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Marvel

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Celebrating (and Owning) Culture

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In Marvel’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, skilled fighter and assassin Shang Chi (Simu Liu) is confronted by the family legacy and past that he thought he had left behind. His father is known as The Mandarin, the leader of the Ten Rings organization and one of the most villainous people in history, uses a legendary weapon to give himself immortality and power so great that it rivals Thanos’ Infinity Stones. After Shang Chi escapes his father’s grasp and flees to San Francisco, The Mandarin recaptures his son and wants him back in the fold to help with his master plan. 

There has been a great deal of attention lately focusing on Asian hate during the pandemic. (In fact, as crimes and hate against Asians have increased, Shang Chi earned terrible early reviews on Google despite not having been released to the public yet.) However, with an uncompromising vision, one of the best aspects of Shang Chi is that the movie never tries to “whitewash” him or the story to appeal to the general audience. Instead, the film embraces Asian representation and use of culture in all aspects, from the wardrobe, fight scenes, backgrounds, mythical creatures, weapons, and even allowing them to speak Chinese onscreen. 

Like Black Panther’s celebration of African culture, Shang Chi shows the audience just how rich Asian culture can be and how much great talent there is in Hollywood right now that is being overlooked. The whole movie is really an immersive cultural experience and those who have never seen an Asian-led film before are going to be blown away. Of course, it still does also do all of the great things that have made Marvel be so successful as well, such as its trademark witty humor, CGI glory, and super creative/intense superhero fight scenes. (Incidentally, in its set pieces, Shang Chi really creates martial arts scenes that you’d expect to see from a classic Jackie Chan movie, a style which blends really well with Marvel’s cinematography and choreography.) As an absolute huge celebration of Asian culture, Shang Chi is a huge step in the right direction for inclusion and diversity for Disney and the movie industry as well. (And, of course, make sure to stay for both after credit scenes.)  

Marvel’s first Asian led superhero movie, Shang Chi takes its audience on a mythical journey of intense martials art action mixed with a storyline that really speaks to Millennials and Gen-Z’s. Being a second (or longer) generation immigrant, there is often a huge lack of cultural identity. For example, while you may grow up learning bits of your background and know that you are Asian but you may not really identify (or want to identify) with your culture. In this way, you can be kind of tied between your ethnic origins and the culture of the country that you’re growing up within. Especially when as a child, you’re constantly bombarded with media that does not celebrate or acknowledge you. This notion also relates to Shang Chi himself, as his character arc follows the story of a second-generation immigrant who is troubled by his past and the legacy that his father is forcing on him.

Typically, the aspirations of a tiger parent are known for pushing their kid to become something that they don’t want to be. For many Asian parents, this dream is for their child to become a doctor or lawyer. For Shang Chi, however, it’s to become head of the Ten Rings. Wanting nothing to do with his heritage, Shang abandons it entirely by running away and completely disassociating himself with it. (In fact, he’s even ashamed of his true origins.) The relatability of watching him is how a lot of Asians feel about their family and culture too. To these youth, their parents’ culture is something to hide and attempt to break free from. Without giving away any spoilers, it’s only after Shang Chi goes on this adventure and confronts his family and homeland that he reconnects with his roots. In doing so, he begins to feel some pride in who he is and who he can become. (“You are a product of all that have come before you,” he’s told.) Personally, I really believe that the film uses this to highlight the struggle for younger Asians to acknowledge their culture and own their background is a part of who they are now. There is a message of cultural celebration within the film that invites second-generation immigrants to be proud of their heritage, rather than hide or be ashamed of your own race. 

Overall, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is an amazing celebration of Asian culture that was long overdue. By celebrating Asian culture, Marvel has really taken a great step in the right direction at a time when it’s needed. As the latest new character into the MCU, the film is fueled by family ties that really drive the story and demonstrate the struggle of the next generation to connect with their history. 

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is in theatres on Friday, September 3, 2021

What If…?: Hitting the Reset Button

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I try to stay away from spoilers, but just in case, SPOILERS ARE POSSIBLE for the first three episodes.

I have to admit it, but sometimes the MCU exhausts me. Now don’t get me wrong. I love it, especially over the past few years as I’ve gotten more involved in the screening and reviewing and podcasting side of things. 

