Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • REVIEW: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 1

    REVIEW: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 1

    As the 7th Marvel Studios Disney+ series and 14th project of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4, Ms. Marvel’s first episode manages to shine as the beginning of an origin story that, so far, feels distinct from the constant influx of MCU content throughout the past couple of years. In other words, Ms. Marvel stands out, and it does so despite not teasing fans that the series will be a game-changer for the franchise. The character of Kamala Khan makes a triumphant leap from comics to screen, and the way the episode is shot, edited, and visualized gives the start of Ms. Marvel a texture that makes it arguably the most unique-feeling project of the MCU in years.

    Of course, at the heart of the first episode and series is Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan. Kamala is a Muslim American-Pakistani teenager from Jersey City who is obsessed with the Avengers. The character has been a comics favorite for nearly a decade, so Ms. Marvel exceeds in Vellani’s seemingly flawless portrayal of Kamala. The first episode treats Kamala’s family and cultural background like any other; for the casual viewer, Episode 1 does not subtitle basic phrases spoken in Urdu and does not baby the audience or other the Khans by explaining every detail of Pakistani- or Islamic-influenced element in Kamala’s life. She is noticeably different in terms of her background from the heroes and characters of the MCU thus far, but her culture is not treated as something mysterious or otherworldly—Kamala Khan is Kamala Khan. And her inclusion into the MCU makes Earth-616 a bit more real and a bit richer.

    Speaking of richness, the mechanics of this episode are mesmerizing. The inclusion of animation, the fast-paced editing, and the quirky shots give Ms. Marvel a visual but intangible texture that genuinely feels unique in the MCU. To achieve this, it does not have to be on the same terrain as Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor: Ragnarok. The subtlety itself is brilliant, as it feels like the viewer is in a new world without having to leave the old one. 

    Plenty of fair concern was levied against Ms. Marvel in advance due to the fact that the series changed her power set from the comics. What we see in Episode 1 is not enough to begin to truly decide whether the changes are a true downgrade. But an undoubted positive to the change is that now her powers and their origins are a mystery. In that way, the series moves into uncharted waters—even the viewer doesn’t know where the journey will ultimately take Kamala and how she could connect to the greater MCU. 

    Fans have also never truly seen the MCU from the angle Ms. Marvel has created. Kamala is all of us—obsessing over the Avengers, wishing she had superpowers, and living in an age of heroes. This “regular citizen” angle has never been explored before and Kamala’s coming-of-age and coming-of-superhero story takes place in a world fully aware and mindful of most of the events of the MCU. So seeing how Kamala works her way into the overarching MCU will surely be something special.

    The premiere episode of Ms. Marvel achieved something miraculous—standing out while fitting in. Vellani is a perfect casting and driving force for Kamala charm, and the series’ placement in the MCU feels natural. Still, between the charisma of Kamala herself and the texture of the episode, Episode 1 feels uniquely Ms. Marvel, and so far Ms. Marvel has built a world for itself that can’t help but make the future of the rest of the MCU look brighter. 

  • REVIEW: ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part 4

    REVIEW: ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part 4

    We’re already more than halfway through the limited series focusing on Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s story before his eventual final confrontation with Darth Vader. The fourth episode picks up right where the last one kept us, as Reva got her hands on Leia and Obi-Wan ended up getting a bit burnt by his former Padawan. As he seeks to save her from whatever the Empire has planned for the young girl, he seeks a find a way to get her out of the Inquisitor’s home base. Yet, can it build up from the highpoint that was last week’s first confrontation between former master and padawan?

    The opening is a powerful one by having Kenobi in a Bacta tank (The Book of Boba Fett is going to sue) echoing the experiences of Anakin. As he was also burned by his former protégé and now going through a similar, even if brief, experience, there’s something powerful about the parallels the show is pulling. The former Jedi Master’s journey generally has been one faced with hardship and him trying everything he can to save Leia was heartwarming, especially after the bond they built in the last episode.

    It’s a surprisingly short episode with barely 40 minutes, and it goes by quite fast. Kenobi uses the help of some smugglers that help out Jedi younglings to safety to break into the Inquisitors’ home base known as Inquisitorius. Together with Indira Varma‘s Tala, he sets out to find some way to save Leia as he takes some cues from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order where Cal Kestis also used an underwater passage to enter the area.

