Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • Disney May Have Offered a Glimpse at Marvel Studios Reshuffled Streaming Slate

    Disney May Have Offered a Glimpse at Marvel Studios Reshuffled Streaming Slate

    Bob Iger‘s return to Disney has thrown a monkey wrench into Marvel Studios streaming plans. Iger has forced the studio to rethink the pacing of its streaming releases, rethink its budget and generally slow the big wheel that includes production, marketing and release. So slowed down has it become that with a quarter of 2023 almost gone, audiences don’t know when they might catch Secret Invasion, the first of the studio’s streaming offerings. While it’s likely to be a while before Disney gives in on that end, they may have given fans something to chew on.

    It was recently discovered that an official Disney site that features upcoming streaming series had removed date windows from every Marvel Studios project and replaced them with “Coming Soon.” This is true for every project listed on the site from Secret Invasion to the animated Spider-Man: Freshman Year. In doing so, the order of the studio’s live-action projects were also reshuffled and that reshuffling may have given fans a glimpse into the order they should expect the studio’s live-action offerings.

    Secret Invasion, which has recently been rumored to debut in June, will take the lead as expected. It’s been expected for some time now that Season 2 of Loki would follow the spy thriller but beyond that, the slate has been up in the air with Echo’s showrunner confirming a delay, word that Ironheart and Agatha: Coven of Chaos were pushed to 2024 and the lengthy production schedule of Daredevil: Born Again. While there’s no confirmation and no guarantee, it’s possible that the official Disney site rearranged the projects in anticipation of a coming announcement and put at least the live-action projects in order of expected release.

    Should that be the case (and I can’t state strongly enough that this is JUST A GUESS), Secret Invasion looks to be followed in 2023 by Loki Season 2 and Echo. Just what changed behind the scenes to make Echo releasable in 2023 remains to be seen, but it would represent a significant shift in thinking should that series make a late 2023 debut on Disney Plus. With those three live-action projects taking up the last half of 2023, it would seem that Ironheart would kick off 2024 and be followed by Agatha: Coven of Chaos and then at least part of Daredevil: Born Again. Given the mandate to spread releases out a bit more, it would seem tough for all 18 episodes of Born Again to be released in 2024 but there’s no reason they all have to, either.

    There’s currently no hard evidence to support this but, to some extent, it fits some of the rumors making their way around (both publicly and privately) about the current and very, very tentative live-action slate of Marvel Studios streaming projects. In the past, I’d have only given this a 33% chance of working out but in the current climate, 25% would be generous. However, it’s certainly worth pointing out so we can all kee an eye on things.

    Source: Disney Plus Originals

  • Dave Filoni Explains the Process of Choosing Which Characters Make the Jump from Animation; Teases More on the Way

    Dave Filoni Explains the Process of Choosing Which Characters Make the Jump from Animation; Teases More on the Way

    Fans of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have celebrated the live-action debuts of many of their favorite characters over the past several years. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have found a way to bring fan favorites like Bo-Katan Kryze, Ahsoka Tano and Cad Bane to life in their lineup of New Republic-era series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Sometime later in 2023, another handful will make their live-action debuts as the core characters from Star Wars Rebels, including Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger, are set to appear on Disney Plus in Ahsoka.

    It’s been a fun time for fans as Filoni and Favreau have carried on the stories of these characters; however, the pair have also come under fire for questionable decisions about the appearance of the characters like the Grand Inquisitor and for being a bit too generous in fan service by having too many characters make the jump. In fact, Filoni has been accused of making too much of an effort to bring his animated creations to life. Filoni addressed that accusation and gave some insight into his process in an interview with The Wrap.

    (L-R): Reva (Moses Ingram), The Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) and Fifth Brother (Sung Kang) in Lucasfilm’s OBI-WAN KENOBI, exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    “Very rarely,” replied Filoni when asked if he often thinks “How can I get my cartoon characters into live-action?” “I know people think it’s the other way around, which is fascinating to me,” he continued, “but I think there’s two ways to look at that, which is that, yes, they were animated characters, but to me they’re just characters. And now I’m over here working in live-action. I’m comfortable with those characters, I know them, I like them and I like to see them around.”

