With the conclusion of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’s nine-episode run came the end of Marvel Studios’ streaming series for 2022. The year kicked off in March with a six-episode journey into the mind of Marc Spector in Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac; continued in June with Ms. Marvel, which also ran for six episodes and introduced Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan to MCU; and concluded with Tatiana Maslany’s fourth-wall-breaking Jennifer Walters. Each series certainly had its own, distinct flavor and, as with all things, didn’t satisfy the palates of all fans. Team MM watched and covered them all, so with them now behind us, we thought we’d share which series were to our taste in the return of the Team-Up!
Joao Pinto
Moon Knight might not be the MCU series that better managed to stick its landing—especially not when compared to Loki, Ms. Marvel, or She-Hulk—but its build-up was indeed special. The character work developed by Oscar Isaac is likely to still be unparalleled in the MCU, and the psychological components made for an incredibly compelling experience ahead of the lackluster and uninspired finale. The weeks while the show was airing were incredibly stimulating both as an audience member and as someone who got to write about the show, perhaps in a way that I hadn’t yet felt, and likely haven’t since, when it comes to Marvel Studios Disney+ series.
Being a fan of Jeff Lemire’s Moon Knight run it was wonderful to see so many elements from it being adapted to the small screen, as well as witnessing the unfolding of the future of the Gods in the MCU, with established connections to both Thor: Love and Thunder and the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The somewhat tedious series finale is unlikely to remain as the final Moon Knight chapter in the MCU. So being, the amazing work developed in the first five episodes will still surely be given a proper climax, one that highlights just how impressive the show really was…if you leave out the finale.
Mary Rowe
She-Hulk is my favorite MCU series of Phase Four. It introduced a main character that represented a very down-to-Earth person, whose super adventures only added to the baseline personal story. It was hilarious, the final two episodes were absolutely phenomenal and memorable, and Marvel seemed unworried about portraying very real women and not shying away from important topics and concepts that are often ignored because they shine a bad light on (a) reality for women, and (b) the “fandom” and general internet’s misogyny. But even without that, it was the most enjoyable show by far, and I can’t wait to see more of this kind of comedy and creative approach in the MCU going forward.
Torbjorn Frazier
My favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe series from Disney+ this year was She-Hulk: Attorney at Law with a bullet. While Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel both had fantastic high points, the latest series from Marvel Studios was most consistent with its high quality. Led by a phenomenal performance from Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law felt like the first MCU project to fully embrace its status as a television series within the greater universe. The stakes weren’t as catastrophic as many of Phase Four’s contemporaries, but they were very much real and resonate in the modern world (it truly was a marvel to watch the show so accurately predict the bad faith negative commentary that would come from toxic corners of the internet). And then of course, the back two episodes of the series provided Marvel’s creative high points of the year thus far. Daredevil had a natural transition from Netflix to the MCU-proper, and then the creative team provided a masterful adaptation of fourth-wall shattering akin to many seminal She-Hulk comic runs.
Maybe the least discussed aspect of Marvel Studios’ future is it’s upcoming line of animated series. I hope that Kevin Feige and company treat these projects with an equal amount of respect as their signature live-action material, and we get loads of new information on What If…? Season 2, Marvel Zombies, and especially Spider-Man: Freshman Year. Until further notice, Freshman Year is the only officially announced Spider-Man project on the horizon for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I would love to have my hype levels increased with some casting announcements, or even a trailer that includes a villain reveal. As I’m constantly saying on Twitter…I just want pictures of Spider-Man!
Otherwise, I just hope Marvel’s Hall H panel gives us plenty to be excited about going forward. Title reveals for Captain America 4 and the Halloween Special, logo reveals for Daredevil and Nova, and more official word on projects that have huge creative potential. I love how different Phase 4 has been, and I can’t wait to see how Phase 5 might carry that torch. Oh, and please, second season announcements for Hawkeye, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel.
MTF III
4. I want to see who will win the Con between Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Two fantasy IP juggernauts square off in the late summer/early fall, and both want to leave an impression on fans. Much has been said about Amazon’s big money bet on Rings of Power, but for HBO, after the 4th Quarter goal line fumble that was the GoT Finale, Time Warner Discovery may have even more riding on House of the Dragon scorching old narratives and soaring into a more hopeful future.
3. DC Films Timeline – With no Flash to wow people, but with that film so essential to the future slate of their DC connected universe, it will be intriguing to see whether there are any nods to connectedness between their upcoming projects. Black Adam and Shazam! have natural connective tissue, but there isn’t a lot of clarity on Batgirl, or whether those BlackCanary rumors are true. And maybe we’ll get some Blue Beetle footage.
2. MCU Animation – In the Star Wars side, we’ve seen seamless integration between the live-action and animated prongs of the franchise under Dave Filoni. But What If only offered the smallest promise of seeing something similar with Marvel. However, between What If…? Season 2, Spider-Man: Freshman Year and X-Men ’97, animation could be used as a way of filling narrative in the massive multiverse undertaking Marvel is engaged in right now as they march to Secret Wars. I’d love some more details.
1. Marvel Phase 4 and Beyond – We’re all looking for a road map, and who can forget the massive calendar reveal for Phase 3. Marvel could really wow us by giving us the remainder of the Phase 4 slate, and how it will culminate. Marvel has a lot of balls in the air and places the stories could be going. Offering us some clarity for the next 3-5 years like they did back in 2014 would settle a lot of stomachs within the fanbase, as they strap in for the ups, downs, loopty-loops that Feige and Co have planned for us.
Anthony Canton III
When it comes to SDCC I’m thinking of two projects, one coming soon and one a bit off in the distance. First, Wakanda Forever is on my mind. The tribute to Chadwick, what that means to everyone who came out for the first film and supporters world wide. It’s going to be emotional. You want to protect this film and hope it’s treated with the utmost care. There’s a curiosity with everything around it so hoping to learn a bit more.
Secondly, there’s a project next year. Quantumania comes to the forefront. Sure it’ll be great to see Scott, Hope, and the gang all back. The real intrigue is Jonathan Majors. His “He Who Remains” performance is the most electrifying singular appearance we’ve seen in the MCU. Now we see Kang in all his glory and hopefully get some more answers to the multiverse. Hopefully there’ll be some footage with a “See You Soon.”
João Pinto
I’ll basically set this up in three different levels, each with decreasing odds of actually happening:
1) Some footage with our first look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Besides introducing audiences to the MCU’s take on Atlantis, Namor, Namora, Attuma, and Riri Williams, this would always be a special project following Chadwick Boseman’s passing. Ryan Coogler and the team behind the movie have worked extremely hard to give us a majestic sequel to Black Panther and seeing it finally come to fruition is extremely high on my wishlist.
2) New information regarding Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four. After years of expectations, and theories regarding who might get to portray Marvel’s First Family on the big screen, finally getting an official announcement would feel like the once impossible movie is one step closer to becoming a reality. Getting a director confirmation would also do wonders in terms of shedding some light on what might be Kevin Feige’s approach to the project.
3) With all the talk that the MCU’s Phase 4 lacks direction, getting an announcement of a project spinning out of several Phase 4 entries would do wonders in terms of making audiences relax regarding the MCU’s near future. Be it a project focusing on the Young Avengers (bringing together characters from Hawkeye, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Secret Invasion, Multiverse of Madness, and Quantumania), or on the Thunderbolts (Black Widow, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Falcon and the Winter Soldier), by getting news of what we might call Phase 4’s Phase 2 would bring us closer to understanding what secret wars might be in store in the MCU’s upcoming future.
Jared Kirschenbaum
Fans like myself were relieved to see the film rights to Marvel’s most beloved characters return to Marvel Studios after Fox somewhat butchered the X-Men and Fantastic Four. With the deal having only been completed 4 months before, it’s understandable that at SDCC in July of 2019, Feige could only bring mere mention to the plans the studio had for the F4 and mutants. However, it has now been 3 years since Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. And aside from the appearance (and prompt disposal) of Earth-838’s Professor X and Mr. Fantastic, and a directorless Fantastic Four film in the works, the only indication fans have had after 3 years that these characters are on the horizon is the word ‘mutation’ being dropped at the end of Ms. Marvel.
