When early fan theories went crazy over Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, everyone assumed that the events of Loki would directly lead to this film. Yet, those that left theaters might’ve been surprised that non of the story points from that series would lead into the film, besides the birth of the multiverse. Still, even with the series’ head writer on board, they purposefully avoided referencing or building their film with the Disney+ series in mind, as it would “have complicated things.”
If it had been necessary, I think we would have. But as it was, it felt, even to me, like we were just reaching. Nothing would have made me happier than to get to write dialogue for Tom or Owen or Sophia. But it felt like this was a story happening separate of that TVA purview. And that might have complicated things. You know, this movie was already handling a lot, and that might have just confused things even further. So I think we were okay without it.
He makes a good point, as it already was building upon the WandaVision Disney+ show with Scarlet Witch’s development. It would’ve also had to strongly focus on building upon the world that Loki set up with the TVA, which could potentially distract from the film’s overall plotline. They probably had to pick their battle on what they focus on, as they could’ve also given the Illuminati’s role to the TVA in some capacity, which may not have had the same impact.
Waldron also highlights how they keep a strong focus on how they approach their stories and they aren’t just doing it to connect everything for the purpose of connection git. We’ll see what the future has in store for Loki with a second season underway. There’s also the fact that Kang will make his appearance in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel, which may actually connect the TVA with the Quantum Realm. We’ll see what the future has in store for them.
It’s crazy to think that after all that time, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has finally been released in theaters. Wanda Maxmioff continued down a darker path since she got her hands on the Darkhold but still found it in herself to try and make up for her actions after a confrontation with Doctor Strange and America Chavez. As the film came to a close, she did one last heroic move to ensure that no one else would ever fall victim to the evil that lurks within the Darkhold.
Yet, it seemingly came at the cost of her life as the tower of worship came crumbling down upon her. We do briefly see a curious red flash that may indicate that she somehow made it out alive but nothing concrete. luckily, in an interview with Variety, Doctor Strange and Loki scribe Michael Waldron teased what her fate may have ended up being.
I think that’s up for interpretation. She made some kind of sacrificial act that destroyed the Darkhold in every universe, which is protecting Wanda in every universe from being seduced by the Darkhold. Whether she’s dead or not remains to be seen. I know what it’s like to love characters and to not want them to be gone and to hate when they do bad things. But that’s that’s part of the fun of watching stuff and getting swept up in it.
Michael Waldron
He definitely makes a good point about the joys of seeing these characters evolve. It does seem likely that Wanda will return in the future, but the question is where her character will be. We may be entering her final redemption arc as she uncovers the truth behind her past and perhaps uncovers a new layer to the Scarlet Witch that wasn’t kept within the Darkhold’s pages. There’s a lot of potential and it certainly seems like Elizabeth Olsen is on board if they are planning any future projects.
I consider Russell a friend, and I forget that there are some friends I have who are really incredible at what they do. [laugh] When I was on set with Russell, I was like, ‘Oh shit, that’s right! You’re Russell Crowe! You’re a really amazing actor.’
Taika Waititi
It’s definitely great to see him enjoy his work with his friends and it definitely was Waititi’s connections that probably convinced Croew to give the film a shot. It’s unclear what exactly his future is going to be in the MCU, especially if he appeared as a god in a film that features Gorr the God Butcher. Though, hopefully, we get to enjoy the confrontation between Thor and Zeus, who both wield lightning and thunder. It wouldn’t be too surprising if they try to one-up each other while they share the screen.
Thor: Love and Thunder‘s trailer promised a very different kind of film, as Taika Waititi takes Thor down a more personal story. Even as he travels the galaxy with the Guardians, he’s slowly losing his warrior spirit and is trying to take a step back. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director talks about how the film stands out from his last entry, Thor: Ragnarok.
Ragnarok felt a bit like a party. It was quite festive. This one is still fun, and it’s got moments of being over the top, but thematically, it’s about something a bit deeper than the last film. It’s not a serious film, and it’s not a drama, but we do deal with ideas that I think a lot of humans deal with — universal themes about love and loss and our place in the world. Everyone sort of asks this question in the film: What is your purpose? What is the reason that you’re a hero, and what do you do when you have these powers.
