MarvelBlog News for May 30th, 2022
This week, we’ve got Madame Webcasting news, an extended Thor trailer, and surprising word about She-Hulk. Welcome to the Memorial Day update for MarvelBlog News!
That’s…Better?
Source: Marvel Studios
MarvelBlog News has spoken at length regarding the problems with special effects on MCU programming. If you’ve missed the updates, the gist is that Hollywood suffers from a dramatic backlog in work.
Streaming services have increased the number of projects that require such visual effects (VFX). The service providers for these effects simply don’t have the resources required to complete these gigs.
For this reason, plenty of work has fallen by the wayside, while other projects are running way late. Deadline crunch is a thing, and it applies to all phases of the filmmaking process. Yes, trailers are part of that process.
Source: Marvel Studios
For example, Disney released the She-Hulk trailer on May 17th. Critics immediately latched onto the shaky nature of She-Hulk’s CGI appearance. Behind the scenes, Marvel had been aware of this problem for several months. Executives recently faced a dilemma.
Disney+ could either delay the release of She-Hulk into 2023, or it could release a version that won’t look as good. I realize that both prospects are upsetting, but that’s the nature of the beast in the industry at the moment.
Disney bit the bullet and selected an August 17th release date for She-Hulk. But it knew the special effects were less than special. However, the ferocity of the criticism caught everyone off-guard. So, Disney has taken an unusual step. It has “fixed” the She-Hulk CGI in the trailer.
Source: Marvel Studios
Yes, I’m serious. The company worried so much about the negative buzz about the project that it spent money fixing what is basically a commercial.
Here’s a picture that shows the change:
Disney+ has uploaded a higher quality version of #SheHulk's trailer, offering a slightly better look at the series' CGI… More photos: https://t.co/C27cdh2IIk pic.twitter.com/AmMZae5Tvk
— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) May 25, 2022
Here’s an article that chronicles the changes. There are several others if you’re interested.
Disney believes in the quality of She-Hulk, which is why the show didn’t get delayed. The special effects may prove an ongoing sore spot, though.
News from the Sony Side of Marvel
Source: Marvel
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has rubbed some dirt on it and gotten back in the game after the Morbius setback. The studio has released updates on multiple projects recently. The most noteworthy one involves Madame Web, the upcoming Dakota Johnson project.
If you liked Lucky from Ghostbusters: Afterlife, you’re going to love this bit. The scene-stealer, Celeste O’Connor, has joined the project in an unnamed role. Details of the plot remain shrouded in mystery, but Sony did reveal a few tidbits this week.
The plot description lists Madame Web as a clairvoyant whose abilities “allow her to see within the spider world.” That sounds gross to me, but I’m sure it’s useful. Sydney Sweeney has also joined the project in another undefined role. So, the talent is there, but we know little about what the plan is here.
Source: Marvel/ Lia Toby/ Getty Images
Conversely, Bad Bunny will tell anyone who wants to listen about his plans for El Muerto. The musician, who previously worked a match at Wrestlemania (and performed a Canadian Destroyer!), believes it’s a perfect marriage.
If you don’t know, El Muerto is a superhero who is also a luchador wrestler. The global sensation recently said the following about the project: “This role is perfect, and I know El Muerto is going to be epic. I’m a Marvel fan and the fact that I’m now part of this family still feels like a dream.”
Finally, Sony executives have made it clear that they’re leaving a light on for Spider-Man director Jon Watts.
Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez Getty
Given the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Watts’ dance card is full. He even just announced a Star Wars television project coming to Disney+ next year.
Still, Sony believes that it can pay Watts enough to cause him to reconsider the notion that he’s done with superhero films.
Marvel Miscellany
Source: Marvel Studios
If you’ve somehow missed it, MarvelBlog News is here to report that the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer is out.
This one gives the people what they want by showing Christian Bale’s character. Here’s the full spot:
Having Taika Waititi narrate a story for children works perfectly for this clip. As for Bale, that is a genuinely menacing appearance. We also get a longer look at Jane Foster as Thor, whose powers clearly differ from her ex’s.
Still, the money shot here is Hemsworth’s shirtless look and the reaction it receives from onlookers. This one’s gonna be a huge hit. We’re about six weeks away, but I already believe it’s safe to say that this will be the most successful Thor movie in the franchise to date.
Of course, another MCU project debuts first. We’ve gotten more clips from Ms. Marvel, including this one:
Good is not a thing you are, it’s a thing you do.
Ms. Marvel, an Original series from Marvel Studios, starts streaming June 8 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/uPQwubtohy
— Ms. Marvel⚡ (@msmarvel) May 20, 2022
Disney+ is also airing a preview special on June 1st called A Fan’s Guide to Ms. Marvel. I’ll be watching that.
In other Disney+ news, there’s this update:
The news: while everyone was enjoying the weekend,new @Marvel series Ironheart was filming in Chicago. According to @screenmag they won’t start until June, looks like they were doing either test shots or B roll/plate shots. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything further.
— Filming in Chicago (@filming_chicago) May 23, 2022
So, Ironheart isn’t technically filming yet, but principal photography is…kinda underway? You may recall a similarly confusing update about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 a few months ago. Marvel doesn’t take chances with this stuff.
Marvel also has Letitia Wright working on damage control right now to repair the perception of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Here’s the actress discussing how the project will honor Chadwick Boseman:
Letitia Wright reveals how “Black Panther 2” honored Chadwick Boseman on set, “We committed everyday to working hard, no matter what circumstances we faced. And we faced a lot of circumstances. A lot of difficult situations, but we came together as a team.” pic.twitter.com/9UsXU31wBS
— Variety (@Variety) May 22, 2022
Expect to see a lot more of this over the next six months as Disney tries to repair Wright’s reputation.
We also received some details about Agatha: House of Harkness. It will reportedly air late in 2023 or early in 2024, which means a fairly quick turnaround.
Finally, there’s this:
https://www.tiktok.com/@andresnavytiktok/video/7102111210090401030
That’s one way to force an awkward denial.
Thats it for this edition of MarvelBlog News; have an amazing week everyone!