    It’s an interesting position for Filoni given that he created and curated the characters over a decade of animated story-telling and now has the ability to call on them to help define a new era of the galaxy far, far away. Even for Filoni, who knows the characters inside and out, brining them to live action is not without its challenges. “It changes when they’re suddenly in a different medium,” explained Filoni. “Katee’s [Sackhoff] talked about it a little bit, and the difference between performing Bo-Katan as a voice actor versus performing her physically and being present on set as her – it’s a different vibe. I’m always cautious. And Jon [Favreau] and I talk about who will we bring in? I try to do it when it makes the most sense.”

    Cad Bane [Corey Burton (voice); Dorian Kingi (performance artist)] in Lucasfilm’s THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    For instance, as Filoni explained, when the plot of The Book of Boba Fett called for “a gunslinger to go up against some of our characters,” Cad Bane was the obvious choice. The character’s live-action design came under fire from fans of his time in the animated series. Filoni addressed why the character’s distinct look changed a bit for his live-action debut. “I think looking at that, the first thing I think is, ‘Well, how do we do that and make it believable?’ Like the character, he’s so lean and gaunt in The Clone Wars,” explained Filoni, “and if we don’t do that, is it all CG? How are we going to portray that? If we don’t think we can do that effectively, then we shouldn’t do it.”

    The reality of the situation is that in the recent social media climate, the decision to faithfully recreate Cad Bane through CGI would have taken just as much heat as the decision to change it for live-action. The criticism, however, doesn’t seem to faze Filoni. “At the end of the day, I’ve been very happy with the ones that have gone over,” he said before teasing fans with the notion that he’s not done quite yet. “There may or may not be more in Ahsoka, if that’s your thing. If you’re excited about that, I’m just saying that one might have a few more, which makes sense, by the way. As you know, I wrote it. You can’t fault me there.” Who can blame the guy?

    Source: The Wrap

  • Can We Trust Her? Katee Sackhoff Explains Bo-Katan’s Behavior in the Latest Episode of ‘The Mandalorian’

    Can We Trust Her? Katee Sackhoff Explains Bo-Katan’s Behavior in the Latest Episode of ‘The Mandalorian’

    The book ends of Chapter 19 of The Mandalorian, The Convert, left fans wondering what Bo-Katan Kryze was up to following her experience in the mines of Mandalore. The episode’s opening picked up in the aftermath of Chapter 18’s plunge into the Living Waters where she encountered a massive Mythosaur, an encounter she chose to keep from Din Djarin after asking if he had seen anything alive in the pool. Bo-Katan’s dip in the Living Waters also put her in a position she never thought she’d be in: walking The Way of the Mandalore as a member of the Children of the Watch. With her home world of Kalevala destroyed by a fleet of Imperial remnant TIEs, Bo-Katan, now washed free of her apostasy, was invited by the Armorer to remain with the covert of Mandalorians. Needless to say, it was a pretty busy day for Bo-Katan.

    Did those experiences change the skeptical Bo-Katan, however? Fans aren’t so sure and much of the social media discussion after the episode centered around the character’s decision to remain mute about the Mythosaur, wondering if she intends to use the knowledge of the beast to her advantage. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bo-Katan actress Katee Sackhoff assuaged those concerns, saying her behavior was rooted in something much less malevolent. “She doesn’t trust necessarily what she saw. She might have thought that she imagined it,” explained Sackhoff. “There’s so many things that she’s trying to process in her head that I don’t necessarily think that it’s something that she wants to tell anyone about right now.“

    Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) holding the Darksaber in a scene from Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Part of what Bo-Katan may be trying to process is that the beliefs that Din Djarin has held dear–beliefs she called “cute”–may hold some water. According to Sackhoff, Bo-Katan’s attempts to reconcile her past with Din’s “cult” with her own past and the very recent events of her own present have given her quite a bit to ponder which is why she remained so quiet when she was accepted into Din’s Tribe.

    The mistakes of her past — with Death Watch and the resulting death of her sister Satine — weigh heavily upon her, and she’s in a more vulnerable state than we’ve ever seen her before when Din brings her in. But because of the disagreements with Din’s cult in the past, the Watch welcoming her to their clan with open arms is a surprise to her. To be immediately accepted by people is new for her. She may or may not be trying to figure out if that’s a place where she should potentially stay.

