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#WHY ARE YOU TESTING ME FEIGE
Okay, just got back from The Marvels. Super spoilery review under the cut. Just one mid-credit scene, no post-credits.
First of all........... VALKYRIE!!!!!!!!! Oh my god, I had no idea she was going to show up so to say that I was shocked is the understatement of the year. I love her and they're friends and I'm the happiest girl alive (I'm like Kamala but for Val. Well, what the hell... I'm like Kamala for Carol too). So the Skrulls go back to Earth? So... screw Secret Invasion then?
So... the best way I can sum this up is: sigh. So many lost opportunities. So many character beats are okay but nothing is done with them. They're just mentioned, we have at most 2 or 3 lines of the characters saying them but the movie moves along immediately after.
If the three are entangled, Carol could have relied on her wits to fight instead of her powers. Show that she's a hero not because of her powers, but because of who she is, of her core, she's a good woman. We have lots of scenes with Steve that are focused on that, so why not do the same with Carol?
She got her revenge by destroying the Supreme Intelligence but she destined Hala to be completely ruined. It backfired on her. That's a GREAT story! Why not focus on that? On her guilt, her need for revenge, her solitude, the fact that the Kree took her bodily autonomy... Her revelation is merely two or three lines that are followed by Monica "Oh, we're family, it doesn't matter". Uh... no! Don't do that! Dig into that guilt, make us get to know Carol better!
This is not a Captain Marvel sequel at all, this movie is not about Carol. Don't get me wrong, her chemistry with Monica and Kamala is wonderful and their interactions are the best thing in the movie but she's not the title character. And it pisses me off. Her first movie earned $1b, Carol DESERVED a sequel.
I liked the villain (forgot her name already), her motivation was interesting but once again... she was not fleshed out. She could have been a sympathetic one with terrible methods but she comes out as very basic. Which sucks! Carol got her revenge and it backfired on her, this villain was happy to destroy everything to save Hala... are these writers and Feige seriously telling me they couldn't have made them meet in the middle? Still hero and villain but somewhat close in certain things... that's an interesting story!
But mostly, one of the biggest problems I have with this movie is the way they treat the Kree. Of course, I'm not saying Hala deserved to be destroyed, they needed to be saved, that's cool. But the Kree were an empire, far worse than anything Asgard ever did (which is saying a lot) but they're mostly presented here as not that bad? I got the feeling that they were saying those on top were bad guys but in the first movie we hear what the Kree have been doing for eons and dunno... it bothers me.
And the biggest issue with this movie is a problem I've had with Marvel for years, but especially in the new phases. They want to put the heroes to the test, their actions are questioned and we're shown they make mistakes sometimes. That's good, I like it. BUT in order to make that work you have to REALLY dive into their actions, otherwise it feels like you just want to blame them.
Not to forget that if you do that with only some heroes (not all of them) and some characters are perpetually protected by the narrative, that disconnect makes these movies really hard to watch.
Oh, and this is a silly nitpick but that summary of the first movie at the beginning? It bothered me a little. As if we need a summary. That movie earned one billion, Feige, we've seen it.
Another big issue. That singing planet. What...the...fuck...was...that? Am I the only one who thought they were trying waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too hard to imitate the GoTG movies? (And failing miserably)
Wow, this is getting long. Okay, positive things. The trio are wonderful. The flerkens eating the crew was pretty funny. The scene where all three are learning how to switch is super fun. Monica trying to reach out to the villain reminded me of WandaVision, my girl is kind and she's just so good, I really like Monica.
Just two more things. One problematic and the other that I LOVED.
The first is the powers range is all over the place and I find it to be slightly confusing. Carol can fix suns now? And she just fixes Hala that way and she goes back to Earth, nothing more? And Monica... she knows the villain opened a tear in time-space continuum just by looking at it? What do we need Stephen for anymore, eh? Not a fan. I like characters with powers but if they're not limited and kept small despite how great they might be, they just feel hollow.
The second is that scene of Carol in Tarnax when they're on the ship and Kamala wants to stay in order to save everybody but Carol yells at her "We save as many as we can!" to convince her that they have to leave. I loved that as it reminded me of Steve's chat with Wanda in CW when he tells her "We try to save as many people as we can, sometimes that doesn't mean everybody". I really liked that Carol said that but they never talked about it and it's truly a shame, I would have loved to hear it from her, it would have shown how mature and what a great leader and Captain she is.
Overall, I did enjoy watching the movie but it's not a good one. It's way too superficial, the story is too basic and, most importantly, Carol DESERVED a sequel. One focused on her and her only. I'm gonna give it a 5/10 and only because Carol, Monica and Kamala are lovely together.
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amarriageoftrueminds · 11 months
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i don't get how some ppl have such short memories for the creative decisions marvel makes
people saying that james gunn(??) should write Bucky bc of rocket's arc in gotg3... did they forget that we already know what gunn's thoughts on Bucky and his autonomy are? none of them were remotely good, and it also involved rocket and his ableist running joke of wanting to dismember amputees replacement limbs off. marvel would rather humanize a raccoon than a human who was tortured and enslaved by nazis.
or how people will rightfully criticize all the available info feige puts out re: Thunderbolts for calling Bucky a villain... but then turn around and preeptively praise that he might have "long" hair (the WS cut) so out wondering why marvel keeps putting Bucky in winter soldier style designs whenever they villainize him again. it happens in both comics and mcu consistently. obviously those in charge want to keep him as the WS villain role and not progress his character and don't care why people liked the WS story (the development it set up)
or how some complain that Sam was unkind and victimblamey towards Bucky in tfatws, I feel like those got too into fanon!Sam that made him a therapist bc of his veteran work, but Sam re: Bucky started out wanting him to be put down like a dog, and consistently complained about Steve treating Bucky with kindness and empathy. fatws Sam wasn't OOC, he was always a military man whose empathy never extended towards the POW captured by Nazis and always regarded him as a potential threat that he has to tolerate, that was in character. the actual fault is the mcu not exploring the dynamic a super patriotic US military man not extending empathy towards a a ww2 vet for fought nazis only for said nazis to be hired by the US a lá Project Paperclip, but LBR the disney-owned and USDoD-funded marvel studios is not financially incentivized to delve into those topics in any way that doesn't ultimately end with "woo, Captain Amurrica, red white and blue stars and stripes, stand for the flag wooo! ignore anything close to critical in this project and embrace patriotic centrism!"
I already hate how long the last one got but another thing:
the way that Steve's mother and his Irish heritage (during the early 1900s which makes it more significant in that point in history) are given to shine, we don't even know her maiden name, even the story of Steve's father and how it's supposed to parallel Steve going to fight European fascism in both world wars, none of that gets any attention bc marvel as a franchise cares more abt the generic patriotism to dive into the characters
There's never enough talk about how post-CATWS mcu demoted Bucky from titular character and arguable secondary protagonist as a foil and parallel for Steve, be his alternate supersoldier/superhero journey based on who the world chose to lionized and who to exploit in the seedy underbelly and shady deals w nazis, but post-CATWS mcu (specifically CACW) robbed Steve of the chance to have Steve's (not Cap's, Steve's) character be explored.
Becayse why tf does that terrorizing billionaire have more screentime on what is (nominally) a sequel to Steve and Bucky's movie? We learn more about tony's annoying ass billionaire parents in a desperate attempt for pity than we do about either Bucky or Steve's families… the most we get is a name drop of Steve and Bucky reunion scenes that were clearly cut short if you compare them to the trailers of the movie.
the russos are branded as hacks (and maybe this is me still being bitter as an OG cacw-hater) but after they revealed in interviews that they kept re-editing and re-shooting civil war until half of test audiences sided with tony, that should've been where they were forever banned from filmmaking. that's not making a movie, that's making a product to sell action figures (unfortunately true for most of marvel if we're honest)
"Captain America: the Winter Soldier" nay have listed them by their titles, but that movie is pretty much the only time we see Bucky and Steve as characters most of the time, it's literally the only own with flashbacks to their relationship before the war, before "Captain America" even existed, to where it was just Bucky and Steve.
the vast majority of the marvel franchise treats them as only "Cap" and "Winter Soldier" their actual characters get lost by "creatives" who only have a superficial understanding of them as just two types of action figures to collect, they don't know Steve or Bucky, so we get sequels constantly about "Bucky's a killer robot who must be browbeat at every turn" and "Steve's most important thing in his life is the cap shield and legacy" as if their stories weren't centered around how Bucky was NOT the killer robot and in fact Steve's damn-near guardian angel character before the war and even during (literally killing nazis before they could touch Steve) and as if Steve didn't throw away the shield and Captain America title in each of his movies in favor of what's actually important to him: his oldest protector and the one he wants to protect in return, Bucky.
marvel doesn't even understand Bucky and Steve, they treat them as WS & CA, even though their core canon never showed them caring about the "legacy" and patriotism, it was always incidental at best or an obstacle that gets in the way. the most patriotism was in catfa, but it was always a mantle forced into Steve and his hero team (Howling Commandos) were purposefully diverse and non-American majority recommended by Bucky when Steve joined Bucky in the war to fight nazis. But now marvel wants to retcon in this stuff with lines like Bucky calling Hydra "my people" instead of his oppressors and torturers like they actually were, and storylines about how the patriotic legacy and shield are Steve's whole identity instead of Bucky speaking up and pointing out that none of the other characters actually knew Steve, they only knew "Cap" and "Mr. America" and that Steve literally abandoned the shield as his last public choice with it, so none of it even is his legacy at all.
the sheer gall of (in defense of infinitywar/endgame's BS) people claimed that Bucky would finally get focus again in tfatws, but in the end, only catws gave us flashback scenes of Bucky (and Steve!) before the war before the superhero stuff, meanwhile the d+ show didn't even acknowledge that Bucky's direct family's kids are 1000% alive (he had a big family!) and heard of the real uncle Bucky, and instead the show claimed that Bucky is closest to HYDRA… the ones who tortured him into a mindslave… and he said it to a government mandated therapist (institutionalization by the state) who works for the same government who had the hydra-nazis on payroll and funded Bucky's torture…
no one at marvel even gave a thought about Bucky's family or the direct fault the gov has in his abuse.. no one on screen points out that the state that's institutionalizing him as a felon literally owes him reparations. they could've done a storyline relating to other IRL groups and family descendants who are owed reparations for the USA's domestic and international crimes and how Bucky is a similar case, but instead it's about how Bucky has no family that he was violently imprisoned from and how he's the one at fault and how the government mandated oversight says Bucky should be apologizing for what they funded
Bucky has so many blatant similarities with victims and descendants of IRL state human rights abuses that those states refuse to recognize, but marvel isn't willing to frame in a way that makes the US look bad because they're too busy being patriotic and "respecting the shield" and flag symbols and "legacy" and pretending like the shield is so so so important to Bucky or Steve and retcon out the parts where the shield and the captain america stuff was discarded easily at the emotional climax of each of the first 3 movies in favor of protecting what actually mattered more: each other….
but patriotism tho, the new Cap & WS who replaced Bucky & Steve are too patriotic to point out that the government literally owes their (cuz both ssr/shield & hydra were agencies by them) their two most famous supersoldier experimental test subjects a lot of money and apologies for a long laundry list of reasons
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avengersrewatch · 1 year
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E11: Panther's Quest
Finally! Black Panther joins the Avengers! But first, we have to make it through this episode.
Captain America is telling the other Avengers about the black catsuit guy. And then Panther immediately attacks. This is pulling from Panther's first appearance with the Fantastic Four, where he fights them and then reveals it was all a test. So Panther is testing these Avengers.
To be honest, these Avengers don't do that well in the test, in my opinion. Cap gets in one good hit, and Hank is able to figure out he has a vibranium suit.
It's fun for me when Panther beats up Hank in Giant Man form at least. So it's better than most of the fake fights on this show. (He's so little but he hits Hank in soft places and knocks him over. I would love to see that in live action, Kevin Feige!)
Again we get a depiction of Wakanda that is lesser than the Ryan Coogler films. Panther is basically asking the Avengers to help him overthrow M'Baku's government because "the people are the problem" in that they follow "the old ways." It's cringe.
We also learn Tony Stark tried to get vibranium from King T'Chaka to make weapons before he was Iron Man. Thankfully T'Chaka was like, "Um, no." Panther gives Tony a little side eye that I enjoy.
Long story short, M'Baku has given HYDRA access to the vibranium of Wakanda. And we know from previous episodes it's because M'Baku struck a deal with Klaw. But like, come on, M'Baku. Why are you working with the Nazis? You are literally a huge stereotype of how racists view Black people, why would this go well for you?
M'Baku in the movies is so superior to the early comics and this show. (There is a new M'Baku in the comics now who is just a whole different guy.)
Wasp asks, "So who's up for invading Wakanda?" I like you Wasp, but that is not cool.
So our FIVE Avengers (Cap, Panther, Iron Man, Ant-Man and Wasp) go invading. Thor has straight disappeared in this episode and it is not explained. Maybe they couldn't figure out how Black Panther could take down Thor so they just left him out? Because this episode picks up RIGHT after the last one left off and he was there a minute ago.
The only thing that makes sense is that he saw Jane Foster while fighting in the previous episode, because he trails after her like a puppy. So good for Thor, he's probably making out with Jane instead of invading sovereign nations.
One part I do like is when Tony veers off the flight path T'Challa laid out, and they are immediately shot down by Wakandan forces. Tony says, "you owe me a jet!" and T'Challa's like "that's on you for not listening to me." WHICH IT IS. You can't plan a coup and not even follow the plan.
T'Challa's like "good luck with the Wakandan army, I have to go fight M'Baku for the throne, kbai!" Tony orders Steve to follow him.
For the record, M'Baku believes the vibranium has corrupted Wakanda and he's selling it to HYDRA because he wants to get rid of it and get rid of all technology. And M'Baku in the movies isn't a big fan of Shuri's tech. His tribe lives more simply. But he also doesn't deal with Nazis. That's the part I'm having trouble with, honestly. I'm not being hyperbolic by calling them Nazis, a lot of these guys are the same guys Cap was fighting in the 40s.
Maybe M'Baku can't Google them with because he hates technology so much.
But for all his talk of tradition, when T'Challa challenges him for the throne he refuses to fight and sends the dora milaje to kill T'Challa which also doesn't make sense to me. (Doesn't M'Baku love to fight?) But Cap intervenes and takes on the dora while T'Challa engages M'Baku and defeats him with his "rage."
There is also another fight where Klaw turns into some kind of purple sound ghost at the vibranium mine. Jan and Tony are cute during this fight but I can't describe it.
