Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • Review: ‘The Penguin’, Episode 1 -“After Hours”

    Review: ‘The Penguin’, Episode 1 -“After Hours”

    When Matt Reeves‘ The Batman hit theaters in 2022, it was clear that the Gotham which Robert Pattinson‘s Batman sought to protect had a long, dark and sordid past. Corruption ran so deep in Gotham that it might rightly be believed to be a cornerstone of the great city. So strong was the foothold of organized crime in Gotham that the crime families and their goons were entitled and emboldened to carry out their crimes while still considering themselves good men.

    Despite being as warped as the foot that caused his Penguin pimp limp, Falcone family capo Oz Cobb believed himself to be one of those good men. Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Oz in The Batman demanded a follow-up performance which has now hit Max in the form of the limited streaming series, The Penguin. And the series pulls no punches about its lead character nor does it provide any quarter for a man who finds himself in a mess of his own making.

    If The Penguin weren’t known to be a spinoff set in Reeves‘ Batman Epic Crime Saga, it would be as unrecognizable as a comic book-based property as its star is in the lead role. The Penguin shares far more in common with any number of HBO’s prestige crime dramas and Episode 1, “After Hours”, embraces that legacy. It goes full gangster right away and it looks as though the series will benefit from its forthright approach as an exploration of the world of organized crime and the types of people who inhabit it.

    Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.
    -Salvador Dali

    Central to Episode 1 and presumably the series are Farrell‘s Cobb and Cristin Milioti‘s Sofia Falcone. Oz wastes no time in unintentionally making an enemy out of Sofia and much of the first episode is spent with Oz apparently spinning his wheels. However, the true brilliance of the episode comes in its closing moments. In his own words, Cobb knows he inhabits a world of big men who need to believe he’s small…and so he allows them their fantasies, using his rough appearance and demeanor to serve as a facade for an ingenious criminal mind. And by episode’s end, Cobb has engineered the rise of the Maroni family he once took down and set himself up as all nut untouchable.

    Thematically, ambition is at the episode’s core and from Cobb’s words to his new partner in crime, Vic, to the 9 to 5 needle drop, there’s no chance it can be forgotten. Cobb’s ambition is second to none and now, with his brilliant mind free to cook, his time has come. Every bit as ambitious as its title character, The Penguin is as intelligent, violent and grounded in the human condition as the great HBO dramas it aspires to be.

  • Theory Thursday: Salem’s Seven’s Beef with Agatha Harkness in ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    Theory Thursday: Salem’s Seven’s Beef with Agatha Harkness in ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    Note: This article was first published on June 15, 2023

    A recent plot summary of Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Agatha: Coven of Chaos indicated that a group of villains ripped from the pages of Marvel Comics will be stirring up trouble for Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha Harkness and her coven. According to insider Daniel RPK, Salem’s Seven will be headed to Westview to “seek out revenge” on Agatha Harkness…but revenge for what?

    In the Comics…

    First seen in the pages of Fantastic Four #186, Salem’s Seven were, in their own words, “a supernatural squadron” capable of mutating themselves through magic to take on some pretty horrifying forms. Led by Vertigo, the group was made up of mystics named Brutacus, Gazelle, Hydron, Reptilla, Thornn and Vakume all of whom were the grandchildren of Agatha Harkness. As it turned out, Agatha’s son, the wanton sorcerer Nicholas Scratch, had quite an itch to scratch indeed and spread his seed liberally amongst the potential baby mamas of the quaint magical community of New Salem, a hidden Colorado town founded by the survivors of the Salem Witch Trials.

    While each member of the Seven wielded reasonably powerful magic, their transformations made them far more formidable. Brutacus got brutey. Gazelle morphed into a super speedy deer lady. Hydron became a merman with a stump water canon. Reptilla turned into a snake with bitey snake arms. Thornn became a demonic porcupine. Vakume lost his face and could control the wind. And Vertigo…well you can probably guess. It’s best not to overthink these types of things and just accept that they did what they could do because crazy animal sorcerers provided a much more fertile landscape for telling weird witch stories.

    And Salem’s Seven found their way into more than one weird witch story, though their primary purpose remained largely the same: get Agatha. Despite their father being one of the most popular characters in the long history of Marvel Comics, the children of the Scratch mostly failed miserably in their attempts to bring harm to their powerful granny. When it’s all said and done, other than looking cool when they mutate, they were mostly cannon fodder.

