Tag: Movie Features

Marvel Studios Already Teased the End of the Multiverse Arc

Avengers: Endgame Director Joe Russo made a great statement earlier today that “too much of one thing is a bad thing.” It was about the current trend of superhero films embracing the multiverse in their storytelling. To be fair, we’ve been quite spoiled with Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s way of handling its multiversal guests from Spider-Man’s cinematic past but not every project will manage that balance. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is just around the corner and has already teased the return of another legacy actor from Marvel. Yet, doesn’t it seem like we’re rushing through it?

The next entry in the MCU’s Multiverse Arc could’ve been dragged out quite a bit with multiple storylines exploring various multiversal scenarios. Even No Way Home could’ve split up its cameos and had one film introduce Andrew Garfield before building up to Tobey Maguire. Even Strange’s next adventure is introducing multiple cameos from across the multiverse in one neat package that is very likely the film’s version of the Illuminati.

They could’ve dragged this out quite a bit more, especially if you consider Loki, the series that kickstarted the multiverse, technically focused primarily on a single character’s “variety.” It eased us into the concept with the TVA, the rules of the concept, and opens the gateways to the fact that the same actor doesn’t have to play every version of the character. It’s strange to think how it eased us into the project before No Way Home just went: “Here are five classic villains, two former Spider-Man actors, and if Strange didn’t do his job there would’ve been millions more!”

It almost seems like the speed-up was on purpose. Yet, not to bank purely on the fact that the nostalgia will be strong with viewers, but to use the concept before it overstays its welcome. Revisiting the series that started it all, you start to realize why they are taking this route. They know exactly where it is heading and are spacing out the project in a way to build up to a film that may even surpass Avengers: Endgame in its size. Even if was indirectly teased, there’s no way it won’t end with a film based on Secret Wars.

The multiverses will collide and Kang the Conqueror is at the center of it all. So, it wouldn’t be too surprising to think that his storyline will end in a Secret War crossover. If we look at time as a flat circle, they are bound to repeat history and a new TVA would be formed in its wake. The Sacred Timeline will once again form only to be destined to break again. Our favorite heroes don’t know it but their stories are trapped in a loop. Even if they win the fight with the future He Who Remains being left behind, the story would still manage to find a nice way to end it.

Once we’ve exited the Secret Wars event, we might continue the stories of the various heroes, but the multiverse will no longer be a focal point moving forward. While it’s unclear if it’ll take three phases to get to that point, it seems that Marvel Studios has unshackled itself from a single overarching narrative but rather splitting up multiple roads. One thing is for sure, we already know where this one path will end and it seems that we’re on an express train towards it before it loses any momentum.

February 24, 2022
Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 18: MoM Trailer Reactions

Anthony Canton III

The trailer really gave us an inkling of what’s to come. Visually, it makes this movie feel like a spectacle of epic proportions. The multiple Strange variants and Wanda variants were quite the treat. It leans into some of what we know as far as Wanda being the real villain of the story. Seeing the Ultron bots and what seems to be Charles Xavier and the Illuminati was quite the shot. It was just enough of an appetizer to make us speculate and think what’s next.

One of the bigger questions personally, is we see what clearly seems to be a variant version of Mordo. Where’s the original one? With his plan of no more sorcerers from the end of Doctor Strange, it has to feel like he’ll be in direct conflict with someone like Wanda who’s been studying the Darkhold. To bottom line the trailer, you get the sense that the MCU is in the process of big change. When it’s all said and done you have to wonder if Kang will be waiting at the end to pick the bones of what’s left of this multiverse of madness.

Filip Manka

The new trailer looks fantastic to me and that board with Sam Raimi’s name on it is not a lie, because indeed his style is evident in this trailer. It was already clear at the teaser trailer that visually the film would be interesting and better than the “standard” Marvel movie, but this trailer has raised the bar and my expectations. It looks insane and conceptually it’s inventive and creative (the shot of Strange’s face falling apart or the zoom in on Wanda’s eye). Moreover, the special effects aren’t plastic this time and look spectacular, at least at the trailer stage, and the improved color grading and photo saturation enhance that layer.

Still my most anticipated MCU movie this year. I’ll swallow the cameos and fanservice, but let’s hope the direction and visuals will deliver because the trailer gave me an appetite for more. Finally, we get Ditko’s weirdness in a proper release. Raimi, I trust you <3

Joseph Aberl

I didn’t expect a full trailer drop during the Super Bowl, but what a way to let people know there’s a big one heading our way. The multiverse opens up many possibilities, and it was uncertain just how much the marketing might lean into it. Luckily, the trailer did exactly that while still offering a grounded focus on Strange as its central figure. The Patrick Stewart tease was fitting, as they leaned into the rumors without giving it fully away. We get small bits of the story here or there, as they still keep America Chavez as somewhat of a mystery. It did add a lot of excitement to its release and I cannot wait to see what the first 2022 Marvel Studios film has in store for us.

Mary Maerz

I absolutely adore how intense and eerie the trailer is–I think it is worth noting that there is not a single joke or moment of comic relief in the entire thing. The visuals so far look phenomenal and on point with what I would want in a Doctor Strange story. It was no secret that the movie would have horror-inspired elements, but the trailer really showcased that Multiverse of Madness might genuinely have a dramatically different tone than other MCU films. It’s pretty clear that Marvel is putting a lot of importance on this one, which is cool to see for a solo film, and for a film without the traditional A-team MCU heroes. I’m actually so excited! I really think it has the potential to be one of the most visually exciting, adrenaline-pumping, awe-inspiring MCU film. I’m ready for Wanda to go nutty. Mentally unstable, confident, evil-adjacent or adversarial women are vastly underrated. I have yet to see better villains or threats than those.

