Tag: Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios’ Disney+ Approach Causes Industry Concern

It looks like Marvel Studios’ current new direction with Disney+ is causing a stir again, as a report by Variety has revealed that many industry experts are wary of their new strategy. Usually, shows are produced by a showrunner, who pretty much organizes the production, directors, writers, and maps out the overall story. In Marvel’s case, these shows have a head writer but don’t actually include anyone with the title of showrunner. It has been openly communicated by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige but has somehow managed to fall under the radar until now. As Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Kari Skogland put it, they are using “the features model.” That means that they are adapting their production methodology from filmmaking in their new long-form format rather than fully embracing classic television conventions. She had the following to say on the process:

It’s a nuance, but it’s one that I think is being embraced more and more because the job honestly in these big, epic miniseries or shows is too big,” says Skogland, who’s also an executive producer. “I was in the writers’ room so that I could really absorb what was being said and be part of the process by floating ideas. As we were going through production, we would workshop scenes and then ask for rewrites on things. So [Malcolm Spellman] was still very much a part of the whole process, but it’s a slightly different mechanical way it comes down. Honestly, it’s very effective and efficient, because it’s just too much work for any one person.

Marvel Studios is well-known in the industry for its unorthodox approach, which allowed them to establish 23 interconnected films. Of course, switching up the cinematic landscape and adding a new level of restrictions comes at a price, as peers will doubt its validity in making television. It brought back a discussion regarding the creative autonomy that showrunners usually hold and if this will lead to the studio losing talent. David Goodman, the president of Writers Guild of America West, has shown his concern for the model but highlights how unique Marvel Studios is as a case in the industry.

If Marvel still wants to have its product be at the standard that people are coming to expect from it, they’re going to need good writers, and they’re going to have to invest those writers with responsibility. I stand in awe of what they’ve done at Marvel. Others have tried, and they haven’t succeeded

Yet, there are some legitimate concerns about the approach. Kevin Feige and the companies’ future vision for the Marvel Cinematic Universe acts as the main showrunner connecting it. It is an environment that won’t interest every type of creative out there, which could lead to some strife, which we’ve seen back in the day with Edgar Wright. Though, it isn’t uncommon for industry experts to fear strong changes to the status quo. Its implementation may serve the MCU’s expansion and won’t become an ongoing standard, which also makes Marvel Studios a perfect jumping-on point for talent. It is the same environment that gave Malcolm Spellman the chance to expand into film with Captain America 4.

Source: Variety

May 12, 2021
China Release for ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Eternals’ Uncertain As Films Face Backlash

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a stronghold in cinemas across the world. They’ve also been a mainstay with China, one of the largest growing film markets globally. Its growth has been giving Hollywood quite a bit of competition. At one point, they even tried to strengthen their ties with China by filming exclusive sequences for Iron Man 3. There were even rumors that they’ve adapted specific aspects of their films to appease China’s very strict regulations for allowing Western film releases. It looks like they might be facing some troubles with their upcoming releases, as CCTV6 China Movie Chanel released their list of upcoming releases. They showcased eight of the ten available titles with Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings noticeably absent.

Why does it matter? Well, the channel is part of China’s propaganda department. They have the final word on what Western releases make it into the country. If these films do not receive governmental approval or pass censorship, they will not be released in any capacity. For now, it doesn’t imply that the films won’t be released but that there are some aspects that may have caught the Chinese official’s attention.

It’s also curious that both have strong connections to the country. Shang-Chi will feature Simu Liu as Marvel Studios’ first Asian superhero, who was born in China. Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh are also well-known in the country. The issue the film may face is the character’s ties to the racist caricature Fu Manchu in the comics. Chinese politicians have slammed the film for simply replacing the character with another harmful stereotype. The film has also seen some harsh criticism towards Simu Liu and Awkwafina’s appearances not matching the ideal Chinese beauty standard. Mulan’s reception has also been a cause for concern after it received backlash for its portrayal of Eastern culture.

Then there is Eternals‘ director Chloé Zhao, who just recently won an Oscar for Nomadland. She also was born in China and has strong ties to the country. According to Variety, there has been some backlash surrounding the director, as her name and achievements were wiped from the Chinese web. It is still uncertain why they decided to blacklist her after the praise for winning the Golden Globes. As of now, we will have to wait and see if any new developments might give them a chance to release them in the booming market. Currently, it doesn’t look like their chances are good.

