Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie Features

  • The Top 10 Worst Movies of 2022

    The Top 10 Worst Movies of 2022

    It’s that time of year – time to cringe at the top cinematic disasters that disappointed us the most in the last 12 months. These are the films that made us want to burn down the movie theatre and never look back. We highly recommend avoiding these at all costs, unless you’re a psychopath with a fiery love for burning money. 

    10- Jurassic World Dominion ★★½☆☆

    Four years after Isla Nublar was destroyed, dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

    Review: The movie is a lifeless corporate excuse for a poorly written nostalgia comeback of the original cast. Filled to the brim with worthless exposition and failed stabs at building ANY emotion. The dialogue is atrocious, the characters are shallow and the plot is boring.

    9- Uncharted ★★½☆☆

    A young street-smart, Nathan Drake and his wisecracking partner Victor “Sully” Sullivan embark on a dangerous pursuit of “the greatest treasure never found” while also tracking clues that may lead to Nathan’s long-lost brother.

    Review: The film adaptation of Uncharted seems like it should be a no-brainer – full of action, adventure, and treasure-hunting. However, the execution of this movie leaves much to be desired. The CGI is unrealistic, the dialogue is uninspired, and the action scenes feel cheap. It’s a shame that this attempt at a movie is now attached to such a loved franchise.

    08- The Menu ★★☆☆☆

    A couple travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.

    Review: I had high expectations for this film, but it ultimately fell short. While it had a fresh premise, the execution was flawed and the events depicted made no sense. Luckily Anya Taylor Joy and Ralph Fiennes’s performances made this pretentious mess tolerable. Honestly, I was really disappointed by the lack of effort put into the horror aspect of this thing. It was like they were too afraid to go all in and just ended up with a tame and unimpressive result. After almost two hours, it just fell flat and left me feeling underwhelmed.

    07- Amsterdam ★★☆☆☆

    In the 1930s, three friends—a doctor, a nurse, and an attorney—witness a murder, become suspects themselves and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in North American history.

    Review: This film is a mess from start to finish. The plot is confusing and the director’s attempts to address serious themes like racism and fascism are shallow and misguided. The film can’t even decide what genre it wants to be and fails to deliver. The only redeeming factor is the strong performances from the cast that make this movie barely watchable.

    06- Don’t Worry Darling ★★☆☆☆

    A 1950s housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamorous company may be hiding disturbing secrets.

    Review: I don’t know what I was expecting from this film, but it certainly wasn’t a complete disaster. It was like a white-washed live-action of an Isekai anime. Florence Pugh seemed to be the only one trying to salvage this mess, but even her performance couldn’t do shit. The cinematography was probably the only redeeming factor, but it’s not enough to make up for the incoherent plot and completely ridiculous character motivation.

    05- Samaritan ★½☆☆☆

    Thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary suspects that his mysteriously reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith is actually the legendary vigilante Samaritan, who was reported dead 20 years ago. With crime on the rise and the city on the brink of chaos, Sam makes it his mission to coax his neighbor out of hiding to save the city from ruin.

    Review: While this superhero film may try to present itself as deep and introspective with its themes… the execution is a complete disaster. The storyline is twisty for the sake of being twisty, and the acting is barely tolerable. The cinematography may be well-oriented, but the editing is messy and the visual effects are laughably bad. The dialogue feels like it was taken from 8-mile and the antagonists are one-dimensional and annoying. To top it off, the conclusion is lacking and makes little sense. All in all, this film is a complete mess and a complete waste of Sylvester Stallone‘s talent.

    04- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore ★☆☆☆☆

    In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, though he’s unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

    Review: This is just another example that we can’t have nice things, this feels like an insult to what the source material established years ago and a slap to the fans of the Harry Potter franchise. One can only hope that Warner Bros. stops milking the franchise and that JK Rowling stops pretending that she cares about her creation as both parties seem keen to green-light projects that have no care nor love for what they’re part of.

    03- Spiderhead ★☆☆☆☆

    A prisoner in a state-of-the-art penitentiary begins to question the purpose of the emotion-controlling drugs he’s testing for a pharmaceutical genius.

    Review: Two hours of pure chaos, filled with poor writing and even more subpar acting. It disappoints me that such a growing and talented actor like Miles Teller would dive head first to be the protagonist in this mess with Chris Hemsworth whose acting has been decaying in recent years by just doing the same character over and over again… at least this time he managed to portray a less annoying version of Thor. This is just a reskin low-budget-looking copycat of Black Mirror.

