Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured Two Classic Comic Villains Besides Arthur Harrow

    ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured Two Classic Comic Villains Besides Arthur Harrow

    Marvel Studios’ projects go through many changes, as they try to find the right way to pull some concepts together and create a cohesive story. We’ve heard in the past that bushman was almost featured in the Disney+ Moon Knight series, but they decided to move away from him due to too many comparisons to other characters. In an interview with The Direct, he goes on to highlight how the decision came to be, as well as the support that Marvel Studios gave them when moving away from the classic comic origin.

    I mean Bushman was in my first couple versions of the script for sure, and we tried to have several different versions of him. Ultimately, I was the one to make the decision to ax Bushman. I went to Marvel and said I’m not comfortable with this, can we take him out and talk about different versions, and they were always really supportive.

    Jeremy Slater

    He highlights that it was his decision to not include the character, especially due to him believing he hasn’t aged well. In some regards, he’s a bit of a racial caricature. Not only that but to make him a formidable force, they considered turning him into an Avatar which could’ve complicated the story even more. Yet, they also considered adding other villains with powers at one point, such as Stained Glass Carlet and Zodiac.

    And we really looked at all of the sort of classic villains. There was a couple that we talked about; Stained Glass Scarlet, and you know, Zodiac, and different characters like that. No one really kind of fit the parameters of the story we were telling, so we were just like, ‘You know what, can we just introduce a guy, and we’ll grab a name from some’—you know, they gave me a list of [like] every villain whose ever appeared in a Moon Knight comic. I just went through and went like, ‘Arthur Harrow, that sounds like a cool villain name, let’s go with that.’

    Jeremy Slater

    He goes on to highlight how supportive Marvel Studios was in letting them choose their villains and how to map out the story. So, they weren’t forced into a corner or had to abide by specific rule sets when tackling their adaptation of Moon Knight.

    Marvel was really supportive about like, let’s figure out a villain that makes sense for the journey this character is on, and not try to shoehorn Bushman in, which would have very quickly turned the entire thing into sort of a revenge story. And it wasn’t a story that we were necessarily interested in telling.

    Jeremy Slater

    We definitely got an interesting villain with Harrow, which gave them an opportunity to also dive deep into the Egyptian mythology that made the character stand out in the first place, in addition to the complex character arc through his DID. While we don’t know what the future has in store, there’s some excitement to see what the future has in store fo the Fist of Khonshu.

    Source: The Direct

  • Farhan Akhtar Confirmed to Appear in ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Farhan Akhtar Confirmed to Appear in ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Moon Knight only recently finished up its six-episode season and the focus is already on the future, as Deadline just dropped a confirmation that Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar has joined the Ms. Marvel Disney+ series in a guest-starring role. They do not know which role exactly he will tackle, but that he’ll have a smaller role as part of the Disney+ series that follows Iman Vellani‘s Kamala Khan, who ends up receiving mysterious powers and may finally have an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her favorite superheroes.

    It’s interesting to note that Akhtar was already announced to have joined the project back in April of 2021 by India Today, who stated that he was filming in Bangkok at the time. He may be playing a relative of Kamala’s, as they were filming in that location as a backdrop for a family visit from the Khans. Though, it’s also possible he’s playing someone they meet during their time there.

    Ms. Marvel is only a little over a month away and will be our second story within the MCU that explores a young superhero trying to find their place in the world. Unlike Spider-Man, she’ll have no one to truly guide her and will be shaped by the people around her. Here’s hoping the storyline focuses on the support system surrounding Kamala and how important they are to shaping her as a hero, even more than the ones she looks up to.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Moon Knight’s Designer Shares What Her Biggest Concern Was Tackling Mr. Knight’s Design

    ‘Moon Knight’s Designer Shares What Her Biggest Concern Was Tackling Mr. Knight’s Design

    No matter what one takes away from the Disney+ series Moon Knight, the costumes are definitely a memorable addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Be it Marc Spector’s mummy-inspired costume that is closer to the 616’s design or Steven Grant’s Mr. Knight suit. Add in the fact that they can seamlessly switch between them for whatever the situation desires, it creates a rather unique situation where the different suit designs become an organic aspect of the character’s fighting style. In an interview with The Direct, designer Meghan Kasperlik offered some insight into how they approached the designs.

