Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland got a chance to sit down with Vanity Fair to talk about the future for Star Wars fans with her new series, The Acolyte. We’ve been anxiously awaiting an update on what to expect from the series. The new interview gave us a tease of how she’s approaching the series by highlighting the advice she got from The Mandalorian‘s Jon Favreau.
Jon Favreau said that when you’re working in this world, you want to go back to what George was inspired by. There were Westerns and then of course, Akira Kurosawa samurai films, and the fact that he originally offered Obi-Wan Kenobi to Toshiro Mifune …
Leslye Headland
Hearing that there are many ways to approach the series, it seems that she focused on martial arts films as how she’ll approach the series. Headland highlights some of the inspirations that she is taking with her while working on this series.
So I actually went more toward martial arts films, and storylines that are a little bit more personal and less global and galactic. Those warriors were on missions that were deeply personal, with people feeling wronged and having to make it right. Wuxia Films and martial arts films from King Hu and the Shaw Brothers, like Come Drink With Me and Touch Of Zen. They’re monks that are also martial arts heroes.
Leslye Headland
The projects mentioned certainly sets up a great concept. Most of Star Wars inspirations were from westerns and samurai films. We’ve seen some influences from martial art films, but never a project that was built around the concept. So, here’s hoping we get some great action and drama that these iconic films are known for.
Russian Doll‘s Leslye Headland will head into a galaxy far far away with the new Star Wars series Acolyte. We’ve learned that the series takes place long before the prequel trilogy with around 100 years stated. Now, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Headland offered some more details on how the storyline will explore how the Sith grew in power before the events of the Prequels. Headland highlights a quote from Mace Windu that inspired her to take on the story:
In the prequels, Mace Windu says: ‘There’s no way that the Sith could have reemerged without us knowing about it.’ And Yoda says, ‘Hard to see, the dark side is. He acknowledges that this is a part of the Force that has been dormant, or at least hidden from them, for so long. What I immediately wondered about this particular period was: Who is practicing it
Leslye Headland
She also teases that the title has many significant references to where the story heads, such as pointing to someone that is closer to the dark side of the Force. So, we may be seeing the rise of the Sith, with Amandla Stenberg set to play the leading role. Though the wording also hints at someone who assists a religious leader in a ritual. So, we might see the padawan that supported Palpatine’s rise to power. Many also hope that perhaps we meet Darth Sidious, who has been teased briefly in an iconic sequence from the prequels.
There’s something iconic about John Williams‘s score. No matter when you hear it, you instantly can connect it to Star Wars.Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s marketing team knew that as the moment they played Duel of the Fates in the teaser trailer, they knew what kind of emotions it would awaken.
While talking about making the lightsaber during action sequences in the Disney+ series’ press conference, Deborah Chow revealed that they couldn’t tell if the cast was doing them as they were playing music while filming. Not just any music as they were using John Williams‘ iconic scores to put the actors in the right mind, as Moses Ingram reveals how it felt hearing the music while simply stepping off a ship.
And it was sick, too. Because we’d be like stepping off the ship or doing something else and the music would swell. And you’re just like feeling like you’re 10 feet tall. It’s very, very cool.
Moses Ingram
Chow highlights that this was their intention to use the music that’s become synonymous with the franchise to bring the actors to feel what it means to be part of this franchise.
Yeah, that was the big reason we did it, because there’s the music obviously brings the emotional component. And what John Williams has done has been so inextricably tied, it is Star Wars. so, if we put it on, all of a sudden, I see Moses go like two inches taller and everybody responds to it.
Deborah Chow
The franchise wouldn’t be the same without William’s score and it definitely left its imprint on many. The inclusion during filming is a great way to convey the emotions it brings to life and there’s something special about the soundtrack of the Prequel trilogy. The most exciting aspect is to also hear the return of this soundtrack once the Disney+ series premieres this Friday.
It’s no secret that Obi-Wan Kenobi will be a limited series. Most of the advertising highlighted it as such, and head writer Deborah Chow has confirmed that this was their take ever since it was conceptualized. Yet, there’s still always a little glimmer of hope that we could see more and it seems that while Choh remains strong on how she initially perceived the project, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy is certainly open to the idea.
Mainly because everybody came together and had such an incredible time. Ewan had an incredible time. Hayden had an incredible time. So certainly from that point of view, everybody involved would love to see this not end. But we have to really spend our time asking the question: Why would we do it? If we were to decide to do anything more with the Obi-Wan character, we’d have to really answer the question why?“
Kathleen Kennedy
She’s not the only one surprised, as it seems Obi-Wan Kenobi himself, Ewan McGregor, has also warmed up to the idea of potentially doing more with the franchise. The experience working on the project may have certainly gotten his interest to return to the role in the future.