    02- Pinocchio ★☆☆☆☆

    A wooden puppet embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy.

    Review: It’s just another soul-sucking attempt of Disney to rehash the Disney Vault classics to a fresh and younger generation with nightmare-inducing CGI that would make the frozen head of Walt Disney actually cringe.

    01- Thor: Love and Thunder ★☆☆☆☆

    After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who now inexplicably wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.

    Review: Being a big Taika Waititi fan, this movie really broke me. Love and Thunder is not only a clear step down from Thor: Ragnarok but also a painfully mid experience. On paper, this seemed like a good idea but it ended up being a complete mess with some ok moments tossed in. They literally wasted Christian Bale acting skills for no reason.

    –

    These movies left a lot to be desired. However, as we move into the new year, we can only hope for better and more enjoyable films in the future. Happy New Year to all, and here’s to a brighter and more successful 2023 in the world of cinema!

  • 12 Days of X-Mas: Day 5, Storm

    12 Days of X-Mas: Day 5, Storm

    The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts.

    The Goddess

    Fox’s mishandling of Ororo Munroe stands as one of the most egregious mistakes of the X-Men trilogy…and the second X-Men trilogy. In what seems to be a common theme, the Fox X-films chose to focus on the enormity of Storm’s Omega-level powers over delivering an appropriate characterization. The results: some flashy VFX, a line of dialogue that’s on the top of everyone’s “Worst Lines Ever Spoken in a Superhero Film” list and two very forgettable adaptations of one of the X-Men’s greatest leaders. The good news moving forward is those mistakes are simple to remedy.

    Marvel Studios’ record of comic-accurate characterization isn’t bulletproof, but it isn’t anywhere near as assailable as Fox’s. MCU Steve Rogers is comic book Steve Rogers. MCU Tony Stark is, in all honesty, a more interesting version of comic book Tony Stark but still comic book Tony Stark. Like these two men, Ororo Munroe has the comic book cachet to lead an entire trilogy of solo films, should Marvel Studios be so inclined. And much like the two mentioned above, Storm could and should find herself in an ideological disagreement with another one of the X-Men’s greatest leaders: Cyclops.

    Marvel Studios has time but they don’t have all the time in the world to tell all the great X-Men stories. One that seems right in line with what the studio has done in the past is an adaptation of the Schism arc. While that arc was about an ideological disagreement between Cyclops and Wolverine, Marvel Studios doesn’t adapt one-to-one, instead choosing some snazzy titles and making movies that have something in common with the comics but are also different enough to avoid comic readers being bored. Since the hope is that Marvel Studios does not turn their version of the mutants into Wolverine and the X-Men, a Cyclops vs. Storm schism would be something to see.

    Ororo has evolved into an incredibly strong leader in the comics, one not even the gruff soldier Wolverine balks at taking orders from. Allowing Storm to grow into the role of leader over time and then challenging Cyke when he goes off the rails would both be in line with the comics and make for an MCU event film in line with Captain America: Civil War. Whatever the case, Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios Parliament have a tall order before them to give Ororo the respect she deserves while hopefully making fans forget about the less-than-stellar big screen iterations of the past.

  • James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Could Take the DCU to Year One

    James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Could Take the DCU to Year One

    We are nearing the reveal of some of the first wave of films in the new DCU headed up by James Gunn. This reveal should provide us with some idea of what we might get when this new era of DC Comics adaptations hits our big and slightly smaller screens. The Rock’s ego tried to highjack, and then derail, what Gunn had planned, but we are in for some shakiness while they release the last four movies in this era and simultaneously prepare for what’s next. What we do know definitively is that we are getting a new Superman movie and though Gunn plans to skip the origin, a strong argument could still be made for the new film to be an adaptation of Superman: Year One. 

    Superman: Year One is a 3-issue mini-series by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. that attempted to kind of modernize Superman’s origin while adding some more depth to a character that had been around for 80+ years. It provided some more information about Superman’s time on Krypton, and it provides a subtle shift to Kal-El’s mission to earth; instead of the destruction of Krypton being what propels him to be Earth’s savior, Miller and Romita Jr. make this future essentially pre-ordained. Kal-El will need to save Earth, and his parents need to prepare him for that on Krypton before he goes to fulfill his destiny. It’s a much weightier origin than Krypton’s destruction spurring Supes to save Earth because it means that there are more opportunities to show Superman learning how to use his powers in his environment and as a child. What does it mean for a child to be granted god-like abilities? How does that impact him growing up? And what kind of pressure does this child put on himself due to the knowledge that he will be responsible for saving a planet? These are all questions that Superman: Year One tackles really strongly, and this would give the fans a chance to see a new origin for Superman that would feel fresh. 