    First off, she talked about how the mummy inspiration was pushed by Mohamed Diab. The Egyptian director wanted to have aspects of his culture inspire the costumes, which added this unique aspect of texture, and even created a stronger binding to how Khonshu views a “strong suit.” It brings together many aspects from across the comic history with a new culturally-relevant update.

    Just like any type of superhero thing, there’s lots of iterations of the same suit. Mohamed Diab is one of the directors, and he’s Egyptian. He really wanted to focus on the mummy aspect of it, and being really Egyptian. So it was more about incorporating the strength of the armor and also the mummy aspect. But I think it was a beautiful bridge because it brings in Khonshu from thousands of years ago to what we would probably think of today as being a very strong suit. So I think it was an amazing blend because there is that [part of] both worlds. Like you have kind of that old world, but you also have the new…

    Meghan Kasperlik

    Yet, there was one big issue she was facing with the design of Mr. Knight’s costume. While the white three-piece suit is quite an iconic addition, there was a different issue at hand. In the comics it’s a pure white suit and as a drawing doesn’t require any details, especially given how it plays with shadows from an artist’s standpoint. Yet, if we’re talking live-action and the influence of lighting, it becomes a different problem altogether.

    When I came on, I was a little bit concerned about the three-piece suit because it can go so flat. So my team searched far and wide for a fabric that could give—that had a little texture to it. I love to put a lot of texture to any of the designs I do. So, there’s texture in it, and it’s actually an upholstery fabric because I knew that we would be outside with it, and the costume would be getting dirty and we would need to keep it clean and keep that freshness.

    Meghan Kasperlik

    To avoid this issue, it seems they found a way to weave silver lemay into the fabric to make it pop when light hits it. She highlights a certain “luminescence” which has the added bonus of making the suit not only pop but add to its otherworldliness.

    So between the texture in there, the upholstery fabric giving it a little extra help—there’s also a silver lemay that is woven into the fabric, so when the light hits it, it doesn’t just go flat. There’s a little luminescence that comes off of it, so that was really important. We kept that texture going in the waistcoat, and then there’s a texture on the tie and everything. So [along with] having a lot of texture on the mask it just really helps the character.

    Meghan Kasperlik

    They are definitely some of the best-designed suits in the MCU, and with Lockley’s arrival, we may even have a chance for a third addition moving forward. It’s unclear what the future has in store for these characters, but there’s a lot of excitement moving forward on what they might do next, especially as it’s common for these costumes to get some updates throughout their appearances moving forward and a potential third additional suit.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Designer Teases What Could Be Jake Lockley’s Suit

    ‘Moon Knight’ Designer Teases What Could Be Jake Lockley’s Suit

    Moon Knight may have given us the most unique designs of any superhero costume. The main costume worn by Marc Spector has strong ties to its Egyptian roots with mummy-inspired wrappings. Even Mr. Knight has a different take as while it’s a suit, it has additional detailing that adds some additional flair. While we did meet the third personality of Jake Lockley in the post-credit sequence, we never got to see what suit he might wear. According to designer Meghan Kasperlik in an interview with The Direct, they never got around to designing one.

    Luckily, she does highlight that she’d probably explore the black variant of the costume. The character has a surprising amount of designs, and as we saw in the finale, the different personalities can instantly switch between their costume. So, it wouldn’t be surprising that he has his own version and with the darker direction for this character, it would make sense that he’d have a black variant to showcase what he stands for.

    I think that I would make it darker. I would make it probably the black one, the black costume that’s in the comics. I would definitely start there. This is nothing that they’ve ever done, this is just me. Those suits are so amazing, and you just never know. But there was nothing that was ever, ever done.

    Meghan Kasperlik

    Sadly, we’ll have to wait until we get a look at whatever costume he might end up getting, especially as this is just what Kaserplik would do if she got a chance to design his costume. He might even be the one to wild a scythe, as each costume came with a unique weapon. There are also multiple variants with a black color as they tended to be a bit more modern in design. Here’s hoping that Marvel studios announce their future plans for the character soon and we won’t have to wait too long to finally get a good look at what his design might be.

