Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Star Wars

  • Obi-Wan to Face Commander Cody in Upcoming Series

    Obi-Wan to Face Commander Cody in Upcoming Series

    There have been rumblings for quite some time, but now, and according to Corey and Noah over at the Kessel Run Transmissions, Hayden Christensen is indeed returning to the Star Wars universe to play Anakin Skywalker in the yet-untitled Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Christensen has been very involved in Star Wars fan events in the past few years, so it comes as no surprise that the next step would be to bring him back to the iconic role that he first played almost 20 years ago. And even though this piece of news alone allows for a lot of speculation on what the plot of the series is concerned, it’s the confirmation that Clone Commander Cody (and his 212th) is also set to come back to live-action that seems to bring it all together.

    Even since the series was officially confirmed back in August 2019 (and even before that) that fans have been wondering what could an Obi-Wan centered production, set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, as this one is, be about. The last time we saw the character in Episode III he was delivering baby Luke to his uncles on Tatooine, and at the beginning of Episode IV he was still there, having spent almost two full (earth) decades looking out for young Luke, making sure the wrong people didn’t get to him. So would a Kenobi series have to be set in Tatooine since it’s plausible Obi-Wan didn’t leave the planet during that extended period? Yes and no.

    Obi-Wan-and-Anakin

    Having Anakin Skywalker in the series will mean that the show, while set between the previously mentioned theatrical releases, will likely feature several flashbacks to a time before Obi-Wan settled down in Tatooine, before Luke was born and before Anakin turned into Darth Vader. Events in the series’ present-day may serve as the catalyst to these flashbacks, mirroring past events and allowing us to go deeper into Obi-Wan’s memories. But for those events to trigger Kenobi’s memories they would have to be pretty meaningful. And this is where someone familiar to him, from his past, would come into play.

    Anakin, now Darth Vader, would probably be choice number one. But even though Vader is also set to show up in the series (and there’s ‘probably a 50/50 chance of having Christensen in the role – either he will or he won’t), them coming together probably wouldn’t fit into the overarching storyline. When they both met in A New Hope, Vader said “When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master.” And it’s doubtful Anakin doesn’t see his transformation into Darth Vader as the moment he finally became more than Kenobi was.

    twin-suns-kenobi-maul-tall

    Darth Maul would also be an interesting choice. Since we found out he didn’t die in Episode I, we’ve learned of his obsession with Kenobi, and how he sees as his destiny to finally overcome him in battle. But his appearance would undermine everything Star Wars Rebels achieved when addressing their conflict. And, as Vader, we have already seen the way he dies. This could remove most of the tension that should be integral to such confrontations.

    But Commander Cody could be it. We last saw him turning against the Jedi in the final act of Episode III, when Cody was Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi’s subordinate. They lead the 212th Legion, a military battalion of the Grand Army of the Republic, during the Clone Wars, having developed a friendly relationship being the implementation of Order 66 (that commanded all clone troopers to kill their Jedi officers) what turned them into enemies. This means that there would be some personal feelings involved if these two would even come face to face in the series, making it all the more meaningful.

    The plot for the series, as the guys at Kessel Run Transmissions confirmed, seems to focus on a hunt for Obi-Wan Kenobi. If making Darth Vader lead such an endeavor would probably feel like overkill, having someone that fought alongside Kenobi, that earned his confidence and respect, that probably knows him better than most, makes the most sense. So being, we will probably witness a search for the former Jedi Knight, orchestrated by Vader but led by Commander Cody. And having to face such an old ally may lead Obi-Wan to relive some moments from The Clone Wars where both Anakin and Cody were beside him, and this is where he might end up finding the answers he needs to overcome the ordeal facing him in the present.

  • Kathleen Kennedy Talks ‘Star Wars’ Future

    Kathleen Kennedy Talks ‘Star Wars’ Future

    Star Wars’ journey has been quite turbulent. It has established its place in animation through shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels. Then founder George Lucas sold the company to Disney. They tried to kickstart a new trilogy. that explores the galaxy far far away after the events of Return of the Jedi. After the last entry of the new trilogy, Rise of Skywalker, was released to a mixed reception, they decided to take a step back to re-evaluate their next move. Everyone was waiting to find out what the future would hold. The franchise has started expanding more into long-term storytelling, especially after its success with The Mandalorian on Disney+ and many other shows in the pipeline.

