Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series Adds Aryan Simhadr and Leah Sava Jeffries in Major Roles

    Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series Adds Aryan Simhadr and Leah Sava Jeffries in Major Roles

    The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is continuing to ramp up its development with the casting of two new additional leads. Aryan Simhadri and Leah Sava Jeffries have officially been cast as Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase respectively.

    Grover (portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson in the 2010 film adaptation) is a young satyr, half-human, and half-goat, who is tasked with protecting Percy Jackson on his journey to Camp Half-Blood and develops into the best and most loyal friend of the book’s main character. Annabeth (previously portrayed by Alexandra Daddario) meanwhile has been a resident of Camp Half-Blood for five years as the daughter of Athena. Chase in that time has developed as a skilled fighter and is prepared to test her skills in tangible situations. She and the titular character develop as strong friends and romantic partners throughout the events of Rick Riordan’s novel franchise.

    Simhadri and Sava Jeffries, along with Walker Scobell (who was officially cast as the series titular character last month), will serve as the main trinity of protagonists for the franchise as the Disney+ series begins with its first season adapting Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief. Production for the series is scheduled to begin in Vancouver later this summer. RickRiordan and Jon Steinberg will be writing the pilot episode, which will be subsequently helmed by director James Bobin.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Moon Knight’: First Look at Scarlet Scarab’s Funko Pop

    ‘Moon Knight’: First Look at Scarlet Scarab’s Funko Pop

    The Moon Knight finale surprised many with the first look at Layla LaFaouly becoming the Avatar of the Egyptian god Tawaret. As a result, she received her own unique costume and would later be revealed to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Scarlet Scarab. a minor character introduced in the comics, it was a surprise to see her become the hero in the series, especially given its importance for representation. May Calamawy was a highlight throughout and it was great that she got her moment to shine, and luckily we’re also getting a Funko Pop highlighting her new superhero alter-ego.

    While just recently sharing a first look at Ammit, it seems that Scarlet Scarab was going to follow shortly after. Sadly, she didn’t get joined by her new Egyptian god, which would’ve made for a nice double-pack given their connections. Yet, Khonshu also released on his own, as they mainly focus on the introduction of the various characters as a jumping-off point for when they also release correlating Funkos.

    It’ll be interesting to see if she also gets her own spinoff series, which definitely sounds like a project that Mohamed Diab would want to push forward. Of course, he has said he’s interested in tackling a Moon Knight team-up movie next, but there are a lot of opportunities on how they can explore the character. Perhaps she also gets her own Disney+ spinoff or a special that focuses on her. We’ll see what the potential has in store for us.

    Source: Twitter

  • Mohamed Diab Reveals that Egypt Sees ‘Moon Knight’ as their ‘Black Panther’

    Mohamed Diab Reveals that Egypt Sees ‘Moon Knight’ as their ‘Black Panther’

    Moon Knight is an interesting project, as while there has some have pointed out the lack of Jewish representation in the project considering the character’s background, there was a stronger focus on the Egyptian roots within the project. Mohamed Diab, a critically-acclaimed director from Egypt, had a big part in bringing the project to life and left his imprint, especially on how the country was represented. In an interview with The Wrap, he reveals that the series is a huge hit in Egypt. He goes on to highlight that:

    You don’t know how big this is in Egypt. Egyptians are dealing with the show as if this is their ‘Black Panther.’ People in the third-world countries, a lot of them are culturally defeated. They see the West as very superior. So they couldn’t even imagine that people are going to like our music when you put some Egyptian music in, they couldn’t believe that Egyptians could direct something as good or be behind camera or in front of the camera, and eventually having an Egyptian superhero. Oh my God. It’s so big in Egypt that it becomes like a national pride, and I hope everyone gets their own representation. It’s very important.