T'Challa is made king and declares that "the old ways" must end. He's putting a "Council of the People" in charge of Wakanda and joining "the Outsiders" as an Avenger. Because Wakanda must become part of the world now?
He's not even staying behind to put that in writing? Or see how it's implemented? I have concerns.
... but not enough to stop me from being excited the next episode is GAMMA WORLD, the much anticipated return of two Avengers.
Rating: Eh, if you're interested.
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sophiaannecarusos · 1 year
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Sophia Anne Caruso Interviewed by Irvin Rivera for THE BOOK OF
Caruso is also a well-rounded creative who also does painting, poetry and music aside from acting. 
In this exclusive interview, Sophia Anne Caruso talks about her complex character in the film The School for Good and Evil, the production journey to the release, her physical transformations to her stunts, working with Director Paul Feig, inspirations, music and more.
I: How have you been since the release of The School for Good and Evil?
S: I'm doing well! It is so surreal with The School For Good And Evil soaring. Our fandom is wild... I'm so proud that our film has found space in the hearts of people all over the world, so I've been trying to take it all in.  
I: What’s the best part about that entire journey of creating the film?
S: Every part... If I had to pick...I think any day where I had the opportunity for a stunt was a day I was excited about. I have savored every part of this process. From pre-production and stunt training to the premiere in LA, I have loved it all.
I: What do you love the most about Sophie? What drew you to her character?
S: I’d never seen this version of a fairytale “princess”. I was really drawn to the idea of showing not just the good - but the bad and ugly, so that little girls like my nieces can see that even princesses are imperfect. It’s okay if they are, too. And the overall message about beauty coming from goodness of the heart and the opportunity to share that with women and young girls really swept me off my feet.
I: Have you read Soman Chainani’s book prior to booking the role?
S: I hadn't read the books but when Paul Feig mentioned to me he was adapting them I knew it sounded familiar...  Soman and I met in the summer of 2017 and that was when I first found out about the books. I read them as soon as I was cast.
I: Let’s talk about the challenges and the highs that you experienced during filming.
S: I love a good challenge. Tough moments became the highs. The physical transformation I have is a good example! I was in the makeup chair for 7 hours I think and that alone tested my patience and stillness. I'd never worked with such intense makeup and I hadn't had a chance to test it before going on set. I had to jump in the cold, but it was so much fun.
I: How did you manage to rise above the challenges?
S: For me, seeing a challenge as an opportunity is everything! As long as you're having fun and working hard I think challenges sort themselves out.
I: What’s the most memorable moment for you throughout the whole process of making the film?  
S: I will always remember the way I felt. I was so happy to be on set doing what I love and the cherry on top is that everybody around me was excited to be making the film, too. With a director like Paul Feig, every moment is a joy.
I: Out of all the roles that you’ve played, is there any role/character that resonated with you the most and why?
S: I think that every role I've played resonates with something in me. I played "The Girl" in David Bowie's Lazarus and I think of her way of knowing nothing and everything, her childlike wonder, and hope, paired with confusion and sadness, really touches me.
I: What inspires you?
S: The everyday. Leaves and nature...  Meeting new people.
I: As a well-rounded creative who does painting, poetry, acting and music, What’s your creative process like?
S: As it comes! If I'm not inspired visually to be painting or sewing I'm probably off writing lyrics. If I can't find the words I'm humming a melody. I live in a creative brain and my process depends on whatever medium I'm lingering in at the time.
I: Congrats on your music. From Broadway to having over 900,000 listeners on Spotify. Tell us more about your recent singles “Thing Like That” and “Snow and Ice.” What can your fans expect more about your music journey?
S: I'm really happy to be sharing some of my music. "Snow & Ice" and "Thing Like That" both dropped in 2022, but have been alive since 2018. I take my time when it comes to releasing songs. My music is very personal and I like that I'm able to share it when I'm inspired to/ it feels right vs. pumping out songs for quantity over quality. I have more songs I'm excited to release and I will be recording some new songs this December.
I: You’ve been a creative artist throughout your life and you started really early. What was that like? How did your immersion in the arts contribute to your present self?
S: I think it's a great privilege to be exposed to the arts at a young age. I can't thank my parents enough for indulging my desire to be creative.  They let me paint and draw on the walls of the house, and they put the PBS arts channel on instead of cartoons. They encouraged me to sing and express myself always. Being artistic makes up a big part of me and I attribute a lot of the success I have found in it to my parents nurturing my odd sides instead of drowning me in normalcy.
I: What’s a valuable lesson that you’ve learned that you always carry with you?
S: Never give up on yourself or your dreams. Never.
I: If you were a book, what book would you be and why?
S: I'm staring at my bookshelf trying to find the answer to this and I'm stumped! Maggie Nelson is one of my favorite writers, so I suppose I'd like to be something by her.
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rate-stars · 1 year
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Title: Spider-Man: Homecoming
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Genre: Action, Adventure, sci-fi
Rated: M
Box office: (Gross USA): $880.2M
Release date: 6th of July 2017
Directed by: Jon Watts
Written by: Jonathan Goldstein
Story by: Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley
Produced by: Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal
Where to watch (AUS): Stan, Google play, Apple TV, Disney+, Binge, Amazon and Paramount+
Where to watch (US): same^ + Netflix (sometimes on Netflix AUS)
Summary:
Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker returns home to live with his Aunt May. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony Stark, Parker starts to embrace his newfound identity as Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal daily routine -- distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a friendly neighbourhood superhero. Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear.
Ratings:
IMDb- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (7.4/10)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Common sense media: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
My Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
My opinion on this movie:
This is a movie I've watched quite a few times, the characters feel so natural and this Peter Parker (Tom Holland) really feels like an awkward teenager and looks the part too. My absolute favourite thing about this movie is the awkward jokes and moments, especially Peter and Tony, also Flashes bullying is more realistic and it's stupid and cringey he honestly makes no sense most of the time and he doesn't use physical violence to intimidate Peter (who could easily take him). It's such an enjoyable movie to watch and it holds its own to the other ('better') spider-man movies, I could go on about how this is one of the Spiderman movies, but we know how Tobey fans get. Tom Holland was such a great choice, he is Peter Parker no doubt, born for this. Loved Zendaya as Michelle, she's so quick-witted and her dry humour just makes her character so amazing. Jacob Batalon as Peter's Best friend Ned was chef's kiss, I haven't seen him outside of the spiderman franchise but he became one of my favourite characters, his natural chemistry with Peter just sold their friendship. The stories pacing was 'Eh' to me, sometimes the story was sometimes a bit questionable (Liz's party could've easily been left out and replaced with something better, idk how to explain it, but it's a scene that bored me), I kinda feel like Liz was a last minute character, definitely could've left her out. I don't really have an opinion on her character as she (for a love interest) didn't stick out or have much personality. All the characters worked well, but Liz wasn't thought out and I also feel like the Tony Stark plot and stuff could've also been left out (would be a different movie), but I feel like it would've worked either way. Now for the villain, no complaints about the Vulture, loved every moment of his scene time Michael Keaton is a gem! Loved that they didn't reuse an already-seen villain. Overall there are a lot of scenes I look at and go "why did this need to be here", but some of those scenes make the world more lively so not too many complaints. The last thing is I'm so glad they left the back story out, by now everyone knows who spiderman is and if you don't know there are two previous movies to explain and Peter talks briefly about the spider biting him and how it's dead, was more of an origin for the Vulture, which was also quick and short, glad it wasn't dragged out. (Feel Like I've repeated myself aha, sorry!)
Next movie review: tick, tick… BOOM!
(I don't want to do all the spiderman movies in a row, also I’ve been wanting to watch this movie so)
(Sorry about the 2 year gap)
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smol-bean-buchanan · 3 years
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ur telling me natasha and gamora died for some freakin paper weights ????? marvel what the heck :/
marvel, probably (aka most definitely):
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imposterogers · 2 years
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I have to ask, what's your opinion on CACW? I know there are ppl who didn't like it and I understand why and have some criticism myself but it's still one of my fav mcu movies. Thoughts?
well that's..... kind of a sore subject for me bc I went thru a VIOLENT cacw discourse phase. but let's dive into why
the facts:
-cap 3 was originally supposed to be serpent society, and was supposed to focus on team cap and their search for bucky. it was very a direct sequel to the winter soldier. when batman vs superman was announced, kevin feige decided to scrap serpent society. he would later pretend serpent society was a joke plot when it was very real.
-tony stark was supposed to have a pretty small role in cacw. rdj originally only required for 2 weeks of filming. rdj wanted more screentime, and threatened to walk from the project completely. so, he was given more screentime aka a bigger paycheck. he would even go on to call the film iron man 4
why I personally have a lot of problems with civil war:
-my major issue is it felt a LOT like an avengers movie. too many characters, too much screen time on a character that wasn't the main character (rdj/tony), not enough steve or team cap. it just didn't feel like steve's story.
-the sokovia accords created sooooo much discourse. but when it comes down to it, and if you read them (which no casual watcher would / should have to do to understand them) you'd know they were bad. the government required DNA samples and for every enhanced individual to disclose their full name, and they'd be tested for how "dangerous" they were. everyone registered was required to wear a tracker. if the UN says fight, you fight. if you don't, you get put on the shady ass illegal floating boat prison. if you even accidentally violated the accords, you would be detained without trial..... on the boat prison
-but of course, we never as an audience knew all that! we never knew that thaddeus ross is the one that lied to bruce banner about the project he was working on (causing the hulk), hunted bruce, and drove bruce to attempt suicide
-I think I was just sad we didn't see more steve. we didn't see more team cap. we didn't get a proper conversation between steve and bucky. we didn't see sam and nat and bucky and steve all together.
I would have preferred serpent society, but if they had to do the civil war plotline, here's how I would have fixed it
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lokiondisneyplus · 3 years
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'Loki' takes over: Tom Hiddleston on his new TV series and a decade in the MCU
Ten years after Hiddleston first chose chaos in Thor, Marvel’s fan favorite God of Mischief is going even bigger with his time-bending Disney+ show.
Tom Hiddleston is Loki, and he is burdened with glorious purpose: After playing Thor's puckish brother for over a decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no one understands the mercurial Asgardian God of Mischief as well as the actor. He can teach an entire seminar on Loki if given the opportunity — which he actually did during pre-production on his forthcoming Disney+ show. In conversation, Hiddleston quotes lines from his MCU debut, 2011's Thor, almost verbatim, and will playfully correct you if you mistakenly refer to Asgard's Rainbow Bridge as the Bifrost, which is the portal that connects Loki and Thor's homeworld to the Nine Realms, including Midgard, a.k.a. Earth. "Well, the Bifrost technically is the energy that runs through the bridge," he says with a smile. "But nine points to Gryffindor!" And when he shows up to the photo shoot for this very digital cover, he hops on a call with our photo editor to pitch ways the concept could be even more Loki, like incorporating the flourish the trickster does whenever magically conjuring something. The lasting impression is that playing Loki isn't just a paycheck.
"Rather than ownership, it's a sense of responsibility I feel to give my best every time and do the best I can because I feel so grateful to be a part of what Marvel Studios has created," the 40-year-old Brit tells EW over Zoom a few days after the shoot and a week out from Thor's 10th anniversary. "I just want to make sure I've honored that responsibility with the best that I can give and the most care and thought and energy."
After appearing in three Thor movies and three Avengers, Hiddleston is bringing that passion to his first solo Marvel project, Loki, the House of Ideas' third Disney+ series following the sitcom pastiche WandaVision and the topical The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Led by head writer Michael Waldron (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Heels), the six-episode drama sees Hiddleston's shapeshifting agent of chaos step out from behind his brother's shadow and into the spotlight for a timey-wimey, sci-fi adventure that aims to get to the bottom of who Loki really is. "I wanted to explore slightly more complex character questions," says Waldron. "It's not just good versus bad. Is anybody all good? Is anybody all bad? What makes a hero, a hero? A villain, a villain?"  
Even though Loki — who loves sowing mayhem with his illusion magic and shapeshifting, all with a major chip on his shoulder — has never been one for introspection, the idea of building an entire show around him was a no-brainer for Marvel. When asked why Loki was one of the studio's first Disney+ shows, Marvel president Kevin Feige replies matter-of-factly, "More Hiddleston, more Loki." First introduced as Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) envious brother in Kenneth Branagh's Thor, Loki went full Big Bad in 2012's The Avengers. That film cemented the impish rogue as one of the shared universe's fan favorites, thanks to Hiddleston's ability to make him deliciously villainous yet charismatic and, most importantly, empathetic. The character's popularity is one of the reasons he's managed to avoid death many times.
"He's been around for thousands of years. He had all sorts of adventures," says Feige. "Wanting to fill in the blanks and see much more of Loki's story [was] the initial desire [for the series]."
The Loki we meet on the show is not the one who fought the Avengers in 2012 and evolved into an antihero in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok before meeting his demise at the hands of the mad titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. Instead, we'll be following a Loki from a branched timeline (a variant, if you will) after he stole the Tesseract following his thwarted New York invasion and escaped S.H.I.E.L.D. custody during the time heist featured in Avengers: Endgame. In other words, this Loki hasn't gone through any sort of redemption arc. He's still the charming yet petulant god who firmly believes he's destined to rule and has never gotten his due.
Premiering June 9, Loki begins with the Time Variance Authority — a bureaucratic organization tasked with safeguarding the proper flow of time — arresting the Loki Variant seen in Endgame because they want his help fixing all of the timeline problems he caused while on the run with the Tesseract. So there will be time travel, and a lot more of it than in Endgame. As Loki makes his way through his own procedural, he'll match wits with new characters including Owen Wilson's Agent Mobius, a brilliant TVA analyst, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw's Judge Renslayer. The question in early episodes is whether Loki will help them or take over.
"One of the things Kevin Feige led on was, 'I think we should find a way of exploring the parts of Loki that are independent of his relationship with Thor,' or see him in a duality or in relationship with others, which I thought was very exciting," says Hiddleston, who also serves as an executive producer on the show. "So the Odinson saga, that trilogy of films, still has its integrity, and we don't have to reopen it and retell it."
Yet, in order to understand where Loki is going, it's important to see where he came from.
Hiddleston can't believe how long he and Loki have been connected. "I've been playing this character for 11 years," he says. "Which is the first time I have said that sentence, I realize, and it [blows] my mind. I don't know what percentage that is exactly of my 40 years of being alive, but it's substantial."