    According to the President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy, they are still planning out how they will move forward. She highlighted that they want to try and expore the 25,000 years of history in this universe. They are also not trying to be bound by one medium, as they expand their projects into books and games. Their goal is to continue what George Lucas started. One interesting thing to note is that she did point out in her interview with The Wrap:

    “That’s what we’ve been doing, and we’ve been having a great deal of fun doing it, and meeting with lots of different filmmakers and talent. There’s so many fans out there and so many filmmakers that have been influenced by Star Wars for so long that it’s a fantastic opportunity to get a sense of who wants to be a part of this. So that’s what we’ve been doing.”

    So far, we know that a film is in development with Taika Waititi, who also direct episodes on The Mandalorian. We are still anxious to find out what kind of story he will tell in the Star Wars universe. This also means that we might get more standalone films moving forward. There were rumblings of them potentially exploring the Old Republic to take a unique look at Jedi history. She also highlighted that TV will be an integral part for the franchise’s future.

    “I do. And I’ve already seen evidence of it. The ability to be very character-driven, with extended storytelling and connected storytelling, I think this space offers us a great opportunity to do that.”

    It’s an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. There are a lot of stories to explore in the galaxy far far away. Kennedy‘s last statement also fits their current approach to the brand. We’ve mainly heard many various shows being announced, like the untitled Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi shows. They also created a spin-off from The Clone Wars titled The Bad Batch. One thing is for sure, we won’t be running out of Star Wars content anytime soon.

    Source: The Wrap via Comic Book

  • COVID-19 Restrictions Unlikely to Delay Season 3 of ‘THE MANDALORIAN’

    COVID-19 Restrictions Unlikely to Delay Season 3 of ‘THE MANDALORIAN’

    Amid the turmoil most production companies are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing the implementation of health and safety guidelines might lead to is an increase in the number of entertainment projects set underwater or in outer space (or in any other setting where a protective suit and helmet would be mandatory, really), making for settings where cast and crew would inherently be a bit more safeguarded. A similar security blanket, unique to the show, will likely also ensure that the production of the third season of The Mandalorian will remain largely unaffected and on schedule. 

    As Murphy’s Multiverse referenced a couple of months ago the groundbreaking technology used in the making of Star Wars’ first live-action tv series could be of great use during these trying times for the entertainment industry. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, when asked about the challenges that the show might have to face when the time comes to shoot season 3, executive producer Jon Favreau had this to say:

     

    The fact that the set is much more contained is a benefit, because you can limit the number of people. A lot of the people controlling it are doing it remotely from what we call the Brain Bar, which is a bank of gaming computers, essentially. The amount of people near the camera could be much smaller than [usual]. We also shoot a lot outside, which is helpful, too. We build to a moment in filming more like an animated production, where we have a lot of storyboards, a lot of discussions and scouting in virtual reality. We use cinematic tools in VR much the same way we did for The Lion King and The Jungle Book. A lot of times the actors you are seeing on the screen aren’t actually there on set.

     

    So being, “The Volume” (the name given to the soundstage where most of The Mandalorian is shot) proves to be ahead of its time, in more ways than one. It was initially conceived as a way to streamline the shooting of a show that involves a whole lot of VFX and off-world locations, and the ability to change environments at the click of a button revealed itself to be tremendously effective, making it a winning play for Lucasfilm as the show’s tremendous reception reflected. It has also demonstrated that having such a tool that allows to reduce location shooting while creating a protective bubble around cast and crew alike is surely invaluable in today’s landscape, especially at a time when the limitations productions are facing are still far too many and most are playing catch-up, trying to understand what crews can and cannot do with the current health concerns.

     

     

  • Untitled ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Show Eyeing Production Start Next Month

    Untitled ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Show Eyeing Production Start Next Month

    The Mandalorian kickstarted the Disney+ era. It was quite the success and Disney didn’t waste time to announce multiple projects in the Star Wars galaxy. Just recently, we got an update on casting for the unnamed Cassian Andor project. Hell, we are even getting a new Star Wars Holiday Special on the streaming platform. One major project many are excited for was the announced Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Ewan McGregor is confirmed to return to the role, as it takes place eight years after Revenge of the Sith. In January, it was reported that the production was set on hold long before the pandemic hit. Rumors pointed to issues with the scripts that were going to be reworked. As a result, production was delayed indefinitely.