    Source: The Direct

  • EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Diab Reveals His Favorite Moment in ‘Moon Knight’ Series

    EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Diab Reveals His Favorite Moment in ‘Moon Knight’ Series

    Mohamed Diab has brought his cultural background to elevate Moon Knight’s exploration of Egypt and Egyptian mythology. Not only that, but he was also able to introduce the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero. In an exclusive interview with our very own Charles Villanueva, he reveals that May Calamawy‘s Layla El-Faouly’s big moment was one of his highlights, especially what it means for his daughter.

    That moment was the highlight of the show for me. My daughter when she was three told me that she wanted to straighten her curly hair. Because she never looked like any of the stuff she watched on TV. So to have this curly-haired girl [Calamawy] – strong and completely defies Arab stereotypes – be there and inspire other girls is such a great moment. Emphasizing it with that girl, she’s like, “What?!” If this was shown in a movie theater, people would cheer.

    Mohamed Diab

    It definitely was a moment that would’ve gotten some cheers in a theater, but that doesn’t downplay the importance and experience for many watching the series. The director highlights the importance of what Marvel Studios is trying to accomplish with its more diverse cast of characters moving forward.

    People look at Marvel shows with a lot of lightness but those shows are shaping the future and it’s very important. People get chills and cry when they see themselves represented and heard.

    Mohamed Diab

    We’ve seen time and time again that Marvel Studios has been embracing their heroes and their diverse culture for some time. Just recently, they announced that Ms. Marvel will release in Pakistani theaters as the country doesn’t yet have Disney+ and they wanted to ensure that the first Pakistani-American superhero is also represented. The only question on everyone’s mind now is if the newly introduced Scarlet Scarab will return in the future.

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Will Give the Stormtroopers a Theme

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Will Give the Stormtroopers a Theme

    Here’s a fun surprise, but it looks like after all these years, Stormtroopers are getting a theme of their own. If there’s one thing the Star Wars franchise is famous for, it’s its music. While John Williams will return to score Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s theme, the upcoming Disney+ series has added Loki‘s Natalie Holt to compose the soundtrack. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she talked about what it’s like tackling this project and working on it with director Deborah Chow.

    Obviously, John Williams has written the Obi theme, but I did start off trying to write one, to be honest. I was writing from [director] Deborah’s [Chow] instructions and it was interesting. She was like, ‘He’s in the desert. He’s lost, he’s been alone.’ It’s like anything for his theme would just be small, crumbling, fragmented, and thin. Then it would grow as he goes on this journey. That was kind of interesting seeing the place that I arrived at, just for the world and his environment

    Kate Herron

    Yet, the biggest surprise came when she highlighted that she worked on themes for other members of the cast, most notably the Stormtroopers. While they’ve been a staple for the franchise since its inception, they haven’t really gotten their own audio cue. So, it’s a nice little addition to this limited series.

    Then it would grow as he goes on this journey. That was kind of interesting seeing the place that I arrived at, just for the world and his environment. Obviously, there are lots of different characters in the show, and I did also write music themes for planets. In addition, there is a Stormtroopers theme.

    Kate Herron

    It’ll be interesting to see what she brings to the table and if the sound wills tick to what we know from the franchise, or have a unique swing to it. Her Loki soundtrack is still one of Disney+’s best so far and it’ll be exciting to see what she brings to the Star Wars franchise.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Originally Would’ve Included MCU Cameos

    ‘Moon Knight’ Originally Would’ve Included MCU Cameos

    Here’s an interesting surprise, but it looks like Moon Knight wasn’t always the standalone project that it is. There were plans at some point to also include some ties to the wider MCU, outside of the brief Easter egg that connects it to Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but they even potentially had cameos planned at the beginning and the end of the series. It turns out, they ended up scrapping the idea while writing the series according to director Mohamed Diab.

    We had the freedom to place it whenever. I want to tell you the very first scene, there was a crossover, and the very end scene, there was a crossover. But as the story developed and we kept changing the scripts, we felt like, “We don’t need that.” All of us. It was a collective decision. And then I kept thinking: It’s a rule. There has to be a scene at the end that connects us to the MCU.

    Mohamed Diab

    He goes on to say that the bigger surprise, in their eyes, was the lack of any cameo or connections to the wider MCU, but rather keep the project a bit more grounded in its own world.