Yeah, I would like to make another one. I had such a great time working with Deb, and the actors that we had in this were so great to work with, and the crew are just… I can’t tell you. It was so wonderful to work on. I couldn’t wait to get to work every day, and on a long shoot like this, that’s something. Right to the end, I just loved the experience of it
Ewan McGregor
While there’s no necessity for him to continue an Obi-Wan Kenobi series after the initial limited run, there are other options they could take. We have a few Jedi refuges after the event of Order 66, who might stumble upon the former Jedi Master and seek his help. Tatooine also seems to be commonplace for these Star Wars series to visit, which has become a bit of a running gag that every live-action series end up on the desert planet at some point. If they have a spark for a new series to have McGregor return, we’ll have to see what Lucasfilm cooks up in the future.
Here’s a pleasant surprise, as it looks like a new exclusive look and documentary short will be released ahead of the series premiere of Ms. Marvel. The special will include a look back at her comic origins, as well as how they brought the Disney+ series to life with interviews. The team behind the series, as well as Iman Vellani, who plays Kamala Khan, will be part of the new documentary short titled A Fan’s Guide to Ms. Marvel.” The short is currently eyeing a June 1st release.
There are no further details currently on what will be included and if it includes entire footage from the series, or if it may focus on the interviews. The June release is just a week away from the Disney+ series premiere. So, we’ll likely see a similar tease like with Hawkeye back during Disney+ Day, which also included a brief segment from a future episode of the December series ahead of its premiere.
There’s a lot of history even if the character was only introduced in 2013. It’s a nice touch to introduce the character to people that might want to catch up with her comic history before jumping into the series. Plus, we might see more of this small documentary when they introduce new character’s to the franchise that some might not be too familiar with. We’ll see if we might get something similar with the release of She-Hulk in the future, as they find a way to ease in new viewers to these characters as the MCU continues to expand with new characters that are more obscure than others.
Ewan McGregor last played Obi-Wan Kenobi back in Revenge of the Sith in 2005. After all this time, he is ready to return to a galaxy far far away, in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series. Of course, a lot has happened in the film industry, as technology has come quite far since the last time he stepped into a Star Wars project. In the press conference for the Disney+ series, he talks about what it used to be like compared to now.
Episode 2 […] was my first experience of shooting on digital cameras. And now, you know, it’s so rare to shoot on film, sadly really. But those cameras were like dinosaurs. They were cutting edge technology, but compared to what we shoot on now, they had huge umbilical cords comingout of the back of the cameras.
Ewan McGregor
That was not all, as these massive cameras turned out to have one massive flaw. The frequency they were humming throughout production overshadowed all the spoken dialogue, which led the production team to ADR all performances, as revealed by McGregor.
And that was the new setup and the umbilical’s led to this big tent in the corner of the stage that literally hummed. It was so noisy and in post-production they realized, at the end, that the noise they made was exactly in the frequency of the human voice. So, we had to ADR every single line of Episode 2. None of the original dialogue made it through because the cameras were so new and none of the bugs had been worked out.
Ewan McGregor
DeborahChow goes on to highlight that “George [Lucas] was doing by using digital so early, is so much of that groundwork is how we got toe Stagecraft.” The technology she is referring to became a new landmark with its use through The Mandalorian and is now becoming a new standard for many other major film productions. So, the creator of Star Wars would become the pioneer of modern digital technology.
Long before Marvel Studios started creating series set in the MCU for Disney+, there was Marvel Television. Marvel Television is now under the Marvel Studios banner, and the effects of that have been pretty clear. The Disney+ series, such as WandaVision and Loki, have been wholeheartedly welcomed into the greater MCU family. It only emphasizes how the previous Marvel TV’s connection to the universe is definitely unclear.
Marvel Studios had consistently steered clear of establishing television series outside of Disney+ originals as canon, the recent news that a “new” but “continued” Daredevil series is in the works at the streaming service. The often bitter debate about which or whether Marvel TV shows are canon is likely only about to get more heated. The easy answer is to enjoy the shows you like (if you like any), consider them headcanon if you want (or ignore them completely), and move on with your life until Marvel Studios ever wants to make it more clear.
But since many will still wake up every day and choose violence on Twitter instead, here are the Marvel TV shows ranked from best to worst. Marvel Studios can make any of these canon at any time (yes, I can hear those of you already yelling that some are), but will they? This list does not include the few shows originally made as part of the old Fox X-Men universe, nor the animated M.O.D.O.K. or Hit Monkey series.
1. Daredevil
Marvel’s ‘Daredevil’ (2015)
It is no surprise that Netflix’s Daredevil tops this list. The #SaveDaredevil crowd is celebrating the announcement of a Disney+ series for Matt Murdock. It certainly seems like canon territory for the original series, but it really is yet to be seen how the upcoming show might actually adapt the previous one so as to be formally part of the MCU.