    Well, looks like that wait is finally over. The site Making Star Wars has uncovered that there are plans to start production as early as next month. It seems that they are planning on using the train yard location in California. This has been used for many exterior shots for The Mandalorian in the past. They could be reusing the Tatooine materials filmed during the first season of the Disney+ show.

    Their source does confirm that this doesn’t mean they will instantly jump into filming. This story takes place long before our favorite Mandalorian took a step in Tatooine so it was a very different place then. So, they will need to adapt the existing material to fit that timeline before Deborah Chow starts the actual filming. As she was involved with the previous show’s production, she can reuse this experience for Obi-Wan. Making Star Wars also points out that it is unsure how much will be shot in Southern California. Originally, plans seemed to indicate that they wanted to film in the U.K. but with the current situation this may be hindered. It will be good to keep an eye out if anything happens for the show next month.

    Sources: TechRadar, Collider, Making Star Wars via DisInsider

  • The Star Wars Holiday Special is back!

    The Star Wars Holiday Special is back!

    Forty-two years to the day, the Star Wars Holiday Special is back through Disney+! It probably won’t be as star-studded as the one released back in 1978 (which featured almost the entirety of the cast from A New Hope), but it’ll have its own studs nonetheless, since this time it’ll be made out of LEGO.

    It will premiere on November 17 on Disney’s 9-month old the streaming platform, a day when some commemorate National Hiking Day, National Homemade Bread Day, or National Baklava Day, but that in a galaxy far, far away seems to coincide with Life Day (at least every 42 years), a Wookiee holiday celebrated by the inhabitants of their home planet of Kashyyyk. And as in 1978, the Special’s plot will revolve around Chewbacca flying home to celebrate the holiday with his own. With Han Solo out of the picture, this time it’ll be up to Rey, Finn, Poe, and Rose to help Chewie out.

    It’ll be set after The Rise of Skywalker, and in the spirit of A Christmas Carol (another holiday-related story), we’ll get to see our main cast interacting with both past, present, and future characters from the Star Wars universe, villains and heroes alike, certainly leaving room for someone to shout out “The dead speak.. again!” somewhere in there.

    Several Star Wars cast members might end up lending their voice to the characters portraited on the big screen, but no name is, as of yet, officially confirmed.

  • Adria Arjona Joins ‘Rogue One’ Spin-Off

    Disney+’s The Mandalorian was a great start to highlight what is possible with this new streaming service. It especially opened up so much potential for exploring the different parts of a galaxy far, far away. While news on the Kenobi show has been rather sparse, Deadline just got its hands on some interesting casting news. It seems that Adria Arjona, who recently appeared in 6 Underground, will join series star Diego Luna in the upcoming Rogue One spin-off. She rounds out the cast alongside Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Alan Tudyk, Stellan Skarsgard, and Kyle Soller.

    No details are given by Deadline but she will have a lead role in the series which will follow Cassian Andor’s early days as a Rebel agent. So far, the only returning cast members of Rogue One are Diego Luna as the titular character and Alan Tudyk as K-2SO. While the announcement caught many off-guard at the time, it offers a unique perspective into this galaxy. As a spy, he can pretty much end up in many different scenarios. This could give us a closer look at how the Empire operated during this time. Maybe also introduce other factions besides the Rebels that were fighting for their freedom. We only got glimpses so far, so this show may offer a closer look at the daily life under the Empire’s thumb.

    Source: Deadline

     

  • ‘OBI-WAN’ Sets Production Date

    ‘OBI-WAN’ Sets Production Date

    Yesterday’s news that 3 coming Star Wars films were all delayed by a year was unwelcome but understandable. Today, however, we get some good Star Wars news from our friends at the Illuminerdi who have learned when production is slated to begin on the much anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series! According to their report, cameras are currently set to roll in Los Angeles in March of next year.

