If you’ve ever wondered just how far back Marvel films go, it seems that long before even Sam Raimi worked on the first Spider-Man film in the early 200s, he was already trying his hands at a Marvel project in the early 1990s. Not only that, but he was working on it together with Stan Lee, as they tried to adapt a film based on Marvel’s Thor.
In the interview with Rolling Stone, he talks about how they pitched the concept around but just couldn’t get any studio to sign off on the project. He mentions a few reasonings such as people downplaying Stan Lee’s involvement and even worries about the religious implications of making a film based on the Norse God of Thunder.
They were great. We worked on a story based on his Thor stories, then we took it around to pitch to the different studios — and I couldn’t believe that they didn’t regard [Lee] more highly back then. This was probably 1991 or something, and he was treated like just another writer. “Oh, great. You write comic books. Big deal.” I remember going to eight different studios, and then looking at eight different rejection slips, saying “How could they say no to this?” They’d say things like, “People are kind of touchy about their gods,” and I’d go, “Yes, but it’s not like a religious picture. He’s the God of Thunder!” They so didn’t get it.
Sam Raimi
Of course, it seems rather bizarre considering how we’ve had Bast, Thor, and even the Egyptian pantheon introduced in recent projects. Yet, even in the early days of the CU, there were concerns that they could not only make Thor work but even how he’d fit into the bigger picture of the MCU. So, in the early 1990s, there wasn’t a world that believed in comic book movies or expanding upon old mythology.
There has always been a strange uncertainty online surrounding the wording of “reshoots,” especially when it comes to Marvel Studios. It’s become an essential tool for directors to revisit elements of their story that may not have worked as initially expected. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Sam Raimi opened up on their approach with exactly that for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
In the interview, he highlights that their main focus was on making the film accessible and ensuring that everything works well together. while many might not be fans of test screenings as a concept, it does help directors receive feedback from an external source to potentially uncover elements that just aren’t hitting as initially expected. Of course, that is also helpful for storylines with complex concepts like the multiverse.
There’s a lot of points where the audience says, “I don’t understand this. I don’t understand this concept.” Or, “I’m aware of this concept, and then you explained it again in the third act.” “Oh, you’re right. The audience knows that already.” Or: “They had to know that in order to accept this next story beat.” A lot of it is test screenings, learning what is confusing on a complex picture like this, or learning things that have overstayed their welcome. Recognizing when something is too slow, and even though it’s a proper beat to put in, the audience doesn’t need it.
Sam Raimi
It also carries over into the editing process, as they try to bring the film together. In a way, Raimi highlights it also gives him the opportunity to uncover elements that might work even better or are worth expanding as a result of it.
They can figure that out on their own, so what seemed like a logical step now becomes, in the editing process, “Hmm. That’s slowing us down. Let’s skip it and let the audience make the leap themselves.” But it’s also about recognizing what they really like, and sometimes expanding those things that they’re really reacting well to. It’s recognizing what’s original about the picture, and when you’ve got the opportunity to, expanding upon that.
Sam Raimi
It definitely sounds like the concept helps the directors tighten their work on projects, and it’s become a common practice for films of any kind from any studio. In a way, it’s just an additional toolkit that helps creatives build upon their work and potentially even lean further into the elements that are original and stand out. It helps add a little more insight into Bruce Campbell‘s comments when he jokingly said Benedict Cumberbatch might not even know if he’s in his own film.
COVID has made quite a mess out of many things, and a franchise that builds upon itself being shifted around willy-nilly may have faced many more consequences than it initially expected. We’ve heard in the past that the release schedules between Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home ended up forcing their hand to rewrite both projects to better fit the overarching narrative. Still, it made many wonders how that exactly impacted the production.
In a lengthy interview with Rolling Stone, director Sam Raimi got a chance to sit down and talk bout his experience working with Marvel Studios and within the MCU playbox. He has already praised the work in the past and is even open to returning for a future project. Yet, he also highlighted how the pandemic’s influence on two interconnected releases, previously-mentioned No Way Home and the Disney+ series WandaVision, impacted the writing process.
Yes, it was all on the fly. “Now this is happening. Now that’s happening.” It was a fun juggling game. I guess it must be like that for all of the directors and writers of these very big Marvel properties that now have a long history. It was a very chaotic, wonderful, creative — I don’t want to use the word “mess,” because that’s unfair — but it was just a cascade of ideas. We’d take the best ones and quickly weave together the fabric of this universe. It was very exciting, actually.
Sam Raimi
In a way, it sounds like they were able to weave their story even with the “cascade of ideas” weaving out of these projects. One has to admire the work these creatives go through to bring an entire franchise to life and the way Raimi is praising it sounds like it helped them become even more creative. It seems that WandaVision also only became a factor during the writing process, as that series was also facing changes and delays due to COVID.
I’m not really sure what the WandaVision schedule was or how it changed. I just know that halfway, or maybe three-quarters of the way into our writing process, I’d first heard of this show they were doing and that we would have to follow it. Therefore, we had to really study what WandaVision was doing, so we could have a proper through line and character-growth dynamic. I never even saw all of WandaVision; I’ve just seen key moments of some episodes that I was told directly impact our storyline.
