Category: Features

How Preparation and Opportunity Built the Marvel Cinematic Universe

It’s hard to find the superlatives to qualify the level of success that Marvel Studios has achieved over the past decade as it became one of the biggest media franchises of all time. But even though its success is essentially a product of several good decisions concerning cast and director choices, having both a well thought out plan and the shrewdness to understand what storylines to adapt from the comics, that wasn’t always the case.

There were a few instances when the situation presented itself as a blessing in disguise, and others where choices were so limited, to begin with, that there wasn’t much room for anything else other than what ended up happening. This can all be traced back to 2005/2006 when Marvel Studios announced they were working on the Iron Man.

A limited number of characters available.

Following a period of financial instability, the rights for the biggest names in the Marvel catalog weren’t available to develop features around. Therefore, when trying to launch a Cinematic Universe, there was no choice but to go with b-list and c-list characters, like Iron Man, and slowly develop their stories so general audiences would begin to care for these, in their eyes, unexplored origin stories. This allowed for each character to have the time they needed to be properly introduced and gain the relevance that, a decade later, has made us care about where they ended up. In a parallel universe where the rights for the entire Marvel roster were available from the start, it’s very likely that we wouldn’t have gotten so many character trilogies that truly became the backbone of the MCU, as the urge to go through the largest number of characters would make it impossible to find the time to spend three movies with each of them. All the team-ups and the ensemble movies are great, but they really stood on the shoulders of the growth each character when through on their solo outings.

A crowd-pleasing structure

The limited characters available probably also led to the structure the MCU followed for the first few years, which proved to be a resounding success with audiences. By choosing to explore characters general audiences weren’t familiar with, origin stories were the way to go and this meant that team-up movies would have to wait until each member was properly introduced. Had the rights to characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men or the Fantastic Four stayed with the company, it would perhaps be expected for them to have a similar treatment that the MCU’s Spider-Man ended up having, where its origin story was skipped (since it was already fairly known) in order to dive head-first into a huge ensemble movie, and only later going into its solo feature. The structure the MCU ended up following through to The Avengers (and later replicated up until Endgame) ended up being a winning formula, as it gave audiences the time to become increasingly interested in the franchise, growing exponentially. That way, when the climactic story event did occur, its cultural impact was deepened, making the post-Avengers MCU a reasoned reality.

An off-year

The COVID-19 Pandemic disrupted the entire movie industry. But at a time when many were questioning what the MCU had to offer in a post-Endgame reality, the off-year 2020 became might have ended up helping to reinvigorate the hype surrounding the franchise as a whole. There is no way that this sort of hiatus would have happened unless the circumstances made it so as after Endgame there was still money to be made, and Disney wouldn’t obviously support the idea that coming to a halt for an entire year would be good for the brand. But the reality was that both production of the streaming shows and the release of the theatrical productions were impacted in a way that left fans clamoring for content throughout the year. When WandaVision premieres on January 15th it won’t be another MCU project, it will be seen as the “highly anticipated return of the biggest franchise of the 21st century”. And the way 2021 is lining up to be, Marvel won’t let their foot off the gas, for the time being, capitalizing on the drought they were forced to endure in the past few months.

Disney+

This return to form wouldn’t be possible without a streaming service that began to develop before Marvel Studios even knew it would be as crucial to their future as it has ended up becoming. With movie theaters mostly closed, and with audiences still turning their backs on the theatrical experience, having Disney+ at their disposal is invaluable, to say the least.

It’s a project that obviously took a lot of investment on Disney’s part, it didn’t just manifest itself from thin air, but the timing of it all couldn’t be more perfect. By knowing that the service would be available to them by late 2019, Marvel began developing a number of streaming shows that, in the current circumstances, will prove essential for it to regain its momentum, reestablishing itself as the benchmark for cinematic franchises. And now, as they prepare their comeback after more than a year away from the public eye, having a number of properties ready to present will make said project much easier to accomplish. Streaming will also present itself as a valid alternative to theaters should it come to that in the near future. But that’s a story for another day.

December 30, 2020
Murphy’s Multiverse: 2021’s Most Anticipated Projects

After Birds of Prey released in early February, fans went through most of 2020 without a major Star Wars, DC or Marvel Studios project hitting theaters (New Mutants happened and Wonder Woman 1984 came in just in time to save fans from being shut out entirely). Some great films came home via PVOD and streaming services delivered some great content as well but…we are ALL looking forward to the bounty promised by 2021. Here’s what each of us is most excited to see!

Joao Pinto

HBO’s The Last of Us’ adaptation. I distinctly remember playing The Last Us for the first time in 2013 and feeling a bit underwhelmed, perhaps because I wasn’t patient enough to let the game hit its stride. When I gave it the time it needed, it became one of my favorite videogame/cinematic experiences ever. The Last of Us: Part II doubled down on it and has now been thoroughly recognized as the masterpiece it is. With Neil Druckmann (writer) and Gustavo Santaolalla (composer) being back for the TV adaptation, I cannot wait to see what they have to offer this time around.