    20 Hilarious Memes About Anakin Skywalker We Can't Stop Laughing At

    As the article smartly points out, the Deborah Chow helmed series will almost certainly take advantage of the Volume technology that was used so successfully on The Mandalorian and that technology is located in L.A. Many rumors have swirled around the show, including some recent ones that claim Hayden Christensen would be returning to his role as the Chosen One alongside star Ewan McGregor. With a smaller episode count, a March 2021 start should provide enough time to get the show completed on on the streaming service in late 2021!

  • Disney Plus ‘OBI-WAN’ Series to Use Revolutionary ‘MANDALORIAN’ Tech

    Disney Plus ‘OBI-WAN’ Series to Use Revolutionary ‘MANDALORIAN’ Tech

    When Ewan McGregor went on stage on August 23 2019 at D23 the excitement was palpable. Everybody knew what was coming and his announcement that he would indeed get to play Obi-Wan Kenobi once again meant one of the best aspects of the Star Wars prequel trilogy was back.

    In a recent interview with ACE Universe he shared that same enthusiasm while telling us that the technology the show’s production team will have at their disposal plays a big part in that. This technology while not brand new, hasn’t been around for a long time. The Mandalorian was the first production to use it in it’s first two seasons and they haven’t been shy about it.

    If you got to watch The Mandalorian‘s first season on Disney+ you should really check out Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian, another Disney+ 8-episode mini-series that airs it’s final episode this Friday. It takes us behind the scenes with both the directors and the cast of the show, while also focusing on the production side of things, the score by Academy Award winner Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther), Star Wars’ legacy and a few more interesting topics.

    But the episode that perhaps resonated with most people was episode 4 titled “Technology.” It’s perhaps the closest Star Wars has gotten us, in the past few years, to the feeling many had back in 1977 when it’s special-effects innovations changed Hollywood forever.

    Episode 4 introduced us to what production called “The Volume.” It’s basically a soundstage surrounded by giant LED walls that are used to project photorealistic virtual environments, that Industrial Light & Magic developed alongside Epic Games. It turned out to be something that George Lucas toyed with 40 years ago but that proved to be a little too much for that era’s technological capabilities.

    From an actor’s standpoint, and as Ewan says:

    The prequels were all blue screen and green screen and it was hard to imagine, but nowadays I think things have moved on so much, and I think a lot of what you see is gonna be what we see on the set. I don’t know if you’ve seen the behind-the-scenes of The Mandalorian series, but they employ that incredible screen, it’s pretty amazing. It makes you feel like you’re in the place, it’s going to feel more real for us, as actors. And I think we’ll be using some of that technology on our show.

    By removing green screens form the equation, actors are now reacting to something that isn’t inside their head but right in front of their faces. They are now able to correctly adapt their performances to it, and obviously, every actor in the same scene will now have the same reference points, allowing for a more coordinated response from everybody. It’s not a cheap option, but by eliminating expensive on-location shootings, and fast-tracking production in more ways than one, its benefits aren’t anything to sneeze at.

    Another side of this is the fact that, by making it possible to shoot so many environments indoors, it allows for more secretive projects to remain as such. Star Wars and Marvel projects, that always like to leave audiences mostly unspoiled, can now avoid random set photos that disclose both minor and major plot points, and even characters’appearances, from appearing online without their approval.

    Also, with the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting so many productions and studios looking into ways on how to better protect their crews and acting talent, this might just be a way of making sure sets are a bit more impervious to outside contact. You shouldn’t put it past Disney to decide to shoot as many projects as possible using this technology in the coming months.

    For a more in-depth look into The Volume, check out this article by Epic Games

    You can catch the entire ACE Universe interview right here, on their Youtube channel.

  • Star Wars Celebration 2020 Canceled, Will Return in 2022

    Star Wars Celebration 2020 Canceled, Will Return in 2022

    Let’s face it. This time we all had a bad feeling about it. This summer’s Star Wars Celebration 2020 is now officially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and fans from all over the world will now have to wait another two years to get together in what has become a shining beacon of Star Wars fandom.

    At Star Wars Celebration, the health and safety of our fans, attendees, exhibitors, guests and staff is always our number one priority. Due to the global impact of the COVID-19 virus (…) we have made the decision to cancel Star Wars celebration for 2020.

