Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: What If…?

  • ‘What If’ Season 2 Officially Confirmed for 2022 Release

    ‘What If’ Season 2 Officially Confirmed for 2022 Release

    Marvel Studios’ 2022 Disney+ slate is looking like it might be as packed as 2021’s. We already know that this year will include Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk. The streaming service previously released a sizzle real to tease the 2022 Disney+ projects, but it notably did not include a tease of the second season of What If…? which had been expected.

    It now looks like the animated anthology series is confirmed to debut in 2022 after all. Disney released a production brief ahead of Moon Knight. While noting all of Marvel’s 2021 Disney+ projects, the release goes on to confirm that What If…? is indeed part of the 2022 plan:

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. Feige is building on that success with a host of new series that streamed on Disney+ in 2021, including “WandaVision,” “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier,” “Loki,” “What If…?” and “Hawkeye.” Upcoming original series for 2022 include “Moon Knight,” Ms. Marvel,” “She-Hulk” and the second season of “What If…?.

    This makes sense given that What If… ? had been previously described as an annual release. While the series has yet to truly interact with the main MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is rumored to incorporate some elements of the animated multiversal series. If it does begin to crossover, the hype will definitely build for future seasons of one of the MCU’s most unique entries to date. It will interesting to see if What If…? Season 2 keeps Season 1’s late summertime slot, considering that Ms. Marvel seems to be looking at a June premiere and She-Hulk is reported to be released after it.

    Source: Disney via The Direct

  • New ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Poster Teases Live-Action Debut of Captain Carter

    New ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Poster Teases Live-Action Debut of Captain Carter

    When Haley Atwell returned to voice Captain Carter in Marvel Studios canonical animated series, What If…?, it wasn’t long before rumors began to swirl that the character would eventually make the jump to live-action. In fact, we even speculated here that the What If…? Marvel Legends wave might have pointed in that very direction. Thanks to the new poster for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans need speculate no longer.

    The magnificent new poster for the upcoming film shows what would seem to be the after effects of Strange’s spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home that broke open the multiverse. Among the images reflected on the shards of the broken window of the Sanctum Sanctorum, we can see the shield wielded by Captain Carter in What If…?.

    What role will Captain Carter play in the film? Rumors have her among the members of the Illuminati who were revealed in the latest trailer. We’ll all find out together when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6, 2022.

  • Official Japanese Marvel Site May Offer First Glimpse at Marvel Studios’ 2022 Disney+ Schedule

    Official Japanese Marvel Site May Offer First Glimpse at Marvel Studios’ 2022 Disney+ Schedule

    We’ve been trying to wrap our heads around what the schedule might look like for Marvel Studios’ release plans on Disney+ in 2022. We even made a conceptual timeline, which you can check out here. The latest reveal that we’ll get a Moon Knight trailer on Monday at least confirmed what we can expect early on, but we still know very little about the rest of the year. Luckily, the Japanese Marvel site may have offered our potential first glimpse at the 2022 release schedule.

    What stands out is that Moon Knight is included ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is then followed by She-Hulk. That schedule makes sense given the six-episode structure, but what is a bit confusing is that between its release and that of Thor: Love and Thunder in July, we would get not one but three Disney+ series. In addition to She-Hulk, I Am Groot and the second season of What If…? are included. Of course, it may overlap given when the shows might release, but Ms. Marvel seemingly won’t release until the fourth Thor film hits theaters in July.

    It seems a bit unrealistic we’d get three shows in the course of a few months, as 2021 was quite spread out. Plus, there are also quite a few Star Wars series that is aiming a release next year Also, if this is a potential “release schedule” it does make you wonder why Secret Invasion is set ahead of November’s release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but is the only one listed without a release date. Plus, it would make sense for that series to release around The Marvels and it might be quite a lot if they release six series over the course of a year.

    It actually makes you wonder just how big a project I Am Groot might be, as it could be closer to Disney+’s classic shorts. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more an Olaf Presents-type series that consists of a few smaller segments. So, that would make its release more fitting but What If…? and She-Hulk within around two months seems like a lot. Perhaps they are trying out a new strategy this year, but we won’t know until we get a clearer release date.

    Source: Marvel

  • Review: Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ T’Challa Star-Lord Pop!

    Review: Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ T’Challa Star-Lord Pop!

    Marvel Studios first canonical animated series, What If…?, introduced fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Variants of dozens of their favorite characters. From Party Thor, to a redeemed Thanos, to one character who was immediate a fan favorite: T’Challa Star-Lord.

    Taken by accident by Ravagers looking for Peter Quill, T’Challa took on the mantle of Star-Lord and had a major impact on the events of his universe. Voiced by Chadwick Boseman, T’Challa Star-Lord eventually came back home to Wakanda and was reunited with his family who had long thought him dead. Now, fans can add a great looking Funko Pop! version of the character to their collection at Entertainment Earth.

    Shipping this month, the Funko comes with a stand allowing T’Challa to take flight. The collectible show T’Challa Star-Lord complete with his mask, gun and jet boots and makes for a great addition to any Funko collection, especially beside the other pieces from the What If…? wave.