    In the MCU…

    In what might be the least mysterious mystery in the history of MCU mystery, the origin of the vengeful Salem’s Seven began in 1693. As seen in Episode 8 of WandaVision, “Previously On”, Agatha’s taste for dark magic put her in a rather precarious predicament as she was put on trial by her own Salem-based coven. Eight witches, including her mother, Evanora, held court as Agatha was accused of a bevy of witchy crimes and sentenced to death by energy beaming. Unfortunately for the coven, Agatha’s reverse energy beaming powers were stronger and she laid those witches low.

    Eight dead Salem witches. One of them Agatha’s mother. Seven dead witches whose descendants would have reason to be out to give Agatha some smoke. Salem’s Seven. The math checks out. Drawn to Westview, perhaps, after the incredibly powerful hex cast by Wanda caught the attention of every magic user across the globe, Vertigo and crew would seem to have a leg up on Agatha given that last time she was seen, she didn’t know who she truly was following Wanda’s spell. Maybe a powerful “familiar” can help her find herself.

    As in the comics, it sounds like the Seven will be led by Vertigo, who is reportedly being played by Okwui Okpokwasili. The only burning question about Salem’s Seven is whether or not Marvel Studios will bring their funky mutant powers from page to screen. The answer, probably, is yes. Much like Len Wein and George Perez, Jac Schaeffer and crew likely recognize that having funky-looking sorcerers is cooler than having a bunch more who look like people. It’s also likely that they’ll pose little actual threat to Agatha and Billy, though they might be able to take out one of their coven just to keep it interesting. If that’s the case, it begs the question of why Marvel Studios would make the main villains of Agatha: Coven of Chaos so underwhelming. Easy one: because they aren’t the true big bad.

    The first two episodes of Agatha All Along are now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • Major Infinity Saga Villain Set to Return for Marvel Studios’ ‘Vision’ Streaming Series

    Major Infinity Saga Villain Set to Return for Marvel Studios’ ‘Vision’ Streaming Series

    Though Marvel Studios is, presumably, more than halfway through the second saga of MCU stories, it has shown no apprehension at continuing to pull from the Infinity Saga. While the return of Robert Downey Jr.–who is boarding the Multiverse Saga to bring Victor Von Doom to life–is the starkest example of the studio’s willingness to dip into the Infinity Saga well, many of the streaming series have in particular been deeply rooted in the events of the Infinity Saga. And now as the studio begins preparations for production on their next D+ project, a new report indicates they’re dipping back into the well again.

    According to THR, Marvel Studios has struck a deal with James Spader to reprise the role of Ultron in the upcoming Vision streaming series.

    An artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner as a peacekeeping program, Ultron went rogue and sought to wipe out humanity. Using stolen Vibranium obtained from the stores of Ulysses Klaue, Ultron created a synthetic body that he intended to inhabit himself; however, after a battle with the Avengers interrupted the process, Stark’s J.A.R.V.I.S. program was uploaded into the body, which became Vision. Though Vision destroyed the final Ultron drone that hosted his programming, fans of the comics will know that the villain has been notoriously impossible to keep down.

    Originally one of two WandaVision spinoffs developed by Jac Schaeffer, the upcoming Vision series is now in the hands of Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas. In development since 2022, it seems as though the show has taken a new direction under Matalas‘ watch after originally being believed to be an adaptation of Tom King‘s Marvel Comics 2015 limited series, Vision. While it’s unclear what role Spader’s Ultron will have in the series, the appearance of Vision’s “father” in a series that will likely explore the synthezoid’s pursuit of putting together the pieces of who he truly is has the potential for some very heavy material.

    Marvel Studios’ untitled Vision series is expected to stream on Disney Plus in 2026.

    Source: THR

  • The Power 15 List: Which Franchises Have the Most Juice With Fans Right Now?

    The Power 15 List: Which Franchises Have the Most Juice With Fans Right Now?