Yes, fans know that the pantheon of characters once forbidden to be touched by Marvel Studios will soon be making their way into the MCU. But after 3 grueling years, knowing just doesn’t cut it anymore. I want to see it. That is why my SDCC 2022 wish list simply consists of a rundown on how Marvel Studios plans to integrate the properties once belonging to 21st Century Fox into the MCU. Now, will this happen? No, there is no chance in hell that this will happen. Will Marvel Studios instead probably date their upcoming Disney+ series’, show some footage from an upcoming film or two, maybe even announce a certain Halloween special? Yeah, that sounds very reasonable. But the ‘what ifs’ of how Marvel Studios will choose to explain the fact that Mutants have been completely absent from the MCU thus far, or whether or not they will explore the Fantastic Four’s origin in their upcoming film have been cluttering my brain for far too long. So, if Feige takes the Hall-H stage and announces Marvel’s plans for the Mutants and Fantastic Four, which include the new director of the Fantastic Four movie and maybe a little more information on it, as well as a core X-Men movie, a proper Magneto origin project, a Storm movie, a New Mutants series, an X-Factor series, a Hellfire Club series, an Excalibur series, a Starjammers series, I will finally be at peace. Anyway this will certainly not happen, but you can bet that I am looking forward to that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer they will probably release. And who knows, maybe they’ll confirm Namor is a mutant.
Dalbin Osorio
Blade. When Mahershala Ali came out in 2019 and put on the Daywalker hat like the first pick in the NFL draft, it signaled that things were about to get real trippy and comic-booky for the MCU. 3 years later we don’t know much other than the director and some casting… Oh, and he stopped Jon Snow from picking up the ebony blade! That short intro was incredibly exciting, as was the casting of Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre (as perhaps Jamal Afari?), and with rumors that we could see Blade go toe to toe with Dracula, this is at the top of my wish list.
Then, I need to see Kang. Maybe a mash-up of different Kangs in different projects teasing the secret war ahead. Mahershala v Majors down the line in a Blade versus Kang fight? All in.
And, lastly, I’d kill for the Fantastic Four cast and director to be announced. There’s a lot of speculation on who will play who and where, but I loved Krasinski’s take on a weary and still arrogant Reed Richards and wouldn’t mind him being Mr. Fantastic. Him being directed by Spielberg, maybe? Home run.
Torbjorn Frazier
While more of an esoteric than any specific desire for San Diego Comic Con, I’d most want to learn as much context for the upcoming slate of Marvel Studios projects. When looking back at Marvel Studios’ showing at the 2019 event, the most interesting takeaways weren’t really the announcement of the projects themselves (there weren’t really any surprises on that front for those who knew where to look). Instead, curiosity was most piqued at what those projects would be bringing to the table. It was at the 2019 Hall H panel that the concept of the multiverse was quietly established as a major future narrative direction through Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Loki. It was also where audiences learned that the Ten Rings would be coming back into the fold of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Shang-Chi and that Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster would become the Mighty Thor in Love and Thunder. Being able to receive this level of context and major story elements for projects like potentially Secret Invasion, Echo, or Captain America 4 (amongst others) would go a long way in creating sustainable intrigue well past this year’s Hall H showcase.
I can imagine a world where Ms. Marvel has a longer Season 2 in episodes and a more expansive story. There feels like more to explore in Karachi. As Kamala continues to learn more about her family legacy she could run into another hero while she’s there. Enter the Scarlet Scarab.
One of the more curious decisions in the Moon Knight finale was not seeing where Layla El-Faouly is going next. We get the line when the young girl is asking Layla if she’s an Egyptian superhero and she says yes. How about Kamala and Layla run a quick mission spanning two episodes?
Layla could be in town searching for something or someone and happen to run into Kamala. Culturally it would be an excellent moment to continue telling these stories of representation. You can also simultaneously continue Ms. Marvel’s story and have a streamline into what could be next for Layla and Moon Knight. I also imagine the two would have fun conversations about growing up and what type of hero they want to be.
Dalbin Osorio on Ironheart
Dominique Thorne and Iman Vellani are both magic, and I cannot wait to see Ironheart and Ms. Marvel interact. Seeing these two legacy heroes, with potential connections to Kang. trying to navigate the world they’ve grown up in with these heroes they’ve looked up to (assuming Ironheart respects Tony and doesn’t despise him) will be something special. Being the heroes that follow the past and future of the MCU is weighty enough, but when we factor in that they will arguably be the most powerful heroes in their generation, the possibilities are endless. What’s even cooler is that these are two girls of color that will give more girls of color more heroes to look up to, and the MCU deserves more representation.
Mary Maerz on Captain America
I would love to see Kamala Khan and Sam Wilson meet and work together. Kamala would without a doubt have some sweet and humorous fangirl reactions to meeting Captain America. In the comics, Kamala often had a very wholesome relationship with Tony Stark/Iron Man while she was an Avenger. We no longer have Tony or Iron Man, but Sam Wilson as Cap seems like he could take on that mentor role phenomenally. A lot of Kamala’s struggles with who she looked up to involved comic events like Civil War II, which so far do not look like they will play much if any role in the near future. So, with no current sides being drawn between the above-the-line Avengers, there is no reason Sam could not, to some extent, take Kamala under his literal wing. Sam is a phenomenal character whose future I am also very excited for, and I think their relationship could easily bring out some of the best and most inspiring aspects of each of them.
MTF III on America Chavez
No matter what you think of MCU Phase 4 as a whole, there’s no denying that Iman Vellani and Xochitl Gomez have been delightful, both in and out of character. But while Ms. Marvel was able to firmly ensconce Kamala in a Jersey City that feels vibrant and culturally rich, where we last left America Chavez at the end of Multiverse of Madness wasn’t nearly as character-enriching. And while it’s certainly possible that our star-punching firecracker can establish found family among grown adult sorcerers in Kamer Taj, placing America alongside characters her age in a diverse city filled with people she can potentially converse with in Spanish will be far more beneficial for her in the long run. And the commonalities and contrasts between South Asian and Latinx cultures can lend more depth and meaning to their interactions, both for the characters themselves, and for the viewers.
On the superpower side, we were able to see Kamala level up considerably across a handful of episodes of her show. Those of us who are fans of America in the comics know what she is capable of, so seeing her level up alongside a fellow potential Young Avenger while they trade quips would only serve to endear us to America more as she actualizes, and to Kamala more as she gets to nerd out with tandem attacks and training in the way that only a hardcore comics/superhero fan can. Just imagine the wacky fun she could cook up, which America would be more than inclined to try. And imagine the universes they could jump into and trouble they could find, all between 3:00 and curfew. Sign me up for #AmeriKhan — there’s a portmanteau, so you know it works.
Torbjorn Frazier on Loki
Kamala Khan and Loki Laufeyson are the odd couple partnership the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) deserves. Maybe besides Steve Rogers, there isn’t a character in the MCU that personifies pure good morality as a superhero more than Ms. Marvel. And pairing her with the literal God of Mischief would provide each other the perfect foil for one another and could become an instant fan-favorite partnership. The themes of family are critical to both characters in extremely different ways, and gaining understanding about each other’s experience would provide interesting perspective and growth for both Kamala and Loki. In addition, Bisha K. Ali has experience writing for both of these characters on their respective Disney+ shows which could help ensure a strong tonal fit for a hypothetical team-up. While it would take a relatively major shuffling of the deck in the MCU to allow Ms. Marvel and Loki to team-up, it’d certainly be a worthwhile viewing experience (and potentially set the stage for a Kid Loki to fit into a Young Avengers line-up down the road).
Charles Murphy on Shang-Chi
Kamala Khan and Shang-Chi don’t have an awful lot in common. One was trained to be an assassin and grew up in a household shattered by the murder of his mother. The other grew up in a household full of love while fangirling over Carol Danvers and other superheroes. But both of them now possess ancient alien artifacts of enormous power that have pushed them into a world they weren’t quite ready for. Ms. Marvel seemed to set the table a little for this team-up when the Ten Rings logo was seen on the cave floor where the bangle was found, but right now it’s not entirely clear where that will go. Whatever the case, seeing these get these two heroes together on screen seems to be nothing more than a matter of time.