Source: Variety

May 12, 2021
Report: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Has Wrapped Production, Slated for Late 2021 Release

Principal photography on Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Ms. Marvel has wrapped in Thailand, according to a trade report. The series spent more than a month filming on location in Thailand after beginning production in Atlanta. According to the report, episodes 4 and 5 of the 6-part series were filmed overseas; according to rumors and casting information, we could expect to see Kamala bump into the Red Dagger, one of her allies in the comics, during that time.

Ms. Marvel was first announced at D23 in August of 2019 and is one of the studio’s most anticipated streaming series. After a long search for their Kamala Khan, Marvel Studios cast Iman Vellani in the role in September of 2020, shortly before beginning production on the series in November. Though we’re not quite sure yet when Ms. Marvel will debut, the trade report reiterates that it is expected to stream before the end of this year. Vellani will be moving into production on The Marvels later this year.

Source: Variety

May 11, 2021
‘Shang-Chi’ and the Potential of the Franchise

When Marvel Studios set out to make a film about little-known comic hero Shang-Chi, many fans wondered how the company would manage to put such a minor character at the forefront of their cinematic universe. It seems that Marvel Studios has taken cues from the recent relaunch of the character from 2015’s Secret Wars, in which a multiversal collision leads to the creation of multiple new realities. One of these garden-fresh worlds presents an updated take on Shang-Chi, where his father Fu Manchu (really) got replaced by the Mandarin and his Eurocentric world is swapped for a wuxia-inspired fantasyland.

The mini-series was popular with fans and led to the Master of Martial Arts receiving a larger role in the mainstream Marvel Universe. An array of rumors and fan theories have the character’s MCU future adapting multiple parts of his comic history. Now that we finally got our first glimpse confirming the modern inspiration, it also opens up brand new avenues for the franchise to expand. So, without further ado, here’s how the endlessly charismatic Simu Liu can effectively take his place as your new favorite Marvel hero.

Shang-Chi and the Agents of Atlas

It has been heavily rumored that Marvel intends to bring the Agents of Atlas to life following the release of Shang-Chi, and there is a chance the project comes to fruition as a Disney+ series between Shang-Chi films. The titular superhero team was originally brought together by Jimmy Woo after he took over a secret underground society called the Atlas Foundation. In recent comics, Shang-Chi was recruited, quickly becoming one of their most respected members. The “agent” title was not something new to Shang-Chi, who was once a part of England’s MI-6 after frequent team-ups with many of their high-ranking constituents. Some of those MI-6 agents are reportedly set to appear in Ten Rings, so the end of the film may see Liu‘s hero join their ranks.

If he does join MI-6 at the end of his solo adventure, he would more than likely be considered one of the world’s most capable government agents. Therefore, if Randall Park‘s Jimmy Woo should discover a post-WandaVision anomaly involving the mysterious Atlas Foundation, it makes sense that Shang-Chi would join his investigation. We’ve seen hints at Woo’s potential as a leader at the tail end of the latest Disney+ series. There is a chance that he and Shang-Chi might end up fighting for the leadership role. While the series would be more of an ensemble piece, it wouldn’t be hard for the hypothetical Disney+ project to lead into a more Shang-Chi-centric storyline in the future.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Iron Fist

Perhaps the most exciting possibility for a Shang-Chi sequel, and a popular one among fans, would be the introduction of Iron Fist and the magical world of K’un-L’un. If Marvel Studios wanted to take this route, they could ´´ continue drawing from the same alternate reality they decided to base Legend of the Ten Rings on. Shang-Chi and Danny Rand participate in a tournament to decide K’un-L’un’s fate, fighting side-by-side to end the contest and Mandarin’s master plans. Of course, a direct adaptation of this might not mesh with what we know about the MCU. Yet, combining elements of this plot with elements of Matt Fraction‘s The Immortal Iron Fist run could make for a compelling sequel story.

In his comics, Danny Rand got summoned to participate in the Tournament of the Seven Heavenly Cities. Each of the cities presented a champion with Rand representing his home. They fought for honor in a competition held once in a century. Iron Fist quickly discovered that the leader of K’un-L’un was corrupt and had sold out the Heavenly City to a foe in the outside world. Rand successfully leads an uprising, but not without the help of his fellow combatants and some friends on Earth.

Since K’un-L’un’s doors only open every ten years, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume they’d been closed for the duration of the MCU’s first three phases. Upon their opening, the Agents of Atlas could discover K’un-L’un’s existence with Shang-Chi volunteering to investigate the realm incognito. Once inside, our protagonist might get pulled into participating in the Heavenly Cities’ tournament, coming head-to-head with Iron Fist and the Immortal Weapons. A natural progression would be for Shang-Chi and Danny Rand to become quick friends, with the former eventually helping the latter takedown K’un-L’un’s corrupt leadership. It would be a great way for the MCU to expand the mythology of their world while continuing the through-line of martial arts tournaments and wuxia-inspired cinematography.