Julia Delbel

The thing I’m most excited about in 2021 is the MCU’s streaming series debut. It’s so exciting to me that the franchise has gotten big enough to expand to give characters who may have gotten lesser time in the movies their own chance to shine, and I’m looking forward to seeing some new ones in action. The styles and genres they’re playing around with as well are very exciting to me, and the two shows I’m most excited for right now are WandaVision and Loki.

Joseph “The Machine” Aberl

I think I am just really excited for some Marvel Studios content again. The fact we could get up to six shows is just insane. The first trailers have teased so much that I am definitely looking forward to seeing this franchise expand into long-form storytelling. I am surprised how much the trailer for Loki also surprised me, so it might become my personal most anticipated series for next year.

Lizzie Hill

I am excited the most about the prospect of finally having some solid MCU content and seeing how some of these projects I’ve been following filming this year come out!

Edward Rose

I can’t wait to see the Multiverse Arc and Phase 4 essentially kick off in January. There are so many possibilities that the future of Marvel holds in store for us and I can’t wait to theorize about all of it.

Arlyn Murphy

I am most looking most forward to WandaVision out of all the upcoming films next year. I am because I have been waiting forever to watch this show, but it kept getting delayed. I also really like Wanda and her awesome talents. I also would really like for them to incorporate Billy and Thomas cause I like reading about them in Young Avengers.

Charles Murphy

I’ve been looking forward to seeing Shang-Chi join the MCU as long as there has been an MCU. As a kid, the Master of Kung-Fu comics filled my head with kung-fu wisdom and took me on pulpy adventures that rivaled Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I don’t know if Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings will adapt those things to the screen, but Shang-Chi has long been one of my favorite Marvel heroes and I can’t wait to see Simu Liu bring him to life.

Charles Villanueva

I’m looking forward to seeing how all the upcoming MCU properties intersect with one another. I wanna see how all these properites manage to relate to one another, be it precisely or loosely, and how their threads connect to the next. Also, Loki looks fucking sick so it’s the single property I’m looking forward to the most. Coming from someone who thought was going to be jackshit, this is big.

Dalbin Osorio

Black Widow, hands down. If you trust Kevin Feige, you know that there is a reason Marvel hasn’t released their next film entry into the MCU. With Marvel committed to telling smaller arcs across different mediums, the easy choice would’ve been to release it already. However, Feige has always stuck to his plan and with us now under a month away from WandaVision and 3 months away from Clarence from 8 Mile and Andrew from Black Swan give us the buddy comedy we deserve, it seems like Black Widow may move forward one of those smaller arcs we mentioned. With us knowing Nat died already, there is less suspense but there was less suspense with Civil War too and we saw how great that was. Black Widow will not disappoint.

John Sabato

The Suicide Squad is by far one of my most anticipated projects for 2021. With James Gunn behind the project, I’m sure it’ll have his signature charm with an already interesting roster of characters and the freedom of content that a Suicide Squad film deserves.

December 29, 2020
Greenlighting ‘WONDER WOMAN 3’ is the Right Decision at the Right Time

Over a year after its initial, scheduled release date, Wonder Woman 1984 is now officially out, the first movie of its magnitude to be simultaneously released in theaters and through a streaming service (at least in the US). In the last couple of days, initial word of mouth hasn’t lived up to 2017’s installment, but perhaps the biggest piece of news has been the fact that Warner Bros. has greenlit the series’ threequel, with both Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins returning.

It’s been a very rough year for studios and everyone involved in both movie-making and the release process itself. By theaters being closed and having audiences themselves turn away from the theater experience even when it remains a possibility, Warner will never make the same amount of money a Wonder Woman film would earn in a regular theater-wide release. Adding to that the poor reviews the movie is getting, it may sound odd how they were so quick to set their eyes on a third installment. But that decision is the right one to make, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Why it is the right decision.

Back in 2017, Wonder Woman was greeted with largely positive reviews, making it, for many, the best entry in the DCEU up to that point. Since it was the first female-led major super-hero movie, the cultural impact was also quite impressive. Audiences all over the world were presented with a strong female character that skewed away from the usual tropes, filling a gap that was long overdue. Warner also seemed to be quite pleased with the end result. It was its first DCEU character to earn itself a solo sequel, both before Superman (that had a 4-year head start) and Batman (that hasn’t yet had its own DCEU movie as of today). That alone speaks volumes about both the way the project was received inside the studios and the brands’ strength.