It did completely hide the ball when it comes to…the plot. I get that it wants to preserve some sort of secrecy, but it is hard to gauge from the trailer if the substance of the movie is going to live up to the grandiosity of the trailer and the potential I think it has. Honestly, I barely care about all the teases and surprise cameos at this point. Maybe it is No Way Home fatigue, but the idea of seeing mostly (I’m guessing) one-off cameos is cool but not something that is going to make or break the film for me. Big cameos are exciting, but less so after Twitter has thoroughly broken down every single one of them, and once they’re revealed, they lose that “wow!” shine pretty quickly. Don’t get me wrong, when we’re talking about a dive into the multiverse, there should definitely be some multiversal characters, but I hope they add quality rather than just fan service quantity.

Nathan Miller

I loved the trailer! I’ve watched it quite a few times since it debuted, and am still stunned by small discoveries I pick up with each new viewing. I’m fascinated by the fact that the story seems to be building for Stephen Strange from his debut, through other appearances and into this film. I love the themes that seem to be developing around control, corruption and complexities. I can’t wait to see Wanda and the spectacle it seems she will deliver! The trailer gives just enough hints and the things to come without giving too much away. Really intrigued by how it pushes the Marvel Cinematic Universe forward. The sign for whether I really enjoyed a trailer is how much I go back to watch it and whether the music sticks with me and both seem to be the case. In some ways, I can’t believe this film is real. I’m counting down the days until we can buy tickets and then go see it!

Charles Murphy

Not your run-of-the-mill Marvel Studios trailer…and I love it. Obviously, we’ll have to wait to see the movie until we know for sure, but it feels like Marvel Studios is working hard to move away from their standard fare and to begin creating some truly unique experiences for audiences. This seemingly began with Eternals and will continue with Moon Knight and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That starts with having a director on board with a strong vision and that, in this case, is Sam Raimi. I’d say this trailer looks more like a trailer for a Raimi film than a Marvel Studios film…and that’s just fine with me.

Dalbin Osorio

One word: amazing.
Marvel’s decision to give us as much as they did (a Captain Marvel that isn’t Carol Danvers, Patrick Stewart’s Xavier, a Sanctum that looks like it’s residing at the very end of time and may have Kang waiting for Dr. Strange) leads me to believe that a) we don’t know as much as we think and b) we know enough to continue piecing where we are headed.

Whispers Secret Wars.

The theme for Phase 4 seems to be that our heroes get put through the ringer post-Endgame: as if the fight to save the universe didn’t take enough, you now have Wanda losing Vision again, Strange losing Christine Palmer, and this is after Spider-Man lost MJ. This movie has the distinction of building out three new teams, I’d suspect: the Defenders, Illuminati, and the Young Avengers, all with very distinct missions going forward. The trailer gave us pieces of all 3, and left us with more questions than answers, and in that respect it accomplished it’s mission. Oh, and Professor Xavier has never sounded so regal.

John Sabato

First of all, Sam Raimi back in the directors chair and on a comic book film is just absolutely perfect. He’s such a bright mind and his filmography is amazing, so this movie is surely going to have that classic Raimi flair. Multiverse of Madness looks pretty nuts and, based off that new trailer, I feel like it can definitely live up to NWH and even exceed it. I’m definitely even more interested to see Cumberbatch and Olsen return as Strange and Maximoff after the ending of WandaVision. I feel like we’re gonna see a real push forward on the mystical/supernatural side of the MCU and see that expanded like crazy. But what really has me excited is how close the movie is and how we won’t have to spend months and months listening to awful fan theories and “will they wont they” like Superior Iron Man compared to how annoying the lead up to Spider-Man: No Way Home was.

Joao Pinto

he trailer certainly did its job in hyping up a movie that’ll prove pivotal to the MCU’s future. The Doctor Strange IP has managed to bring us some of the most innovative visuals ever since its 2016 debut, the battle between Strange and Thanos on Titan in Avengers: Endgame and even the Mirror Dimension sequence in Spider-Man: No Way Home. By taking advantage of these insane visual cues the trailer made the movie truly feel like a big cinematic event, that’ll manage to breathe fresh air into the MCU as a whole by moving away from the usual landscapes and moving into whole new realities. These new realities, apparently inhabited by not-so-new characters, are yet another huge draw that the trailer manages to bank on.

I’m personally mostly against bringing specific versions of characters into the MCU that perhaps should have been simply rebooted in this new universe. But the concept of the Multiverse basically permits infinite versions of each reality and/or character, and this allows for the best of both worlds. We now can get iconic actors playing iconic roles that bring the intended emotional resonance to the movie without really needing to bring all the useless baggage from their earlier features. And in that sense, the references to the cameos that we are all sure to get in a couple of months are immensely gratifying, making the trailer a home run on all fronts.

February 20, 2022
‘Uncharted’: Mid-Credits Scene Explained

Uncharted has only just landed in theaters, but that never means it’s too early to start speculating about a sequel. Like any good modern blockbuster, the movie ends with an extra scene that plays after the credits begin rolling, teasing the potential future of the franchise. Director Ruben Fleischer recently expressed interest in coming back for another treasure hunting adventure but made sure to clarify a second installment would be entirely dependent on the financial success of the first film. Luckily for Fleischer, and those hoping for more Uncharted, the movie’s opening weekend is doing just fine. Hopefully, this means the filmmaker will eventually get the chance to capitalize on that intriguing mid-credits stinger.

The scene in question features Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake, now a fully-fledged fortune seeker, doing business with a suspicious-looking individual named Gage, played by Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk. Of course, the deal quickly goes south, and Nate has to be bailed out by his new partner-in-crime, Mark Wahlberg’s Victor Sullivan. Although only a few moments longer, the sequence is an absolute delight for fans of the series. Not only does it feature the protagonists in game-accurate outfits, including Sully with a freshly grown mustache, but it’s chock-full of hints and references that may reveal where the next film is headed.