    1. Marvel Cinematic Universe (Disney/Sony)

    On the heels of winning San Diego Comic-Con with the Avengers news that shook the fandom, and with a film at the box office in Deadpool and Wolverine which is breaking records, the MCU is riding high. And this weekend’s D23 event may provide an additional jolt of enthusiasm about the franchise. However, with only Agatha All Along on Disney Plus to sustain content appetites for the rest of the year, we can expect to see some loss of momentum, particularly when the next shoe drops with respect to the beleaguered Blade film.

      2. Game of Thrones (WBD)

      This weekend’s House of the Dragon finale will likely cap a season that undoubtedly restored the feeling for the television franchise that reigned over the monoculture like a Targaryen Dynasty. And with additional spinoffs in the works, all skepticism about sustainability has been melted away with dragon flame. Warner Brothers Discovery’s flagship franchise is flying high, and we continue to whistle that iconic theme.

      3. Star Wars (Disney)

      The mixed reaction to The Acolyte and the continuing Culture War noise surrounding this franchise have really left Star Wars vulnerable. A Skeleton Crew trailer release is imminent, and maybe an infusion of Stranger Things energy into the graying, embittered fandom will do it some good. This is a franchise built on childlike wonder, and much of the recent content has been lacking in that regard.

      4. The Boys (Amazon)

      Head-to-head against The Acolyte, the most recent season of The Boys held its own in terms of mindshare, and even though Season 4 didn’t hit the highs of previous seasons, that hasn’t stopped Amazon from greenlighting a prequel spinoff to go with the Mexico-set spinoff announced a while back. The fact that the next season will be its final one will center it even more firmly in the discourse, as fans and critics will wonder if it can “stick the landing.” If anything, The Boys’ biggest Achilles heel might be the extent to which real-life steals its absurdist thunder.

      5. Dune (WBD)

      With one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year, a sequel expected to be fast-tracked, and the spinoff prequel Dune: Prophecy series set for November on HBO, 2024 has been quite the year for the Dune franchise. And that’s before the memes. However, it does still remain to be seen how far the franchise climbs in the pop cultural consciousness, or whether this year will be its apex, given that other franchises were hobbled by the pandemic and the strikes, and given that things get extra weird on Arrakis from here on out.

      6. DC Elseworlds (WBD)

      While James Gunn‘s DCU prepares to pull out of the station, fans of those characters will get to visit Gotham twice this fall, as the HBO series The Penguin returns us to the world of Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga. And although Robert Pattinson’s Batman is unlikely to feature heavily in the series, his shadow will likely loom over the story. And at the cinema, the highly anticipated sequel to the billion-dollar grossing Joker will offer us another glimpse into Todd Phillips’ Scorsese-tinged hyper-reality, as Lady Gaga‘s Harley Quinn enters the fray. Other alternate universe projects have yet to be announced, and details remain limited on the proper sequel to The Batman, but needless to say, the more successful these two projects are, the more likely that others will also see the light of day.

      7. DCU (WBD)

      Superman has recently wrapped, the first teaser trailer for Creature Commandos (dropping in December) has been released, and news items about upcoming projects continue to surface. Still, while anticipation for what James Gunn is cooking up remains high, excitement is muted. There was no SDCC panel, and it’s possible that audiences won’t get non-set leak Superman footage until 2025. So for the remainder of 2024, we could very well be in “wait and see” mode.

      8. Star Trek (Paramount)

      Although it’s been many years since the last Star Trek film (despite Quentin Tarantino‘s best efforts to give audiences “Hard R Trek”), the franchise has been flourishing on streaming, with a number of well-regarded series on Paramount Plus, and more on the way. And the recent announcement of the first live-action comedy in the franchise’s history could push Star Trek further into the mainstream than it’s been in years.

      9. MonsterVerse (Legendary/WBD)

      Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was moderately successful at the box office, and the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streaming series was well-received, albeit underappreciated, with a second season on the way. This franchise still has its drawing power, but its days at the top of the zeitgeist may be behind it.

      10. Spider-Verse (Sony)

      Tom Holland‘s MCU Spider-Man franchise is represented elsewhere, but through the power of the Spider-Verse franchise, every possible Spidey and Spidey-adjacent character — be they in the Amazon researching spiders before dying, bonding with goopy alien symbiotes in San Francisco, or…doing whatever Kraven is doing — is connected via multiversal web. And Beyond the Spider-Verse very well might connect these divergent threads. There’s still no word on when that movie will drop, but for now, fans of the Venom films can look forward to the conclusion of that trilogy in Venom: The Last Dance, which releases in October.

