In an interview with Variety, the writer behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Michael Waldron, opened up about their approach to the script and their overall goal going in. He highlighted that with the pandemic delaying the release, they had a chance to tackle the project with a fresh set of eyes, as he and director Sam Raimi reworked most of the script. He also reveals that the grizzly fate of the Illuminati has been part of his script since the first draft.
Yeah, that was there in my first draft of the script. That was the madness of the multiverse to me, really. You introduced this superhero team that makes the audience feel like they’re finally safe, and then the Scarlet Witch eviscerates them. It was a great way to knock the audience off their feet. And then hopefully, you spend the rest of the movie terrified of Wanda and what she’s capable of.
Michael Waldron
It certainly did what Waldron set out to do, as the film managed to turn Wanda into quite the force of nature. The concept also gave Sam Raimi the chance to revisit his directing styles from the Evil Dead trilogy and Drag Me To Hell. Not only did it set up just how dangerous Wanda is but also highlighted the arrogance of the Illuminati to think they can take her own or even reason with her at that time.
It also was an interesting meta twist on the concept of introducing these major characters from the characters as cannon fodder. Not only did it highlight just how dangerous the Scarlet Witch is, but gave viewers what they wanted with a brutal twist. Who knows if we’ll get some visceral deaths at this level again in an MCU project, but it does open up the possibility of some exciting horror elements in Blade.
In an interview with Variety, Michael Waldron discussed what his future has in store in terms of his screenplays. The Doctor Strange 2 writer has been tapped to write a mysterious film in the Star Wars franchise produced by Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige. Waldron briefly provided an update on the status of said Star Wars project.
We’re finally into it in earnest. I mean, I’m writing away. It’s a lot of fun. I’m enjoying having the freedom on that to do something that’s not necessarily a sequel or anything.
Michael Waldron
After having minimal updates on this secret project beyond its initial announcement over a year ago, it’s certainly an exciting development to know there is finally progress on this highly anticipated project. In the interview, Waldron further elaborates on the differences between working on projects for both Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It just doesn’t have a bunch of TV shows and movies that you’re servicing on top of it, the way I did with “Doctor Strange.” So it’s nice. It feels like a different exercise.
Michael Waldron
The lack of a definitive, overarching connective tissue is definitely a big change in relation to being previously ensconced in the lore of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Waldron’s previous two projects. As well, it provides many questions about where this project exists in the timeline of the Star Wars franchise.
Especially with Lucasfilm producing various projects in different eras of the timeline such as Andor, The Acolyte, and the Patty Jenkins directed Rogue Squadron film, there’ll be many questions as to where and when Kevin Feige and Michael Waldron will base their upcoming film. With the news of this film being in active development, many theories will begin to rise as to how the Marvel Studios stalwarts will influence the direction of a corner of the Star Wars universe.
There has been an ongoing wait for confirmation that Namor will make his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s been months since the first rumors hit the web that he’ll play an antagonistic role in the upcoming Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever. Yet, while there still hasn’t been an official statement, it seems that he may have also almost made his debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as part of the multiverse’s Illuminati.
In an interview with Variety, the film’s writer Michael Waldron has revealed that they have considered including Namor in their line-up. He was a founding member in the comics, which makes him a fitting addition but it looks like the studio had “other plans” for the character anyway and that is why he wasn’t prioritized.
[We] talked about him, because he’s certainly an original member of the Illuminati. But I think Marvel has other plans for him in the MCU. And so he didn’t make his way in this particular movie.Michael Waldron
He does highlight that Kevin Feige had a big part in even making the castings possible and bringing the team together, as they developed the idea.
That’s kind of a combination of us putting forth, “Well, what if we did this?” But also, Kevin’s as excited about this stuff as we are, so sometimes those ideas are coming from Kevin saying, “Well, what if we got so and so? I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna make the call!” So he’s as excited about all that stuff as any of us. It’s a big, geeky team effort to see what we can assemble for that team.
Michael Waldron
It’ll be interesting to see what my head our way and if the Illuminati even have a future beyond this film, especially given Strange’s encounter with them. Who knows if it also was meant to indirectly set up some elements moving forward but it does seem like a very self-contained element of the story to also poke fun at some of the fan requests of randomly adding characters. Still, the fact that we have further hints that Namor is going to appear somewhere else helps solidify his upcoming debut.
The Pocketwatch, currently a working title, will serve as a sequel movie to the Descendants. Like those films, The Pocketwatch will be a music and dance-filled original movie. While the Descendants films featured the teenage children of some of Disney’s most iconic villains, The Pocketwatch will take audiences down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland, as made famous by Alice in Wonderland.