His time as Loki actually goes a bit further back, to 2009 — a year after Robert Downey Jr. big banged the MCU into existence with Iron Man — when he auditioned for Thor. It's no secret that Hiddleston initially went in for the role of the titular God of Thunder, but Feige and director Kenneth Branagh thought his natural charm and flexibility as an actor made him better suited for the movie's damaged antagonist. "Tom gave you an impression that he could be ready for anything, performance-wise," says Branagh, who had previously worked with him on a West End revival of Checkov's Ivanov and the BBC series Wallander. "Tom has a wild imagination, so does Loki. He's got a mischievous sense of humor and he was ready to play. It felt like he had a star personality, but he was a team player."
Hiddleston fully immersed himself in the character. Outside of studying Loki's history in the Marvel Comics, he also researched how Loki and the Trickster God archetype appeared across mythology and different cultures. "He understood that he was already in something special [and] it was a special character in a special part of that early moment in the life of the Marvel universe where [he] also needed to step up in other ways," says Branagh, who was impressed by the emotional depth Hiddleston brought to the part, especially when it came to how isolated Loki felt in the Asgardian royal family.  
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There was a lot riding on that first Thor feature. For one, no one knew if audiences would immediately latch onto a Shakespearean superhero movie partially set on an alien planet populated by the Norse Gods of legend. Second, it was integral to Feige's plans for the shared universe. Loki was supposed to be the main villain in The Avengers, which would not only mirror how Earth's mightiest heroes joined forces in 1963's Avengers #1 but also give Thor a believable reason for teaming up with Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), and the rest of the capes. Feige first clued Hiddleston into those larger plans when the actor was in L.A. before Thor started shooting.
"I was like, 'Excuse me?' Because he was already three, four steps ahead," says Hiddleston. "That took me a few minutes to process, because I didn't quite realize how it just suddenly had a scope. And being cast as Loki, I realized, was a very significant moment for me in my life, and was going to remain. The creative journey was going to be so exciting."
Hiddleston relished the opportunity to go full villain in Avengers, like in the scene where Loki ordered a crowd to kneel before him outside a German opera house: "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation," says the Machiavellian god. "The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."
"I just knew that in the structure of that film, I had to lean into his role as a pure antagonist," Hiddleston recalls. "What I always found curious and complex about the way Loki is written in Avengers, is that his status as an antagonist comes from the same well of not belonging and being marginalized and isolated in the first Thor film. Loki now knows he has no place in Asgard."
Loki did find a place within the audience's hearts, though. Feige was "all in" on Hiddleston as his Loki from the beginning, but even he couldn't predict how much fans would love him. Feige recalls the reaction at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con: "Did we know that after he was the villain in two movies, he would be bringing thousands of people to their feet in Hall H, in costume, chanting his name? No, that was above and beyond the plan that we were hoping for and dreaming of." It was a dream Feige first got an inkling of a year earlier during the Avengers press tour when a Russian fan slipped past security, snuck into Mark Ruffalo's car, and asked the Hulk actor to give Hiddleston a piece of fan art she created. "That was one of the early signs there was much more happening with this quote-unquote villain."  
Despite that popularity, the plan was to kill Loki off in 2013's Thor: The Dark World, but the studio reversed course after test audiences refused to believe he actually died fighting the Dark Elves. Alas, he couldn't out-illusion death forever. After returning in Taika Waititi's colorful and idiosyncratic Thor: Ragnarok, Hiddleston's character perished for real in the opening moments of Infinity War. In typical Loki fashion, before Thanos crushed his windpipe, he delivered a defiant speech that indicated he'd finally made peace with the anger he felt toward his family.  
"It felt very, very final, and I thought, 'Okay, that's it. This is Loki's final bow and a conclusive end to the Odinson saga,'" says Hiddleston, who shot that well-earned death scene in 2017.  
But, though he didn't know it yet, the actor's MCU story was far from over.
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Credit: Charlie Gray for EW
When Hiddleston returned to film two scenes in Avengers: Endgame in 2017, he had no idea where Loki portaled off to after snatching the Tesseract. "Where'd he go? When does he go? How does he get there? These are all questions I remember asking on the day, and then not being given any answers," Hiddleston recalls. To be fair, it's likely the Powers That Be didn't necessarily have answers then. While Feige can't exactly recall when the writers' room for Endgame first devised Loki's escape sequence, he does know that setting up a future show wasn't the primary goal — because a Loki series wasn't on the horizon just yet.
"[That scene] was really more of a wrinkle so that one of the missions that the Avengers went on in Endgame could get screwed up and not go well, which is what required Cap and Tony to go further back in time to the '70s," says Feige. Soon after that, though, former Disney CEO Bob Iger approached Feige about producing content for the studio's forthcoming streaming service. "I think the notion that we had left this hanging loose end with Loki gave us the in for what a Loki series could be. So by the time [Endgame] came out, we did know where it was going."
As for Hiddleston, he didn't find out about the plans for a Loki show until spring 2018, a few weeks before Infinity War hit theaters. "I probably should not have been surprised, but I was," says the actor. "But only because Infinity War had felt so final."
Nevertheless, Hiddleston was excited about returning for his show. He was eager to explore Loki's powers, especially the shapeshifting, and what it meant that this disruptive figure still managed to find a seat beside the gods in mythology. "I love this idea [of] Loki's chaotic energy somehow being something we need. Even though, for all sorts of reasons, you don't know whether you can trust him. You don't know whether he's going to betray you. You don't why he's doing what he's doing," says Hiddleston. "If he's shapeshifting so often, does he even know who he is? And is he even interested in understanding who he is? Underneath all those masks, underneath the charm and the wit, which is kind of a defense anyway, does Loki have an authentic self? Is he introspective enough or brave enough to find out? I think all of those ideas are all in the series — ideas about identity, ideas about self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and the difficulty of it."
“The series will explore Loki's powers in a way they have not yet been explored, which is very, very exciting.”
The thing that truly sold Hiddleston on the show was Marvel's decision to include the Time Variance Authority, a move he describes as "the best idea that anybody had pertaining to the series." Feige and Loki executive producer Stephen Broussard had hoped to find a place for the TVA — an organization that debuted in 1986's Thor #372 and has appeared in She-Hulk and Fantastic Four stories — in the MCU for years, but the right opportunity never presented itself until Loki came along. "Putting Loki into his own procedural series became the eureka moment for the show," says Feige.  
The TVA's perspective on time and reality also tied into the themes that Waldron, Loki's head writer, was hoping to explore. "Loki is a character that's always reckoning with his own identity, and the TVA, by virtue of what they do, is uniquely suited to hold up a mirror to Loki and make him really confront who he is and who he was supposed to be," says Waldron. Hiddleston adds: "[That] was very exciting because in the other films, there was always something about Loki that was very controlled. He seemed to know exactly what the cards in his hand were and how he was going to play them…. And Loki versus the TVA is Loki out of control immediately, and in an environment in which he's completely behind the pace, out of his comfort zone, destabilized, and acting out."
To truly dig into who Loki is, the creative team had to learn from the man who knows him best: Hiddleston. "I got him to do a thing called Loki School when we first started," says director Kate Herron. "I asked him to basically talk through his 10 years of the MCU — from costumes to stunts, to emotionally how he felt in each movie. It was fantastic."
Hiddleston got something out of the Loki school, too. Owen Wilson both attended the class and interviewed Hiddleston afterward so that he could better understand Loki, as his character Mobius is supposed to be an expert on him. During their conversation, Wilson pointedly asked Hiddleston what he loved about playing the character.
"And I said, 'I think it's because he has so much range,'" says Hiddleston. "I remember saying this to him: 'On the 88 keys on the piano, he can play the twinkly light keys at the top. He can keep it witty and light, and he's the God of Mischief, but he can also go down to the other side and play the heavy keys. And he can play some really profound chords down there, which are about grief and betrayal and loss and heartbreak and jealousy and pride.'" Hiddleston recalls Wilson being moved by the description: "He said, 'I think I might say that in the show.' And it was such a brilliant insight for me into how open Owen is as an artist and a performer.'"
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Owen Wilson as Mobius and Tom Hiddleston as Loki in 'Loki.'| Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Everyone involved is particularly excited for audiences to see Hiddleston and Wilson's on-screen chemistry. "Mobius is not unlike Owen Wilson in that he's sort of nonplussed by the MCU," says Feige. "[Loki] is used to getting a reaction out of people, whether it's his brother or his father, or the other Avengers. He likes to be very flamboyant and theatrical. Mobius doesn't give him the reaction he's looking for. That leads to a very unique relationship that Loki's not used to."
As for the rest of the series, we know that Loki will be jumping around time and reality, but the creative team isn't keen on revealing when and where. "Every episode, we tried to take inspiration from different things," says Waldron, citing Blade Runner's noir aesthetic as one example.
"Part of the fun of the multiverse and playing with time is seeing other versions of characters, and other versions of the titular character in particular," says Feige, who also declined to confirm if Loki ties into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and/or other upcoming projects.
Making Loki was especially meaningful to Hiddleston because they shot most of it during the pandemic, in late 2020. "It will remain one of the absolute most intense, most rewarding experiences of my life," he says. "It's a series about time, and the value of time, and what time is worth, and I suppose what the experience of being alive is worth. And I don't quite know yet, and maybe I don't have perspective on it, if all the thinking and the reflecting that we did during the lockdown ended up in the series. But in some way, it must have because everything we make is a snapshot of where we were in our lives at that time."
While it remains to be seen what the future holds for Loki beyond this initial season, Hiddleston isn't preparing to put the character to bed yet. "I'm open to everything," he says. "I have said goodbye to the character. I've said hello to the character. I said goodbye to the character [again]. I've learned not to make assumptions, I suppose. I'm just grateful that I'm still here, and there are still new roads to explore."
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favefandomimagines · 3 years
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Why? (t.h.)
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Summary: you and tom broke up at the young age of 21, after the success of Captain America: Civil War. now 3 years later, you run into him again with your three year old son
AN: more angst than fluff that’s for sure and here’s a twist: Evans!Reader (i’m also really bad a writing how toddlers sound so use your imagination)
When you imagined having a baby, you thought of the basic evolution of adulthood. Meet, marriage, then kids. Not meet, date for a year and a half, then baby. A baby who you were currently raising on your own. 
The breakup between you and Tom was the opposite of mutual. You didn’t want it. You wanted to be with him even before you got pregnant. But he wanted other things. 
He wanted other people. And that’s the part that broke your heart. 
“I don’t understand. You have never mentioned this before.” You said to him. “Y/N, it’s not you, okay? It’s just, we’re young. We’re 21 years old, our careers are just taking off. Don’t you want to be free?” Tom explained. 
“Free? You think I’m tying you down?” You questioned. “That’s not what I said.” Tom rebutted. “That’s exactly what you said! You think being in a relationship with me is tying you down. Well, fine Tom. If this is what you want, this is what you’ll get.” You snapped. 
You began to pack up everything you could fit in your small, weekender bag. “I’m going home and I never want to speak to you again.” You sneered. “No, Y/N, don’t do this. We can still be friends.” He told you. “No we can’t. Because I can’t be the friend who’s hopelessly in love with a guy who doesn’t love her back.” You said. 
“I do love you-” He started before you cut him off. “Don’t lie to make yourself feel better.” You sneered. You walked to the door of the hotel you were staying in and slammed it shut. 
You were a mess after the breakup. Physically ill is how you described it to people. You never left your room most days and when you did, you glued yourself to the couch. You lived off of Ben and Jerry’s and The Notebook.
Your friends tried to get you out of your apartment. But you didn’t feel like going out and facing the paparazzi. Especially when every time you stood up, you felt sick to your stomach. 
Even your older brother stayed with you most days. He didn’t want you to be alone. 
That’s when your friend suggested something. “When did you get your period?” She asked you. When she asked, you couldn’t remember when. You chalked it being late up to the stress you were feeling because of Tom and being cast in a new TV show. 
But, your friend bought you the test anyways. And it was positive. Your world was crumbling around you and now you had to fend for a baby. Tom told you he wasn’t going to leave you so you didn’t use a condom. And you couldn’t be on birth control because of underlying health issues you had. 
You were pregnant and you were going to have to raise a child by yourself. But your family was there through it all. Chris came to every doctor’s appointment with you, already earning the title of ‘world’s best uncle.’ 
You were about four months along when Kevin Feige called you about shooting an end credit scene for Spider-Man: Homecoming. How were you going to hide a baby bump from the cast and crew? But the only person you needed to keep it from was Tom. He didn’t want you so why should he be apart of the baby’s life? You would ask yourself that simply out of anger. There was no logical reasoning behind it. 
You shot the scene while pregnant and quickly left Atlanta before anyone began asking any questions. The main one being: who’s the dad? 
The night you gave birth, your entire family was at your side. Throughout the entire 20 hour labor before you welcomed a baby boy into the world. Theodore Evans-Holland was the newest member of the family. But Holland was only on the birth certificate. 
__
Three years had passed since you gave birth to Theo and when they said being a working mother was hard, they weren’t lying. Word spread that you got pregnant but the identity of the father unknown by the public. Including Tom. When asked about Theo in interviews you say it was a one night stand with a friend and that you weren’t together romantically. No one questioned a thing. 
On the set of Infinity War and Endgame, your mom brought Theo to visit often. He got to see his mom and his uncle Chris be superheroes.
“And cut! Let’s take a quick break! Y/N needs to go be a mom.” Anthony Russo joked. You smiled brightly at the three year old who was sitting on your makeup artist’s lap. 
You picked him and placed sloppy kisses all over his face, making the little boy laugh. “Are you having fun?” You asked him. “Yes!” He replied loudly. “Uncle Chwis!” Theo yelled, pointing to his uncle across the set. You couldn’t say no to him so you brought him to his uncle who was talking to Chris and Robert. 
Tom watched as you brought your child over to the three men. He didn’t know you moved on so quick. But he didn’t have a right to be mad. He broke up with you, not the other way around. Though a part of him couldn’t help but wish it was his son. 
You and Theo had decided to have a fun day since it was relatively nice in LA. You took him to the zoo and the aquarium before stopping at the Starbucks close to your house as a nice treat. 
Theo was a big fan of their frappucinos. 
You were holding him as he was beginning to get a little bit fussy after such a long day. 
“Y/N?” You heard from behind you. You turned around and saw Tom in the line behind you waiting for his name to be called. “Oh, uh, hi Tom.” You greeted him. “How are you?” He asked. “I’m fine. Just waiting on our order.” You answered. 
“Mommy, that’s spider-man.” Theo whispered to you. “Yes, baby, that is spider-man.” You spoke to him. “Hey little man.” Tom greeted the young boy. “You two have the cutest son. He looks just like his dad.” An older lady commented on the two of you. 
“No, he’s uh, not mine.” Tom quickly corrected her. The lady looked from you back to Tom before giving a pretty fake smile. “We, uh, we have to go. Theo needs a nap.” You said quickly, grabbing your drinks and making your way towards the exit. 