More than three years later, the appreciation for what both Jenkins and Gadot managed to do with the character remains essentially unscathed. Even if overall reviews aren’t at the level that was to be expected, people are mostly taking it as a misstep, and there don’t seem to be many doubts that, if given the change, a third movie could easily reach the level of the first film, if not surpass it. When the time comes for the trilogy to be completed, the COVID-19 pandemic will hopefully be entirely behind us. This would mean that regular Box Office numbers will likely be making a comeback (for blockbusters, at least), and so Warner is acknowledging that even though Wonder Woman 1984 won’t have the expected return, the brand is indeed strong enough to handle a third installment.

By not letting themselves get scared by bad reviews and a low Box Office result (compared to what it would earn in a non-COVID world) Warner is setting itself up for a massive payday in a few years time, and allowing audiences to watch yet another chapter of Diana Prince’s journey, something I feel everyone is still eager to experience.

Why the timing is right

Despite the low Box Office numbers, context still matters. We’re in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and these numbers aren’t obviously representative of the interest general audiences had in the project. In fact, these are the highest numbers ever since the pandemic started, so even though there are on the low side when compared to similar movies released in the past, they demonstrate that audiences are still connecting with the material. At the same time, and helped by the fact that no extra fee was charged, the streaming numbers have seemingly been huge, with half of HBO Max’s subscribers reportedly watching the movie in the first couple of days.

Unlike in past occasions, Warner didn’t take long making decisions and has decided to ride this small yet positive wave and validate the movie by announcing a sequel. This decision almost makes it seem like all the bad reviews and the less-than-perfect word of mouth aren’t taken into consideration and therefore, don’t matter at all. This is obviously a bit of posturing by Warner, but the fact is that by reacting so promptly, Warner placed the movie above most critiques by deflating them with a “Despite what you have to say, we’re still following our plan” mindset.

This is the kind of stubborn approach Warner has sort of been lacking in the past few years. They always seem to be reacting a bit too late, and their grand scheme often seems to be lacking. Making this final decision so early on, it’s one less thing to worry themselves about, so hopefully, they can now go back to other developing projects in need of focus and leave Jenkins and Gadot to their character.

December 28, 2020
What I Heard This Week: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

As has always been the case, “What I Heard This Week” pieces should never be taken as more than rumors until they’re proven true or false.

Hollywood has gone on holiday and as is the case every year, the information stream has slowed to a trickle. New is always slow this time of year and while I don’t have any solid news to share with you, there is one really fun rumor that might get fans buzzing and generate some interesting conversation. Again, this is only an unsubstantiated rumor at this time, not some fuego scoopage. If it turns out to be true, however, it could lead to Marvel Studios collaborating with a big-time, fan-favorite talent down the road. So before going any further, adjust your expectations because this one tidbit comes without context.

Early on Christmas morning, I was notified that the uber-talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt had recently been in contact with at least one of the creatives at Marvel Studios. Unfortunately, as the kids say: “That’s it. That’s the tweet.” Given the lack of specific context here, “contact” could mean a lot of things. He could have bumped into someone at a coffee shop; he could have had a meeting with Kevin Feige; he could have sent a “Happy Holidays” text to a producer buddy of his. We just don’t know, which is why I cautioned you to adjust your expectations; however, there’s no point in being a fan if you don’t speculate wildly about what this COULD mean.

In an industry loaded with talent, JGL stands out as uniquely talented. The 39-year old has been acting since he was 7 and has also branched out into writing, directing, producing and even composing film scores. Therefore, being in contact with the studio doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to see Gordon-Levitt bring a hero or villain to life on the screen. It’s just as likely that, if he were to join the team at Marvel Studios, that his contributions come off-screen.

Gordon-Levitt was frequently fancast as Marc Spector, the vigilante hero that the trades have reported is set to be played by Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight, but that doesn’t mean that JGL couldn’t still contribute to the series in some way. The Jewish-American actor could easily be brought in to work with the writers to contribute to the authenticity of the script, have another role in the series (perhaps he could play Marc’s father, Elias, for instance) or simply be consulting on the project in some other way.

Of course, the more tantalizing potential here is that JGL met with Marvel Studios to discuss the role of Reed Richards in Marvel Studios Fantastic Four, set to be directed by Jon Watts. After spending a couple of years away from acting following the birth of his children, Gordon-Levitt has worked on only a couple of projects per year the last two years and could be compelled to throw his hat in the ring for the role of Richards, one that will likely secure a decade’s worth of work as Mr. Fantastic is sure to become one of the MCU’s prominent characters in 2023 and beyond. JGL is among the most popular fan choices for the character, but keep in mind that this is nothing but sexy speculation here since we do not know the nature of the interaction he had with the Marvel Studios creative.

