Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • ‘Peacemaker’ Episode 1-3 Easter Eggs and References

    ‘Peacemaker’ Episode 1-3 Easter Eggs and References

    Peacemaker is finally here and just like any other James Gunn project it’s packed full of Easter eggs and features quite a few deep-cut nods to the DC mythos.

    Evergreen

    Picture

    Peacemaker takes place in the fictional city of Evergreen, Washington, the hometown of the most famous Green Lantern: Hal Jordan. Jordan returned to his hometown upon leaving his post at Ferris Aircraft to work as an insurance salesman. At one point, Green Arrow even made his way to Evergreen where he crossed paths with the lantern. There doesn’t seem to be any hint of either character right now, but it’s still a pretty cool bit of world-building in the ever-expanding DC Extended Universe.

    Bat-Mite

    During a discussion between Peacemaker and John Economos, Economos exclaims that he’d rather be hanging out with Bat-Mite than be working alongside Smith. Peacemaker asks who Bat-Mite is and Economos describes him as a “Two-foot tall interdimensional imp who stans Batman” and that he is in fact very real, leaving Peacemaker wondering what the world is coming to. It’s a bit funny to picture Ben Affleck’s Batman standing next to the likes of Bat-Mite but it’s a fun nod to the Bat’s biggest fan.

    Doll Man

    As they prepare to set out on their first mission as a team, Peacemaker gets chatty as usual. This time around he name drops a rather obscure DC name: Doll Man. Peacemaker goes into detail about just how much he dislikes “homunculi”, and then name drops Doll Man as an example. Doll Man, also known as “The Worlds Mightiest Mite”, developed a chemical formula that gave him the ability to shrink himself and was one of the first superheroes with that ability.

    White Dragon

    When Peacemaker’s dad, Auggie Smith, finds himself in jailafter he’s framed for murder by John Economos, he’s worshipped and saluted by the other inmates. In that moment, Peacemaker’s awful father got so much worse as it was revealed that he is the White Dragon, a white supremacist supervillain who was created by John Ostrander. In the comics, Auggie wasn’t the White Dragon, but he was a Nazi who when he died, haunted Peacemaker with the horrible atrocities he committed. Gunn gets original here giving Auggie an alter-ego as a “Cape”.

    The DEO

    When Peacemaker and Harcourt are staking out the Groff mansion, Smith attempts to pry a bit into Harcourt’s past. As she recalls her career path, she mentions that after she joined the CIA, she ended up at the DEO, better known as The Department of Extranormal Operations. First introduced into the comics in 1998, the DEO is a government agency that deals with everything out of the ordinary in the DC Universe. The DEO was previously heavily featured in Supergirl where they dealt with alien threats.

    Peacemaker’s Jetpack

    Upon returning to his trailer after leaving the hospital, Peacemaker is quickly greeted by the members of his new team, led by Clemson Murn. Peacemaker has few conditions he wants met before he agrees to join the team, chief among them is that he wants a Jetpack, like really bad. Murn quickly shoots down the jetpack and moves on from his silly request. Peacemaker just really loves his jetpacks and has since his early days ini the comics. The character used to constantly be equipped with a Jetpack in many of his old comic book experiences, so if you thought he was a menace to begin with, imagine him being able to fly. Maybe down the line we’ll be able to see Peacemaker take flight, but for now it’s just a fun nod to his comic book history.

    With a Gunn production, there’s always plenty of Easter eggs to be found and with a whole new universe at his fingertips, he’s sure to be pulling anything and everything that he can. Some may never be found, just like the elusive Easter egg in Guardians of The Galaxy that to this day eludes fans.

  • David Ramsey Set to Lead Arrowverse Spinoff ‘Justice U’ Series

    David Ramsey Set to Lead Arrowverse Spinoff ‘Justice U’ Series

    There’s relative uncertainty around the CW right now, as WarnerMedia reportedly looks to sell the network. It supposedly hasn’t been profitable since 2006. Nevertheless, the Arrowverse is in a time of great change, as they move on from their flagship series like Arrow, Supergirl, and Black Lightning as they usher in a new era of justice. The CW’s latest additions include Superman and Lois, Naomi, and even a new series set to follow some young vigilantes in Gotham City. That’s not it, as it seems like they’re going all-in on some young Justice.