    Another change that is made to Clark’s origin is that he enlists in the United States Navy upon graduating from high school. Think about that: after spending his early childhood on Krypton knowing he was meant to save Earth, his first adult decision after being on this planet is to become a soldier. You have the traditional farmboy origin mixed in with some “of course a small-town kid would want to see the world”, and Superman at boot camp gives you the potential to really build up the hopefulness and love for his fellow man that Superman embodies since he’d be in literal fox holes with them. It would, also, make him remaining hopeful about Earth despite seeing the tragedies of war even more impactful. Zack Snyder made Superman this moody and angry and morose hero, and that’s just not who he is at all. In Year One, Miller and Romita, Jr. find a way to still show his power but to modernize his origin in a way that really keeps the essence of the character. 

    Year One, also, introduces Lori Lemaris, and this could be a way to start to build out the DCU in a subtle way. Lori Lemaris is a mermaid from Atlantis, home of Aquaman, who actually falls in love with Clark. In the comics, they meet while they’re both attending Metropolis University, where Lori is hiding her being a mermaid by appearing as a differently-abled person. The potential to show a Clark who had to go through all the things kids do before becoming a full-fledged Superman down the road would work so well on the screen; in Year One, he falls for Lori and actually asks her to marry him, which leads to her breaking his heart. She, also, dies during Crisis On Infinite Earths, in case James Gunn wants to plant the seeds for that from here. It could, also, lead to the beginning of the friendship between Arthur Curry and Clark Kent, and is the kind of minor character/big world-building approach that the DCU would benefit from. 

    This adaptation would be the perfect time to introduce Parasite, a S.T.A.R. Labs janitor who interacts with some chemicals and becomes one of Superman’s biggest threats. This accomplishes the approach we mention above, where it’s a smaller character introducing S.T.A.R. Labs and building out this world, but you also have Parasite taking Lori’s energy act as the catalyst for her breaking Clark’s heart and for Aquaman not trusting the surface world. Superman versus Parasite would look visually different than every Superman fight we have seen and would give us a fresh adversary versus some of the other ones we’ve seen multiple times. 

    Cut the check and make it out to Murphy’s Multiverse, James Gunn! 

  • Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 29: Anticipating DC’s 2023 Slate

    Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 29: Anticipating DC’s 2023 Slate

    2023 is shaping up to be the last stand for the old guard of DC films before James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new slate begins rolling out sometime in 2024. Still, there are 4 big dates on the calendar for the upcoming year including one for The Flash, which has been a film fans have looked forward to for years. Team MM shares their feelings about which DC film they’re looking most forward to in the new year with another special assist from our awesome followers on Twitter!

    Meghan Hall

    • The Flash
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • Blue Beetle
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods

    Shashwat

    • Blue Beetle
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • The Flash
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods

    Brandi Blahnik

    • The Flash
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • Blue Beetle

    Dalbin Osorio

    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • Blue Beetle
    • The Flash

    Joao Roque Pinto

    • The Flash
    • Blue Beetle
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

    Anthony Canton III

    • Blue Beetle
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • The Flash

    MTF III

    • The Flash
    • Blue Beetle
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

    Charles Murphy

    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • Blue Beetle
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • The Flash

    Jeffrey Peterson

    • The Flash
    • Blue Beetle
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods

    Hunter Radesi

    • Blue Beetle
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • The Flash

    Darian Scalamoni

    • The Flash
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • Blue Beetle
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods

    Torbjorn Frazier

    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • Blue Beetle
    • The Flash
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

    Lanfranco

    • Blue Beetle
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • The Flash

    MM Twitter Followers (1,939 votes)

    • The Flash (38.7%)
    • Blue Beetle (29.3%)
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (19.1%)
    • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (12.8%)
  • 12 Days of X-Mas: Day 4, Nightcrawler

    12 Days of X-Mas: Day 4, Nightcrawler

    The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts.

    The Elf

    Romantic. Demon. Swashbuckler. Theologian. Baseball fan. Bestie. Teleporter. The Amazing Nightcrawler!