During Nate’s conversation with Gage, it’s mentioned that the eye-patch-wearing criminal works for an employer by the name of “Roman.” That bit of information should have set off alarms for any informed fan, as it refers to the very first threat players ever saw Nate and Sully face. Gabriel Roman, a wealthy British crime lord, and collector of artifacts, served as the main antagonist of the original Uncharted game. In Drake’s Fortune, the villain hires mercenary Atoq Navarro and pirate leader Eddy Raja to oppose the two protagonists in their search for the fabled El Dorado. With a small army of outlaws under his thumb, he nearly succeeds in killing Sully (who owes him a large debt) and proves to be a major thorn in Nate’s side. That is, until he’s betrayed by his accomplice, Navarro, and tricked into opening a cursed statue.

Though fairly similar in look, story, and demeanor to Antonio Banderas‘ Santiago Moncada, the mid-credits scene makes it likely that some version of Roman has been set up to be Nate and Sully’s next major adversary. Adding to this theory is the presence of Gage, who shares some things in common with the aforementioned Eddy Raja. Audience members with a keen eye might have noticed that Gage wields a golden pistol in the movie, the same weapon that Raja used for the duration of Drake’s Fortune. The pirate is also known for having a bit of a dramatic flair, which Gage demonstrates with his white suit and big temper. Perhaps Gage is intended to be a reimagined version of Raja, working in accordance with Roman? He could even be an amalgamation of Eddy and Navarro, condensed into a single character for use in a hypothetical Uncharted 2.

The events of the Uncharted movie drew inspiration from nearly every game in the series but seemed to primarily focus on elements from Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. With the inclusion of Roman and the Raja-esque Gage, it’s possible that the next film travels backward in series order and adapts the first game directly. However, a specific comment made during the Nate and Gage exchange could hint at another mishmash storyline, comprised of factors from multiple entries. In Drake’s Fortune, the only thing Roman wants from Nathan is his knowledge of El Dorado. In the movie, he instead seems interested in possessing Drake’s iconic necklace ring, which Gage implies is important to Roman’s goals.

If this sounds familiar, it’s probably because it’s one of the main plot points from Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. In the series’ third game, Nate and Sully go head-to-head with Katherine Marlowe, the ruthless leader of a secret Hermitic cult hellbent on finding the Atlantis of the Sands. Marlowe needed Drake’s ring to unlock a cipher device that would aid in locating the lost city and used all of the vast resources in her power to obtain it from around Nate’s neck. It’s not far-fetched to think Roman could need the ring for a similar purpose in the sequel, either to find El Dorado or take over Marlowe’s role in the story of Uncharted 3. After all, both villains are elderly and British, so it could be another case of amalgamation.

Also of note is the object Nate considers trading his ring for in the mid-credits scene. Gage, and by extension Roman, are the owners of a World War II Nazi map, something Nate is hoping to swindle away from them. In Drake’s Fortune, Nate uses a Nazi map in his quest to find El Dorado, and first encounters Roman and Navarro outside of an old grounded Nazi Uboat in the rainforest.

Ultimately, the mid-credits scene points the film franchise in a fairly specific direction. Unless the next project ignores this tease completely and goes with a wholly original storyline, a la Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, the second Holland-led Uncharted appears to be readying some sort of mix between the first and third games. Let’s not forget that Rudy Pankow’s Sam Drake, probably played by a new actor, will doubtlessly make a return, and Fleischer has stated he’d love to adapt the fourth game’s car chase sequence if he has the chance. So, maybe throw some more of Uncharted 4 in there as well?

Uncharted is now in theaters.

February 20, 2022
Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 17: Biggest Oscar Snubs

Jesse Hassenger

I generally think the term “snub” is overused when applied to Oscar voting, because it implies intentionality that is often overwhelmed by the chaotic whims of the voting body. For example, I thought Simon Rex gave one of the best performances of the year in Red Rocket, but given the movie’s subject matter, unusual tone, and lack of other nominations, I think it’s fair to wonder if enough voters bothered to watch it, or really understood it. On the other hand, enough people in the writing branch and directing branch loved Licorice Pizza enough to nominate it in those categories, and it made the cut on the Best Picture ballot, where everyone votes, so it’s safe to say a fair number of folks watched that one–and liked it, too! So I do think it comes across as a snub that Alana Haim, the rock musician and first-time actress who helps anchor that movie, didn’t make it in for Best Actress. Granted, Best Actress has been one of the most consistently competitive categories these last few years, and these nominees were lighter on actresses impersonating real people than I feared. But it’s still three-fifths based-on-a-real-person performances (one of which — Kristen Stewart — I think is absolutely terrific and deserves to win) and, again, that does feel like a conscious decision, to rate Jessica Chastain‘s Tammy Faye Bakker or Nicole Kidman‘s Lucille Ball a higher degree of difficulty than Haim. I understand the thinking: Kidman and Chastain are both beloved, respected, talented performers pretending to be other performers–while Alana Haim is playing someone literally named Alana, whose real-life family plays her family in the movie, and so on. Yet what Haim does in Licorice Pizza is so complicated–funny, charming, angry, anguished, relatable, occasionally inscrutable–that attributing so much of the movie’s success to writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t seem right to me (and I doubt it would seem right to him, either). And she does all of this as, essentially, a first-timer! Licorice Pizza is my favorite movie of 2021, and as much as I love Anderson, I don’t know if it would have hit me the same way without Alana Haim.

Mary Maerz

One of the most talked-about snubs is Denis Villeneuve not receiving a Best Director nod. I think Adam McKay also deserved a nomination in that same category for Don’t Look Up, or par with his nomination for Best Original Screenplay. But I also believe Cate Blanchett was overlooked for Best Supporting Actress for both Nightmare Alley and Don’t Look Up. Both managed to get Best Picture nominations with no acting nods, but she really stood out in both. Her character was a bit more comedic in Don’t Look Up, which is probably why none of the actors from the film ended up with nominations. But she was probably even more of a force in Nightmare Alley and carried that story.