Source: GWW

May 10, 2021
‘MODOK’ Showrunner Jordan Blum Talks Working With Marvel Studios

Marvel TV has changed quite a bit since they started their ventures into television. They started the first connected series to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the release of Agents of SHIELD. It would expand with Agent Carter and the Marvel Netflix series. Everything has changed now that Kevin Feige took over that department, as they entered production on the Disney+ shows. Still, one aspect of the original studio remains with Hulu’s MODOK series. In an interview with ComicBook.com, showrunner Jordan Blum revealed that Marvel Studios was quite pleased with the project.

They really dug it and were really happy with the creative, and I think they saw that we were very respectful of, you know, everything that’d come before it. They really just let us do our own thing, you know and I don’t think we ever really got any notes or anything from them. They were just kinda like, ‘This is working, keep going.’

He also revealed that the Multiverse numbering is decided by the creator. As such, MODOK exists on Earth-1226 in tribute to his son’s birthday. It does also make us wonder if we might see other new universes join the mainline MCU, especially now that they are expanding the Multiverse in future projects. It would be fun to see a brief reference to the stop-motion animated series in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. the series was originally part of the Offenders crossover project. So, if it proves to be a success, we could potentially see Marvel Studios revive it as they remain focused on their MCU projects.

Source: ComicBook.com

May 9, 2021
How ‘Eternals’ Black Knight Could Connect to ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr

After a long wait, we finally got our first look at the Eternals in the latest trailer by Marvel Studios. It felt like an eternity since the film got announced, and the one-year delay didn’t help matters much. Now, we got our first taste of what is to come with some footage featuring the main cast of Chloé Zhao‘s upcoming film. There was, however, one noticeable absentee. Kit Harrington‘s Dane Whitman was missing, and even leaked merchandise doesn’t feature him. Yet, the question remains what role he may have in the series and moving forward. In a way, I believe the comics might offer a hint at how he and his iconic Ebony Blade might set up the story. In a way, it may even connect Eternals might help Gorr become the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder.

In the comics, Dane Whitman is the wielder of the Ebony Blade. The cursed blade gives him immortality at the price of his sanity. It makes anyone wielding it become bloodthirsty and absorbs their negative emotions. At one point, we learn that it connects to Knull. Another one of his weapons ends up in the hands of Gorr the God Butcher. His All-Black the Necrosword is, in reality, the first symbiote ever created and formed into a weapon that was able to slay a Celestial, which eventually would become Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Knowhere.

We still don’t know what role Whitman will have outside of being part of a love triangle between him, Gemma Chan‘s Sersi, and Richard Madden‘s Ikaris. As he wants to protect his love, he may pull the blade from its slumber against the warnings of his ancestors. Now donning his Black Knight armor, Whitman joins the Eternals in their battle against the Deviants. He wants to prove that humanity is not as helpless as they think. The man fights tooth and nail to hold his own. As he falls to his knees due to exhaustion, the sword takes control and shows the brutality of man. The love triangle has left its scars deep within his heart that the Ebony Sword abused.

Sersi, in a last-ditch effort, manages to separate him from the sword as he fights the inner demon trying to take control. To prove that these words were meaningless, he stabs himself with the sword to loosen his grip before it is cast out into space as it cracks. It isn’t until eons later that the destruction of Asgard during the battle between Hela and Surtur that the blade would regain its original form. All-Black has finally been released from his prison and seeks the missing part. The creature combines with the Ebony Blade as he lands on a deserted planet to become his original form. Looking for a host, he finds Gorr and their fusion leads to the events of Thor: Love and Thunder.

Whitman survives his wounds with the help of Ajak. He is also given a parting gift by Angelina Jolie‘s Thena in the form of a cosmic-based blade, which we got a glimpse of in the trailer. It could be how they introduce the Photon Blade. The Knull connection offers a lot of curious ways to play on the franchise’s newly introduced mythology. Venom‘s film rights in Sony’s possession, he might not join the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon. Still, they could retcon this connection at a later date to build upon it.