    The backdrop of Inquisitorius was great, as the slick design offered some visually stunning sequences. Plus, Obi-Wan trying to sneak around is not something I expected in the show. The big highlight was that after being “forced” to pull his lightsaber in the last episode, he’s slowly embracing it more and more. Ewan McGregor continues to highlight the inner turmoil without much dialogue.

    Varma‘s Tala is a great addition, and we’re slowly uncovering the first sparks of rebellion to face the Empire. The ending moments especially highlight that very development and there was some fun with the last-minute save. Though the show still sometimes struggles with action sequences as the way it was shot, it looked a bit off when the two ships came rushing in as it cuts before they slow down creating the illusion they just rammed into the spire’s landing zone. Still, the emotional moment was surprisingly gripping and the line of them becoming soldiers highlights that this is indeed what would become the Rebels one day.

    The lightsaber sequences were a highlight though this time around. It’s strange that it took this long for anyone to actually use darkness in combination with a lightsaber to make them stand out even more, but the lighting effects were beautifully done. A small detail that was well hidden is that the more he used his lightsaber, the more fluid Obi-Wan’s movements got highlighting that he’s slowly regaining his old self. I wouldn’t be surprised if his final battle is him doing the same flips he did in the Prequel trilogy.

    Reva gets quite the spotlight and it doesn’t seem like they are going down a redemption arc with her character. Ingram gives a great performance and her character highlights the more traditional understanding of a Sith. Potentially her arrogance might be the eventual undoing of the Inquisitors, to begin with, but we’ll see. She pretty much dominated the Sith side, as Vader had a much smaller role this time around but he does know how to make an entrance as per usual. Fifth Brother also mostly appears at random times to be annoyed by his co-worker.

    Overall, the episode pushes the story forward and seemingly sets up the final arc as we’re building up to another showdown between Obi-Wan and Vader. The show’s pacing is generally a bit more relaxed and it was surprising on how fast the new episode moved. Outside of the flight sequence, the action was much stronger this time around and it’s going to be exciting to see where the series is heading in its final two episodes. While it isn’t a mind-blowing show, there’s a strong emotional core and great character development at play. Here’s hoping that it pulls it all together by the end of the series.

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ May Have Teased a Connection to Time Travel and the Quantum Realm

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ May Have Teased a Connection to Time Travel and the Quantum Realm

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s newest hero Kamala Khan has arrived in Ms. Marvel. There has been plenty of discussion about the changes made to the character’s origins and powers from the comics. But one of the positive outcomes of the changes so far is that they allow for a mystery to play out in the Disney+ series.

    It’s already been pointed out that her bangle that seems to have activated Kamala’s powers may actually be similar to the Quantum Bands from the comics. Using evidence from Episode 1, we can theorize about her powers and their implications in the MCU even more. Of course, in the comics, Quantum Bands derive energy from the Quantum Zone—MCU fans would recognize its live-action parallel, the Quantum Realm. Established in the Ant-Man franchise, the Quantum Realm was the key to time travel as seen in Avengers: Endgame. But other than the Quantum Bands theory, what evidence is there that Kamala Khan has anything to do with the Quantum Realm or time-travel in the MCU?

    In the comics, Ms. Marvel’s powers function because her molecules time travel when she embiggens and shapeshiftes. Ms. Marvel comics revealed that Kamala has access to some sort of temporal vortex that allows her to borrow and lend her atoms across time. While her MCU powers in Ms. Marvel are significantly different, there’s no reason that this connection to time travel would need to be removed from Kamala’s powers’ characteristics. Considering she projects some sort of crystallized light from nowhere, a similar explanation could easily work for her new powers.

    An important moment in Episode 1 occurs when her bangle appears to activate when she first puts it on at AvengerCon. After she is surrounded by some glowy energy field, her eyes change color and there is a cool shot where she seems to fall backward in a circle through a strange purple-hued environment. There are human-like figures there, though they appear to have large glowing eyes and it is difficult to make anything out. This could have been some type of vision, but it also could have been Ms. Marvel’s first trip through time.