    The CW is reportedly in the development of yet another original series set within the Arrowverse with David Ramsey set to lead as John Diggler. The series will see Diggle set off to train the next generation of heroes, as he recruits five young metahumans, who will live at a prestigious university. There they’ll study and train to become the world’s next best heroes. If the series is picked up, David Ramsey will serve as the pilot’s director as part of his new deal with Berlanti Productions.

    The series was created by Michael Narducci, a co-executive producer on Superman & Lois alongside Zoanne Clack. Berlanti Productions will produce the series in association with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter. Geoff Johns will serve as an executive producer on the series. No further casting has been made as the series has yet to receive a series order nor a pilot order.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Real Steel’ Series Reportedly in Development for Disney+

    ‘Real Steel’ Series Reportedly in Development for Disney+

    Just when you thought the upcoming slate of streaming projects couldn’t get any more exciting, The Wrap goes ahead and reports an exciting new bombshell. According to an article from Umberto Gonzalez, a series based on the film Real Steel is in early development for release on Disney+. The show is set to have an impressive set of executive producers, with veteran filmmakers Shawn Levy and Robert Zemeckis joined by Jack Rapke, Jacqueline Levine, Susan Montford, and Don Murphy behind the scenes. Levy previously directed the original 2011 film on which the new project will be based, while Montford and Murphy return as producers.

    Real Steel tells the story of a struggling former boxer, who enters and navigates the world of robotic combat alongside his young son. The film featured Hugh Jackman in the lead role and was based on the 1956 short story Steel by science fiction writer Richard Matheson. The concept was also adapted into a 1963 episode of The Twilight Zone, under the same title. It’s unknown if the Disney+ series will continue the story established in the movie or serve as a total reboot of the franchise. There is currently no release estimate or cast attached to the project.

    Source: The Wrap

  • EXCLUSIVE: Live-Action ‘One Piece’s First Season No Longer Ten Episodes

    EXCLUSIVE: Live-Action ‘One Piece’s First Season No Longer Ten Episodes

    There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding the upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece. When the project first picked up momentum in 2020, a message by series creator Eiichiro Oda was released finally offering an update. Sadly, COVID has postponed the project by quite some time, but we finally got a casting confirmation in November for the main members of the Straw Hats. In the initial announcement by Oda, it was announced that the series will run for ten episodes in its first season. However, we can exclusively share that the episode count has changed.

    It seems that at some point in its pre-production the episode count has been reduced from 10 to 8 episodes for its premiere season. That is a similar length to Netflix’s recent release, The Witcher. Currently, it seems the show is eyeing a potential start in spring or in the summer of this year. Of course, that has been constantly changing and Omicron concerns may also influence it with rumors of other productions closing down. The recent cancelation of Cowboy Bebop – another production by Tomorrow Studios – by Netflix after only one season might seem like a potential factor, as these are high-budget projects with high expectations of return for Netflix, but highly doubt it as it could’ve already been something that was decided before that show even aired.

    The first season will cover the East Blue saga from the original manga series, which ran for 100 chapters. What is noteworthy about this saga is that it mainly focused on smaller arcs where Luffy gathered his initial crew before heading out into the Grand Line, meaning there are quite a few separate storylines that’ll be intertwined into this season. In that case, two fewer episodes could be a sign of tighter pacing and a stronger overlap between these arcs. Eight episodes have worked well for some series like The Witcher, Stranger Things, and more, so a slightly shorter season could work in One Piece‘s favor.