    Kurt Wagner made his way into both of Fox’s X-Men trilogies and, surprisingly enough, was not characterized nearly as poorly as many of his teammates. In fact, both Alan Cumming and Kodi Smit-McPhee brought the requisite pathos to their performances to make the character memorable despite not really playing a major role. Fox did a nice job with the look of both versions and found clever ways to showcase his trademark BAMFing. However, one of the greatest shortcomings with Fox’s X-Men films was responsible for inadvertently giving Nightcrawler short shrift.

    Though the character was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum for 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men #1, the personality of Nightcrawler that comic book fans know and love was, by and large, the creation of legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont. In a 2019 interview with SYFY, Claremont described Nightcrawler’s core characteristics and inadvertently (or perhaps deliberately) captured the problem with Fox’s character.

    The thing with Kurt is, in his heart of hearts, he wants to be Errol Flynn, he wants to be a swashbuckler, he wants to kick the living daylights out of bad guys with a sword. Actually with three swords, using his tail as well. And he wants to be a romantic lead, and he wants to save the day, and he wants to be friends with everyone.

    Chris Claremont

    While Fox’s X-Men films were certainly quite full of teams of X-Men, they never really felt like teams. Short of some cool scenes where the X-Men teamed up to use their powers together in some neat sequences, the writing often made the X-Men feel like a collection of individuals rather than the close-knit surrogate family they often were in the comics. For lack of a better counter-example, Fox’s X-Men never had the same family feel as James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. No character suffered more from this than Nightcrawler who, as Claremont said, wants to be friends with everyone.

    Claremont, of course, is right. Comic book Kurt is a friend and sounding board to so many of his teammates it’s hard to pinpoint just which one he means the most to. Wolverine? Storm? Colossus? Kitty? While there’s no argument that he is Wolverine’s best friend an easy argument could be made that he means just as much to the others it’s only that Wolverine’s otherwise loner status makes his relationship with Kurt seem more important. As Marvel Studios begins to outline what’s sure to be an X-Men universe within a universe, establishing a greater sense of family within the teams of X-Men should be a priority allowing for a truer portrayal of Nightcrawler’s greatest power: his love for his friends.

    Source: SYFY

  • Lucky 7: Seven Villainous Roles Jessica Chastain Could Fill in ‘Captain America: New World Order’

    Lucky 7: Seven Villainous Roles Jessica Chastain Could Fill in ‘Captain America: New World Order’

    The latest buzz around 2024’s Captain America: New World Order has Marvel Studios pursuing Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain for the “main villain” of the piece. While we have no idea if the rumor is true, we couldn’t help but speculate on which villain Chastain could be playing if it is. Given the film’s rumored plot centers around the discovery of Adamantium putting the world on the brink of war, some pretty intriguing possibilities quickly present themselves. Which of these 7 big bads could Chastain be playing? Probably none of them, but it was too much fun to pass up.

    Miss(ter) Sinister

    Operating under the assumption that Chastain is joining the MCU in a major, recurring, villainous role, we’re shooting the most ridiculous shot first and the logic isn’t as crazy as it may seem. If New World Order really does introduce Adamantium to the MCU, it’s likely to restart the Weapons Plus program (did it ever really stop?) and Nathaniel Essex has some pretty interesting ties to the program in the comics. Essentially immortal thanks to his work with cloning, Essex has been around since the mid-1800s and has always been interested in the study of genetics. It was the discovery of his abandoned labs during World War II that lead to the creation of the Weapons Plus Program and, over the years, Essex revisited the different iterations of the program in disguise. Sinister’s endless array of clone bodies means that he’s appeared as a woman more than once over the years under aliases such as Claudine Renko and Kate Kildare. A stretch and a longshot for sure, but with the mutant genome now present in the MCU it does seem like it’s only a matter of time before one of Marvel’s most fabulous villains enters the picture.