The Disney+ original movie will feature seven new songs, as well as Disney classics. It’ll also feature Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, as well as Chloe, the perfectionist and athletic daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming. The synopsis suggests the two will need to work together to save Wonderland.
In order to prevent an impending coup in Auradon – one that looms during the celebration of a new royal baby – Red must join forces with Chloe to travel back in time, via the White Rabbit’s pocket watch, to stop an event that would lead to grave consequences.
The film will be directed by Jennifer Phang, who has helmed titles such as Half-Life and Advantageous, from a script by Dan Frey and Russell Sommer (Magic: The Gathering). Production designer Mark Hofeling returns for The Pocketwatch, as well as producer Gary Marsh and casting directors Alexis Frank Koczara and Christine Smith Shevchenko. Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, gave the following statement on the new spinoff:
With a captivating script and Jennifer Phang’s directorial vision, we’re setting a new high bar of creativity and imagination, with a movie that ups the ante on story, song and dance to entertain young viewers, their families, and the global fan base that grew up with the aspirational story of ‘Descendants.’ We join them in anticipation as we prepare to deliver a great new entertainment experience to Disney+.
Ayo Davis
The Descendants proved to be a huge success for Disney. Not only did the Disney original movies nab powerhouse ratings with each new installment, but the first two movie soundtracks have been certified gold, and nearly 7 million dolls and 9 million books were sold based on the franchise. It remains to be seen whether or not any cast members from the original films will return, however, Disney seems hopeful The Pocketwatch will capture the same buzz as its predecessor.
Production on The Pocketwatch will kick off this fall.
I consider Russell a friend, and I forget that there are some friends I have who are really incredible at what they do. [laugh] When I was on set with Russell, I was like, ‘Oh shit, that’s right! You’re Russell Crowe! You’re a really amazing actor.’
Taika Waititi
It’s definitely great to see him enjoy his work with his friends and it definitely was Waititi’s connections that probably convinced Croew to give the film a shot. It’s unclear what exactly his future is going to be in the MCU, especially if he appeared as a god in a film that features Gorr the God Butcher. Though, hopefully, we get to enjoy the confrontation between Thor and Zeus, who both wield lightning and thunder. It wouldn’t be too surprising if they try to one-up each other while they share the screen.
Thor: Love and Thunder‘s trailer promised a very different kind of film, as Taika Waititi takes Thor down a more personal story. Even as he travels the galaxy with the Guardians, he’s slowly losing his warrior spirit and is trying to take a step back. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director talks about how the film stands out from his last entry, Thor: Ragnarok.
Ragnarok felt a bit like a party. It was quite festive. This one is still fun, and it’s got moments of being over the top, but thematically, it’s about something a bit deeper than the last film. It’s not a serious film, and it’s not a drama, but we do deal with ideas that I think a lot of humans deal with — universal themes about love and loss and our place in the world. Everyone sort of asks this question in the film: What is your purpose? What is the reason that you’re a hero, and what do you do when you have these powers.
Taika Waititi
Waititi goes on to highlight how different his approach was towards Thor: Love and Thunder, as he views it as a “midlife crisis film” for Thor, which was hinted at in the trailer.
It’s sort of like a midlife crisis film, really. That’s the question we ask everyone: Are we doing the right thing, and are we doing all we can in the world? I think right now, while the world is still healing from this pandemic, it’s a good question to ask. It’s like, well, are we doing enough to look after each other and to look after ourselves.
Taika Waititi
It’ll certainly be an interesting idea for a storyline, especially as we already explored PTSD with Iron Man 3. A story about a hero facing his midlife crisis, especially one that also further explores a romantic outing for that hero, could make for a very different style of story. The trailer already hints at it being a very different kind of Marvel film, which continues Phase 4’s re-exploration of its heroes in a post-Endgame world. Here’s hoping the next trailer offers a better look.
By now, it’s pretty widely known that the Illuminati appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The superhero team were teased in the final trailers for the film, but the exact part they played in the plot remained a mystery until the full movie hit theaters. When the group was ultimately introduced on screen, audiences were ecstatic. They seemed mighty, confident, and unbeatable. Patrick Stewart made a triumphant return as Charles Xavier; John Krasinski surprised everyone with his debut as Reed Richards; and Anson Mount was finally able to bring Black Bolt to the big screen. Then, after only a few moments of glorious screen time, every single one of them died.