Filip Mańka

Without a doubt, the biggest snub from this year’s Oscar Nominations is the absence of Denis Villeneuve in the Best Director category. Villeneuve is the creator, the architect for the biggest blockbuster of the year, which garnered 10 Academy Award nominations. The lack of a nomination in best director seems ridiculous and reprehensible, considering how strong Villeneuve’s presence was throughout the season, advertising Dune with his name. Dune is an auteur film, steeped in Villeneuve‘s vision, which manifests itself in his revolutionary approach to IMAX and the portrayal of scale on-screen. As a big fan of the Canadian director’s work, I can say that Dune is his most personal film, mixing many styles and dealing with themes close to his heart. A couple of years from now, we’ll be looking at the 2022 Oscars in disbelief that the mastermind behind one of the best sci-fi films hasn’t been nominated for an Oscar, while Kenneth Branagh has. The difference is that Dune will remain in Hollywood history, while Belfast will be forgotten by people relatively soon.

JJ Sabato

The biggest snub this year was for The Suicide Squad. I believe it should’ve been recognized for Best VFX and Best hair and makeup. For King Shark alone the film deserved this nomination, he looked incredible in every scene he was in and looked so real. Of course, Starro as well, him and his extensions as they rampaged through the streets of Corto Maltese. The makeup as well was incredible especially for characters like Polka Dot Man and Mongal. I think the VFX category this year just really dropped the ball when films like Godzilla Vs Kong, Eternals, and The Suicide Squad just were not acknowledged for their achievement in visual effects.

Hunter Radesi

It’s been a weird couple years for movie theaters. Audiences have largely opted to experience their cinema from the safety and comfort of their own home, and who could blame them? There’s a global pandemic occurring at the moment. Yet, the wild success of blockbuster films like F9 and Spider-Man: No Way Home sort of put a limit on that argument. If everyone is willing to throw their lives on the line for big-budget action, were they ever really concerned at all? And if not, what type of movie will get them off their couch? The answer, apparently, is not The Green Knight. David Lowery’s epic retelling of the Arthurian classic was one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had in a movie theater, for more reasons than one. From its heightened realism to its gripping Shakespearean dialogue, nearly every aspect of the film was executed to mesmerizing perfection. It is exactly the kind of project designed to simultaneously bait the Oscars and put people in theater seats. Which is why it’s so baffling Knight received exactly zero Academy nominations. If not for Best Picture, the movie should have at least scored noms for Adapted Screenplay or Cinematography. And Dev Patel? Robbed.

Joseph Aberl

The biggest Oscar snub in my opinion is that they still haven’t added a new nomination category for stunt work in the industry. It’s an essential aspect of cinema and it still gets no recognition by what is claimed to be one of the biggest award ceremonies of the industry. There has been some amazing stunt work done throughout the year and it just seems like a shame that they still refuse to give it any love.

February 13, 2022
Everything You Need To Know About ‘Turning Red’

March 11th sees the release of Pixar’s first offering of this year, Turning Red. Directed by Academy Award-winner Domee Shi, the film centers on a kid named Mei, a diligent, studious, and sassy pre-teen who one day wakes up as a giant, fluffy red panda. It’s up to Mei and her support system of friends and her mom to help her navigate life as she enters her first phase of adulthood.

Murphy’s Multiverse were given the chance to attend the film’s press junket that had certain members of the production including Shi herself, producer Lindsey Collins, and their talented crew of production designers and animators. Here are a few things we learned from Turning Red:

Director Domee Shi wanted to create a Pixar film with a female protagonist that was different from the other films

Pixar films have always leaned towards the fantastical and otherworldly. Whether it’s about a superhero family trying to normal lives, a robot living in isolation a millennia later, or a journey through the afterlife, these films are usually far removed from what we recognize in real life. Turning Red seeks to upend that. According to director Domee Shi:

When I first pitched the film, I really wanted it to feel different and unlike any Pixar film you’ve seen before. This is going to be Pixar’s first contemporary teen girl protagonist and I really wanted the world to reflect her character: colorful, chunky and cute, bold and in your face just like Mei. The term I used a lot to the crew was ‘Asian tween fever dream.’ We really wanted a fun, specific backdrop to tell this coming-of-age story, so we decided to set it in Toronto, Canada in the early 2000s.

The decision to keep it contemporary goes beyond the surface. The culture and norms of the era play a big part in giving the film such a distinct vibe. Shi adds:

Not just because it’s when I grew up as a tween, but it was also the height of tween-of teen pop mania in the late 90s, early 2000s, you had those boy bands, pop idols. We also just wanted to avoid social media and just kind of tell this story in a simpler time of flip phones, CDs, jelly bracelets, and Tamagotchis.

Rosalie Cheng was originally the film’s stand-in voice actor and not the star

Rosalie Cheng had no idea she was going to be the star of Pixar’s next big film when she signed on for Turning Red. The plan was to have her voice the protagonist Mei to give the production crew a sense of the character while they were looking for the right talent for the job. As fate would have it, they eventually realized that Rosalie was the right person. Producer Lindsey Collins says:

In our earliest version of this film, we found this local 12-year-old girl right here in the East Bay to record our temp voice for our lead character. And over the next year, we tried to look for other actors to replace her in the final film. Frankly, nobody came close. Rosalie Cheng had become the main character Mei and there was no other choice in our minds.

During the junket, they showed me and several members of the press a heartwarming clip of the moment they told Rosalie she was starring in the film.

