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REVIEW: ‘Hawkeye’ Misses The Spirit Of The Comic But Is On Target With Its Cast

The Marvel Studios adaptation of the celebrated Matt Fraction and David Aja comic doesn’t quite live up to the comic’s panache and ends up abbreviated in more ways than one. Omitted from the show are two of the comic most vibrant traits: the quaint slice-of-life window peering into the life of an Avenger and the unique aesthetic crafted by Aja. Despite this, the show manages to stay fun thanks to a solid cast.

As the premise goes, Clint Barton’s stint as the mass-murdering Ronin is a secret known only to the Avengers. So when Ronin memorabilia hits the black market, Clint is drawn into the orbit of the underworld where Kate Bishop has been doing some heroic sleuthing of her own. When their paths intersect, Marvel Cinematic Universe history is made as one of comics’ greatest partnerships comes to life in front of your very eyes.

There’s really not much left to be desired from the nuts and bolts of Hawkeye’s mechanisms, apart from the hope of seeing a certain crime lord behind the curtain, as the first two episodes repeat the same hypotheses over and over that you’ll be no further from the first clue Kate Bishop finds by the time the credits roll an entire later. Perhaps by no coincidence, writer Jonathan Igla and director Rhys Thomas wanted to evoke the Marvel-Netflix shows’ signature trudge.

Hawkeye is the first Marvel Studios TV show to look wholly unremarkable. Gone is the ambition of Loki’s otherwordly design and WandaVision‘s retro aesthetic. Even as grounded in real-world architecture Falcon and the Winter Soldier was, the show compensated for the blandness of its concrete and steel sets by elevating the action sequences. Hawkeye has neither of those, failing to look even as remotely interesting as some of the Marvel-Netflix shows did. The fights don’t look memorable. The compositions looks wildly uninspired making it quite possibly the show’s biggest misfire, a massive step down from the self-contained world David Aja made so iconic. The show nonetheless and deservedly pays homage to Aja’s work in its credits sequences but it doesn’t make the show’s lack of any aesthetic any less glaring.

Just like the Netflix shows, Hawkeye hits the mark in assembling a fantastic ensemble. Newcomers Vera Farmiga and Tony Dalton add a very vicious sexiness to the otherwise homely and wholesome dynamic brought on by leads Renner and Steinfeld. Farmiga plays Eleanor Bishop, a New York socialite with some obvious skeletons in her closet. Her performance is deliciously sassy and quickly proves to be a great foil for Steinfeld’s own brand of snark.

Dalton is Jacques Duquesne, a character known to Silver Age readers as the fallen Avenger Swordsman. Better Call Saul fans familiar with Dalton as Lalo Salamanca may quickly brush off his MCU debut as the same character and for good reason: Dalton doesn’t really drop the slimy grin Lalo for a distinctly new performance. Yet the way he commands a scene with a mere grin highlights his gravitas. He brings a playful impishness to every moment that’s adjunct to the real darkness underneath. It’s a familiar schtick but works consistently no less.

The titular archer finally gets his name on the marquee, a novelty that is smartly channeled into the character’s own pathos. Seeing your family vanish into thin air, turning into a mass murderer, journeying to the edge of the universe only to see your best friend die in your place is never good for one’s mental health and Hawkeye peels those layers for Clint Barton in various ways. He pities himself for not being as celebrated as his colleagues on the team yet is dismissive of respect given to him. His legacy as an Avenger is soured on a deep level for him because of his actions as Ronin.

Renner portrays this modern-day Barton as someone on the brink of collapse. It’s a performance so subdued that you might think Renner isn’t putting in the work but it’s also reflective of the deepness of trauma and PTSD. Trauma is, oftentimes, invisible and forcibly buried under layers of disguises, and the way Renner underlines all of Barton’s wholesome facades with pain is so fascinating to watch. So while the performance is lacking the whimsy of how Fraction’s own vision of Barton, it’s also not without weight and merit.

Sometimes, a project just needs one person to bring the magic and elevate it to the next level. For the 2011 Hawkeye run, it’s David Aja, whose minimalist yet innovative eye for sequential storytelling gave the comic its distinct personality. Without Aja, the comic would not be the success it is. For this year’s Hawkeye series, a loose adaptation of the said comic, it’s Hailee Steinfeld who brings the magic, allowing the show to rise above its restraint.