Taika Waititi
Waititi goes on to highlight how different his approach was towards Thor: Love and Thunder, as he views it as a “midlife crisis film” for Thor, which was hinted at in the trailer.
It’s sort of like a midlife crisis film, really. That’s the question we ask everyone: Are we doing the right thing, and are we doing all we can in the world? I think right now, while the world is still healing from this pandemic, it’s a good question to ask. It’s like, well, are we doing enough to look after each other and to look after ourselves.
Taika Waititi
It’ll certainly be an interesting idea for a storyline, especially as we already explored PTSD with Iron Man 3. A story about a hero facing his midlife crisis, especially one that also further explores a romantic outing for that hero, could make for a very different style of story. The trailer already hints at it being a very different kind of Marvel film, which continues Phase 4’s re-exploration of its heroes in a post-Endgame world. Here’s hoping the next trailer offers a better look.
By now, it’s pretty widely known that the Illuminati appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The superhero team were teased in the final trailers for the film, but the exact part they played in the plot remained a mystery until the full movie hit theaters. When the group was ultimately introduced on screen, audiences were ecstatic. They seemed mighty, confident, and unbeatable. Patrick Stewart made a triumphant return as Charles Xavier; John Krasinski surprised everyone with his debut as Reed Richards; and Anson Mount was finally able to bring Black Bolt to the big screen. Then, after only a few moments of glorious screen time, every single one of them died.
Screenwriter Michael Waldron recently sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss some of his choices while developing Multiverse of Madness, and the Illuminati were among the central topics. He revealed the inspiration behind the team’s role in the film, and how their scenes played out, came from another famous sequel released in 1986:
I was watching Aliens a lot as I was writing. Because just tonally this movie is a thriller and a [feature-length] chase. I just love how Aliens goes to great lengths to tell you how badass the space Marines are – and then they just get slaughtered. Then you are really scared of the Xenomorphs for the rest of that movie, and that’s what I wanted to accomplish with Wanda. At the end of the Illuminati sequence, I hope you were truly terrified of the Scarlet Witch. It’s been awesome being in the theater hearing the cheers, then the gasps and the groans. [Laughs] I mean, you know, people were feeling something at the movies. That’s good!
Michael Waldron
The tactic was definitely successful, with Wanda’s single-handed killing of Earth-838’s Mightiest Heroes instantly solidifying her as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s greatest threats. Head to the theater now and relive one of the most talked-about moments in Marvel movie history, and bring a friend to see if Waldron‘s writing strategy works just as well on them.
One of the biggest surprises coming out of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the inclusion of John Krasinski portraying Reed Richards in the Illuminati. Having been one of the most popular fancasts for a number of years, Marvel Studios’ latest theatrical release gave audiences a brief tease of him and his flexible action. Naturally, the next question worth asking would be ‘Is Krasinski now set to portray Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film?’
The Case For It
The most obvious case for Krasinski to be portraying Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film is that we’ve now officially seen him play the role in a Marvel Studios-produced film. As opposed to before the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the idea of Krasinski playing the role is no longer simply a hypothetical based on online speculation. A factor that would lean towards this being more than a one-off cameo is Kevin Feige and company not leaning towards using an actor from a previous Marvel project in the role like the rest of the Illuminati members. Assuming one of them would’ve been available, it’s logical to think Marvel Studios would’ve made the call to one of the previous actors that portrayed Mister Fantastic in Miles Teller or especially Ioan Gruffudd.
As well, it certainly isn’t unprecedented for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to use a different film as a backdoor introduction for a future lead character. This method dates all the way back to the introduction of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow during the events of Iron Man 2 and was used to introduce some of the most popular characters in the MCU with Spider-Man and Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War. Having that be the way Reed Richards was officially introduced wouldn’t be completely out of the ordinary. And with that, using a multiversal Variant to introduce audiences to the character would be an interesting subversion of this MCU trope. It’d let Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness serve as an introduction point for Mister Fantastic while letting whatever creative direction for the character is being planned remain unfettered by his portrayal in the May 2022 blockbuster. Hypothetically speaking, you could easily reintroduce Krasinski in any upcoming film as a normal Reed Richards and that would alert fans to the imminent arrival of the Marvel Studios’ take on the First Family.