“Y/N, wait!” Tom called. You stopped a turned around to look at him. You and Tom looked at one another for a few moments before he looked at Theo. You could see he was doing the math in his head and analyzing Theo’s facial features. 
It was true though. He did look just like his dad. Same hair, same eyes, he had your nose though. 
���See you around, Tom.” You said breaking the silence before walking back towards your car. 
__
Later that evening, you were sitting on the couch with Theo watching Captain America. It was his favorite movie at the moment because he got to watch uncle Chris be a superhero. 
You were alerted by the sound of the doorbell and wondered who would be at your door at such an odd hour. “Stay here, buddy.” You told your son as you got up to answer the door. 
And when you did, you were very tempted to close it right in his face. Because Tom was standing on your doorstep looking completely distraught. 
“What are you doing here?” You asked. “He’s mine, isn’t he? Theo’s my son.” He said. You were quiet for a moment before you stepped out on to the porch so Theo wouldn’t hear. 
“Yes. Theo is your’s.” You answered quietly. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me?” Tom asked, the anger in his voice very evident. “Because, Tom, you didn’t want me anymore! A kid wasn’t going to change that! It would tie you down even more than I did.” You replied. “I had a right to know. I’m his father.” He said. 
You ran a hand through her hair as you squeezed your eyes shut trying to make the tears go away. 
“You didn’t want me, Tom. You didn’t want to be with me and a kid wasn’t going to magically fix that. Who’s to say you were going to want to be apart of his life if I told you? Like you said that night, we were 21, our careers taking off. I gave you the freedom you asked for.” You spoke. 
“I messed up, okay? I knew that the second I woke up the next morning and you weren’t there next to me. It was stupid of me to even think that. We could’ve been regular 21 year-olds together.” Tom said. “But at the time, you meant it.” You said. 
The silence that fell upon the two of you was awkward and uncomfortable. The only sound coming from the TV inside seeping through the cracked front door. 
“I need to know him. I know I hurt you and it was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. But I need to know my son, Y/N.” Tom begged. 
You looked at the man in front of you and didn’t see who you were in a relationship with three years ago. Maybe because he’s had to grow up faster than the usual person. Or maybe because you had to grow up faster and raise a child. 
“You can meet him. But we need to take this very slow. Theo is my entire world and I will not have him end up heartbroken like I was.” You finally spoke. 
Tom’s eyes lit up at your words and he rapidly nodded his head. You slowly let him into the house, Theo entirely unaware that anything was happening. 
“Hey, bud. There’s someone I want you to meet.” You said to the small boy. You sat down next to him, him taking the liberty of crawling onto your lap. 
He stared at Tom warily, wondering why a stranger was in his house. He knew. that he was spider-man but to him spider-man was a stranger. 
“Theo, you know how I told you that daddy was an astronaut exploring space?” You questioned. Theo nodded his head looking up at you. “Well, he’s back from space now. Theo, I want you to meet your dad.” You told him. 
The brunette boy looked from you up to Tom. “My daddy’s spider-man?” Theo questioned. “Yes, your daddy is spider-man.” You confirmed. “That’s why he was in outer space! Helping Iron Man!” Theo shouted. “That’s right bud. I was gone for a while, but I’m here now.” Tom finally spoke. 
Theo left your lap and launched himself at Tom. You didn’t know you would feel so emotional when Theo finally met Tom as his father. You just thought it wouldn’t be until he was older so you weren’t prepared for it. 
“Are you staying, daddy?” Theo asked the man. Tom felt like all of the oxygen was knocked out of his body when Theo called him that. 
He looked over at you and you reluctantly nodded your head. “Yeah, buddy. I’m staying.” He answered. Theo jumped up and down on the couch before you scolded him. 
“Hey, hey, we don’t jump on couches anymore, remember? Besides, it’s past your bedtime.” You told him. “I wanna show daddy my room.” Theo. “He can put you to bed. Now go get your PJs.” You said. 
Theo got off the couch and ran down the hallway towards his room. “He’s going to want to show you all of his Marvel stuff but only for five minutes. After that, tuck him in with his Black Panther stuffie. Then you have to read him a story or he’ll never fall asleep.” You explained to Tom as you stood up. 
“You did a really good job with him.” Tom commented. “I know.” You smiled fondly. “I don’t have to stay if you don’t want me too.” He said. “You’ll sleep in the spare room. He wants you in his life so you have to be here. And tomorrow, we’ll go get Tessa.” You told him. 
Tom smiled at you as you retreated to the kitchen to pick up a bit before bed. Tom walked down the hallway towards Theo’s room and found him all tucked in bed with various pieces fo Marvel collectibles. 
“Daddy, daddy! Come look at the things mommy and Uncle Chwis got for me!” He said to Tom. Tom happily obliged and sat on the edge of the bed as Theo began to explain what everything was. 
You leaned against the doorframe and observed the two together for a short while. You had a lot of healing to do with Tom but you couldn’t deny the fact that Theo needed his dad, despite Tom’s past mistakes. 
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thesaltofcarthage · 3 years
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Loki takes over: Tom Hiddleston on his new TV series and a decade in the MCU
from Entertainment Weekly
Ten years after Hiddleston first chose chaos in Thor, Marvel’s fan favorite God of Mischief is going even bigger with his time-bending Disney+ show.
By Chancellor Agard May 20, 2021 
Tom Hiddleston is Loki, and he is burdened with glorious purpose: After playing Thor's puckish brother for over a decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no one understands the mercurial Asgardian God of Mischief as well as the actor. He can teach an entire seminar on Loki if given the opportunity — which he actually did during pre-production on his forthcoming Disney+ show. In conversation, Hiddleston quotes lines from his MCU debut, 2011's Thor, almost verbatim, and will playfully correct you if you mistakenly refer to Asgard's Rainbow Bridge as the Bifrost, which is the portal that connects Loki and Thor's homeworld to the Nine Realms, including Midgard, a.k.a. Earth. "Well, the Bifrost technically is the energy that runs through the bridge," he says with a smile. "But nine points to Gryffindor!" And when he shows up to the photo shoot for this very digital cover, he hops on a call with our photo editor to pitch ways the concept could be even more Loki, like incorporating the flourish the trickster does whenever magically conjuring something. The lasting impression is that playing Loki isn't just a paycheck.
"Rather than ownership, it's a sense of responsibility I feel to give my best every time and do the best I can because I feel so grateful to be a part of what Marvel Studios has created," the 40-year-old Brit tells EW over Zoom a few days after the shoot and a week out from Thor's 10th anniversary. "I just want to make sure I've honored that responsibility with the best that I can give and the most care and thought and energy."
After appearing in three Thor movies and three Avengers, Hiddleston is bringing that passion to his first solo Marvel project, Loki, the House of Ideas' third Disney+ series following the sitcom pastiche WandaVision and the topical The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Led by head writer Michael Waldron (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Heels), the six-episode drama sees Hiddleston's shapeshifting agent of chaos step out from behind his brother's shadow and into the spotlight for a timey-wimey, sci-fi adventure that aims to get to the bottom of who Loki really is. "I wanted to explore slightly more complex character questions," says Waldron. "It's not just good versus bad. Is anybody all good? Is anybody all bad? What makes a hero, a hero? A villain, a villain?"  
Even though Loki — who loves sowing mayhem with his illusion magic and shapeshifting, all with a major chip on his shoulder — has never been one for introspection, the idea of building an entire show around him was a no-brainer for Marvel. When asked why Loki was one of the studio's first Disney+ shows, Marvel president Kevin Feige replies matter-of-factly, "More Hiddleston, more Loki." First introduced as Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) envious brother in Kenneth Branagh's Thor, Loki went full Big Bad in 2012's The Avengers. That film cemented the impish rogue as one of the shared universe's fan favorites, thanks to Hiddleston's ability to make him deliciously villainous yet charismatic and, most importantly, empathetic. The character's popularity is one of the reasons he's managed to avoid death many times.
"He's been around for thousands of years. He had all sorts of adventures," says Feige. "Wanting to fill in the blanks and see much more of Loki's story [was] the initial desire [for the series]."
The Loki we meet on the show is not the one who fought the Avengers in 2012 and evolved into an antihero in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok before meeting his demise at the hands of the mad titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. Instead, we'll be following a Loki from a branched timeline (a variant, if you will) after he stole the Tesseract following his thwarted New York invasion and escaped S.H.I.E.L.D. custody during the time heist featured in Avengers: Endgame. In other words, this Loki hasn't gone through any sort of redemption arc. He's still the charming yet petulant god who firmly believes he's destined to rule and has never gotten his due.
Premiering June 9, Loki begins with the Time Variance Authority — a bureaucratic organization tasked with safeguarding the proper flow of time — arresting the Loki Variant seen in Endgame because they want his help fixing all of the timeline problems he caused while on the run with the Tesseract. So there will be time travel, and a lot more of it than in Endgame. As Loki makes his way through his own procedural, he'll match wits with new characters including Owen Wilson's Agent Mobius, a brilliant TVA analyst, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw's Judge Renslayer. The question in early episodes is whether Loki will help them or take over.
"One of the things Kevin Feige led on was, 'I think we should find a way of exploring the parts of Loki that are independent of his relationship with Thor,' or see him in a duality or in relationship with others, which I thought was very exciting," says Hiddleston, who also serves as an executive producer on the show. "So the Odinson saga, that trilogy of films, still has its integrity, and we don't have to reopen it and retell it."
Yet, in order to understand where Loki is going, it's important to see where he came from.
Hiddleston can't believe how long he and Loki have been connected. "I've been playing this character for 11 years," he says. "Which is the first time I have said that sentence, I realize, and it [blows] my mind. I don't know what percentage that is exactly of my 40 years of being alive, but it's substantial."
His time as Loki actually goes a bit further back, to 2009 — a year after Robert Downey Jr. big banged the MCU into existence with Iron Man — when he auditioned for Thor. It's no secret that Hiddleston initially went in for the role of the titular God of Thunder, but Feige and director Kenneth Branagh thought his natural charm and flexibility as an actor made him better suited for the movie's damaged antagonist. "Tom gave you an impression that he could be ready for anything, performance-wise," says Branagh, who had previously worked with him on a West End revival of Checkov's Ivanov and the BBC series Wallander. "Tom has a wild imagination, so does Loki. He's got a mischievous sense of humor and he was ready to play. It felt like he had a star personality, but he was a team player."
Hiddleston fully immersed himself in the character. Outside of studying Loki's history in the Marvel Comics, he also researched how Loki and the Trickster God archetype appeared across mythology and different cultures. "He understood that he was already in something special [and] it was a special character in a special part of that early moment in the life of the Marvel universe where [he] also needed to step up in other ways," says Branagh, who was impressed by the emotional depth Hiddleston brought to the part, especially when it came to how isolated Loki felt in the Asgardian royal family.  
There was a lot riding on that first Thor feature. For one, no one knew if audiences would immediately latch onto a Shakespearean superhero movie partially set on an alien planet populated by the Norse Gods of legend. Second, it was integral to Feige's plans for the shared universe. Loki was supposed to be the main villain in The Avengers, which would not only mirror how Earth's mightiest heroes joined forces in 1963's Avengers #1 but also give Thor a believable reason for teaming up with Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), and the rest of the capes. Feige first clued Hiddleston into those larger plans when the actor was in L.A. before Thor started shooting.
"I was like, 'Excuse me?' Because he was already three, four steps ahead," says Hiddleston. "That took me a few minutes to process, because I didn't quite realize how it just suddenly had a scope. And being cast as Loki, I realized, was a very significant moment for me in my life, and was going to remain. The creative journey was going to be so exciting."
Hiddleston relished the opportunity to go full villain in Avengers, like in the scene where Loki ordered a crowd to kneel before him outside a German opera house: "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation," says the Machiavellian god. "The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."
"I just knew that in the structure of that film, I had to lean into his role as a pure antagonist," Hiddleston recalls. "What I always found curious and complex about the way Loki is written in Avengers, is that his status as an antagonist comes from the same well of not belonging and being marginalized and isolated in the first Thor film. Loki now knows he has no place in Asgard."
Loki did find a place within the audience's hearts, though. Feige was "all in" on Hiddleston as his Loki from the beginning, but even he couldn't predict how much fans would love him. Feige recalls the reaction at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con: "Did we know that after he was the villain in two movies, he would be bringing thousands of people to their feet in Hall H, in costume, chanting his name? No, that was above and beyond the plan that we were hoping for and dreaming of." It was a dream Feige first got an inkling of a year earlier during the Avengers press tour when a Russian fan slipped past security, snuck into Mark Ruffalo's car, and asked the Hulk actor to give Hiddleston a piece of fan art she created. "That was one of the early signs there was much more happening with this quote-unquote villain."  
Despite that popularity, the plan was to kill Loki off in 2013's Thor: The Dark World, but the studio reversed course after test audiences refused to believe he actually died fighting the Dark Elves. Alas, he couldn't out-illusion death forever. After returning in Taika Waititi's colorful and idiosyncratic Thor: Ragnarok, Hiddleston's character perished for real in the opening moments of Infinity War. In typical Loki fashion, before Thanos crushed his windpipe, he delivered a defiant speech that indicated he'd finally made peace with the anger he felt toward his family.  
"It felt very, very final, and I thought, 'Okay, that's it. This is Loki's final bow and a conclusive end to the Odinson saga,'" says Hiddleston, who shot that well-earned death scene in 2017.  
But, though he didn't know it yet, the actor's MCU story was far from over.
When Hiddleston returned to film two scenes in Avengers: Endgame in 2017, he had no idea where Loki portaled off to after snatching the Tesseract. "Where'd he go? When does he go? How does he get there? These are all questions I remember asking on the day, and then not being given any answers," Hiddleston recalls. To be fair, it's likely the Powers That Be didn't necessarily have answers then. While Feige can't exactly recall when the writers' room for Endgame first devised Loki's escape sequence, he does know that setting up a future show wasn't the primary goal — because a Loki series wasn't on the horizon just yet.
"[That scene] was really more of a wrinkle so that one of the missions that the Avengers went on in Endgame could get screwed up and not go well, which is what required Cap and Tony to go further back in time to the '70s," says Feige. Soon after that, though, former Disney CEO Bob Iger approached Feige about producing content for the studio's forthcoming streaming service. "I think the notion that we had left this hanging loose end with Loki gave us the in for what a Loki series could be. So by the time [Endgame] came out, we did know where it was going."
As for Hiddleston, he didn't find out about the plans for a Loki show until spring 2018, a few weeks before Infinity War hit theaters. "I probably should not have been surprised, but I was," says the actor. "But only because Infinity War had felt so final."