But the fact that Daredevil is the first “revival” of old Marvel TV on Disney+ is a testament to the quality of the series. While never entirely consistent across its three seasons, the show features exciting action, violence that generally surpasses that in the MCU, solid performances by Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, and a gritty emotional layer that films struggle to achieve.
2. Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones was made with the type of quality that Daredevil brought to the table. Krysten Ritter’s Jones was one of the first leading women in Marvel TV (Agent Carter premiered months before) and would have been one of the first in the MCU as well by years. She was not forced, and her struggles and traumas related to David Tennant’s chilling antagonist hit a tone that many were afraid to explore—especially at the time. The series also had plenty of upbeat notes with Jones’ personality, and the street-level detective work was a fresh addition to the Netflix Defendersverse.
3. Luke Cage
Luke Cage may not go down in history for nailing all of its storytelling elements, but the action-packed and star-studded show is a solid watch. But the series truly excels at putting the spotlight on Black experience and culture through both its subject matter and in the way the show was made, especially with music. One thing that Marvel TV was able to accomplish before the greater MCU was pushing boundaries of representation and actually developing a character within that perspective.
4. Agent Carter
Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’
Yes, Agent Carter was canceled after two seasons on ABC due to low viewership. And the show was not particularly phenomenal. But where it did succeed is that it made sense as a piece of the MCU puzzle. It has been by creators more recently that the show was made specifically to be canon to the MCU, while others like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may not have necessarily had that same attention. But the series kept Captain America: The First Avenger’s 1940s story going. It was fine. It had its charm and it stayed consistent. It never tried to do too much, which is a major problem with some other series on this list.
5. Runaways
As noted above, Runaways definitely felt like it was trying to do too much at times. The Hulu show came at a time when MCU fans started to get a bit tired of keeping up with shows that were beginning to feel less and less relevant to the film universe. But Runaways also felt like it was exploring a corner of the comics that Marvel TV and the MCU had not touched, and the focus on younger heroes certainly gave it a fresh perspective. Like other shows on this list, it pushed representation boundaries—particularly with LGBTQ+. The whole series might not be the most enjoyable experience, but the first season or so isn’t too bad.
6. Defenders
Something about the story and writing in Defenders really felt like a flop, but plenty enjoy Marvel TV’s first crossover event. It definitely came across as the Avengers of television, but it was nowhere near as cool. In any event, now that Daredevil is eyeing Disney+, that just begs the inevitable question of whether the Defendersverse as a whole is headed there with it.
7. The Punisher
I’m sure many would argue that The Punisher should be higher on the list. Marvel TV got arguably its darkest and most violent here, and it brought a very popular character to the screen. Plenty were not fully satisfied with the portrayal of Frank Castle, but some really appreciated the character development the show afforded him. But the show overall felt like a drudge through a relatively one-note anger fest with lots of guns. While maybe the point of the show, it could still be much better.
8. Cloak & Dagger
Cloak & Dagger has some meaningful moments filled with heart amongst a pretty forgettable series overall. Where it shined, it did well, but at the end of the day, it felt like another victim of ABC mediocrity, albeit on Freeform.
9. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’
I will start by saying that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a dedicated fanbase that loves the show. I am very happy for them, enjoying stuff is fun. But listen, as someone who has watched the show due to the fact that it was the first Marvel TV show that half-promised it was in the MCU, it is so bad.
Of course, some moments across the bloated 7 seasons are naturally better than others. But watching this show was work. It fell prey to the ABC network television level of “meh” before the writing and story made it so nonsensical and ridiculous to the point where it is extremely difficult to understand how someone would like it. Considering where the series took itself, the likelihood of the show itself being canon to the MCU is so incredibly low. But if it is, I like the MCU less.
But there is no strong reason to think that none of the AoS characters or actors will make actual MCU debuts. The fanbase is odd but strong, so the MCU would naturally get some boost of morale if someone like Chloe Bennet’s Quake got a firm reboot somewhere.
10. Iron Fist
Iron Fist basically failed before it even tried to fail. But at no point did the series feel like it was trying to succeed. Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing managed to feel like a positive at the end of the day, but overall this show is known as one of the worst across the board. Still, it exists within Netflix’s Defendersverse, so it has some staying power.
11. Inhumans
Marvel’s ‘Inhumans’
Inhumans is Marvel’s most infamous failure. From premiering the first bad episodes in IMAX theaters to releasing the rest of the horrible episodes on television was just absolutely unredeemable. But Anson Mount’s Black Bolt made a multiversal cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so the series is getting some renewed attention it does not need.
12. Helstrom
Honestly, does anyone know about this show? Apparently, the Hulu show suffered from a severe lack of marketing as well as not being good. It definitely debuted in that awkward space of late 2020 when Marvel Studios was gearing up to premiere its Disney+ slate. Marvel Studios took over Marvel Television while Helstrom was filming, meaning it was the last cry of Marvel TV that was too late to stop.