Hawkeye wastes no time in positing the POV of Kate Bishop as the focal point of the show, opening with a prologue that would make all the Marvel-Netflix shows filled with envy as the Battle of New York, or as those shows would eye-rollingly call it, The Incident, is on full display in all its horrific glory. The incident serves as the impetus for Kate Bishop’s eventual path to becoming the self-proclaimed World’s Greatest Archer, instilling in her a sense of stubborn determination that Steinfeld proudly wears in her performance.

Steinfeld is a godsend in the role, turning in a charming performance that would’ve turned her into an overnight sensation if True Grit didn’t already do that. Her take on Kate Bishop is wonderfully her own yet already like feels like the blueprint of all the Kate comics before her. Her Kate is frisky and brings a warmness that dyes the somber performance of Renner with color, making their dynamic feel alive. There’s also a staunch fierceness to the way Steinfeld portrays some of Kate’s rougher edges that allows her to be contentious but never abrasive. Kevin Feige and co. have stated that an adaptation of the Fraction/Aja line was always in the pipeline but Steinfeld’s performance proves that this project wouldn’t work without her.

Hawkeye won’t make the same level of impact the Fraction/Aja comic did when it first hit shelves. But the stellar cast and allure of seeing a certain Marvel villain behind the curtains of this otherwise pedestrian crime story will make this a worthwhile watch for any fan.

November 23, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Halloween Ends’ Production Start & Character Breakdowns

It appears Halloween will officially begin its end this January.

We here at Murphy’s Multiverse can exclusively reveal that production on the third Halloween film, Halloween Ends, will enter production in January. Filming will take place in Savannah, Georgia starting on January 19th. Director David Gordon Green returns behind the camera for the third installment, which he has described as a “coming of age” movie which takes place four years after the events of Halloween Kills. We can also report that the film is operating under the working title Cave Dweller.

As for the film’s cast, Halloween Ends is looking to cast a fair amount of roles. Among them are a self-assured nurse named Erin who is between the ages of 28 and 35 and is very judgmental, as well as a Proprietor between the ages of 40 and 80 years old. Other roles being cast for the film are Scott, Donna, Mr. Meade and Mrs. Meade.

Per the breakdowns, Scott is a male between the ages of 52 and 57; he is stern, strong and a straight shooter who is sometimes checked out. While Donna is a 55 to 65 year old female who is Timothy’s overbearing and critical mother. Mr. Meade and Mrs. Meade are the parents to a young boy named Noah who is a nice kid with the ability to switch to a jerk on a dime. Both Mr. and Mrs. Meade are described as being between the ages of 40 and 50 years old. They’re a middle-class suburban family, with the father being described as “tough as nails” and the mother said to showcase “emotional depth.”

Other roles being cast are Brandon, Young Johnny and Veronica. Brandon is a male between the ages of 40 and 60. He is a large man in weight and sense of authority who finds his son to be a disappointment. Young Johnny is a male between the ages of 6 and 10 who has long blonde hair with a slight gap between his teeth; the character is described as having dark eyes being a bit small. Veronica is the last of the trio. She’s between the ages of 40 and 45 and is a strong-willed protective wife who is broken “by the reminders of tragedy.”

Halloween Ends hits theaters on October 14th, 2022.

November 23, 2021
Jeremy Renner Says a ‘Hawkeye’ Adaptation Has Been in the Works for a Decade

Iron Man. Hulk. Thor. Captain America. Black Widow. Each and every one of the original MCU Avengers has led at least one solo project…except Hawkeye. That all changes tomorrow when the Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Hawkeye kicks off with a two-episode debut.

Star Jeremy Renner has been on board as the Avenging Archer since 2011’s Thor and was pretty vocal about the treatment his character received in 2012’s Avengers. The character started to take on a bigger role beginning in Avengers: Age of Ultron and was given plenty to do in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and it was during the filming of the latter that discussions about the project that became the Hawkeye series began. However, according to Renner, a Hawkeye project has been in the works significantly longer than that.

“I think there [were] ideas of adapting it initially, but it was 11 years ago,” said Renner in an interview with Jimmy Fallon. “I remember one of my first thoughts in like 2010, 2011, was like, I don’t want to be 50 in tights! No one wants to see me at 50 in tights.“

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-e3pgY5oPs

As it turns out, the decision to wait to go ahead with the project might end up being one of the best choices Marvel Studios has made. The comic upon which the series is based, Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye, wasn’t published until 2012 and it’s the relationship that Clint has in that run with Kate Bishop that is central to the Disney Plus series. Renner and co-star Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Bishop, are both stand-outs in the series which will complete its 5-week run on December 22nd.

