I am a long time Marvel guy, but these movies take so long to make, and I think this was planned out back when Marvel thought they were still as bulletproof as the Sentry (MASSIVE WINK).
So I'm not loving the generic creatives behind the scenes. And you're adapting a comic book - why are the visuals so dark and sludgy? This was all just ugly to the eyes. The colors should POP.
Fact is, I hate this, but there are a finite amount of Marvel stories you can tell. If you don't adapt them (and this seems far removed from the source), you need really talented nerd creatives (and not just really talented creatives, we're talking NERDS) to bring new life to these tropes and to refresh them within an interesting narrative. I don't know if they have those guys, and that bums me out. These movies used to be EVENTS, but at best, this just looks like a diversion.
Why should the colors pop? Is that some unwritten prerequisite of superhero movies that Batman never followed? Also, why do you need all-caps nerd creatives vs. talented creatives? Are nerds actually known for being fresh and forward thinking about their nerd tropes vs. any other creative?
That pushback all said, part of Marvel's crisis is that their first 4 phases were all "Events" because they were, authentically, in terms of being new and never before done in theatrical cinematic experiences...events. We'd never been given anything like a cinematic universe of that scope and regularity before. But now we have. Now it's blatant attempts to recapture past glories, no matter what they do. They're not doing the best job of it, no, but they also aren't objectively doing that much worse of a job than the middle section of Phases 2 and 3 back in the day (Iron Man 2 and Thor 2, the Whedon Avengers movies, they weren't particularly good, either.)
Well, it occurs to me that the people they are hiring are unfamiliar with the mythos, or picking it up on the fly, if interviews are to be believed. So you need a nerd in there. But, y'know, not just ANY nerd... Mark Steven Johnson was a HUGE Daredevil nerd, and somehow they let him direct "Daredevil" and "Ghost Rider" back in the day.
And that's fair about Batman -- maybe the colors don't pop in those movies. But they are typically distinct and memorable. We all remember how each Batman movie is particularly visually outstanding. This "Thunderbolts" trailer just looked dreary and dull visually. And it's a "team" movie -- these guys should stand out from each other a little bit more, no? I do hope they can adjust that in post. That being said, they released the new poster too, and it's immediately clear that they used a.i. for that, so maybe their decisions have been made.
I really liked the feel of the trailer, with that cool song choice, though I'm not really hyped for the movie as of yet. One thing that has me concerned is that they basically have 3 Captain America standins and 2 Black Widows, meaning very little diversity in terms of power and skill set.
I like the idea of Yelena feeling some existential ennui, which might be a meta-joke about the general attitude towards the MCU these days.
Of the MCU movies post-Endgame, I think Dr. Strange 2 and Eternals have been by far the best and most memorable. (Even though it has a flawed third act, Eternals really was visually and narratively distinct in a way most Marvel movies haven't.)
The endless superhero farewell tour continues....
They will never completely go away. I'm just hoping for some good ones.
Since I write superhero fiction, I'm glad they still get audiences.
When this was announced I was ready to give them money.
You and me both! May 2025 can't come soon enough.
I'm optimistic about Captain America: Brave New World, but giddy for Thunderbolts.
I am a long time Marvel guy, but these movies take so long to make, and I think this was planned out back when Marvel thought they were still as bulletproof as the Sentry (MASSIVE WINK).
So I'm not loving the generic creatives behind the scenes. And you're adapting a comic book - why are the visuals so dark and sludgy? This was all just ugly to the eyes. The colors should POP.
Fact is, I hate this, but there are a finite amount of Marvel stories you can tell. If you don't adapt them (and this seems far removed from the source), you need really talented nerd creatives (and not just really talented creatives, we're talking NERDS) to bring new life to these tropes and to refresh them within an interesting narrative. I don't know if they have those guys, and that bums me out. These movies used to be EVENTS, but at best, this just looks like a diversion.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
Why should the colors pop? Is that some unwritten prerequisite of superhero movies that Batman never followed? Also, why do you need all-caps nerd creatives vs. talented creatives? Are nerds actually known for being fresh and forward thinking about their nerd tropes vs. any other creative?
That pushback all said, part of Marvel's crisis is that their first 4 phases were all "Events" because they were, authentically, in terms of being new and never before done in theatrical cinematic experiences...events. We'd never been given anything like a cinematic universe of that scope and regularity before. But now we have. Now it's blatant attempts to recapture past glories, no matter what they do. They're not doing the best job of it, no, but they also aren't objectively doing that much worse of a job than the middle section of Phases 2 and 3 back in the day (Iron Man 2 and Thor 2, the Whedon Avengers movies, they weren't particularly good, either.)
Well, it occurs to me that the people they are hiring are unfamiliar with the mythos, or picking it up on the fly, if interviews are to be believed. So you need a nerd in there. But, y'know, not just ANY nerd... Mark Steven Johnson was a HUGE Daredevil nerd, and somehow they let him direct "Daredevil" and "Ghost Rider" back in the day.
And that's fair about Batman -- maybe the colors don't pop in those movies. But they are typically distinct and memorable. We all remember how each Batman movie is particularly visually outstanding. This "Thunderbolts" trailer just looked dreary and dull visually. And it's a "team" movie -- these guys should stand out from each other a little bit more, no? I do hope they can adjust that in post. That being said, they released the new poster too, and it's immediately clear that they used a.i. for that, so maybe their decisions have been made.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
I really liked the feel of the trailer, with that cool song choice, though I'm not really hyped for the movie as of yet. One thing that has me concerned is that they basically have 3 Captain America standins and 2 Black Widows, meaning very little diversity in terms of power and skill set.
I like the idea of Yelena feeling some existential ennui, which might be a meta-joke about the general attitude towards the MCU these days.
Of the MCU movies post-Endgame, I think Dr. Strange 2 and Eternals have been by far the best and most memorable. (Even though it has a flawed third act, Eternals really was visually and narratively distinct in a way most Marvel movies haven't.)