It’s a film about growing pains

Turning Red is a lot of ideas rolled into one. It’s about puberty and the confusing physical changes that come with it. It’s about transitioning into adulthood while honoring yourself in the process. It’s about navigating through the cultures of your immigrant family while assimilating in a world that feels alien. As director Domee Shi described it, all of these ideas are distilled into a mother-daughter story about “finally embracing change and all of its messiness even if it means saying goodbye to the relationship they once had.”

Expect some fourth-wall-breaking inspired by Lizzie Maguire and Ferris Beuler

Protagonist Mei is as sassy as they come and with that sass comes the opportunity to have one with storytelling. Turning Red opens with a fun opening sequence that has Mei breaking the fourth wall. The inspirations for that choice are unsurprising but are welcome nonetheless. Shi said:

I just wanted it to feel different, in every way. And I don’t think we’ve done a fourth wall breaking sequence yet in a Pixar film. And, you know, I grew up loving those classic teen movies like Ferris Bueller but also those terrible but awesome Disney TV channel movies, where they had very precocious, sassy fourth wall breaking characters, like Lizzy McGuire. I kind of wanted to just take that energy and put that in this movie. It also kind of sets it in this nostalgic time period as well.

Black Panther and Mandalorian composer Ludwig Goransson is doing the score

Producer Lindsey Collins set out to form the best team, from top to bottom, to make Turning Red as great as possible. That task includes hiring the right composer to breathe new life to the striking animation. Collins settled on Ludwig Goransson, a composer and producer who has worked with the biggest artists today and has scored music for the biggest films. Collins had this to say about Goransson’s work on the film:

He brought this perfect mix of traditional score and also a deep early 2000s pop knowledge to the movie. I will say that the leap Ludwig’s score took from early demos to final recording was mind-blowing. I think largely because he added so many unique sounds and tracks on top of the traditional musicians’ tracks, it just made the film pop for us in a way that we were just thrilled for.

Billie Eilish and Finneas wrote original songs for the film’s in-universe boyband, 4*Town

Just as they set out to hire the best composer with Goransson, the production team also had the undertaking of hiring someone to compose songs for Turning Red‘s fictional in-universe boyband 4*Town. The boyband plays a huge part in Mei’s journey and therefore needed to be a realized thing. With the help of her kids, Collins’ first choice ended up being the songwriting partnership of Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas.

Billie Eilish was relatively unknown but adored by my kids in 2016, and her song Ocean Eyes was playing on repeat in our house. So when we started thinking about songwriters who could capture the early 2000s sound and bring something fresh to it, Billie’s name came up. After further research with the Disney music team, we had a better sense of Finneas and Billie and their influences, their style, and figured, you know, why not start with our dream choice?

To nab the biggest popstar and her equally successful producer of a brother, the production set out to make a notebook containing pictures, sketches, and diary logs – as if they were made by Mei herself – to convince them to board the project. The production was successful as Eilish and her brother said yes to Turning Red not too long after receiving the notebook.

Their songs truly brought 4*Town to life. Finneas actually even sings as one of the band members. He’s Jesse. In the end, they wrote three original songs for us.

4*Town was inspired by your favorite boy bands

Being a kid of the 90s, it’s unsurprising to know that Shi drew inspiration from that particular generation of pop culture. 4*Town is made up of a hodgepodge of boy band influences that spans Backstreet Boys and the present-day crazy of K-pop.

They’re definitely a homage to all the boy bands I loved growing up in the late ’90s and early 2000s: Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, O-Town, 98 Degrees. We really wanted them to also feel like multicultural and even though they are like a homage to the boy bands of that era, we wanted to bring like a little bit of a modern touch to them too. One of the boy band members, Tae Young, is a homage to the K-pop boy bands that I got into in-in college.

Anime is a big part of Turning Red’s DNA

Turning Red breaks the Pixar mold in a lot of ways, not the least of which is its distinct animation style that heavily draws from anime, a genre that Shi grew up loving. Animation supervisor Aaron Hartline revealed to the press the ways they sought to imbue a recognizable anime touch with Pixar’s signature hi-fi animation.

We wanted to tap into Domee’s passion for the two genres of animation that she loves, anime being the East and Pixar Disney animation being the West. Turning Red lives somewhere in between these styles. We took influences from both genres and merged them together. We often referenced anime eyes on this film. And one of the great things about anime is that it’s not afraid to push the characters’ designs to the extreme. The character’s eye shapes can be drastically different depending on the mood of the character. They even add hearts. Basically, anything to help the characters emote. In Turning Red, we wanted to use this same eye language. We added stars, highlights, shrink the pupils down to tiny dots and create crescent shapes for her eyes. Luckily, Domee had a really strong design sense. She would give us drawings for how the characters should look.
Aaron Hartline

Turning Red premieres on March 11 in theaters everywhere and Disney+.

February 7, 2022
Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 16: MCU Team-Ups

Nathan Miller

It’s really hard to choose the MCU team-up I’d most like in Phase 4. Normally, I’m most interested in 2nd or 3rd order interactions. The kind of question that usually gets me going is something like, ‘who will be teaming up with each other in 3 years time?’ but right now the source of my thoughts seems to come from projects we saw in 2021. The feeling that seems to follow around potential selections, is excitement for seeing familiar characters reactions to newness in other characters. As one of my favourite characters, I’m supportive of whatever Wanda does in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and am enthused to see reactions to her development as The Scarlet Witch. I’m also ready to see familiar Avengers characters react to Sam Wilson as Captain America, and I’m ready to see Sam lead a team of Avengers. Finally, I’m intrigued to see where Yelena Belova pops up next, so, no matter who she connects with I’ll be absorbed by her interactions with the rest of the MCU. Out of those three, I’m definitely most excited to see what Wanda gets up to, and what the reactions to it are!

Mary Maerz

Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer with just about anyone. I don’t have any deeper thoughts about it. Put him with Doctor Strange. Spider-Man. Sersi. Abomination. Korg. Miek. Jack Duquesne. Party Thor. Zombie Iron Man. Guy who filmed Shang-Chi on the bus. I don’t care.