And of course, the recent news about the end of the Krasinski-led Jack Ryan series after this upcoming season of production has further expedited conversations on if the actor will be playing Reed Richards. It’s definitely worth having the conversation with Krasinski in theory having what was previously a major part of his schedule cleared up.
The Case Against It
And yet, it can’t be said with 100% certainty that John Krasinski will have the time in his calendar to make a long-term commitment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Immediately production wraps on Jack Ryan’s fourth season, Krasinski will begin work on Imaginary Friends for Paramount Pictures. This is a film that he wrote, is directing, and will be co-starring in alongside Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carell (meaning a lot of his energy will be focused on this project). And following that, there remains A Quiet Place – Part III which would seemingly enter production not too far after Krasinki wraps on his previous film. While his involvement or role in the third film of this franchise isn’t announced, one would think that he would have at least some significant role in the production based on his large involvement in the previous two entries (alongside being the one to officially announce the film at CinemaCon this year). With rumors circulating of a potential 2023 production start date, this could certainly cause major scheduling issues for a potential involvement in the Fantastic Four film.
Additionally, the argument can be made that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would’ve provided John Krasinski some slightly more substantial material while part of The Illuminati if the had future plans for him. If he was going to portray Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film, one would think Marvel Studios and the team behind the film would give a more concrete characterization of Reed Richards in the film for audiences to latch onto beyond passing references to his lore. And while the argument of why him NOT being a previously used actor in a Marvel project makes him stand out from the rest of the Illuminati, him solely portraying the character in a one-off nod to the online community is certainly well within the realm of possibility as the rest of the team don’t seem like locks to return in meaningful roles anytime soon. On that subject, there’s not much merit in the idea that it’s a cut and dry case that John Krasinski is playing Reed Richards solely because he was used as a multiversal Variant. The same logic can be applied to Patrick Stewart’s role as a fellow Illuminati member. Is that supposed to serve as an indicator that he will be the main universe portrayal of Charles Xavier in the MCU? Absolutely not. The first season of Loki clearly established the idea that there can be different faces for different Variants.
The Verdict
While it may not be the most exciting answer, it’s too soon to make a declarative answer on whether or not John Krasinski is playing Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film. And it will continue to be the case until we get some more conclusive evidence on what the actor-director’s schedule will look like in the future (namely how involved he is with the third installment of the Quiet Place franchise). If I had to make a personal guess, I truly think we’ve met the main MCU version of Reed Richards with John Krasinski. At the end of the day, deals can be made and scheduling conflicts can be resolved, especially when it comes to being involved in what is bound to become one of Marvel Studios’ flagship franchises. As well, it’s never really been the nature of Marvel Studios to do this type of one-off cameo for an actor/character solely predicated from online discourse. Ultimately though, it now remains a waiting game to hopefully get an official announcement at an event such as San Diego Comic Con 2022 for further news about the direction being take with the Fantastic Four.
While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness remained shy of the $190M opening weekend, it did make quite a few waves by finishing at $187M. That is a small adjustment of $2M over the Sunday, but an increase is actually a good sign for the film’s legs with a B+ Audience CinemaScore rating. Worldwide, the film made a splash with $449.4M at the bo office, making almost half a billion in just its opening weekend. It’s an exciting prospect for theater owners that have been worried about just how long the pandemic would affect their business.
The film is not only Sam Raimi‘s biggest opening ever, but it’s now also the 11th biggest domestic opening in history and the seventh right behind Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was at $181.3M. As such, it’s the best performing second entry in a solo outing with Spider-Man: No Way Home holding the title for third entry with $260.1M. It’s now the second-best domestic release of the year and on its path to overtaking The Batman, which also garnered a fantastic $369.1M to date.
