Image by André Santana AndreMS from Pixabay A couple of weeks ago, I looked back on the ups and downs of the Phase Four projects from Marvel Studios released in 2021. As promised, I continue this two-part retrospective and wrap up my look back at Phase Four overall by breaking down my thoughts on all nine (yes, NINE!) projects that Marvel Studios released in 2022.
So, without further ado…LET’S GET STARTED! Moon Knight (2022) Having no context for the character of Marc Spector, only one thing about Moon Knight excited me: Oscar Isaac. Despite his lackluster/disappointing appearances in X-Men: Apocalypse and the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Isaac has cemented his status as one of the better actors of the past decade from his starring turn in the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis to his strong presence as a supporting character in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. So, I was more than interested in seeing him lead an MCU streaming series regardless of who he was playing. But the character he ended up playing excited me even more for Moon Knight. Simply put, the best of what this show offers stems directly from Isaac’s acting chops. While it’s reminiscent of James McAvoy’s talents displayed in M. Night Shyamalan’s movies Split and Glass, I think Isaac better understood the deeper psychological trauma and emotional turmoil inherent to accurately portraying dissociative identity disorder (DID). In every subtle twitch of the eye or movement of the hand, Steven Grant and Marc Spector feel like distinct characters with clashing motivations from the get-go. More than anything, this tense dynamic that Isaac embodies in his performance makes the first two episodes of Moon Knight a solid start. More broadly, however, the series’ first act is driven by a pretty compelling mystery about the truth behind Grant/Spector’s identity and his supposed ties to the Egyptian moon god Khonshu (voice by F. Murray Abraham). Like so many stories with a mystery at their core, Moon Knight makes for some fun and interesting viewing as it teases the audience as to how each of the main characters play into the overall story. What does Steven know of Marc, and vice-versa? How much control, if any, does Marc have in his relationship with Khonshu? What does Layla (May Calamawy) know, if anything, about Marc/Steven’s identity crisis? What is Arthur Harrow’s (Ethan Hawke) plan, and how does Khonshu play into it? These are some interesting questions. Unfortunately, the way they are answered is how Moon Knight (in my humble opinion) begins to falter. To start with episode three, “The Friendly Type,” which tries (and fails) to introduce loads of Egyptian mythology and magic into the narrative in less than an hour. Despite creator and head writer Jeremy Slater’s attempt to condense such complex storytelling devices like the Egyptian gods and the human avatar that serve them into a single episode, it simply doesn’t work. Thus, instead of provoking interesting questions about the characters I found myself asking questions about the believability and minutiae of the world that Slater and lead director Mohamed Diab were building. Are these avatars actually possessed by Egyptian gods? What are these gods, because prior in the MCU (starting with 2011’s Thor) it seemed that deities in the way that we understand them did not exist? How are these supposed gods so easily duped by Harrow’s blatant deception about his true motivations? Speaking of which, what does Harrow want to do and why? It's these questions that made the series’ second act a bit of a drag. On top of this, however, the character dynamics became somewhat less interesting. While I liked the fact that Layla ended up falling for Steven over Marc, the creative team’s seeming desire to flesh out Marc and Layla’s past came off as distracting when compared to the undeniably more fascinating story of Marc’s past trauma. This, of course, makes my investment in Layla’s journey becoming the Scarlet Scarab (virtually out of nowhere) minimal. By episode four, “The Tomb,” I started to lose interest in Moon Knight. But, with its final fifteen or so minutes, I regained some hope that the show could stick the landing when it teased the notion that everything that had happened up to this point (or, at least, the Egypt stuff) was all in Marc’s head. Simply put, the prospect of Moon Knight being a subversive comic book show that instead was an exploration of mental health was very exciting to me. “Finally! Marvel Studios can prove to the nay-sayers that these shows can be something very different and unexpected!” That was my thought going into episode five, “Asylum.” And watching the penultimate chapter, in which Slater’s writing team fleshed out Marc’s backstory and offered a satisfying explanation for his mental state, made for some of the best Disney+ content that Marvel Studios has put out to date. Turning in an Emmy-worth performance this episode, Oscar Isaac broke my heart switching to Steven from Marc upon being unable to process his childhood trauma and grieve his deceased mother Wendy (Fernanda Andrade). Despite my thoughts on the show as a whole, this episode of Moon Knight remains a standout among the MCU streaming content. If only