Sam Raimi
As he highlights, things changed a lot behind-the-scenes and it’s to be expected when any projects are currently in development,w which also influence each other on a character and story basis. Raimi highlighted that these changes created a potential for creativity, which highlights a core aspect of these story elements. He highlights that he was heavily involved with the writing process alongside Loki‘s Michael Waldron and it makes the exciting prospect of what story they ended up within that playfield
For those living under a tardigrade fold in the Quantum Realm, a new help wanted sign has been posted at Marvel Studios. Jon Watts, who successfully helmed the MCU Spider-Man trilogy, is departing the Fantastic Four reboot. The project was announced by Kevin Feige at SDCC 2019 and Watts had been attached to lead the project since Disney’s December 2020 Investor Day; however, Marvel Studios will now have to explore new options and we have some ideas for who could sit in the directors chair.
Bryce Dallas Howard
Howard is still new to the directing game, having only directed a handful of shorts, music videos, and episodes, but she’s quickly proved that she has what it takes to helm an ambitious project such as The Fantastic Four. Her episodes of The Mandalorian and episode of The Book of Boba Fett were among the best of each of those highly-scrutinized series, causing fans to rally for her to be given the reigns to a Star Wars feature film. While she may still be waiting in line for one of those as Lucasfilm keeps its focus on streaming series, this could be a golden opportunity for both Howard and Marvel Studios.
Brad Bird
Its hard to deny that The Incredibles are incredibly (pun somewhat intended) similar to the Fantastic Four, sporting very similar power sets but with an entirely different dynamic. The understanding of that dynamic is what could make Bird such a good pick for The Fantastic Four. Nailing their family dynamic is key to the project’s success. Bird has done that. If he can work with Marvel Studios to understand the core values of these characters, he can get creative within those parameters and put together the first good FF film.
Sam Raimi
The man behind Spider-Man 2, arguably one of the best comic book films of all time, has made his return to marvel with the upcoming Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. Raimi has made it clear that after a LONG break from the superhero genre, he’d be willing return to collaborate with Marvel Studios. The Fantastic Four could be a great route for him. Raimi has similar qualities to that of Brad Bird, where he looks to find relatability in these characters like what he did with Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four is a chance to do that with a whole new dynamic.
John Krasinski
Before the reboot was even announced, fans had already made up their mind as to who they wanted to see play Reed Richards in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: John Kransinski. What if he directed the project instead? The former star of The Office has made his move into directing these past few years with the Quiet Placefilms and has shown an understanding of the craft. Kransinski could be a great choice to sit in the director’s chair for this one, and who knows, he could even be the first star to also direct an MCU film.
The Daniels
One of the most important things that the next Fantastic Four film must do is set itself apart from the past live-action iterations of the team. The Daniels could be the chance to make something really special here. Following the release of Everything Everywhere All At Once, all eyes are on the duo to see what they tackle next. The Fantastic Four could be a great project for them. The two were recently in talks to direct Season One of Loki, but opted out in order to develop their most recent release. The Daniels could spark life in the project, offering a creative new spin on the team and dive into that weird side of the Fantastic Four that we previously suggested should be the avenue Marvel takes with the team.
The timing of this story is quite fitting, but director Jon Watts has just left Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four franchise. Unlike some in the past, it’s not over creative differences but rather to take a break after working back-to-back on three massive blockbusters. After the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s not surprising that he’d want to take it easy for a bit. Yet, it seems that Sony seemingly is still counting on him to return to direct the fourth entry in the MCU’s incarnation of Spider-Man.
As shared by ComicBook.com, the production company hopes to have him alongside Tom Holland and Zendaya return for a fourth entry in the franchise. While many were hoping to potentially see a new director leave his imprint on the franchise, it’s not surprising that they’d want to bank on the success of the third entry. It’s unclear though when we might expect the next entry. As Watts takes a step back from the spotlight, the statement from Marvel Studios has hinted that they are keeping an eye out for other projects they could work on.
The addition of Zendaya being expected to return is a rather interesting surprise considering the ending of the third film. It seemed like they were moving away and giving Spidey a new cast of characters resulting from the final spell that Doctor Strange unleashed upon the world. We know from Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige that they started work on a fourth entry, and many things can change throughout production.
Here’s a surprise to many, but after being announced as the director for Fantastic Four in 2019, it seems that Jon Watts has pulled out of the project. This is quite the surprising move considering he just cemented his standing with Marvel Studios after his work on Spider-Man: No Way Home. It seems that the reasoning is that the director wants to take a break after completing the trilogy and it wasn’t intended to be his next film.
The director has been quite busy, as he’s been busy with production, directing, and promoting the Spider-Man films since he finished work on his 2015 Cop Car. So, he wants to take a break and all parties have confirmed the exit is amicable. Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige shared the following statement:
Collaborating with Jon on the Spider-Man films has been a true pleasure. We were looking forward to continuing our work with him to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU but understand and are supportive of his reasons for stepping away. We are optimistic that we will have the opportunity to work together again at some point down the road.
