism was the evolution of Special Presentations, two of which debuted to leave reviews late this year and, it seems, Marvel Studios is going with the old axiom of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” when it comes to those.

    A new rumor from insider Daniel RPK indicates that after the howling success of their first Special Presentation, Werewolf By Night, Marvel Studios has two more Halloween-themed specials in the works. There’s no word on what characters or teams might be the focus of these two follow-ups but there’s also no shortage of intriguing possibilities.

    One Above All Kevin Feige has been keen on bringing Marvel’s Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider, to the MCU and a Johnny Blaze Special Presentation might help the head honcho speed up his rumored goal of getting Danny Ketch into the fray sooner rather than later. Another possibility could simply be a direct sequel to Werewolf By Night that follows up the continuing adventures of Jack Russell, Ted/Man-Thing and Elsa. Of course, outside of these two possibilities, there exists any number of new characters that the studio may wish to introduce ahead of a potential Midnight Sons team-up that Moon Knight star Oscar Isaac is championing or the must-see-TV that would be a Legion of Monsters series.

    This is certainly one of the most reasonable and realistic rumors we’ve heard this week and while it’s hard to pin down who to expect, it seems a safe bet that a Werewolf By Night follow-up or two is on the way.