Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • Don Cheadle May Have Hinted at Rhodey Being a Skrull in ‘Secret Invasion’

    Don Cheadle May Have Hinted at Rhodey Being a Skrull in ‘Secret Invasion’

    When Don Cheadle took the stage to talk about Secret Invasion at D23 Expo 2022, Kevin Feige mentioned that it wasn’t the series he was there to discuss. To that end, Cheadle and Feige gave an update on the Disney Plus streaming series Armor Wars, a project that fans have begun to wonder quite a bit about over the past few months.

    Feige and Cheadle assured fans that not only was the project still in the works but that it is on track to go into production next year and would connect directly to the events of Secret Invasion. With Secret Invasion set to explore an MCU where Skrulls have infiltrated every corner and with Rhodey set to play such a key role, one has to wonder if he’s been simmed himself, which would put one of the MCU’s most senior members in a very tough and surprising spot.

    In an interview with Phase Zero, Cheadle walked on eggshells while describing where Rhodey will be when Armor Wars kicks off, but left just enough room to make everyone unsure of his fate in Secret Invasion.

    At a very different place and in a way that is something I can’t really talk about but it’s going to be very surprising to a lot of people. And the great thing is that there’s going to be so much opportunity to learn about him and for him to learn about himself and for us, hopefully, to really be able to get behind what makes him tick.

    Don Cheadle

    With Secret Invasion being adapted to the MCU, it’s long been assumed that at least some of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would be Skrulls in disguise. With a small number of Avengers set to turn up in the series, unlike the comic event which involved all of Marvel’s heavy hitters, Rhodey is as good a bet as any to be an alien infiltrator. How long could it have been? And would he even be aware of his status as a Skrull spy (in the comics, many of the Skrulls are so deeply embedded in their infiltration that they don’t even know they aren’t the people they are swimming)? We’ll find out soon as Secret Invasion should hit Disney Plus early in 2023.

    Source: Phase Zero

  • ‘Armor Wars’ Star Confirms Disney+ Series Plot

    ‘Armor Wars’ Star Confirms Disney+ Series Plot

    Marvel Studios has built up a reputation at this point for taking the iconic comics and giving them a unique spin. No matter where one lands if that works for them, it still gave them an opportunity to adapt iconic storylines to the recurrent timeline they’ve built over the years while also making it unique for new viewers. If Don Cheadle is anything to go by, they are going to keep this tradition with his upcoming Disney+ series Armor Wars.

    While he doesn’t give away any details, he does confirm that it’ll take inspiration from the original comic storyline in which Tony Stark’s technology lands in the wrong hands, and this time around forces his friend Rhodey to once again don his War Machine armor to ensure this doesn’t become a bigger issue. In an interview with ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis, he does highlight though that Marvel will still “tip it on its head.”

    As Marvel does, it’s also an opportunity to take the mythology and tip it on its head a little bit and come up with different ways to tell the story. So, it’s doing that and doing that in spades.

    Don Cheadle

    Armor Wars was announced quite a while ago but seemingly got pushed back for some time. Cheadle teases that Rhodey is going to be at a very different place that he can’t reveal but hints that it’s “going to be very surprising.” He has a role in Secret Invasions as revealed in the Disney+ series trailer and it’ll be interesting to see how it ties into the bigger mythology.

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘King of the Narrow Sea’

    ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘King of the Narrow Sea’

    Phew. There is much to unpack in the fourth episode of HBO’s latest hit, House of the Dragon. Luckily for readers, the purpose of this article is only to address the best and worst of all the chaos. It’s almost comical that the episode is titled King of the Narrow Sea, after the fancy new moniker given to Matt Smith‘s Daemon Targaryen, because really, this week was all about Milly Alcock‘s Princess Rhaenyra. With Paddy Considine‘s King Viserys hellbent on finding her a groom, Rhaenyra is forced to confront what it is she truly wants out of a relationship, and the answer isn’t so simple. As with any breathing human being, her Grace does not want to feel like a prisoner in her own marriage. Unfortunately, the rules of the time are the rules of the time and this type of arrangement may be a fate she’s not ever able to outmaneuver. Her restlessness ultimately leads to a, well, uncomfortable night out with her uncle, and a few realizations that make her slightly more comfortable in her own skin.

    Quite a few other major developments occur, like the dramatic demotion of Rhys Ifans‘ Otto Hightower and the ongoing depressive state of his daughter, Alicent, played by Emily Carey. Yet, none of those things ever really live up to the shock value of the episode’s main plotline, which holds the honor of producing both talking points in this week’s breakdown. So, without further ado, it’s time to talk even more about superstar Milly Alcock.

    Best – Milly Alcock

    Milly Alcock will not be around House of the Dragon forever. In fact, she won’t even be around for the entirety of this season. But boy, oh boy, is she making the most of the time she has as Princess Rhaenyra. Alcock has been the standout of this show from the very beginning, and King of the Narrow Sea proves exactly why that is. Rhaenyra is not a simple type of character to portray, having to come off as both stubborn and charming at the same time while also maintaining a sense of regality in every action. It’s much easier to be unlikable than not in this kind of role, but Alcock manages to pull off every scene with grace, poise, and appeal. She makes the audience want to follow her down whatever path she travels, and that is a skill that simply can’t be taught.