    Mohamed Diab

    In a way, it once again highlights the big draw that Marvel Studios has introducing a variety of backgrounds into its universe, which has a big international draw. Not only did the series introduce the first Egyptian superhero, but it also gave Egypt a representation that goes beyond the yellow filter many Hollywood productions forced upon the country. So, having a director like Mohamed Diab that also has that background adds a little something special to the project, which we might see more of moving forward.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Moon Knight’: First look at New Khonshu and Ammit Funko Pops

    ‘Moon Knight’: First look at New Khonshu and Ammit Funko Pops

    As is tradition, we just got the final episode of Moon Knight and a new character. After teasing her arrival for quite some time, Ammit has finally made her imprint on the series and arrived as the final big bad to face. Of course, a new character also means that we have a new Funko Pop heading our way, which has finally been revealed. Not only do we get an Ammit Funko, but even one from Khonshu’s Temple in the form of a statue. It’s a cute idea as it gives them an additional way to showcase the character.

    Sadly, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with the character, but Ammit definitely left an impact on viewers. Not only did it give us a crazy Kaiju-inspired battle between the Egyptian gods, but it was interesting to see the revelation that Harrow has actually been a bit of a hypocrite. While he pretends to be perfectly balanced, he is very well aware of the fact that he is one and still hopes to work for him.

    It is surprising that we didn’t get a new Funko Pop for the Scarlet Scarab. Layla’s transformation was a big move for the series and introduced the first Egyptian superhero in live-action. We’ll see if they have an additional release planned as they give it some time and were mainly focused on the big bad reveal, especially as we also haven’t gotten a Tawaret Funko. So her getting one alongside her new Avatar seems like the perfect way to add them.

    Source: Twitter

  • Mohamed Diab Wants to Tackle a ‘Moon Knight’ Team-Up Movie Next

    Mohamed Diab Wants to Tackle a ‘Moon Knight’ Team-Up Movie Next

    Mohamed Diab had brought his flair to create one of Marvel Studios’ most unique series, which explores the complicated divided personalities within Moon Knight. While the Disney+ series explored his story across six episodes, it seems that Diab is down to further explore the character in a movie rather than a second season. Not just any kind of movie, but in the form of a team-up with another member of the MCU.

    If you ask me, I would love to have the chance to make Moon Knight into a film,. Maybe join someone from the Marvel Universe so it’s like partnering up with someone else or being a part of another journey.

    Mohamed Diab

    It does sound like an interesting approach but does open up the question of who he might interact with. As he does have a strong standing in New York City in the past, it would be fun to explore his interactions with Spider-Man, which were some of the funniest in the comics. Of course, he wants to use the opportunity to further explore the personality of Jake that was introduced at the end of the season finale’s post-credit sequence.

    I would love to see more of Jake, see life through Jake’s point of view at some point. The best thing about starting a new story is the Marc and Steven dynamic is going to change because they’re now living in one body. So it’s such an interesting world. I want to see Layla, who doesn’t like being an avatar and how is she going to live with that or is she going to reject that or is she going to come to terms with her being a superhero? I love all that. So I hope we can put all that in a blender and just play with it.

    Mohamed Diab

    Now, the question will be if they’ll truly just skip a second season overall and just jump directly into a film. They technically set up everything they needed to focus on a more violent storyline with the character which builds upon Lockley’s violent tendencies. There’s a chance they might go the Midnight Sons route as a way to keep the character in a separate project before returning for a second season. Diab also mentions spending more time with Layla, which might become its own Disney+ spinoff series to further explore Egyptian culture and the fallout from the Avatar’s deaths. So, there’s a lot of potentials.

    Source: The Wrap

  • EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Diab On Layla’s Missing Ending in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Diab On Layla’s Missing Ending in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    The Moon Knight finale, “Gods and Monsters”, provided the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero in May Calamawy’s Layla, who became the avatar of the goddess Tawaret. As Tawaret’s avatar, Layla became the Scarlet Scarab and teamed up with the re-resurrected Moon Knight to stop Arthur Harrow from unleashing Ammit’s preemptive justice on the world.