Going even further down the rabbit hole, Gordon-Levitt, who would be a very young-looking 40 or 41 by the time Fantastic Four went into production, resembles the Ultimate Reed Richards far more than he does the 616 version of the character. While I am not a fan of taking Richards down that road in the MCU, there is at least some physical similarity there; however, if Feige and Watts want to make sure their Fantastic Four stands apart from the previous versions, taking Richards down the road to becoming the Maker would do it.

Alternatively, JGL could also prove an interesting choice for another member of Marvel’s First Family: Ben Grimm. Before being exposed to cosmic rays and turning into the giant, orange Thing, Grimm was a handsome, athletic and highly intelligent guy who grew up on Yancy Street in a Jewish family. While he’s been portrayed as less than intelligent in some mediums, Grimm was an Air Force pilot and astronaut and far from a bumbling fool. Whether via flashbacks or due to the “human once a year serum” developed by Reed, we could see a human Grimm in the film played by Gordon-Levitt who could also do the motion-capture performance of the Thing. Again, it’s all just speculation at the moment, but that’s part of the fun of being a fan.

December 28, 2020
‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’: Who is Simon Stagg?

Following multiple delays, Wonder Woman 1984 finally made its debut and while audiences seem pretty split on the film, it did include some memorable scenes and awesome easter eggs tucked away while others were quite obvious. One surprise appearance in the film came from a scene between Max Lord and a character known as Simon Stagg. For those who don’t know, Simon is quite the character in the DC Universe and an unethical and immoral businessman himself. Stagg was portrayed by British comedian and playwright Oliver Cotton.

Simon Stagg first appeared in Brave and the Bold #57 all the way back in January of 1965 and was created by Ramona Fradon and Bob Haney. As shown in the film he’s the owner and CEO of Stagg Industries, but who we don’t see is his daughter, Sapphire Stagg. Sapphire ends up becoming romantically involved with Rex Mason, an adventurer who’s hired by Simon Stagg to journey to Egypt to acquire the Orb of Ra. Mason was betrayed by Stagg’s bodyguard, who’d accompanied him on the trip, and left dead in an attempt to keep him from furthering his relationship with Sapphire. Laying near the orb for an extended amount of time caused Rex to develop abilities and completely change his appearance. Upon returning, Rex took up the mantle of Metamorpho and would go on to join Batman, Katana, Black lighting, and Geoforce to form The Outsiders.

Simon Stagg has appeared in many DC projects including Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Beware The Batman, The Flash, and Batman: Arkham Knight. It’s unknown if we’ll see Stagg return in the DCEU as his first and only appearance so far has been all the way back in 1984. Given he wasn’t the most youthful of the bunch, an origin for Rex Mason may have to take another route.

Wonder Woman 1984 is in theaters now and the first of many WB films to stream alongside its theatrical release on HBO Max.

December 28, 2020
‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Journal: Kate Bishop Is A Long-Awaited Spark

It has been a rather long wait until we got our first official DLC addition to Marvel’s Avengers. The game’s launch has been rough but going by what many current releases are facing. It seems to have become a general issue, especially with big AAA IPs. Still, after around three months, we finally got our first brand new character and story mission in the form of Kate Bishop a.k.a. the second-generation Hawkeye. Now, I spent some time trying to get a feeling for the character, what future DLCs will offer, and the hints left for what we can expect from 2021. So, without further ado, let’s discuss the first DLC mission Taking AIM.

Brand New Kit

Let’s start with the main focus of this DLC, our first new playable hero. I think many were surprised that the game would focus on two archers early on, especially Kate, who might not be as well-known as Clint. She hasn’t been a prominent member of the Avengers on the silver-screen but will make her debut in the upcoming Disney+ Hawkeye show. Yet, her addition makes sense from a story and gameplay perspective. Before we jump into her story, let’s talk about the kit she offers to players. What makes Kate unique from the other six playable characters? Well, Kate’s base set already stands out thanks to her Quantum-based abilities.

She stole some technology from AIM and can warp around the map. It is a fun addition that also gives her a visual distinction. Yes, she is primarily a bow-user, but that is not all. If you want to establish a build around close-quarter, you can focus on her sword. Her melee weapon already makes her stand-out, as she is much faster than most others, especially combined with her ability to warp. Her heroic ability also lends itself to either make her a powerhouse to take down larger groups of enemies or allow you to support your friends in combat.
Luckily, to make use of her kit within a short amount of time, you can level up quickly. So, you won’t have to spend hours grinding her to make use of her various abilities. By the end of her operation, you probably will have her at around Level 30. That way, you won’t wait too long before you are shooting out mighty bomb arrows. So, you’ll have enough chances to try out the various tools in her kit to experiment to uncover which playstyle fits you best. For now, it is a bit difficult to say how unique Clint will be to justify their back-to-back inclusion.