    While this news is disappointing. we are happy to announce that Star Wars Celebration will return to the Anaheim Convention Center on August 18-21, 2022

    There are still a lot of variables concerning how the pandemic will evolve in the coming months, but we have now reached a point where August is just around the corner and with uncertainty being the only certainty, decisions had to be made, and common sense seems to have prevailed.

    Since Disney took over the franchise, every Star Wars Celebration event held in the US has been used to promote a major theatrical release. This year that wouldn’t be the case, but there would still be a lot to look forward to, with a special focus on the 40th anniversary of what many consider to be the best movie of the entire Star Wars Saga, Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. As in 2017 in Orlando (the 40th anniversary of Episode IV – A New Hope) and 2019 in Chicago (the 20th anniversary of Episode I – The Phantom Menace), fans would have been able to attend special panels and events highlighting another Star Wars milestone’s legacy. We would also probably get new information regarding season 2 of The Mandalorian since it’s already finished filming and, with post-production being able to move forward despite the current film and television shutdowns, there’s no reason to think it won’t keep it’s October 2020 premiere date.

    Ahsoka Tano—A Star Wars Oral History | Vanity Fair

    Rescheduling Star Wars Celebration to 2021, and even though new live-action streaming projects (focusing on Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, and a few others) will likely emerge and there will be new footage to be shown and new announcements to be made, would leave a bit of a void on what concerns the theatrical side of the franchise. By deciding to return only in 2022 Disney will be able to focus on the project they have scheduled to release in theaters on December 16th, 2022. This means they are all but setting that date in stone, and even though we still know very little about that specific project the commitment to have a new Star Wars movie out by then seems to have been definitively made.

    This shouldn’t have been an absolute certainty since it’s likely that the domino effect started this spring, with the rescheduling of so many movies, will probably have repercussions for a few years and if there was a time to postpone any given project without major backlash it would be now. By not doing so Disney is showing us is that they’re confident in what they have planned out for the big screen beyond the Skywalker Saga.

  • Lessons From Lucasfilm: How Marvel Studios Can Learn From Star Wars

    Lessons From Lucasfilm: How Marvel Studios Can Learn From Star Wars

    As part of the relaunch of Murphy’s Multiverse we invited several friends, old and new, to write some guest features. This was written by our good friend, Marvel News Desk’s very own Caleb Borchers.

    2019 was an important year for Marvel Studios as they finished out their first saga of films in triumphant fashion.  One of the facets of their success is that Marvel Studios passed up Lucasfilm as the most financially dominant arm of Disney.  While Star Wars films had historically outperformed their Marvel counterparts, Marvel is now clearly ascendant.  It may not be a totally apples to apples comparison, but both Marvel and Lucasfilm released the final film of an era of storytelling.  One could argue that Rise of Skywalker was actually set up to be an even greater event in that it capped off 35 years of film making across several generations of fans.  When the dust settled, however, Avengers: Endgame dominated Rise of Skywalker with far more than two times the international gross. 

     

    Despite their general dominance, Marvel Studios still has a few things they could learn from Lucasfilm and their company compatriots in a galaxy far, far away.  As fans of both franchises can attest, Star Wars still provides some things to fans that Marvel just hasn’t been able to duplicate.  Here are three ways that Marvel Studios could benefit from some of the practices over at Lucasfilm.  

     

    (Obviously one could write the opposite article and it might even be longer.  First on my list for how Lucasfilm could learn from Marvel Studios would be something like “Hire a director and actually trust that director, keeping them on board until the movie is released!”  I don’t mean here to pretend that Lucasfilm has no flaws, just that they do some things really well.)

     

    Make Use of Animation, Particularly on the TV/Streaming Side

    Many Star Wars fans feel that the best material to come out of Lucasfilm since the Disney takeover has nothing to do with the Skywalker saga or the big screen.  Instead, The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Rebels have been the big homeruns of the era, in addition to positive reception of the latest season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  While Lucasfilm has struggled to match Marvel in producing multiple successful films a year, Marvel hasn’t even touched the world of animation, with the exception of the upcoming What If…?

     

    What If?' Logo Hints at Characters and Potential Plotlines ...