the show stuck the landing. Unfortunately, the finale of Moon Knight left much to be desired. Considering the fact that they had never done action all that well, it was unsurprising (but still disappointing) how weightless and unimpactful the final showdown between Marc and Harrow as well as Khonshu and the evil god Ammit (Saba Mubarak) felt. Furthermore, the fact that the show turns away from a far more enticing answer to its core mystery to both have its cake and eat it, too, feels just so lazy. If not for the post-credits scene revealing Jake Lockley (Marc’s second alternate personality), the audience would be left completely in the dark about what of they just spent six hours watching was actually real or not. But, the answer we were given that was also wrapped up in a pretty boring climax made Moon Knight a significant disappointing given the show’s potential. If nothing else, I’m hopeful that Marc/Steven just shows up as a supporting hero in other stuff (Blade seems the best project given its dark, supernatural elements) rather than getting a second season directly following up this story. While I love Oscar Isaac in the role, I can’t say the same for much of anything else than we were given in Moon Knight. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) The announcement by Kevin Feige and Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson that the sequel starring the Master of the Mystic Arts would be the MCU’s first horror movie worried me. In case you don’t know, I’m not the biggest fan of that genre. Furthermore, when Derrickson stepped down and was replaced by cult horror filmmaker Sam Raimi, I was even more nervous given Raimi’s track record with the Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man trilogy. Thus, going into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I worried that it would be one of my least favorite Phase Four projects. However, after two viewings, it’s actually one of my favorites. 😊 Against my presumptions about his directorial style coming to the MCU, Raimi injects his signature vibe and approach to filmmaking in the best possible way by embracing the unique aesthetic and atmosphere inherent to the character of Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his world. The result? The film is a visual feast with some of the most creative integration of computer-generated special effects in its action sequences and some exceptionally striking horror-inspired imagery that the MCU has ever done. Some viewers felt that this movie rid itself of what the first Doctor Strange built up with regards to its action; I couldn’t disagree more. I loved the direction Raimi went with this film and would like to see him direct something else in the MCU (whether it be a third Doctor Strange film or another horror-inspired character story). In fairness, though, many fans’ criticisms with Multiverse of Madness are with its writing and story. In my humble opinion, Loki screenwriter Michael Waldron does a pretty good job wrapping a human story about regret and happiness in a web of multiversal antics. For our eponymous protagonist, Strange is given a solid throughline from start to finish involving him assessing the state of his life and figuring out what it would mean for him to be truly happy given his complicated relationship with Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) and the weight of his pivotal decision to relinquish the Time Stone in Avengers: Infinity War. Given the fact that other solo projects in Phase Four (like Moon Knight) stumble in giving us a compelling arc for the main character by the end, I appreciate that Multiverse of Madness manages to do that in a two-hour runtime. The foil to Strange’s character, of course, is that of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) whose search for happiness propels the film’s narrative by sending Strange across the multiverse to protect Wanda’s target: America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez). With the power to jump between universes, Chavez is very much sought after by post-WandaVision Scarlet Witch who longs to start a new life with her children in another universe. Personally, I don’t understand the criticism of how Raimi and Waldron continued Wanda’s arc in this film. Given the fact that I wanted to see Wanda suffer consequences for what she did to the people of Westview, I was grateful that she (a former Avenger) turned into a full-on villain who suffers from her use of the “Darkhold” and has her dream dashed by her own actions in the end. Simply put, I don’t think people appreciate just how bold of a choice this was for Marvel Studios. All that being said, Multiverse of Madness is not a perfect superhero film. Namely, I did not connect with or relate to Chavez as much as I hoped I would but am hopeful she will be further developed in a potential “Young Avengers” story that will give Gomez the chance to grow as a performer. Furthermore, given how much he has shown up in MCU projects since his introduction in the first Doctor Strange movie, I was somewhat let down by how he was utilized in this movie. While I understand the purpose of Strange mentoring Chavez on his own, I just wish Wong was given a more compelling subplot than just being forced by