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Each week four fans of Marvel Comics Agent Lauren, Agent Michelle Agent Chris, and Director SP Rupert debrief you on the latest episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or other related Marvel Universe content and news. Don't forget to leave a Voicemail at 1-844-THE-BUS1 (1-844-843-2871). Legends of Shield is a proud member of the GonnaGeek Podcast Network.

Dec 20, 2021

The Legends Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Producer of the show Agent Lauren, Agent Michelle, and Director SP invite Consultant Chris to the show to be a full time Agents. Then they discuss the Disney+ Hawkeye penultimate episode “Ronin.” The Team debriefs you on National Hard Candy Day, super powered reindeer, the EPIC Kingpin MCU-Netflix Defenders crossover, Yelena’s blip moment, the impact of the Marvel Cinematic universe and Disney+ cross-overs, the episode’s triple reveals for Maya, Yelena, and Kate, the girls night with hot sauced macaroni and cheese, what is Kazi’s potential relationship with Kingpin, who is playing who with Jack’s arrest, SP’s Hallmark Holiday movie standards checklist, Grills’ and Clint’s growing relationship, Hawkeye finale predictions involving Laura Bishop, and the Agents dish on their thoughts about Fanny meeting Lucky The Pizza Dog. The Agents also discuss the top Marvel news stories of the week including Tom Holland, Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal weighing in on Spider-Man’s Future in the MCU, Disney+ UK gives their answer to whether Iron Man 3 is a Christmas Movie, and Bert & Bertie dish on that epic episode 4 car chase scene. Stay tuned after the credits for a few minutes of Legends Of S.H.I.E.L.D. bonus audio.

 

THIS TIME ON LEGENDS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.:

 

  • Hawkeye S1E5 “Ronin”
  • Weekly Marvel News
    • Tom Holland, Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal weigh in on Spider-Man’s Future in the MCU
    • Disney+ UK gives their answer to whether Iron Man 3 is a Christmas Movie
    • Bert & Bertie dish on that epic episode 4 car chase scene

 

HAWKEYE “RONIN” [5:15  ]

 

  • Hawkeye “Ronin” premiered on Disney+ on Wednesday December 15th, 2021.

 

S1E5 “Ronin”

 

Directed By: Bert & Bertie

Bert:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2134432/?ref_=ttfc_fc_dr1

8 directing credits starting in 2006

 

Bertie:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1232262/?ref_=ttfc_fc_dr2

8 directing credits starting in 2006

 

Writers:

Jenna Noel Frazier

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4766691/?ref_=tt_cl_wr_1#writer

2 writing credits since 2018

8 x The Romanoffs

1 x Hawkeye

 

Writer: Jonathan Igla

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4131127/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr1

7 writing credits starting in 2015

33 x Mad Men

1 x Masters of Sex

6 x Hawkeye

 

Showrunner: Jonathan Igla

 

Hawkeye Main Cast

  • Jeremy Renner             ...         Clint Barton / Hawkeye
    • 28 Weeks Later
    • The Hurt Locker
    • Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
    • The Bourne Legacy
    • Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
    • Arrival
    • Mayor of Kingstown (TV Series)
  • Hailee Steinfeld             ...         Kate Bishop
    • Pitch Perfect 2
    • Pitch Perfect 3
    • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
    • Charlie's Angels (2019)
    • Arcane (TV Series)
    • Dickinson (TV Series)
    • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 (filming)
  • Vera Farmiga             ...         Eleanor Bishop
    • The Manchurian Candidate
    • Source Code
    • Bates Motel (TV Series)
    • Godzilla: King of the Monsters
  • Tony Dalton ...         Jack Duquesne
    • Sense8 (TV Series)
    • Better Call Saul (TV Series)
  • Alaqua Cox                         ...         Maya Lopez
    • First IMDB credit … seriously. first credit
  • Fra Fee             ...         Kazi
    • Cinderella (2021)
  • Vincent D'Onofrio ...         Kingpin
  • Aleks Paunovic             ...         Ivan
    • Boxing Stuntman on Battlestar Galactica
    • 5 x Battlestar Galactica (TV Series)
    • 1 episode roles:
      • Flash Gordon: A Modern Space Opera (TV Series)
      • Bionic Woman (TV Series)
      • Stargate: Atlantis (TV Series)
      • Sanctuary (TV Series)
      • Human Target (TV Series)
      • Caprica (TV Series)
      • Smallville (TV Series) - 2 episodes
      • Once Upon a Time (TV Series)
      • Psych (TV Series) - 3 episodes
      • The 100 (TV Series) - 4 episodes
      • Arrow (TV Series) - 2 episodes
    • Riverworld (TV Movie)
    • Mortal Kombat: Legacy (TV Series short)
    • 6 x Continuum (TV Series)
    • Kindergarten Cop 2
    • War for the Planet of the Apes
    • 9 x Snowpiercer (TV Series)
  • Piotr Adamczyk             ...         Tomas
    • Popular Polish actor with 87 credits starting in 1996
    • Will also be in season 3 of the Apple TV+ hit For All Mankind
  • Linda Cardellini             ...         Laura Barton
    • Boy Meets World (TV Series) in 1998/1999
    • Freaks and Geeks (TV Series) in 1999/2000
    • Legally Blonde
    • Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
    • Brokeback Mountain
    • 126 x ER (TV Series)
    • 1 x Person of Interest (TV Series)
    • 9 x Mad Men (TV Series)
    • Gravity Falls (TV Series)
    • 5 x Robot Chicken (TV Series short)
  • Ava Russo                         ...         Lila Barton
    • Only acting credit is Lila in Avengers Endgame/Hawkeye
  • Ben Sakamoto             ...         Cooper Barton
    • Only acting credits as Cooper in Age Of Ultron/Endgame/Hawkeye
  • Cade Woodward             ...         Nathaniel Barton
    • A Quiet Place
    • Avengers: Endgame/Hawkeye
  • Simon Callow             …          Armand III
    • Amadeus
    • 1 x Scarecrow and Mrs. King (TV Series)
    • Four Weddings and a Funeral
    • 2 x Doctor Who (TV Series)’
    • 5 x Outlander (TV Series)’
    • 8 x The Witcher (TV Series)
  • Clayton English             ...         Grills
    • 1 x Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV Series)
  • Carlos Navarro             ...         Enrique
    • 1 x Prison Break (TV Series)
    • 1 x Charlie's Angels (TV Series) 2011
    • 9 x The Walking Dead (TV Series)
  • Ivan Mbakop ...         Detective Caudle
    • Nothing SP is familiar with
  • Tinashe Kajese             ...         Dee
    • The Suicide Squad
  • Adetinpo Thomas ...         Wendy
    • 8 x Black Lightning (TV Series)
  • Robert Walker Branchaud ...         Orville (as Robert Walker-Branchaud)
    • American Horror Story (TV Series)
    • 4 x Stranger Things (TV Series)
    • Deepwater Horizon
    • 2 x The Walking Dead (TV Series)
    • 2 x Black Lightning (TV Series)
  • Adelle Drahos ...         Missy
    • 2 x MacGyver (TV Series)
  • Ashley Ames ...         Eleanor's Assistant
    • Nothing SP is familiar with
  • Monisha Shiva             ...         Mother
    • Nothing SP is familiar with
  • Rhys Bhatia ...         Child
    • Nothing SP is familiar with
  • Candy McLellan             ...         Samurai
    • Nothing SP is familiar with
  • Jolt the Golden Retriever… Lucky the Pizza Dog
  • Zahn McClarnon ...         William Lopez
    • 9 x Fargo
    • 29 x Longmire
    • 6 x Westworld
    • 4 x Reservation Dogs
  • Franco Castan ...         Rivera
  • Yssa Mei Panganiban ...         Sonya
  • Annie Hamilton ...         Ana
  • Michael Silberblatt ...         Man with Ana
  • Gabriella Lahoz Thomas ...         4 year Old with Ana
  • Keon Rahzeem Mitchell ...         Uber Driver

 

NEWS [41:44]

 

UPCOMING MARVEL SLATE OF PROJECTS

 

  • Eternals premiered domestically in the theaters on November 5th, 2021.
    • Eternals is scheduled to release on Disney+ on Wednesday January 12th, 2022

 

  • Hawkeye is scheduled to premiere on November 24th, 2021.
    • There will be 6 episodes
    • The first release date will have two episodes. 