    Katee Sackhoff

    Still, it’s hard for fans to believe that the militant Bo-Katan won’t look to weaponize her newfound friends in another attempt to avenge her sister’s death and ascend to lead the reborn Mandalore. According to Sackhoff, that’s not in the cards, however. “I truly believe at this point that she hopes someone else steps up,” Sackhoff said. “She doesn’t want the responsibility. The responsibility cost her everything,” she explained. “Leading didn’t work, so maybe fitting in will.” With more than half the season still ahead, Bo-Katan’s choice to be a leader or a follower will likely have a huge impact on the events of not only The Mandalorian Season 3 but also the shape of the New Republic.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Brief ‘X-Men ’97’ Synopsis Confirms the Big Bad of the New Series

    Brief ‘X-Men ’97’ Synopsis Confirms the Big Bad of the New Series

    During the 5 season run of X-Men: The Animated Series, the X-Men tangled with Mister Sinister on more than one occasion. Sinister did as Sinister does, harvesting mutant DNA for his experiments and slinking off into the darkness to live to haunt the X-Men another day. Another day is now, as Sinister has been revealed to be the big bad of the revival of X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ’97.

    During Marvel Unlimited’s celebration of X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years, showrunner Beau DeMayo summed up what to expect from the series, which is expected to debut sometime in 2023.

    Storm and Wolverine try to continue the X-Men. Magneto comes in and wants to step up for Charles Xavier. Sinister comes in to try to end the X-Men once and for all.

    It sounds like a rewatch (or a first experience) may be in order for fans who might not remember why Magneto has to step in for Charles (Charles is in space) or why Sinister is so angry. In a response to the tweet embedded above, DeMayo indicated that while the summary is correct, an official and full synopsis will be revealed later in 2023.

  • New Casting Hints at Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Already Setting Up the Alabasta Arc

    New Casting Hints at Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Already Setting Up the Alabasta Arc

    While the well has been dry since the initial posters dropped for Netflix’s live-action One Piece series, there have been some small details here and there keeping eager fans afloat. The upcoming adaptation will take the beloved manga of the same name and bring it into a completely new format. While the anime has been running for over 1,000 episodes, there’s a lot of potentials to explore the vast world of One Piece in live-action.

    Now, a new casting has come to light that might highlight that showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda are already looking toward the future. As first shared by @OP_Netflix_Fan, actor Rebaone Ben Kgosimore has shared on his CV that he’s played the role of Mr. 7 in Netflix’s One Piece.

    At first, the name might seem unassuming especially as he wasn’t actually featured in the original East Blue run. Yet, he was mentioned in the story during Whiskey Peak, as it was unveiled that Mr. 7 was sent to recruit Mackenyu‘s Roronoa Zoro for thee organization known as Baroque Works. His inclusion not only means we’ll finally get to see how that interaction ended between him and Zoro but also be the first hint at what’s to come beyond the East Blue.

    Going by a recent listing on the Writers Guild of America West, they might already be preparing for a potential second season renewal, which would very likely build upon this brief introduction. Going by the original manga, it only makes sense that the East Blue ends with the first season. One of the first threats they face on the Grand Line is the organization known as Baroque Works which has close ties to the events unfolding on Alabasta.

    Source: Artist Connection

  • Oh Meegosh!: ‘Willow’ Writer Jonathan Kasdan Disputes Cancellation Claim

    Oh Meegosh!: ‘Willow’ Writer Jonathan Kasdan Disputes Cancellation Claim

    48 hours after fans of the Disney Plus series Willow said their goodbyes to Elora Dana and the people of Tir Asleen following a trade report of the show’s cancellation, their hopes were suddenly resurrected by showrunner Jonathan Kasdan. In a lengthy message shared on Twitter, Kasdan clarified what’s quite a complicated situation regarding the future of the streaming series.

    https://twitter.com/JonKasdan/status/1636618831497146368?s=20

    According to Kasdan, the next season of Willow, which he referred to as Volume II, has already been written and while it’s not headed into pre-production and is not scheduled to start filming over the course of the next year, it does not mean that it will not get made. However, given the fact that the second season of the series is not on the fast track, Kasdan explained that the decision was made to release the cast members to pursue work on other projects until the call for the start of Volume II comes. “If the appetite for more Willow persists, Disney, Lucasfilm and this amazing cast and crew will satisfy it,” said Kasdan.