    Karla Sofen/Moonstone

    Another major, recurring villain and one that’s a little more probable for Chastain is Dr. Karla Sofen. While most fans would associate her with Captain Marvel, the character first appeared in Captain America #192. Though she later developed superpowers through exposure to the Kree Moonstone, Sofen’s psychiatric manipulation of her patients makes her dangerous and an interesting option for Chastain. Thaddeus Ross’s emergence as a villain in Captain America: New World Order is an interesting proposition because while he’s a major pain in the ass and a frustrating antagonist, he’s hardly been portrayed as an outright villain in the MCU. Interestingly enough, he and Dr. Sofen have a bit of a comic book history that includes her hypnotizing Ross. Having Ross manipulated by Sofen while Sterns orchestrates things behind the scenes seems a relatively believable scenario for Ross’s perceived villainy. Additionally, joining the MCU as Dr. Sofen for Cap 4 would also allow Chastain’s role to evolve over time. It’s not like everyone on the original Thunderbolts team is going to live forever and Moonstone would give Carol Danvers a powerful, Earth-bound foe down the road.

    Rachel Leighton/Diamondback

    A classic Captain America character who always had a complicated relationship with Steve Rogers, Rachel Leighton would make for an interesting double-agent type of character for Chastain to play in Captain America: New World Order. Leighton’s a sexy, seductive merc whose mission to Tiamut could have her crossing paths with Sam Wilson for whom she could cause all sorts of problems. Like Wilson, Leighton possesses no superpowers but is a highly-skilled fighter which would put Chastain in familiar territory given her work on the action thriller Ava. In the comics, she and Steve Rogers did a lot of flirting before ending up in a romantic relationship that jeopardized them both, something that could work well with Sam has he steps into a larger role as a leader.

    Madame Viper

    Hydra is never really gone and if they are to reemerge, it should be in a Captain America project. One of Marvel Comics most complex and fascinating female villains, taking on the role of Viper would allow Chastain to showcase her considerable range and become part of the MCU for multiple projects. Everything about Viper screams that she’s exactly the type of character to emerge from the shadows in a project subtitled New World Order. If Adamantium is truly at the center of the plot, Hydra would absolutely be involved in any efforts to take possession of it. Viper’s presence in the film could be a little nod to Secret Empire, one of Marvel’s most controversial comic events, and Viper/Hydra has to be a top choice for the individual/organization that takes control of Tiamut by the end of the film. While rumors have Tiamut being referred to as the island of Genosha by the time Thunderbolts rolls around, remember that Hydra has its own island as well and it resides near enough to Indian Ocean in the comics that the little change wouldn’t really matter. Hail Hydra!

    Monica Rappaccini

    Like Hydra, A.I.M. would certainly come back out of the shadows in order to get their hands on Adamantium and they have their own history of owning a cool, bad-guy island. A.I.M. has played no real role in the MCU since Aldrich Killian ate shit in Iron Man 2, but they are far too important of an organization in the comics to disappear forever. Under new leadership from their Scientist Supreme, Monica Rappaccini, an organization such as A.I.M. would undoubtedly want to investigate the corpse of a Celestial. What could they do with their findings? Build a Super-Adaptoid, of course.

    Dr. Diedre Wentworth/Superia

    Similar to Monica Rappaccinni and Viper, Diedre Wentworth would be in it to get control of Tiamut and the Adamantium, however, her goal might be a touch different: Superia would use Adamantium to lead her army of Femizons to subjugate the men of the world to her rule. The Femizon leader’s misandry would put her at odds with a self-imagined alpha male like Thaddeus Ross and allow Sam to really stretch his empathic wings. Superia is another classic Cap villain who could end up causing more problems down the line.

    Dr. Valerie Cooper

    While not traditionally a villain, Cooper makes sense as a potential role for Chastain because of her ties to the United States government. Ross is rumored to be the President of the United States by the time Captain America: New World Order rolls around and, in the comics, Dr. Cooper worked for the NSA where her specialty was mutants. Dr. Cooper was concerned that the continuing emergence of powered mutants caused a national security threat to the United States and believed a new “arms race” was at hand. Given the Israeli mutant known as Sabra will be played in the film by Shira Haas, New World Order could be the starting point of the MCU version of the “mutant arms race” and Cooper could be working on putting together the U.S.’s own government-sanctioned mutant super team, the kind of thing a Sokovia Accords’ champion like Ross would get behind. Cooper worked on a device that would allow her to detect mutant powers, was a key member of the Commission on Superhuman Activities that claimed the title of “Captain America” belonged to the U.S. government and “fired” Steve Rogers from the job. With Sam just picking up the mantle of Captain America, having the U.S. government claim the title and fire him from the job would certainly be a rude welcome. Cooper also went on to head the Office of National Emergency (O*N*E*) which essentially served as a mutant oversight and management office. Again, while Cooper has never been a true villain, she could serve as a worthy antagonist to Sam and his allies.