For starters, this was the biggest surprise to have happened in the Disney+ era of Marvel Studios. Both in terms of what this means for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in the viewing experience. Kamala Khan being revealed as the audience’s first mutant in the MCU opens the door for endless possibilities of speculation and theorizing on how some of the most-anticipated characters will enter future projects. For the character herself, Kamala Khan makes all the sense in the world to be a mutant (as she very likely would’ve been in the comics if the X-Men film rights weren’t elsewhere in 2013). And having the first mutant story be distinctly about a government that fears and discriminates against super-powered individuals highlights that Kevin Feige and co. are good hands to shepherd the X-Men back to the big screen. With both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and now Ms. Marvel this year giving early glimpses into the concept of mutants (and with X-Men ‘97 slated for 2023), the radar for Marvel Studios potentially announcing a mutant-related project at San Diego Comic Con or D23 has certainly increased.
Anthony Canton III
Ms. Marvel’s finale followed through on its series mission by giving us Kamala Khan and her world. That world was on display as good as any Disney+ series has had to this point. With that being said, the reveal of Kamala being a mutant laced with the X-Men: The Animated Series theme was an all time moment for the new MCU.
This reveal is symbolism that Iman Vellani is a major player and rightfully so. Kamala has the keys to the MCU and you can slot her anywhere and she has an impact. In terms of representation in actuality and in this universe these are the new stories that the fandom claims to want. Now we have them and more. While we have more questions to answer with Carol Danvers, this was Ms. Marvel’s moment. Standing ovation.
Dalbin Osorio
Ms. Marvel is no worse than the third best Disney+ show. It would take a lot to supplant the WandaVision/Loki duplex, and Ms. Marvel came close, but an underwhelming villain choice stops it from that top tier. HOWEVER… this isn’t about the show as it is about the fact that, baby, there be mutants in the MCU! That’s right: Ms. Marvel is the MCU’s first mutant (that we know of, but more on that in a sec), and what a glorious reveal it was. You have to hand it to Kevin Feige: he said that everything will be revealed and Marvel didn’t really deviate from the Phase 4 plan even when people criticized it for its “aimless” trajectory. I think this change really grounds her firmly in the MCU’s history (hello Eternals and X-Men ’97 theme music), present (this post-Endgame world that’s rapidly becoming populated by enhanced individuals), and future (Kang is coming). Making her a mutant also makes her powers easy to explain because a mutation is much easier to explain than a Terrigen Bomb going off somewhere on Earth-616 and us never hearing about it. It, also, sets the stage for there being other mutants out there who are populating the world now, and clearly Damage Control won’t be the only ones after them. All in all, a great choice.
Joseph Aberl
Did not see coming that Ms. Marvel would end up being the one to set up the mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios perfectly baited us with WandaVision and a cameo in Multiverse of Madness to make many think we’d not get any hints until after Fantastic Four. Yet, here they are using a familiar theme to slowly build up their arrival and also use it as a way to connect Kamala Khan to a bigger universe; without the sacrifice of her personal journey. Can’t wait to see where it goes.
Charles Murphy
Let’s lay it right on the line. Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today. It’s totally irrational, patently insane to condemn an entire race—to despise an entire nation—to vilify an entire religion. Sooner or later, we must learn to judge each other on our own merits. Sooner or later, if a man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance.
Stan Lee, Stan’s Soapbox, December 1968
Someone had to be the first mutant and I couldn’t be happier that it is Kamala. As Torbjorn pointed out, it’s incredibly likely that had Marvel already owned the live-action rights to the X-Men, she’d have been one in the comics. Kamala fits what Stan Lee and JackKirby imagined the original mutants to be when they developed them in the early 1960s as a metaphor for the hate and social injustice America was facing at the time. I’ve said for years that Kamala Khan is one of the most important characters Marvel Comics has ever created and now, as the MCU’s first mutant, she’s one of the most important characters in the future of the franchise.
At the end of the day, while featuring a few outstanding elements well worthy of praise, Thor: Love and Thunder doesn’t quite deliver. Going beyond all the talk about wonky CGI and overuse of StageCraft technology (that honestly isn’t an issue at all), the main problems seem to have to do with both the plot and script, in terms of pacing and tone-specific verisimilitude. While understanding that this is a movie about space gods, space goats, and space dolphins you still want it to be engrossing and to make sense, even if only within its own specific set of rules. Also, the fact that the movie shied away from truly exploring what should have been at its core (Gorr and Godhood) in a more in-depth way comes off as a disservice to the comic story arc it loosely adapted.
There seems to be a lot of praise when referring to Thor: Love and Thunder as being very comic-booky mostly in the sense that it doesn’t take itself that seriously. That, in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it certainly doesn’t feel like the right approach when addressing the God Butcher storyline. Much like we got to see a different side of Thor following Ragnarok in Avengers: Infinity War (due to the more somber nature of the storyline) by choosing to make Gorr a central piece of Love and Thunder I’m not entirely convinced that the tone made sense. Jason Aaron‘s original Thor run eventually evolves into a more light-hearted tone (in my opinion the shift from Esad Ribic‘s art to Russell Dauterman‘s sort of exemplifies that) but a feature film adaptation of its beginning, the first arcs featuring Gorr, certainly deserved a more ominous approach in order to sell what made it one of the truly remarkable Thor storylines.
Not only does the tone feel a bit off but by doubling down on gags that already worked and had their time in Thor: Ragnarok comes off as lazy and downright dull at times, with the new Asgardian Theater scene being a prime example of that. Some other running jokes felt flat (looking at you sulking Stormbreaker) and remarkably little of that traditional Waititi sense of humor, clever wording, and comic timing felt fresh. While Ragnarok was mostly set on Asgard and Sakaar making Waititi‘s bonkers take have an otherworldly setting that meshed well together, the Love and Thunder action taking place in a more earthly New Asgard felt a bit cosplay-y, maybe explaining why the Omnipotent City sequence (a location that deserved a bigger spotlight and further exploration) worked a bit better with the established tone of the movie.
The fast pace that allows us to get straight into the action is, again, something that while not being a bad thing should really be used according to the specific situation. In other projects that seemed like the right approach. Again going back to Infinity War, everything started moving hastily since the main players’ motivations had been set up in previous features and there wasn’t really a need for a large amount of setup. But in Thor: Love and Thunder, regarding Gorr but especially regarding Jane Foster’s transformation into the Mighty Thor, everything felt rushed in a way that took some of the emotional punch out of the journey both characters went on. Jane Foster deserved to have her initial Mighty Thor transformation on screen, even if the comics themselves do not show it. But while the comics thrived on the mystery behind the character, as who was holding the hammer wasn’t revealed until later, Thor: Love and Thunder made that pretty clear from the moment the movie was announced, making a similar delayed reveal pointless and honestly a bit anti-climatic.
But not all was lost to the “bigger and louder and more bombastic” version or Ragnarok Waititi sold us on, as there are some hilarious gems spread out through the script (“Maybe your arm is in Valhalla!”) as well as being introduced to, in my opinion, the most obnoxious but also the more hilarious running joke on any Marvel Studios movie: Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder.
All in all, it’s hard not to wish that such compelling story arcs featuring Gorr and The Mighty Thor could have been given a bit more room to truly live up to their potential. What could have been an amazing Thor sequel, given the cast and characters, and especially following the tremendous success of the previous installment that reinvigorated the franchise, instead takes us back to pre-Ragnarok levels of interest in what the future might have in store for the character. Thor: Love and Thunder while aiming at being a Thor: Ragnarok 2.0 but doesn’t manage to go beyond a meager 0.5.
Or perhaps a 0.6. Because of the goats.