But the analysis? As the young kids say, “sheeeeeesh.” Trying to keep up with all the hidden meanings, easter eggs, comic references, and above all, trying to predict everything that is and was and ever will happen is absolutely a full time job. And sometimes, I really just want to watch something new that I don’t have to try and analyze.

Enter What If…?, the newest Marvel series airing on Disney+. I went into the first three episodes feeling absolutely free because I figured “hey, who knows where this will go.” And personally, I was totally right. It did everything I hoped it would. It connected me with the characters I loved, it stayed true to the heart of the storylines while simultaneously flipping the script on old expectations. The animation kept it youthful and energetic and before I knew it, and it’s absolutely a great tie in to all the impact that Loki has made on all the timelines everywhere in the multiverse.

Episode one takes us back to the original Avenger – Captain America – and marks the moment of Peggy Carter’s (Hayley Atwell) choice to stay in the room. From there, the entire trajectory of both her and Steve Rogers’s stories changes. Forced to make a split-second decision to save the Super Soldier mission, Carter takes Steve’s place and receives the serum. Fighting the same battle but with a new role, Agent Carter faces an even greater uphill battle as she rebrands herself “Captain Carter.” Not only facing the typical gender stereotype of being a woman in a ‘man’s role’, she also finds herself facing a monster we have yet to truly see – and the result will reverberate across other timelines.

Episode two takes two of my favorite stories: Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther and gives us a galaxy in which the enigmatic T’Challa is able to persuade even the most deadly of villains (ahem, Thanos) to work towards a more peaceful universe. Oh how wonderful it was to see Chadwick Boseman’s iconic work as Black Panther on screen once more. He 100% embodies T’Challa, and there will never be another one like him. That compelling portrayal gives life throughout this episode as T’Challa wrestles with what it means to serve both his people and the universe. 

Episode three really pulls no punches when showing us what could happen if the Avengers were never the Avengers. Instead of joining together, they are targeted one by one, and Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is left facing a vengeful Loki (Tom Hiddleston really is in his element these days) threatening to destroy the world. But he’s not out for domination… at least, not initially. Instead, they must work together to catch a far more elusive foe, but as we all know about Loki, he’s always got something up his sleeve. 

See? No analysis. No guessing games. No frantic fan theories. At least not from me. What If…? is the kind of series that is free to reset expectations and do something out of the box. In a word, it’s fun. Pure, good, fun. And I’m here for it. 

Catch it now on Disney+, and enjoy! We can all analyze later 🙂

Teenfish #14 ~ BLACK WIDOW!

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Welcome to Teenfish, a podcast series that lets teenagers and young adults speak about media that matters to them in their own voice. Hosted by Daniel Collins, Teenfish airs every month and invites local youth to engage the truth and lies of the shows and films that excite them.

Marvel Studio’s latest masterpiece, BLACK WIDOW, is a phenomenal solo movie about Natasha Romanoff, “a total poser”, aka Black Widow, as she confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy, and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. This month, Daniel is joined by Cat, Riley, and Jacob to discuss sexism, family, human trafficking, and some great acting!

You can also stream the episode above on Podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), or Spotify! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Black Widow: Good Hair is a Game Changer

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Do I even have to put a SPOILER WARNING here? Because we will be talking about Black Widow, so…yeah…potential spoilers.

I have short hair. Most days I can leave it down and it doesn’t cause any distractions or issues with my day-to-day activities. But, if I’m going to be doing things like cleaning or travelling, I’m going to somehow put it back out of my face and out of the way. The last thing I want to worry about when I’m active is my hair.

Can you imagine fighting to take down the universe’s most terrifying and powerful villains with your hair in your face? Because pretty much until Endgame and this movie, our mightiest female heroes have worn their hair down. And if you’re wondering why I care about this so much, let me explain. But first, a brief summary of where we are now that Black Widow has released.

Eleven years after her first appearance in Iron Man 2, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is finally getting her story. Set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, Black Widow shines the light on the shadows that have been Natasha’s elusive past. We’ve gotten some brief glimpses into her Russian training and connections and we’ve seen hints to the emotional burdens she wears. Since we can’t go back to the very beginning of her story, I wasn’t sure how we were going to see the path between who Natasha was, and who Natasha now is to us.