Only time will tell how Marvel Studios intends to use (or not) these shows, and Daredevil‘s “continued” series will be quite the eye opener as to how these properties could be formally integrated into the MCU.
Adult animation has grown quite a bit in popularity over the years with franchises like Rick and Morty, Big Mouth, Hoops, and many more. Now, it seems that Amazon Studios is planning to add another to the mix, as they have ordered not one but two full-season orders of The Hospital. The animated sci-fi series is from Maya Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne’s Animal Pictures with both having starring roles in the production. Vernon Sanders, Amazon Studios Head of Global Television, has the following to say on the project:
The Hospital is the perfect example of the fresh and unique programming we get so excited to deliver to our global Prime Video customers. Cirocco’s humor and clever characters will entertain in any galaxy. We are thrilled to have this special project join our growing adult animated slate.
Vernon Sanders
The series has attached Cirocco Dunlap, Kieran Culkin, Keke Palmer, GretaLee, and songwriter Sam Smith. There have been hints that we’ll also have more additional voice cast members joining the project, but aren’t yet announced. Amazon Studios will produce the series which has already been in development since 2020.
Dunlap will write the series that follows alien surgeons Sleech (Lee) and Klak (Palmer) that tackle the most dangerous cases. So, they aren’t safe from time loops, out-of-this-world STIs, and parasites that feed off of anxiety. Yet, they risk their entire career based on one case that may put their lives on the line. As with any adult comedy, their personal lives are just as much a mess as you might expect.
The rest of the cast consists of Lyonne voicing Nurse Tup, Rudolph is a robot intern known as Vlam, Culkin will be a surgeon known as Dr. Plowp and Smith will voice Dr. Azel. Cirocco Dunlap is also serving as showrunner and executive producer on the series. It looks like Amazon fully believes in the project that it was already ordered for two seasons, but there’s a chance they might’ve just split the initial episode order into two parts. Still, with a cast like that, you can’t go wrong.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is the first Disney+ series to get marketed as a “limited series” while others, like Moon Knight, kept it vaguely open in case it got enough fanfare asking for more. While most of the series never really got an announcement, it was a nice surprise when it was confirmed as one. It looks like that was something head writer Deborah Chow also wanted to do with the project, as she wants to use this opportunity to further explore the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi and what he’s going through after the events of Revenge of the Sith. In the press conference, she talked about how this approach excited her for the Disney+ series.
I was really excited of the idea to do a limited series for one. Just because you get to tell a bigger story, but you also get the time to really get into the character. I think first and foremost, I was the most excited about doing a character-driven story and really kind of having the opportunity to get more depth, and have more time to really get to know the character.
Deborah Chow
She also highlights films like Joker and Logan, which take the iconic characters out of the bigger franchises and further explores their place in that world. In a way, the series is closer to Logan which took a look at its main character suffering from the events that led to them losing everyone they cared about.
In a similar way, it’s a different tone, but something like Joker and Logan. Where you take one character out of a big franchise and then you really have the time and you go a lot deeper with the character. That, to me, seemed really exciting to do in Star Wars.
Deborah Chow
There’s definitely something really interesting about taking a closer look at the character’s storylines without the weight of the entire franchise having to continue its story. The Mandalorian’s big draw was this isolated story within a galaxy far far away. perhaps this also opens up the possibility to explore other storylines from characters we’ve come to love over the years.
There was a lot of excitement when it was announced that not only Ewan McGregor but also Hayden Christensen were making their grand return to a galaxy far far away with the next Disney+ Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Deborah Chow is tackling a challenging project by not only bridging two iconic trilogies but also exploring the complex relationship of two of the franchise’s most iconic characters.
In the official press conference, head writer Deborah Chow talked about how having to bridge these two timelines of the Star Wars universe was “one of the biggest challenges” for the Disney+ series. She highlights the challenge of keeping the canon alive while still telling a unique story.
I would say that was definitely one of the biggest challenges with the series. We have these huge legacy, iconic characters and we’re in between two trilogies. So, a large part, we’re telling a second act of a story which is often challenging enough. So, I think you know, the biggest thing we’re looking at is respect canon and we also need it to have an original story and original vision for it. That was the biggest challenge, but at the same time, it was very exciting that we were bringing back two of these huge iconic characters and telling new stories with them.
We’ll see how the series potentially also connect elements from the prequels, like how the Clone Troopers became the Storm Troopers, as a way to give us more insight into how the Empire changed the galaxy through its regime. Of course, many also hope to see Palpatine make an appearance as well, to further showcase his influence over Vader before his son would set him free. Luckily, it’s not too long until we get to finally watch the Disney+ limited series as the first two episodes will stream on May 27th.
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