Mary Maerz
I liked it a lot more the second time I watched it. I’m a big fan of Taika Waititi’s vibe and the movie’s general goofy tone. Not every joke landed for me, but I will survive. I also love everything colorful and visually interesting so it was a good time for that. I’m not the VFX police, and I don’t think a movie that has Bao the god of dumplings in it needs those people in its life, but the tone of Love and Thunder is bold and wacky, so it really doesn’t need to look like an Avatar sequel. It was fun, and it had unexpected heart in the ending. It was the first MCU film I haven’t spoiled for myself in many years, and I am glad I didn’t.
That being said, and please don’t murder me, I think it was…too short. Gorr was a letdown for me on the first viewing. Once I accepted that into my heart, I could enjoy the second round more. But he felt underdeveloped, both in terms of character and actual villainy. The guy didn’t butcher gods. But his underlying motivation, conviction, and the critical thinking that comes along with it could have used some extra time. He felt like a hypothetical threat the whole movie rather than a real one. Bale is great though; without his performance, Gorr would have been one of the most forgettable villains in the MCU for me. I also wish Jane’s story got some more time. Her journey was abrupt and abbreviated. It makes sense in terms of her role in the Thor franchise, but the story itself deserved its own solo project so it felt disproportionate.
Charles Murphy
In 2017, Taika Waititi made a Marvel Studios movie. Thor: Ragnarok breathed new life into the character by undoing everything that had been done with him before. In 2022, Marvel Studios made a Taika Waititi movie. Thor: Love and Thunder, for better or for worse, was Waititi fully unleashed. And, unfortunately, it seems that Waititi took all the wrong lessons from the success of Ragnarok and spent too much time in Love and Thunder giving fans more of the same from Ragnarok while not spending enough time on the things that could have made this movie truly great. Love and Thunder isn’t a bad movie, but unlike its immediate predecessor in the Thor franchise, it’s far too forgettable and a bit disappointing.
The uneven nature of the film is summed up pretty well by what the audience gets (and doesn’t get) in the first 25 minutes or so of the film. The cold open introduces the film’s villain, Gorr, before he becomes the God Butcher, played wonderfully by Christian Bale. A tragic scene unfolds as Gorr’s daughter dies in his arms as Gorr’s god ignores his pleas. Summoned by the Necrosword, Gorr stumbles into an Eden-esque garden where the shiny gold god killed the dull black god that used to have the Necrosword, and then Gorr kills the shiny god with the evil weapon. Fairly quickly after that, one of the most balls-to-the-wall, insane action pieces in the history of Marvel Studios unfolds as Thor dispatches the evil bird people while also laying waste to the nice blue peoples’ planet.
As amazing as Thor’s action scene is, I have to wonder why we weren’t treated to an equally amazing action scene in the cold open. Rather than have Gorr stumble into the aftermath of the battle between the gods, why didn’t we see it? And that question, “why didn’t we see it?”, is the core of the film’s issues. Allegedly based on Jason Aaron’s legendary run, this film did little to honor it. Instead of seeing Gorr butcher gods in the opening act, his acts are relegated to stills that pop up on a low-quality monitor. In fact, the audience is told about Gorr more than they get to see him be terrifying. Instead of seeing Jane Foster’s first transformation in New Asgard (a scene we KNOW they shot, by the way), we have to listen to Jane tell Thor about it. And the frustration only mounts because I can’t reasonably understand why the time wasn’t taken to allow the audience to see things that would have enriched the story. Was it so we could get the shitty breakup flashbacks?
Magically, however, the mess coalesces into one of Marvel Studios’ ballsiest and best third acts. While the whole magic wish to kill gods isn’t really in line with the Gorr from the comics (he would never have cheated himself out of the pleasure of torturing and killing the gods personally), there are clear and high stakes as the final act begins. The final battle with Thor and Mighty Thor vs. Gorr is going to hold up well over time and the crazy idea to empower the kids worked better than it had any right to. And most importantly, Eternity looked GREAT. Thor has now lost pretty much everything he ever held dear to him and looks set to head in a totally different direction with Love at his side. And coming from the guy who hates post-credit scenes, the first one is an example of how they can still be done right.
Ultimately, Thor: Love and Thunder will go down as a missed opportunity. Not a bad movie, but a cautionary tale for Marvel Studios. It’s hard to judge a movie on what it could or should have been, but this one had all the opportunity in the world to be great and ended up good.
Anthony Canton III
Thor: Love And Thunder is a movie if I were looking for a sports comparison I’d say it were Shaquille O’Neal. A dominant player; one of the best we’ve ever seen. A unique force that changed the game. Yet, we always wished he gave a little bit more. Let’s break it down. Portions of Jason Aaron’s God Of Thunder and The Mighty Thor were adapted to this movie. Was that done well? I’d say it wasn’t really done at all.
When we hear about Gorr The God Butcher, we think of him torturing gods before he kills them. He kills one god. Not enough butchering. Christian Bale is excellent in the role with not enough screen time. Natalie Portman came back inspired as Jane here with a better energy. The action worked in ways that the story did not. I thoroughly enjoyed Russell Crowe’s comedic performance as Zeus. We did not get enough of Valkyrie. Hemsworth was solid. But again I needed more.
Is this a Taika fatigue issue? Perhaps. Ragnarok is one of the greatest MCU films of all time. This one? Solid, but there wasn’t enough meat on the bone to really get to the levels it needed to. Thor: Love and Thunder, meet Shaquille O’Neal. 7 out of 10. Extra half point for the goats.
Mister Anderson
I loved the latest chapter of Thor for several reasons. The character development was great for several of the characters, but I’m most impressed with the newfound depth they gave Thor. His evolution from aloof and aimless to a purpose-driven empathetic hero made this story completely worthwhile. Jane’s turn as The Mighty Thor also brought a lot of emotion and strength to the narrative as well, making Thor challenge a lot of his past decisions and helping him learn, like Xavier teaches Doctor Strange, “Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” We’re reminded through the movie of Thor’s previous stumbles, but this story really seems to set the hero back on a path with purpose and meaning.
Dalbin Osorio
I’ll get this out of the way right out the gate: I liked it a lot. Chris Hemsworth is Thor, and he owns every role. Natalie Portman was dope, and I wish she would’ve taken his place. That takes me to my one gripe with the film: I wish the God Butcher would’ve butchered a few more Gods onscreen. Namely, I wish he would’ve killed Hemsworth’s Thor. This Phase has been about the passing of mantles, so to speak, and having Gorr kill Thor (and Zeus, which would then set Hercules on a path to revenge for who he thinks is responsible), and then having Mighty Thor be the one to convince him to bring his daughter back would’ve made for a much better movie. Instead, we didn’t get much god killing, which kind of lessened Gorr’s appearance and a great performance by Christian Bale. It didn’t rise to Hela levels, but definitely another very good villain by Marvel. The two scenes at the end were both great, though, again, if you killed Thor, then I think the last scene hits different for people (in a good way). I give it a 7/10. Better than Black Widow and Eternals, for sure, but not as good as the cream of the crop in Phase 4 that was No Way Home, Shang-Chi, and Multiverse of Madness.
Torbjorn Frazier
For me, Thor: Love and Thunder has become ever-challenging to form a definitive opinion on. I certainly consider the film to be a net positive and an enjoyable watching experience, but also find a number of the dissenting opinions on Marvel Studios’ latest film to be at least understandable. A prime example of this notion is the comedy style of Taika Waititi: I greatly enjoyed a majority of the absurdist running gags, but understand those that felt it took away from further developing the fast-paced plot. Though my most overt qualm with the film comes from Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher, who only butchers one god for the entire movie in his limited screen time (even one other god killing scene or montage could’ve rectified this).
My issues with Gorr tie into what is my biggest issue with this film: a lack of definition on the severity of stakes our protagonists are dealing with. I for one have zero issue with the idea of smaller scale stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (I’m a defender of Ant-Man and The Wasp for this reason), but the more personal mission of saving the Asgardian children could’ve been better served as a separate project away from the high-stakes, esoteric mission of stopping Gorr from reaching Eternity and killing all the gods. Especially with the rapid-fire pacing (which for the record, I’m a fan of), I struggled to connect with the overall story of Love and Thunder more than I did with Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Though I don’t want to just lay out my grievances without acknowledging the truly strong and interesting elements of this film. My personal MVP of the film is Natalie Portman, who gives a killer performance as the Mighty Thor and a Jane Foster who wants to be in the film she’s in. As well, Love and Thunder certainly leaves the Thor/Asgardian franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe at large with some compelling stories and status quo changes in its future. And even with my qualms, I remain appreciative of Marvel Studios being willing to take the larger creative swings in their recent projects as a means to tell different stories than before. I’d much rather view a film taking these types of swings than attempting to “play it safe” and lose a distinct creative vision.