      11. Transformers/GI Joe (Paramount)

      Last year’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts revealed that the two franchises were being merged, and while there’s a degree of uncertainty as to when we’ll get that film, next month’s Transformers: One animated film will give longtime fans the robot-centric big screen adventure they’ve clamored for since they first discovered Stan Bush’s “The Touch.”

      12. Lord of the Rings (WBD/Amazon)

      While technically, the rights to the Tolkien books have been bifurcated, and the Rings of Power series will likely never cross over with the LOTR projects in the works at Warner Brothers, each is capable of elevating the overall excitement around the stories told on Middle Earth. But unfortunately, Season 1 of Rings of Power, despite its budget and the advertising blitz around it, never really hit the mainstream, and it’s hard to see Season 2 breaking through.

      13. Jurassic Park/World (Universal)

      Yes, they’re still making these, and yes, the films still have a billion-dollar upside. But with less than a year until the next film, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, is slated to hit theaters, it’s hard to see what new ground this franchise could stake out to fire up the fanbase.

      14. Harry Potter (WBD)

      Putting aside the toxic JK Rowling of it all, this franchise needs a cultural reset, and indeed, WBD is looking to introduce a new generation to the world of wizards and wands. They’re still a few years away from getting that project out, though, and who knows what nonsense JK could say or do to further sully the franchise’s legacy before then.

      15. Anne Rice Immortal Universe (AMC)

      Yes, The Walking Dead has been an AMC mainstay, but while that seems to be limping along, the series based on the Anne Rice novels seem to be gathering momentum. However, despite their highly engaged fan followings, particularly for Interview With the Vampire, the media landscape for these shows doesn’t seem favorable for a jump into the mainstream anytime soon.

      Honorable Mention:

      The Walking Dead (AMC), Mission: Impossible (Paramount), Fast & Furious (Universal), Mad Max (WBD), John Wick (Lionsgate), Ghostbusters (Sony), James Bond (EON)

    1. ‘One Piece’ Season 2 Starts Production as Cast Grows

      ‘One Piece’ Season 2 Starts Production as Cast Grows

      The wait is finally over, as Netflix has celebrated the production start of One Piece‘s second season with a video. They continue to understand that the selling point of this production is the cast and their dynamic, so we get a chance to see the Straw Hats unite once again to kick off their return to South Africa truly. They aren’t revealing any major details but still give fans that heartfelt return of the main cast.

      That isn’t all though, as we do continue to get some more casting announcements. It looks like we have some familiar faces returning as they’ve confirmed that other returning actors are Ilia Isorelys Paulino’s Alvida, Michael Dorman as Gold Roger, and Jeff Ward as Buggy. It makes sense given Buggy and Alvida were set up at the end of last season, but Roger’s return could lead to quite some speculation on where and how we’ll see him in the series. It would be neat to see a recurring trend for each season to open with the iconic pirate king.

      Of course, there are also some other major casting additions we’re a little late on. We finally know that Callum Kerr will play Smoker in the next season, who’ll be joined by Julia Rewald as Tashigi. Ty Keogh is playing Dalton who’ll face off against the always hilarious Wapol, played by Rob Colletti. Surprisingly, still no announcement for major players like Chopper, Nico Robin, Bon Clay, Sir Crocodile, or Mr. 1. We’ll have to see if they are keeping some news in their back pocket once production nears its end or if the series closes on its release.

      Source: Twitter, Variety

    2. Giant Additions to ‘One Piece’ Season 2’s Cast

      Giant Additions to ‘One Piece’ Season 2’s Cast

      The week of One Piece continues, as it seems we can expect a lot more. As theorized yesterday, we speculated that there were quite a few hints that we’ll see more castings throughout the week. After finally uncovering some of the members of Baroque Works, mostly the characters we see early on in the journey, we already have our next revelations for what we can expect from the series.

      The latest update for Netflix’s hit series comes with two large additions and a rather important one. Clive Russell will play Crocus, a friendly man who welcomes the Straw Hats into their journey in the second season. He is joined by Dorry and Brogy actors, Werner Coetser and Brendan Murray. Their addition confirms that we’ll be visiting Little Garden.