 

  • Spider-Man: No Way Home is premiered on December 17th, 2021.

 

  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6, 2022)

 

  • Ms Marvel is supposed to premiere late in 2021 on Disney+ but no date has been announced.
    • The series was confirmed on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021 (Summer 2022)
    • Series synopsis: https://www.cbr.com/ms-marvel-captain-marvel-shadow-synopsis/
      • Ms. Marvel introduces Kamala Khan--a 16-year-old Pakistani American from Jersey City. An aspiring artist, an avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, she is a huge fan of the Avengers—and one in particular, Captain Marvel. But Kamala has always struggled to find her place in the world—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to

 

  • Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8, 2022)

 

 

  • Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse Part One (Oct 7, 2022)

 

 

  • She-Hulk is supposed to premiere late in 2022 on Disney+
    • It was confirmed the series was coming in 2022 on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021. 

 

  • Secret Invasion is in development for release on Disney+
    • No date has been announced.
    • Series confirmed during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 

 

  • Ironheart is in development for release on Disney+
    • No date has been announced.
    • Series confirmed on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21

 

  • Armor Wars is in development for release on Disney+ but no date has been announced. 

 

  • Echo is in development for release on Disney+
    • Confirmed on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 but no release/premiere date given 

 

  • Agatha: House of Harkness
    • Announced/Confirmed on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021

 

  • An untitled Wakanda series is in development for release on Disney+ but no date has been announced. 

 

  • X-Men ‘97 (2023)
    • Written by Executive Producer Beau DeMayo.
    • Announced Disney+ Day (12 Nov 2021)

 

  • The Marvels (Feb. 17, 2023)

 

  • Marvel Zombies
    • Animated series announced on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21
    • No date given

 

  • Also, we know there will be a Loki season two at some point.

 

  • What If…? Season 2
    • Confirmed during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21
    • No premiere date indicated

 

  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (July 28, 2023)

 

  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5th, 2023)
  • Fantastic Four  (???)

 

  • I Am Groot is in development for release on Disney+
    • No date has been announced.
    • Previous mentioned as a holiday special
    • Series confirmed during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 as a series of shorts watching Groot grow up

 

  • Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special
    • Confirmed during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21
    • Different from I Am Groot

 

  • Spider-Man: Freshman Year
    • Announced during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021
    • No premiere date given

 

  • Untitled (February 16th, 2024)

 

  • Untitled (May 3rd, 2024)

 

  • Untitled (July 26th, 2024)

 

  • Untitled (November 8th, 2024)

 

  • List of MCU films in production without premiere dates
    • Fantastic Four
    • Deadpool 3
    • Blade
    • Avengers-Level Team up to end the phase (not confirmed in development)
    • Could be linked to Russo Brothers story from last week
    • Captain America Sequel
    • Possible X-Men

 

  • Projects that have NOT been announced yet
    • Young Avengers

  

MCU – MARVEL STUDIOS

 

Destin Daniel Cretton on the Success of ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' and Where He's At With the Sequel

https://collider.com/shang-chi-2-comments-director-destin-daniel-cretton/

He also talks about his multi-year deal with Marvel TV and his love of Blu-ray/DVD extras.

 

With a highly successful theatrical run, its availability to stream on Disney+ and its release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray and DVD, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has also been confirmed to be continuing its story with a sequel, at some point in the future. Through its superhero origin story of a parking valet named Shaun (Simu Liu), who was hiding out in San Francisco with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina) until his past catches up with him and he must embrace his power as Shang-Chi, director Destin Daniel Cretton and Marvel Studios introduced audiences to a new aspect of the MCU and a new group of characters that clearly has endless possibilities.

 

During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Cretton talked about how proud he is of what the entire creative team was able to do with Shang-Chi, how terrified he was on the first day of shooting, starting to work on ideas for the sequel and being at the point where everything is a possibility, how excited he is to dig deeper into this world, creating a TV series with Marvel that came from an idea he had while shooting the film, how he views success, and his love of Blu-ray/DVD extras.

 

Collider: When you first met with Marvel about Shang-Chi, you weren’t initially thinking you’d direct it, but here we are. And even after you actually signed on as the director, the film took a journey before coming out, having been planned so far in advance, and then shooting it, and then getting delayed by COVID. What’s it like to have it out in the world, to see how people have reacted, to feel the love for it, and to even see people dress up like some of the characters?

 

DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON: It’s a huge relief. There were so many landmines with this movie, early on. Even within the Asian community, there were so many people who were like, “Why are you doing this movie?” We really saw the potential to create something, a character, that would be not only beneficial to the Asian American community, but something that I think I could be proud of and would be a character that I wish I had when I was a kid growing up. I do feel very proud of our team for being sensitive and being open and listening to the voices of people from different cultures on our production to create something that I think anybody can relate to and that people outside of our culture can learn some things, but also can see these characters as people that they can identify with. So, I feel very, very proud of the team for making this movie.

 

What do you remember about your first day of shooting?

 

CRETTON: My first day of shooting, I was terrified. When I stepped onto the set, it was like I was stepping into a city of people, and there was all of this giant equipment and cranes and lights, and things that I just was not used to seeing so much of everything. And on top of that, I was directing Tony Leung, on day one, so I was really scared. But what I found, over the course of day one, was how great of a team that I really had, how supportive everyone was, and how incredible Tony Leung is, not only as a performer, but just as a person and now a friend. He’s such a gracious man. All of our performers on this movie were the same. I’m always really scared when I start a project, but as we start going and as the creative juices start flowing and the team really comes together, it really is one of the most fulfilling experiences that I have in life.

 

When you do tackle something this big and you do so successfully, does it make you feel any different as a filmmaker? Are you more confident now than you were before at all?

 

CRETTON: Confidence is definitely not a straight line. There actually was a weird moment when, in the middle of this production, when I was making hundreds of decisions a day and things were moving so quickly and I was dealing with all of these department heads, that I turned to my wife at night and said, “It’s really weird to say this, but I feel really comfortable right now, in the midst of all of this, and it’s really fun.” I’m not sure if I’d call that confidence, but it was a surprise to me that I was having such a good time in the midst of the chaos, even though there were tons of giant problems to solve. I credit all of that to being surrounded by a group of really good people.

 

How long have you known that Disney wanted a sequel for this? Was it something that was always talked about as a possibility or did it become definite, more recently?