My pick to helm Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four film would be Deborah Chow. While someone like Peyton Reed, who has expressed his interest in helming a Fantastic Four film, would seem like a more ideal choice, Chow’s star has rightfully been on the rise in recent years. The director earned her first credit thanks to a short titled Daypass in 2002. She then followed it up with a short titled The Hill in 2004, followed by her first feature with 2010’s The High Cost of Living. It wasn’t until she stepped in to direct an episode of Copper that Chow truly launched her career in television. Like most, she built her resume by directing episodes of multiple CW shows, but once she stepped into the Marvel universe – courtesy of Netflix – Chow really proved that she had the ability to deliver something impressive. One has to imagine it was her work on shows like Jessica Jones and Iron Fist that ultimately led to her being hired to helm episodes on The Mandalorian before landing Obi-Wan Kenobi. Giving Chow the chance to shine on a big feature film such as Fantastic Four would be a pretty fantastic move. Obi-Wan proved Chow has the chops to play in a larger playground, it’s just a matter of giving her the chance to shine on a big-budget feature.
Jared Kirschenbaum on Justin Lin
The Fantastic Four can be defined by a single word: family. And if anyone is qualified for the task of ushering Marvel’s first family into the MCU, it’s Justin Lin – the director who made The Fast and the Furious into the massive franchise it is today. Lin helmed 5 Fast and Furious films (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast and Furious, Fast Five, Fast andFurious 6, and F9: The Fast Saga), so he knows his way around a big-studio blockbuster. However, it was Lin’s vision for the Fast and Furious films that transformed them from a streetcar racing movie series to a high-stakes global adventure series centered on a multicultural found family. Additionally, if a director’s time on the show Community is any indication of how well they’d do in the MCU, then Justin Lin should have no trouble directing Fantastic Four. Like the Russo Brothers, who are responsible for some of the all time greatest MCU films, Lin found great success on Community. Lin directed 3 episodes of the show, including the first paintball-centric episode “Modern Warfare”, one of the show’s best. With all of that, combined with his work on Star Trek Beyond, which had a vast ensemble acting as a surrogate family and reintroduced the series to its 60’s sci-fi roots of exploration and adventure, Justin Lin almost seems tailor-made to direct Fantastic Four.
Hunter Radesi on The Daniels
The Fantastic Four aren’t your average superheroes, and they deserve a pair of directors who aren’t so average either. The Daniels shocked the world this year with the release of their hit film Everything, Everywhere All at Once, crafting an incredibly entertaining tale about a family surviving their way through the unpredictable unknown. This is more or less exactly what a good Fantastic Four adaptation needs to be. Previous attempts at bringing Marvel’s First Family to life have failed in understanding the group thrives more on adventure than they do super heroics. The best tales typically involve Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny exploring the far reaches of space and time on some sort of wacky mission, not fighting thugs on the streets of New York. Kevin Feige and company would be smart to hedge their bets on an indie duo with a mastery in mixing outright weird with downright emotional.
João Pinto on Alex Garland
The upcoming Fantastic Four feature film will undoubtedly shape the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for years to come. Marvel Studios seems to be taking its time when it comes to the introduction of Marvel’s First Family and that alone shows us just how pivotal the project is set to become. Another aspect differentiating this project from most other recent MCU offerings is that the director’s chair is likely to be given to a more established director within the industry.
2. While no names have surfaced, multiple sources say while it’s a large mix of candidates, Feige and company are taking a lot of shots at some big names.
With the sheer volume of MCU projects that Marvel Studios is putting out each year, it comes with little surprise how Kevin Feige doesn’t want to have to oversee a shoot of this magnitude himself, thus allowing him to pay more attention to several other, smaller scale, projects.
One source close to process, “Kevin doesn’t want oversee entire shoot and after not having to worry about that with Raimi, he is very game to same outcome with this shoot.”
This shortens the list of possible directors, as many big names might not want to focus their energies on a sci-fi franchise, and those who would might not be the most accomplished of the bunch. One name that does come to mind, with an impeccable track record both in terms of writing and directing as well as being immensely versed in high-concept sci-fi, is that of British writer and filmmaker Alex Garland.
Garland, known for his work in Ex-Machina, Annihilation, and the fantastic miniseries Devs (as well as his contributions to 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine and Dredd) would surely bring the inventiveness of his approach to science fiction into the MCU, something a Fantastic Four feature film feels like the perfect vehicle for. He has the track record within the industry to be able to lead such a project and the creative freedom Feige is willing to give whoever ends up with the job could perhaps sit well with Garland, that is known to enjoy being in almost complete creative control of his directorial endeavors as he has written all five of them.
Charles Murphy on Steven Spielberg
As they’ve expanded from 3 movies per year to 4 movies and 3-4 streaming projects per year, Marvel Studios has had to learn on the fly. As it should be, learning is continuous and one lesson learned by Kevin Feige over the last year is that unlike Evelyn Quan Wang (now you see why this one falls in line after Hunter’s!), he cannot be EVERYWHERE all at once. Feige learned that lesson by finding someone he felt comfortable relinquishing some day-to-day control to on set in Sam Raimi. And that discovery has emboldened Feige to shoot for the stars as he looks to replace Jon Watts on Fantastic Four. If Feige is looking for a seasoned, successful person to usher the First Family into the MCU, he need look no further than Steven Spielberg. Spielberg can wear all the hats required to keep a production up and running, has proven his mastery of the sci-fi, action and humanistic genres and is comfortable working with any mix of practical effects and CGI.
Spielberg is a big fan of superhero films, with Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxyapparently at the top of of list (at least at one time). He was keen on working with DC on an adaptation of Blackhawk, but while the project is reportedly still alive, Spielberg’s attachment to it is now unclear. Imagine a high-concept sci-fi film (Minority Report) that captures a sense of adventure (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and explores the unknown (CloseEncoutners of the Third Kind) while keeping the focus on family (The Goonies) and you have what a true Fantastic Four film should be. And if you don’t think big name actors won’t be lining up to work with Spielberg on a Marvel Studios project, you aren’t paying attention.
MTF III on Rian Johnson
In Rian Johnson, Marvel wouldn’t just be getting a director with an art house sensibility who has experience within a mega-franchise, were they to choose him for Fantastic Four. The Star Wars: The Last Jedi director has demonstrated both the sci-fi bona fides (see Looper) and the ability to juggle a large ensemble with a wide range of character types (see Knives Out and its forthcoming sequel). And while we don’t know yet who will be cast to play Reed Richards, Johnson’s previous work with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (one of my top choices) shows that he can offer audiences a more cerebral protagonist than the standard wise-cracking square-jawed lead.
His Fantastic Four would have a smart, brisk script, visual flourishes (who could forget the Holdo Maneuver shot or the salt planet battle in The Last Jedi), and emotional depth, while still slipping in physical and situational humor. Admittedly, it wouldn’t be saccharine and sweet, as Johnson is always aware of and in dialogue with the genres he employs. He wouldn’t replicate the 1960’s-style exploratory science fiction of a Lost in Space or Doctor Who without also infusing it with self-awareness and recognition of how their familiar tropes have been employed, so that he can subvert them. And in my opinion, the key to a truly great Fantastic Four project in the 2020s will be a willingness to interrogate and subvert well-worn and traditional archetypes, so that modern audiences can engage with them on a deeper level. Johnson has shown the ability to do that, all while still making crowd-pleasing blockbusters.