      We don’t know how exactly they’ll adapt the iconic Alabasta arc, but if they have more casting announcements planned throughout the week, we may get a good idea what to expect. If they go throughout the whole week, we may expect the biggest castings for the franchise by the end. Holding out hope for some tease of Chopper, especially as there are still theories if he’ll be CG or a puppet but a voice actor would definitely be great to see.

      Source: Twitter

    3. ‘One Piece’ Season 2 Finds its Baroque Works

      ‘One Piece’ Season 2 Finds its Baroque Works

      It’s been a long wait but since One Piece premiered last year in August, the second season is finally getting ready to enter production. With a WGA strike prolonging the wait, it seems our wait won’t be that long (hopefully) to see how they adapt one of the series’ most iconic arcs, Baroque Works or the Alabasta arc. It’s especially exciting after teasing the organization in the first season with Zoro’s introduction. We still only knew about one member of the Baroque Works but our wait has come to an end.

      One Piece has yet to showcase the big guns of the organization, but we got some of its important early episode members. there were rumors that production was set to start at the end of June. So, perhaps they are revealing some of the cast that are heading to production that is returning to South Africa.

      We get our first look at who is playing Miss Valentine (Jazzara Jaslyn), Mr. 5(Camrus Johnson), Mr. 9 (Daniel Lasker) and Mr. 3 (David Dastmalchian). Lasker played int he South African-filmed series Raised by Wolves. Johnson appeared in CW’s Batwoman while Jazzara is known for her work on Warrior. The big addition is Dastmalchian who just recently led the film Late Night With the Devil but also had roles in The Suicide Squad, Oppenheimer, the Ant-Man franchise, and more. He’s also been quite vocal about wanting to join this franchise and has a rather perfect role.

      They’ll join our returning straw hats in Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero, and Taz Skylar. Some major castings are still open for the next season such as Vivi, Nico Robin, Bon Clay, Crocodile, and whoever will be voicing Chopper, who is confirmed to appear by manga series creator Eiichiro Oda. Perhaps we’ll get a bit more throughout the week as production gets going on the long-awaited second season.

      Source: Twitter, Variety

    4. Netflix No Longer Moving Forward With ‘Power Rangers’ Series

      Netflix No Longer Moving Forward With ‘Power Rangers’ Series

      Sadly, it seems like one of my personal fan-favorite franchises is no longer moving forward. After 2 years of investment, it appears that Netflix has decided no longer to start moving forward with a new Power Rangers TV series. Jenny Klein was attached as showrunner with Jonathan Entwistle set to overview an entire “cinematic universe” for the streamer.

      Sadly, no reasons are given as to why exactly Netflix is no longer moving forward with the franchise. TVLine claims that Hasbro Entertainment is interested in taking the series into a new creative direction (heavy considering they invested two years into this vision to begin with) and is looking for a new partner.

      It should be noted that there’s no mention of Klein and Entwistle. So, we don’t know if they are still attached as part of this new creative direction. The positive aspect to this is that the franchise has a bit of a higher chance for a longer runtime given Netflix’s track record but it also opens up the question if it even finds a new home. For now, we can just keep an eye open for any updates on this cinematic universe.

      Source: TVLine

    5. Heartfelt ‘Bluey’ Episode “The Sign” Inspired a Ryan Reynolds/Zillow Team-Up

      Heartfelt ‘Bluey’ Episode “The Sign” Inspired a Ryan Reynolds/Zillow Team-Up

      The Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) and the BBC’s animated series, Bluey, has taken the world by storm. First debuting in Australia in 2019, the series has become wildly popular across all of Disney’s platforms, including Disney Plus. While buzz has grown that the series may be ending, a trio of new episodes recently debuted they have torn at viewer’s heart strings even more than normal.

      As seen in “Ghostbasket”, the Heeler family began the process of selling their family home. The home was indeed sold in the extended-length episode, “The Sign”, before a last-minute change of heart by the buyers gave the Heelers a chance to stay home after regretting selling the home that was central to so many memories for the cartoon canines and fans alike.