    Considering her family history is at play, it could have been a very stylized depiction of an event her ancestors went through. Considering her Pakistani heritage and the fact that the scene looked like a large group of people traveling in one direction, Partition in 1947 may have been a major event that affected her family. Perhaps an ancestor with a connection to Kamala’s powers is trying to pull her back for some reason or the connection itself is doing so. A further stretch could be that she passed through the Quantum Realm itself, and the reason the figures looked odd is that they were not human. If you want to stretch it even further, the purple is reminiscent of the iconic color of Kang the Conqueror. The future Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania villain is a time-traveler and some fans believe he may rule a city in the Quantum Realm called Chronopolis. 

    To be fair, the fact that no one around her experienced that wild moment suggests that the easy explanation is that it was a vision or hallucination. But, considering the fact the Kamala in the comics was always connected to a temporal vortex and constantly time-traveled without even trying, a connection to the Quantum Realm or quantum energy could allow for her to look like she had not left AvengerCon. As Scott Lang himself said, “time works differently in the Quantum Realm”. Or, more simply, she could have essentially been in two places at once. While some of these thoughts are bit more technical and complex than Kamala or Ms. Marvel seems so far, it is worth noting that the Disney+ series hired a theoretical physicist who worked on Endgame’s time-travel elements. 

    The first episode of Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+.

  • New ‘Ghostbusters’ Animated Series Heading to Netflix

    New ‘Ghostbusters’ Animated Series Heading to Netflix

    It looks like Netflix isn’t quite done with acquiring as many iconic IPs as it can. Variety has broken the news that a new Ghostbusters animated series is heading to the streaming service. Not only that but Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan of Ghost Corps, Inc. are joining as executive producers. They just recently worked on the live-action Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which Reitman also directed.

    As is usual, there are no exact details given on what the plot will be about or even who it will focus on, as there’s no word if it might pay tribute to the ABC animated series The Real Ghostbusters that ran from 1986 to 1991 or be its own thing. There was also the sequel, Extreme Ghostbusters, that had a completely new lineup of characters.

    It does seem likely that the new series will be its own thing with new characters. The announcement was also timed with the annual Ghostbusters Day, where rumors have it we’ll get more announcements regarding the future of the iconic franchise from Reitman and Kenan. So, we’ll see if we might even get a first look at this new series or even a tease of what to expect from its live-action ventures with no official sequel announced yet for Afterlife.

    Source: Variety

  • J.J. Abrams’ ‘Demimonde’ No Longer Moving Forward at HBO

    J.J. Abrams’ ‘Demimonde’ No Longer Moving Forward at HBO

    Well, now it’s official. After being teased for some time that HBO has been unhappy with the lack of developments as part of their Bad Robot deal, it seems that Demimonde is now officially dead over at HBO. Budget issues are the main issue and creator J.J. Abrams did try to make a last-ditch plea with Casey Bloys, the lead behind HOB and HBO Max, but decided against it as he was seeking a budget that was upwards of $200M.

    Even Game of Thrones‘ upcoming spinoff House of the Dragon doesn’t have a budget of that size and the uncertainty of its success may be the reason they moved away. While they did cast Danielle Deadwyler in the main role but very little moved forward with the project. The series already changed showrunners early on after HBO got the rights to it from a bidding war with Apple.

    The project isn’t quite dead yet, as it seems that Warner Bros. Television is actively finding a new home for it. Apple and Netflix are seemingly the big choices, as they are also already the home for various projects by Abram‘s Bad Robot label. The move is also not too surprising as newly appointed CEO David Zaslav has been making some big changes while reworking Warner Bros. Discovery. So, the future of this project is currently still quite uncertain.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Major ‘Ms. Marvel’ Villain Easter Egg Explained

    Major ‘Ms. Marvel’ Villain Easter Egg Explained

    Episode 1 of Ms. Marvel, “Generation Why”, came complete with some of the most inventive and impressive visual flair we’ve seen in an MCU production. The creative team behind the show seemed to work hard to give the audience the same kind of experience a comic reader might have, filling the screen with fun add-ons and images that really click and bring the dialogue to life.