Kevin Feige
Watts has shared the following statement on the exit:
Making three Spider-Man films was an incredible and life changing experience for me. I’m eternally grateful to have been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for seven years. I’m hopeful we’ll work together again and I can’t wait to see the amazing vision for Fantastic Four brought to life.
Jon Watts
It’s great to see Marvel Studios give the director time to focus on himself and take a step back. Not only that, but it opens up new opportunities for them to find a new voice to join the MCU, especially with the strong sci-fi direction this project might take. There’s a lot of potential with many talented directors that might be perfect for the film.
We just recently got some teases on what the future of the DCEU has in store, which included a brief tease of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While we still know rather little about the project, a new report by The Direct may hint that Jason Momoa‘s Arthur Curry and Amber Heard‘s Mera may have an addition in the upcoming film. While they couldn’t share any details, they have heard that the film will include their child.
It’s not the first time they had a child, as we were introduced to Arthur Curry Jr. some time ago. Yet, there was also the rather dark Aquaman: Death of a Prince storyline, whose title already hints at the rather dark turn for a storyline of the 1970s. It’s not clear if James Wan might be building up an adaptation of that storyline, or if they are potentially exploring a new take on Aqualad.
We do know that the character is getting an HBO Max adaptation, but that will explore a storyline inspired by a graphic novel. So, we’ll see how exactly their child might be connected to the story. The confirmed return of Black Manta doesn’t bode well given the child’s comic history. Perhaps their kid gets abducted and brought to the Lost Kingdom in the title, which sets up the potential storyline and why they are unleashed upon the world. For now, it’s just speculation but that’s the fun of it all.
Blake Lively is set to step behind the camera in her latest role as director. The Hollywood Reporter announced on Friday that Lively will helm the adaptation of Seconds for Searchlight. Seconds is based on the graphic novel of the same name from creator Bryan Lee O’Malley.
It tells the story of a girl named Katie Clay who finds herself with the power to try to fix her past mistakes by writing them down in a notebook and taking a mushroom before going to sleep. As expected, however, Clay soon finds herself obsessed with trying to correct every little mistake and soon finds she’ll have to face the consequences for ignoring the rules.
O’Malley, of course, is best known for his work on Scott Pilgrim which received a live-action adaptation from Edgar Wright. Despite stumbling at the box office, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has quickly become a cult favorite. This time around, while Lively will direct Seconds, she’ll be doing do from a script penned by Wright.
This marks Lively’s first film directing gig after she directed a music video for Taylor Swift last year with “I Bet You Think About Me.” The former Gossip Girl star has seen her star on the rise in recent years thanks to projects like The Shallows and The Rhythm Section.
As of this writing, Seconds does not yet have a release date.
Two of Marvel Studios’ 2023 films have swapped dates. Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels was previously dated for release in February 2023, and will now release in July 2023. While the third film in the Ant-Man series, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania which was previously set to release in July 2023 has moved up to February 2023.
Deadline reported that both films are moving along well but that the Paul Rudd film was a little further along in the process. Both films started filming last Summer in London, and are equally set to continue stories on a wider stage than the films before them. With Quantumania potentially having connections to Loki Season 2 through Kang, it will be interesting to see where they connect in the timeline. Similarly, it is expected that Secret Invasion will connect to The Marvels through the Kree-Skrull tensions. The Samuel L. Jackson-led series seems like it may have a more direct connection, where Kang’s variants are separate people. Yet it is unclear exactly when Secret Invasion will take place in relation to The Marvels. Lots still yet to be discovered.
In terms of the productions, it’s great to hear that both films are moving along nicely. Keeping the Marvel Studios dates means fans aren’t really losing anything. The swap of dates means there will be more for fans to discuss and theorize in relation to what happens when. It will be an exciting slate for 2023 for the Marvel Cinematic Universe regardless of the date swaps.
As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness approaches, the secretive film has been dropping more and more information. Even with the rumored high-profile cameos on fans’ minds, one highly-anticipated character already known is Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez. The young hero’s ability to make portals to alternate universes will surely come in handy in the multiversal sequel.
Still, the character also marks major milestones for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as America’s Latinx and LGBTQ+ comics background will make its way into the live-action film. In the comics, her traditional origin story is that she used her dimension-hopping powers to travel from a universe known as the Utopian Parallel after her mothers gave their lives to save that universe. Multiverse of Madness has made headlines after some countries banned the film and others asked Disney to remove LGBTQ+ references from the film.
While we knew America’s mothers would be referenced, it looks like we now know that the two have been cast. According to One Take News, actresses Ruther Livier and Chess Lopez played the role of America’s mothers in the Doctor Strange sequel. While the scope of their roles is not yet known, it seems likely that they may be relatively small. Still, the fact that the roles have been filled does indicate that we will likely see a significant part of the young hero’s past.
Livier has appeared in 90210and has done a lot of voice work, particularly in video games such as Sly 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Dead Rising 3. Lopez seems to be relatively new to the entertainment scene, having appeared in a few short films.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness his theaters on May 6, 2022.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
This website uses cookies
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
30 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