  • Scarlet Witch Gets New Glow-in-the-Dark Funko Inspired by ‘WandaVision’s Post-Credit Scene

    Scarlet Witch Gets New Glow-in-the-Dark Funko Inspired by ‘WandaVision’s Post-Credit Scene

    It looks like Funko isn’t quite done with WandaVision, as a new Funko Pop has been revealed inspired by the first Marvel Studios Disney+ series. It’s an updated version of an existing Scarlet Witch Funko Pop, which is taken directly from the series final post-credit sequence. Unlike the previous version, this time they are trying to highlight her using her abilities by having this be a special glow-in-the-dark model that also includes her eyes glowing red. It’s a great touch, and probably a must for any fan of the series or the character in general. You can check it out here:

    Of course, the release timing is perfectly aligned as marketing is slowly starting to ramp up for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As she’ll have a big role in the story, it wouldn’t be too surprising that they’d also want to bank on the word-of-mouth surrounding the project. We do get a scene of her meditating in the trailer, which may even get its own Funko at one point down the line.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Peacemaker’ Episodes 1-3 Primer

    ‘Peacemaker’ Episodes 1-3 Primer

    The chrome-domed beacon of freedom will be making his return tomorrow when the first 3 episodes of Peacemaker debut tomorrow, exclusively on HBO Max. It’s been a few months since we last saw the character, and since then we’ve had plenty of comic book-based content released, so minds may be a bit cloudy on just how we got here, and some may even be wondering just how is Christopher Smith alive? I mean he looked quite dead last time we saw him, well we’ve got a bit of a refresher for you to be ready to jump right in tomorrow.

    We first met Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, assigned to Task Force X for Project Starfish which found him in Corto Maltese. Smith was assigned to Squad B, the “real team” as Squad A had been sent into the other side of the beach in order to provide a distraction. Peacemaker instantly began butting heads with everyone on the team, determined only to finish the mission and establish peace on the small island nation. It would later be revealed that Smith had been sent with an alternate objective assigned to him by Amanda Waller: to destroy the truth behind Project Starfish at any cost necessary. That lead to multiple altercations, including one that resulted in Peacemaker killing Rick Flag, and one in which Bloodsport took out Smith and left him for dead.

    But Peacemaker, of course, is not dead. In the post-credits of The Suicide Squad, he is pulled from the rubble of Jotunheim and barely hanging onto life. After surviving the mission, Smith is met by John Economos and Emilia Harcourt, who defied Waller’s orders and helped to extract Task Force X from Corto Maltese. Both characters will return for Peacemaker.

    The series will also introduce multiple new character to Christopher Smith’s team like Clemson Murn, Leota Adebayo, and Vigilante. This new team has been tasked with hunting down targets labeled as “Butterflies” that pose a risk to national security. The team’s first targets are US Senator Royland Goff and his family, who are under the protection of Judomaster, another classic Charlton Comics character introduced in the series.

    The series will also see Peacemaker facing his past, reuniting with his father, Auggie Smith, a southern racist who had a very intense method of parenting with Christopher. Hopefully the series is able to give us a glimpse into just what caused Peacemaker to pick up his quest for peace.

    The first three episodes of Peacemaker will stream tomorrow on HBO Max.

  • ‘The Book of Boba Fett’: Why Qi’ra Should Make an Appearance

    ‘The Book of Boba Fett’: Why Qi’ra Should Make an Appearance

    A show focusing on Boba Fett has always felt the optimal way to re-introduce the Star Wars criminal underworld to live-action Star Wars. Solo: A Star Wars Story took some steps in that direction but it only really seemed to skim the surface. But now, and considering Lucasfilm‘s track record when dealing with their Disney+ projects, we might be getting exactly what we wanted.

    Following the tremendous success of The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm has decided to use an almost opposite strategy to the one Marvel Studios has been using since 2008 when introducing new characters/shows. Instead of having separate introductions before bringing them all together in the same feature, Lucasfilm has decided to branch out and use an established project to welcome new characters before giving them their own series. We’ve seen it happen with Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, and in all likelihood with Cara Dune and the Rangers of the New Republic project which was later abandoned.