    King of the Narrow Sea deals with a lot of subject matter that won’t sit well with everyone. There are some very dark rabbit holes that Rheanyra finds herself exploring. Yet, in spite of that, Alcock remains a steadfast champion of everything that’s good in House of the Dragon. She takes the dark path, however terrible it may seem, and flips it into one that the audience is curious in exploring themselves. She sells the story, and her character, as something worthwhile, even when a person’s brain might be telling them otherwise. This show could not have found a better successor to Emilia Clarke‘s Daenerys, and fans should remain hopeful the series finds a way to keep her around even after Rheanyra hits her growth spurt.

    Worst – Incest, Duh

    This almost doesn’t even feel worth typing. By far the worst part of King of the Narrow Sea, and perhaps the show at large, is Daemon manipulating his teenage niece into trying to have sex with him. Inside of a brothel, no less. It’s a power move and a disgusting one at that. Yes, Daemon is, thus far, the villain of this show and at no point does the project want us to be on his side. However, that does not negate the fact that every second of that sequence was terrible enough to make a viewer’s skin crawl ten times over. The word one might be looking for is probably “icky”. This type of sexual deviancy, a phrase that feels strange to use, is becoming something of a theme for House of the Dragon. Hopefully, it’s just a phase and one that the show grows out of sooner than later.

  • Giancarlo Esposito Reveals He Did Not Turn Down ‘Loki’ Role: “I Wasn’t the One Who Was Chosen”

    Giancarlo Esposito Reveals He Did Not Turn Down ‘Loki’ Role: “I Wasn’t the One Who Was Chosen”

    Last month, a report circulated that beloved actor Giancarlo Esposito—known for his roles in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Mandalorian, and more—turned down a role in Marvel Studios’ Loki series. It was speculated that perhaps Esposito sought a film role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than on television. After all, rumors spread last month that the actor was in talks with Marvel Studios to play the iconic character Professor X in the MCU. However, Esposito himself revealed that he did not turn down a role in Loki. In fact, he says he did not get the part. 

    Speaking to a crowd at Rose City Comic-Con on Sunday, Esposito answered a fan question about his rumored relationship with Marvel Studios. Not only did Esposito say he did not believe he was the one chosen for the unknown Loki part at issue, but he revealed he likely would have liked to have played that role. Esposito stated:

    The truth of the story Is this. about four years ago I met with Louis D’Esposito who [is] in the television unit of Marvel. And they had come to me to play possibly play Loki on the television side. And so I did not do [that part], and there were reasons for it. I think I wasn’t the one who was chosen [would] be the honest truth. But I would have maybe liked to do it.

    Giancarlo Esposito

    Interestingly, Esposito stated that not getting the Loki part is actually what led him to be interested in a film role within the MCU. He continued:

    And then I thought when I wasn’t selected for that, that it would be great if I could be in a Marvel movie, not just a television show because I like films a lot. I love television, obviously I had a great run in the television world, doing last year was four shows at one time and the year before five shows. 

    Giancarlo Esposito

    Only time will tell if Esposito joins the MCU. But one thing is certain: fans all over the world would celebrate the announcement.

    Source: Rose City Comic Con

  • ‘Werewolf by Night’s Disney+ Page Teases Special as a Comedy, First Plot Description

    ‘Werewolf by Night’s Disney+ Page Teases Special as a Comedy, First Plot Description

    D23 has come to an end but it still offered quite a few special surprises to keep us guessing on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Among the many reveals was the confirmation that Marvel Studios’ first special will be the long-rumored Werewolf by Night adaptation. Not only did they confirm long-time MCU composer Michael Giacchino in the director’s chair but also gave us a trailer to get a feeling for what exactly the project might be. Besides teasing a classic throwback to horror movies from the black and white era, we also got a small glimpse of the story. Luckily, the new Disney+ page gave us even more details.

    As first noticed by ComicBook.com’s Adam Barnhardt, the detail page not only includes a great new visual teasing the atmosphere this project has in store for us but also includes the official summary for the project. That’s not all as it looks like the trailer wasn’t lying about the series taking these classic Universal era monsters and giving them a comedic twist as it’s been classified as a comedy, which always has been a great combination with horrors for many years now and makes us wonder how they’ll tackle the character of Werewolf by Night in the story.

    The description reads as:

    On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious sand deadly competition for a powerful relic – a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monsteer.

    It definitely sounds promising and it’s a great way to introduce various fodder characters while building up whatever the “dangerous monster” might end up looking like, as we know it’s the titular character. Though Man-thing has also been showcased in the trailer which means there might be more to this story than what the description may be hinting at. Whatever they have in store for us, it’s going to be a blast either way and hopefully, open up the possibility for more “Special Presentations” from Marvel Studios.