    If we were betting, we’d take the field over Chastain ending up playing any one of these seven characters, but they all certainly present interesting possibilities for the Oscar winner.

  • An ‘Eternals’ Retrospective: Behind the Screen of Marvel Studios Divisive Film

    An ‘Eternals’ Retrospective: Behind the Screen of Marvel Studios Divisive Film

    It has been more than a year since Marvel Studios released Eternals, a blockbuster film that has been met with a multitude of reactions from audiences and critics alike. As we commemorate the first anniversary of its release, it is fitting to reflect on the film’s production, its place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the creative process of its director, Chloé Zhao.

    Upon its initial release, Eternals garnered 400 million dollars in revenue, cementing its success as a new franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, its future within the franchise remains uncertain due to its more mature tone and lack of humorous elements, which diverge from the usual “aesthetic” of Marvel films.

    Despite its financial success, the release of Eternals was not without its challenges. The film faced significant censorship in Chinese markets and faced a boycott campaign in the United States by conservative political parties due to its premise of diversity and representation. This irony is not lost on Zhao, who aimed to create a film that truly represents the diverse world we live in, a world where people of all backgrounds and experiences coexist and shape our society. In doing so, Zhao also sought to bring together a cast that represents those who are often seen as misfits, outcasts, and underdogs in mainstream media, showcasing their strength, resilience, and inherent worth. The ultimate goal was to give the audience a sense of connection to these characters, to see them not as representatives of their ethnicity or nationality, but as a loving family.

    On the technical side, the flick is a masterclass in visual storytelling and technical proficiency. From the very beginning of the film, Zhao’s unique visual style is evident, as she uses a variety of techniques to draw the viewer into the world of the film.

    One of the most notable aspects of Zhao’s direction is her incorporation of elements of classical cinema into the film. She frequently employs long takes and elaborate camera movements, reminiscent of the work of directors like Stanley Kubrick, to heighten the emotional impact of key moments in the film. Additionally, she incorporates elements of classical Hollywood glamour, such as glamorous costume design and sweeping, epic score, to add a sense of grandeur and timelessness to the film. These nods to the golden age of cinema lend Eternals a sense of timelessness and classicism, and further reinforce the themes of legacy and eternity that are central to the film’s narrative.

    Eternals (2021)
    2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

    Eternals has the potential to be more than just a typical superhero film and offer a deeper and more complex viewing experience. One possibility for showcasing Eternals within the MCU could be to present it as an anthology series, separate from the main MCU story, which would allow for a more in-depth exploration of the characters and world without being restricted by the overall continuity. The final decision on how to present Eternals in the MCU will depend on the filmmakers and the studio, but it is definitely an exciting possibility worth considering.

  • Ikaris Should Return in Marvel Studios ‘Thunderbolts’

    Ikaris Should Return in Marvel Studios ‘Thunderbolts’

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals is suddenly back in the conversation, and its possible resurgence could open quite a few doors for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A new rumor making the rounds online has the film’s third act impacting several future MCU projects, with 2024’s Thunderbolts at the center of it all. Industry insider Daniel RPK reports that the reformed supervillain team will gather for a trip to Tiamut, the massive Celestial that froze solid in the middle of the ocean at the end of Eternals, which has since become a full-blown island. According to RPK, there’s a chance Tiamut has become a natural supplier of a valuable new resource, Adamantium, which the team and several other parties have grown an interest in. How this could potentially play out is still a mystery, but if true, it might indicate the surprise return of a major Eternals character – Ikaris.

    Ikaris, portrayed by Richard Madden in his first cinematic appearance, was last seen flying directly into the sun after betraying his fellow Eternals in the name of Arishem and the Emergence. It was assumed this act of self-punishment resulted in Ikaris’ death, but as Eternals so distinctly showcased, this does not exactly spell the ultimate end of an Eternal. Created by Celestials, the Eternals are built to last, and come with a near-endless amount of backup bodies should their current form be destroyed. It’s not a stretch to imagine Ikaris will make a comeback at some point in the MCU’s next phase, even if it’s not the exact version of the cosmic warrior fans previously saw perish. In fact, if Ikaris’ body was completely melted by the intensity of Earth’s sun, it would stand to reason Arishem and the Celestials would feel there’s enough at stake to send out another Ikaris with a new mind and a new mission. Return to Earth, and protect what’s left of Tiamut.