Wanda to do her bidding. If anything, I really want Wong to be given his own show or movie because he’s that good of a character. Overall, though, Multiverse of Madness is a pretty solid and entertaining movie that remains one of my favorite Phase Four projects in spite of its drawbacks. I know this opinion is unpopular, but I enjoy this film more than its predecessor and am excited to see Doctor Strange’s world expand into even crazier and whackier territory in the inevitable conclusion to his trilogy. Ms. Marvel (2022) Given how well coming-of-age stories have been done in the MCU thus far (Jon Watts’ Spider-Man trilogy being the standout), I was hopeful for Ms. Marvel. Granted, as a white man in his mid-20s, I was not expecting to strongly relate to the eponymous protagonist’s origin story as a Pakistani-American teenage girl. If anything, I wanted to become invested in her journey and the people in her life (notably, her family and friends). Also, given the universal praise of early reviews, I allowed myself to get a little excited for the series (if only I’d learned my lesson from Moon Knight ☹). In the same way that I showered praise on Oscar Isaac for his performance in that show, Iman Vellani does a fantastic job embodying the infectious charm, quirkiness, and genuine personality of Kamala Khan. Undoubtedly, she’s one of the more likeable Marvel Studios heroes from the get-go of her introduction. And while some of the more emotional beats involving her and the Karachi storyline fell flat for me (which I’ll get to later), Vellani makes her mark as one of the best new heroes of Phase Four alongside the likes of Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Similar to how much I loved Bishop’s dynamic with Yelena in Hawkeye, I am very excited to see Kamala interact with other heroes around her age (and her idol in the upcoming Phase Five film The Marvels). Fortunately, unlike Moon Knight, this show also has a stellar supporting cast. For starters, Kamala’s relatable and believable dynamics with her best friends Bruno (Matt Lintz) and Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher) are very well established in the first half of the show. By doing so, the evolution of their three-way friendship feels natural and poignant by the finale (one of the few things about the show that lands, but I’ll get to that later 😊). Furthermore, head writer Bisha K. Ali creates an interesting conflict between Kamala and her family: mother Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff), father Yusuf (Mohan Kapur), and elder brother Aamir (Saagar Shaikh). Specifically, much of this part of the story focuses on the generational divide between Kamala and her parents with regards to how her superhero fandom and lack of intimate connection to her Pakistani heritage causes an ideological rift between them. There were some nitpicks I had with how Kamala’s relationship with her mother changes seemingly on a dime in the last two episodes (why would she be so comfortable with her teenage daughter having superpowers and risking her life to use them?!?). Overall, though, I enjoyed their presence in the series and am as excited to see them show up in The Marvels as I am to see Kamala in action alongside Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). The cast is the core strength of Ms. Marvel, but much of the story direction and pacing feels just as jarring and convoluted as the weaker MCU shows of Phase Four. Having seen the entire show through twice now, I think it comes down to the problem of its ambitions. Simply put, the show tried to say too much over the course of six, hour-long episodes and didn’t really do a great job with either of its main plots. Consequently, the portrayal and characterization of the villains of Ms. Marvel suffer. While some elements of the show held up better on a rewatch, the storyline involving the Clandestines—led by Najma (Nimra Bucha) and her teenage son Kamran (Rish Shah)—remain some of the worst villains in the entire MCU. Period. We know virtually nothing about where they come from, we are given no reason to empathize with their desire to return home, their dialogue is overtly cartoonish (and not in an endearing way), and their opposition to Kamala and Kamala’s desire to stop them ultimately feels hallow and pointless. If you ask me, this whole plotline should’ve been saved for a second season because the origins of the powers residing within Kamala’s bangle don’t really matter to tell the story of her becoming a superhero. Which leaves the other antagonists of Ms. Marvel: the Department of Damage Control, represented by Agent Cleary (Arian Moayed) from Spider-Man: No Way Home and Agent Deever (Alysia Reiner). Somehow, Deever (who ends up leading the attack on Kamala and her friends in the finale without Cleary’s consent) is written more unrealistically than Hayward from WandaVision. Numerous times, she violates peoples’ constitutional rights by searching Kamala’s neighborhood mosque without ever showing a warrant. Then, in the finale, organizes a tactical offensive against Kamala, Aamir, and her friends at the high school which ends up in Deever herself shooting real bullets at Kamala…A TEENAGER!! In other words, there’s getting an audience to dislike a human