 

CRETTON: It’s always a hopeful thing, I suppose, when you’re making the movie. While we were shooting, we were throwing around joke ideas of what a sequel could be. But with Marvel, it really is gauging to see how people react to the movie and also gauging what the experience of making the movie was. We had such a good time on it that it would’ve been a shame not to have a sequel, so I’m very excited to.

 

Where are you at in the writing process? Have you done any real concrete writing on it or is it just ideas that you’re throwing around?

 

CRETTON: I’ve done [zero]. It’s a fun place to be right now. Everything is a possibility. We’re just tossing very loose ideas around and we’ll start to hone in on something, hopefully.

 

Were there ideas that you started having when you did the first film that you knew you wanted to have in the sequel?

 

CRETTON: There are a lot of ideas that we had in the opener, and some of those ideas are planted as questions, by the end of our movie. There are things that we potentially want to explore in the future. Everything changes so much, so it’s hard to say how many of those ideas will actually make it to the finish line, but there are many of them there.

 

Did you ever have a point where, after the challenges you went through making the film, you thought maybe you should let someone else do the sequel, or did you always know that you wanted to return to keep telling the story?

 

CRETTON: I just really love this group of people, to be honest. I love these characters and we have simply introduced them to the world in our movie. So, to be able to start from there and explore them even more is very exciting to me.

 

It was also announced that you have this multi-year deal with Marvel TV and that you’ll be doing other projects. Did you pitch them on any ideas, or did they come to you? How does that work?

 

CRETTON: It’s a little of both? Kevin [Feige] and the team there definitely have a clear idea of where they’re taking the MCU, but they’re also open to pitches and things that we’re passionate about. One of the shows that we’re creating was initially an idea that I was bouncing around with our producer while we were shooting Shang-Chi and it just happened to fit in with the trajectory of where they’re going with the franchise. So, it’s a little back and forth.

 

When you work with a company like Marvel, that is planning four or five years ahead, is it weird to be thinking about stuff that might not happen until that far down the road?

 

CRETTON: It’s very weird. We’re talking about release dates and things, and I’m just like, “Am I gonna be alive, at that point?” It’s very strange.

 

What is it like to get to be in on the secrets, or at least some of them? Does it feel like you’re a part of this special club with the cool kids, when it comes to the MCU?

 

CRETTON: The thing that is very cool is that, when you’re on the inside, and I hope this doesn’t shatter anybody’s fantasy, but you realize how normal everybody is. It doesn’t feel like you’re with the cool kids. It feels like you’re just with a bunch of nerds like yourself. It’s just a bunch of passionate people trying to tell stories and solve problems. It’s very fun, but it doesn’t feel exclusive, on the inside. It just feels creative, like anything else.

 

When you wrapped filming on Shang-Chi, at that moment, what were your hopes for the film? We’ve seen what’s happened with it and you know there will be a sequel now, but you couldn’t have fully known that at the time. So, what were you think success for the film would look like?

 

CRETTON: I have a very low tolerance for anxiety and hype. And so, when a movie is coming out, it’s probably the worst time for me. I’ve had to really redefine what my version of success is. I define my success by the time that we finish the movie completely. When all of the creative is done, if I feel like I have been fulfilled by that process, personally, and if I feel like our team has worked together really well and done everything we possibly could to make the best version of this story possible, then I feel like we’ve succeeded. I feel like we really did do that on this movie, and everything else has been a very pleasant surprise.

 

When you put out a Blu-ray and you include fun things, like a gag reel and deleted scenes, and obviously fans love that kind of stuff, is there anything that you personally most enjoy? Is there a moment on the gag reel or one of the scenes that you’re most excited about for fans of the movie?

 

CRETTON: I love extra features. When DVDs started having extra features, back when DVDs were first coming out, I love being able to see a bit of the behind the scenes process, to get a glimpse of the actors when they’re not in performance, and to see some of that rapport between characters. I watched the deleted scenes and the gag reel and it just warms my heart because you get to see Awkwafina when she’s not playing the role. You get to see her and Simu [Liu] laughing together, which is really what we experienced, every day. You get to see Michelle Yeoh being super silly and weird, and most people do not know that is a big part of her personality. And the deleted scenes are cool because they show you a glimpse into the process of the evolution of the story. It’ll give you a glimpse into the things that we tried, but then went a different direction.

 

‘Shang-Chi’ Team on Their Emotional Journey and Continuing the Story

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-simu-liu-kevin-feige-journey-sequel-1235060744/

Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, star Simu Liu and Marvel boss Kevin Feige reflect on some of their most challenging — and exhilarating — moments from the groundbreaking film and weigh in on the possibility of awards season recognition.

 

Simu Liu is normally a gregarious presence on set. So it stood out when the actor fell silent in between takes on the Australian set of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

 

Liu was about to shoot one of his most challenging moments, in which his titular character confesses to his best friend, Katy (Awkwafina), that he killed a man at the behest of his father, and now was prepared to end his father’s life.

 

“We knew a lot of the movie hinged on that moment,” says Liu, who marked the day on his calendar and workshopped it countless times with writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton.

 

When the day came, Cretton got the wide shot he needed and then asked Liu to go off by himself. The filmmaker cleared the crew from a corner of the set depicting the mythical realm of Ta Lo and left his leading man to be alone with his thoughts.

 

“Nobody bothered me during that time. Everything was very quiet,” says Liu. “When the time came, one of the ADs came up and quietly said, ‘Hey, we are ready for you.’ I remember putting my head down. Not making eye contact with anyone.”

 

Whatever Liu did during that time, worked, notes Cretton.

 

“Whatever he was thinking about, using that silence to prep for it, the performance shift between the wide shot and the closeups were pretty dramatic,” says Cretton, who gave Liu a big hug afterward. “A scene like that, it’s always such a gratifying thing to experience as a director, particularly when you are shooting on a huge action movie like this.”

 

Three months after Shang-Chi opened in theaters, it stands as the highest-grossing domestic release of the year ($224.5 million in North America) and has both a sequel and a Disney+ series in development from Cretton. The film, Marvel’s first to star an Asian lead, turned a little-known comic book character into a cultural icon and turned Liu into a star. Up next, it hopes to emerge as an awards contender.

 

Films inspired by comic books have historically had an uphill battle at the Academy Awards, dating back to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008) being snubbed for a best picture nomination. But three years ago, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther broke ground as the first superhero movie to earn a best picture nomination and went on to win in three categories.

 

Looking back at Black Panther‘s accolades, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige notes that Oscar wins for composer Ludwig Göransson, costume designer Ruth E. Carter and production designers Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart meant a lot to the Marvel team. Yet he acknowledges such Academy recognition can be a challenge.

 

“I think we are always at a deficit because of the Marvel logo and because of a genre bias that certainly exists. I just loved that for a shining moment there with Black Panther that was put aside and the work was recognized for the achievement that it was,” says Feige, who would like to see Shang-Chi recognized as well, pointing to the work of team members such as screenwriter Dave Callaham, production designer Sue Chan, composer Joel P. West, costume designer Kym Barrett and cinematographer William Pope, among others.

 

“There are a lot of comic fans that didn’t know who Shang-Chi was. And yet the work that Destin did and Dave did and Sue did and Joel did, created something new that connected with audiences,” says Feige. “We recognized it, the audience recognized it, and I sure would love the hard work of all of these people who are telling their story to get recognized.”