Torbjorn Frazier on Peyton Reed
Something to consider for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Fantastic Four is that Kevin Feige and co. may want to play it safe with what could become the MCU’s flagship franchise and go with a more conventional take on the team for the first film. And with that in mind, Peyton Reed would be a logical choice to direct. First and foremost, it is known that Reed was involved with the creation of a Fantastic Four film in the early 2000s that never made it past development hell, so he at minimum has some sort of vision for these characters. Before discussing his involvement with Marvel Studios already, Reed’s direction of the season two finale of The Mandalorian showed that he has the ability to showcase characters and moments with great pathos that resonates greatly with audiences. And when it comes to the Ant-Man films, Reed has shown the ability to create relatable family dynamics that rank among the best in the MCU. Above everything else, Fantastic Four needs to establish the team as Marvel’s First Family, and I fully trust Peyton Reed to do that. And with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania releasing in less than a year, we will finally get to see what Reed can do in a high-scope and high-concept project that could be critical for the future of the MCU. While not the most appealing to fans at first blush, I truly believe that Peyton Reed would be a serviceable pick for the first Marvel Studios-produced Fantastic Four film.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness is my favourite 2nd MCU film. I loved what a big swing they took for a second film. From the expansiveness of the worldbuilding to the tightness of the themes in driving the characters forward. While the plot is reasonably simple, the concepts it draws from are far-reaching. At the same time, motifs are repeated like the happiness and heroism of Strange and Wanda, which help the themes land successfully, despite the plot’s fast pace. All of that is without talking about the mind-bending VFX, and the brilliant guest appearances, both of which really hit hard about how infinite the multiverse is. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the score, Sinister Strange fighting 616 Strange using musical notations was fantastic. With this continued inventiveness I look forward to more favourite 2nd Marvel Studios films from Eternals and Shang–Chi too.
Torbjorn Frazier
While I definitely won’t go as far as saying that is objectively the “best” sequel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’d be remiss to not take the opportunity to discuss my personal soft spot for 2018’s Ant-Man and The Wasp. The film does a strong job continuing and evolving the themes of its protagonists set up in the original film. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is on the continuing quest to be the hero his daughter deserves (both in superheroics and as a father). Meanwhile, Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne really comes into her own being introduced as Wasp while continuing to build trust and relationships with those close to her after the tragic events of her upbringing. As well, I maintain that Hannah John-Kamen’s portrayal as main antagonist Ava Starr remains arguably the most underrated villain in the MCU through this point in time. As the cinematic franchise continues to venture towards larger scopes in storytelling, Peyton Reed’s sequel has strong rewatchability both on its own merits and as a low stakes palate cleanser in relation to films like Avengers: Infinity War that came before it. Even still, some seeds were planted for the future between marking the true origin for Cassie Lang’s journey to becoming a hero much like her father and leaving the option for John-Kamen’s Ghost to return down the road. Ultimately, Ant-Man and The Wasp could be described as Marvel Studios’ take on the quintessential “family film.” And in relation to the rest of the MCU, I continue to find the sequel as such a positive experience and an underrated continuation to Marvel’s smallest franchise.
Mary Maerz
Captain America: The Winter Soldier by technicality. I’ve seen it 333 times in the past 8 years, so it’s proven itself to be (by MCU standards) timeless. MoM is much more exciting, and it has all the potential to end up at #1 for me, but I’ve only seen it twice in less than a week. It’s much more ambitious and it is perfect in how it took one of the least realistic or grounded characters and ran with it. It’s wild, it’s fun, it has so much more personality. But TWS has that smooth, airtight, all-around quality to it that MoM as a concept probably never could. So for me it comes down to how well MoM ages, but they’re neck and neck as two extremely different movies.
Joseph Aberl
To this day, I still adore what Captain America: The Winter Soldier did for the MCU, especially as a sequel. While the first explored a war story with some superhero flair, it was its sequel that truly cemented Steve Rogers’ character and still manage to cohesively build upon the first even if he’s lost in a different era altogether. It may also be the first instance where the film truly embraced the roots of a different genre, which would become a cornerstone for future entries and set up the team that would define superhero cinema.
Hunter Radesi
A major part of the reason the original Guardians of the Galaxy hit so well with moviegoers was it’s emotional core. Director James Gunn found ways to reimagine the protagonists that made them feel real. Their stories were relatable and their goals understandable, with every brilliant character beat tucked neatly into a beautiful, hilarious, thrilling cosmic adventure. Vol. 2, despite catching flack from some critics, manages to be my favorite Marvel Studios sequel by maintaining every inch of this spirit and expanding upon the exciting universe established in the first entry.
A deep dive into complicated family dynamics, exploring what it means to be human, and the admittance of redemption into an otherwise painfully difficult life. Maybe I just happened to see it at the right time in my life, but Rocket’s subplot alone will always hold a special place in my heart. I cry every single time. Also, the adventure itself is a lot more fun than it gets credit for. Creative action sequences, dazzling colors, and plenty of organic set up for galactic tales to come. If it’s been a while since your last watch, maybe give it another shot. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Dalbin Osorio
If I was writing this before seeing Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, I’d have gone with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. However, having had the last 12ish hours to sit with the newest Doc Strange, I can safely say that this is as much a game changer as the 2nd entry in the Cap trilogy was and for many reasons. What worked for Winter Soldier was that it was still very much a Cap story, despite needing to set the stage for both Age ofUltron and Civil War. Doc Strange 2, in that vein, has the unenviable job of setting up the multiverse in spades (it’s no longer a concept, but a very real thing in the MCU), while also setting up Doctor Strange 3 in a very real way AND Secret Wars in a tangible fashion. We end with a corrupted Doc Strange, a bunch of dead sorcerers, and some much-needed growth for the good Doctor. We get Clea in the mid-credits scene, and that plants a seed for both the conclusion of the trilogy and the overarching story, but the shadow of Kang hovers above these proceedings when we realize that it was Sylvie’s decision to stab He Who Remains that has now caused these Incursions to happen in earnest. That one decision, in the void, has now set these different universes on a crash course for each other. Doc Strange 2 could’ve been forgiven if it focused solely on that, but this movie is as much Stephen’s story as Wanda’s in the sense that they are both chasing the thing they want the most only to find out their current iterations don’t deserve it. Whereas No Way Home needed the variants to move Peter forward away from the Avengers, the Variants in Doc Strange 2 serve to reinforce decisions that he made in order to save that team (and the universe). Michael Waldron deserves credit for how he wrote Wanda here, too, and I think it’s that well-earned heel turn that cements this as my favorite Marvel sequel. Wanda is a bad ass, who delivers some of the best lines (her telling Reed that it’s good that Sue is still alive because then their kids will have someone left to raise them was incredible), and is not to be trifled with. My favorite sequel from Marvel, for sure.
Anthony Canton III
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness made this question really tough. From Sam Raimi’s direction to the themes of the movie really challenged this spot. However when thinking of MCU sequels Captain America: The Winter Soldier remains the superior movie.
Cap 2 is a technical marvel no pun intended. The introduction of Anthony Mackie’s Falcon, the incredible action scenes, and the tilt of Steve Rogers character tips the scales. Robert Redford as the shadowy leader of Hydra in a Marvel movie is wild to think about. The fight in the streets of DC between Bucky and Steve is top 5 in the MCU. This movie wasn’t just a marvel movie, it was an spy thriller.
The movie asks and answers questions as to why S.H.I.E.L.D. should or shouldn’t exist. The deception of Nick Fury and Natasha Romanoff force Steve to think about being a hero differently. It informs Captain America’s decisions for the rest of his time in the MCU, good or bad. Everything from the beginning to the end with the introduction of Wanda Maximoff makes this the easy choice for the best MCU sequel.
The trailer really gave us an inkling of what’s to come. Visually, it makes this movie feel like a spectacle of epic proportions. The multiple Strange variants and Wanda variants were quite the treat. It leans into some of what we know as far as Wanda being the real villain of the story. Seeing the Ultron bots and what seems to be Charles Xavier and the Illuminati was quite the shot. It was just enough of an appetizer to make us speculate and think what’s next.