    But I think they decided, “You know what, the surprise is that there isn’t, and what’s going to make this show unique is it doesn’t need anything else.” The best compliment we get on the show is when people tell us, “This doesn’t feel like a Marvel show. It feels like a standalone show that feels more dramatic, more dark, grounded.” I feel like we succeeded in bringing Marvel more to our corner.

    Mohamed Diab

    It definitely would’ve been interesting to know who exactly was going to appear, or how it may have connected. Blade seems like a logical connection point, but there’s also the Werewolf by Night Disney+ special that’s on the horizon, which also has quite the history with the character. For now, it’s hard to say exactly what they were going to be, but

    Source: Variety via ScreenRant

  • Oscar Isaac Improvised Jake Lockley’s Spanish in ‘Moon Knight’s Post-Credit Sequence

    Oscar Isaac Improvised Jake Lockley’s Spanish in ‘Moon Knight’s Post-Credit Sequence

    Here’s an interesting surprise, it seems that Jake Lockley speaking Spanish wasn’t something that was included in the script. According to producer Grant Curtis, it turns out that this was something that Oscar Isaac improvised during production. While it’s unclear if the character also speaks English with a different accent, it certainly highlights just how involved Oscar Isaac has been in the project.

    It was all Oscar. That was not on the page. Oscar brought so many narrative elements to this show, both in front of the camera and behind. He’s a storyteller first and foremost, and that was just one of the many contributions he made to this series.

    Grant Curtis

    There have been many theories that we’ve actually gotten a few glimpses of Lockley throughout the series’ run. In one moment while he is confronted by Dr. Crowley, we can see a bruised-up version of Marc that ends up getting quite violent as he grabs a pyramid. Yet, there were hints that this might not be the case either.

    For now, we can only speculate as we await any sign of whatever the future has in store for Moon Knight moving forward. Isaac has said he’s open to tackling the character again if the right story presents itself. So, we’ll see what the future has in store for the character and fans once Marvel makes an official statement.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Shang-Chi’s Florian Munteanu Joins ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ Season 3

    ‘Shang-Chi’s Florian Munteanu Joins ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ Season 3

    You might be wondering why the title references the third season of Vikings: Valhalla if the first only recently found its way to Netflix. Well, the sequel series to Vikings got an early renewal and has already started work on a second season right after the first finished. Now, it seems they are gearing up for a third that will start production in Ireland later this month in Croatia. It seems they have added Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ Razer Fist, Florian Munteanu, to that season.

    He will take on the role of the Byzantine Empire’s general, George Maniakes, who would start a revolt against the emperor. The storyline follows the tale of Leif Erikson and Freydis Eriksdottir, who are Norse exporters that would eventually discover the US. Munteanu has been quite busy, as he is fresh off of his work on the third Creed entry, where he once again played the character of Viktor Drago, the son of Dolph Lundgren‘s Ivan Drago.

    He’s also going to appear in the upcoming Borderlands adaptation alongside Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett, and many more. He’ll be a great addition to the series, which explores the Viking era without shying away from its darker sides and even diving into its politics. We’ll see just how they tackle the storyline of Maniakes, especially how big of a role he might have.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • New ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Promo Art Continues to Tease His Rematch Against Darth Vader

    New ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Promo Art Continues to Tease His Rematch Against Darth Vader

    As with every yDisney+ series, a set of promotional art has found its way online for the upcoming Star Wars series, Obi-wan Kenobi. While it doesn’t reveal anything new, or characters that haven’t been teased yet, it does highlight the upcoming rematch between Ewan McGregor‘s Obi-Wan and the returning Hayden Christensen‘s Darth Vader. We also get another highlight of the Jedi master wielding his iconic lightsaber on Tatooine, which will have a big part in the series as he tries to watch over a young Luke Skywalker.

    It’ll be interesting to see what other promotional art may find its way online, especially as there are still a few characters that will take the spotlight in the series. Yet, we’ve seen in the past that most of the promo did focus on the main characters of the project or simply used some creative visuals to make it stand out. It’s great that they’re finally ramping up the advertising for this series, especially now that Moon Knight came to an end.

    We just recently got a new trailer and with Star Wars Celebration on the horizon, we might get a lot more heading our way from Lucasfilm. Here’s hoping that they start picking up some steam on these projects, as while Marvel is promoting two films and two series simultaneously, we barely get any information on a single Star Wars series until shortly before it releases.

    Source: Twitter