    You can order your T’Challa Star-Lord for $11.99 by clicking here.

    Murphy’s Multiverse is an Entertainment Earth affiliate.

  • Ranking Marvel Studios’ Series Finales

    Ranking Marvel Studios’ Series Finales

    The Hawkeye finale marks the end of Marvel Studios’ first year of Disney+ series and the conclusion of the fifth installment to date. From WandaVision to What If…?, Marvel Studios showcased its ability to pull off a wide range of stories and styles. Still, it pulled off some better than others, and we now rank the finales of all of the Disney+ series below.

    There’s something about TFATWS, other than its horrible title, that tends to land it at the bottom of lists. The series finale wasn’t bad and it wasn’t riddled with flaws. In fact, it was quite comforting, and there’s something about a straightforward series focused almost exclusively on already-established characters that is satisfying. Unfortunately, even a satisfying finale can be completely forgotten and left behind when it’s entirely bland. Even with Sam’s triumphant claim of the Captain America mantle, not much else propped the finale up.

    What If… ? will always be at a disadvantage if it has little connection to the Sacred Timeline as we know it. But it was particularly disappointing that the finale did not feature any connection whatsoever, even if that’s an unfair desire given the premise of the series. It also felt like a bit of a letdown by not capitalizing on the strong momentum that the penultimate episode had and ultimately being pretty forgettable instead. It did have the Guardians of the Multiverse, including Party Thor and Doctor Strange Supreme, up against Infinity Ultron, which was great. The pure absurdity of the situation makes it a unique and fun addition to the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.

    The ending of WandaVision got a little murky due to wild speculations built up over the two-month-long run. While it will go down in history as not having Mephisto in it, it honestly was a good finale. It brought the series’ eccentric and creative storyline to a proper close and featured arguably one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most emotional moments. It also brought with it Wanda’s formal transition into the Scarlet Witch, which was a long-awaited moment after her introduction in 2015.

    While the resolution of the series’ plot left plenty to be desired, the Hawkeye finale was easily one of the most–if not the most–enjoyable finales that Marvel Studios has delivered. All of the things that the series did well, the finale did even better. It was funny, the character dynamics were on point, and the action finally arrived. The inclusion of Kingpin was very exciting, but it can’t really compete with Loki.

    The season finale of Loki will surely always be iconic, and long after the series itself is forgotten, this episode will be remembered. Of course, the actual opening of the multiverse was stunning and marked an exciting and dramatic new chapter for the MCU, and the fact that it happened on Disney+ rather than on the big screen makes it even more interesting. The He Who Remains reveal was on another level thanks to an amazing performance by Jonathan Majors. And who can forget the opening where the entirety of the MCU was dramatically condensed into the glowing Sacred Timeline?

  • Disney Dominates the 49th Annie Awards With ‘Encanto’, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ and More

    Disney Dominates the 49th Annie Awards With ‘Encanto’, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ and More

    It’s been quite a reward season for Disney. The announcements have now arrived for the Annie Awards as the House of Mouse dominates the 49th season. Raya and the Last Dragon as well as Encanto are dominating with ten and nine nominations respectively. Luca currently holds eight alongside Sony’s The Mitchells vs the Machines. The latter being a personal highlight of this year’s releases. Belle, Pompo the Cinephile, and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko are standing strong in the best Indie feature. This year’s nominations are in for the run for 36 categories. Frank Gladstone, the executive producer of the Annie Awards shared the following on this year’s nominations:

    In spite of everything or maybe because of what we and the world around us have been through for nearly two years, we all want to return to some sort of normal.

    The category for Best TV/Media is between Bob’s Burgers, Love, Death + Robots, Star Wars: Visions, and Arcane. Raya and the Last Dragon‘s Kelly Marie Tran, Encanto‘s John Leguizamo as well as Stephanie Beatriz, Jack Dylan Grazer from Luca, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines‘ Abbi Jacobson are currently in the running for the Voice Acting – Feature category. Marvel Studios is also present with their What If..? episode “What If…Ultron Won?” which is nominated for Best Editorial – TV/Media. It’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Noticeably Absent in Disney+’s 2022 Line-up

    ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Noticeably Absent in Disney+’s 2022 Line-up

    Disney+ just released a special teaser including every series and film that’ll release on the platform in 2022. It finally confirmed that I Am Groot, the animated spinoff of the Guardians of the Galaxy, would premiere next year. Yet, there’s one noticeable absence in the line-up. After teasing that What If…? is planned as an annual release, there’s no sight of the series’ confirmed the second season in the released teaser list. It’s uncertain how far along they are on the second season, but it would seem we shouldn’t expect it until the earliest of 2023.

    Of course, there’s the possibility that they are prioritizing one animated project per year, as such they gave I Am Groot the release spot. They might also announce it as a later addition at one point down the line, but it is curious that there’s no mention of it. They might’ve decided to change-ups strategies, as producing an entire season every year for the series might be a much larger uptaking than initially expected. We’ll see if any other announcements arrive later on, as The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is also absent in the listing. So, we’ll see if this is a definite list or we’ll see some changes throughout the year.

