All posts tagged: MCU

Artists Are Being Replaced by AI

Artists Are Being Replaced by AI

Published by Daniella Wilson

Ant-Man star Evangeline Lilly is voicing her frustrations for the recent Disney layoffs that hit a number of Marvel Studios staffers. CEO Josh D’Amaro informed staff about cuts in a memo on April 14, with a source familiar with the matter telling The Hollywood Reporter that around 1,000 jobs were eliminated. Marvel Studios included in the cuts, and laid off members of its visual development team, notably 16-year veteran Andy Park, who was well known by fans. In an Wednesday Instagram video, Lilly explained that upon hearing the news of layoffs, she reached out to Park, who confirmed that he had been let go. “I reached out to my good friend Andy Park, who was the genius behind creating the original Wasp super-suit and the original Wasp concept drawings for the film Ant-Man and the Wasp, and just said, ‘Is this true? Is this really what’s happening?’” she said. “And he said, ‘Yeah, it’s true. I have been let go.’ And I can’t quite believe that, that Disney has let go of the artists who …

Marvel’s problems don’t end on screen – here’s the MCU complaint you might not be aware of

Marvel’s problems don’t end on screen – here’s the MCU complaint you might not be aware of

Published by Daniella Wilson

For many people, the flipping pages in Marvel Studios’ opening graphic are the only comic books they’ve ever engaged with. What you probably don’t realise is that Marvel Comics editors have been working tirelessly to change that for nearly two decades – but may actually have done some damage in the process. Ask a regular reader about today’s comic book landscape and you’ll likely get the same response: DC is on a winning streak, Marvel is in a creative slump, and both find themselves dwarfed by the booming popularity of manga. There’s a lot to say about all three topics, but today, we’re focusing on the oft-stated decline of Marvel Comics and its connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s own fading fortunes; both are the wounded victims of their own success. But how did we get here? And more importantly, how do we get back? Want to see this content? This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other …

Sam Raimi Says Rachel McAdams Was ‘Underutilized’ in Doctor Strange

Sam Raimi Says Rachel McAdams Was ‘Underutilized’ in Doctor Strange

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sam Raimi believes Rachel McAdams was “underutilized” in his 2022 Marvel film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When discussing their collaboration on Send Help, Raimi’s survival thriller that stars The Notebook actress alongside Dylan O’Brien, the director recently told Total Film he “promised” himself he would work with McAdams again following their time collaborating on the Doctor Strange sequel. In fact, Raimi noted that he thought she wasn’t utilized to her full potential in the latter film. “First, she was the perfect person because she’s such a brilliant actress,” he said of McAdams starring in Send Help. “I had a chance to work with her on my last film and saw how talented she was and actually underutilized. And I promised myself that I would work with her again. And then this film came up, and her warmth is wonderful.” McAdams portrayed Dr. Christine Palmer in Multiverse of Madness, Stephen Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) former girlfriend. The Spider-Man director added that McAdams playing a “dark, terrible villain” in Send Help “really sets the audience …

‘Wonder Man’ review: Grounded Hollywood story shows why MCU TV is best

‘Wonder Man’ review: Grounded Hollywood story shows why MCU TV is best

Published by Sam Flores

Don’t stop me if you’ve heard this one before, since I’m admittedly something of a broken record on the subject, but I very much prefer Marvel’s television series, which tend to be fleet, original and unpredictable, to its movies, which tend not to be. “Loki,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Moon Knight,” “Echo,” “WandaVision” and its spinoff “Agatha All Along” — all (among others) are worth watching, even the ones that are dumped after a season. Developing longer stories with less money, the TV shows makers need to be inventive, creative with their resources, so they invest in characters and ideas rather than special effects and action. They focus on secondary or ensemble figures who would never be given a theatrical feature of their own to carry, are particular about culture and family and place, and are often less contingent on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with its phases and stages, its crossovers and cross-promotions and long-range marketing plans. At once higher concept and more grounded than the movies, they’re interesting on their own, to the point where, when …