     

    Animation for Star Wars has been great in its ability to extend and deepen their universe.  Anakin Skywalker was a dud in the prequel trilogy.  But fans of Clone Wars are much warmer to the character after he was more fully realized in animation.  Almost every planet in the Star Wars universe has multiple stories of lore now between the various animated projects that have returned to settings from the films.  Imagine a TV show that could explore what life is like in Wakanda or what the daily cases handled by X-Con Security might look like or what threats the Nova Corps have defended against.  Animation allows all this exploration on a minimum budget.  The only limits are the imaginations of the animators.  

     

    Another advantage of animation is that it allows for connections and cameos that are impractical in live action properties.  Just in Rebels alone Star Wars fans saw Leia, R2-D2, C3PO, Lando, Mon Mothma, Obi-Wan, Vader, Maul, and the Emperor operating within the larger universe before A New Hope.  Imagine the Marvel connections that could happen within the bounds of animation.  Peter Parker and Shuri could meet at a youth science expo.  We could get a history of Mar-Vell and the Skrulls with Ego stopping by in the midst of things.  Or Red Skull could be in a confrontation with Odin during his attempts to find artifacts in Norway during WWII.  Kevin Feige has rightfully been hesitant to force those kinds of interactions into films where they would be a side show.  Animation would allow him to make those interactions the focus of what would literally be a side show to the main MCU.  

    Ahsoka Tano Death Not Confirmed by Rise of Skywalker Cameo – /Film

     

    Animation also serves as a lab in which new characters can be added and developed.  Lucasfilm is about to cash in on a decade and a half of animation to bring the like of Ahsoka Tano, Bo Katan, and Sabine Wren into The Mandalorian.  Casual fans might not know those characters but the loyalists most certainly do.  And everyone will know them when they explode onto Disney+’s most popular show.  While Feige and crew have done an excellent job blooding new characters in other films (including Vision, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and more) their capacity could open in animation.  There would be more screen time if nothing else.  

     

    Another advantage for Marvel Studios is that it increases output.  Star Wars fans are kept somewhat happy between films because there are more stories happening in the animation world.  They’re seeing the biggest stars of their universe on the small screen too.  This has ancillary benefits of selling more merchandise.  Fandoms generate revenue disproportionately from the most dedicated fans, why not give them something else to enjoy and purchase?  (To be fair, comics do serve this function for many MCU fans.)

     

    Now some will argue that Marvel already has an arm to do these kinds of things and that is Marvel TV.  Fans of both universes will know that the crossover and continuity of Star Wars television is on a totally different level than the crossovers between Marvel films and TV shows.  While ABC’s shows and Netflix’s universe were given lip service by Marvel, it was always a one way relationship.  TV shows worked hard to connect over and the films just ignored the TV universe.  Certainly one would never hear the voice of Charlie Cox in Endgame the way Rey hears from half a dozen TV only Jedi at the climax of Rise of Skywalker. Also, with the exception of Fury and Sif in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. film characters hardly come into TV shows.  But in Star Wars characters, ships, locations, etc. move back and forth.  Perhaps the most distinct version of this is the TV character Saw Gerrera appearing in a pivotal role in Rogue One.  Marvel TV could do this function, but it hasn’t. Maybe that will change with Disney+, but live action Disney+ shows are still not going to provide the flexibility of animation.  

     

    What Happened To Sif After Thor: The Dark World, According To ...

     

    One final things animation does is that brings in new, young fans.  While Star Wars fans may not love how young Star Wars: Resistance skewed, it still captivated younger viewers.  The reality for a company like Disney that has centuries in front of it most likely is that they must always capture new fans from young ages.  Enticing kids to watch is a way to guarantee another 60 years of revenue from loyal fans.  Marvel Studios is clearly aware of this with their focus on a younger Spider-Man as well as all the rumors about Young Avengers.  Animation is another easy on ramp to this audience base. 

     

    Designate Some Canon Keepers

    Almost every time a documentary crew talks to Lucasfilm about a new project, those interviewed includes someone from the Lucasfilm Story Group.  This group functions as the official keepers of canon.  They appear to have detailed records on every character in their universe, all the appearances of those characters, and important dates involved with characters.  They keep up similarly with locations and ships and much more.  As such, anytime a filmmaker is interested in doing something there is a definite authority to determine if the decisions will break the canon of the universe.  