    While the episode gave closure to central plot of the series and left Marc and Steven in a seemingly good place, what it did not give was any sort of closure to Layla’s arc, leaving fans wondering what’s next for the newly empowered hero. According to director Mohamed Diab, the open-ended nature of Layla’s journey was intentional:

    I would say that it’s left open so we can play with it the way we want. She can stay in Egypt. She can go back to London. She can be a superhero. I can’t wait for myself to see her and Taweret on a journey driving each other crazy. I think it’s left open for a reason because in the next journey, you need to think of all those things and flesh them out in a very thorough way.

    Diab’s creative decision is smart in that it doesn’t paint him, or whoever picks up the character next, into any corners. By letting Layla walk away without any hints as to where she might turn up next, there can be no sense of expectations on the part of audiences as to what “should” be next for the Scarlet Scarab, only myriad possibilities of what COULD be next, as Diab indicates. Whatever is next for the hero, Calamawy’s turn in Moon Knight has set her star in the sky and provided another new hero whose importance off-screen transcends whatever comes next on-screen.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Moon Knight’ Producer Talks Reimagining the Scarlet Scarab for the MCU

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Moon Knight’ Producer Talks Reimagining the Scarlet Scarab for the MCU

    The Moon Knight finale had more than a few surprises up its sleeve, but its biggest may have come in the form of May Calamawy‘s Layla El-Faouly. After being introduced as an original character, fans began to view Layla as an updated version of Marc Spector’s comic book love interest Marlene Alraune. However, the show’s final episode revealed her to be quite a bit more. A big twist has Layla bonding with the goddess Tawaret and transforming into a version of the Scarlet Scarab, an obscure character from Marvel lore and the first Egyptian superhero.

    In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, Moon Knight producer Grant Curtis explained how Scarlet Scarab came to be a part of the show and why Calamawy’s Layla was the perfect choice for the role:

    We had an incredible female protagonist. Whether or not she had wings in the previous episode, she was already a superhero in her own right. When you start looking at the Marvel canon for potential superheroes, we found the Scarlet Scarab. We learned that was Egypt’s first superhero and what an incredible actress in May Calamawy to lead that charge. It was a natural merging of two different stories into one character. I think it worked quite well.

    Grant Curtis

    In the comics, Scarlet Scarab is a man named Abdul Faoul, a version of whom is revealed to be Layla’s father in the MCU series. Faoul gains supernatural abilities from a mystical scarab amulet and vows to rid Egypt of all foreign invaders. He comes into conflict with the superhero Invaders during World War II but eventually sides with them against the Nazis. His amulet, and Scarlet Scarab title, are eventually passed down to his child, in a similar manner to Layla picking up her father’s torch in Moon Knight.

    It’s unknown if Layla will continue to appear as the Scarlet Scarab going forward, or if this was simply a one-time appearance. The character’s fate is left in the air at the end of the Disney+ series. If fans are lucky, though, Marvel will find a way to keep revitalizing this long-forgotten hero for years to come.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Director and Executive Producers Have No Idea If a Season 2 Will Happen

    ‘Moon Knight’ Director and Executive Producers Have No Idea If a Season 2 Will Happen

    As Moon Knight’s six-part event came to a close on Wednesday, it left many fans wanting more. Oscar Isaac put in a stunning performance as Marc Spector and Steven Grant, while Layla El-Faouly became the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero. More importantly, though, by season’s end, a new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that contains rich Ancient Egyptian mythology has just been broken open.

    The finale of the Disney+ series also created more questions than perhaps fans were expecting of a limited series. For example, the mid-credits scene finally gave the first look at the third personality, Jake Lockley, and it was quite the cliffhanger to end the show. Similarly, we had no epilogue or resolution to Layla’s story after her grand moments in the final episode. It all leads the audience to wonder—will there be a Season 2?

    It turns out that not even Moon Knight’s creators know the answer to that. In an interview with Deadline, director and executive producer Mohamed Diab said quite simply:

    We don’t know if there’s a next season.