November 23, 2021
Things We’d Like to See in an ‘Eternals’ Sequel

Marvel Studios Eternals is just over one-third of the way through its 45-day theatrical run and as divisive as the film has proven to be with critics and audiences, it introduced some massive ideas and left the door open to a potential sequel. Should Marvel Studios chose to further explore these characters through an direct sequel, there are plenty of intriguing, comic-based possibilities for Eternals 2.

Eternals: The Fourth Host

The ending of Eternals saw Arishem return to Earth and scoop up its remaining Eternals (Sersi, Kingo and Phastos) in order to use their memories to judge whether or not the lives of the humans they protected were worth the life of Tiamut. This was, of course, a debate even among the Eternals themselves, with some taking the side of the Celestial. The idea of Arishem judging the fitness and survival of the inhabitants of Earth is actually part of the grand Celestial plan in the comics and seems a certainty to be explored in the sequel. In the comics, after the Celestials have finished genetically engineering the species of a planet, they return over time for a series of four tests, called Hosts. The Fourth Host is the final test and is followed by a judgement. A direct sequel could deal with the aftermath of the decisions of Sersi’s factions of Eternals and see the heroes and gods that protect Earth gear up for war against the massive Celestials. It would be a spectacle, no doubt, but one that’s perhaps best saved for another larger-than-a-planet sized threat.

Eternals: Casus Belli

Key to the plot of Eternals is that the Eternals have been on countless missions before and had their memories wiped by their creators, the Celestials. When we see the World Forge, we get the idea that there are legions of other Eternals we don’t meet in this film. We also discover that the Eternals were designed to replace the Deviants after the latter evolved beyond the control of the Celestials. What we don’t know, however, is how many attempts the Celestials needed to create the current model of Eternals and what could have gone wrong in the meantime. We already know that Arishem isn’t a reliable narrator, so there’s no reason to believe he’s told us everything. There ARE other Eternals out there and, as Starfox indicated, they might not all be the type of characters our heroes want to find.

Ironically enough, one such Eternal, Uranos, is making his return to the pages of Kieron Gillen’s current run on Eternals. Uranos (now called Uranos the Undying) wanted to defy the orders of his Celestial makers and use his power to rule over the humans rather than protect them. As an antagonist in the sequel, he would make for not only a worthy foe for the Eternals of the present day, but also allow Chloe Zhao to continue to tell expand what fans know about the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His wish to defy his orders put him at odds with his “brother”, Kronos, and set off an Eternal Civil War that lead to Eternals colonizing other areas of the galaxy. Uranos’ story could serve as a perfect bridge between what we already know (including how Eternals came to inhabit Titan) and what else we need to know.

Eternals: Schism

Speaking of Titan, introducing Eros, a son of Titan in the film’s mid-credit scene could be the first step in us heading back to there in a sequel. Of course, Titan is in pretty rough shape so much like the original film or like the pitch above, part of this film would have to take place in the past. However, heading back to Titan could resolve one of the problems people had with the first film: the Eternals being artificial beings.

During what was known as the Second Age of the Eternals, a great rift formed between the “sons” of one of the oldest and most powerful Eternals, Kronos. Those sons, Zuras and A’lars, both became leaders of factions of their society with very different beliefs. Zuras and his followers held fast to their beliefs that they would do the jobs given to them by the Celestials and that, despite their power and ability to do so, no new Eternals should ever be created. A’lars and his followers believed that simply because they had the ability to do so, they should continue to create new Eternals, both biologically and artificially. This schism caused another great war which A’lars lost; however, A’lars was allowed by his brother to relocate and continue his experiments. A’lars chose Titan, where he met another Eternals, Sui-San. The two successfully reproduced two children: Eros and Thanos. And the rest is history.

A sequel following this plot could tell the story of Titan through flashbacks while also introducing the sentient supercomputer I.S.A.A.C. and the artificial Titans he created at A’lars will: Elysius, Stellarax, Dionysys and Lord Gaea. These character could serve as primary antagonists for the modern day Eternals while also revealing more about A’lars progeny, including the Mad Titan.

November 23, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’ Producer on Jeremy Renner’s Involvement In The Creative Process

This week’s Hawkeye release is monumental for a few reasons. For one, it’s Marvel Studios’ official foray into the street-level corner of the MCU. The show also features the debut of Kate Bishop, who may very well be poised to be one of the MCU’s biggest characters. Lastly, it’s the first time Jeremy Renner gets to star as the lead on a Marvel project.