    The Celestials, or at least Arishem, are now keeping a keen eye on Earth and its people. If Tiamut is actually an unexpected means of the MCU gaining Adamantium, the Celestials could view that as an undue advancement of humanity and send Ikaris to prevent the massive changes that might come with societies claiming the alien metal as their own. Whether or not this could make Ikaris the “evil Superman” figure rumored to act as the secret villain of Thunderbolts is, of course, still unknown. Other reports have made claims for the Sentry fitting that role, starting as part of the Thunderbolts roster sent after Tiamut’s Adamantium before losing his mind and becoming the main threat of the film. Perhaps both Sentry and Ikaris will appear in the movie, becoming rivals throughout the story. After all, if Sentry is a major antagonist in the project, the Thunderbolts will need a little extra help from someone a little more powerful if they have any hope of emerging victorious.

    Aside from the undeniable “cool factor” of pitting two God-like superbeings against each other, the inclusion of Ikaris in Thunderbolts could also be a very smart “big picture” move on Marvel Studios’ part. If Eternals 2 is indeed coming, and it’s truly based on the recent Judgement Day comics written by Kieron Gillen, then Ikaris’ potential role in Thunderbolts would become a very useful throughline between the Eternals and the wider MCU. Judgement Day features a conflict between the Eternals, the Avengers, and the X-Men, over new discoveries in the Eternals’ purpose and the mutants’ gene code. If Tiamut is actually destined to transform into Genosha and play a role in the impending mutant side of the MCU, having a version of Ikaris aware of the way it affects the planet would act as an excellent prelude to an Eternals: Judgement Day film. Maybe, if Marvel Studios really wanted to get crazy, they could even have Ikaris’ meddling on “Genosha” factor into the island’s mutant evolution. It’s important to remember these are all just rumors at the moment. However, the events of Eternals and the franchise’s future playing such a vital role in the MCU would be a wonderfully unexpected way to resolve the Eternals’ arc and push the greater universe forward in a creative manner.

  • The Unintentional Gambit of Using Z-Listers to Create Sony’s Spider-Man Universe

    The Unintentional Gambit of Using Z-Listers to Create Sony’s Spider-Man Universe

    As studios continue in the age of developing cinematic universes, one notable example that remains steeped in mediocrity is Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU). The studio’s attempt to counter the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t had the most promising start between two commercially passable, yet critically mixed Venom films and the unmitigated flop that was Morbius. Not to be deterred, Sony is still persisting with various other films based on Spider-Man supporting characters. Their choices continue to bring up some major question marks with some of the obscure characters that will be adapted in El Muerto and Hypno-Hustler. It doesn’t immediately put the best foot forward for a logical cinematic universe plan, and it’s certainly very easy to lampoon. However, Sony Pictures may have stumbled upon what could be a genuinely unique and fruitful way to stand out in the world of major franchises.

    Many questions can certainly be asked about the logic of creating a cinematic universe around Marvel characters connected to Spider-Man, while never actually using the titular character in any of the films in that universe. However, scraping the bottom of the barrel allows the chance to essentially create new characters and original intellectual property. It’s a concept that studios should be thrilled to have on their hands and what would actually help push it over the edge into cinematic success would be allowing the creative teams of these projects to get truly experimental with them by being visually and narratively distinct from most superheroic-fare. Letting Bad Bunny dive deep into the world of professional wrestling for the role of El Muerto has the potential to be an audience draw for Sony Pictures. And more importantly, letting Donald Glover star in a feature-length film about a deranged club musician could bring out the strong artistic quality found in the tracks and music videos of Childish Gambino. That could truly turn Hypno-Hustler into a household name and a critically successful film.

    Some may scoff at the idea of Hypno-Hustler and El Muerto having any potential of being “household names” but for casual audiences, there’s no real difference in awareness of comic characters beyond the upper class of characters. The general knowledge for the characters mentioned above from the common film attendee is essentially equal to that of the Guardians of the Galaxy before 2014 and while of course the success of James Gunn’s film was built around his strong craftsmanship, the SSU could potentially find some level of benefits with unfettered work from good filmmakers. As an additional plus, the usage of Z-list comic characters will allow the filmmakers to take whatever creative liberties they’d need to as they’re not beholden to any sanctity of lore.