A Sizeable Beginning

The selling point of the DLC is the story that continues where Reassemble left off. We start the tale with our heroes following a lead on Monica Rapuccini’s new project. They run into Kate, who reveals her former mentor has been kidnapped by AIM. So, she joins the Avengers to save him. They realize that the Tachyon Rifts, which have been showing up periodically, were caused by Monica’s meddling with time. Telling you anymore would spoil most of the story, but the set-up for Clint’s upcoming Future Imperfect storyline is an intriguing one.

In total, the new operation took me around four hours to complete, which is a sizeable chunk of content if you consider it is also for free. Plus, Crystal Dynamics has teased that it will be just an introduction to what we can expect from the game’s future additions, so that has me stoked. There is, however, one issue I do have with the DLC. It mainly focuses on the single-player content but doesn’t add much to the endgame and multiplayer options. So, it doesn’t offer much for people to return outside of leveling up Kate and maxing her character card.

Plus, the missions are only available in her operation, which feels like an odd choice, as the new environments are great but only really showcased in the story missions. CD has pointed out that the multiplayer portion will arrive at a later date. The Kate Bishop DLC is a great addition that lays the groundwork for the game’s future. They have teased that they will add MP content in-between DLC content drops, which could balance out this issue, but the direction teased is exciting. After a prologue introducing these characters, it finally feels like Crystal Dynamics can let loose with how much they dive into the Marvel Universe.

December 28, 2020
‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’: What is Bialya?

Following multiple delays, Wonder Woman 1984 finally made its debut and while audiences seem pretty split on the film, it did include some memorable scenes and awesome Easter eggs tucked away while others were quite obvious. One surprise appearance in the film came from a scene in Cairo where we saw Max Lord asking Emir Said Byn Abydos would what he would wish for if he had to choose just one wish. Emir responds with the wish that he could once again lay claim to his ancestral homeland of Bialya. Bialya is a fictional country within DC comics that made few appearances within the DC Universe.

Bialya is a Middle Eastern country located north of Iran and Saudia Arabia and would be the area in which the original Blue Beetle would uncover the Scarab that would give him the powers of the Blue Beetle. The Scarab would eventually be passed down to Ted Kord and later on Jaime Reyes. Bialya would come to fall under the rule of Colonel Rumaan Harjavti, the country would develop into a police state stricken with poverty. Harjavti would conspire with Queen Bee who would go on to betray and assassinated him, before usurping his role and developing Bialya into a world power.

Queen Bee would go on to transform Bialya from a poverty wrought police state to a paradise with aggressive methods that paved the way for open commerce and trade along with free medical and food programs and high employment rates. But these results were via unethical methods. Queen Bee would place implants within her people that would raise endorphin levels that brainwashed them into believing Biayla was a perfect nation. Queen Bee would come to butt heads with the Justice League International on multiple occasions, but the team couldn’t risk causing a international affair which stopped them from intervening themselves.

Considering Emir’s wish, it wouldn’t be crazy to assume that Bialya was under the rule of Colonel Rumaan at the time and at this point in the timeline could have fallen under the control of Queen Bee

December 28, 2020
Pitching ‘Wonder Woman 3’: Enter Circe, The Wicked Sorceress

With the masses now able to view and enjoy the highly anticipated sequel to 2017’s hit hero flick, Wonder Woman 1984, queue the talk of a now confirmed sequel. Director Patty Jenkins confirmed that the future of the character’s solo endeavors would be set within the present day if she were to return for it (which we all know she will). Wonder Woman 3 has the potential to be an event-type film and take us back to Paradise Island while also embracing the Greek roots that have been present within her stories for many years. Now, it is time for the movies to embrace it. The next installment in the Wonder Woman franchise should see the heroine go up against Circe, one of the character’s most iconic villains.

Circe was the daughter of the god Helios and Perse. She is a sea nymph and was known to be an almost Goddess level sorceress with an almost limitless range of abilities from projective animal metamorphosis, mind control, immortality, reality manipulation, and so many more. The Goddess Hectate would eventually leave the realm and chose to transfer her soul into her most devoted follower, Circe. Yet, before she did so, she left her with the following warning:

Upon the death of witch and the birth of witch, Hecate, by name and choice, shall repossess her soul.

At one point, she came to realize that Wonder Woman shared the name Diana with Hectate and became worried that she would be the one to usurp this newfound power from her. As such, she set her sights on anyone that could take this power from her. Circe would also come to learn via an Oracle that the daughter of Hippolyta was sure to be her undoing and, after Diana made her presence known following the events of Justice League, she’s just about painted a big target on her back.

