tv_talk | Speak Up Saturday

Grosse Pointe Garden Society was canceled and I am not surprised. I was entertained and liked the cast, but can knowledge that it wasn't a particularly good show. Still, I would have liked to see a second season.

Ironheart is fine, although I don't think I'm really the target audience (which is a feeling I also had with Ms. Marvel). It also feels like this show comes too late which is also not new for Marvel. It would have been a great show to have one or two months after Black Panther 2 or shortly after its debut on Disney+. Did Disney really gauge people's interest in a show based on Riri's (small) role in that movie? I kinda doubt it. I'm also not a fan of dropping a six-episode miniseries in two batches of three episodes. It worked with Andor, but that had more episodes. Either drop six episodes at once or stagger them over the course of six weeks. I guess more services are doing that now, start with three episodes to get people's attention and then release weekly episodes, but for a miniseries it's a weird approach. That's one of the reasons I haven't started Countdown yet, even though I'm interested. There are three episodes already, but it's not my top priority, so I'm immediately far behind :/

S4 of the acclaimed comedy series The Bear is also out which I will get to eventually. I'm not in the mood for a anxiety-inducing/stressful show right now...

It is an odd release decision. To me it just indicates a lack of faith in the series. I also agree that it seems to have taken a long time since the BP2 release, but wasn't that film affected by Covid delays? I'm guessing nothing new was getting planned for a while, and this may have been intended as a movie that got shifted to a series because she'll have a role in an upcoming film.

To me it just indicates a lack of faith in the series.
Totally! I would understand it, if they had a packed schedule of Marvel shows, but they don't. Daredevil ended in April and the next one will start in August (which is animated, the next live-action show starts in December).

Now that you mention it, it could have been Covid or even the strike. I completely forgot about both things.

Wait there's an animated Daredevil between the first and second season? Odd choice.

I'm wondering who Marvel/Disney is targeting audience-wise now? Also if they have a plan, at all?

I think it was more than just the pandemic or the strike, I think people got burned out on superhero films. I have a weakness for superhero films - and I got burned out on them. Also, it's hard to keep outdoing yourself? They'd been on a winning streak, and something had to give.

Add to that - there was a lot of upheaval creatively at MCU, changes in cast, and oversight. And they had this packed schedule, but it hinged on various things working in various films and series that turned out to be duds. Not to mention a cast member who ended up getting convicted for a ...well, a crime the audience won't forgive. They had a lot hinged on Kang being the villain, and suddenly had to regroup, cut out Kang, and find a new villain. Which resulted in a lot of projects being switched around, and various others cancelled.

I mean consider? It was supposed to be Avengers: Kang Dynasty soon after the Ant-Man and the Wasp film, but alas, that film was a dud at the box office, and Evangeline Lilly who played the Wasp is making noises about retiring from acting. Not only that, but Marvels also didn't do that well. And the guy playing Kang got himself into a lot of trouble. They had to get rid of him, and change course. They also had to get rid of the previous creative team. Resulting in pushing everything back.
Then, the lead of The Black Panther series died, and the actress playing his sister, was problematic during the filming of the next film in that series. Riri was introduced in Wakanda Forever - as a lead in for her series - which also got pushed back due to issues with other properties. They've just had a spat of bad luck, after a stream of successes. (shrugs) It happens. Happened to DC's films as well - did well with the Batman series helmed by Nolan, but not with the series that followed done by Snyder and then Whedon, where it crashed and burned. They had to regroup creatively as well.

I honestly think the audience has changed as has our society since they started these films, and they kind of have to figure out who that new audience is? The audience or that size of an audience may just not be there any longer. Which means going in another direction.

No, sorry. Bad wording. I meant that Daredevil was the most recent Marvel show before Ironheart. That is getting released right now, followed by two animated Marvel shows (one about Wakanda and Marvel Zombies). The next live action show will come in December.

I still somewhat enjoy Marvel's content, but I'm not as excited as I used to be. I know many people feel that way, but I also know that many people have completely checked out of the MCU or superhero movies in general.

As for Kang...this would have been the perfect character to recast. Gender-swap and done.

I think right now they are trying to find an audience two ways, either with young heroes (like Riri) or nostalgia for a time that hasn't even been over for that long. They bring people you thought were out. I'm not sure either strategy is working right now.

DC seems even worse to me. Let people breathe between reboots, new universes, and new actors.