 

Before Marvel hired Cretton in 2019, the director acknowledges he struggled to imagine the kind of pitch that might win him the job. Since nothing was clicking with him, he instead decided to pitch the type of story he wished he’d seen as a kid.

 

“I didn’t think it necessarily was going to be something that Marvel wanted,” says Cretton. “It was a very intimate pitch about a relationship between a father and a son and a family learning how to come together again with their pain.”

 

As it turns out, Marvel very much was interested in that kind of story. Cretton also longed to see Asian American people hanging out, doing ordinary things in a film. He brought in imagery from Good Will Hunting because he couldn’t find a representative scene that featured Asian Americans in film.

 

“It said, ‘Like this! But with Asian people,'” Feige recalls of Cretton’s presentation use of Good Will Hunting.

 

Shang-Chi ultimately included two bookend scenes with Shang, Katy and two friends at a restaurant, fulfilling Cretton’s dream.

 

Liu, meanwhile, was best known as the star of the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience. Much has been made about a December 2018 tweet in which the actor put it into the universe that he wanted to play Shang-Chi, but he never really believed he’d get it.

 

“I would literally go through IMDb and see all these other actors who were taller, who were more handsome, who I thought were better martial artists,” Liu recalls. “I was just like, ‘There’s no way. Why would it be me?'”

 

Liu sent off a tape anyway, thinking nothing would come of it. Then he met with Cretton, who was interested in casting an actor to play a human being rather than a superhero.

 

“At no point did he bring up the martial arts. At no point did he bring up the need to be anything other than human,” recalls Liu. “He was looking for somebody who really exemplified the uncomfortable, insecure, anxiety of what it means to be a human being.”

 

Suddenly, Liu had hope.

 

“I came out of the casting office literally feeling like I was going to throw up because I never thought that I had a chance before that moment,” recalls Liu. “After meeting him, I was, ‘Oh, I think I nailed this thing.'”

 

As part of their process, Liu and Cretton stripped away the trappings and mannerisms that might come with being a superhero.

 

“I remember specifically going through scenes with him, really feeling this sense of looseness and wanting to play the most natural version of every scene, not doing the superhero version of it,” says Liu. “Not puffing your chest out.”

 

When it came to the superhero suits worn by Liu and his onscreen sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), Cretton saw them as a tangible way to connect his actors to the film’s family theme, as their late on-screen mother, Ying Li (Fala Chen), gifted the suits to them.

 

“There’s a piece of her literally touching their body,” says Cretton. “That in itself gave so much to the performances of the actors, to remember that even though they are in a battle and they are having these larger-than-life Marvel moments, all of this is still watching these characters deal with the loss of this very important person in their lives.”

 

Screen legend Tony Leung boarded to play Shang-Chi’s father, Wenwu, and proved to be a grounding force for Liu, who was learning how to be a movie star on the fly.

 

“I was so desperate and eager to prove myself, showing people I could do things,” says Liu. “There is such a stillness and a comfort and ease with the way Tony conducts himself. I felt like that was the perfect complement to all of the anxiety that I was bringing in.”

 

Liu counts Shang-Chi’s final scene with Wenwu as his favorite moment, even over the much-praised bus fight early in the film. As Wenwu’s final act, he sacrifices himself for his son. Part of the sequence includes flashbacks to Shang as a boy and then a baby.

 

“We literally cut to that baby three times over the course of the movie, and every time it’s an emotional hit in a wonderful way,” says Feige, who says the team debated how much of the storytelling should be told in flashbacks.

 

Cretton notes the flashbacks weren’t initially part of the plan in that scene at all.

 

“We weren’t totally getting into Wenwu’s head like we wanted to,” recalls Cretton. “The idea of those flashbacks came late in the game. When we put it in and showed it to Kevin and the team and did a test with it — finally people were feeling the emotions that we wanted them to feel.” 

 

During awards season two years ago, Parasite Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho famously encouraged audiences to get over a fear of subtitles, referring to the new worlds international films could offer.

 

In a new move for a big-budget American movie, Shang-Chi includes subtitled sections in Mandarin, including an eight-minute opening. When it came time to test screen the film, the team was curious how audiences would react to the opening, in particular.

 

“Frankly, we were always ready to see if the audience would reject it in our test screenings and to see, ‘OK, are we going to have to pull a ripcord here in any way?’ Which was not our first instinct,” says Feige. “Destin very much believed in the fact that audiences would go with it, and sure enough they did. It wasn’t even a question. It wasn’t even a concern. On the contrary, I think it added to the authenticity in the way the movie started.”

 

On Dec. 6, Disney announced that Cretton would return to direct a Shang-Chi sequel and develop a related series for Disney+. The post-credits scene for the film teases more to come from the Ten Rings, the organization now run by Xialing.

 

When presented with the notion that Xialing’s Ten Rings sounds like an intriguing Disney+ show, Feige responds with a laugh, “I can’t wait for people to discover what it really is that we are working on for Disney+ with Destin.”

 

Though it’s never a foregone conclusion a filmmaker will return to Marvel, Cretton had a sense while making Shang-Chi there was more work for him to do.

 

Says the filmmaker: “While we were on set, we were already throwing ideas around of what other things we could do in another movie.”

 

Liu, who has a long journey ahead of him as Shang-Chi, was not surprised his filmmaker is back for more.

 

“It confirms what I already believed, which was that he was very emotionally invested in this character and this world,” says Liu, who hopes many people from the team will return for the sequel. “Also, I was very relieved, because we need him.”

 

For Cretton, who came up via the festival circuit with Short Term 12 before graduating to The Glass Castle and Just Mercy, Shang-Chi was particularly fulfilling, as he got to work with artists with similar backgrounds to him. That includes production designer Chan, whom he notes is the daughter of parents who owned a Chinese restaurant on the East Coast.

 

“It was such a poignant and moving experience for the first time in my career to be surrounded by people who have a similar upbringing as me,” says Cretton, who is half Japanese, half white and grew up in Hawaii. “To share stories and share experiences with other artists like that, it was really emotional for me and very fulfilling.”

 

Tom Holland Reportedly Signed for Fourth Spider-Man Film, Already In Development

https://www.cbr.com/report-tom-holland-fourth-spider-man-film-in-development/

No Way Home star Tom Holland might already preparing for another Spider-Man movie.

 

According to Puck, multiple sources have reported that Marvel has quietly started developing a fourth movie with Holland in a leading role. It was also reported that Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland's third Spider-Man movie and fifth appearance overall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is not only on track to open to $150 million when it premieres in theaters, but might be the first film to gross $1 billion since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began.

 

In a previous interview, Holland was asked about reports that he would reprise his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in another upcoming film from Marvel Studios independent of Sony Entertainment. The two companies announced in 2019 that they would be extending their partnership, which in turn allows Spider-Man to appear in Marvel Studios' films. "Yeah, that's not accurate at all," Holland said. "The new deal that was struck up was this understanding between the two studios that should Marvel want me to appear in one of their movies, then it would be an open conversation."

 

He continued, "I don't think it's as black and white as 'I have a three-picture deal with Marvel and a three-picture deal with Sony.' It's just this open conversation and open dialogue between Mr. Iger and Mr. Rothman."

 

Holland has also previously spoken about his future in the MCU, hinting that his time as Spider-Man might be coming to a close. "Maybe it is time for me to move on. Maybe what's best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film," he said at the time. "I have to take Peter Parker into account as well, because he is an important part of my life ... If I'm playing Spider-Man after I'm 30, I've done something wrong."