    With so much to look at on-screen, however, one might be forgiven for missing a thing or two, especially during your first viewing, including, possibly, a very well-planted neon sign that could serve either as an Easter egg or as foreshadowing that one of Kamala Khan’s most unique villains could appear down the road.

    While Kamala and Bruno are talking atop a building with the Jersey skyline behind them, a sign for Edison Electric can be seen directly behind them. It might be easy to overlook, especially with everything else to see and the fact that, from the viewer’s perspective, it’s backward, but it’s there and this might not be the only time we see it.

    First appearing in 2014’s Ms. Marvel #7, the Edison Electric building served as the lair of The Inventor, Ms. Marvel’s first supervillain and the first of many incredibly strange adversaries she’d come across. The Inventor-part cockatiel, part Thomas Edison-is the result of a cloning experiment gone wrong and was part of a 7-issue arc that saw Kamala clash with bionic alligators and a couple of teenage henchmen before finally taking The Inventor out.

    Kamala came across The Inventor in her earliest days as a hero and their feud in the comics was intertwined with Kamala coming to understand her Inhuman heritage and the powers it gave her. The issues featured pretty heavy cameos from members of the Inhuman Royal Family, including Medusa, and Kamala got to hang out quite a bit with Lockjaw during them. Early rumors surrounding Ms. Marvel indicated that The Inventor and the Inhuman Royal Family would appear in the series, though there’s been no recent buzz around the appearance of those characters (other than Vellani indicating she tried to sneak a Lockjaw Easter egg into the show).

    For the time being, it doesn’t seem likely that Kamala is going to run around New Jersey with Lockjaw, but having the Edison Electric building front and center gives leaves the door open for The Inventor to appear, whether in this season or down the road. For the moment, it certainly appears that Kamran, played by Rish Shah and a family known in the comics as the Clan Destine are going to carry the bulk of the load as villains in Season 1, but with producer Sana Amanat saying she’d love to see the Inventor in Season 2, there’s hope that Ms. Marvel can cross paths with the crazy birdman some day! If not, it’s still an impressive bit of world-building that could pay off at any time.

  • ‘Doctor Who’s Director Tackling Live-Action ‘One Piece’s Baratie Episodes

    ‘Doctor Who’s Director Tackling Live-Action ‘One Piece’s Baratie Episodes

    We just recently got the announcement of some additional cast members, as well as a first official look at the impressive sets from Netflix’s upcoming live-action One Piece series. It was announced that actor Craig Fairbrass would be taking on the role of Chef Zeff, Sanji’s mentor, and father figure. Yet, his agency, United Agents, may have accidentally also revealed who is directing the episodes from the Baratie.

    In an official tweet congratulating Fairbrass, they reveal that he’ll appear in episodes directed by Emma Sullivan. So far, we only knew about Daredevil‘s Marc Jobst, which we reported back in September, and later on, would find out about Lost in Space‘s Tim Southam. So, it’s our third confirmed director on the project. It’s also our first confirmation that Sullivan will be tackling multiple episodes and hints that Baratie will not be told in just one singular one.

    It’s great to get more and more details in regard to what the series has to offer. Netflix does oddly rarely announce its directors in advance, but it’s great to get some teases of who’s bringing this vision of the East Blue to life. Before One Piece, Sullivan has directed quite a variety of shows that include The Watch, Doctor Who, 4 O’Clock Club, Call the Midwife, Silent Witness, and more. So, she definitely is no stranger to

    Source: Twitter, IMDb

  • New She-Hulk Merch Teases a Split Personality and Comic-Inspired Outfit

    New She-Hulk Merch Teases a Split Personality and Comic-Inspired Outfit

    She-Hulk is only a few months away from releasing. While the first trailer was met with some controversy, the series is still seemingly eyeing its initial release. We haven’t gotten anything outside of the trailer release, and it seems that we may have to wait until next month for more updates. Luckily, it seems that Fathead has released a few murals and designs inspired by the upcoming Disney+ series that highlight Jennifer Walters’s upcoming struggle between her daily life as a lawyer and superhero. What stands out however is one of the murals. is titled “Split Personality.”