Screenwriter Michael Waldron recently sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss some of his choices while developing Multiverse of Madness, and the Illuminati were among the central topics. He revealed the inspiration behind the team’s role in the film, and how their scenes played out, came from another famous sequel released in 1986:
I was watching Aliens a lot as I was writing. Because just tonally this movie is a thriller and a [feature-length] chase. I just love how Aliens goes to great lengths to tell you how badass the space Marines are – and then they just get slaughtered. Then you are really scared of the Xenomorphs for the rest of that movie, and that’s what I wanted to accomplish with Wanda. At the end of the Illuminati sequence, I hope you were truly terrified of the Scarlet Witch. It’s been awesome being in the theater hearing the cheers, then the gasps and the groans. [Laughs] I mean, you know, people were feeling something at the movies. That’s good!
Michael Waldron
The tactic was definitely successful, with Wanda’s single-handed killing of Earth-838’s Mightiest Heroes instantly solidifying her as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s greatest threats. Head to the theater now and relive one of the most talked-about moments in Marvel movie history, and bring a friend to see if Waldron‘s writing strategy works just as well on them.
One of the biggest surprises coming out of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the inclusion of John Krasinski portraying Reed Richards in the Illuminati. Having been one of the most popular fancasts for a number of years, Marvel Studios’ latest theatrical release gave audiences a brief tease of him and his flexible action. Naturally, the next question worth asking would be ‘Is Krasinski now set to portray Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film?’
The Case For It
The most obvious case for Krasinski to be portraying Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film is that we’ve now officially seen him play the role in a Marvel Studios-produced film. As opposed to before the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the idea of Krasinski playing the role is no longer simply a hypothetical based on online speculation. A factor that would lean towards this being more than a one-off cameo is Kevin Feige and company not leaning towards using an actor from a previous Marvel project in the role like the rest of the Illuminati members. Assuming one of them would’ve been available, it’s logical to think Marvel Studios would’ve made the call to one of the previous actors that portrayed Mister Fantastic in Miles Teller or especially Ioan Gruffudd.
As well, it certainly isn’t unprecedented for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to use a different film as a backdoor introduction for a future lead character. This method dates all the way back to the introduction of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow during the events of Iron Man 2 and was used to introduce some of the most popular characters in the MCU with Spider-Man and Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War. Having that be the way Reed Richards was officially introduced wouldn’t be completely out of the ordinary. And with that, using a multiversal Variant to introduce audiences to the character would be an interesting subversion of this MCU trope. It’d let Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness serve as an introduction point for Mister Fantastic while letting whatever creative direction for the character is being planned remain unfettered by his portrayal in the May 2022 blockbuster. Hypothetically speaking, you could easily reintroduce Krasinski in any upcoming film as a normal Reed Richards and that would alert fans to the imminent arrival of the Marvel Studios’ take on the First Family.
And of course, the recent news about the end of the Krasinski-led Jack Ryan series after this upcoming season of production has further expedited conversations on if the actor will be playing Reed Richards. It’s definitely worth having the conversation with Krasinski in theory having what was previously a major part of his schedule cleared up.
The Case Against It
And yet, it can’t be said with 100% certainty that John Krasinski will have the time in his calendar to make a long-term commitment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Immediately production wraps on Jack Ryan’s fourth season, Krasinski will begin work on Imaginary Friends for Paramount Pictures. This is a film that he wrote, is directing, and will be co-starring in alongside Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carell (meaning a lot of his energy will be focused on this project). And following that, there remains A Quiet Place – Part III which would seemingly enter production not too far after Krasinki wraps on his previous film. While his involvement or role in the third film of this franchise isn’t announced, one would think that he would have at least some significant role in the production based on his large involvement in the previous two entries (alongside being the one to officially announce the film at CinemaCon this year). With rumors circulating of a potential 2023 production start date, this could certainly cause major scheduling issues for a potential involvement in the Fantastic Four film.
Additionally, the argument can be made that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would’ve provided John Krasinski some slightly more substantial material while part of The Illuminati if the had future plans for him. If he was going to portray Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film, one would think Marvel Studios and the team behind the film would give a more concrete characterization of Reed Richards in the film for audiences to latch onto beyond passing references to his lore. And while the argument of why him NOT being a previously used actor in a Marvel project makes him stand out from the rest of the Illuminati, him solely portraying the character in a one-off nod to the online community is certainly well within the realm of possibility as the rest of the team don’t seem like locks to return in meaningful roles anytime soon. On that subject, there’s not much merit in the idea that it’s a cut and dry case that John Krasinski is playing Reed Richards solely because he was used as a multiversal Variant. The same logic can be applied to Patrick Stewart’s role as a fellow Illuminati member. Is that supposed to serve as an indicator that he will be the main universe portrayal of Charles Xavier in the MCU? Absolutely not. The first season of Loki clearly established the idea that there can be different faces for different Variants.