    This would mean that having yet another show spin-off The Book of Boba Fett might be more than just a mere random possibility. And bringing into the fold comic book storylines (the same comics that first introduced us to Black Krrsantan) as well as rumors that have been circling about the possible return of a Solo: A Star Wars Story character (that has been prominently featured in the latest Star Wars comic crossover The War of the Bounty Hunters) we might just have found who might be showing up towards the end of the season. Emilia Clarke‘s Qi’ra.

    Master Bib did not have the power of Jabba, so he relied on uneasy alliances to preserve his tribute and title.

    8D8

    Mayor has no power. Somebody else is behind that play.

    Fennec Shand

    There are already a few hints regarding how someone yet undisclosed is pulling the strings, with the only reason that Bib Fortuna managed to stay in power for as long as he did being that someone wanted him there. Watching the Pikes arrive on a starliner ahead of battle, meaning their forces are off-world, also helps to make everything seem to be about something even greater than Tatooine’s issues themselves. With Qi’ra’s importance in recent and upcoming comic runs as leader of the Crimson Dawn criminal syndicate hinting at a possible bigger role to play in the grand scheme of things, combined with her active role in the dismembering of the Hutt Council in The War of the Bounty Hunters which left the Hutt cartel without clear leadership making her be at odds with the remaining Hutts, all seem to play into the frictions The Book of Boba Fett has already established. An interesting new one would be her relationship with Fett since she was the one who managed to steal Han Solo’s frozen carbonite body from Fett before he got it to Jabba the Hutt.

    Almost 20 years have passed in-universe since the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story (set around 10BBY) but given the way Qi’ra has been represented in comics, looking the same as she did back then, it wouldn’t be too hard to get Clarke to reprise the character without major appearance concerns. But even if her showing up might have her looking a bit older, that could perhaps hint at a future series focusing on herself but set in the past, set right after the ending to her on-screen debut.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Episode 3 – The Streets of Mos Espa

    REVIEW: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Episode 3 – The Streets of Mos Espa

    After spending most of the time with the Tusken Raiders in the initial episodes, the third chapter titled “The Streets of Mos Espa” remains mostly focused on the present-day storyline. It feels like the story is starting to pick up the pace, as we find out what other dark secrets the town of Mos Espa has hiding, as well as continue to humanize the man behind the helmet, as Boba Fett remains a much kinder character than one might initially expect. Can the former bounty hunter finally set his foot as ruler of Tatooine?

    The core of this episode continues to highlight Fett’s character. While he is now the Daimyo, he stays true to his beliefs. These are strongly reinforced by the Bacta flashbacks, and this episode feels like the first time it is truly coming together. He’s shown quite a lot of mercy, which you wouldn’t expect from a man who worked as a bounty hunter. If it weren’t for the Raiders, we might have a very different man leading this show and it knows that. That development makes the poignant moment of this week’s episode hit even harder, as reality sadly is much harsher. In a way, it parallels what he’s trying to accomplish with his more kind take on ruling, as when violence was used it only ended in violence in his past.

    Disney+’s latest Star Wars series offers many dramatic moments, but as highlighted in last week’s episode is also not ashamed of having some fun. The fact that he faced off against a literal desert alien biker gang in the last episode and the arrival of Tatooine’s youth with their shiny rides feels somehow bizarre yet fitting for the franchise. It’s that combination of fun world-building based on familiar elements that always made this franchise stand out among its intergalactic peers.

    One of my favorite moments in this episode is when Krrsantan just dragged Fett out of his Bacta tank. Right after a dramatic revelation on Fett’s past before he regained his armor, we are ripped out of the memory by the newly introduced Wookie, who wipes the floor with our favorite bounty hunter. It was a great moment of tension, as it ripped Fett of all his armor and gimmicks to force his hand. The fact that the only effective weapon he had was the gaffi stick at the time was a nice touch even if he went down a little faster than you’d hope. He does end up getting helped out by his allies and it is the badass Ming-Na Wen‘s Fennec Shand that manages to win.