 

However, the actor later clarified those comments, saying that they had been misinterpreted. "I don't know what the future of Spider-Man looks like. I don't know whether I'm going to be a part of it," Holland said. "Spider-Man will always live on in me, and I know that [producer Amy Pascal] and the studio are keen to figure out what the next chapter of Spider-Man looks like."

 

In terms of the next chapter of Spider-Man, No Way Home producer Amy Pascal has hinted at the Web-Slinger's future, stating that the character will likely appear in future projects for both Sony and Marvel. When asked about the potential to see Holland in a film not connected to the MCU, Pascal said, "We all want to keep making movies together. How's that for an answer?"

 

For now, Holland is starring as Peter Parker/Spider-Man once again in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which swings into theaters on Dec. 17.

 

The Hollywood Reporter HEAT VISION E-Mail (Letita Wright set to rejoin Black Panther 2 Filming In January)

https://view.email.hollywoodreporter.com/?qs=addba4fe3d9a1a019e86f69923229c5600bf8cb950f6a494e40a22c37d6e3a08ab2530e218c90e2b4a55510675e693b449dc0f6045cbc3bf75cc53d7e79a4cabfb18dcbc1a5068e5

https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-2-letitia-wright-not-leaving-mcu/

And while we're here ... Letitia Wright and Black Panther 2 started trending Thursday with some rumors coming in from the lowlands.

 

We did some digging and sources close to the production say Panther 2 is indeed on track to resume production in late January in Atlanta. With Wright. 

 

Marvel and Sony Are Planning a Crossover Movie for Tom Holland's Spider-Man

https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/spider-man-marvel-sony-future-tom-holland-another-mcu-movie/

Tom Holland has become one of the biggest actors in Hollywood, and his work as Spider-Man helped solidify his talent as an A-list star. Right now, the actor is living large in light of Spider-Man: No Way Home's upcoming premiere. Many have worried the film would be Holland's last as the Marvel superhero, but reports have suggested there is more to come. And when ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis got to speak with Sony Pictures chair Tom Rothman recently, we learned the company is working with Marvel Studios on another crossover pitch. 

 

"It's reciprocal. So we lend one, and they lend one, and that's how Benedict [Cumberbatch] is in this movie," Rothman explained. "So we have one more 'lend back' that's committed. But the thing that I can say, and this actually the accurate scoop on this, which is that the two companies have a terrific working relationship. I think it's a mutual hope that that would continue. But there really isn't anything definitive at this moment, because the truth of the matter is, we gotta ride [Spider-Man: No Way Home] and see what happens."

 

At the beginning of the month, Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal mentioned in an interview that Marvel and Sony were already working together on a third trilogy with Holland in the lead role. Insider reports then indicated that nothing official had been reached in regards to this new trilogy, but that Sony and Marvel remained close in their working relationship and hope to keep that going into the future. 

 

Rothman's comments on Monday night back up those reports. He specifically stated that nothing official had been decided upon just yet, mainly because the two companies have been focusing their efforts on releasing No Way Home. There may not be news on a new Spider-Man movie for quite a while. What we do know, however, is that Holland will be returning to the MCU in another upcoming MCU title. 

 

Perhaps he reprises his role in next year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, continuing his story with Cumberbatch's sorcerer supreme. It's also worth nothing that the Doctor Strange sequel's director is Sam Raimi, who directed the first three live-action Spider-Man films for Sony.

 

Scarlett Johansson on What Inspired Her to Produce for Marvel: "Nothing's Ever off the Table"

https://collider.com/scarlett-johansson-new-marvel-project-producer/

Johansson also highlights lessons learned that'll influence her own work as a producer.

 

Perhaps anything can happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it feels rather safe to say that Scarlett Johansson’s run as Black Widow has come to an end. But, that doesn’t mean her contribution to the franchise has to stop there.

 

Johansson is heavily leaning into the producing side of things now. Not only is she credited as a producer on the upcoming Tower of Terror movie over at Disney and the A24 sci-fi drama Bride, but she’s also continuing to work on the MCU in a producorial capacity. Just last month, Kevin Feige revealed that Johansson is producing a “non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studio project.”

 

With the December 22nd release of Sing 2 right around the corner, I got the chance to catch up with Johansson and opted to ask her about her producing ambitions. Here’s what she said when asked what’s motivating her to contribute to more films in that position:

 

“I have worked for 30 years, which is insane when I say it out loud, but I think I just understand the efficiency of how productions run and how you thin the fat on a production and make things well oiled. I’ve learned that the fish rots from the head, which is very very true I think in any creative space, but particularly a production involves many hundreds of people and so yeah, just working with people that want to be there and all want to creatively contribute to the same kind of idea and building that kind of creative family I think is something I’m really excited about as I produce more and more things for other people.”

Johansson also took a moment to address producing for Marvel specifically:

 

“As far as Marvel goes, it’s like working with family there. Marvel has some of the best IP ever and you can really dream big there and nothing’s ever off the table and you kind of throw all these blue sky ideas around and see what sticks. It’s like a creative playground that’s just like a dream. Again, I have that shorthand with my fellow creatives there that comes from being in the world for 10 years with those guys.”

 

Disney and Sony Are 'Actively' Developing Spider-Man's MCU Future

https://www.cbr.com/disney-sony-developing-mcu-spider-man-future/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/movies/kevin-feige-amy-pascal-spider-man-no-way-home.html

Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal confirm Marvel and Sony are "actively" developing Spider-Man's post-No Way Home story for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

 

With Spider-Man: No Way Home now in theaters, the film's producers are "actively" developing Spidey's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

 

In the lead-up to No Way Home's release, the million dollar question was if the film would be actor Tom Holland's final outing as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the MCU. However, late last month, Spider-Man franchise producer Amy Pascal revealed that not only was a fourth MCU Spider-Man film with Holland in the works, but that it would be intended as the start of an all-new trilogy. That said, subsequent reports threw cold water on the idea of such a trilogy currently being in development.

 

Pascal was asked to clarify her comments during a recent interview with The New York Times. "We're producers, so we always believe everything will work out," she said. "I love working with [Marvel Studios President/Marvel Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige]. We have a great partnership, along with Tom Rothman, who runs Sony and has been instrumental, a great leader with great ideas. I hope it lasts forever."

 

Feige himself chimed in, adding, "Amy and I and Disney and Sony are talking about -- yes, we're actively beginning to develop where the story heads next, which I only say outright because I don't want fans to go through any separation trauma like what happened after Far From Home. That will not be occurring this time."

 

The "separation trauma" Feige refers to is the incident that saw The Walt Disney Company (owner of Marvel Studios) and Sony (owner of the Spider-Man movie rights) briefly end their partnership following the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home -- the second MCU Spider-Man film -- in 2019, leaving the future of the franchise uncertain. Fences were ultimately mended. Hence, the existence of No Way Home.

 

Several years ago, Disney and Marvel Studios struck a deal with Sony -- which has owned the license to Spider-Man since 1999 -- to bring the fan-favorite character into the MCU. Holland's version of Spidey made his MCU debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, subsequently spinning out into the 2017 solo film Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Holland later reprised the role in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and 2019's Avengers: Endgame before getting a second solo outing in the form of Far From Home. Thanks to Disney and Sony mending their working relationship, Holland was able to round out his solo trilogy with No Way Home. While a fourth Spider-Man film set in the MCU has yet to be officially announced, it definitively looks as though all parties concerned are working towards making such a film a reality.