As she begins her time on the run after breaking the Sokovian Accords, Natasha is pulled back into a mission she long-believed was handled. She describes Budapest (an event she and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) recall during the first Avengers), as the final step to her defection to S.H.I.E.L.D., effectively finalizing the cleansing of the “red in her ledger.” But she was wrong. A mysterious package arrives at her safe house with a clue about who needs her and she has to seek out the very people she once felt betrayed by.

In the later movies, Natasha thinks of the Avengers as her only family. But we quickly learn here that she once had a sister, a mother, and a father. Even though it was artificially made as a cover for a covert Russian operation, there were a few years where Natasha had a normal life. But it was not to last.

Her “father” was actually Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) aka Red Guardian aka Russian Captain America. He and brilliant scientist and fellow Widow (and “Mom”)  Melina (Rachel Weisz) had Natasha and “sister” Yelena (Florence Pugh) under their wing until the time came for the girls to begin their training at the Red Room. Together they must work to finish the mission Natasha started all those years ago.

The target? One of the creepiest villains I’ve seen in the MCU yet, Dreykov (Ray Winstone makes him almost TOO real). Mastermind behind the Red Room – an elite training facility that transforms orphan girls into world-wide assassins that work to keep Dreykov in power over the world’s most influential leaders – Dreykov has perfected a mind-control serum with Melina’s genius that ensures his Widows will deliver on his every command. He exploits both their vulnerability and sexuality and rewrites their reality – until Yelena defects and Natasha jumps in to free the Widows from Dreykov and destroy the Red Room for good.

How does any of this lead into a conversation about hair. Well, let’s think about it. For one, Black Widow’s hair has been a topic of conversation since Johansson brought her to life on the big screen. People complained it was too short, it was too long, it was too curly, it was too straight, it went blonde, etc. Here we have someone who regularly takes out pretty scary and powerful enemies, and we are talking about if her hair is right to the character. Dude – I just always wanted to know why it was down? In Endgame, we finally see her hair up for most of the movie, maybe because in space it’s more acceptable? Or because the scene had been set for years’ worth of searching for ways to undo all that Thanos had destroyed, and suddenly it didn’t matter? For whatever reason, I was thrilled to see exceptionally powerful women go into full battle mode with their hair up in Black Widow.

The contrast between Yelena wearing her hair up from the beginning but Natasha evidently having had to take a journey for it to be acceptable to wear her hair up is hopefully a glimpse into the future treatment of female super heroes in the MCU. Yelena has the same sarcastic wit of Captain Marvel, the same desire for what was fake to be real as Wanda, and the same moral compass of Gamora’s change of heart. She is set up to take on the mantle of Natasha and she’s not here to play games. And as silly as it’s going to seem to people, seeing her with her hair up throughout the film gives me confidence that female superheroes are being equipped to fight the same battles as their male counterparts. In continuation of illustrating this point, I give you the original Avengers:

  1. Captain America. Helmet. I don’t know how effective it is but it’s there. And he’s enhanced.
  2. Iron Man. Obviously. And he’s enhanced.
  3. Thor. Yes his hair is down but he can also fly and call lightning to his very hands. And he is a god.
  4. Bruce Banner. One word: Hulk. And he’s enhanced.
  5. Hawkeye. No head covering, but he mostly fights from a distance…because you know, #bowandarrows.

Captain Marvel had a helmet and a much more protective suit but, to this day, people condemn her character – even though she has been the closest one to receiving equal treatment. And she’s enhanced. Natasha fights on the ground, hand-to-hand, and her hair is curled and flowing the whole time. Now I don’t know much about the comics, but, as an average movie-watcher, it’s always bothered me. So forgive me if such a trivial detail has had such an impact on me. Because it demonstrates strength. And it’s just one piece of how Black Widow successfully created a storyline laced with vulnerability in such a way that made the women stronger as opposed to needy. Hair down to hair up is a key element of this transformation.

For years, Dreykov (Ray Winstone and one of the creepiest villains-to-date) exploited the emotional vulnerability and the sexuality of orphaned and discarded girls and controlled them in order to maintain his power over the world’s most influential leaders. We know this because we have seen Natasha use it in previous films, whether she is using staged modelling photos to distract Tony from her identity or secretly interrogating Loki by using her past as a tool to get what she wants out of him. She was trained to do that, and so were the hundreds of Widows trained after her. The ponytail, the braids, even the earrings…all of them work together as a visual representation of the strength of these women to do what needs to be done. In Black Widow, they are being freed from the constraints of how they have been viewed and used by those around them.