    Source: Twitter

  • EXCLUSIVE: Djimon Hounsou Would Like To Return For ‘What If…” Season 2

    EXCLUSIVE: Djimon Hounsou Would Like To Return For ‘What If…” Season 2

    Of all the Marvel Studios series to debut in 2021, the most unique was perhaps the animated What If…?. The anthology series featured the voices of many returning Marvel Cinematic Universe stars, including the incomparable Djimon Hounsou as Korath the Pursuer. The actor had previously portrayed the character in Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel, and appeared in an episode of What If…? alongside Chadwick Boseman.

    During a recent interview, I was able to ask Hounsou about his time in the booth for the Disney+ project. He reminisced on the process fondly. For the actor, getting to do voice work is a nice change because he gets to be by himself and immerse himself in the work.

    Well, for voiceovers you’re mostly by yourself. In some essence, it’s maybe also very nice to be by yourself and to be immersed and not really interacting. I mean, your only interaction is the other person reading the lines to you. So, you get to have a very special moment when you’re doing voice recording.

    Djimon Hounsou

    After his character seemingly died in his first appearance, many fans thought Hounsou might be a one-and-done performer in the MCU. However, the timeline shenanigans of Marvel’s storytelling process have allowed him to keep coming back. When I asked the actor if he’d be willing to come back once more for the second season of What If…?, he answered enthusiastically:

    He’s a machine that you can’t terminate. You may unplug him, but you can’t really turn him off… Of course, if I was called back to play Korath. Yes, of course. It would be nice. I think that series was quite successful, no?

    Djimon Hounsou

    What If…? season 2 has no current release date, and it remains to be seen if Hounsou will be a part of the cast.

  • ‘What If..?’s Captain Carter Getting Her Own Comic Series

    ‘What If..?’s Captain Carter Getting Her Own Comic Series

    What If…? introduced us to a variety of characters that we are technically familiar with, but were given a new twist. Among them was the headliner character of Peggy Carter. Not only did Hayley Atwell return to voice the character one more time, but she got to tackle an alternative timeline where she becomes the one who receives the super-soldier formula. Well, it seems she was such a popular character that she is getting her own comic series that’ll premiere next March.

    Jamie McKelvie, who worked on Captain Marvel and Young Avengers in the past, will tackle the new storyline about the popular character. Not just that, they also gave the character a fresh paint job with a whole new look that’ll be brought to life by Marika Cresta, who made a name for herself based on her work on Star Wars: Doctor Aphra. McKelvie offered

    I’m as big a fan of the Captain Carter we’ve seen onscreen as anybody, so I jumped at the chance to create our own version. I’m having a great time exploring what it would be like for Peggy to wake up nearly 80 years after the end of the war. The world remembers the myth of Captain Carter, but to Peggy the reality was just yesterday. Now she finds herself in a nearly unrecognizable new world, how does she fit in? Can she be the Super Hero people want her to be?

    Jamie McKelvie

    The cover has been revealed for the five-issue limited series that’ll introduce Carter’s adventures in the modern day:

    CAPTAIN CARTER #1 Cover by Jamie McKelvie

    It’s great to see the comics take inspiration from the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, which in turn learns from those that came before. So, who knows what new ideas and concepts we might see get used by both companies as they learn from each other.

    Source: Marvel

  • ‘WandaVision’ and ‘What If…?’ Nominated for Critics Choice Awards

    ‘WandaVision’ and ‘What If…?’ Nominated for Critics Choice Awards

    It looks like the Critics Choice Awards are finally in. HBO and Netflix are leading the charge with 20 and 18 nominations respectively. Yet, Marvel has also made quite the splash this year as WandaVision has garnered four nominations, similar to Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso and Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. It currently is nominated for Best Limited Series. Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen got a nomination for Best Actor and Actress in a Limited Series. Not just that, Kathryn Hahn also got nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

    That’s not all, as What If…? has also been nominated for Best Animated Series. Sadly, Falcon and the Winter Soldier as well as Loki did not get nominated but it’s still great to see Marvel Studios’ work in long-form storytelling is paying off, especially with WandaVision‘s overall reception, as it won the first Emmy for the studio. Not bad for it being its first series. The Critics Choice Association TV Branch president, Ed Martin, had the following to share on this year’s nominations:

    Although the industry is still recovering from the COVID-19 lockdown, you wouldn’t know it from the wealth of amazing television programs our nomination committees pored through to come up with this year’s nominees. We have even more choices than we did before the pandemic, for critics and viewers to embrace. While the streamers continue to break new ground with some wonderfully unexpected offerings, it has been an unusually strong year for all areas of television. We look forward to honoring the year’s finest shows at what promises to be our most exciting awards ceremony yet.

    Ed Martin

    It’ll be interesting to see if the film manages to win their respective nominations, but WandaVision definitely has a good chance. What If…?’s nomination is a pleasant surprise and noteworthy for it being the studio’s first venture into the media format. So, it’s quite the big day for Marvel Studios and Disney+ with these nominations.

    Source: Critics Choice