 

Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theaters now.

 

Is Iron Man 3 a Christmas Movie? Disney+ Gives Surprising Answer

https://thedirect.com/article/iron-man-3-christmas-movie-disney-plus

The holiday season is in full swing before 2021 comes to an end, particularly for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans who are taking in the final episodes of Hawkeye on Disney+. While the internet-breaking reveals such as one for a long-rumored Netflix villain entering the fray are most present, the series also fully embraces the holiday spirit with Clint Barton and Kate Bishop working to complete their mission in time to get Clint home for Christmas.

 

This series comes as the second sub-franchise within the greater MCU to take on the Christmas season, which first officially came in through 2013's Iron Man 3. While the decision to set a summer blockbuster in the month of December is still a mystery more than eight years after the fact, director Shane Black used his signature style of storytelling in a unique way with Marvel Studios' leading hero.

 

Although this movie took place in and around Christmastime with Black's influence, one big question still lingers - is Iron Man 3 officially regarded as a Christmas movie? That answer may be surprising if one version of Disney+ is to be believed.

 

Is Iron Man 3 Christmas Movie?

 

The United Kingdom's Disney+ server curated a "Merry Christmas" collection in celebration of the holiday season featuring over 40 titles across the streaming service.

 

In the animated section, movies like Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and multiple Mickey Mouse specials make the cut, as do the Frozen films/spinoffs and Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. Live-action movies in the collection include all four Home Alone titles, the first two Die Hard films, and even Edward Scissorhands.

 

The MCU finds its place in the list thanks to 2021's Hawkeye, whose final Christmastime episode will debut on December 22, 2021. However, 2013's Iron Man 3 didn't end up on the list as an official Disney+ Christmas movie.

 

Here are some of the most popular movies & shows in the collection:

 

Originals

Home Sweet Home Alone

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special

Hawkeye

Once Upon a Snowman

Godmother

High School Musical The Musical The Holiday Special

Noelle

Arendale Castle Yule Log

 

Live-Action Christmas Movies and Specials

Home Alone

The Muppets Christmas Carol

Die Hard

Die Hard 2

The Santa Clause

A Muppets Christmas Letters To Santa

Home Alone 2

Home Alone 3

Home Alone 4

Santa Clause 2

Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

The Nutcracker And The Four Realms

 

Animated Christmas Movies and Specials

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Mickey's Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

Mickey's Once Upon A Time

Mickey's Upon Twice A Christmas

Winnie The Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year

 

Christmas Shorts

Olaf's Frozen Adventure

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas

Pluto's Christmas Tree

 

Winter Favorites

Olaf Presents

Frozen

Ice Age

Togo

Frozen II

Narnia: The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe

Edward Scissorhands

Frozen Fever

Cool Runnings

LEGO Frozen Northern Lights

 

Home Alone

Home Alone

Home Alone 2

Home Alone 3

Home Alone 4

Home Alone The Holiday Heist

Home Sweet Home Alone

 

Iron Man 3 - To Christmas or Not to Christmas?

 

The MCU's first Phase 2 movie fully takes place around or at Christmas from start to finish as fans see Tony Stark deal with his post-The Avengers demons. From buying Pepper Potts arguably the biggest stuffed bunny in history as a present to playing a funky version of "Jingle Bells" while summoning his Mark XLII suit for the first time, Iron Man 3 makes no effort to tone down the holiday spirit.

 

This listing comes as somewhat of a surprise, especially considering how many amongst the fan base view Iron Man 3 as the MCU's first true Christmas movie. The ties back to the holidays are at least as noticeable and present as those from other entries on the list like Die Hard or Home Alone, bringing into question what actually does qualify a movie as a Christmas movie.

 

Although Disney+ made its own distinction, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige firmly believes Iron Man 3 is a Christmas movie, and the film is described as such on Marvel's official website as of two years ago. There are certainly arguments for both sides, but it appears that the argument for it being in this category has some big-name support.

 

Whether Iron Man 3 is officially a part of this catalog or not, it likely won't deter many fans from taking in the MCU's seventh movie in their holiday must-watch list. Filled with trees, wreaths, presents, and holiday songs throughout, there's no mistaking the influence that Christmas has on this outing, which should mean it will continue to be an unofficial go-to movie at this time of year.

 

Tom Holland Talks His Future as Spider-Man, Reveals He Wants to 'Focus on Starting a Family' Next

https://people.com/movies/tom-holland-talks-plans-after-spider-man-family/

Tom Holland opens up about his experience as Spider-Man and his plans for the future

 

Tom Holland is looking forward to the future.

 

The Spider-Man: No Way Home actor, 25, opens up about what the superhero franchise means to him — and what he hopes to do next — in the new issue of PEOPLE.

 

No Way Home is the third (and perhaps final) Spider-Man movie Holland stars in, and he finds that bittersweet.

 

"I've loved every minute of it. I've been so grateful to Marvel and Sony for giving us the opportunity and keeping us on and allowing our characters to progress. It's been amazing," Holland says. "And that's why for me, I don't want to say goodbye to Spider-Man — but I feel like we might be ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man."

 

Holland has held the role of Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter-ego since he was cast for Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2015. Now, he says, may be the time to pass the torch.

 

"I don't want to be responsible for holding back the next young person that comes in who deserves it just as much so," Holland says.

 

And after he, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire have all played the superhero, Holland thinks it's time for a change.

 

"I would love to see a future of Spider-Man that's more diverse — maybe you have a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman," he adds. "We've had three Spider-Mans in a row; we've all been the same. It'd be nice to see something different."

 

While his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems up in the air, Holland — who is dating his costar Zendaya — has a burgeoning career. His action-adventure film Uncharted, with Mark Wahlberg, is due in 2022, and he'll soon star in a Fred Astaire biopic.

 

But the London native also hopes to turn his attention to his personal life.

 

"I've spent the last six years being so focused on my career," Holland says. "I want to take a break and focus on starting a family and figuring out what I want to do outside of this world."

 

Indeed, the star says he looks forward to becoming a father one day — which is why Holland says if he weren't acting, he'd be a schoolteacher.

 

"I love kids. I can't wait to be a dad — I can wait and I will, but I can't wait!" he says. "If I'm at a wedding or a party, I'm always at the kids' table hanging out. My dad's been such a great role model for me. I think I've got that from him. So I think I'd be a primary school teacher or something like that."

 

Spider-Man: No Way Home opens in theaters Friday.

 

CHADWICK BOSEMAN: HE'D WANT T'CHALLA ROLE RECAST ...According to Chadwick's Bro

https://www.tmz.com/2021/12/14/chadwick-boseman-tchalla-recast-black-panther-brother/

'Black Panther' fans have spoken, saying Chadwick Boseman's beloved character should be recast going forward, and believe it or not ... the man's own brother concurs.

 

CB's bro, Derrick Boseman, tells TMZ ... yes, he does think T'Challa needs to live on in the 'Black Panther' franchise, and if that means tapping another actor to portray the king of Wakanda -- the role Chadwick made famous and legendary, then so be it.

 

Here's the thing ... Derrick tells us he believes his sibling would've wanted with this too -- explaining Chadwick thought T'Challa was bigger than just himself as one guy. Frankly, Derrick says Chadwick knew the power of the character, and the positive influence it carries.