On Friday, it took in $90M which puts it as the seventh-biggest opening of all time, and entered the Top 10 best opening days for any MCU flick. While it’s likely going to be quite frontloaded, if it manages o keep a similar momentum that is seen with horror entries, we might be looking at a stronghold over the next weeks, but likely will echo a similar drop as Age of Ultron did.
Internationally, the film has pulled in $262.4M, which saw a slight adjustment down from its early Sunday estimates, which kept it at the overall worldwide release estimates. It’s now the sixth-highest opening worldwide going by like-by-like territories, which is no small accomplishment without a Chinese release. South Korea has been slowly becoming one of Marvel’s strongest opening locations with a massive $30M over the weekend.
There’s been an ongoing debate on the Internet ever since Martin Scorcese made a remark on how he views Marvel films, which originally was meant as a general view on the superhero industry that ended up focused on its strongest contender. Of course, the opinion of a veteran in the industry has left some waves with others jumping on board or even going against it, such as Nicolas Cage openly disagreeing with his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, who shares a similar view to Scorcese on the matter.
Yet, the debate goes on even if there’s no real benefit to anyone in “winning” the argument. With the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Elizabeth Olsen also threw her thoughts into the ring and highlighted an important aspect that gets overlooked in the discussion. Downplaying Marvel films as a “lesser type of art” as she puts it also diminishes the work of the people involved with the projects.
I’m not saying we’re making indie art films, but I just think it takes away from our crew, which bugs me. These are some of the most amazing set designers, costume designers, camera operators — I feel diminishing them with that kind of criticism takes away from all the people who do award-winning films, that also work on these projects
Elizabeth Olsen
She goes on to highlight that naturally, your approach as an actor is different as it is a different kind of film, to begin with. She once again highlights that throwing Marvel under the bus to somehow drag a wealth of talent down due to something one doesn’t deem art isn’t a fair discussion.
From an actor’s point of view, whatever, I get it; I totally understand that there’s a different kind of performance that’s happening. But I do think throwing Marvel under the bus takes away from the hundreds of very talented crew people. That’s where I get a little feisty about that.
Elizabeth Olsen
There likely is never going to be an end to this discussion, as one takes away what they want from the points made by various industry experts and those creatives working within the industry. Olsen‘s words ring important after a viral video has been making the round taking a quote of her facing anxiety with every new entry as some kind of statement on Marvel’s releases.
The same interview from Independent highlights that, as she simply tries to avoid the “pressure” of being a project’s main focus. No matter how one feels about the films and Marvel Studios as a company, there are still many talented people that found their beginning there and go on to develop many more films.
announcing that they’ve wrapped work on the third entry of Guardians of the Galaxy, which has been heavily hinted atas James Gunn‘s last. The same set of photos with the cast hanging out to celebrate their work was now also shared by Dave Bautista, who has included a rather curious hashtag that may further add to the rumors that he’s potentially moving on from the role of Drax the Destroyer.
In the latest post on Instagram, Bautista includes a reference on how surprising it “ended so suddenly” and that he’s already working on his next film project. Yet, the big surprise is the inclusion of a hashtag that states “#GoodbyeDrax.” Considering he’s hinted in the past that he’s nearing his end with the franchise, this may be some further evidence that he truly is moving on once we see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 next May.
There have been many hints that the current version of the Guardians of the Galaxy will very likely come to an end with the third entry. We don’t know if we’ll further explore the galaxy with a different incarnation of this team, but it adds some tension to who might end up surviving the events of the film, as well as who will completely set out on their own adventure. The future still seems possible for some characters, it’s simply uncertain until we actually get to watch the film.
In 2008, fans who stuck around through the credits of Iron Man found themselves treated to a tease of greater things to come. At the time, given the nebulous state of the future of Marvel Studios, the tease came without a promise that we’d ever see the Avengers Initiative come to fruition on the big screen. 4 years later, it paid off in The Avengers, rolled out its own post-credit scene that set the stage for the larger narrative that would develop over the next 15 MCU projects. That run, which became known as the Infinity Saga, ended with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame which, ironically, was the first Marvel Studios film to run without a post-credit scene. Now, with the future of Marvel Studios more secure than it has ever been, it’s time for the post-credit scene to die.