villain and then there’s just making a member of law enforcement purely evil for the sake of half-baked social commentary. I don’t know about you, but it didn’t work for me. If anything, Ms. Marvel should’ve invested more screen time in fleshing out the generational trauma between Kamala, her mother, and her grandmother Sana (Samina Ahmad). I think it would’ve served the show and Kamala’s arc better if the third, fourth and fifth episodes involved her and her mom in Pakistan to accomplish this while injecting a couple cuts back to New Jersey to slowly build up the Damage Control agents’ search for Kamala. Once the family stuff is mostly resolved by the end of episode four, then Ali and head directors Adil & Bilall could have Aamir’s wedding be the “calm before the storm” before Damage Control raids the party. This would then force Kamala to confront the realities of being a superhero (like Peter Parker, she would realize than using these powers for good meant putting your loved ones at risk). But, she proves brave and steadfast enough to risk her own life and freedom for her family and friends to solidify her transformation into a deserving acolyte of Carol Danvers. In this scenario, Ms. Marvel could’ve been at least a very good show (but maybe even a great one). Instead, the series was bloated with too many villains and subplots that even its very charming and likeable cast couldn’t do much to overwhelm. Furthermore, the inexplicable disappearance of the hyper-animated style on display in the first couple episodes for the last two-thirds of the series didn’t do it any favors either. So, while I’m excited to see Kamala’s interplay with other heroes in The Marvels (let alone future projects after that movie), I am not excited for a second season of this show unless Feige and his team at Marvel Studios shores up the writing and story direction by focusing it more and giving it a more concrete, consistent identity from start to finish. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) Given the critical and commercial success of 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok (especially compared to the first two Thor films), it was inevitable that Taika Waititi would return to direct a sequel post-Avengers: Endgame. And while I was not the biggest fan of Ragnarok, I was entertained enough by it to be interested in what Taika would do if given the chance to follow that up for another shot at telling a story starring Chris Hemsworth as everyone’s favorite Asgardian. What excited me more than Taika coming back as a writer-director was the announcement at 2019’s Comic-Con that Natalie Portman would be returning as Jane Foster only to transform as “the Mighty Thor.” Given my very limited knowledge of the comics version of this storyline, I became very intrigued about how Taika (who’s done drama-injected comedy in films like Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Jojo Rabbit) would handle this. So, did it meet my somewhat-checked expectations? ☹ Honestly, I think the core problems with Thor: Love and Thunder have to do with its rushed pacing and inconsistent tone. Essentially, the film is an operatic rock epic in space wherein Kevin Feige decided not to rein in Taika’s more eccentric storytelling sensibilities whatsoever. The result? A flashy, stylistic, and colorful movie with only the shallowest level of substance. Admittedly, the least offensive aspect of the film is Thor’s arc involving him confronting his quasi-immorality by looking to develop meaningful relationships with people. While this could’ve been a heartwarming and impactful story for the character’s fourth solo outing, Taika didn’t seem all that concerned with impactful storytelling in this movie. Instead, he aims to get his audience to laugh from a fury of jokes. Some people really enjoyed this for Love and Thunder, I personally wanted a bit more given the complex downfall treatment that the Russo Brothers gave the character in Infinity War and Endgame. However, this silly approach hurts the arc for two other characters more than it does for Thor, in my humble opinion. Regarding the film’s villain, Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), Taika plants the seeds for a great sympathetic antagonist in Gorr feeling betrayed by the gods due to the senseless and tragic death of his daughter Love (India Hemsworth). However, he doesn’t show much of Gorr’s butchering of the gods to make the character all that terrifying. Instead, Bale’s incredible acting chops alone are expected to carry the weight of this part of the story. Luckily, Bale’s performance makes Gorr fun to watch despite my lack of investment in his supposed tragedy by the third act. The other character that Taika’s pacing and inconsistent tone fails is Jane Foster (Portman) who simply deserved a much better return to the MCU (especially given her transformation into the superpowered “Mighty Thor”). Given the dark nature of Foster’s cancer storyline from the comics, I was hoping Taika would give us more than a couple of moments by herself being frustrated about chemotherapy and her life coming to an end so soon. Simply put, I wanted to see essentially half of the narrative really focus on Foster’s emotional turmoil and psychological struggle over