Wonder Woman 3 needs to go big and embrace the roots of Greek mythology. George Perez‘s work on the character would make for a great template. Let’s imagine the threequel takes us back to Themiscyra. We get introduced to characters like Nubia and Donna Troy. The film reveals that Circe has made her way to Themiscyra with Hectate’s remnant abilities. Arriving on Paradise Island, she controls the Amazons and turns them into the terrifying beasts of Greek Mythology, such as Minotaurs and Harpies. Circe would acquire Hippolytas Golden Girdle of Gaea to ensure a swift and easy takedown of those who oppose her. This event is where I’d like to see Nubia and Donna come into play. We see them set off from the island to find Diana, as she would be their last hope to save the island from the hell that’s it become under Circe.

Of course, Circe knew about their plan and let them escape, as she believes she can use them to send Diana to the depths of Tartarus. That way, Wonder Woman would no longer pose a threat to her. Throughout the events of the story, Diana makes her return but has to face a great tragedy, her mother, Hippolyta, dies at the hands of Circe. She would face a warrior’s end before her daughter would defeat the sorcerers. After the dust has settled, she would rise to become the new queen of the Amazons. Her rule would open up the Island to the world of man and allow Nubia, Donna, and Diana to act as the ambassadors of their people. It would open up the door for other DC Universe villains, such as fan-favorite Veronica Cale from Greg Rucka‘s Rebirth run. Now that Jenkins’ return has been confirmed, hopefully, the third entry will finish the trilogy by embracing the character’s Greek history and the many characters that donned the title of Wonder Woman.

December 27, 2020
Deep Thoughts: One Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2021 Release Calendar

Marvel Studios sat out 2020 much to the despair of MCU fans; however, one possible timeline for the studio’s release pattern in 2021 could mean we’d only have just a few content-less Friday’s in the next year!

Last night, Edward Rose noticed that the official Disney Latino page listed WandaVision, Marvel Studios’ first Disney Plus streaming series, as having an 8-week run. That news got the wheels spinning and resulted in a hypothetical release schedule that would leave fans hanging on only 2 weekends. The underlying idea of this hypothetical scenario is putting new Marvel Studios content on as many Fridays as possible.

2021 will kick off with the first episode of Marvel Studios Legends on January 8th, catching fans up on the adventures of Wanda, Vision and maybe the rest of the returning cast members. The following week, WandaVision would begin its 8-week run (which does not necessarily mean 8 episodes and that really shouldn’t be that controversial of a statement) which would conclude on March 5th. Additionally, we’ll almost certainly get our first look at Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings during this time, with the February 7th Super Bowl being on likely opportunity.

While we have no confirmation of a Marvel Studios Legends episode for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, it seems like a safe bet and if we bet on it happening, March 12th, pinned between the end of WandaVision and the beginning of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, seems like a pretty safe date. So March 12th recaps the zany adventures of Sam, Bucky, Zemo, Sharon and crew and then The Falcon and The Winter Solider would follow, beginning on March 19th and running for six weeks (this was CONFIRMED in the Disney Investor Day Fact Sheet), concluding its run on April 23rd.

Apri 30th would be a great time to tell the story of Natasha Romanoff with a Marvel Studios Legends episode dedicated to the Black Widow. While this is a Disney Plus series, there’s been no indication that the series will only tell the tales of the characters appearing in the Disney Plus series and in Nat’s case, there’s plenty to tell. This would give old fans and new viewers alike the opportunity to be prepped and ready for Black Widow when it FINALLY hits theaters on May 7th. Black Widow also provides Marvel Studios the opportunity to push out the first look at Eternals. Expect a trailer for the project a week or two before Black Widow’s May 7th release. ***NOTE*** Should Marvel Studios films open overseas earlier than in the U.S. date, this part of the hypothetical schedule hits a bit of a speed bump.

The Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series, Loki, is next up. Loki is set to release in May, meaning Marvel Studios will have two projects out at the same time and as long as Black Widow remains a theatrical release, they’ll want as many butts in seats as possible. To that end, they’ll definitely give Black Widow a little room to breathe. Theatrical releases often make 50% or more of their total box office on the first weekend and rarely do “big money” after the second weekend. With this in mind, they might look to release a Loki-centric episode of Marvel Studios Legends on May 14th (there’s certainly a LOT to tell) and debut the first episode of Loki Season One the following Friday, May 21st. All indications at this point are that the Hiddleston-led streamer will run for 6 episodes, meaning it’ll wrap up on June 25th.

At this point, it looks like Marvel Studios could realistically release new content EVERY Friday for the first six months of the year save New Year’s Day…and then comes July 2nd, which will launch the 4th of July holiday weekend in the United States. It’s possible that the studio takes the weekend off, has something special in the works for the Fourth (it is Steve Rogers birthday, after all) or, I suppose they could release an episode of Marvel Studios Legends dedicated to the MCU’s brief and confusing history of the Mandarin and the Ten Rings. The last one makes a bit of sense because, on July 9th, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is going to rewrite that history when it debuts in theaters.