Yes, why not just recast Kang? It's not like they haven't done some high level recasts for one reason or another. My suspicion is that Kang was not resonating with people and combined with poor performance of different projects they decided to go in another direction.

Mind you, I don't know that Thanos was revving any engines pre-Infinity War either. He did appear briefly in other films but he was mostly just something to fight against. Whereas they did spend a good deal of time building up Kang in Loki (which did fairly well) as well as the whole aspect of the multiverse.

But I was definitely into MCU and while I try out each series or movie they release, I haven't been excited about any of it. (I actually quite liked The Marvels, but it was more a matter of being pleasantly surprised than really loving it).

The big issue to me is that the writing isn't there. I mean Disney had been bombing with non-Mandalorian shows but then there was Andor which got a lot of people excited inside and outside the fandom. So it just needs to be something really good.

And I do appreciate them taking many different approaches, but in a way this also weakens them because people who like one sort of story aren't necessarily into another.

Yes, why not just recast Kang? It's not like they haven't done some high level recasts for one reason or another. My suspicion is that Kang was not resonating with people and combined with poor performance of different projects they decided to go in another direction

From what I've read - it had more to do with the character not popping or resonating enough. He's a relatively obscure comic villain that most of the audience didn't recognize. (I certainly didn't and I read comics.) And his introduction was in two properties that didn't quite hit as well as projected. The actor screwing up - just gave them the excuse they needed to go in another direction, which they were flirting with after Quantumania bombed (from Disney's perspective).

Also Doctor Doom - had a high interest level. And it lead into bringing in the Fantastic Four and X-men, the two hot properties that Marvel had been wanting to premiere in the MCU (again).

Mind you, I don't know that Thanos was revving any engines pre-Infinity War either. He did appear briefly in other films but he was mostly just something to fight against. Whereas they did spend a good deal of time building up Kang in Loki (which did fairly well) as well as the whole aspect of the multiverse.

Not quite the same? Thanos is well-known by most comics fans. And only folks with Disney + saw Loki. Kang's success hinged on Quantumania - which bombed. Also not enough people got hooked into Loki to launch Kang. Doctor Doom on the other hand is a well-known villain, basically Marvel's version of Lex Luther. Also, he's a white guy, Eastern European, and a guy with a King complex - fits very well with the current political environment, and as a statement against fascism. And they could get Downy Jr to play him. And he's complicated but not convoluted like Kang. They wanted a white male Lex Luther style villain for a diverse cast of heroes to fight.

Kang worked better prior to ahem, the current political situation. Disney is tuned into that more than you might think. And they need a villain that speaks to people - who people want to destroy, but find entertaining. Kang...was let's face it? Didn't grab folks, he wasn't interesting. Plus the who multiple time lines/multi-verse is confusing to people and not exciting for most.

The big issue to me is that the writing isn't there.

Agree. I think it's why they pulled the Russo's back in as showrunners for Doomsday and Secret Wars. Because the writing to date has been lackluster.

Although I've seen good reviews for Iron Heart, and Thunderbolts did VERY well, breaking some records, and surprising people. I've not seen either - but Thunderbolts landed well. It did better than Captain America - Brave New World.

I didn't even realize Thunderbolts was out yet, but that's good for them that it's doing well.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/5-reasons-why-thunderbolts-box-office-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction-for-marvel/ar-AA1EDgtJ?ocid=feedsansarticle

It's admittedly controversial - some think it didn't do well, others think it did? It's made about 381 Million to date. But the truth is - not as many folks go to the movies now, as they used to. I know I've not seen a movie in a movie theater since Oppenheimer. I find movie theaters uncomfortable and a pain to go to now - for various reasons. Also expensive - it costs $20 in the city.

Weirdly, S4 of the Bear isn't the anxiety inducing/stressful show of the previous seasons. I completed it this weekend and found it oddly comforting. Not what I expected at all.

With you on Ironheart. My difficulty with the MCU right now - is I've gotten burned out on it. And I'm annoyed because they are finally switching it up more - and it's less white boys. I want to see Ironheart, but I'd rather watch or do this thing over here instead?

That is actually good to know! I was kinda dreading to watch the season when the weather is already dragging my mood down lol

S4 is a lot better than S3. It's more consistent, and less uneven, like S3 was. S3 had some excellent episodes, but overall was hit or miss. S4 is consistently good and uplifting throughout in various unexpected ways.

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