Marvel Studios’ Iron Man (2008)Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
After skipping out on the tradition in Endgame, Marvel Studios brought back the post-credit scene in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the final Phase 3 film. In hindsight, it’s a tradition they should have left behind as they moved into Phase 4. Once a fun source of “water cooler” conversation, the idea has grown beyond itself and evolved into something that’s become part of a parasitic online conversation where the scenes that come AFTER the movie generate more interest and conversation than the movie itself. It’s not a phenomenon limited just to Marvel Studios-Sony used the post-credit scene to Venom: Let There Be Carnage to market the movie-but Marvel Studios started it and now they need to end it.
The conversation around the post-credit scenes poses a multi-faceted problem for Marvel Studios. While they still provide a fun tease of upcoming events, in recent years, more than one post-credit tease hasn’t paid off. For example, after the credits rolled in 2016’s Doctor Strange, audiences learned that Mordo was on a mission to eliminate magic users, especially those who violated natural law. Surely that would mean he’d cross paths with Wanda Maximoff, right? 616-Mordo was nowhere to be seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, his role rumored to have been snipped from the film’s final cut. And what about the great Adrian Toomes/Mac Gargan scene at the end of 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming? With Doctor Strange’s spell erasing the memory of Peter Parker from everyone’s mind, it seems like the Vulture/Scorpion team-up will never come to pass. Will the tease of Venom in the MCU, set up in the post-credit scene to Spider-Man: No Way Home, have the same fate?
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange (2016)Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The fervor around the content of the post-credit scenes has grown to a point where fans are often more concerned with it than the film itself. Driven by leak culture, the knowledge of the contents of the latest Marvel Studios’ post-credit scene is often a more valuable commodity (more talked about) than the film itself. In fact, after recently attending the premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, almost everyone who asked me about the movie started off by asking, “How many post-credit scenes are there?” and “What’s in them?” It’s concerning that a post-credit scene that may have been shot over a few hours is of more interest than the billion-dollar films the studio is rolling out. And in this case, Marvel Studios delivered one of its worst post-credits scenes to date, though it featured a huge casting spoiler for a big star entering the MCU. But will she? Or will her cameo and the promise it carries be as empty as Mordo’s sorcerer hunt?
As mentioned above, Multiverse of Madness’ post-credit scene, despite featuring 3-time Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron as one of Strange’s most important supporting characters, Clea, doesn’t quite carry the same weight as Fury’s post-Iron Man appearance. Despite Theron looking fantastic as Clea, it seemed hastily put together and didn’t really seem to line up with the film’s own ending, making it one of the worst efforts for the studio. What’s more, the drop in quality seems to be a trend in Phase 4 with none of the offerings so far coming near the thrills of introducing the Maximoff twins after The WinterSoldier.
Truly, the post-credit scenes have lost their novelty and have become an unnecessary distraction. Jake Lockley could have easily been put in the body of the final episode of Moon Knight. Sharon Carter’s phone conversation after the credits of the final episode of The Falcon and The Winter Solider may have done more harm than good, causing fans to speculate and theorize wildly about who was on the other end; as has been demonstrated over and over again, this will lead to faux outrage down the road when the speculation turns out wrong and fans will feel slighted. Will Starfox, or any of the Eternals ever be heard from again? No idea, but Harry Styles caused more of a buzz than the actual film. What was once a wink-wink-nudge-nudge to the comic book fans in the audience has become something general audiences are hungrier for than the films to which they are attached. Marvel Studios would serve themselves well by ditching the post-credit scenes. And if fans are still hungry for more, perhaps the studio could bring back One-Shots as a streaming alternative.
Given they distract from the movies, aren’t always followed through on and the disturbing trend in their quality, it really is time for the Marvel post-credit scene to be retired. We’ll always have that kiss between Jane and Thor…before Jane disappeared for a decade.
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