picking up Mjolnir reversing her cancer treatment and actually shortening her life despite turning her into a god-like superhero. Alas, Portman’s incredible talent must do so much with relatively little screentime devoted to her. Furthermore, Taika’s desire for a fun time over constructing a compelling story displaces any potential for Foster to really shine and blossom in what appears to be her final appearance in the MCU (although I hope not, because I’d LOVE to see Portman return to the role and become “Mighty Thor” leading into the next two Avengers movies). With two viewings of Love and Thunder, I certainly don’t hate the movie. It’s undeniably a fun ride that offers plenty of laughs and some decent action scenes. However, I just wanted a little more than a redux of Ragnarok; I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything else from Taika Waititi. 😊 That being said, I am hopeful that the film’s more polarized response from critics and audiences, as well as its relatively lackluster box-office showing compared to Multiverse of Madness, will convince Feige to either replace Taika for the next Thor movie or take a more hands-on approach in order to balance the filmmaker’s comedic tendencies with some actually good storytelling. I Am Groot (2022) For twenty-five minutes of content, I Am Groot is a lighthearted and amusing enough concept. While serving only as an executive producer, James Gunn’s vibe and style from the Guardians of the Galaxy films are on full display throughout these five shorts starring the loveable tree-human Groot (Vin Diesel). And much of the credit for capturing the look and feel of those movies goes to the show’s writer-director Kirsten Lepore. From the look of the cosmic side of the MCU to Groot’s characterization to the use of pop and dance music (notably Jimmy Cliff’s hit single “You Can Get It If You Really Want”), Lepore excels at embracing Gunn’s cinematic style to tell some fun and funny short stories surrounding Baby Groot and his misadventures. Granted, these aren’t by any means essential viewing for MCU fans. But they don’t really need to be; seeing Baby Groot have a dance-off with himself or nearly destroy the Guardians’ ship to make a drawing of his family is enjoyable enough to justify thirty minutes of your life. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) Due to the harsh audience reviews for She-Hulk with the release of a new episode each week (and my lack of interest in the character), I decided to wait until the entire show was released and binge it all. And while this may not have been the ideal way to watch the show, it worked well enough. I’m surprised to say that, when it’s all said and done, She-Hulk is my favorite MCU Disney+ series of 2022. To be clear, I don’t love She-Hulk (especially compared to my favorite shows like Loki and Hawkeye). However, I think it does the best job of going for something and actually accomplishing it. Whereas Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel fell short of their respective genres and styles, She-Hulk never wavers from embracing its sitcom roots to be a (very) low-stakes story. Essentially, creator and head writer Jessica Gao tells the tale of mid-30s, up-and-coming lawyer Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) who must deal with the consequences of gaining Hulk-like superhuman abilities after her cousin Bruce Banner’s (Mark Ruffalo) blood accidentally gets into her bloodstream during a car accident. From there, the show’s overall narrative delves into Walters wanting to focus on her career while getting dragged into crime-fighting antics by the likes of Wong (Benedict Wong) and other fun cameos. When it comes to the series’ low stakes, She-Hulk does best when it balances Walters’s eccentric career move as the head of a superhuman law division (and the related fights, both in and outside the courtroom, she gets into as a result) and her attempts to have something of a normal social life. This story is unquestionably elevated by Maslany’s performance as the newest Hulk because she very much understands the assignment for this show. Despite my mixed feelings about the fourth-wall breaks, I think Maslany does a great job acting them (particularly in the penultimate episode where it better services the story). On that note, though, I found many of the examples of meta humor (like Banner referencing the fact that he used to be played by Edward Norton) a bit much. Also, sometimes it seemed like the writers relied on this device as a crutch to replace quality storytelling which results in it coming off as tacky and shallow as opposed to inspired. In regards to the format of the show—a half-hour legal sitcom with comic book roots—it definitely works in its favor. I think that it Gao and head director Kat Coiro tried to stretch out much of this material into an hour-long, three-act structure, it would feel just as bloated and convoluted as Ms. Marvel (if not more so). As such, the creative team behind She-Hulk seems to at least know one of its strengths and lean into it. That being said, I do feel that the episodic nature of the show’s overall structure does remove some of the stakes of Walters’s arc by injecting too much comedy and silly antics in lieu of genuinely compelling