One of the bigger questions personally, is we see what clearly seems to be a variant version of Mordo. Where’s the original one? With his plan of no more sorcerers from the end of Doctor Strange, it has to feel like he’ll be in direct conflict with someone like Wanda who’s been studying the Darkhold. To bottom line the trailer, you get the sense that the MCU is in the process of big change. When it’s all said and done you have to wonder if Kang will be waiting at the end to pick the bones of what’s left of this multiverse of madness.
Filip Manka
The new trailer looks fantastic to me and that board with Sam Raimi’s name on it is not a lie, because indeed his style is evident in this trailer. It was already clear at the teaser trailer that visually the film would be interesting and better than the “standard” Marvel movie, but this trailer has raised the bar and my expectations. It looks insane and conceptually it’s inventive and creative (the shot of Strange’s face falling apart or the zoom in on Wanda’s eye). Moreover, the special effects aren’t plastic this time and look spectacular, at least at the trailer stage, and the improved color grading and photo saturation enhance that layer.
Still my most anticipated MCU movie this year. I’ll swallow the cameos and fanservice, but let’s hope the direction and visuals will deliver because the trailer gave me an appetite for more. Finally, we get Ditko’s weirdness in a proper release. Raimi, I trust you <3
Joseph Aberl
I didn’t expect a full trailer drop during the Super Bowl, but what a way to let people know there’s a big one heading our way. The multiverse opens up many possibilities, and it was uncertain just how much the marketing might lean into it. Luckily, the trailer did exactly that while still offering a grounded focus on Strange as its central figure. The Patrick Stewart tease was fitting, as they leaned into the rumors without giving it fully away. We get small bits of the story here or there, as they still keep America Chavez as somewhat of a mystery. It did add a lot of excitement to its release and I cannot wait to see what the first 2022 Marvel Studios film has in store for us.
Mary Maerz
I absolutely adore how intense and eerie the trailer is–I think it is worth noting that there is not a single joke or moment of comic relief in the entire thing. The visuals so far look phenomenal and on point with what I would want in a Doctor Strange story. It was no secret that the movie would have horror-inspired elements, but the trailer really showcased that Multiverse of Madness might genuinely have a dramatically different tone than other MCU films. It’s pretty clear that Marvel is putting a lot of importance on this one, which is cool to see for a solo film, and for a film without the traditional A-team MCU heroes. I’m actually so excited! I really think it has the potential to be one of the most visually exciting, adrenaline-pumping, awe-inspiring MCU film. I’m ready for Wanda to go nutty. Mentally unstable, confident, evil-adjacent or adversarial women are vastly underrated. I have yet to see better villains or threats than those.
It did completely hide the ball when it comes to…the plot. I get that it wants to preserve some sort of secrecy, but it is hard to gauge from the trailer if the substance of the movie is going to live up to the grandiosity of the trailer and the potential I think it has. Honestly, I barely care about all the teases and surprise cameos at this point. Maybe it is No Way Home fatigue, but the idea of seeing mostly (I’m guessing) one-off cameos is cool but not something that is going to make or break the film for me. Big cameos are exciting, but less so after Twitter has thoroughly broken down every single one of them, and once they’re revealed, they lose that “wow!” shine pretty quickly. Don’t get me wrong, when we’re talking about a dive into the multiverse, there should definitely be some multiversal characters, but I hope they add quality rather than just fan service quantity.
Nathan Miller
I loved thetrailer! I’ve watched it quite a few times since it debuted, and am still stunned by small discoveries I pick up with each new viewing. I’m fascinated by the fact that the story seems to be building for Stephen Strange from his debut, through other appearances and into this film. I love the themes that seem to be developing around control, corruption and complexities. I can’t wait to see Wanda and the spectacle it seems she will deliver! The trailer gives just enough hints and the things to come without giving too much away. Really intrigued by how it pushes the Marvel Cinematic Universe forward. The sign for whether I really enjoyed a trailer is how much I go back to watch it and whether the music sticks with me and both seem to be the case. In some ways, I can’t believe this film is real. I’m counting down the days until we can buy tickets and then go see it!
Charles Murphy
Not your run-of-the-mill Marvel Studios trailer…and I love it. Obviously, we’ll have to wait to see the movie until we know for sure, but it feels like Marvel Studios is working hard to move away from their standard fare and to begin creating some truly unique experiences for audiences. This seemingly began with Eternals and will continue with Moon Knight and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That starts with having a director on board with a strong vision and that, in this case, is Sam Raimi. I’d say this trailer looks more like a trailer for a Raimi film than a Marvel Studios film…and that’s just fine with me.
Dalbin Osorio
One word: amazing. Marvel’s decision to give us as much as they did (a Captain Marvel that isn’t Carol Danvers, Patrick Stewart’s Xavier, a Sanctum that looks like it’s residing at the very end of time and may have Kang waiting for Dr. Strange) leads me to believe that a) we don’t know as much as we think and b) we know enough to continue piecing where we are headed.
Whispers Secret Wars.
The theme for Phase 4 seems to be that our heroes get put through the ringer post-Endgame: as if the fight to save the universe didn’t take enough, you now have Wanda losing Vision again, Strange losing Christine Palmer, and this is after Spider-Man lost MJ. This movie has the distinction of building out three new teams, I’d suspect: the Defenders, Illuminati, and the Young Avengers, all with very distinct missions going forward. The trailer gave us pieces of all 3, and left us with more questions than answers, and in that respect it accomplished it’s mission. Oh, and Professor Xavier has never sounded so regal.
John Sabato
First of all, Sam Raimi back in the directors chair and on a comic book film is just absolutely perfect. He’s such a bright mind and his filmography is amazing, so this movie is surely going to have that classic Raimi flair. Multiverse of Madness looks pretty nuts and, based off that new trailer, I feel like it can definitely live up to NWH and even exceed it. I’m definitely even more interested to see Cumberbatch and Olsen return as Strange and Maximoff after the ending of WandaVision. I feel like we’re gonna see a real push forward on the mystical/supernatural side of the MCU and see that expanded like crazy. But what really has me excited is how close the movie is and how we won’t have to spend months and months listening to awful fan theories and “will they wont they” like Superior Iron Man compared to how annoying the lead up to Spider-Man: No Way Home was.
Joao Pinto
he trailer certainly did its job in hyping up a movie that’ll prove pivotal to the MCU’s future. The Doctor Strange IP has managed to bring us some of the most innovative visuals ever since its 2016 debut, the battle between Strange and Thanos on Titan in Avengers: Endgame and even the Mirror Dimension sequence in Spider-Man: No Way Home. By taking advantage of these insane visual cues the trailer made the movie truly feel like a big cinematic event, that’ll manage to breathe fresh air into the MCU as a whole by moving away from the usual landscapes and moving into whole new realities. These new realities, apparently inhabited by not-so-new characters, are yet another huge draw that the trailer manages to bank on.
I’m personally mostly against bringing specific versions of characters into the MCU that perhaps should have been simply rebooted in this new universe. But the concept of the Multiverse basically permits infinite versions of each reality and/or character, and this allows for the best of both worlds. We now can get iconic actors playing iconic roles that bring the intended emotional resonance to the movie without really needing to bring all the useless baggage from their earlier features. And in that sense, the references to the cameos that we are all sure to get in a couple of months are immensely gratifying, making the trailer a home run on all fronts.