Charles Murphy

Despite being surrounded by gods and monsters, there’s no more down-to-earth hero in the MCU than Sam Wilson. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier allowed us to get a better handle on who Sam is and, simply put, he’s a no-nonsense guy with a straightforward approach to solving problems. He speaks from his heart. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He knows EXACTLY who he is.

By the time we see Sam in the MCU again, a character who has absolutely no idea who is will have joined the fray. Given who Sam is, teaming him up with Moon Knight might provide some killer character interactions. Sam’s training as a counselor might make him feel as though he can connect with the Fist of Khonshu, but he’s not ready for Moon Knight’s particular set of issues. The Lunar Legionnaire could be an absolutely fascinating fly in Sam’s ointment in Cap 4.

Dalbin Osorio

For me, I’m really anxious to see a team up between the new Captain America and the new Black Panther. There’s a scene in the comics where Sam Wilson asks that his suit be made by the Wakandans, and he goes on to explain the importance of the African nation and how he should be connected to them in some way. In the MCU, we’ve now seen the beginning of that play out with Sam getting his new costume from the Wakandans. Seeing the new Black Panther’s reaction, and subsequent dialogue, to the new Cap being Black would be a a bad ass moment.

Hunter Radesi

This isn’t exactly a unique choice, but there probably isn’t a live-action Marvel pairing I’ve fantasized about more than Spider-Man and the Human Torch. Anyone who’s read the original run of ‘Marvel Team-Up’ knows this is the foremost duo, with meetings both humorous and touching coming in their respective solo titles as well. Peter and Johnny have an interesting chemistry, as young heroes with something to prove operating on opposite ends of the personality spectrum. Sure, the MCU may not have even cast it’s Torch yet, but this is a team-up that’s finally (finally!) possible for the first time on the big screen and I have a sneaking suspicion it will happen sooner than later.

Anthony Canton III

Considering the way Spider-Man: No Way Home ended, there’s one team up I feel would give Peter Parker not only the family vibe but a little bit of fun. What if Peter, in trying to stop a criminal, runs into Scott Lang? They never interacted in Captain America: Civil War, so it would be a fresh pairing, and while Scott doesn’t know who Peter is it could be used for some fun dialogue. Spidey and Luis could trade some stories and Ant-Man could help Spider-Man deal with whatever problem he has in the interim. Imagine a story where there’s an arms dealer (Justin Hammer perhaps?) and Spidey needs a little help against some formidable robots. Scott being a family man could give Peter some advice on whatever he’s currently dealing with. You get Scott, Hope, Cassie, and the rest of the crew and you have a fantastic team up movie.

February 6, 2022
A Tour of Malta Film Studios

I had the honor of attending the first-ever Malta Film Awards, as the small country south of Italy celebrated its long history. Besides their local productions, we were given a tour of their Malta Film Studio. The country’s film commissioner, Johann Grech, gave a personal tour to showcase their 54 years of history with filmmaking. Yet, even with that extensive history, they were truly put on the global film market through Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator. They went on to become the backdrop for Troy, Captain Phillips, World War Z, and just recently Jurassic World: Dominion. The Apple TV+ series, The Foundation, was also filmed at this studio, and some parts of the production remain.

Of course, this has catapulted the island to embrace its cinematic history and start investing to ensure it keeps building upon its success. As part of our attendance at the Film Awards, we also had the chance to visit their film studio with a tour by Film Commissioner Grech. The biggest selling point in their pools lies in how it creates a natural horizon, similar to how infinity pools work. They have two exterior tanks with one’s function being to recreate exterior shots above water. With the help of a variety of tools to replicate terrible weather even if it’s a sunny day in Malta.

The biggest tank is quite deep, which allows them to shoot underwater sequences. Commissioner revealed that their big plan for the future is to build a soundstage that connects to their diving pool. As an example, he highlighted that the soundstage would include its tank. So, you could, for example, have a submarine in one pool while a battleship is in the exterior. It’s certainly an ambitious project, which is described as only the beginning of their endeavors to further establish Malta as a hotspot for Hollywood productions.

We also got a chance to visit Fort Rinella, where they famously built the colosseum that became the centerpiece of Gladiator. It was also the backdrop for Game of Thrones and Sadly, most of the set is long gone, but there is one remnant left. The stairs that Russel Crowe‘s Maximus took to enter the arena still remain to this day. Rinella has a rich history for Malta, as highlighted by Film Commissioner Grech during the tour.

It’s rich in its history of filmmaking, as it is rich in its history of safeguarding Malta. This is the biggest fort that the Knights of St. John ever built here.
Johann Grech

Of course, they don’t film everything directly at the studios, as World War Z and Jurassic World: Dominion filmed on location throughout the island, such as their city Valletta. The latter was especially an exciting project for Malta, as they aren’t just a backdrop but also have the film’s story take place on the island. Malta’s investments are a big step towards leading more international productions to the country and they are also hoping to draw in a stronger film tourism crowd. It’ll b interesting to see just how much their studio lot may change as they start work on their expansions.

January 31, 2022
The DCEU Can Shine Even Without Superman and Batman

Quite recently the internet has been ablaze with rumors and reports regarding the future of the DC Extended Universe. They have stated that Batman and Superman would essentially have no role in the DCEU moving forward. Michael Keaton might take on a role similar to Nick Fury in the early days of the MCU. Their original roles will be taken over by Batgirl and Supergirl of the trinity. While it seems like there’s a bit of uncertainty on what’s to become of the DCEU, I don’t think all is lost. In fact, I feel like there’s even more potential now than there was ever before.