And for me at least, it’s about dang time. If I’m not going to clean with my hair in my face, I sure as heck ain’t saving the world with it in my face. And now my heroes don’t have to either.

Black Widow is now available in theatres and on Disney+.

Black Widow: Spinning Her Own Web

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Marvel makes movies.

Of course, you could be forgiven if you’d forgotten this. With the recent push to extend the MCU into the world of streaming with buzzy series like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and (now) Loki, it might seem like they’d forgotten about their status as the Crown Jewel of the Box Office.

Even so, while this heavy emphasis recently may have been (partially) inspired by the lack of movie screens during the pandemic, Marvel refused to budge on the release of Black Widow. For Kevin Feige, the intent was always to bring people back to theatres with a bang. So, we saw release dates pushed back further and further. (So much, in fact that there are 4 films coming in the next 6 months…)

Now, with the release of Black Widow, we can finally see why.

Immediately following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Black Widow follows Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) as goes out on the run. Hunted by the US government, she takes a step into her old life with the hope of disappearing into the night. However, when Romanoff is forced to confront a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past, she must re-assemble the estranged members of her family and deal with her own broken story in the process.

Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow is absolutely something to behold. Part James Bond and part Mission: Impossible, Widow is a globe-trotting adventure that gives Widow her due. In Black Widow, Johansson steps out on her own with a film that takes itself more seriously than many other films in the MCU. Anchored by a solid script by Jac Shaeffer and Ned Benson and some marvelous action scenes, it’s easy to see that the ‘cinematic’ side of the MCU is where they believe their emphasis (read: money) lies. In Black Widow, set pieces simply feel… bigger. Avalanches crash, floating buildings fall, and motorcycles rumble through the streets of Budapest in scenes that are are absolutely eye-popping. When compared to WandaVision’s climatic magic snowball fight or Falcon’s final showdown, it’s clear that these are action sequences are designed to be experienced on the big screen.

Of course, the greatest victory in the film is that it finally gives Johansson a chance to shine without the help of her fellow men in tights. (“I’m better on my own,” she argues.) Whereas Widow’s other appearances in the MCU have either sexualized her (Iron Man 2) or forced her into various relationships with other Avengers (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Widow portrays her character every bit as heroically and confidently as her super co-workers. (In fact, several of the film’s best jokes are at the expense of her previous portrayals.) Here, Romanoff is depicted with intelligence, strength and—most importantly—individuality.

Although it has a global scale, the film itself feels very personal and, surprisingly, small in its scope. In other words, this is not a film where the fate of the world is at stake but instead focuses on Romanoff herself as she attempts to work out the traumatic events of her past. Though it has been referenced in previous films, much of her history has only been mentioned in brief segments, such as ‘Budapest’ or ‘having her surgery’. While Natasha’s rage has been the motivating factor for her character, the MCU has never taken the time to properly explore it.

With Widow though, Romanoff finally has the opportunity to face the demons of her past. By reconnecting with her ‘family’, she begins to navigate the complex nature of their relationships. By revisiting her old life, she has a chance to reconnect with the story that made her the invaluable member of the Avengers that she has become.

Then, of course, there’s the Red Room itself.

Having been moulded from childhood into a weapon by the Red Room, Romanoff has long spoken of the fact that she’s got ‘red in her ledger’. Although she has managed to walk away from the psychological torture of the Room, she still remains somewhat controlled by its abuse. Without any spoilers, there remains shadows in her mind that continue to haunt her. As a result, Black Widow is a film that is very much about reclaiming power and control. By confronting the Room, however, Romanoff has the opportunity to finally do battle with that evil influence and release herself (and potentially others) from it in the process. 

For her first (and I think it’s fair to expect more) solo adventure, Black Widow is wildly entertaining. Fueled by heart, humour and action, the film has the style and scope that you would expect from Marvel without ever losing its soul. Most importantly though, Widow finally gives Johansson the starring vehicle that she deserves and sets a standard for female-led superhero films moving forward.

Black Widow is available on in theatres and on Disney+ on Friday, July 9th, 2021.

Loki: ReWriting Our Future

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Is anybody better at bringing people back from the dead better than Marvel?