Producer Trinh Tran sat down with us and revealed the extent of Renner’s involvement in the creative process of the show.

We brought Jeremy Renner into the writer’s room. Out of everybody who knows Clint Barton, he’s the one to ask those questions because he’s played the character for an entire decade. We wanted him to get involved and get an understanding of how he feels about the character in this story. We gave him the broad strokes of the direction we had in mind and asked how he would react in certain scenarios. That was tremendously helpful.

An actor joining a writer’s room for some consulting isn’t anything new but it’s nonetheless good to hear Renner himself commit to delivering the best version of Clint he can. Matt Fraction, who co-wrote with David Aja the iconic Hawkeye run that serves as the show’s basis, also consulted on the project. Needless to say, the project is in good hands.

November 22, 2021
‘Sons of Anarchy’s Roberto Patino to Adapt Scott Snyder’s ‘Nocterra’ as Part of Multi-Year Deal With Netflix

Roberto Patino, who is fresh off writing and producing series like Sons of Anarchy, Westworld, and DMZ, just inked a multi-year deal with Netflix to create his own production company. The producer’s contract with Warner Bros. ended in 2018, and he’s been searching for a new home since. With this contract, Patino will establish Analog Inc. to focus on original productions.

Usually, news of a deal like this means we have to wait to see what projects these producers will tackle first, but this time is different. Variety reports that Patino‘s flagship project will be an adaptation of Scott Snyder‘s comic Nocterra. He will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner on the project in collaboration with Aquaman director James Wan’s production company Atomic Monster. Patino shared the following words on his new partnership:

Netflix is an extraordinary champion of intentional and inclusive storytelling, and I’m so eager to use this opportunity to tell bold stories that properly represent the Latinx community in entertaining, exhilarating and powerful ways. I couldn’t be happier to call Netflix my new home, and I can’t wait to hit the ground running with ‘Nocterra’ and my boundary-pushing friends and partners at Atomic Monster.

Nocterra, for those unfamiliar, follows the story of Valentina Riggs. She’s a skilled ferryman who transports people and goods along dangerous roads in her 18 wheeler during a 10 year period after the world is plunged into an everlasting night. All living creatures were turned into monstrous shades. Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel created the original comic storyline, and it was released earlier this year. So, the success was a quick choice

Source: Variety

November 22, 2021
‘Eternals’ and ‘Stranger Things’ Scanline VFX Studio Acquired by Netflix

It looks like Netflix has been quite happy with the work by the effects studio Scanline VFX. So much o that they have now purchased the company that famously worked on some of their most famous originals, Strangers Things. They are also a strong force for bringing Marvel projects to life like the recently released Eternals film. Of course, these are just a small glimpse at their complete repertoire.

It seems the deal will be finalized in the first quarter of next year, but no details have been released on the deal. The interesting direction is that Scanline will continue to work as a standalone business. So, we might still see their name included in future Marvel or DC projects. This purchase follows shortly after Unity teased their interest in buying Peter Jackson’s Weta Digital for $1.625M.

Netflix currently is working with them on the fourth season of Stranger Things and the recently released Cowboy Bebop. Their Marvel repertoire includes most of the recent projects going all the way back to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Recent releases include Free Guy, Godzilla vs. King Kong, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It’s a big get for Netflix in the industry and it’ll be interesting to see

Source: Variety

November 22, 2021
Keanu Reeves Calls Joining the MCU One Day “Would be an Honor”

There are many fan casts for various actors to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point. Keanu Reeves has been on the top of that list ever since his resurgence with John Wick. He is currently busy interviewing for his next project, the franchise revival of The Matrix with the subtitle Resurrections. In an interview with Esquire, he was asked about the rumors hinting at his appearance in a Marvel Studios project and he had the following to say:

It would be an honor. There’s some really amazing directors and visionaries, and they’re doing something that no one’s really ever done.It’s special in that sense, in terms of the scale, the ambition, the production. So it would be cool to be a part of that. Isn’t it bigger than a universe? It’s almost like a Multiverse. It’s a Marvel-verse
Keanu Reeves

He certainly doesn’t confirm that he’d join any project, but it wouldn’t be too surprising that there have been talks at some point in time. Reeves would be quite the popular get for any project over at Marvel Studios, but it’s uncertain if he’d be open to appearing in a Disney+ series or sticking to films. Here’s hoping something comes together and we will finally have Baby Yaga join the franchise in a specific role.