Nevertheless, Hiddleston was excited about returning for his show. He was eager to explore Loki's powers, especially the shapeshifting, and what it meant that this disruptive figure still managed to find a seat beside the gods in mythology. "I love this idea [of] Loki's chaotic energy somehow being something we need. Even though, for all sorts of reasons, you don't know whether you can trust him. You don't know whether he's going to betray you. You don't why he's doing what he's doing," says Hiddleston. "If he's shapeshifting so often, does he even know who he is? And is he even interested in understanding who he is? Underneath all those masks, underneath the charm and the wit, which is kind of a defense anyway, does Loki have an authentic self? Is he introspective enough or brave enough to find out? I think all of those ideas are all in the series — ideas about identity, ideas about self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and the difficulty of it."
“The series will explore Loki's powers in a way they have not yet been explored, which is very, very exciting.”
The thing that truly sold Hiddleston on the show was Marvel's decision to include the Time Variance Authority, a move he describes as "the best idea that anybody had pertaining to the series." Feige and Loki executive producer Stephen Broussard had hoped to find a place for the TVA — an organization that debuted in 1986's Thor #372 and has appeared in She-Hulk and Fantastic Four stories — in the MCU for years, but the right opportunity never presented itself until Loki came along. "Putting Loki into his own procedural series became the eureka moment for the show," says Feige.  
The TVA's perspective on time and reality also tied into the themes that Waldron, Loki's head writer, was hoping to explore. "Loki is a character that's always reckoning with his own identity, and the TVA, by virtue of what they do, is uniquely suited to hold up a mirror to Loki and make him really confront who he is and who he was supposed to be," says Waldron. Hiddleston adds: "[That] was very exciting because in the other films, there was always something about Loki that was very controlled. He seemed to know exactly what the cards in his hand were and how he was going to play them…. And Loki versus the TVA is Loki out of control immediately, and in an environment in which he's completely behind the pace, out of his comfort zone, destabilized, and acting out."
To truly dig into who Loki is, the creative team had to learn from the man who knows him best: Hiddleston. "I got him to do a thing called Loki School when we first started," says director Kate Herron. "I asked him to basically talk through his 10 years of the MCU — from costumes to stunts, to emotionally how he felt in each movie. It was fantastic."
Hiddleston got something out of the Loki school, too. Owen Wilson both attended the class and interviewed Hiddleston afterward so that he could better understand Loki, as his character Mobius is supposed to be an expert on him. During their conversation, Wilson pointedly asked Hiddleston what he loved about playing the character.
"And I said, 'I think it's because he has so much range,'" says Hiddleston. "I remember saying this to him: 'On the 88 keys on the piano, he can play the twinkly light keys at the top. He can keep it witty and light, and he's the God of Mischief, but he can also go down to the other side and play the heavy keys. And he can play some really profound chords down there, which are about grief and betrayal and loss and heartbreak and jealousy and pride.'" Hiddleston recalls Wilson being moved by the description: "He said, 'I think I might say that in the show.' And it was such a brilliant insight for me into how open Owen is as an artist and a performer.'"
Everyone involved is particularly excited for audiences to see Hiddleston and Wilson's on-screen chemistry. "Mobius is not unlike Owen Wilson in that he's sort of nonplussed by the MCU," says Feige. "[Loki] is used to getting a reaction out of people, whether it's his brother or his father, or the other Avengers. He likes to be very flamboyant and theatrical. Mobius doesn't give him the reaction he's looking for. That leads to a very unique relationship that Loki's not used to."
As for the rest of the series, we know that Loki will be jumping around time and reality, but the creative team isn't keen on revealing when and where. "Every episode, we tried to take inspiration from different things," says Waldron, citing Blade Runner's noir aesthetic as one example.
"Part of the fun of the multiverse and playing with time is seeing other versions of characters, and other versions of the titular character in particular," says Feige, who also declined to confirm if Loki ties into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and/or other upcoming projects.
Making Loki was especially meaningful to Hiddleston because they shot most of it during the pandemic, in late 2020. "It will remain one of the absolute most intense, most rewarding experiences of my life," he says. "It's a series about time, and the value of time, and what time is worth, and I suppose what the experience of being alive is worth. And I don't quite know yet, and maybe I don't have perspective on it, if all the thinking and the reflecting that we did during the lockdown ended up in the series. But in some way, it must have because everything we make is a snapshot of where we were in our lives at that time."
While it remains to be seen what the future holds for Loki beyond this initial season, Hiddleston isn't preparing to put the character to bed yet. "I'm open to everything," he says. "I have said goodbye to the character. I've said hello to the character. I said goodbye to the character [again]. I've learned not to make assumptions, I suppose. I'm just grateful that I'm still here, and there are still new roads to explore."
Additional reporting by Jessica Derschowitz
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bestofblackwidow · 3 years
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The "Let me go - it's okay," she told him the last time we saw the Black Widow, it was - to say the least - emotional. "Let me go - it's okay," she said to Hawkeye, plunging to her death on the arid planet Sleeping in Avengers: Endgame for the ultimate sacrifice to save the world. While the deaths in the Marvel Cinematic Universe go on - sorry, Iron Man - there was probably no more heart-stopping moment, since the former SHIELD spy who became Avenger gave her life to recover the Soul Stone.
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Still, it left the MCU in a bind. For years, a Black Widow film had been mooted, right back to 2004 at Lions Gate Entertainment before the rights reverted to Marvel. When Scarlett Johansson first appeared as Natasha Romanoff - the former KGB assassin with a very particular set of skills - in 2010's Iron Man 2, it didn't take long before questions were asked about a solo outing. Marvel Studios conductor Kevin Feige even held discussions with Johansson, who was then only 25. But there was a caveat, he said. "The Avengers comes first."
While others - Thor, Captain America, Black Panther and even Ant-Man - had their moments in the spotlight, the Black Widow was forced to wait. And wait. And wait. Not that Johansson thought that her character demanded the same treatment; if she was going to be in front of a Marvel movie, there had to be a reason. "Is there anything exciting to do creatively, as an actor?" she says. “Will we be able to do something extraordinary and strong? And something that stands on its own? "It's what makes the independent Black Widow an intriguing prospect: an inauguration of Phase 4 of the MCU promises to step back in time before her dramatic death to answer the provocative questions that still hover over her Crucially, the script transports audiences back to the events right after Captain America: Civil War, after that huge internal confrontation of the Avengers.
Without relatives or an organization that employs her, the Black Widow is alone, says Johansson. "It gave us the opportunity to really show her when she's kind of out of her game, you know? Because of that, anything was possible." The actress was there "from the start" at the script meetings, as they began to figure out how to delve into Romanoff's origins. "You are trying to map all of this ... which is extremely stressful," she laughs, "because there are no guidelines."
Fortunately, Johansson was not alone. In another inspired choice for the MCU canon, Feige recruited Australian director Cate Shortland, best known for discreet dramas like Somersault and Lore. While she was surprised, Shortland was encouraged by the creative freedom that Marvel was offering. “They allowed me to be myself and encouraged me to make a movie that I was passionate about,” she says. "We were allowed to have a lot of nuances and make a character-oriented film."
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After several Skype sessions with Johansson, who also receives producer credit, Shortland worked with a Russian researcher to embody Romanoff's dark story: "the red in my ledger", as she told Loki in 2012 in Os Avengers. As she sings in the trailer, "We have to go back to where it all started" - the promising teaser clips of Romanoff as a young man (played by Ever Anderson, daughter of Paul WS Anderson and Milla Jovovich) in a childhood that seems far from idyllic. That's what makes Black Widow a family reunion of the kind that only Marvel would have the courage to conjure. Joining Romanoff is Yelena Belova, a sister-sister and fellow murderer who trained alongside her in the so-called Red Room, the punitive Soviet facility that produced 'Black Widow' spies.
"Their stories intersect," promises Shortland. "They clash." Played by Lady Macbeth's British star Florence Pugh, Belova is more than a physical match for Romanoff. Still, emotionally is where it really matters. "What Yelena does is kind of point to Natasha's pain," says Pugh. “She is part of Natasha's story. And I think that's why we have an opportunity to look at Natasha's story, because Yelena has been knocking on the door and says, 'Hey, let's deal with this pain. ”As Johansson comments, Belova is not just a carbon copy of his own character.
"She is completely alone. She is strong and different. She is so different (from) Natasha." Beside them are Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexei Shostakov (David Harbor), two father figures whose own stories intertwine with Natasha and Yelena. "This is the coolest thing with this whole group of people. They all had parts of their past that they regretted," says Pugh. “They’re older. They’ve had more life experience. They know more about the system, about this world they’re all living in.” Harbor, the Emmy Stranger Things nominated star, managed to put an indelible mark on the muscular Shostakov, better known as the Red Guardian super soldier, the Russian equivalent of Captain America. "There is a gangster quality to him," the actor smiles. "And he's covered in tattoos. He's got a beard and those gold teeth. He's crazy." But after years of making bad decisions, he's also full of remorse.
"He's in a bad situation," adds Harbor. "And he needs redemption." Weisz's character, Melina, is another who experienced the rigors of the Red Room, a place that put her in contact with Natasha and Yelena. Marking his first dive at the MCU, Weisz acknowledges that the film addresses the idea of ​​discovering his favorite family. "It's definitely about finding out where you belong and where you came from, and what your background story was, and who you really are, and what matters to you - your ideology, I think." Along the way, Feige made reference to The Kids Are All Right - the 2010 Lisa Cholodenko film about a same-sex couple raising two teenagers. "Which is so weird," laughs Johansson. "You would never expect that from a Marvel movie." no it was the only strange nod to the film. Harbor speaks of Shostakov in terms of Philip Seymour Hoffman's drama teacher in the dramatic black comedy The Savages.
Or even expressing "the pathos of a small town, independent, family-run, weird movie... like Little Miss Sunshine". More understandable cinema references include "things like Logan and Aliens and The Fugitive," says Shortland. "We saw movies like that." Certainly, it's easy to see comparisons between Sigourney Weaver's determined Ripley, from James Cameron's masterpiece Aliens, and Johansson's Romanoff, an Avenger who has no superpowers. "We saw it as a force," says Shortland, "because she always has to dig really deep to get out of shit situations." According to the director, everyone in the production invested in deepening Romanoff - even Scottish composer Lorne Balfe (Pennyworth, His Dark Materials), who replaced Alexandre Desplat's original choice. Balfe looked at the character's origins, says Shortland. “He said, 'I want to put it on the ground, because it has been dug up in the movies in the past. I want to give her that flesh and blood. 'And he created this soundtrack that is really Russian."
However, perhaps the real blow here is to recruit Shortland, the first female director to face the Black Widow (and only the second, following Captain Marvel co-director Anna Boden, to enter the MCU). "This film would not be what it is without Cate Shortland," says Pugh. "I think having her eye, and having her mind with this script, has taken her to a whole different realm." Johansson agrees. "" You can feel it was made from a female perspective ... cooked there. "Although Ray Winstone's casting as Supervisor of the Red Room Dreykov (whose daughter contributed to the abundance of red in Romanoff's book, according to Loki) add more to the psychological battleground that the Black Widow will explore, it also deals with victimization, a very pertinent topic in the current climate. The Red Room itself is where trainees are brutally sterilized. "You will see that these women are hard working and strong, and they are murderers - and yet they still need to discuss how they were abused," says Pugh. "It is an incredibly powerful piece."
Judging by the 2020 Oscars, where Pugh and Johansson had their own private relationship session on the red carpet, the two actors got along very well. "She has a really beautiful career ahead of her ... she's a very special person," says Johansson, excited when Pugh's name is mentioned. More specifically, Pugh may well have more Marvel to chew on, if it is rumored that her character will take on the 'Black Widow' mantle for new adventures. By learning Parkour, kickboxing and knife fighting for role, Pugh can safely cut things physically, though she's reluctant to claim that the Black Widow is just a setup for future outings. "Even though it is obviously where everyone wants to go and want to think - think about what comes next - this film never really seemed to be what he was trying to underline." According to Johansson, however, test the audience who saw the film thinks otherwise. "Her character and her performance are so dear." Now, after more than a year of pandemic-related delays to July 2021), it will not be just a few lucky spectators who will be able to see. Black Widow will even be the first Marvel movie to debut simultaneously on the Disney+ streaming site (with a 'main hit' fee), an understandable move considering the uncertainty that still exists around the world. And in fact, after the success of the Marvel TV shows WandaVision and The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, it doesn't seem like such a strange home. Johansson believes that fans will respond to Black Widow, with this flashback of an earlier part of her life, bringing more poignancy to the Endgame's outcome. "Our goal was for them to be satisfied with this story; that maybe they could have some solution, I think, with the death of this character, in a way. It seemed like people wanted this." Shortland agrees. "We felt that we should honor his death," she says. And the Black Widow will surely honor him.
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kainetestament · 3 years
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Deciphering Peter’s conversation with Wanda
1. Wanda tried to test Peter by asking him about the name of the boy that has a skin problem who always steal his shoes to which Peter counter “You’re testing me.” And has successfully divert the conversation by telling her “I know I look different.” Wanda do feel his brother is not the same brother she remembers. That even us viewers wonder why Peter and not Pietro is present? Though I do have a theory about that and talk about below.
2.  “I'm just trying to do my part, okay? Come to town unexpectedly, create tension with the brother-in-law, stir up trouble with the rugrats, and ultimately give you grief. I mean, that's what you wanted, isn't it?” For these sentences, it kind of look like someone is speaking for him (like he’s possessed). Peter gave off the ‘mischievous elder brother’ or possibly has a sister complex as seen X-Men Days of Future Past. If this is really him, giving Wanda a grief will definitely be the last thing he’ll do, pranking her? Maybe, like what he did when Vision left the house and sneak up on her back on Episode 6.
3. Peter said “Details are fuzzy, man. I got shot like a chump on the street for no reason at all and the next thing I know, I heard you calling me. I knew you needed me.” And Wanda has a confused look on her face. Also, If we go on FANDOM, Wanda’s profile has been updated and one of the updates the user add was “He told her that he heard her calling him after he was shot by Ultron, and that he knew she needed him.” First of all, whoever made an update, none of Peter’s words mentioned Ultron, and didn’t imply Ultron as well, second Pietro was not shot for no reason at all, Ultron was firing bullets from Quinjet and Pietro have to save Hawkeye and the kid he’s holding, Peter on the other hand phrase it as “no reason at all”, so I don’t believe it’s anything related to Ultron.