 

Derrick says there's so much power in seeing a Black king -- especially in a superhero capacity, like in the Marvel flick -- which has a HUGE impact on African-American youth. DB tells us with Marvel killing off that character so quickly in the wake of Chadwick's death, they're kinda depriving black kids of a role model.

 

As you know, there's a major push among fans to #RecastTChalla amid all the speculated drama with Letitia Wright.

 

Derrick says there aren't a whole lot of positive influences for young black children these days -- he thinks hip-hop glorifies certain social ills, and Marvel has a chance to counteract that by bringing back T'Challa -- who he sees as a symbol of Black people's potential.

 

The guy speaks from experience, telling us his own nephew has told the family he wants to be a scientist and cites 'Black Panther' as his inspiration.

 

He does note ... Chadwick never explicitly expressed his wishes, before his death, about what should happen with the character -- but Derrick's sure his bro would agree T'Challa should live on in the MCU.

 

‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Undergoing “Significant” Reshoots

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/doctor-strange-multiverse-madness-reshoots-1235045328/

 

This doctor is on call till Christmas as the actors and crew shoot six days a week until the end of the year.

 

In what sources describe as a “significant” production, the new shoot, taking place in Los Angeles, comprises both “additional photography” and “reshoots.”

 

How significant? Insiders say that Cumberbatch and company are undertaking six weeks of shooting, if not more, working six days a week. Sam Raimi remains as helmer, and Loki head writer Michael Waldron is still on board writing the new material. It is unclear what actors in addition to Cumberbatch are on the call sheet. The crew involved is familiar with the Marvel method and worked on recent pickups for the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home and additional shooting for next year’s Oscar Isaac series Moon Knight.

 

One source downplayed the severity of the shoot: “Even while in the middle of production, Marvel is scheduling you for more shooting,” this person says, adding that the size and complexity of Marvel movies often necessitates additional photography.

 

“We’ve had bigger reshoots on other MCU movies,” another insider says.

 

However, other sources raised their eyebrows at the six-week time frame. “They’re here until the end of the year. That’s like a whole other movie,” says one.

 

Several factors appear to be driving the return to production. One insider says about two weeks are dedicated to principal photography that wasn’t completed during the initial, U.K.-based shoot due to what is described as actor availability issues. The insider also dismissed concerns that the reshoots were related to retooling the story.

 

Another reason for the shoot concerns compensating for COVID-related production slowdowns that affected the U.K. production. It was those slowdowns that reared their head Oct. 18, when Marvel and Disney unexpectedly announced the pushing-back of Multiverse of Madness from March 25, 2022, to May 6, 2022. Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hopscotched backward into new dates as well.

 

First announced at Comic-Con in 2019, Multiverse of Madness is an ambitious project for Marvel, with one aspect dealing with alternate versions of fan-favorite superheroes, much in the way that recent Disney+ series What if …? has reimagined Marvel mainstays.

 

The movie has had its fair share of challenges. Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson had co-written a script and was due to direct when creative differences led to a parting of ways in January 2020. Raimi and Waldron were then brought on to, as one source says, create a whole new movie, on an accelerated timetable to boot.

 

Multiverse of Madness started production in the U.K. in November 2020 but paused in January 2021 due to the worsening pandemic. It then restarted — and ostensibly wrapped — in the spring.

 

Still, despite story concerns apparently playing a minimal part in the new shoot, it is evident that working in the multiverse requires Reed Richards-level thinking. Half the time, a Marvel movie has to tie to past movies while setting up future movies, and increasingly, TV series.

 

Despite the major shoot underway, the mood with cast and crew is not downbeat. “There is a pervasive enthusiasm,” one source described.

 

On Thursday, Cumberbatch spoke about the reshoots on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he was asked if he knew what the reshoots were going to be.

 

“Like everything with Marvel, it comes in fresh, pretty much, most mornings,” Cumberbatch said with a laugh when questioned. “It’s really exciting, and the film is shaping up to be something special.”

 

DISNEY+

 

‘Hawkeye’ Directors Break Down That Dazzling Car Chase, and the Debut of [SPOILER] in Episode 4

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/hawkeye-yelena-black-widow-car-chase-1235129461/

How Hawkeye's Alaqua Cox Echoes Echo's Superpowers

https://www.cbr.com/hawkeye-directors-alaqua-cox-echo-superpowers/

The car chase sequence in Episode 3 is so much fun. Was that something that you know you wanted to do from the start?

 

Bertie: It was the thing that we read that we were most excited about, opening the script for [Episode] 3 and going, “Wait, there’s an action sequence that’s basically half of this episode.” One of the standout moments people are talking about is that opening shot of the 360-revolving camera. That’s something very early on we decided we wanted to do, because we wanted to stay with Kate and Clint in the car on this journey as the Tracksuit Mafia are chasing them. Then it was just like the journey of how we achieve that and pre-vizing that and the camera team figuring out the rig. From start to end, that was just joyful.

 

Was there ever a time where you were thinking you’d do the entire sequence in a oner?

 

Bert: Yes, there was! You go in with these huge ambitions, but we very quickly realized that the essence of the oner is that we stay with our characters. The action is kind of happening around them, but we wanted to stay with them. So the moment Kate gets out the car, if you’re following that rule, then the camera goes out of the car with her. And so that’s what happened. We just had to figure out how to get it out of the car.

 

There were so many trick arrows in that sequence. Was there a brainstorming session where you tried to come up with all the different kinds of trick arrows that you could think of?

 

Bertie: Constant brainstorming. That’s what’s amazing about the Marvel process. They’re all about plussing. “How can we plus this?” From “What other arrows can we put in the car chase,” came “What would be the arrow that could be used to stop Kazi in his truck and the Christmas tree lot.” So the situations led to new arrows. The smoke arrow [appeared] earlier on in the chase, and it was too much there. It didn’t really serve a purpose. Then it came back later, when Kate was trying to get Maya’s car to to crash on the bridge.

 

How early was the Pym arrow introduced into the mix?

 

Bert: Way, way earlier. That was that was one of the things that was in the script very early on. Then the challenge was figuring out how we were going to do it so it was believable, because the tone of the show is so real that something like that [giant arrow] really stood out for us. We needed to ground it with the emotion of the guys inside of the truck.

 

Bertie: And here’s something we haven’t spoken about yet. When we first were going to do the Pym arrow, the [giant] arrow was going to go straight at Kazi’s truck and split it down the middle. That sounded great on paper, but we pre-viz’d it, and you couldn’t quite figure out what was happening. Once we decided to do the up-and-down apex [of the arrow], you could see the whole thing. It was just staking this huge arrow on Manhattan Bridge, and it meant that the truck literally broke in half. That was fun to make that change.

 

You also introduced Echo in Episode 3 and showed the audience her experience as person who is deaf and an amputee. What were the conversations like about how you wanted to approach that character?

 

Bert: It was a huge learning curve for us; Alaqua brought so much to this. We just went in asking to be taught how to do this because we want to represent her wholly and correctly on screen. So there were a lot of discussions ahead of actually filming, but then every day on set was learning with he, and she was very gracious.