    While there are potential positives from using these obscure villains, there are equally strong reasons to avoid the current strategy of using more recognizable Spider-Man villains in solo outings. If the SSU remains insistent on not using an interpretation of the Wall-Crawler in their films, then it’s a waste of resources to use characters intrinsically tied to him. Audiences don’t have any tangible reason to watch a film about a villain without their main rival present. The first two Venom films have barely been able to pass as successful films thanks to the individual cache the character has had from 1990s nostalgia. Meanwhile, a character like Morbius that holds none of that cache led Sony Pictures to one of the most major flops in the superhero genre in a good long while. 

    With that in mind, Kraven the Hunter has all the earmarks to be a flop based on these metrics. Making the villain a seemingly pure protagonist has the potential to remove any of the interesting elements of the character (something that wouldn’t need to be worried about with obscure villains with no love lost). It’s obvious that Kraven would have been much better served being used as a villain for a Tom Holland-led, Marvel Studios co-produced Spider-Man film. These types of more recognizable villains would be much better served in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (aka Sony Pictures actual cash cow in terms of Spider-Man films).

    If the SSU does go in the direction of building around these untapped characters, they cannot take half measures in creative decision-making. The studio must fully embrace these types of weird characters and provide the filmmakers with the trust for them to maximize their potential. This sounds strongly rudimentary for the process of filmmaking, but they need to actually have a strong story concept that can be built upon by your main creative team. The notion of simply matching a random celebrity to a Z-list character obviously does not make a successful film. There’s interesting potential in films such as El Muerto and Hypno-Hustler, but if the only idea there is the surface-level pitch, then Sony Pictures are in for a continued world of hurt.

    Sony Pictures does have a dark horse chance to turn their odds and ends into something truly distinct in the superhero cinematic landscape. Of course, it seems likely that this was a plan created without much forethought going in and it will be an uphill battle for it to actually work. This strategy will have to involve Sony trusting its filmmakers to independently create unique projects, something that the studio has struggled to do in most of its live-action projects based around Spider-Man. Speaking of the titular character, an attempt to create this sort of universe could’ve been more successful if Sony chose to adapt essentially any of the pantheon of Spider-people that are set to appear in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Ultimately, this whole conversation could be a moot point in the potentially probable event that all these films are shuttered following another financial and critical flop from the studio.

  • 12 Days of X-Mas: Day 3, Polaris

    12 Days of X-Mas: Day 3, Polaris

    The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts.

    The Mistress of Magnetism

    As is the case with a lot of female characters written in the 60s, 70s and 80s, there are some parts of Lorna Dane’s comic book history that would be better off left in those pages and left out of any adaptation of the character into the MCU; however, Fox made a poor decision by leaving Lorna out of their live-action films entirely. Though not one of the original five members of the X-Men, Lorna was brought on board in the first wave of recruits beyond the five giving her a longer history with the team than Wolverine, Storm, Rogue and Kitty Pryde. Fox may have stayed away from Lorna because of the identity of her father: Magneto. That’s a mistake Marvel Studios should actively seek not to replicate.

    While Scott Summers and Jean Grey are the foremost mutant power couple, Alex Summers and Lorna Dane aren’t far behind. Focusing on Alex and Lorna, both individually and as a couple, allows Marvel Studios to explore all sorts of fascinating parallels and differences between them and their more famous family members. Though she’s the daughter of a terrorist and one of Marvel’s most compelling and complex villains, Lorna grew up free of his influence (indeed she didn’t know he was her father until later in life) and is one of the X-Men’s great leaders and heroes.

    Lorna and Alex are to X-Factor and Jean and Scott are to the X-Men and Marvel Studios will almost certainly allow multiple mutant teams to exist simultaneously within the MCU. Beyond X-Factor, however, Lorna played a major role on the mutant paradise of Genosha, the House of M and one other part of the X-Men mythology that Fox completely ignored: Shi’ar space! Along with Havok, Lorna had a major arc in The Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire and War of Kings as a new recruit of the Starjammers, led by the father of Scott and Alex Summers and involving the third Summers brother, Gabriel.

    Given the scope of Lorna’s history in the comics and the fact that Fox left her sidelined, she seems as good a bet as any to not only join the ranks of the mutants in the MCU, but become a leader and key player as they expand beyond Earth-bound stories. Of course, there’s also plenty to explore with her parentage and plenty of built-in drama once she learns who her father is. Come to think of it, Marvel Studios could probably get a lot of mileage out of the children of Magneto and Xavier, mileage that Fox chose to ignore entirely.