Tag: Marvel Studios

Paranoia Will be at the Heart of Marvel Studios ‘SECRET INVASION’

Secret Invasion was one of Marvel Comics largest scale line-wide events; however, according to Kevin Feige, the upcoming Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series won’t try to match the scope of the comics. In an interview with comicbook.com’s Brandon Davis, Feige set some expectations for what to expect from the newly announced series:

Well, there were more characters in the Secret Invasion comic series than there were in Endgame so, no,” Feige admits. “It’s not that but it very much is a showcase for Sam Jackson and Ben Mendelson and tapping into the paranoia elements of the Secret Invasion comic series that was great with the twists and turns that that took. So, that’s certainly our focus more than, ‘Can we cram in more characters than Endgame? like publishing?’

The marketing campaign for the comic series centered on a series of “Who Do You Trust?” ads, adding to the uncertainty of just which Marvel hero was a Skrull and which one wasn’t. It’s great to continue to hear that Feige’s plans aren’t to outdo Endgame in terms of scope, but rather to explore new pathways to deliver on some of the classic Marvel Comics stories.

Source: comicbook.com

January 10, 2021
Kevin Feige on the Genesis of ‘WANDAVISION’

During today’s WandaVision press junket, I was able to ask Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, about how his late grandfather’s work on the Dick Van Dyke Show might have led to the creation of this series.

Me: “You guys just did talk quite a bit about Dick Van Dyke and while we were researching and thinking about what to talk to you about, we noticed that your late grandfather, Robert Short, worked on the show as an executive for like 5 years. I was wondering if you could talk about how that might have led to this project and how special it is to you to get to pay tribute to him in this way.“

Kevin Feige:

It is special. My grandfather worked for Proctor and Gamble…and Proctor and Gamble was, back in the day, sponsor and producer on mainly soap operas but in the early, early, like 50s and 60s I think they did some primetime, so I don’t know that he was actually on the show but he was one of the sponsors and companies behind the show. And that might have had a little to do with it.

Feige went on to explain how his childhood love for sitcoms lead to the development of WandaVision:

There’s something fun that has happened. It’s mainly I watched too much TV as a kid and TV meant a lot to me and I found comfort in television families. One thing we talked about early on is these are not parodies, this is not direct satire…we love these things and they meant a lot to us, dated and silly as they may seem now, there’s a comfort factor there. So that was the primary factor behind…and the comic inspiration, of course, is what lead us to putting these ideas together.

And it wasn’t just Feige’s background that led to the series. Many of the people involved with the show, and with Disney, have a history with sitcoms:

There is a wonderful thing though that happened with Matt’s background as he’s talked about, which is so amazing. Lizzie’s background with her sisters, which didn’t even occur to me until I think we were standing in the writers’ room with pictures of Full House on the wall and I went, “Oh, right.” And yes, the connection with my grandfather going way back and even the people who oversee Marvel Studios and created Disney Plus, Bob Iger, ran ABC, I think, he was very influential in putting Family Matters on the air. And Alan Horn ran some of the greatest, biggest sitcoms of all time. And to a certain point, Matt included, this was everybody’s past, and it was fun to hear stories as we worked on this series about all these people that we worked with every day and getting an insight into where they come from. My grandfather being one of them.

And then there was Feige’s last comment of the day, “That was a good backup question.”

We’ve heard plenty about WandaVision was something near and dear to Feige’s heart and there’s no doubt that this interview shed some light on that.

WandaVision streams THIS FRIDAY, January 15th.

January 10, 2021
Kevin Feige Teases Their Approach to ‘WandaVision’ And Future Disney+ Shows

Marvel Studios has become an established force within cinema. Their films have become Blockbuster mainstays since they kickstarted with 2008’s Iron Man. Now, they are heading into completely new territory, as Disney+ will kick-start their new venture into long-form storytelling. At first, it just sounded like we were getting the type of films we are familiar with just stretched out to explore characters in new ways.

Well, it was until all the pieces came together to reveal how the upcoming release of WandaVision would change that impression. It wasn’t what we used to, as we saw our favorite heroic couple living a suburban life inspired by classic sitcom shows. During today’s press junket, it seems Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that we can expect a lot more wackiness in the future.

Kevin Feige: “And the idea was always to do something that can’t be done as a feature. Plays with the format and plays with the medium. And there were a lot of meetings before people understood what we were going for.”

It certainly sounds like their future projects will redefine our understanding of what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is. There is also a good chance that the films will start to embrace more creative directions as the franchise continues to expand. When the MCU started, it’s big selling point was that each film tried to replicate a different genre with superheroes. To give a few examples, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a 90s spy thriller while Guardians of the Galaxy added a space opera to the franchise. It is exciting to see them expand the concept more, as many announced projects already tease this direction. She-Hulk was teased as a legal drama and Moon Knight will dive deep into his broken psyche. It is going to be exciting to see how the franchise continues to grow in the coming years.