Let’s translate what Peter just said, “I got shot like a chump on the street” – if we are to simplify this sentence, he could meant he’s running (as usual) on the street and got knocked down because he’s an easy target (after all, chump means a foolish or easily deceived person), or someone stopped him from running then he was hit by something, then when he’s trying to understand what happened, he can hear in his head his sister calling him, in probably mournful voice because he claimed “I knew you needed me.” Because before he appeared, when Wanda mentions Pietro (in past tense), she was still smiling, almost indicating she was able to move on from his passing, then when was asked by Tommy if Wanda have a brother, she now spoke of him in present tense “He’s far away from here, and that makes me sad sometimes.” – this could probably be what he meant when he say “I heard you calling me. I knew you needed me.” Because Wanda is now reminiscing the Pietro, and could possibly be now in denial with him and she wants to see him. We don’t know what’s going on in X-Men Universe and hell Earth-616 is one confusing world. Retelling it here in MCU that X-Men could probably be from different multiverse will make it less confusing as well.
Also Wanda was not officially introduced in X-Men Universe, but on the delete scene of Days of Future Past, Ms Maximoff (their mom) said to her youngest “Go upstairs and bug your sister”, implying (and confirmed by the director) that the “sister” is Wanda and she does exists in X-Men world, Peter being the eldest of the siblings, have a big brotherly love for his younger siblings so he easily got brainwashed and was summoned to Earth 616, we can only theorize that Mephisto discovered him as he was travelling thru the multiverse (as per his comics abilities), discovered Wanda and Pietro. Who knows if Wanda of X-Men Universe is alive or dead, but we can try and think, why this Wanda? If Mephisto has the ability to travel to the multiverse, he can chose Wanda of other multiverse too. Is it because of her involvement with the Infinity Stone? So this Wanda is so special because she is able to mother twins without a man’s help? We just have to wait for 2 more episodes for answers.
Also on top of Wanda not being introduce X-Men Universe, FOX changed Pietro’s name to Peter because MCU is also introducing another Pietro, but in MCU, they killed Pietro, this is probably due to copyrights restrictions (between Disney and FOX) because both Pietro and Wanda can appear on both franchise with some restrictions, which makes sense why there’s only Wanda in MCU and only Peter in X-Men World to avoid referencing the restrictions due to legal rights. Now that the Multiverse is being introduced, they can now cross Peter from X-Men World to MCU as a mutant (vice versa) and can also be referred to as Magneto’s children since the restrictions have been lifted. Although another possibility that the MCU killed Pietro is because MCU and FOX already planned ahead for a possible future Multiverse since way back, once the First Generation of Avengers retires (Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, etc.), that is possibly the time they can introduce the mutants. Because if the First Generation is still present when the Mutants arrive, it could destroy the balance of the super heroes line up and the MCU might become a trash of super hero franchise, which of course they won’t want that to happen. By killing Pietro on the other hand, can actually be both a risk and advantage. MCU’s researchers have definitely done their job well and study other products that involved alternate dimension/reality/timeline. In my point of view (as an otaku), when I watched these type of anime with alternate dimensions/reality/timeline, it does feel weird especially if the character meets her/her counterpart, like in Dual!! Parallel Trouble Adventure where both Mitsuki have actually met (I only remember parts of the story, so I won’t go deeper into this), the awkwardness is kind of hard to watch… So killing Pietro might’ve been the best decision, because keeping both characters and later meets up will not only cause awkwardness but the viewers might also find it weird. With no offense to ATJ but unlike his, Evan Peters’ QS have more cool scenes, his running in the kitchen is definitely a big wow, Age of Ultron didn’t showcase much any cool moves, we do see the slow motions around him and his afterimage, but the kitchen scene looks way more cooler, and personally for me, I find his break in Magneto scene (the glass shattering and escaping the guards) much more satisfying than anything...
Evan Peters could’ve also been given instructions by FOX of him possibly appearing/joining the MCU in the future because in an interview with the X-Men Apocalypse cast on MTV After Hours, Peter (Evan Peters) comment to Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) “Just because you wear shades, doesn’t make you cool.” In which Cyclops responded with “Just because your name is Quicksilver, doesn’t make you an Avenger.” And Peter responded back with “You know, legally I’m not able to respond to that.” Also during Dark Phoenix interviews, Evan Peters was nervous yet silently freaking out, almost like Tom Holland trying to  avoid telling anything. In the interview with New Trailer Buzz, Evan Peters was ask  to say the first thing that come to his mind like Wolverine = claws, Marvel = X-Men, Magneto = metal, Charles Xavier = wheelchair, then when as SCARLET WITCH – he pause and almost choke and said nervously “okay” and started to laugh, then was asked about cross-over and he responded with sweet, although compared to his previous answers where it only took less than 1sec to respond, the word SCARLET WITCH and CROSS-OVER definitely gave him a scare as he was probably be in talks but is of course not allowed to disclose.
If we think about it back then, we can probably just dismissed it as part of the restrictions between Disney and FOX, but Kevin Feige did mention before that everything is plan even up to 5 years, and X-Men to be in talks for the future multiverse is not impossible and of course they will not disclose that information (to actors let alone media), and what are the odds of killing Pietro in MCU and not introducing Wanda in X-Men.
 I will wait for Episode 8 for the next WandaVision update ‘cause it really hard to assume.
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My Reaction to “Avengers Endgame”
Yes- I still haven’t seen this movie.  Yes I know exactly what happens in this movie.  I mainly avoided it for a while due to overhype but with some convincing from my brother, Imma sit my butt down and try to watch this.
Pressing... play!
Right off the bat, I feel like I should warn you guys and say that I have... my opinions... about stuff.  Plus I’m a dumbass about Marvel so just bear with me.
I like that Disney Plus has to warn us about product placement
Clint!
Are we gonna see little Nathaniel running around- THERE he is!
We are gonna see Clint’s entire family get freaking obliterated
Is all the rumbling from the sky or are those airplanes freaking crashing to Earth in the distance?
What if they pulled a reverse WandaVision and showed the people getting snapped out of existence in a future film or show?  That would be freaking terrifying.
They’re [Tony and Nebula] playing paper football...
I wanna see more of THEIR interactions aboard the Milano.  The shots of them just repairing the ship are great too.
“I’m fine.  Totally fine.”  Everyone ever.
I also like you see the visual difference between Tony and Nebula.  While he’s growing gaunt and haggard from loss of oxygen, you can still see that Nebula looks absolutely fine because she’s like 75% android
So between 1995 and now, what the heck has Carol been up to?
“Thanos wiped out... 50% of all living creatures.”  So like entire ecosystems are just demolished.
*anthropology major part of my brain scrambling for answers*
“We lost.  And you [Steve] weren’t there.”  HE WAS IN WAKANDA!
Wait so the arc reactor ISN’T in Tony’s chest anymore?
“Where the hell have you [Carol] been all this time?”  Good question!
*silently bops to opening theme*
For some reason, I just really want the ship radio to randomly turn on so you just see everyone sitting awkwardly as “Piano Man” plays over the speakers
*Thanos slowly cooks his food*  Faster, all together now!  COOKING CAN BE FUN!
“I [Thanos] used the stones to destroy the stones.”  ...what?
“I am...[Thanos] inevitable.”  *starts humming “Inevitable” from TGWDLM*
“I [Thor] went for the head.”  YES YOU DID
[FIVE YEARS LATER] All righty so we’re doing this
*gasps*  Is... Steve running the therapy sit downs like Sam did in “The Winter Soldier”?  That’s awesome.  I really like this tidbit.
I’m also really liking Alan Silvestri’s score for this so far
I’m really trying not to nitpick but I feel like it would take more than 5 years for greenery to just completely overtake a suburban neighborhood
Also wow pre COVID life looks great you guys
“There’s a part of me that doesn’t even wanna find him.”  Are they talking about... Clint?  Is Clint just going the full vigilante route?
DOES HE KILL PEOPLE?!?
I really like Steve and Natasha’s friendship in these movies but for some reason I don’t feel like we get enough of Natasha for me to get behind her on an emotional standpoint
Are they gonna use the quantum realm to jumpstart the multiverse for Phase 4?
Also speaking of multiverse, I honestly really don’t want Spiderman:  No Way Home or Wandavision to get too cluttered by that
I like Tony’s lake house.  And he got a whole vegetable garden going too.  Kudos!
The little kid who plays Morgan Stark is adorable
“Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel.”  Which we obviously won’t.
“We’re gonna need a really big brain.”  So where the [expletive] is Banner?
“Stranger danger.”  *snorts*
“Dab!”  *rolls eyes*
So is the whole Professor Hulk thing permanent?  I know he’s gonna be in the She-Hulk show but I’m wondering how they’re gonna tackle that.  And they’re gonna have Tim Roth too!
*smiles when Tony takes Morgan to bed*
Steve Rogers here [when they do the first time travel tests] is a Look ™
Maybe don’t let the GIANT GREEN MAN keep pressing a bunch of tiny tiny important buttons on a dashboard
*laughs at Steve shaking his head in disbelief when they finally bring Scott back*
*Tony’s car races toward the Avengers base*  NYOOOMMMM
*Tony rolls down his window*  It’s Britney, bitch
“And maybe not die trying.”  And you definitely will.
This whole bit where Scott keeps losing his dorito only to get another one from Bruce feels like a Doritos commercial.
*jams out to "Supersonic Rocket Ship by The Kinks*
Did they just keep reducing the green pigment for Hulk or what?
*sighs when they reveal Fat!Thor*
MIEK’S ALIVE!
Please tell me Noobmaster69 is Kid Loki, whom we meet in the Loki series
“Don’t... say that name.”  “Yeah we actually don’t say that name here.”  I like this.  I like that Thor has so much resentment for killing Thanos at the wrong time and that he felt that could have done better cause he’s A GOD.  So the fact that THANOS was on equal level and BEAT HIM-
Hawkeye’s killing people
This sword fight’s great [between the Yakuza person and Clint]
WHY DIDN’T THEY BUILD ON THIS [Clint and Natasha’s connection] ???
*laughs when Rhodey suggests killing baby Thanos*
These shots of Clint going through the Quantum Realm looks like something straight out of Andy Park’s concept art and that’s awesome
“Well I [Scott] haven’t [encountered an Infinity Stone] but I don’t even know what the hell you’re all talking about.”  *snorts*
“The Aether, firstly, is not a stone.”  Thank you!
The little glance Nebula gives after Thor mentions the Dark Elves just make me think that somewhere down the road, she has either A) encountered them or B) has encountered other Asgardians besides Thor
“Guys if you pick the right year, there are three stones in New York.”  “Shut the front door.”  *laughs*
Also underrated trio:  Steve, Natasha, and Bruce.  Gimme more.
Wait a minute, in 2012, Doctor Strange wasn’t active yet.  So are they gonna go see- OOOOOOOHHHHHH
[NEW YORK 2012] Oh here we go
*cracks up when Bruce very half-assedly smashes stuff on the street*
“I’m looking for Doctor Strange.”  “You’re about five years too early.”  Wait a minute.
HOW DOES SHE [the Ancient One] KNOW?!?
*giggles at Thor and Rocket sneaking in the background with a bored Loki in focus*
“That’s my [Thor’s] mother.  She dies today.”  I love this scene already.
Also WHY IS THOR- or the Thor films in general- have like the most well written characters in the whole canon?
It’s those movies, Guardians 2, The Winter Soldier, Civil War, aaand.... I can’t think of any more of them. 
Oh yeah and WANDAVISION cause THAT HIT ME LIKE A TRUCK-
Rocket just said he thinks of the Guardians as his family I’m gonna die...
What about their [Natasha and Rhodey’s] friendship?!?  I want more of that!
“Ronan’s obsession... clouds his judgment.”  ...HUH
*Thanos uses his sword to lift up Nebula’s chin*  Aw heck no
“As far as I’m concerned, that’s America’s ass.”  *has to take a second before nodding in agreement*
Wait is that Jasper Stillwell?
“Flick me.”  That bit alone could be taken out of context
“We’re in route to Doctor List.”  Who’s Doctor List?  Is that a code name?
“Hail Hydra.”  THE BASTARDS WENT AND DID IT
Please tell me this hand off scene is gonna be the opening for the Loki show.  Please tell me this is gonna happen.
*Loki takes the Tesseract again*  AND HE’S GOOONNNEE!!
LET’S GET TO FREAKING JUNE ALREADY!
*ends up quoting “Yeah, I know, I know” along with Steve*
I’m really glad Tilda Swinton actually came back for this cameo
*keeps slapping my laptop screen when people keep saying Doctor Strange made a mistake when it was an explicit point in Infinity War where he encountered 14 million other AUs to find the best result*
Are you telling me that this whole plan could derail because Nebula accidentally hacked into her own WiFI network?  Are you seriously doing this?
*Thanos and Ebony Maw scan Nebula’s duplicate memory bank and track her down*  Are you freaking kidding me?
...I have 96 minutes left?!?
“The future hasn’t been kind to you [Thor], has it?”  Frigga is underrated
So for these shots with Jane, are they just reusing different shots from Thor 2 or just footage from deleted scenes?
Can we talk about how Frigga is absolutely the best parent Thor has?  Meanwhile her husband ODIN is like “oh yeah by the way you have a secret sister totes magotes i’ll die now byeeee”
*sings along with “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone*
*laughs when we cut to Quill just very badly singing along to his iPod in the distance*
I want a bonus short with just Rhodey and Nebula doing their thing
*Nebula gets her memory taken over by 2014 Thanos*  Nooooooo...
Are the glasses that Tony wears here part of EDITH from “Far From Home” or are they like a prototype?
Also I haven’t seen “Far From Home” yet because Sony hates me
Doctor Zola?!?
*jams out to the music playing when we see Hank Pym’s lab*
“A little girl would be nice.  Less of a chance that she’ll end up exactly like me [Howard Stark].”  *gasps softly*
Oh my God, he’s [Steve] in Peggy’s office
Alan Silvestri is really killing it with this score
JARVIS!!
Wait and that’s the guy from “Agent Carter”!
Ohhh that shot’s [of Thanos’s ship coming out of the clouds] awesome...
*2014 Nebula hands Thanos the Pym particles*  Oh are you kidding me...
The CGI for Red Skull is also awesome
*gasps when Natasha reveals that she never knew her dad’s name when Red Skull told it to her*
*is super bummed out when Natasha sacrifices herself*
Kevin Feige really went and said “so Phases 3 and 4 are gonna make everybody cry” and the writers went “YES”
Wait doesn’t Cap go and return the stones at the end of the movie?  How’s he gonna handle meeting Red Skull on Vormir then?