Obviously, Batman and Superman are essential characters to the comics mythos. They are the literal pillars of the DC Universe across all mediums, and rightfully so. Luckily the characters will live on in multiple other projects like Matt Reeves‘ The Batman, Batman: The Caped Crusader, My Adventures With Superman, Superman and Lois, as well as whatever DC has planned. The two aren’t completely gone from DC’s cinematic future. As such, they can continue to exist in their own separate projects while minor characters get a chance to shine in a connected DCEU.

That is exactly why we shouldn’t look at this as the end but rather as an opportunity. In this instance, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has proven how a franchise can build itself without some of its most iconic characters. Yes, there have been comparisons when people pointed out that the DCEU went a little too fast so that they could catch up with the MCU, but in this case, they should take a page out of their book. With this new direction, they may be unshackled like Marvel Studios once was.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was able to build without its pillar characters, as back in 2008 they only had limited access to their roster of characters. As such, the MCU was forced to start without the likes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and even the X-Men. They couldn’t access these characters that put them on the map. Instead, they worked with what was available at their disposal and built a universe with the likes of Iron Man, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Vision, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and many more. While it seems difficult to imagine a world without them, they weren’t well-known at that time.

The DCEU has a chance to dig through its incredibly rich roster of characters and give the spotlight to those that would’ve otherwise never gotten the chance. Marvel is at a place now where they can introduce characters like the Eternals, Echo, Shang-Chi, and many more to their universe and instantly turn them into household names. Even Moon Knight just recently had more views within the first 24 hours than series like Hawkeye, WandaVision, and even Loki. These are all characters that became fan-favorites after being part of the franchise for years, and this new character managed to outperform them.

So, even if the future for Batman and Superman in the DCEU is uncertain, this isn’t something to fear but rather embrace. These two characters have such a strong place in the cinematic consciousness of the public. They aren’t dependent on the rest, especially with Reeves‘ plans of building an entire universe based solely on Batman. So, the DCEU can reestablish itself and become even more interconnected as minor characters get their time to shine. We’re already seeing the new direction with projects on Black Adam, Blue Beetle, and more. This is just the beginning of a brighter future.

January 22, 2022
The Quintessential Street Villains That Need To Be In The MCU

All of Hawkeye, Echo, Moon Knight, Blade, and by association, She-Hulk serve as Marvel Studios’ first foray into the street universe. Just as Kevin Feige‘s think-tank built the cosmic, mystical, and multiversal mythology, the mythos of the MCU’s street universe needs to be built. Here are ten essential villains that would help grow it nicely.

The Rose

Wilson Fisk made his official debut in the MCU at the tail end of 2021 when he appeared in Hawkeye as the defacto big bad of the series, a performance that Vincent D’Onofrio drew from his own in the Daredevil Netflix series. It’s not entirely clear from that single appearance how this version of Fisk got to where he was but it certainly leaves a lot of space for new stories to build around the character.

What better way to build a different story for Fisk by introducing his son Richard, the bitter son who would eventually turn into the villainous Rose? Richard Fisk’s relationship with his father in the comics is nothing short of Shakespearean; a familial power struggle that culminates in a lot of betrayals. It’s the kind of drama we haven’t seen Wilson Fisk deal with in live-action and would make for one of the more interesting villain dynamics in the MCU.

Hammerhead

You can’t get any more street-level with a villain like Hammerhead, who was created as a callback to the mobsters of the Great Depression era. But despite his over-the-top appearance and persona, Hammerhead is a very modest character; he’s never been at the center of major street-level crossovers unlike some of his cohorts on this list. Yet that hasn’t stopped the character from being a key component of that side of the Marvel Universe. Hammerhead’s appearance in the Spider-Man DLC proved how menacing the character could be if done contemporarily. He’s a major player in the street game and has been known to rival the likes of Kingpin and The Hood.

Typhoid Mary

Typhoid Mary is an important character within the Daredevil mythology. An on-off lover of Matt Murdock, she regularly falls under the employ of Wilson Fisk and eventually makes her way onto the 50 State Initiative as Mutant Zero. Mary Walker bridges some of the quirkiness of the larger universe with the grounded ethos of the streets. She’s a mutant with dissociative identity disorder, whose multiple personalities often manifest with different abilities. She’s a telekinetic, telepath, as well as a pyrokinetic, making her one of the most lethal street characters in Marvel, not to mention, one of the more sinister-looking villains. A version barely resembling the comic counterpart appeared in the second season of Iron Fist but the quicker we can forget about that, the better.

Tombstone

Like Hammerhead before him, Tombstone is an A-list member of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, having busted the skull of the wallcrawler numerous times over the years. The character has a strong rivalry with Robbie Robertson, a character known to orbit around Peter Parker’s life as his Daily Bugle superior. A lot of Spider-Man’s key encounters with Tombstone involve Robertson in some way. So as the MCU launches Peter’s next phase in life, which hopefully involves the Bugle and Robertson in some way, the room for a character like Tombstone just keeps getting wider.

Madame Masque

A version of Whitney Frost may have served as Agent Carter Season 2’s big bad but that shouldn’t preclude the actual Madame Masque from appearing in the MCU down the road. Born Giulietta Nefaria, heir to the fabled Maggia criminal empire, Madame Masque is as much of a street character as she is a heavy-hitting Avengers villain. The character has crossed paths with the likes of Moon Knight and Hawkeye, the latter’s solo show she was rumored to appear in last year.

Turk Barrett

Turk Barrett represents one of comic’s most marginalized groups of characters: lowly henchmen. Yet he’s the henchman to end all henchmen, garnering notoriety for being a pestering reoccurrence in Daredevil’s radar and a one-time wielder of an Infinity Stone. The character was brilliantly brought to life by acclaimed actor Rob Morgan in the Netflix shows and he would certainly be welcomed with open arms should that opportunity return. He’s Turk Barrett, baby!