Source: CinemaBlend

May 8, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ VFX Head Talks How They Reinvented Falcon For the Show

The first and, maybe, the only season of Falcon and the Winter Soldier wowed audiences with its high-caliber sequences that rivaled any Marvel feature out there. It touched them with a poignant, resonant, as well as emotional story on race and purpose. We spoke to the show’s VFX supervisor Eric Leven, who gave us some insight into how the show was crafted in light of the pandemic and how some key character moments were influenced by the VFX department.

Along with Wandavision, Falcon took the brunt of all the effects of the pandemic delays. Disney+’s Assembled documentary for the series outlined their troubles, as they had to change their shooting locations unexpectedly from Puerto Rico to Prague. It also offered insight into how the pandemic limited their scope in location scouting. Leven gave us some details on what it was like for their department to work in spite of all the delays and how it worked to their advantage.

We actually never stopped. The VFX department never shut down. Obviously, the pandemic is terrible for everyone but for the VFX department, it was nice because we sort of rushed into production. With a lot of productions, their train is moving before all the tracks are laid down. When we stopped shooting, we were close to being done. I think we had a month to go. So when we stopped, that was a chance for us to take a step back, breathe, and think “How do we make these sequences better?” We had all the time to work that out which was nice.

The show didn’t just reinvent Falcon’s mantle and costume but it also changed the way he engages in combat. Now that he has the shield, Sam Wilson has an array of new abilities and tricks at his disposal. We asked Leven what the process was like in exploring his fighting style from when we first see him in the first episode to when we see him carry the shield in the finale.

The shield was a big thing. We spent a lot of time with our pre-viz department just coming up with different ways he could be using that shield. Different poses and different things he could do with the wings. There was a lot of conversations about how active the wings were. There was a big note to make sure the wings were not too prehensile. We didn’t want them to seem like they had a life of their own.

One notable change was Sam Wilson’s use of firearms. All of Falcon’s previous appearances in the MCU have seen him fire a few shots from his submachine gun mounted on his wrists. Leven revealed that guns were originally supposed to be part of Sam’s arsenal in the early stages of the show but were nixed as the VFX crew was staging his sequences. It’s a very fascinating detail that a lot of people may not have noticed and one that can be interpreted as a statement of how Sam operates as Captain America now.

I’ll tell you one of the things that came up. If you remember in all the other movies with Falcon, Falcon always has guns. The one thing we saw very quickly was, we had a pre-viz where he had the shield and he was shooting a gun over the top of it. It was just very interesting. I had a visceral reaction of, “Oh no. Captain America does not shoot guns.” So that was one of the first things to go.

Now, we’ve seen Steve Rogers carry a firearm along with his shield in the past. Captain America: The First Avenger showcases Steve firing a weapon multiple times all throughout while carrying the shield. Granted, it was World War 2 and every one of them had to have a sidearm but in modern-day iterations of the character, he no longer relied on it. Leven also talked about how nixing Sam’s firearm resulted in more visually interesting sequences for the character.

In this show, Falcon never fires a weapon. He doesn’t have a sidearm and that was something that was part of the original design but we jettisoned that pretty early. One of the things I’m most proud of in this show is in the very beginning. Sam, in the script, when he approaches the wingsuit pilot he’s gonna get rid of, just pulls out his gun and shoots him. I remember talking to Zoe and Kari like, “I have a better idea that doesn’t involve him shooting this guy in cold blood. Maybe we could use it.” So that’s how we came up with the idea of him actually flying underneath him and pulling his parachute and getting that guy out of the scene. I was really happy with that.

May 7, 2021
RUMOR: Monica Rambeau May Appear in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness will see the return of Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme. He will be joined by Elizabeth Olsen, who has been recently embraced as the moniker of Scarlet Witch after the events of WandaVision. So far, we do know that they will be joined by Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez. Now, it seems a familiar face may be joining the sequel. In a report by Full Circle, insider Daniel Richtman has revealed that Monica Rambeau may have a role in the upcoming sequel.

Teyonah Parris introduced the world to an older Monica Rambeau, who was first seen as a kid in Captain Marvel. She returned in the first Disney+ series WandaVision. In it, she played a vital role in Wand’s journey to acceptance and even gained powers of her own. It’s unclear what role she’d be playing in the movie, or if she’d even be suited up as her alter ego, Photon. She is confirmed to return in the now retitled Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels.

Her addition does raise a few questions. It would hint at the involvement of SWORD in the upcoming film, but she may also become an emotional anchor for Wanda. The after-credit sequence hinted at her finding a way to bring her children back to life. So, it would make sense for a familiar face, who saw what she went through, could help her through whatever journey she might face. It’ll be interesting to see how it all comes together once the film premieres next March.