    There are also some that offer a good look at her updated costume, which she’ll be wearing as She-Hulk. We only initially saw it from behind but it seems that they went with a very comic-inspired look that has some small updated detailing. Of course, it’ll be interesting to see what it looks like on the show.

    One more mural includes a full look at her costume, as well as showcasing the general theme of her duality. She-Hulk is described as her “Alter Ego” in the title of this mural which normally just hints at her “superhero” self. It could also hint at an inner conflict with this new personality of hers. So, it may be more than just Walters getting Hulk powers.

    We may get an emotional arc of She-Hulk facing the challenge of embracing her newfound powers and potentially it adding to a subconscious she wasn’t even aware of. While Bruce Banner’s main focus has been his inner rage, she has a different dormant emotion that leads to the alter ego that is She-Hulk. It’ll be interesting t see if this series also explores that very dynamic.

    Source: Fathead

  • Duffer Brothers Confirm Time Skip Going Into ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    Duffer Brothers Confirm Time Skip Going Into ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    It looks like we’re going to have another time skip going into the fifth and final season of the Duffer Brothers‘ iconic Stranger Things series. We’ve explored the 80s and all of its memorabilia but it looks like the cast’s continued aging has become a bit of an issue for the team to keep up and as a result, Ross Duffer confirmed that there will be another time skip going into the final season.

    I’m sure we will do a time jump. Ideally, we’d have shot [Seasons 4 and 5] back to back, but there was just no feasible way to do that

    Ross Duffer

    There were some moments where the age differences from the last season going into the current one stood out, and it seems the team is very aware of that fact. So, they will try to remedy it with another time skip. Surprisingly, they revealed that they are still actively working on Season 4, as two more episodes are set to release in July.

    Believe it or not, we’re still working on Season 4. We’re trying to finish the final two episodes, they’re so massive.

    Ross Duffer

    So, they haven’t even started writing anything for the fifth season. Some time ago they did reveal that they already pitched their vision of the ending, and now it’s just about getting all the episodes together to bring that vision to life. All eyes are currently on the final episodes of Season 4 and it seems we won’t get an update on the final season for some time.

    Source: TVLine

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Star Iman Vellani’s Continues Continuity Feud with Kevin Feige

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Star Iman Vellani’s Continues Continuity Feud with Kevin Feige

    Once upon a time, the Inhuman Royal Family was rumored to make an appearance in the Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Ms. Marvel. With much being made about the changes to Kamala Khan’s superhero origins, it doesn’t seem like Black Bolt and Medusa will appear in the series, but thanks to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans know that they do exist in the multiverse, even if there’s one less Black Bolt than before.

    Anson Mount’s return as the Midnight King was short-lived and ended violently as the Scarlet Witch put him down with little more than a thought. And that ending does not sit well with Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani, who is a bit of a Black Bolt fan herself. Though she liked the movie, Vellani took issue with the way they treated the King of the Inhumans.

    I have so many opinions, which I don’t think we have time for. Here’s my TL;DR. I love Sam Raimi. I don’t care what anyone says. He’s my guy. I think they did him dirty. I did not appreciate that.

    Iman Vellani

    Vellani apparently disliked it so much that she texted Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, after watching the film. In addition to expressing her displeasure over Black Bolt being killed, she also took the time to engage Feige in what appears to be an ongoing argument between the two: whether or not the MCU’s established continuity should be referred to as 616.

    Every time I talk to Kevin, we have this argument where I say, ‘The MCU is not 616. He’s like, ‘It is because I said so.’ I’m like, ‘No, it’s 199999.’ He hates it. So, we keep having this argument, and then they put 616 in the movie. I’m like, ‘Kevin, you know it’s not 616.’ He just sends me a sad face. I was like, ‘Great.’

    The MCU had previously been defined as “Earth-199999”, but over the course of a couple of films (Spider-Man: Far From Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), the comic accurate 616 has come into play. Who knows the answer? Ultimately is doesn’t matter, but it makes for a fun debate between fans and there’s no bigger fans of the MCU than Vellani and Feige.