    Mohamed Diab

    The director elaborated that he knows just about as much as fans do when it comes to Moon Knight’s future:

    I’m kept in the dark, just like the fans…Marvel doesn’t go with a conventional way, so even if they like the character and want to extend the world, it could be season 2, it could be a standalone film, or he can join another superhero’s journey…We never discussed it being a season 2, but one day there’s going to be an expansion, but I don’t know how it’s going to look like.

    Mohamed Diab

    Maybe the most interesting thing about Diab’s remarks is that a second season was never truly thought out. Obviously, Moon Knight was marketed as a limited series, so it is not surprising that Season 2 was never an absolute plan. But the fact that the creators of the show seem to have no indication as to where the character might be going is fascinating.

    Executive produce Grant Curtis agreed with Diab’s statements as well, noting that he wants to know Moon Knight’s future just as much as fans do. He stated:

    Where Moon Knight lands in MCU after this, I actually don’t know,” said Curtis, “As a fan, I want to know, because Oscar created such an engaging, emotional performance that people want to see more of the Steven-Marc-Jake story.

    Grant Curtis

    While even Marvel Studios creators are notoriously left in the dark about their own projects’ futures, Diab’s and Curtis’ comments certainly do not suggest that a Moon Knight Season 2 is a strong bet. Perhaps after the hype of the finale dies down, fans might get a better understanding of where the titular character is headed in the MCU future.

    All episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Deadline

  • EXCLUSIVE: Why Jake Lockley Was Saved For Last in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    EXCLUSIVE: Why Jake Lockley Was Saved For Last in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    Finally, after teasing his existence for six episodes, the final moments of Moon Knight’s post-credit sequence gave us our first look at the third personality hidden deep within Marc Spector, Jake Lockley. Khonshu was playing a long con with our new favorite protagonist, as while he promised to let Steven and Marc go, he still had one more trick up his sleeve.

    In an interview with producer Grant Curtis, Charles Villaneuva got the chance to ask what their approach was to introducing the third personality and they waited to do so until the very last second. It seems that they wanted to focus on Mar cand Steven before adding one more to the mix.

    It wasn’t a conscious effort. As you know, Jake Lockley is peppered throughout the whole series but it’s not until the final scene that you actually see him. It was our writer Jeremy Slater leading us on the most satisfying journey for Marc and Steven to go on. That’s how it played out. It was the best story to tell. Believe me, once he pitched and once we knew that’s where Jake was going to land, it was like, “Game on.”

    Grant Curtis

    It’s certainly an interesting approach, especially as the teases became more prominent throughout the series’ runtime. The final fight included another confirmation that someone else is in them, which may be the reason they are still chaining themselves to their bed even after they found peace with each other. Here’s hoping they really have a second season planned to further explore this storyline.

  • Oscar Isaac Open to Return for a ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 With the Right Story

    Oscar Isaac Open to Return for a ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 With the Right Story

    Oscar Isaac gave quite the performance in bringing Moon Knight to life, as he spent most of the final episode switching between the personalities of Marc Spector and Steven Grant at a whim. Yet, the ending also introduced us to his third personality Jake Lockley. While there’s still no second season announcement, it seems that if they have the right story in mind, the actor would be down to return to the world of Moon Knight.

    And let’s just put everything out on the table on this story. There’s definitely no official plans to continue it. I think it would depend on what the story is. That being said, I love being Steven. I just love it. It’s just like, physically, it’s so much fun to be him. So, you know, if there was a story that really made sense, I’d be happy to be part of it

    Oscar Isaac

    It’s still unsure what the future has in store for the character, but it would seem strange to end the season the way it did without any potential plans moving forward. There have been some hints that they may have plans to continue the story, but until we get an official announcement it is difficult to really say what the future has in store. So far, Loki is the only live-action Disney+ series from Marvel to get any season renewal, which makes it hard to know what exactly their plans are moving forward.

    Source: Radio Times