Source: Full Circle

May 7, 2021
‘Captain America’s Anthony Mackie Already Preparing for His Next Big Project

Falcon and the Winter Soldier just ended a few weeks ago, but we’re still wondering what the future has in store for the newly formed Captain America. Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson finally took on the mantle at the end of the last season. In an interview withThe Daily Show’s Trevor Noah, they discuss getting in shape for Marvel movies. In it, he reveals that it takes around four months to get in shape for a role and ends up confirming he is already in preparation for the next one.

You take the four months. Like right now, I am at the end of the first month of the four-month process to get back away from Fat Mackie to Movie Mackie.

The way he phrases it also hints that he will join a Marvel Studios project that could start filming in the next three to four months. There is also the possibility that he may be joining one midway. It is unlikely he is going through extensive training for four months just to have a cameo. So, it seems likely he’ll have a substantial role that may also require him to be physically active. So, we could see the return of Wilson’s Captain America sooner than expected.

Of course, there is a chance he is generalizing and could be preparing for a different project, but he seems to be hinting at this being the regular process before joining a Marvel Studios’ project. There is also the recent announcement of Captain America 4, which he claimed he only heard about while shopping. The timing just seems interesting. Whatever role he might be preparing for, hopefully, we get some news on it in the near future.

If you are interested, you can check out Anthony Mackie‘s interview with Trevor Noah here:

Source: YouTube, Insider

May 7, 2021
How ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Set-Up a Joe Manganiello-led ‘Agent Venom’

There are enough signs that the upcoming Spider-Man threequel will explore the multiverse in one way or another. Of course, this opens up new possibilities to how they can further expand the franchise. With Disney and Sony making deals for Disney+, it seems like their partnership will extend beyond the release of No Way Home. Now, if we get reintroduced to some Spider-Man legacy characters, which Alfred Molina outright confirmed, we may also get a chance to see other characters join the franchise in the future. There were also rumors of Tobey Maguire getting spotted on the film’s set. Once the gears get turning, an idea popped in my head how a minor character from Sam Raimi‘s first Spider-Man film would be the perfect candidate for an unlikely spin-off. How about the multiverse gives us an Agent Venom project starring Joe Manganiello as Flash Thompson?

The actor only had a brief appearance in the first and third entries of the films. The role continued by Chris Zylka and Tony Revolori in the remakes. Since, the actor has played a variety of roles, such as Rampage, The Sleepover, and recently Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Sadly, it seems that his future as DC’s Deathstroke seems uncertain, but that also means there is another opportunity waiting. As the multiverse unfolds, there might be a new possibility to expand the franchise in creative ways. In the comics, Thompson ended up losing his legs during the Iraq War. Afterward, he enlisted in the Project Rebirth 2.0, which saw him bonded with the Venom symbiote. It gave him the same abilities as Spider-Man and new artificial legs. Manganiello’s Thompson is the only version that is connected to a symbiote that bonded with Spider-Man. As such, he would be the most likely candidate to recreate the origin story.

Tom Hardy‘s Venom remains disconnected from the rest of the franchise and already bonded with Eddie Brock without gaining any spider-based abilities. So, the best way to introduce the symbiote similar to the comics, where Spidey found it during 1984’s Secret Wars event. Instead of forcing Hardy‘s version to bond with Peter and then return to Eddie, the Spider-Man 3 variant already went through the process. Maguire‘s Peter did destroy it during the finale, but that doesn’t mean a part of it may have survived. So, the government got its hand on it and found a way to graft it unto a desperate Thompson. Years later, he is still an active agent and finds his way into an unfamiliar multiverse.

He is stranded in an unfamiliar world with dangerous living armor grafted onto his body. There was no one there to help him keep it under control, which meant he needed to find a solution. After breaking into a facility that offered him a solution to keep the Venom symbiote at bay, he ends up getting knocked out. Now, he ends up in the government’s captivity and is forced to join their efforts on repairing the aftermath of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He becomes a temporary asset for the Thunderbolt project but is trying to find a way home. The events left rifts across the world and he finally manages to get through one to follow the breadcrumbs back home. He ends up in a dystopian version of Earth that has been conquered by symbiotes, as their leader tries to call out to him. He is pulled away by the TVA before they are able to get close and is now enlisted to solve another world-altering event caused by his symbiote leaving a piece behind in the mainline Marvel Cinematic Universe. Morbius M. Morbius was already tired of having to deal with an unhinged Loki. It looks like their job isn’t quite done yet with the Multiverse.

May 6, 2021