“It’s like... I [Bruce] was made for this.”  Please someone get Mark Ruffalo his own Hulk movie before he combusts from giving out more spoilers
So Thanos used the Pym particles to time travel then.  Honestly that’s kinda genius
I just noticed that Scott shrank himself right as the explosion hit the windows
I really want someone to just drop one F-bomb somewhere in the MCU and I really hope it’s Clint because he would 100% say it
*starts singing “Hollaback Girl” when Thanos arrives*
Here’s my question;  how did Thanos acquire Nebula then?  With Gamora, it was with the genocide of her people.
“We [Gamora to Nebula] can stop him.”  LET’S GO!
[Thor uses his storm powers to summon both Stormbreaker and Mjolnir] *softly* Ohhhhh that’s badass...
Now I’m just imagining the cast just in the green screen room just hitting Josh Brolin with a bunch of foam weapons and making all the sound effects while poor Josh is just struggling under the weight of the Thanos reference head on his mocap suit
Who does the voice for FRIDAY?
AN:  Irish actress named Kerry Condon
*Steve deems himself worth to wield Mjolnir*  OKKAAYY OKAAYY
Love how Thanos is like “yes, I’m gonna stab you with an AXE”
“In all my years of conquest...”  Steve you suuuucckkk...
Are we getting the Chitauri again?
“On your left.”  *laughs incredulously*  O-ohhh my God...
*Everyone starts coming out of the portals*  Oh my God I’m getting chills
I would have lost my mind in the theater
I HAVE ACTUAL GOOSEBUMPS RUNNING ALL OVER ME.  This is how good this is
WAIT ARE THOSE THE RAVAGER SHIPS ABOVE THEM?!?
“Avengers... assemble.”  Oh my God this is amazing!
M’BAKU!
Also “Endgame” really just said “We are KILLING FOOLS TODAY”
How are they gonna tackle Peter and Gamora’s relationship in Guardians 3?
[Horn plays La Cucaracha] LET’S GO
God I’m gonna turn feral
*has to pause to scream in excitement when Wanda touches down in front of Thanos to fight him*
*puts hands on head*  OHH MY GOOOOODDDDD
They’re literally just playing Keep Away with a teenage boy.  Marvel, everybody.
*Captain Marvel destroys Thanos’s ship*  WELL IT TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH
OK I got mixed feelings about that [the girl power team up scene]
*Thanos unsuccessfully headbutts Carol*  Oh shit!
*Doctor Strange holds up one finger*  Oh my God this is it
Someone definitely tore off when Thanos pushed Tony off
It was in that moment he [Thanos] knew- he effed up
*All of Thanos’s army dissipates*  Byeee...
Is it bad that I’m not crying at Tony’s death?
*gasps when Peter reunites with Ned at school*
Wait the whole time heist takes place within ONE DAY?
“I love you 3000.”  I really hope we see Morgan again somewhere in one of the movies or shows.  Actually a cool way to reincorporate her would be in the Ironheart series whenever they make it
Even Drax is wearing black!
It’s the “We should be getting therapy but we got a TV show instead” trio [Wanda, Bucky, and Sam]
Wait is that guy- was that guy- the little kid from Iron Man 3?
AN:  Yes
So right after this funeral, Wanda’s gonna storm SWORD right?
AN:  This was finished up on 2/26 so probably YES
*Thor crowns Valkyrie the new leader of New Asgard*  I now cannot wait for “Thor Love and Thunder”
Wait Peter’s looking for Gamora!
Still cannot believe that the time travel suits are completely CGI
I know they had a body double for Chris Evans here but I do think it would have been cool if they used the body double’s voice for Old Steve instead of Chris trying to sound old
He [Steve] put the shield in an art portfolio bag...
*says “No, no I don’t think I will” along with Steve*
*silently jams out to “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” playing during the credits*
Wait and that was the song Fury was playing in “Winter Soldier”
Oh they even got the actual signatures!  That’s awesome!
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anerdquemoraaolado · 3 years
Text
Beyond a Chance
Chapter 2: A new test
After having spent the morning rehearsing, Yasmim decided to lget out of home for a while. In addition to thinking that it would do her good to get some fresh air, she needed to do some shopping, her refrigerator and stocks were a little understaffed.
Even going to the supermarket reminded her of her childhood, of the mess she made with her siblings, running down the halls, insisting that her parents bring her sweets. Her thinking really convinced her to take home donuts among essential groceries.
After paying for everything and returning home, she was surprised by three missed calls and a voicemail message. Seeing who it was, she despaired a little. Astonished, she hurried to call him back.
'"Hi Howard, it's me" she said quickly before he could say anything "I'm sorry for not answering sooner, I had to go to the market and I forgot my cell phone charging."
"Oh yes, I was worried because you don't get off your cell phone" he commented "well, now that I can talk to you, listen to me carefully."
"Yes, sir" Yasmim even sat down for that purpose.
Howard Lawrence had been her agent since moving to Los Angeles, who had also battled for her and her career, but no luck getting big auditions for Yasmim, well at least so far.
"A casting agency issued a call for super secret auditions" Howard explained "and best of all, they want all-Latin actresses."
"That's great, but why so much secrecy?" Yasmim looked suspicious "what about my age? Are you sure this isn't one of those cases where I'm expected to look younger than I am for a role of 25? This doesn't work..."
"I know your frustration with this, but listen to me" he was patient "the age they are looking for is 30 to 40, so you fit perfectly."
"Perfectly?" she asked "I hope so, and then, do you intend to schedule a test for me?"
"Of course, you just have to say yes" Howard was excited "I know I've failed you a lot, but I feel that this is the chance that can reward both of us."
"Yes, so yes, I want this test" she allowed herself to be happy "just send me the character description and I'll start studying right away."
"That's more like it!" Howard got really excited, which made Yasmim smile "well, they described the character as a noble and reserved girl who is the moral compass of her friends."
"Okay, got it, I know where to start" she understood "so let me know when the day of the test will be."
"Of course I'll let you know" Howard replied with all the support "and from now on, I wish you good luck."
"Thank you then" she smiled "and bye."
"Bye, have a good day, I'll talk to you later" Howard said goodbye, ending the call.
Yasmim let out a hopeful smile, even though she was alone in the house. She would seize this opportunity with all her strength and would not let it go by any means.
She began to write a dialogue over what Howard had said, studying and speaking what she had written. A while later, when Howard had already scheduled her test and had access to the text, he sent it to Yasmim, who, upon reading, saw that she was on the right path.
"I don't recognize you anymore, I know about your dark side, I know you never felt like you belonged anywhere, but what we had together, what we built together, doesn't it mean anything? Yes, you can accuse me, you tell me I didn't always love you, but you know that's a lie. Me not realizing that I loved you but I always did doesn't invalidate my feelings."
It was a very strong monologue, which immediately stirred Yasmim's imagination. She could understand well what this mysterious character was like from there, but who she should be talking to, that was curious. A friend of hers? A love from the past? A corrupted relative? It was a detail full of possibilities.
She then devoted herself to the monologue, wondering who she would say it to, spending the days leading up to the test that way. And so, the day of her big break arrived.
After a cab ride, there was Yasmim Gomes in a small office in Los Angeles, waiting to be called.
"Yasmim is next!" she heard the secretary call.
She stood up, leaving the anxiety and apprehension out of the testing room. When she saw who was waiting for her, she had a slight insight. It really wasn't just any test.
Next to the casting man was a man in his forties, clean-shaven, talking to the woman beside him, and on his head was a distinguished red cap.
Yasmim remembered when Bruno showed her a video of that same man, her brother described him as "Kevin Feige, the big boss of Marvel, the one responsible for all these blockbuster superhero movies." That is to say, Yasmim was competing for a spot in a movie or other major Marvel production, with all the visibility that work could offer. She couldn't miss this chance.
"Hi Yasmim, I'm Sarah, this is Kevin, welcome" tthe casting director said, snapping Yasmim out of her pensive state.
"Hi, thanks" the actress replied.
"So, before we start, tell a little more about your work experiences" Kevin asked and gulping hard, Yasmim prepared to answer.
"I've mainly worked with theater plays here in Los Angeles for the last 6 years" she handed over the information.
"I see, well, you received the monologue, you can start whenever you want" Sarah gave her the instruction.
Yasmim took a deep breath and began to recite the sentences, with all her talent and dedication. Her acting was very truthful, which left Kevin and Sarah impressed, noting excellent comments about her audition.
"Very well, Yasmim, that's it, we thank you for your participation, we wish you good luck and we will get in touch if you have passed" Kevin warned.
"Thank you very much, I'm going then, bye" Yasmim said goodbye and left.
In her heart, she knew it had gone really well, but now, waiting for a positive result made her even more anxious. She hoped everything had worked in her favor this time.
Notes:
Hey guys? How are you? Well, you know Loki was released recently and well, I got the idea for this story because of the show. I've always loved the character and I think Tom is a hell of an actor, so I decided to write this story. Yes, it's true that this narrative formula is already pretty well wasted by myself, but let's see what I can do differently now.
Trivia: Santa Fé do Sul really exists, it's the neighboring town where I used to live, and Snow White's play was the first play I did in school, but I played the princess's mother, in a super short silent role. Well that's it, follow the new chapters every Friday and comment there, thanks!
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Czarna Wdowa 2021 Cały Film Online
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Welcome back everyone this is going to be my new  marvel black widow movie video there's a bunch  of announcements about what disney is going to be  doing disney and marvel with the actual release of  the movie people been asking about them putting it  on disney plus apparently there's some news about  that now so i'll explain what's going on and a lot  of it has to do with what warner brothers is doing  with their movies in 2021 and what's happening  right now 
 The world just in general with movie  theaters so if you're new to the channel be sure  to subscribe to get all the videos we're obviously  in the middle of Wandavision i'm doing episode  videos for all that we're going to have falcon  and winter soldiers starting in march so there's  a lot of really really cool marvel stuff coming up  we're doing that disney plus memberships giveaway  all you have to do to enter is be a subscriber and  just leave all your predictions about the black  widow movie on the video so if you didn't see the  news in the past week there's a new report from  variety's insights team which is a very insidery  business report that they publish about the movie  and tv financials studio politics them releasing  movies and tv shows and in it they talk about how  disney is making some changes to their plans for  the black widow movie release date because of  what's been happening the last couple of months  and now at the beginning of 2021 in january you  may have seen that a lot of studios just delayed  all their big movies pretty much up through april  and last week kevin feige was doing a bunch of  interviews to hype up the wand division episodes  during those he talked about everything from  deadpool 3 to the fantastic four movie to their  new rebooted x-men movies they're doing in the mcu  but he also talked about what's happening with  the Czarna wdowa film online because now everybody's  wondering if they're going to have to delay  it again you probably saw when all the movie  delays were happening people were making jokes 
 In their timelines like just wait for it disney's  going to announce they're going to delay that  black widow movie one more time it's already been  delayed almost as many times as the new mutants  movie last year when a lot of things got delayed  they figured that by this time and by march april  2021 things would be better theaters would be open  but so far that has not been the case the uk is  currently under a big lockdown the u.s has been  under a big lockdown there's still a lot of other  places around the world where theaters are not  open and won't be open for a while that's  why warner brothers came up with their  real grand plan to release all their 2021 movies  on hbo max last year like we need subscriptions  and it doesn't look like things are going to get  better so why don't we just put all of our movies  on hbo max and in some theaters on the same day  for all of 2021 but in terms of the Czarna Wdowa film  right now just nothing beyond april has  been delayed again so there's still a chance  that they could hit that may release date 
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But the  big problem that marvel has that a lot of other  studios don't have with their movies is that if  they delay black widow again they have to delay  every other marvel movie into like 2023 like  pretty much every future marvel movie one of  marvel's biggest strengths the connected nature  of its movies also becomes a big problem too like  we're at the beginning of marvel phase 4 right  now all the movies happen in a certain order for  a reason because each one tells a little of the  overarching infinity saga style story that helps  connect everything building up to avengers 5 it's  like you're watching a tv show that's serialized  and each of the episodes cost 200 million dollars  so they delay black widow again it means they'd  have to delay the shang chi movie which is coming  this summer the eternals movie then spider-man 3  doctor strange 2 thor 4 love and thunder and so  on the dominoes keep following well into 2023  most of you who are still in school right now  if they kept delaying movies you would probably  be married with children by the time avengers 5  rolls around but back last year in 2020 when the  lockdowns first started happening after the first  few movie delays everyone just started asking why  don't you just put black widow on disney plus why  not put the movies on disney plus disney pretty  much has infinite money and they can just take  it on the chin a little bit for a couple movieswhat do we have here there's also that extra  thirty dollars that they charge for some of their  disney premier movies like the mulan movie where  you get it on disney plus but you have to pay an  extra thirty dollars to get it early they're also  doing that again with another movie raya in the  last dragon in march so i'll talk about that in  a second too that's another quote-unquote hybrid
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  Release movie that they're doing and apparently  the reason why marvel did not do that with the  black widow movie last year because originally  they were going to release it in november didn't  have anything to do with them being worried about  losing money because yeah they'd lose a little bit  of money according to the rumor it had more to do  with the specific clauses in scarlett johansson's  contract that prevented disney and marvel from  releasing it on disney plus like apparently  scarlett johansson's contract for the czarna wdowa  movie has some special terms in it about how  they're allowed to release the movie and how she  earns a ton more money from a theatrical release  from the box office earnings than from streaming  earnings so apparently disney and marvel were  legally obligated under the terms of her contract 
 To have to release the movie in theaters in some  way they couldn't just put it on disney plus even  if they wanted to what's changed recently though  why there's all this renewed talk about a hybrid  release for black widow then putting it on disney  plus and in theaters on the same day has more to  do with what happened with the wonder woman 1984  movie that was the first real big comic book movie  this past year to do the hybrid release this last  christmas releasing the movie on streaming on hbo  max the same day that they release it in theaters  where theaters are open around the world because  there are some places where theaters are open  so warner brothers is doing this hybrid release  strategy for all of its movies in 2021 the big  difference between what warner brothers is doing  and what disney is doing is that warner brothers  isn't charging the extra 30 dollars premier access  money that disney is charging for some of its  films but per this variety insights report disney  and marvel are starting to feel like delaying the  black widow movie straight up will just cause more  problems than it will solve so they're thinking  about a hybrid release strategy to fix everything  they get to release the movie with no more delays  meaning we get to see shang qi this summer and  eternals in november no more delays for marvel  movies because right now just based on the rate of  how fast the virus situation is resolving itself  most summer movies seem like they're going to be  fine like theaters will mostly be open by later  this summer and per this hybrid release strategy  because they'd be releasing black widow in some  theaters 
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Even if it's not a ton it would be enough  to keep scarlett johansson from suing disney  for the tens of millions of dollars she would  potentially lose out on also on the side they'll  probably pass her some extra change like here  please take a couple extra million dollars don't  sue us warner brothers kind of had to do that with  gal gadot and patty jenkins when they released  wonder woman 1984 on hbo max they gave him a bunch  of extra money up front because they weren't going  to be earning a lot of extra money on the back end  you probably saw patty jenkins making a huge stink  about all this christopher nolan got really pissed  off about this too when they announced their big  2021 movies plan in fun fact 2 all the newer  marvel phase 
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5 movies that they've announced  like the fantastic four reboot movie the deadpool  3 movies ryan reynolds marvel is apparently also  altering all their standard movie contracts with  everyone to allow for streaming releases if things  like this happen in the future so actors directors  producers can't sue them if a big problem comes up  or another big pandemic and they have to release  movies on streaming so if you're wondering why you  didn't see a lot of disney movies on disney plus  last year it's not so much about them losing money  it's more about lawsuits from people in studio  contracts the next big disney plus test that  they're running is for the raya in the last dragon  movie is basically disney's version of avatar the  last airbender they just released a new trailer  for that this morning as i'm posting this video  that's going to be released the first week in  march so we won't have to wait too long to see  what happens with that but they're charging the  extra 30 dollars for the disney premier access  just like they did with the mulan movie so if  they're doing that for a pixar movie then you  can bet that they're going to charge an extra  30 for the black widow movie this may if they  also go with the hybrid release strategy like  variety is saying they will what will probably  happen you'll see in the next couple of months 
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 Is marvel will wait till the last possible second  that they have to before committing to an actual  release strategy like they'll just wait till  april to see if things get better and they don't  have to worry about it and they can just release  it normally in theaters like they originally  wanted to right now everyone's assuming that  things will mostly be back to normal by the summer  so may is just sort of that in-between period like  kevin feige himself is hopeful that things will  be fine but he also said that he's trying not to  make too many assumptions before we actually get  to may so let me know in the comments if you think  that marvel is going to pull the rip cord and do  a hybrid release strategy for black widow in may  or if you think the theaters will be fine by then    thank you so much for wriging everyone stay  safe and i'll see you in the next post!