Whether its Phil Coulson reappearing in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Natasha Romanoff receiving her first solo film posthumously (albeit as a prequel), Marvel knows how to maximize the characters that fans have grown to love, even after their apparent deaths. Now, after his ‘no more tricks’ fate in Endgame, Loki returns in his own series which promises to have a major impact on the future of the MCU. 

Directed by Kate Herron, Loki begins during the events of Avengers: Endgame and sets the beloved anti-hero off on his own adventure. After escaping from the Avengers and crashing down in Mongolia, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is arrested by the Time Variant Authority (TVA), a bureaucratic organization tasked with maintaining the consistency of time itself. Because of his actions, Loki is charged with disrupting the primary timeline and sentenced to being ‘erased’ from time itself… that is, unless he helps Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) to capture an even greater threat to the universal timeline.

After The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sought to challenge their audience, so too did they also lose the ‘appointment television’ vibe that made WandaVision such a success. Loki should change that. Instead of focussing on the weight of social issues or effects of grief, Loki provides a much-needed dose of levity back into the MCU. With an emphasis on fun and humour, Herron has created a series with a tone far closer to the wildness of Guardians of the Galaxy than the gravitas of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Fueled by wit and silliness, Loki has a comedic energy to it that is sure to excite fans of the franchise. (Though, it’s worth noting that the first episode is exposition-heavy as the series must explain the existence of an entirely different layer of reality that’s been added to the Marvel canon.)

Without question though, the centre of the show remains Hiddleston. After all these years, Hiddleston is more than ready to step into the limelight as his charisma has elevated the role from standard villain to one of Marvel’s most adored characters. (Has it really been 10 years since he first put on the horns?) Due to the time travel element to Loki, Hiddleston brings the character back to his more mischievous origins and clearly relishes the opportunity to bring back Loki’s shades of grey. What’s more, the casting of Wilson as Agent Mobius also provides a suitable foil for Hiddleston. Known for his more innocent charm, Wilson uses his likeability to balance out Loki’s more menacing humour and the two are instantly one of Marvel’s more likeable duos.

With the inclusion of the TVA, the Marvel universe has changed drastically. With the multiverse beginning to come into play, a realm such as the timestream has huge implications for the franchise moving forward. This is a place where ‘time moves differently’, superhuman abilities are rendered useless and Infinity Stones are literally used as paperweights. (The TVA is also the first official mention of the ‘Nexus’ after WandaVision’s famed commercial segments.) 

Of course, this sort of environment is both stunning and enticing to Loki himself. As he marvels (see what I did there?) at their unbelievable power, Loki is forced to realize how small he may truly be. In this world, time is sacred and the TVA are sworn to protect it from those who would dare to change it. As such, Loki is arrested because his escape was not ‘supposed to happen’, even if the Avengers can seem to pull it off without prosecution. (After all, their transgressions were supposed to take place…) In doing so, the series suggests that every character or person has a lane by which they much adhere. Villains are going to be villains. Heroes will save the world. For the TVA, there is little room for improvisation and everyone must behave as they’re expected to behave. 

However, at the same time, the series offers somewhat of a paradox. (That’s shocking for any time travel series, I know.) While Loki is branded a criminal for his decision to break the timestream, he is also offered the chance to make it right. Instead of seeing him solely as a villain, Mobius sees him as something more and suggests there may be another way. (“I can’t offer you salvation but maybe I can offer you something better,” Mobius says cryptically.) To Mobius, Loki’s criminal history does not negate him but instead highlights his craftiness and ingenuity and could provide a new direction for his life.

For Mobius, Loki’s future is not bound by his past.

With a return to its more mischievous tone, Loki is a welcome return to form for the MCU. With Loki, Herron, Hiddleston and Wilson have created a world of limitless potential that should be an instant hit with fans. It’s always most fun when Marvel takes risks and, while Loki doesn’t exactly stray from the style that has made them a juggernaut, it does provide its most unique character with a whole new box of toys to play with. 

Loki is available on Disney+ on Wednesday, June 9th, 2021.

Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.: Mutant Mid-Life Crisis Makes M.O.D.O.K. Marvellous

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I mean, who doesn’t think a mutated head bent on murder and ruling the world is adorable?

Wait. Maybe I should rewind a little bit.

Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. follows Marvel supervillain MODOK (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who has come to major crossroads in his life. After years of failure in his attempts to defeat the Avengers and take over the world, MODOK (which stands for Mobilized Organism Designed Only for Killing) has broken his villainous tech company AIM financially and it falls into bankruptcy. When AIM is sold to tech rival GRUMBL, MODOK is displaced as CEO and left in somewhat of a mid-life crisis. Things become even more challenging when his frustrated wife asks him for a divorce. Frustrated and hurt, the criminal mastermind must suddenly navigate a new chapter of his life and pick up the pieces with his family.

Created by the team behind Robot Chicken, Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. is wild, hilarious and (somehow) charming. Offering a behind-the-scenes look into the life of AIM’s brilliant super-mutant, MODOK is a sharp and silly satire of the dark side of superhero films. Consistently having his plans thwarted by the Avengers, MODOK nevertheless remains undeterred and continues to look for ways to prove to the other supervillains that he belongs among their ranks. In this world, superheroes are beloved by all yet, from MODOK’s perspective, remain nothing but a nuisance. While the series is not related to the current Marvel Cinematic Universe, MODOK has the keys to the Kingdom with the Marvel characters and manages to create something new and different with familiar characters. (Jon Hamm’s appearances as Iron Man and Nathan Fillion as Wonder Man are particularly hilarious.)

M.O.D.O.K — “O, WERE BLOOD THICKER THAN ROBOT JUICE!” – Episode 108 — The time travelling Young M.O.D.O.K. finally exacts his revenge by kidnapping the family and replacing them with robots. M.O.D.O.K. goes to save his them, and they all end up in a twisted family therapy / battle to the death in Murderworld. (Photo Courtesy of Marvel)

Make no mistake though. Despite its Marvel roots and animated look, MODOK is not for kids. Like parent series Robot Chicken, MODOK uses its stop-motion style to go dark with his humour. From severing limbs to blood splatters to sexual humour, MODOK gives its writers the freedom to laugh at its evil acts and dives in with enthusiasm.

Although it’s popping with energy and dark humour, MODOK has a surprising amount of heart. Because of its serialized story-telling, MODOK has the opportunity to explore more than the maniacal machinations of a mad machine/human hybrid. With Loki and Thanos as the exceptions, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to rarely take time with their villains to properly flesh them out, creating a ‘monster-of-the-week’ vibe to the majority of their films. However, backed by some wonderful work by Patton Oswalt, Modok becomes more than a mutated floating head. In fact, MODOK manages to humanize its villain. (Not an easy feat for one of Marvel’s strangest villains.) While the entire cast are a joy to watch (especially Melissa Fumero and Ben Schwartz), it’s Oswalt who gives MODOK his soul.

In this way, the funniest part of M.O.D.O.K. isn’t the bizarre shenanigans. Instead, it’s how relatable he becomes. Despite his appearance and motives, MODOK is simply having a mid-life crisis. Though taking over the world remains his ‘job’, his day-to-day issues are relevant to us all. After a major tech company takes over his own, MODOK fears that his job is in peril. Moreover, he has also finally become aware that his over-emphasis on work has been causing problems at home and in his marriage. Realizing that his family is slipping away, his real hope is to make things right with his estranged wife and kids. In MODOK, we see a villain who wants to have it all… but simply cannot find balance within his family/work life. 

M.O.D.O.K — “O, WERE BLOOD THICKER THAN ROBOT JUICE!” – Episode 108 — The time travelling Young M.O.D.O.K. finally exacts his revenge by kidnapping the family and replacing them with robots. M.O.D.O.K. goes to save his them, and they all end up in a twisted family therapy / battle to the death in Murderworld. (Photo Courtesy of Marvel)

As such, M.O.D.O.K. empathizes with its lead character in such a way that he becomes relatable and strangely lovable. In Modok, we see glimmers of hope that he can turn things around in his life. This evil genius is not only relatable but also redeemable. In fact, we even root for him. (Honestly, I didn’t see that coming.) While the circumstances are vastly different, MODOK’s story could be many of ours and we want him to be able to make it work.

Violent, hilarious and touching, Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. is a wonderful expansion for Marvel into the world of adult animation. However, while the writing works on its own, it’s Oswalt who makes MODOK so likable. His affability gives his supervillain a murderous innocence that makes him into someone you’d be willing to bring into your home.

Because, after all, who doesn’t think a mutated head bent on murder and ruling the world is adorable?