The further down the road and into 2021 this hypothetical schedule goes, the harder it is to predict, but why stop now? Next up for Marvel Studios is What If…?, their first animated project. The only available info on the project is that it’s set to be released next Summer and, according to several reports, is expected to consist of 10 episodes. Placing it on the schedule under the assumptions that they’ll give a theatrical film at least one weekend all to itself and that they’ll release What If…? one episode at a time as well, the animated series could debut on July 16th and conclude on September 17th.

In thinking ahead, that long gap serves a fairly important purpose if the goal is to provide new content every Friday: it allows Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye to “catch up.” The starts of both of those series were severely delayed by the pandemic and are currently scheduled for “late Fall.” If production continues without delays and the calendar fills out as predicted above, the two series could stream on either side of Eternals.

According to the Disney Investor Day Fact Sheet, Ms. Marvel comes first and could start its six-episode run on September 24th. It’s possible that the studio could push out a Marvel Studios Legends episode about Captain Marvel given the connection between Kamala Khan and her, but it’s also possible they just start right up. If they do, the Season One finale of Ms. Marvel would stream on October 29th.

One week later, on November 5th, Eternals would make its LONG awaited degut in theaters. By introducing an entirely new group of characters, Eternals seems unlikely to be preceded by an episode of Marvel Studios Legends, though anything and anyone could show up in the film.

***NOTE*** after finding some new evidence, this paragraph was changed to reflect Hawkeye as a 6-episode series, so it would end on Christmas Eve.

Following the pattern previously laid out around theatrical releases, November 12th could be a nice Friday for the Clint Barton episode of Marvel Studios Legends. Set photos have indicated that Hawkeye, the studio’s final 2021 project, takes place during the holidays so kicking it off on November 19th would give fans episodes on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Ever. All signs point to this one being a 6-episode season, meaning we’d wrap up before the calendar turns over to 2022. Assuming no production delays, Marvel Studios would have the opportunity to jump right into She-Hulk and continue taking over the world of entertainment.

Currently set to release on December 17th, 2021, Spider-Man 3 (which is scheduled by Sony and NOT Marvel Studios) throws a monkey wrench into the thought process of not having a film premier compete with an episode of a streaming series, but there are so many workarounds for that issue (Hawkeye taking a week off, the release date for the film being moved since production got off to a late start, Hawkeye not even starting until after Spider-Man 3) that it really becomes a non-issue.

While the chances of this hypothetical release calendar coming to fruition are approximately 3,720 to 1, the point of this wasn’t to plant a flag so we can do some chest-pounding later, but to extrapolate one possible release schedule based on the idea of having new Marvel Studios content on as many 2021 Fridays as possible. Right or wrong (and let’s be honest, this is almost certainly wrong), an exercise like this makes visible the scale of the studio’s plans and the role that Disney Plus plays in them: Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios will own at least a portion of the news cycle nearly every weekend for the foreseeable future.

December 26, 2020
Review: ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’

Having been a long-time Wonder Woman fan since Lynda Carter spun around in those star-spangled pants, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Wonder Woman 1984. While it’s not perfect, and certainly there are things I would change if I could, overall, I enjoyed the sequel. It’s at least equal to my enjoyment of the first but for different reasons.

***Beware there are spoilers below!***

On the negative side, the film spent a bit too much time on 80’s nostalgia silliness. Also, I would have really liked it if they had worked a few of the great pop songs of the early 80s into the soundtrack. It seems almost a waste now, to set the film in 1984 and not bring more of the hits that came out that year. I found that the first and second act, dragged a bit, and were less effective than the third, which seems opposite to how I felt about the first film. On the positive side, there were some terrific fight scenes, and a number of exciting new skills Diana used during the film. Pedro Pascal and Kristin Wiig both give strong performances as the antagonists. This is particularly true for Pascal in the last scenes of the third act.

As we open on this film, we see Diana recalling her childhood with the Amazons, and the young Diana (Lilly Aspell) joining in with older much larger competitors in a tournament which Diana very much wants to win. An almost faulty desire for the glory of winning is clear on Diana’s face as she looks back from her horse to check where the other girls are, and gets knocked off. It seems Diana has lost, until she finds a shortcut and takes it, and soon she’s back up on her horse and in the lead again. At first glance, this tournament might seem like a bit of extravagant Amazonian filler, but what happens next as Antiope (Robin Wright) takes Diana out of the lead, foreshadows the morale of this story. “No true hero is born from lies” and we must face the truth bravely. Because, in other words, lying and cheating to get what or where you want has consequences.