You can see this video here:
https://myfilmyonline.pl/caly-film/czarna-wdowa-2021-film-online/
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lokiondisneyplus · 3 years
Text
Loki director Kate Herron’s heart was beating fast. She’d already had some surreal experiences during her short time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so a simple phone call shouldn’t make her nervous. But on the other end of the line was Owen Wilson, an actor and writer she admired and hoped would join her on a time-jumping journey through the MCU.
“It was the most detailed pitch I’ve ever done, to an actor, ever. I pretty much spoke through the entire first episode with him,” Herron recalls of wooing Wilson, who wasn’t too familiar with Marvel before being cast as Mobius, an agent for the mysterious Time Variance Authority central to the series.
Wilson instantly put Herron at ease with his laid-back charm as she walked the actor through 10 years of onscreen lore for Loki, the god of mischief played by Tom Hiddleston. She answered his questions about Avengers: Endgame, about time travel, about how this version of Loki was not the one fans knew from films like Thor: Ragnarok, but rather one plucked from an alternate timeline from 2012’s The Avengers.
It was all part of a whirlwind few years for Herron, who not that long ago was temping at a fire extinguisher company and struggling to land directing work even though she’d already helmed a BBC project with Idris Elba. Then Herron finally achieved breakthrough success directing episodes of the Netflix hit Sex Education and soon was hounding her agents for a Marvel meeting.
When Herron finally landed one, the Loki superfan cleared her schedule and spent two weeks putting together a 60-page document, even though her agents tempered her expectations by noting it was just a meet-and-greet.
“I knew I’d be up against some really big directors, and I knew I wouldn’t be the most experienced in the room, so I [said], ‘OK. I’ll just be the most passionate,'” recalls Herron.
Just a few days after officially landing the job, Herron found herself on a five-hour walk through New York with Hiddleston discussing Loki and flying to D23 in Anaheim to be greeted by thousands of screaming fans alongside Loki head writer Michael Waldron.
Herron is now working long days finishing up Loki in Marvel’s production hub in Atlanta, where the British filmmaker has largely lived since getting the job in 2019. Over Zoom from her freezing Atlanta apartment (she still hasn’t figured out the quirks of the air conditioner), Herron dives into Loki ahead of its June 9 debut on Disney+.
What was your process of sitting down with Marvel for this?
I was just so overexcited. [My agents] were like, “Look, it’s just a casual conversation, they just want to get a sense of you,” and basically I was like, “OK, I’m just going to pitch them.” Because I thought, they might not meet me again. So I got as much information as I could, and they sent me a little bit about the show. And I just prepared a massive pitch for it. I canceled everything for two weeks. I made a 60-page document full of references, story ideas, music. I knew I’d be up against some really big directors, and I knew I wouldn’t be the most experienced in the room, so I [said], “OK. I’ll just be the most passionate.”
Was that first meeting in Burbank?
That was in England, in southeast London on Zoom. I had a few stages where I did that. Then after a few interviews with Kevin Wright and Stephen Broussard, two of the Marvel executives who got me ready for the big match, I went in to pitch to Kevin Feige, Victoria [Alonso], Lou [Louis D’Esposito], the whole team there. That was very surreal because they flew me to Burbank and I pitched at Marvel Studios. I didn’t have the job, but I found out they were interested and then I remember Kevin Feige called me, and when he was in London, we had coffee. He was like, “Look, we want you to direct it.” Oh my God. They flew me to D23 and that was crazy because I think I found out I got the job 48 hours before, and then I was onstage. The Lady and the Tramp dogs were in front of me and Michael [Waldron] on the red carpet. “What is going on?” (Laughs.) I met Tom that week as well, so it was a bit of a whirlwind kind of thing.
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📷Herron, Waldron and Feige at D23 in 2019.
Where did you first meet Tom?
I had a two-stop trip. I flew first to New York to meet Tom. He was in Betrayal at the time, on Broadway, so we basically went on this amazing walk around New York. I’d never met him before. We just spoke about Loki and what was really important to us about the character and where we thought it would be fun to take him, as well. It was this intense, five-hour conversation with him basically. I met him and then flew straight from meeting him to D23. So it was a lot. (Laughs.)
When did you finally get the scripts? How did that change your thoughts on what you want to do?
They sent me the outline, so I knew the overall story. I also was pitching stuff. “Oh, we could do this with this character.” The pilot was really well written by Michael and I really liked what they were doing with the character and the story. Then it was building upon that and throwing in ideas for where he could go later in the show. It reminded me a bit of improv where you’re always building, always trying to push the story to the best place. So we were always adapting and shifting the story. Our lockdown, during COVID, was a chance for us to go back in. I was cutting what we’d done, so I was like, “OK, this is tonally what is really working for the story.” Then we went back into what we hadn’t filmed and started adapting that stuff to fit more where we were heading.
The Marvel movies have a writer on set to help tweak things. Was that the case with Loki?
Michael [Waldron] was with us at the start, and then he went on to Doctor Strange [in the Multiverse of Madness]. We had a really wonderful writer called Eric Martin from our writers room, and he was our production writer on set. It was between me, him and my creative producer Kevin Wright. We would kind of brainstorm and adapt. I’ve always loved talking to the cast. We had such a smart cast. Owen is a writer as well. If you have that amazing resource, why not talk to them? We were always adapting. Obviously paying respect to the story we wanted to tell from the start, but always trying to make it better.
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📷Herron on the set of ‘Loki’ with Hiddleston and Wilson.
Kevin Feige has said Owen Wilson, like his character, is nonplussed by the MCU. Since Owen isn’t necessarily dazzled by Marvel, does that make him all the more perfect for this role?
He is playing a Loki expert, so at the beginning of production, Tom and I were talking. He devised this thing called Loki School. He did a big lecture to the cast and crew. I love the character. This is a decade of fans loving this character and where that character has been. It was talking everyone through that, but through Tom and his own experiences. Stunts that Tom liked or costumes. He ended up doing that same Loki school for Owen. Owen absolutely loved it. Owen has such a writer’s brain. I remember I had to pitch him down the phone. My heart rate [was up].
Was this the pitch to get him to get Owen on board?
Yeah. I love his work. “Oh my God, I’m going to talk to Owen Wilson.” He’s so laid back and nice, it immediately puts you at ease. It was the most detailed pitch I’ve ever done, to an actor, ever. I think I pretty much spoke through the entire first episode with him. You can tell he’s a writer, just by the way he attacks story. His questions about the world and the structure and the arc of the character. It was really fun to work with him.
Was it the most detailed pitch you’ve ever done because you really wanted Owen, or because you knew you needed to woo him a bit to get him to sign on?
It was the questions he asked, and the way he attacked story, in that sense. And also probably because he was newer to the Marvel world, he was like, “OK, how does this work?” I also pitched him Loki’s arc over the past 10 years, where that character has gone, but also explaining our Loki and what happened in Endgame and time travel. There’s a lot to unpack in that conversation.
Sometimes Marvel will give writers or directors a supercut of all the scenes of a specific character. Did you get one of those?
They didn’t actually give me a supercut, but I’m a big Loki nerd. I think his is one of the best [arcs] in the MCU. I really wanted to make sure we were paying respect to that. At the same time, something Tom spoke about a lot was you have to go back for a reason. Let’s be united on what that reason is and feel that it’s worth it.
The reason can’t be, “Well that’s what happened in Endgame,” so the question becomes, “What is the point of revisiting him at this era of his life?”
Yeah. He’s only had — I don’t want to get this wrong — I think 112 minutes of screen time in total if you cut all his scenes together. And he steals the show. We have six hours to really delve into this character and talk about him and go on this completely new story with him. For me, it was making sure that [we’re] paying respect to what has come before — I know as a fan if there is a character I really loved and I found out they are making a show about him, I obviously would be so excited and so happy. I felt lucky to have the responsibility, and I took it very seriously.
Those who have worked with Kevin Feige say he’s someone who can stress test an idea and push things in new directions. What have you found working with him?
Something I always found was we would sometimes pitch something, and it would be at a good place, but he’d always be like, “OK, that’s great, but push it further.” Sometimes I’d pitch stuff and be like, “This is too weird,” and he’d say, “No, go weirder.” He wants to tell the best story and I found it really helpful having his eye across everything and the fact that he does challenge everything. Tom as well, on set. He brings this amazing energy and this great A-game that causes everyone to rise to the occasion.
How do you know when you’ve got the perfect Hiddleston take? Is he asking you for one more, are you pushing him to do one more take?
By the end, it was almost telepathic. We would kind of know. We would look at each other. “We could go again,” or, “We’ve got it.” It’s different with every actor. There are some actors who will come in firing and they just want to go for it. But they don’t want to do a million takes. There are other actors I work with who are very meticulous and they want quite a few to warm up and get into it. It’s actor-dependent. The way me and Tom are similar is we are both very perfectionist. We are both very studious. (Laughs.) We definitely connected in that sense. He’s a very generous actor. I remember one day, we had quite a few of our actors coming in as day players. It was really important for him to be there for them, to read lines offscreen. He would have to be 50 places at once, because he is the lead actor. The most amazing thing about him was his generosity. Not just to the other actors, but also to the crew, to be filming in a time like COVID.
When you make an Avengers movie, you get a big board with every character that’s available, and whether the actor’s deals will allow them to appear or if that would need to be renegotiated. Loki is smaller, but was there any equivalent for you? Was everything on the table? Was only some stuff on the table? I imagine if Chris Hemsworth has his own new Thor movie coming up, he’s not going to be on the table, necessarily.
I felt like everything was on the table if it meant it was good for story, and Marvel would be like, “We’ll work it out.” Me and the writers, we never felt restrained in that sense. Honestly, it always comes back to story.
What is your relationship with your editor as you finish this up?
We have three editors, Paul Zucker, Emma McCleave and Calum Ross. My relationship with all three of them is very different. Emma and me are very close because she was also in Atlanta away from home. I got to know her very well. I love working with the editors because it’s a fresh pair of eyes. You get so deep into something when you are filming, it’s almost like writing it again when you are in the edit. Stuff does change. Even some episodes, we’ve reordered the structure. Or we moved scenes from one episode to another episode. I’ve always loved the editing process. The best thing is someone honest who can be like, “Hey, this doesn’t quite make sense to me,” or, “This isn’t working.”
What are you going to do on premiere day? Will you be on the internet at all to see the reaction?
I’m actually working. I’m still finishing the show. My last day is the day the second episode airs. I’m going to be working that day. Sadly, I’ll probably check in on the internet a little bit, but I’ll probably go to bed when I finish because I think I’ll do a 12- or 13-hour day or something. I can’t remember. I’m really excited for people to see it and just to bring it out in the world, really.
Everyone wants to know about spoilers, but what’s something you wish you were asked about more when it comes to Loki?
Kevin Feige said, “We make movies. We want to run it like a movie.” So unlike a lot of television shows that are showrunner-led, this was run like a six-hour film. As a director, you don’t often get to do that in a television-structure show. I really enjoyed it, having a hand in story and just how collaborative it was. Also, just beyond that, directing the equivalent of a six-hour Marvel movie was incredible for me. That’s something I found interesting about it. Making something the Marvel way.
In terms of the themes, I love gray areas. The show is really about what makes someone truly good or what makes someone truly bad, and are we either of those things? Loki is in that gray area. It’s exciting to be able to tell a story like that. As a director and a writer, you don’t necessarily understand why you are making these stories. Something I keep getting drawn back into is identity. Sex Education, we spoke a lot about identity and feeling like an outsider but actually finding your people. I feel the same with Loki. It’s a show about identity and self-acceptance and for me, that’s also what drew me in.
Gray is a good way to describe Loki. Your version of Loki just tried to take over the Earth not long ago.
Exactly. This isn’t the Loki we’ve seen. How do we take a character that people love, but from a lot earlier, and send him on a different path? That for me was interesting, getting to unpack that. Alongside that, getting to set up a whole new corner of the MCU with TVA. That to me was so exciting.
What about the Teletubbies? You referenced that recently and it made quite a splash. Are you going to leave people in suspense on that?
I referenced the Teletubbies once and people were like, “What, Teletubbies? What does this mean?” Maybe I should leave people in the air with it. One thing I would say is the show for me, stylistically — I wanted it to be a love letter to sci-fi because I love sci-fi. Brazil, Metropolis, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Alien. If people love sci-fi, they will definitely see the little nods we’ve got across the show.  People will know what it was a reference for when they see the show. It was a visual reference to something in the show.
Interview has been edited for length and clarity. Loki debuts on Disney+ on June 9.
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