The Verdict
While it may not be the most exciting answer, it’s too soon to make a declarative answer on whether or not John Krasinski is playing Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film. And it will continue to be the case until we get some more conclusive evidence on what the actor-director’s schedule will look like in the future (namely how involved he is with the third installment of the Quiet Place franchise). If I had to make a personal guess, I truly think we’ve met the main MCU version of Reed Richards with John Krasinski. At the end of the day, deals can be made and scheduling conflicts can be resolved, especially when it comes to being involved in what is bound to become one of Marvel Studios’ flagship franchises. As well, it’s never really been the nature of Marvel Studios to do this type of one-off cameo for an actor/character solely predicated from online discourse. Ultimately though, it now remains a waiting game to hopefully get an official announcement at an event such as San Diego Comic Con 2022 for further news about the direction being take with the Fantastic Four.
Now that head writer Jeremy Slater has finished work on Moon Knight, he’s already hard at work on his next major project. In an interview with The Direct, he offered a small update on the sequel of 2021’s Mortal Kombat film. While it wasn’t received warmly going by its Rotten Tomatoes rating but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming HBO Max’s most-watched film to date. In the interview, he reveals that they’re already “halfway through the script.”
It’s really fun so far. We’re about halfway through the script. I’m working really closely with the director and the studios, and the game guys, and I think—I can’t say anything about the actual story, but I think they definitely learned some lessons the last time around in terms of, ‘Here’s the stuff fans responded to, and here’s what people liked out of the movie, and here’s the stuff that didn’t work out as well as we hoped.’ So we’re really looking at this as a chance to take everything that worked in the first one and do it even better and give the audience even more, and make something that is just incredibly satisfying, and really exciting, and unpredictable.
Jeremy Slater
When asked how it might compare to his work on Moon Knight, he does highlight that it’ll keep his “sensibilities” but it definitely will continue what makes Mortal Kombat such an iconic series, its showcase of brutal takedowns of its heroes and villains.
I don’t think it’s necessarily going to have the same tone as the MCU, but it’s definitely going to have some of my sensibilities. That was part of my pitch to them. This is Mortal Kombat. We have guys who are ripping off their faces and breathing fire—it’s a weird universe, let’s embrace some of that weirdness, and let’s make a Mortal Kombat sequel that no one is expecting and that can kind of sneak in and blow everyone away. We’re still really early in that process, but I’m having a blast with this script
Jeremy Slater
The first film ended with a massive teaser of Johnny Cage finding his way into the film. It also only set up the actual Mortal Kombat tournament, as it was mostly a very Hollywood-esque prequel series leading into the main conflict from the games. Luckily, they are now unshackled and can potentially jump into it in the next film if that is the plan, as they could also be building up towards it by the end of a trilogy.
There’s been an ongoing debate on the Internet ever since Martin Scorcese made a remark on how he views Marvel films, which originally was meant as a general view on the superhero industry that ended up focused on its strongest contender. Of course, the opinion of a veteran in the industry has left some waves with others jumping on board or even going against it, such as Nicolas Cage openly disagreeing with his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, who shares a similar view to Scorcese on the matter.
Yet, the debate goes on even if there’s no real benefit to anyone in “winning” the argument. With the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Elizabeth Olsen also threw her thoughts into the ring and highlighted an important aspect that gets overlooked in the discussion. Downplaying Marvel films as a “lesser type of art” as she puts it also diminishes the work of the people involved with the projects.
I’m not saying we’re making indie art films, but I just think it takes away from our crew, which bugs me. These are some of the most amazing set designers, costume designers, camera operators — I feel diminishing them with that kind of criticism takes away from all the people who do award-winning films, that also work on these projects
Elizabeth Olsen
She goes on to highlight that naturally, your approach as an actor is different as it is a different kind of film, to begin with. She once again highlights that throwing Marvel under the bus to somehow drag a wealth of talent down due to something one doesn’t deem art isn’t a fair discussion.
From an actor’s point of view, whatever, I get it; I totally understand that there’s a different kind of performance that’s happening. But I do think throwing Marvel under the bus takes away from the hundreds of very talented crew people. That’s where I get a little feisty about that.
Elizabeth Olsen
There likely is never going to be an end to this discussion, as one takes away what they want from the points made by various industry experts and those creatives working within the industry. Olsen‘s words ring important after a viral video has been making the round taking a quote of her facing anxiety with every new entry as some kind of statement on Marvel’s releases.
The same interview from Independent highlights that, as she simply tries to avoid the “pressure” of being a project’s main focus. No matter how one feels about the films and Marvel Studios as a company, there are still many talented people that found their beginning there and go on to develop many more films.
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