storytelling about a woman who’s struggling to balance her career, her social life, and having superpowers. Furthermore, I think if I did watch She-Hulk week-to-week that I would’ve liked it less due to the very hit-or-miss nature of its format. By making each episode a (mostly) self-contained story with little narrative connectivity linking them together, the low stakes of the show slowly evolve into no stakes (which is only confirmed by the finale, but I’ll get to that later 😊). Despite my mixed reception to the show’s structure, I freely admit that it’s able to preserve its lighthearted tone from beginning to end in a way that Ms. Marvel and Thor: Love and Thunder could not. Another thing I didn’t love about She-Hulk was its overreliance on cameos to craft story for Walters. The one that did work on a storytelling level was the return of Emil Blonsky/Abomination (Tim Roth) as Walters’ high-profile client. It was fun to see the result of Blonsky’s offscreen rehabilitation serve Walters in her first major superhuman legal case. However, the other cameos didn’t feel as natural like Wong and Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Charlie Cox). I don’t want to give off the wrong impression; I really liked Wong’s presence in the show and I LOVED Daredevil’s full-throated introduction in the MCU (particularly having recently watched all three seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil show). However, the fact that these cameos were fun doesn’t justify the writer’s seeming desire to displace Walters and her supporting cast from being the stars of their own show. More than Yelena in Black Widow or Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, this show felt like it didn’t respect its star enough to flesh out her character and her dynamics with the people in her world. And then there’s the finale, “Whose Show Is This?” which was undeniably entertaining in just how far it went in breaking the fourth wall. And I get why they did it. However, the fact that Walters has the ability to just rewrite her own show in the end removes what little stakes there were for her journey and the show overall. In the end, it feels like nothing much mattered. The red-herring subplot about Todd Phelps/HulkKing (Jon Bass) stealing a sample of Walters’ blood so that he can turn into a Hulk (which was set up since the premiere) was just tossed aside. In a way, it’s insulting to the viewer because of the fact that at least two full episodes were devoted to fleshing out this storyline (not to mention screentime from other episodes). Despite my general enjoyment of She-Hulk overall, this final episode ultimately left a bitter taste in my mouth. Maybe I sound like I’m hating on She-Hulk, but I certainly didn’t hate it. I had a fun time watching a lot of it and think Maslany did a great job with the material she was given. But, as Marvel Studios’ first straight-up comedy show, I think it could’ve been better serviced by some more emotional moments with dramatic heft after the premiere. When it comes to new MCU heroes, I’m less excited to see Walters show up in the future than Kamala Khan but I’m more excited to see her again than Moon Knight. That counts for something, I guess? 😊 Werewolf by Night (2022) As a fan of his scores in movies like The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Batman, I was definitely intrigued by the announcement of Michael Giacchino directing Marvel Studios’ first long-form “Special Presentation.” On top of that, the pitch for this project as a loving homage to (and soft parody of) monster movies from the “Golden Age of Hollywood” (notably King Kong and The Wolf Man) further interested me. I was very curious how such a project could work on Disney+ in 2022. I should’ve had more faith in Giacchino’s storytelling sensibilities, because Werewolf by Night is a pleasant viewing experience. It knows what it is, and does it well, while never overstaying its welcome or leaving me at all dissatisfied with the final product. Arguably, the strongest quality of Werewolf by Night is just how well it honors the legacy of the horror and monster movie genre that it stems from. From its lighting and editing style to its reliance on practical effects, the special perfectly plays into the quirkier side of the MCU to tell a fun story about a bunch of monster hunters with a few interesting twists and turns sewn throughout the narrative. With its relatively briskly-paced two-act structure, the special embodies the “less is more” mantra by going for a straightforward but effective story about Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal) going undercover to find his monster-friend Ted/Man-Thing. With Bernal’s subtle enough performance in the first twenty minutes, the reveal of his rescue mission made for a welcome surprise given the special’s brief runtime. From there, the second act intertwines Russell’s story with that of Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly) whose ulterior motive to sabotage the hunt and take over the reins of her family acts as a nice foil to her co-lead. From there, Jack and Elsa forge a tenuous alliance to achieve their respective goals but it all goes to shit. With Jack primed to turn and Elsa thrown in the cage with him, Werewolf by Night fully embraces its horror roots in the final fifteen minutes by crafting a very inspired and visually engaging monster transformation. Having earned a tense and violent climax, the special’s finale is suitably entertaining without outreaching its grasp or playing it too safe. Honestly, my only gripe with the special is the fact that we don’t yet understand where or how it fits within the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other than that, Werewolf by Night is a very unique and well-crafted passion project that excites me for Giacchino’s directorial future and to see more of this monster-hunting world in the MCU going forward. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) [NOTE: This blog contains spoilers for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” You have been warned.] Given my mixed feelings about the first Black Panther film, I was nervous about a sequel before it was even announced more than three years ago. But then, with the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman two years ago now, my nerves turned to outright fear. Despite the evident writing and directing talents of Ryan Coogler, the burdensome task of reconceptualizing a sequel without the lead character is something nobody would wish upon their worst enemy. However, after seeing it in the theater on opening weekend, I’m happy to say that Wakanda Forever is a damn good MCU movie and a fitting conclusion to the rather mixed quality of films in Phase Four. Simply put, Coogler stepped up to the plate by pouring his heart and soul into this movie. In the process, he managed to craft a poignant tribute to a great actor and character that also manages to be an incredibly entertaining and impactful comic book movie. When you add on the reality that the film was produced in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s utterly astounding that it was made at all (let alone that it came out as good as it did). While not a perfect movie, the screenplay of Wakanda Forever (co-written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole) is exceptionally paced. For what could’ve easily been an excessively outstretched two-hour-and-forty-minute runtime, the movie never feels rushed or slow. On the one hand, it maximizes its smaller, intimate, character-driven moments to explore powerful themes of grief, revenge, and mourning. Conversely, these scenes fittingly serve the film’s spectacle and globe-trotting action sequences by keeping the audience invested in what happens to our principal cast the entire way through. If anything, I can see an argument for cutting the scenes with Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to shave off ten or so minutes. However, these scenes never personally bothered me nor did they detract from the main narrative. Speaking of the cast, those of you who know my thoughts on the first Black Panther film know my take that T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is ultimately overshadowed by the great supporting characters that surround him. With Boseman’s death, I became curious in the lead-up to Wakanda Forever how actors like Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, and Winston Duke would be utilized. Never did I doubt that they could take the reins and lead the movie, but what I found surprising but great was how each of these characters grieved for T’Challa’s death in their own way. Queen Ramonda (Bassett) becomes overprotective of her daughter, Shuri (Wright) pours all of her energy into her lab due to her shame over not being able to save T’Challa’s life, Okoye (Gurira) tries to uphold her deceased king’s legacy and re-dedicates herself to Wakanda, and Nakia (Nyong’o) avoids Wakanda altogether because she can’t face anything that reminds her of T’Challa. By injecting plenty of nuance into how each of these characters mourn differently, Coogler continues the work of the first film by making them all just as (if not more) interesting than the late king of Wakanda. Once all the casting news was out, I was also very curious to see how the introduction of Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) and the film’s villain Namor (Tenoch Huerta) would be handled. Regarding the former, I was concerned that her addition to the story would feel forced just to set up her Disney+ spin-off series. Fortunately, Thorne is incredibly charming from the get-go (similar to Yelena Belova in Black Widow and Kate Bishop in Hawkeye). But, more importantly, her role in the narrative isn’t distracting to the point of annoyance. If anything, what I saw from the character in Wakanda Forever makes me way more interested in the Ironheart show. Plus, her introduction in this movie worked better than American Chavez in Multiverse of Madness. 