I generally think the term “snub” is overused when applied to Oscar voting, because it implies intentionality that is often overwhelmed by the chaotic whims of the voting body. For example, I thought Simon Rex gave one of the best performances of the year in Red Rocket, but given the movie’s subject matter, unusual tone, and lack of other nominations, I think it’s fair to wonder if enough voters bothered to watch it, or really understood it. On the other hand, enough people in the writing branch and directing branch loved Licorice Pizza enough to nominate it in those categories, and it made the cut on the Best Picture ballot, where everyone votes, so it’s safe to say a fair number of folks watched that one–and liked it, too! So I do think it comes across as a snub that Alana Haim, the rock musician and first-time actress who helps anchor that movie, didn’t make it in for Best Actress. Granted, Best Actress has been one of the most consistently competitive categories these last few years, and these nominees were lighter on actresses impersonating real people than I feared. But it’s still three-fifths based-on-a-real-person performances (one of which — Kristen Stewart — I think is absolutely terrific and deserves to win) and, again, that does feel like a conscious decision, to rate Jessica Chastain‘s Tammy Faye Bakker or Nicole Kidman‘s Lucille Ball a higher degree of difficulty than Haim. I understand the thinking: Kidman and Chastain are both beloved, respected, talented performers pretending to be other performers–while Alana Haim is playing someone literally named Alana, whose real-life family plays her family in the movie, and so on. Yet what Haim does in Licorice Pizza is so complicated–funny, charming, angry, anguished, relatable, occasionally inscrutable–that attributing so much of the movie’s success to writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t seem right to me (and I doubt it would seem right to him, either). And she does all of this as, essentially, a first-timer! Licorice Pizza is my favorite movie of 2021, and as much as I love Anderson, I don’t know if it would have hit me the same way without Alana Haim.
Mary Maerz
One of the most talked-about snubs is Denis Villeneuve not receiving a Best Director nod. I think Adam McKay also deserved a nomination in that same category for Don’t Look Up, or par with his nomination for Best Original Screenplay. But I also believe Cate Blanchett was overlooked for Best Supporting Actress for both Nightmare Alley and Don’t Look Up. Both managed to get Best Picture nominations with no acting nods, but she really stood out in both. Her character was a bit more comedic in Don’t Look Up, which is probably why none of the actors from the film ended up with nominations. But she was probably even more of a force in Nightmare Alley and carried that story.
Filip Mańka
Without a doubt, the biggest snub from this year’s Oscar Nominations is the absence of Denis Villeneuve in the Best Director category. Villeneuve is the creator, the architect for the biggest blockbuster of the year, which garnered 10 Academy Award nominations. The lack of a nomination in best director seems ridiculous and reprehensible, considering how strong Villeneuve’s presence was throughout the season, advertising Dunewith his name.Duneis an auteur film, steeped in Villeneuve‘s vision, which manifests itself in his revolutionary approach to IMAX and the portrayal of scale on-screen. As a big fan of the Canadian director’s work, I can say thatDuneis his most personal film, mixing many styles and dealing with themes close to his heart. A couple of years from now, we’ll be looking at the 2022 Oscars in disbelief that the mastermind behind one of the best sci-fi films hasn’t been nominated for an Oscar, while Kenneth Branagh has. The difference is that Dune will remain in Hollywood history, while Belfast will be forgotten by people relatively soon.
JJ Sabato
The biggest snub this year was for The Suicide Squad. I believe it should’ve been recognized for Best VFX and Best hair and makeup. For King Shark alone the film deserved this nomination, he looked incredible in every scene he was in and looked so real. Of course, Starro as well, him and his extensions as they rampaged through the streets of Corto Maltese. The makeup as well was incredible especially for characters like Polka Dot Man and Mongal. I think the VFX category this year just really dropped the ball when films like Godzilla Vs Kong, Eternals, and The Suicide Squad just were not acknowledged for their achievement in visual effects.
It’s been a weird couple years for movie theaters. Audiences have largely opted to experience their cinema from the safety and comfort of their own home, and who could blame them? There’s a global pandemic occurring at the moment. Yet, the wild success of blockbuster films like F9 and Spider-Man: No Way Home sort of put a limit on that argument. If everyone is willing to throw their lives on the line for big-budget action, were they ever really concerned at all? And if not, what type of movie will get them off their couch? The answer, apparently, is not The Green Knight. David Lowery’s epic retelling of the Arthurian classic was one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had in a movie theater, for more reasons than one. From its heightened realism to its gripping Shakespearean dialogue, nearly every aspect of the film was executed to mesmerizing perfection. It is exactly the kind of project designed to simultaneously bait the Oscars and put people in theater seats. Which is why it’s so baffling Knight received exactly zero Academy nominations. If not for Best Picture, the movie should have at least scored noms for Adapted Screenplay or Cinematography. And Dev Patel? Robbed.
The biggest Oscar snub in my opinion is that they still haven’t added a new nomination category for stunt work in the industry. It’s an essential aspect of cinema and it still gets no recognition by what is claimed to be one of the biggest award ceremonies of the industry. There has been some amazing stunt work done throughout the year and it just seems like a shame that they still refuse to give it any love.
It’s really hard to choose the MCU team-up I’d most like in Phase 4. Normally, I’m most interested in 2nd or 3rd order interactions. The kind of question that usually gets me going is something like, ‘who will be teaming up with each other in 3 years time?’ but right now the source of my thoughts seems to come from projects we saw in 2021. The feeling that seems to follow around potential selections, is excitement for seeing familiar characters reactions to newness in other characters. As one of my favourite characters, I’m supportive of whatever Wanda does in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and am enthused to see reactions to her development as The Scarlet Witch. I’m also ready to see familiar Avengers characters react to Sam Wilson as Captain America, and I’m ready to see Sam lead a team of Avengers. Finally, I’m intrigued to see where Yelena Belova pops up next, so, no matter who she connects with I’ll be absorbed by her interactions with the rest of the MCU. Out of those three, I’m definitely most excited to see what Wanda gets up to, and what the reactions to it are!
Mary Maerz
Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer with just about anyone. I don’t have any deeper thoughts about it. Put him with Doctor Strange. Spider-Man. Sersi. Abomination. Korg. Miek. Jack Duquesne. Party Thor. Zombie Iron Man. Guy who filmed Shang-Chi on the bus. I don’t care.
Charles Murphy
Despite being surrounded by gods and monsters, there’s no more down-to-earth hero in the MCU than Sam Wilson. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier allowed us to get a better handle on who Sam is and, simply put, he’s a no-nonsense guy with a straightforward approach to solving problems. He speaks from his heart. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He knows EXACTLY who he is.
By the time we see Sam in the MCU again, a character who has absolutely no idea who is will have joined the fray. Given who Sam is, teaming him up with Moon Knight might provide some killer character interactions. Sam’s training as a counselor might make him feel as though he can connect with the Fist of Khonshu, but he’s not ready for Moon Knight’s particular set of issues. The Lunar Legionnaire could be an absolutely fascinating fly in Sam’s ointment in Cap 4.
Dalbin Osorio
For me, I’m really anxious to see a team up between the new Captain America and the new Black Panther. There’s a scene in the comics where Sam Wilson asks that his suit be made by the Wakandans, and he goes on to explain the importance of the African nation and how he should be connected to them in some way. In the MCU, we’ve now seen the beginning of that play out with Sam getting his new costume from the Wakandans. Seeing the new Black Panther’s reaction, and subsequent dialogue, to the new Cap being Black would be a a bad ass moment.
Hunter Radesi
This isn’t exactly a unique choice, but there probably isn’t a live-action Marvel pairing I’ve fantasized about more than Spider-Man and the Human Torch. Anyone who’s read the original run of ‘Marvel Team-Up’ knows this is the foremost duo, with meetings both humorous and touching coming in their respective solo titles as well. Peter and Johnny have an interesting chemistry, as young heroes with something to prove operating on opposite ends of the personality spectrum. Sure, the MCU may not have even cast it’s Torch yet, but this is a team-up that’s finally (finally!) possible for the first time on the big screen and I have a sneaking suspicion it will happen sooner than later.
Anthony Canton III
Considering the way Spider-Man: No Way Home ended, there’s one team up I feel would give Peter Parker not only the family vibe but a little bit of fun. What if Peter, in trying to stop a criminal, runs into Scott Lang? They never interacted in Captain America: Civil War, so it would be a fresh pairing, and while Scott doesn’t know who Peter is it could be used for some fun dialogue. Spidey and Luis could trade some stories and Ant-Man could help Spider-Man deal with whatever problem he has in the interim. Imagine a story where there’s an arms dealer (Justin Hammer perhaps?) and Spidey needs a little help against some formidable robots. Scott being a family man could give Peter some advice on whatever he’s currently dealing with. You get Scott, Hope, Cassie, and the rest of the crew and you have a fantastic team up movie.
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