You can check out the full video by Esquire here:

Source: YouTube

November 22, 2021
‘Doom Patrol’ Spinoff ‘Dead Boy Detectives’ Recasts Main Cast

Doom Patrol is one of those rare situations where a spin-off is so good it manages to outshine its original in many ways. The series had become so popular that it went on to score a spin-off of its very own, focusing solely on the Dead Boy Detectives. The series introduced the characters this past season with Charles Rowland, Edwin Paine, and Crystal Palace making their live-action debuts. Before the season had even debuted the characters, they already got their own series but with a twist.

It’s being reported by Variety that the pilot has found its stars with George Rexstrew set to play Edwin Paine, Jayden Revri as Charles Rowland, and Kassius Nelson as Crystal Palace. Alongside the main cast, Alexander Calvert will play Thomas The Cat King, Briana Cuoco as Jenny, Jenn Lyon as Esther, Yuyu Kitamura as Niko, and Ruth Connel. She’s the only actor reprising their role from Doom Patrol, where she was Night Nurse.

One of the most bizarre revelations in this news was the fact that HBO Max had already cast actors in these roles since they’d already appeared in Doom Patrol. But with this spin-off the producers decided to toss away everything and start new, now official recasting the roles. They were previously played by Sebastian Croft, Ty Tennant, and Madalyn Horcher.

The project is being written by Steve Yockey who will also serve as executive producer alongside Jeremy Carver, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden. The project has to receive a series order from HBO Max and is currently going to film the spinoffs title pilot.

Source: Variety

November 22, 2021
REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×1 “Cowboy Gospel”

Netflix’s live-action adaption of Cowboy Bebop has finally arrived. While you can check out our overall review by Nicole Sobon by clicking here, it was time to take a look at the various episodes and see how the series holds up and adapts some of the iconographies from the original 1999 anime. So, let’s start off with the first episode titled “Cowboy Gospel” as Spike Spiegel and Jet Black take on a bounty that’ll draw the wrong kind of attention. Will the first episode grip your attention, or falter early on?

We start off with a casino heist that goes wrong when John Cho‘s Spike arrives on the scene not putting much care into hiding. It’s a curious way to kick off the adaptation, but it tries to give us a fast feel for what the series is going for. It’s a bit of a departure from the original, as not only are episodes running quite a bit longer, moving to an hour from the usual half-hour fare, but also it being more comedy driven. This could be a make or break aspect of this adaptation, as it is less a bounty-of-the-week but tries to spend more time with characters, which is a big aspect of later episodes.

The opening tries to quickly introduce viewers to Cho‘s version of Spike and Mustafa Shakir‘s Jet Black, who’s dynamic is a highlight of the series. It mostly adapts “Asteroid Blues” from the original anime, but also sets up the main narrative of the story. There’s a noticeable cost thought for this direction, as Katerina’s arc is a bit sidelined for the introduction of the Red Dragon Syndicate. It’s a shame because her story is more a plot device rather than an emotional core. This is one of the live-action adaptations biggest problems throughout: it lacks the subtlety of the original.

Daniella Pineda‘s Faye Valentine makes an early introduction in the first episode and highlights that aspects. She’s there to set-up an appearance later on, which is in line with more Western story structures. But, the issue is that appearance in this story takes away from Katerina and Spike’s moment together. Even with her time cuffed in the toilet is a nice nod, it felt a little too early. Especially as she interrupts the first and main interaction between Spike and Katerina to set up their connection.

Cowboy Bebop has a curious love for the dutch angle, especially in its first episode. It seems to be used primarily to add a style to it rather than lean into it’s original intent of creating uneasiness. It’s not bad but can be distracting or requires at least some getting used to for new viewers. This decision once again highlights the fact that this show is a bit more “in your face” unlike the original.

The first episode ends on a rather disorienting gun fight with some fun nods to John Woo action sequences. It’s something you’ll notice fast in the opening as well that the action is there, but it feels like it’s not given enough time to breath. So, it’s not as impactful as it could be. But, it does give us our first name drop of Spike’s Syndicate times as Fearless, which is something new added to this adaptation. These events leads into the ending of the episode that will dramatically change one characters’ direction.

Overall, it’s a decent start to the show. It’s seems deliberate to utilize the first episode from the original to showcase the similarities and differences moving forward. It does drag a bit with its doubled runtime but it uses that time to flesh out characters early on. The only issue of the lack of subtlety, especially in the way the ending visually shows the aftermath of Katerina’s final decision rather than letting the events tell you its outcome, is something that does bog it down a bit. We’ll see if future episodes follow a similar pattern.

November 22, 2021