In 1984 Diana’s case, what she wants is her lost love, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), to return, something which an ancient artifact that grants wishes soon gives her. Pine and Gadot’s chemistry in the first film was a highlight, and that is certainly reignited throughout the film. Sadly, Steve and Diana eventually realize that the cost of her wish, the consequence of believing the lie, is a loss of Diana’s power and strength. She can no longer fight as well, she is much more vulnerable to injury, and if she is to continue to save people, to potentially save the world again one day, she must be a hero and stop believing the lie. She eventually must come to terms with this and renounce her wish and lose Steve for a second time, and forever, or risk letting the world go up in a nuclear war. Diana’s heartbreak in her final scene with Steve is as emotional as their farewell in the first film.

Then we have Pedro Pascal as Max Lord. At first glance, Lord is the perfect over the top, greasy, greedy, villain for the 80s, a decade known for excess. As we progress and certainly before the third act is finished, we see a bit more clearly into the murk and slime of his character to realize he is in truth a desperate perpetual loser, trying to win and gain power, money, glory, by any means he can. Even as his health is being threatened by the wishes, he still believes more is not only better, but it’s never enough because, as we later learn, he never had much of anything to begin with. If “no true hero is born from lies”, Maxwell Lord has believed the lie to the point of becoming the villain of this story, when all he really wanted was to be the hero of his own story, and as we find out in his final scene, a hero to his son. This added context to the character, beyond him being just some slimeball we can’t wait to see the hero of the story take down, makes him quite compelling in the third act, and significantly more than Ares the villain of the first Wonder Woman film. Pascal’s performance in his final scene with this son in particular, drew tears from me, as he renounced his wishes and ran to save his boy, and as he emotionally told his son the truth about himself, that he wanted his son to be proud of him, that his son doesn’t have to wish for him to love him, that he hopes he will someday forgive him. While it is unclear what happens to Max Lord after that, and it certainly seems that there should be more consequences for Lord in the aftermath of nearly causing a nuclear war, I found this final scene, quite powerful and didn’t mind them ending his story here on that note. After all, if Darth Vader had survived Return of the Jedi and not died after saving and making amends with his son, would we have wanted to see him tried and imprisoned or executed around the same time of the film everyone’s singing happy Ewok songs and celebrating the end of the Empire? That would have been rather jarring, so.. probably not.

Barbara Minerva (Kristin Wiig), geologist and new friend of Diana, is similarly seduced by the wishes and the lies of the Dreamstone. Wiig’s performance as Barbara is compelling: from nerdy loser at the beginning, through powerful apex predator, until her final moments in the film. I’ve seen the “nerd becomes the villain” trope a few times now and as a nerdy girl with glasses myself, I’ve become a bit tired of this as I’ve seen it done incredibly poorly a few times. But Wiig and Patty Jenkins got it right, I think, so it works. Barbara starts off shy and awkward, but funny, sweet, likable, endearing, and relatable in many ways. Then came her assault scene. It is unfortunate that even today many, many women can relate to that feeling of being stalked, and unsafe, unable to go out and walk without being leered at, looked at as no more than object to be used, or attacked. When she pays back her attacker later in the film, certainly there is a degree of empowerment of a person who was previously quite powerless, and the satisfaction of her “villain” getting what he deserves. But then the mood and the scene turns, and we see the consequences of her believing this lie, along with the homeless man she had given food to just a few scenes before. What this lie, this wish to be more powerful and “like Diana” is robbing Barbara of is her kindness, her good heart. She is already becoming less human and more predator.

And in fact, Barbara, Max Lord and Diana are not the only ones who have to deal with the terrible consequences of their wishes and lies. The entire world is facing the consequences of trying to cheat to win, and believing in harmful wishes for personal gain or satisfaction. This is true from the U.S. President, who wishes for more nuclear bombs, then is suddenly faced with the brink of an apocalyptic war, to the man who yells at a woman to drop dead, and then she collapses from a heart attack.

During the third act, when I realized that Diana, in her sad, exhausted, desperate, but beautifully performed speech, is asking everyone in the world to renounce their wish, I admittedly felt skepticism. How could that possibly work because of course people are flawed and often selfish? Yet in a way, that made the whole thing even more dire. The final threat to the world felt legitimate and terrifying here, because human nature is at the center of it. Is it a realistic expectation to have the world decide to put aside personal needs, greed, and selfishness to save others? Perhaps not. Reviewing human history would tell us it is not realistic, unfortunately. But this is why I like superhero movies like this; they give me hope, at least for a moment, that people really can choose to be better, they can win honestly, they can choose truth and kindness, over greed and hate, and sometimes they can turn away from darkness and sincerely try to make amends for their mistakes. Of course, some of you may think that it is in fact believing a “lie.” But hope is an important element of most superhero movies and it’s an incredibly important thing for human beings to retain just to get through life. Hope in good triumphing over evil. Hope in human beings doing the right thing. Hope to get through especially hard times, and major challenges. After this past year, we need inspiration for light and hope now more than ever and this is what superhero movies, more often than not, helps give us.

December 26, 2020