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What I Loved in 2020
2020 has been quite the year, and that may be an understatement. Still, even throughout the pandemic and other crazy happenings, life goes on. I think many of us have uncovered a wide selection of media to keep us going. As such, I thought with the year ending, let’s take a look back at some positive things that helped me get through the year. As such, here are four stories that stuck with me even until the year came to an end and helped me not lose my sanity. Keep in mind that not everything on the list will be from 2020. I had to catch up on some things throughout the year. So, being stuck at home did have its advantages. So, without further ado, here are the things I loved about 2020.
Love after World Domination
Have you ever wondered about what would happen if Rita Repulsa was a high school student and fell in love with one of the Power Rangers? Well, you are in luck, as author Noda Hiroshi and artist Wakamatsu Takahiro have created just that story. The manga Love after World Domination (恋は世界征服のあとで) got released in 2019, but I didn’t find it until April. It focuses on the group Gerato 5, who are trying to keep world peace alive while fighting the evil society only known as Gecko. One of their leaders, Magahara Desumi, ends up falling in love with the Gelato Red Ranger, Aikawa Fudou. As they are from two sides of the conflict, they use their various clashes to sneak away on small dates. The monthly series parodies Super Sentai, which is the basis for the Western Power Rangers while giving a lighthearted romantic comedy. It humanizes the villains in a way that makes them just as endearing as the members of Gelato 5. Just like us in 2020, we are all just trying to keep everything together as best as possible while facing incredible odds.
The Queen’s Gambit
I think pretty much everyone has been praising this series, but I just had to throw in my two cents as well. Netflix is a fascinating streaming service. As the most dominant streaming service, they do not have to rely on pre-existing intellectual properties like HBO Max or Disney+. Yet, they somehow are obsessed with purchasing the rights to well-known properties, even though they have some truly stand-out original series. Among them is this year’s sleeper hit The Queen’s Gambit. Scott Frank and Allan Scott introduce us to chess prodigy Beth Harmon, who is played by Anya Taylor-Joy. After the tragic loss of her mother, she uncovers her talent with the board game. The story is based on the 1983 novel by Walter Tevis, which I confess I have never read but certainly will do now. What makes this series stand out is Taylor-Joy‘s performance combined with the slow breakdown of a prodigy. She faces her inner demons, addiction, and what it means to be the best. The mini-series teaches us a lesson I believe we all needed to hear in such a year. Sometimes we lose ourselves in those that seem to be perfect in the eye of the public but may not realize how much pressure lies on their shoulders.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
In my opinion, Final Fantasy VII Remake is the best 2020 release. I do confess I have a strange history with the Final Fantasy franchise. I did not grow up with the original version of VII. Actually, my first Final Fantasy game was the ninth entry that I played at a friend’s place. It wasn’t until the tenth that I played through an entire game. I got hooked ever since. My introduction to Cloud and Sephiroth was actually through Kingdom Hearts, which sparked my interest in these characters. So, I went into the game already knowing the story without ever playing the original. We knew that the remake would have a stronger emphasis on the Midgar arc, which was the intro to the original game. I loved the idea as it allows them to flesh out the city and its inhabitants before it opens up to the rest of the world. Luckily, the game did exactly that and even went a few steps further. The retooled combat system was a refreshing combination of classic RPG turn-based combat and action. The performances for these incarnations of the characters were some of the best in the industry. It certainly made me anxious for what the future may hold and helped me through the beginning of the first lockdown. I could get lost in the city of Midgar and forget I was stuck at home for who knows how long.
Soul
Now, to cap off the year, let’s talk about the most recent release. Charles already prepared a great review of the film, but after just watching it, I just had to talk about it too. Pixar’s latest film, Soul, is a beautifully done story about purpose. It focuses on a music teacher Joe, who prematurely dies just as he believes he has found his dream to play in a jazz band. His journey into the afterlife leads him to meet 22, who gets dragged into a wacky adventure about finding the spark that inspires your life. It tackles the many questions of our existence in a light-hearted but relevant manner. It doesn’t shy away from making its audience question what was their spark. We felt sympathy with Joe, as many of us lost our path far away from the passion that once drove us. Many moments in this film hit me personally. As someone struggling to find a way into a creative industry, you never realize you lose sight of everything around you. You become so obsessed with the end goal that you forgot the experiences along the way. If you ever needed a film that makes you feel that 2021 is a new beginning, this is the film for you.
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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.
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‘The Flash’ Eyeing Early 2021 Production Start
The Flash is the best example of development hell. Since its announcement, the film has seen countless directors and screenwriters tackle the project. It finally settled on It director Andrés Muschietti and Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson. The film will see the return of Ezra Miller in the role of Barry Allen. Inspired by the Flashpoint storyline, we will join the Scarlet Speedster as he makes his way through the multiverse. He will team up with Michael Keaton‘s Batman. This marks his first return to the role for the first time since 1992. Not just that, it will also see the return of Ben Affleck’s as the Batman, who got introduced n Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The film was going to enter production in March, but it looks like it will now start a month later. It will film at the Warner Bros. Leavesden studios, but no further details are available if they will primarily film at this location. Sound studios will be the primary filming location as long as the pandemic could interrupt production at any point. Backstage also states that the project has also picked up casting directors Rich Delia and Kate Ringsell.
The Flash is currently set to release on November 4th, 2022. Ezra Miller, Billy Crudup, Ben Affleck, and Michael Keaton are confirmed to return. It is unknown if Kiersey Clemons will return to reprise her role of Iris West. We might see some casting announcements and information on returning actors from the DCEU once we near production in April.
Source: Backstage
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First Look: Leaked ‘ETERNALS’ Lego Sets
With the film originally set to release this past November, Marvel’s Studios Eternals was another film that was hit hard by the delay due to the ongoing pandemic. Considering its previous release date, much of the merchandising for the film was prepped and put into production long before the delay, which means most could be sitting on shelves in warehouses waiting for the green light to hit stores around the world. Recently, more leaks surfaced focusing on more of the film’s merchandise, this time offering us a closer look at the film via Legos. Lego sets have a pretty mixed history as to just how accurate they depict the events of the film, so it’s best not to expect these to be direct adaptations of the events of the film.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZKMpxp-In/
The first set, titled ‘Eternals Aerial Assault’, offers a look at Ikaris and Sprite as the two engage in combat with a winged Deviant. This set offers our first look at a different form of Deviant, as we’ve already seen previous leaks of Kro.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZKBT-JRSt/
The second set, titled “Rise of The Domo”, gives us our first look at the Eternal’s ship, which we assume is named Domo after one of the minor Eternals from the Kirby run. The set includes figures for Phastos, Thena, Druig, Sersi, Makkari and Ikaris as well as two Deviants, one of which is likely Kro based on the description and his hands, which look much like the Marvel Legends leak we saw earlier.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZJ39mJUe9/
The third set titled ‘Deviant Ambush’ features yet another form of Deviant, as well as figures for Gilgamesh, Thena, and Makkari
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZJ7mJJQxp/
The final set is titled ‘In Arashem’s Shadow’ and gives us a good look at the Celestial known as Arishem. The leader of all four Celestial hosts on Earth, as he makes his way to Earth. The set also includes another Deviant as well as figures of Ajak, Kingo, Ikaris and Sersi
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZL7UvpC3J/
Marvel Studios Eternals is currently set to release in theaters on November 5, 2021. The film is directed by Chloe Zhao and features an all-star cast that includes Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Ma-Dong Seok, Gemma Chan, Barry Keoghan, Lauren Riddof and Kit Harrington.
Source: Nino Leaks IG
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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
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.