January 10, 2021
‘WandaVision’ Stars’ Performances Were Inspired By ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘Bewitched’, and Many More

When WandaVision was first announced back in 2019, fans were promised something, unlike anything the Marvel Cinematic Universe had done before. As news from the show started to trickle in, we learned that WandaVision would pay homage to various sitcoms across multiple eras of television. During today’s press junket for the upcoming Disney+ series, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany discussed a bit where their inspirations came from, as they explored the history of sitcom actors to base their various interpretations off of.

Elizabeth Olsen: “It was an amalgamation of Mary Tyler Moore and Elizabeth Montgomery, and I think I accidentally threw in some Lucy [Ball] in the 70s, just because there was so much physical comedy.”

Paul Bettany: “I was just so worried about that initially I was like: “Wow, this feels so different”, as I read the script and how do I keep him the same…and then I realized, he’s always being or becoming something else, you know? He’s J.A.R.V.I.S., he’s Ultron, he’s part Tony Stark and he’s Omniscient, but he’s also this sort of naive. And then I realized; “Well, I’ll just throw a little bit of Dick van Dyke in there in a little bit of Hugh Laurie.” I think what Vision is is just decent, honorable, and only exists for Wanda.”

It certainly sounds like they did their homework to showcase the physicality and portrayal based on the era they were in. Jac Schaeffer also referenced their approach with each different era’s accent being embraced and adopted. She likened it to creating a period piece for each entry. We can’t wait to see how it all plays out in WandaVision, when it hits Disney+, this coming January 15th.

January 10, 2021
Phase 4 Slate Still Uncertain

In the Summer of 2019, Marvel Studios One-Above-All Kevin Feige unveiled the MCU’s Phase 4 which, at the time, consisted 10 projects stretching from May of 2020 through November of 2021. Of course, the COVID pandemic changed everything and here we are in January of 2021 without having seen any Marvel Studios content in over a year, though WandaVision is just around the corner. With all the shifting and shuffling, today’s WandaVision press junket seemed like a great time to clarify just how much things have changed.

Me: “I know we just talked about WandaVision kicking off Phase 4, with all the shuffling that’s been going on with the release slate changing and then some of the announcements, could you clarify where Phase 4 kind of ends at this point.”

Kevin Feige: “No.”

I’ve never been so excited to be told no in my life. Now it’s easy to read too much into this, but given the amount of time Marvel Studios had to think things over during the pandemic, it’s entirely possible that they have rethought the structure of Phase 4. At any rate, it would certainly seem that it’s no longer exactly what it was at SDCC ’19.

January 10, 2021
“WANDAVISION” Will Explore Monica’s Life After ‘CAPTAIN MARVEL’

When Kevin Feige announced that Teyonah Parris would be showing up as a grown-up Monica Rambeau in WandaVision, fans put on their thinking caps trying to determine how Monica would fit in. The trailers and TV spots have given us a little hint about what Monica is up to, Parris says that the series will definitely fill in the gaps.

Monica has “definitely been through some things and seen some things…we actually do get to learn particularly what those things are Monica has seen and gone through and how they have shaped her life.” Parris went on to say, “We will actually touch on that A LOT through the course of the show.”

“We met Monica in Captain Marvel as a little girl, and basically in WandaVision we pick up with who she is now as a grown woman and through the course of the show we find out what she’s been up to what’s happened for her between that gap in the years and how she’s grown and evolved or not and we just follow her along.“

While WandaVision is clearly a show with the unusual couple at its center, it’s intriguing to know that it’s going to take some time to fill in the gaps of what Monica has been up to since the events of Captain Marvel, which took place in 1995. It certainly seems like Monica is headed for big things in the MCU.

January 10, 2021
Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead Join ‘Moon Knight’

We are only a week away from WandaVision finally premiering. Disney+ will be a new hub for Marvel Studios to expand into completely new territory. They have already revealed a wide variety of shows that include the introduction of the teenage superhero Ms. Marvel, Clint passing on the torch in Hawkeye, and chasing the legacy of Captain America in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. One of the biggest additions is the inclusion of Moon Knight. The story about a former mercenary losing his mind and becoming a vigilante has just as many facets as Marc Spector has personalities.

It was a huge reveal when it was announced that Oscar Isaac was being eyed for the lead role. Shortly after, we got the confirmation that Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab was also going to join the show, which is spearheaded by showrunner Jeremy Slater. It looks like he will be joined by two more directors, as The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will also be directing some episodes. There is no exact number given, but THR confirms that Diab will be responsible for a sizeable chunk of the episode count.

The show is expected to start filming in Budapest as of March. Benson and Moorhead have made their name with their low-budget horror film in 2013, Resolution. They got on Guillermo del Toro‘s radar after the release of their film Spring a year later. Their latest film Synchronic included Marvel veteran Anthony Mackie in its cast. It’ll be interesting to see what they bring to the table, as they explore Spector’s broken psyche.