😊 The villain of the movie is a little more disappointing. Of course, Coogler was hard pressed to top Michael B. Jordan’s performance as Killmonger in Black Panther. On top of that, introducing another unknown civilization in the form of Talokan is beyond ambitious. To give credit to Huerta’s performance, Namor was an intimidating and compelling antagonist from the jump (despite the fact that he has wings springing from his feet that make him fly). His ability to play everything about the character straight helps him give Killmonger a run for his money. Undoubtedly, the most improved aspect of Namor over Killmonger is how he’s handled in action scenes. Unlike the first movie’s overreliance on CGI with Killmonger and T’Challa each wearing Black Panther suits to fight, Wakanda Forever gives Namor a distinctive fighting style that works for the bigger scale set pieces as well as the intimate, one-on-one fight with Shuri in the third act. Unfortunately, Namor’s motivations leave something to be desired as they are virtually identical to Killmonger’s from Black Panther. While this doesn’t completely ruin the character’s first (hopefully not final) outing in the MCU, it was a little underwhelming given how well Huerta did in the role. I have a few other nitpicks with Wakanda Forever. But, overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives for me. Against all odds, Ryan Coogler and his creative team (both cast and crew) gave us a great superhero flick to close out the year. With the goals of both honoring the life of Chadwick Boseman and creating a thoroughly entertaining blockbuster, they managed to do both. For that, Wakanda Forever supersedes its predecessor and earns its place for me as one of the best Marvel Studios projects of Phase Four. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) While I was interested in Michael Giacchino’s Werewolf by Night when it was announced, I was stoked when Kevin Feige let us know that James Gunn would be returning to Marvel Studios five years after the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to write and direct a Christmas-themed special on Disney+. Now, having seen it, I’m happy to say that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was a fun romp. Simply put, Gunn as director fully embraces the lighthearted style of a holiday special with the zany antics and dysfunctional family dynamic of the current team of Guardians. Even in its brief, 45-minute runtime, Gunn’s screenplay delivers enough heart to make the special feel tonally and thematically consistent with the Guardians’ past adventures. And while not all the main Guardians cast is the focus, they each get a moment of two to shine here (I LOVED seeing buff, young adult Groot dance to the opening number!). However, Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) are the standouts here. While they have a pretty good dynamic in the second Guardians film and Avengers: Infinity War, their rapport here makes them one of the more enjoyable MCU duos of Phase Four. As they sneak to Earth to kidnap Kevin Bacon (played by himself) as a gift for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), their misadventures dealing with tourists and law enforcement are a fun-filled collection of scenes. Granted, is this the most emotionally fulfilling and impactful way to end Phase Four? In my humble opinion, no. I do think that Wakanda Forever serves that purpose better. However, as a nice epilogue to Phase Four and a tease of what’s to come in Phase Five (at least with the Guardians), I was down for it. The best phrase to capture the vibe of this special? It was a warm and fuzzy experience that didn’t overstay its welcome and gets me excited for Gunn’s conclusion to the Guardians trilogy coming in less than six months. 😊 At the end of the day, how will I remember Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? My take isn’t unique: it’s definitely a mixed bag in terms of quality (with the highs of Loki and No Way Home but also the lows of Eternals and Moon Knight). However, I think that’s somewhat by design on the part of Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios. I believe the core mission of Phase Four was to let filmmakers and storytellers experiment more within the framework of this franchise, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Ultimately, many of the projects within Phase Four remain coherent in relation to one another which is still an impressive feat in modern Hollywood (just look at the lengths that DC and Warner Brothers have gone to course-correct their approach to cinematic world building). In other words, I’m excited to see new heroes like Yelena Belova, Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, Kamala Khan, and Ironheart interact with some newly-formed veteran heroes like Sam Wilson as Captain America, Shuri as Black Panther, and (fingers crossed!) a Peter Parker-free Spider-Man. Will we get to see a Young Avengers and New Avengers team up in Phases Five or Six? Only time will tell. At the end of the day, I think the better projects of Phase Four outweigh the weaker ones. Thus, I remain hopeful for the future of the MCU (and we have some potential bangers coming up in the near future)! With all that said, here is my ranking of Phase Four of Marvel Studios’ “Multiverse Saga”:
What is your favorite and least favorite MCU project from 2022? Which project announced for Phase Five are you most excited for? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst
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Austin McManusI have no academic or professional background in film production or criticism; I simply love watching and talking about movies. Archives
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