    The action has been great, but its titular character only got a single moment to truly shine and that was part of a flashback. In the modern-day, he seemingly is over-reliant on those around him, which makes me wonder if his continued visit to the Bacta tank is a hint that something is wrong. He might have much deeper scars than we anticipated, which may become a key factor later down the line. Here’s hoping that he gets a moment like in The Mandalorian in the latter half of this series.

    The Hutts also make their return this episode, but it seems they have decided to save some money on their budget due to them already leaving the story. A bigger conspiracy is woven, as they were the obvious ones to pin the assassinations on, but this episode may have finally set the stage for the main antagonists, as the present and past are coming together with the Pykes. There might still be more to this story, but it feels like the slow pacing is coming to a payoff soon.

    Speaking off, my reviews of earlier episodes might’ve been a bit harsher than need-be, as the show isn’t restricted to forcing a fast-paced action set. It’s what one would expect from a show featuring THE Boba Fett, but the more time I spend with Temuera Morrison, the more I understand what they are doing. He’s a true leading man and gets actual time to shine outside of the mask. His interaction with the incredible cameo by Danny Trejo and a very special gift that I cannot wait to see develop in future episodes were stand-out moments. We get this hint at kindness and giddiness that makes the character stand out even more than the myths we’ve weaved around him in the past. It makes me hope we have many more stories to tell with this incarnation of the character.

  • ‘The Book of Boba Fett’s Robert Rodriguez Developing Gender-Swapped ‘Zorro’ Series for The CW

    ‘The Book of Boba Fett’s Robert Rodriguez Developing Gender-Swapped ‘Zorro’ Series for The CW

    It looks like there’s another Zorro reboot on the horizon, only this time the famous vigilante will be hitting the small screen. In addition, the person behind the mask will be a woman. Deadline is reporting that veteran filmmaker Robert Rodriguez will executive produce and write a new series featuring a gender-swapped version of the character for The CW. Rodriguez will be joined in the writer’s room by former Mayans M.C. producer Sean Tretta, who will serve as showrunner. His sister Rebecca Rodriguez will also direct the pilot, after working on TNT’s Snowpiercer.

    Zorro is set to follow a young Latinx woman seeking vengeance for her father’s murder, ultimately leading her to join a secret society and adopt the ‘Zorro’ persona. The story comes from the Rodriguez siblings, with Tretta writing the script. This is the second attempt at a female-led Zorro series after NBC had put one into production from Alfredo Barrios Jr. in 2019. Sofia Vergara was at one point attached to the project as a producer but has since dropped out.

    This is also not the first time Robert Rodriguez has tried his hand at adapting the character. The Spy Kids director was originally supposed to helm 1998’s popular The Mask of Zorro, and even had a role in casting Antonio Banderas as the lead, but budgetary concerns lead to him being replaced by Martin Campbell before filming began. The CW’s Zorro won’t be the only new take on the legendary outlaw in the next few years, either. Alex Rivera is currently on board to write and direct a film reboot for Sobini Films titled Zorro 2.0, which will reimagine the title character as a young, undocumented hacker.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Production Postponed Indefinitely Due to Omicron Concerns

    RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Production Postponed Indefinitely Due to Omicron Concerns

    There have been growing concerns that the COVID Omicrom variant might hit harder than previous versions, as some countries are preparing for lockdowns. As such, it seems a new report by Bespin Bulletin has revealed that The Mandalorian’s third season production may have halted production. They report that there were no issues on set and no one involved was affected by the virus, but they wanted “to be on the safe side.” Cases have been on the rise, and reports that Star Trek: Picard was affected may have added some concerns.

    The production seemed to have started back in September with March being its potential end date. Yet, as it’s now currently halted production, they may focus primarily on post-production work until numbers go down again. There is no word on when they might restart production, as such they’ll have to wait, but it’s a good sign if this is the case that Lucasfilm and everyone involved is prioritizing the production team’s health. We’ll see if this news gets confirmed at some point later down the line.

    Source: Bespin Bulletin