  • Ryan Coogler Rumored to Be Developing Animated Wakanda Series

    Ryan Coogler Rumored to Be Developing Animated Wakanda Series

    Following the success of 2018’s Black Panther, Ryan Coogler agreed to a 5-year exclusive deal with Disney in 2021. As part of that deal, Coogler not only developed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for Marvel Studios, but also started development on multiple series spinning out of the Black Panther franchise. The first of those series, Ironheart, was originally set to debut in 2023 but Bob Iger’s return to Disney has put some of Marvel Studios projects on pause as they rethink their release strategy. Coogler’s other projects remain in development, however, including a series believed to star Danai Gurira as Okoye and a project being called The Golden City. While no timetable has been revealed for these projects, some interesting new information about The Golden City has come to light.

    During The Hot Mic Podcast, YouTuber Jeff Sneider shared an intriguing rumor which indicated that The Golden City is being developed as an animated series. At this point, it’s entirely unclear what the project might be about though The Golden City is clearly a reference to Birnin Zana, the capital city of Wakanda. One possibility that an animated project might offer Marvel Studios is the opportunity to tell quite a bit of the history of Wakanda without having to create multiple extravagant sets.

    While Marvel Studios is developing multiple animated projects, their status as canonical to the events of the MCU aren’t all clear. At this point, only the events of What If…? are confirmed to be canon, though they clearly take place throughout the Multiverse and not in the “Sacred Timeline” where other MCU projects are set. Should The Golden City by canon, it may be the first animated series to be set in that “Sacred Timeline.”

    Source: HMP

  • Scott Cohen, James Madio and Michael Zegan Join Colin Farrell in ‘The Penguin’

    Scott Cohen, James Madio and Michael Zegan Join Colin Farrell in ‘The Penguin’

    The HBO Max series The Penguin has added to its cast as it moves through the early stages of production. The series, set in Matt Reeves‘ Gotham-verse, will see Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot navigate the organized crime scene which was greatly disrupted by the death of Carmine Falcone in The Batman and a few more gangsters have joined the party.

    According to Variety, Michael Zegan has joined the production as Alberto Falcone, son of the late Carmine and brother to Sofia, played by Cristin Milioti. Alberto and Sofia are likely to serve as antagonists to The Penguin’s opportunism. Scott Cohen and James Madio are reported to have joined the cast as well, though their roles were not revealed; however, often times when bulk castings are announced, the talent involved ends up working a significant amount of time working together on the project.

    The Penguin marks the first of multiple projects and sequels planned by Reeves within the Gotham introduced in 2022’s The Batman. The projects all survived the purge that followed the announcement of James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new DC Studios and will be produced under an Elseworlds banner which will signify that they stand apart from the main DCU continuity.

    Source: Variety

  • Michael Waldron’s Overall Deal with Disney, Marvel Studios Renewed

    Michael Waldron’s Overall Deal with Disney, Marvel Studios Renewed

    It looks like Avengers: Secret War won’t be the last Marvel Studios project for writer Michael Waldron. The Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness scribe has reupped with Disney and Marvel Studios on an overall deal that will keep him churning our projects for the foreseeable future.

    Waldron also launched a new production studio, Anomaly Pictures, with his production partner Adam Fasullo. The two first worked together on the Starz streaming series Heels, which will return for its second season sometime in 2023. According to a trade report, Anomaly Pictures will operate under the belief that “popcorn entertainment can also be prestige entertainment, and at the heart of every project lies the question: What if this was good?”

    Source: Deadline

  • The Bones Have Spoken: Disney Cancels ‘Willow’ After One Seaon

    The Bones Have Spoken: Disney Cancels ‘Willow’ After One Seaon

    The Disney Plus streaming series Willow, which served as a sequel to the 1988 cult classic film of the same name, has been cancelled after just one season.

    The series saw Warwick Davis return as Willow Ufgood and picked up the story of Elora Danan 20 years after the defeat of Queen Bavmorda. Co-showrunner Jonathan Kasdan worked for years to get the sequel series made, having broached the subject during conversation with Davis and Ron Howard, who directed the original film, during production on Solo: A Star Wars Story.

    As Deadline reported, though the series won’t continue, the IP itself remains of interest at Lucasilm; however, as Disney looks to cut back on its programming budget across the board, a second season of Willow wasn’t in the cards.

    Source: Deadline