Cillian Murphy Sparks MCU Buzz After Steve Hits Netflix — Is It Too Late?
Amid the launch of Steve, Cillian Murphy trades Oppenheimer’s afterglow for the grit of a Stanton Wood head teacher — and tackles the question of whether he’ll front another big-studio blockbuster.
While Cillian Murphy is out promoting his new Netflix drama 'Steve', he also addressed the obvious question: after Oppenheimer and that Oscar, is he about to jump into a giant studio tentpole? Short answer: not yet, and for a very practical reason.
So, is he doing a big studio movie next?
Asked if he has been in demand to lead a big studio project after Oppenheimer, Murphy told Variety that the timing just did not line up. He had already committed to two films back-to-back, which took him off the board right as Hollywood came calling.
'No, because I had these other two films straight away. I just wasn’t available, so it didn’t happen. Maybe some day it will. Or maybe it’s too late.'
That tracks with his post-Oppenheimer schedule: first 'Small Things Like These' with director Tim Mielants, and now 'Steve' with Mielants again. In other words, the man has been busy.
The MCU daydream, explained
There is a fresh round of fan-casting circling Murphy for Marvel, helped by talk that he is open to bigger mainstream projects again and by chatter that 'The Bone Temple' will be his return to a full-on studio production. This is where it gets a little inside baseball: before reports started swirling that Robert Downey Jr. could suit up as Doctor Doom in upcoming multiverse event movies (the oft-rumored Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars), a lot of fans had Murphy pegged as their Doom of choice. That never materialized, obviously.
Could it happen down the line? Maybe. The MCU loves scooping up prestige talent, and with a reset-ish phase seemingly on the horizon, he could easily anchor a new chapter. The only hurdle is the commitment that comes with a major Marvel role. If he ever does jump in, fingers crossed they do not repeat the 'Christian Bale in Love & Thunder' situation.
'Steve' is Murphy's very personal teacher story
'Steve' is Murphy and Mielants' second collaboration after 'Small Things Like These', and it is a passion project for him. He plays the head teacher at Stanton Wood, a school for kids in serious trouble, and the film is adapted from Max Porter's book 'Shy'. Murphy has called it a love letter to teachers, which makes sense: both of his parents taught for a living. He has talked about realizing, as an adult, how hard that life actually was — two working parents spending all day with a classroom full of kids and then coming home to raise their own.
If you are number-curious, the film is landing solid notices: IMDb users have it around 7/10, Rotten Tomatoes is sitting near 76%, and Metacritic is about 65. Not a bad spread for a small, character-driven drama.
What is next for him
Beyond the reportedly big-studio 'The Bone Temple', Murphy is also set to lead 'The Immortal Man', described as the final chapter in Thomas Shelby's story. Given how picky he is with roles, do not expect him to sign up for anything he cannot make his own — franchise or otherwise.
Where to watch
'Steve' is streaming now on Netflix in the U.S.
Okay, your turn: if Cillian Murphy ever steps into the MCU, who should he play? Doom, someone else, or keep him far away from capes altogether? Drop your pick below.