Mister Negative

One of the best parts of the PS4 Spider-Man game was how it put Mister Negative at the forefront of Spidey’s rogues gallery. It not only proved that there was more to Spidey’s rogues gallery beyond the Sinister Six but that the character of Martin Li was perfect for a live-action take. From a visual and power-set standpoint, Mister Negative already stands out among Spidey’s antagonists, boasting dimensional abilities that rival both Cloak and Dagger’s. On top of those qualities, he’s also a compelling villain with a layered backstory.

The Hood

Given the prominence of mysticism and the occult, it’s almost impossible to imagine the MCU’s future without Parker Robbins aka The Hood in it. The Hood is best described as a Marvel Gus Fring if Gus Fring stumbled onto a demonic ritual, stole occult paraphernalia, and become a sorcerer in the process.

The Hood entered Marvel prominence during Norman Osborn’s Dark Reign, where he ascended to the top spot of the criminal empire. Parker Robbins was also, at one point, in contention for the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. His Crime Syndicate was home to a lot of villainous heavy-hitters and would go on to prove highly formidable. The idea that a gun-toting, demon-summoning mobster could be in the MCU is a no-brainer.

Bullseye

You can’t have Daredevil in the MCU without Bullseye. If the Kingpin was to Daredevil the same way Norman Osborn is to Spider-Man, Bullseye is definitely Daredevil’s Venom; the secondary arch-nemesis whose skillset and penchant for disorder rivals that of the protagonist.

Bullseye is evil-incarnate which, in many ways, gives him such a powerful presence on the page. That a blind Catholic from Hell’s Kitchen is one of the few who can hold a candle up to Bullseye’s evil makes that rivalry so twistedly poetic. While I’m not entirely a fan of Daredevil Season 3’s troubled incel take on the character, Wilson Bethel‘s twitchy performance alone makes for a convincing argument for him that he get a second shot at the character.

The Punisher

Frank Castle may not be a villain in the modern sense but he’s certainly butted heads with enough Marvel heroes to be considered an antagonist. In fact, Frank Castle would also be the first person to tell you not to revere him as a hero. Unfortunately, an aspect of the character’s legacy continues to endure this day for a lot of wrong real-world reasons.

Perhaps one way for Marvel Studios to bypass the ugly aspect of that legacy is to bring Frank Castle into a world far removed from our real one. Have the Punisher fight over-the-top monsters, superheroes, and supervillains. Use what the playground that is the MCU has to offer to give us a different kind of Punisher. Bring Jon Bernthal back while you’re at it.

January 10, 2022
Top 5 Candidates For The New Justice League

Recent rumors have sent fans of the DCEU into a bit of a crisis, pun intended. At the center of recent controversy is the fate of the Justice League within the shared universe and just what the team roster will look like in future appearances. Luckily the DC Extended Universe continues to grow and offers plenty of prime candidates who’ve joined the team in the pages of the comics and could eventually become a member in live-action.

Honorable Mention: Hawkgirl

The only reason Hawkgirl did not make the actual list is due to the uncertainness surrounding the character in the DCEU. The existence of Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, would point to Shiera Sanders Hall existing somewhere within the greater DC Universe. The character is a current member of the Infinite Frontier Justice League line-up and played a prominent role in the Justice League The Animated Series in which she was quite the fan-favorite character.

5. Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz

Both cuts of Justice League confirm that Green Lanterns do indeed exist in the DCEU however the corps has been AWOL and yet to make an appearance in the present day. Both Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz will make their live-action debuts in the upcoming Green Lantern series on HBO Max, and while the status of the series canonicity in the DCEU is still up in the air, the two would make great additions to the league. The pair joined the league in the place of Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart upon the beginning of DC’s Rebirth storyline and have been present in the DC Universe ever since.

4. Shazam

Billy Batson is probably one of the most beloved characters in the DCEU with one of the best films; of course, he’s a viable candidate for the Justice League, especially with how the Shazam! ended. Rumors surrounding the future of the team state that he could very well indeed be one of the newest members. The character has been a come-and-go member of the team since the launch of the New 52 and has been a popular addition ever since.

3. Zatanna

Zatanna is in a similar situation to Hawkgirl, but we actually know for a fact that the character is coming with a solo film in the works from academy award-winning screenwriter Emerald Fennel. While the character will most likely be a member of the Justice League Dark, this doesn’t exactly keep her from the Justice League. If Constantine leads the JLD and Doctor Fate represents magic on the JSA, Zatanna should have a place on the JL as she’s quite a powerful magic user and the league lacks someone that specializes in that.

2. Martian Manhunter

A character who was there at the very beginning, Martian Manhunter is a founding member of the Justice League and should be a member of the team. He possesses a variety of different abilities and powers that make him worthy of a spot on the team. In recent years, the character has taken a bit of a backseat, with Cyborg taking his spot on the team when the New 52 came around. The character was only revealed to exist and be General Swanwick in Zack Snyder’s Justice League which isn’t technically canon to the mainline DCEU, but the character could still find a place in the DCEU and on the League in a post-Flash universe.

1. Black Canary

Jurnee Smollett’s debut as Dinah Lance in Birds of Prey was praised by fans for her portrayal of the character, and people instantly craved more of the character. Jurnee is set to return as the character in her own solo film, as well as rumored to appear in Batgirl. The character is usually seen on the team alongside Green Arrow, who has yet to make an appearance in the DCEU, but existence is sure due to a graphic image featuring Lexcorps corporate rivals listing Queen Industries. What we’ve seen from Dinah so far has proved she can hold her own and harnesses a killer canary cry. With Jurnee wracking up a few more appearances and quickly becoming a prominent character in the DCEU, a spot on the league is what she deserves.

The DC universe is vast and full of plenty of diverse and beloved characters and while things may feel familiar it’s also important to welcome a bit of change. The Justice League is a team that’s gone back decades and featured an ever-expanding and transitioning roster of characters so these additions wouldn’t feel out of the ordinary.

January 4, 2022