     

    Kevin Feige and crew need such a group and they need it badly.  Some talk has occurred suggesting some of this work happens.  Feige has alluded to an official timeline that is kept somewhere at Marvel Films HQ.  But none of it is as official as the Lucasfilm Story Group.  This has become painfully clear a time or two, with the date cards of Spider-Man: Homecoming being a perfect example.  While the concerns are relatively pedantic, it is even more short sighted to not keep up with these things.  The beauty of the MCU, even as opposed to the comics, is a relatively cohesive story with a real sense of the passage of time and character development.  A group like this could help in so many ways. 

     

    AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Director Says SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING's "8 ...

     

    Not only would the existence of such a group help Marvel Studios, but they should also publicize who is on the canon committee and make them household names.  We should all know someone as “the continuity guy” and Marvel.  The opportunities at conventions would be fun.  Come to a panel and ask your obnoxious continuity concern and get an official answer.  Also, how much time would it save for Feige when on a press tour to deflect the “gotcha” questions by simply saying, “That’s a great question for our continuity guy, you should interview him.”  

     

    Stronger controls on continuity and canon would allow Marvel execs to be off the hook, would tighten up the universe for fans, and would just add an overall level of polish to a universe that’s already fairly cohesive.  My last suggestion piggybacks off this idea and might not be popular.  

     

    Swing the Continuity Axe

    Many fans were incensed when Disney bought up Lucasfilm and immediately canned what is known as the “extended universe” canon.  This was an attempt to streamline plans for new content.  With all the novels and comics about Star Wars post-Return of the Jedi off the table, J.J. Abrams had much more freedom to tell a new and different story about the universe post-Luke, Leia, and Han.  It was a bold move but one that greatly simplified a very messy mass of story.  

     

    Is Marvel's Agents of Shield season 6 on Disney Plus UK? - Radio Times

     

    Marvel Studios needs to do the same thing with the so-called “canon” of the Marvel TV shows.  While the original idea was ambitious, it never truly worked.  Early on there were great moments, like the Hydra overthrow of S.H.I.E.L.D. which occurred simultaneously on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  But the positive fan experience of that moment seemed to be a detrimental experience to the creatives behind the products.  S.H.I.E.L.D. felt mis-paced for much of its first season but we now know that is because the show was merely treading water until the big crossover reveal.  The second season’s helicarrier crossover idea with Age of Ultron is still awkward to this day. 

     

    The Netflix shows didn’t fare much better.  Despite the Sokovia Accords rocking the superhero world to its core in films, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are out and about in the streets showing off their powers with no concern about the police arresting them for their power usage.  Fans have bent over backwards to try to explain the inconsistency away.  Maybe it was about the geography or power level of the characters.  Maybe you could squeeze the time frames so all the shows happened pre-Ultron.  While one can understand the efforts lovers of these shows went into keeping them in canon, it is hard not to see that the producers of the shows (and definitely the producers of the films) just didn’t care as much.  

     

    The most egregious example would be the utter nonsense surrounding Thanos, the snap, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  The season 5 finale is clearly placed during the invasion of Wakanda and season 6 is clearly in a non-snapped world.  This says nothing of the fact that the time travel rules of Endgame and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are in almost complete disagreement.  As S.H.I.E.L.D. continued the continuity just frayed to the point of no longer being salvageable.  

     

    Inhumans' seeks to add TV power to Marvel, ABC - CNN

     

    Dropping the shows from continuity also allows some characters who were poorly done on TV to be reclaimed in the films.  The Inhumans are too important to the history of Marvel to allow the utterly disastrous ABC show to be considered the MCU version of Black Bolt and Medusa.  Iron Fist fans also deserve a better version of their favorite hero.  This isn’t true for every version of every TV character, but Marvel Studios can choose to rehire actors who did work like Charlie Cox, Vincent D’onofrio, or Olivia Holt.  

     

    If Marvel Studios would adopt these three practices from Lucasfilm it would improve the already strong MCU.  More characters, depth, and breadth would be available to the universe.  That increased potential would be kept within logical canon guidelines.  And the TV shows which just do not fit into the larger narrative of the show would be freed from those expectations to be enjoyed for what they are.