    Source: Twitter

  • D23: ‘Werewolf By Night’ Star Calls the Special “Genuinely Unique to the MCU”

    D23: ‘Werewolf By Night’ Star Calls the Special “Genuinely Unique to the MCU”

    Marvel Studios unveiled the first trailer for their upcoming Halloween Special, Werewolf By Night, at D23 Expo in Anaheim. The black and white trailer for the special, directed by Michael Giacchino, captivated the D23 audience with its pulpy, grindhouse feel, something Giacchino said he worked hard to achieve as an homage to classic 1930s and 1940s horror films.

    Werewolf By Night stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Laura Donnelly joined Giacchino in Anaheim to discuss the project. Donnelly, who plays Marvel Comics monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, was heavily featured in the trailer, which set up the premise of a group of monster hunters coming together after the passing of Elsa’s father, Ulysses, for a hunt. Following the trailer premiere, Donnelly spoke with Deadline in the D23 press line, giving some insight into the project.

    I think that we can expect something that is genuinely scary and really thrilling, but also something that has a really beautiful heart to it. It’s a really human story. And I think that it is genuinely unique in the MCU.

    Laura Connelly

    Given what fans have seen of the project to this point, it’s clear that Donnelly’s comments on the uniqueness of the project are on point. Giacchino certainly reached his goal of paying homage to classic horror films like The Wolf Man. Now it remains to be seen how fans of the MCU take to the pulpy project when it streams on October 7th.

  • D23: ‘Daredevil’ Star Reveals How Many Episodes He’ll Appear in ‘She-Hulk’

    D23: ‘Daredevil’ Star Reveals How Many Episodes He’ll Appear in ‘She-Hulk’

    When the second trailer for She-Hulk dropped and confirmed that Daredevil himself Charlie Cox is returning in the comedy series, it had many excited to see if he might have a bigger role throughout the Disney+ series run. Of course, we only saw a little bit of him in his costume with a recent teaser even showcasing him in his usual lawyer suit discussing things with Tatiana Maslany‘s Jen Walters.

    During the D23 Expo panel, he revealed his upcoming spinoff Daredevil: Born Again with a new logo but that wasn’t all. Variety got a chance to talk to him afterward where he teased a “cheeky and a bit flirty” version of the character in She-Hulk. Yet, he also confirmed that we might not get that much time with him as he seemingly confirms he’s only in one single episode.

    It’s a shame if he really is in just one episode but there’s always the chance they might have smaller moments of his character appearing, such as the episode’s post-credit. Plus, they’ll also reference him in some way and his actions will likely leave an impact on Walters as he lives the double life in a similar way. Though, it does make you wonder if she’ll find out that Matt Murdock and Daredevil are the same. We’ll have to see how they handle his character once we get a better look at his addition at a later point.

    Source: Twitter

  • D23: ‘She-Hulk’ Won’t Help Set-Up ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Disney+ Series

    D23: ‘She-Hulk’ Won’t Help Set-Up ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Disney+ Series

    Daredevil is making his grand return in She-Hulk, Attorney at Law with a brand new look. There was a lot of fanfare since he first appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home for a brief cameo and is now set to get his own revival series Daredevil: Born Again. It got a brief showcase during D23 but no further details on what to expect and how it may tie into his overall development as part of the MCU.

    Well, if you’ve been hoping that his appearance in She-Hulk will see the first hint at his series, or even act as the initial spinoff but that’s not the case according to Charlie Cox. When asked after the big D23 panel, he revealed that the series won’t tie into his upcoming spinoff and it seems like it may just be a fun re-introduction to also highlight how Daredevil will be in the MCU.

    Of course, we’ll likely get an actual setup in Echo as it has also been confirmed that Kingpin will make his return in that series. So, it’s very likely that this is more of a set-up for his eventual return in the MCU. Plus, he’s not in New York City for some reason, and taking him out of his usual environment might just serve that very purpose.

    While Netflix’s Daredevil was quite a massive show for the streamer, there still are people not too familiar with the character who get a chance to meet him before fully investing in his story and place in the MCU moving forward.

    Source: Twitter

  • D23: ‘Werewolf by Night’ Disney+ Special Finally Revealed

    D23: ‘Werewolf by Night’ Disney+ Special Finally Revealed

    As part of D23, Marvel Studios unveiled the first look at their Halloween special, Werewolf By Night. Directed by Michael Giacchino, Werewolf By Night introduces some classic monsters to the MCU, including the titular werewolf, Jack Russell, played by Gael Garcia Bernal. Bernal is joined by Laura Donnelly, who will portray Marvel monster hunter, Elsa Bloodstone.

  • D23: First ‘Echo’ Footage Confirms Vincent D’Onofrio’s Return, Explores Native American Culture

    D23: First ‘Echo’ Footage Confirms Vincent D’Onofrio’s Return, Explores Native American Culture

    We’ve all theorized that Echo would see the return of Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Kingpin and even Charlie Cox as Daredevil. While it’s a spinoff from Hawkeye, it will set the stage for more grounded storylines. During D23, it seems that the first footage showcased at D23 includes the return of Kingpin with an eyepatch, which is a follow-up from the last time we saw him.

    That isn’t all, as they also hinted at a lot of exploration of Native American culture, which is fitting given the character’s background.