 

Bertie: Maya’s story, for obvious reasons, mirrors Alaqua’s story in many ways. I think for us, and with Alaqua, it was about looking at these things that people might term as disabilities in Alaqua, and actually using those as her superpowers. So the fact that she’s a non-hearing person means that her sense of observation — a heightened awareness as she walks into a room and observes things — is a superpower. Her prosthetic leg, we see that Clint tries to hockey stick [it] out the way, and then she swings that metal leg at him, and it takes his hearing aid out. Using what could be considered her weaknesses as her strengths was a huge part of that character formation.

 

Finally, you also directed a major moment in Episode 4, when Florence Pugh’s Yelena finally appears on her mission to take out Clint. What did you want to accomplish in bringing in a character that most of the audience already has a relationship with, but your other characters don’t?

 

Bertie: So much of “Hawkeye” is seeing the world through the characters’ point of view of it. So if we look at the end of [Episode 4], we are with Kate Bishop as she’s seeing this person, who she has no concept of who she is, actually, and how she’s going to fit into the story. But there’s this connection, and you can see and feel the presence of this new character. It’s actually a balance between what the audience feels about this character and what Kate’s feeling that makes that ending so special.

 

Bert: When you’re directing actresses like Florence and Hailee, they bring so much to it. There was this immediate natural chemistry between them, which — I can’t say anything else. But you know, when they give you that, it’s this gift, and all you want to do is take care of it and unwrap it slowly.

 

Hawkeye directors break down that epic chase sequence and working with Lucky the Pizza Dog (It was originally at night)

https://ew.com/tv/hawkeye-directors-bert-bertie-episode-3-chase-scene/

Bert and Bertie talk to EW about recent highlights from the Disney+ superhero series.

 

Hawkeye may not be as high-concept as its predecessors WandaVision or Loki, but the Christmas-set superhero series has proved just how good it is at delivering fun action scenes. Taking a page from the popular Hawkeye comic series by Matt Fraction and David Aja, episode 3 of Hawkeye sent Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) on a wild car chase through Brooklyn, busting out all the trick arrows in Clint's quiver to shake the Tracksuit Mafia off their trail.

 

The scene was remarkable for how clear and easy-to-follow it was, in an age where so many blockbuster action setpieces feel shrouded in shadow. When EW caught up with episode directors Amber Templemore-Finlayson and Katie Ellwood, a.k.a Bert and Bertie, they admitted that the scene was actually originally planned to shoot at night before a last-minute change courtesy of Marvel Cinematic Universe mastermind Kevin Feige.

 

"It was only after we'd started shooting the show that Kevin was like, 'there's too much at night. We need to put some sequences in the day,'" Ellwood tells EW. "But we'd planned it all at night! And of course we had been like hey, you can hide things in the shadows. But then suddenly it was daylight. So we just reconvened with our amazing team and decided to embrace it. We'd already decided to do as much practically as possible, but it drove us to do even more practically. The result was amazing."

 

"It has a grit and it has a danger from being in the daytime when you can see more," Templemore-Finlayson says.

 

The duo cited the iconic car chases from '60s-'70s films like Bullitt and The French Connection as inspirations. They decided to orient the scene around Kate's perspective in order to make the action easy to follow.

 

"Our cameras are determined by what the character needs and the central part to this chase sequence is the banter and the relationship between Clint and Kate," Templemore-Finlayson says. "So we were thinking, how do you stay in the car? We've all seen a million car chases, there are huge franchises that do them so well on epic scales. So we were like, well, it's about the characters. So what we wanted to do was keep the camera in the car. Then we thought, how fun would it be that if as that camera is turning, all the action was happening around them? And then when Kate goes out the window, of course our camera goes with her because it's led by character."

 

Speaking of characters, recent Hawkeye episodes also featured some wonderful moments with another beloved creation from Fraction and Aja's comic: Lucky the Pizza Dog.

 

"Every opportunity we could get Lucky in a scene, we would," Ellwood says. "Lucky was great, and not only on screen. Off-screen Lucky was great too because you know, there are situations where we're running out of time or it's all a little bit tense and it's just like, stare at the dog! Stare at the dog! So it was joyful."

 

Hawkeye Finale Promo Features New Kingpin Footage

https://www.cbr.com/hawkeye-kingpin-finale-promo/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgp1OEVDxDM

A new promo for the Season 1 finale of Disney+'s Hawkeye features new footage of Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk/Kingpin.

 

A promo for the Season 1 finale of Hawkeye features new footage of Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk/Kingpin.

 

While the 30-second promo, titled "The Boss," does not reveal Kingpin's face, it does briefly show his legs and a cane, teasing the character's first physical appearance in the show following the villain's long-awaited Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Hawkeye Episode 5, "Ronin."

 

D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk/Kingpin was introduced at the end of Hawkeye's fifth episode in a photograph sent to Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop. Not only was it revealed that Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) was hired by Kate's own mother to kill Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), but the photo features Eleanor Bishop standing next to Wilson Fisk, the man that Clint has been worried about throughout the series. While D'Onofrio did not appear physically in the episode, his name was listed in the credits with Wilson Fisk's silhouette featured in the end-credits artwork as well.

 

D'Onofrio first appeared as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in Netflix's Daredevil series in 2015 and portrayed the character for all three seasons. Rumors began to circulate that D'Onofrio would reprise his role for Disney+'s Hawkeye after it was confirmed that the series would include Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez/Echo, who in the comics is Fisk's adoptive daughter. In the show, previous episodes show Maya Lopez being raised by an unseen "Uncle" father figure following her real father's murder.

 

D'Onofrio routinely trolled fans on social media regarding his possible appearance in the series, as there had not been official confirmation until Hawkeye Episode 5 premiered. It wasn't just D'Onofrio fueling rumors, as Hawkeye executive producer Tina Tran seemingly hinted at his involvement in the series during an interview in November. Moreover, when asked about the crime boss's possible appearance, Hawkeye directors Bert and Bertie stated, "Watching the show, you'll probably find out."

 

"I do take it as a compliment. I so badly want to play that character again," D'Onofrio previously said about the rumors. "I love that character. I just have to wait for Marvel to ask me. I think it's very clear that I would, and the fans know that I would jump at the chance to play again. I just need to be asked." It's currently unclear how big D'Onofrio's role will be in the MCU going forward, but with his connection to Maya Lopez/Echo, he could have a larger part to play in the upcoming Echo Disney+ series starring Cox, which will connect directly to the events of Hawkeye.

 

The sixth and final episode of Hawkeye premieres Dec. 23 on Disney+.

 

OUTRO [56:45]

 

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Join Legends Of S.H.I.E.L.D. next time as the hosts discuss the finale episode of Hawkeye. You can listen in live when we record Thursday Evenings at 8:00 PM Eastern time at Geeks.live. Contact Info: Please see http://www.legendsofshield.com for all of our contact information or call our voicemail line at 1-844-THE-BUS1 or 844-843-2871

 

Lauren’s Voice Over Credits

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12905147/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

https://www.lwsalinas.com/

 

Play Comics Podcast Episodes discusse:

https://playcomics.com/wheel-of-time-wiki-with-brett-the-wheel-weaves/

https://playcomics.com/the-space-adventure-with-nick-weaver-thumbles-comic/

 

Nerds With Dice:

https://www.twitch.tv/nerdswithdice

 

 

Legends Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Is a Proud Member Of The GonnaGeek Network (gonnageek.com).

 

This podcast was recorded on Sunday December 19th, 2021.

 

Standby for your S.H.I.E.L.D. debriefing ---

 

Audio and Video Production by Stargate Pioneer of GonnaGeek.com.