      On the heels of that episode, Ryan Reynolds‘ Maximum Effort teamed with Zillow to create a spot to remind families that “selling your home can be a pawsitive experience.” In a wonderful touch, actor Dan Brumm, who voices Bluey’s Uncle Stripe, was hired to narrate the piece, which you can watch below.

      From Zillow and Maximum Effort

      Parents everywhere have found themselves on an emotional rollercoaster after watching “The Sign”,  a moving episode of the beloved children’s series, Bluey, where the furry family of four comes close to selling their home.



      While selling your home can be an emotional experience, Zillow is here to remind you that it can actually be great.


      Bluey gets it right: moving is hard. Zillow research finds 51% of parents cry at least once while selling their home, yet 81% say their most recent move was worth it. Parents can reduce the stress (and tears) involved in a move, and Zillow has six tips that can help. 

      Manage your own stress first — Children often take on their parents’ emotions, so taking steps to reduce your stress during a move can help everyone. On Zillow, you can assemble a team of experts you trust: a top-rated lender and an agent who will work together to coordinate your sale and new purchase.


      Start early — Prepare your children for a move as early as possible. Children younger than 10 would benefit from hands-on materials to help. Use a map to show them where their new home or school will be. Look at photos online and point out their new bedroom or the tree in the backyard that’s perfect for climbing.


      Allow time for goodbyes — Set up playdates to give your child a chance to say goodbye to their friends and neighbors. Make a plan to visit favorite neighborhood spots one last time, and make a memory box to save souvenirs that remind your child of their old home, friends or neighborhood.


      Maintain connections — Help your child create a concrete way to stay connected with friends through email, text, letters or phone calls. Prior to your moving day, consider establishing a date for when you’ll come back to visit.


      Create a sense of belonging — Help your child settle into their new home by unpacking boxes in their room as soon as you can. Give them the feeling of ownership over their space by allowing them to decorate or select special furnishings they want. 


      Be consistent — Return to family routines as quickly as possible with established bedtimes, family time and mealtimes. 

      About Bluey



      Bluey is a heartwarming Australian children’s television show that follows the playful adventures of a lovable blue heeler pup named Bluey and her family. Through animated storytelling, the series captures the joy and imagination of childhood, offering a fun and educational experience for kids and families alike.

      Bluey, along with her sister Bingo and their parents Bandit and Chilli, embark on a variety of imaginative escapades that showcase the bonds of family and the power of play. From imaginative games of make-believe to outdoor adventures in their backyard, Bluey and her family navigate the ups and downs of everyday life with curiosity and creativity.

      The show’s playful attributes shine through in each episode as Bluey and her friends embark on energetic and joyful adventures. Whether they’re exploring the wonders of their surroundings, learning valuable life lessons, or simply enjoying each other’s company, Bluey and her friends always find ways to make the most of every moment.

      With its endearing characters, relatable storytelling, and heartwarming messages about friendship, family, and imagination, Bluey has become a beloved favorite among children and parents alike. Through its playful antics and heartwarming moments, the show encourages kids to embrace their creativity, cherish their relationships, and approach life with a sense of wonder and adventure.

    6. ‘One Piece’ Season 2 Eyeing 2025 Release

      ‘One Piece’ Season 2 Eyeing 2025 Release

      We’ve been long waiting for an update on when the second season of One Piece will finally start production. The production has recently announced that Joe Trazc of Percy Jackson and A Series of Unfortunate Events fame has worked as an additional co-showrunner on the series. They’ve been working on the scripts for some time and are now seemingly getting ready for filming in the coming months.

      What’s on Netflix shared that production is eyeing a start in June as hinted at by Production Weekly. They will be filming in South Africa, but we might see production expand in Spain and Mexico as well. The plan seems to be to film for around six to seven months by wrapping up by the end of January of next year. That would be around the same length as the first season.

      Deadline has confirmed the June production start but also added a rather interesting addition. Season 2 seems to be eyeing a 2025 release. While the first season took quite a bit of time from its production end in August 2022 to the release a year later, they have figured out some of the trickier effects like Luffy’s stretching powers.

      Not just that, they may already have used the prep time between seasons to get some elements together. However, it is tough to say if they will manage another August release. The VFX will be the biggest challenge given they are about to introduce a character like Chopper, though they may even go down a puppet route.

      Source: What’s on Netflix, Deadline