Source: THR

January 8, 2021
Marvel Studios’ ‘Legends’ Is Good, But It Can Be Better

Yes, I used a tagline from Wonder Woman 1984 to discuss Marvel Studios’ latest addition: Legends. I can’t help myself, as the title was just too perfect. The first Disney+ original show produced by Marvel Studios is an interesting one. Technically speaking, WandaVision will be the first actual show, but this is the first series released by Marvel Studios. It even is categorized as a documentary series interesting enough. The idea is perfect for any Disney+ subscriber who doesn’t have a categorical memory of Marvel Cinematic Universe history. I enjoyed watching the premiere episodes, but it felt like something was missing. It wasn’t until I saw a tweet by @RICHARDLNEWBY that my gears started to turn. So, I started to ponder ideas that could’ve made this good series even better.

Right now, Legends is an official supercut of each character’s history in the MCU. The first episodes highlight the moments that defined Wanda and Vision’s journey so far. The series exists to build up the release of WandaVision and every subsequent franchise. It is no longer than seven-minutes per episode and re-uses existing assets to highlight their journey to this point. It works well and is a great idea to help those that haven’t actively memorized every moment or just needed a pick-me-up after the year-long hiatus.

Yet, it feels like there was an opportunity here to do more. As Newby pointed out, there is no mention of the character’s comic origins, no interviews with the actor, or even highlighting their transition from concept art to live-action. It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to showcase all the artwork and ideas that never made it to the screen. Especially now, as specific entries in Marvel Studios’ Art Of book collection aren’t easy to purchase.

However, I want to go one step further and highlight what I believe to be the truly missed opportunity of this base concept. Legends could’ve been an actual show with its cast. I think it should’ve been the MCU’s version of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross‘ iconic Marvels mini-series. The Daily Bugle has already gotten introduced in Spider-Man: Far From Home, so it would’ve been the perfect time to introduce Phil Sheldon.

We see all these events unfold from the perspective of a regular news reporter. In each episode, Sheldon works on a case that revolves around one of the characters. For example, he could’ve explored Wanda’s sudden disappearance. It would lead him to retrace her steps, visit the remains of Avengers Headquarter. He may interview people that worked there and their impression of the former Sokovian. In a way, his existence allows Marvel Studios to fill in the blanks that occur between each film’s release. We get witness accounts of various events and gain a new perspective.

It probably is an unrealistic expectation that this show would exist to fill in the blanks. The route they chose was the financially most viable option, as you don’t need to cast people, write scripts surrounding each episode while also mapping out productions so it’ll be ready in time. Still, I would love to see this concept explored as a Disney+ series at some point. It is the reason I started the podcast series LockeDown, as it was just such a fun idea to explore the MCU beyond the heroes we know. The Legends concept is good as it is, but I believe there is a lot of potential here to make it a great and memorable addition to Marvel Studios’ library of content.

January 8, 2021
Karen Gillan May Be Joining ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Australian Production

It looks like we might have one more member of the Guardians of the Galaxy joining Thor: Love and Thunder. A while back it was confirmed that we would at least see Chris Pratt return as Star-Lord, but there was no real confirmation if the entire team of ragtag space adventurers would also make an appearance. We barely know if they play into the story in any way after Thor left with them into space at the end of Avengers: Endgame. As the production is set to start in Australia, we’ve been keeping an eye out for any member of the team heading out there. Luckily, our very own Lizzie Hill noticed the actress Karen Gillan sharing some pictures of her arrival in Australia on Instagram.

Of course, her being in Australia does not confirm her participation in the film directly. It would make sense for Nebula to appear in the film, as we also saw her on the Guardian’s ship when they left Earth. Still, her inclusion makes absolute sense, especially as Star-Lord is already confirmed to appear. I could imagine that Thor is trying to help them during one of their missions but ends up screwing up, which gets him ejected from their ship. While he has gained some of his confidence back, he might still need some time to recover mentally from the events. Marvel Studios did confirm that a part of the film will focus on Jane Foster and Valkyrie, so who knows if the Guardians are really around for much of the film. Hopefully, we get some kind of confirmation soon, but it is fun to speculate.

Source: Instagram

January 7, 2021
Michael Waldron Disney Deal Confirms ‘Loki’s Second Season

About a year ago, Charles had heard some rumblings that the upcoming Disney+ series Loki may have a second season. It mainly was connected to references of “actors being brought on board for lead and major supporting roles” with options for a possible second season included in their deals. Now it looks like that these rumblings were true. According to Deadline, Michael Waldron, the executive producer and head writer of Loki, has a major career ahead of him with Disney. He will take over writing duties for Kevin Feige’s Star Wars film and many more IPs. Apart from working on Kevin Feige‘s upcoming Star Wars film. In the article, there is a mention that Waldron will return in some capacity for the show’s planned second season.

This deal is significant for several reasons. For one, signing on an Emmy award-winning writer for multiple projects, which includes two of the biggest IPs in the world, shows an incredible trust in Waldron‘s work. It also is a clear sign that there are big plans for the character. The upcoming Disney+ series will see him join the Time Variance Authority in some capacity and exploring the different parts of human history. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is confirmed to include Kang, they might be wanting to explore the aspect of time travel even more. It also might have some strong multiverse ties, as Waldron is also the writer of the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness film.

Source: Deadline

January 7, 2021