M.O.D.O.K — “IF BUREAUCRACY BE THY DEATH!” – Episode 105 — M.O.D.O.K. and Monica reluctantly team up to overthrow GRUMBL’s control of AIM. Their “complicated” history threatens their mutual goals as they work through their grievances the only way they know how… a mad-scientist fight! (Photo Courtesy of Marvel)

Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. is available on Hulu on Friday, May 21st, 2021.

Academy Awards 2021: Boseman Loss Shows Why We Still Do (and Don’t) Need the Oscars

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It wasn’t supposed to go like that.

After unexpectedly re-arranging the schedule to push Best Picture up and let the acting categories shine, the Academy clearly wanted to send a message. With the foregone conclusion that Chadwick Boseman would posthumously take Best Actor for his work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, it was going to definitively celebrate a young man who was taken from us far too soon after losing his battle with cancer last year. 

An African-American man. 

Black Panther.

The significance of the moment was going to be a victory to end that night that would be both emotional and satisfying. After all, at a moment when Black culture is looking for heroes, a Chadwick victory would have been a symbolic statement in honour of a young man who had become a beacon of hope for many, sending viewers home with a truly feel-good moment.

Well, we all know how that went.

After Phoenix announced Anthony Hopkins as Best Actor to close out the show, the shock was palpable. The room was fairly quiet. Phoenix had to fumble through an awkward acceptance on Hopkins behalf as he was the only nominee not available. Of course, Twitter erupted. (In some ways, you almost feel bad for Hopkins. At home in Wales, even HE didn’t think he was going to win. If I were him, I likely would have slept through the ceremony as well.)

In a moment that felt like the reverse of the La La Land/Moonlight fiasco of a few years ago, the ‘feel-good’ finale completely backfired.

Within seconds, people took to their social media and responded accordingly. Outrage! Fury! Cancel! The response was completely understandable—and expected. After all, around this time, it’s almost tradition for people to take to the inter-webs to complain about the Oscars and the choices that they proclaim are ‘Best’. People decry from the rooftops that the films the Academy selects show their irrelevancy (and, sometimes, that’s a totally fair complaint). Comments like ‘this is why I don’t care about the Oscars’ flood social media with tsunami-like force.

But the irony is that same blow-up on the Twitter-verse shows that people still do care.

While people may either be happy or furious, the fact that the reactions to these awards are so strong suggests that there’s still an interest in the results. For over 90 years, the Academy Awards have been the ‘standard’ by which success in the industry has been measured. To win an Oscar is considered one of the highest honours in the industry and, even though culture has changed a lot in recent years (and continues to do so), there remains a respect for that golden statue that continues to endure. To win an Oscar still says something. 

They matter because they matter to us.

The reason people were upset about Chadwick losing the award is not because Hopkins didn’t deserve it but rather that it meant something to them. Hopkins turned in the performance of the lifetime in the role but a Chadwick victory would have felt not only poignant but powerful. With his career still reaching his potential before his death, Chadwick still felt like someone that people could relate to, especially amongst the Black community. A win for him seemed like it would have felt like another win for them.

And it might have.

But, if the awards truly didn’t matter to anyone outside the industry, no one would have cared. There would have been no outcry or frustration. It would have simply passed on from the cultural zeitgeist and landed on the entertainment pages… not the front page… 

The problem may be that we’ve given too much credibility to the Academy. Though filled with over 1000 industry professionals, with this responsibility comes the expectation that it will represent the values of the people and the time. The truth is that they don’t always. Yes, they strive for representation and want to speak the voice of a culture. That’s why these films matter as much as Marvel films or alien invasions. They connect with a heartbeat that speaks the cries of our world.

But they don’t always speak for you and I. How could they?

With this in mind, the loss by Chadwick shows that, maybe, we don’t need the Oscars to play the same role in our culture. The truth is that, while considered the highest heights of the industry, the loss to Hopkins does not take away from his performance (or career) in any way. So many of history’s best films and performances were never recognized by the Academy. Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, Do The Right Thing, Pulp Fiction and innumerable others were robbed of ‘Oscar glory’ yet remain the most influential films of the last century. (And let’s not forget Delroy Lindo from the list of snubs this year…)

Regardless of who the Academy chooses to take home the gold, Chadwick Boseman will be remembered.

He matters. And he’s as important as he was yesterday.

I admit it. I love the Oscars. I love the pageantry, the music and the speeches. Unlike many, I love the fact that winners use the platform to speak their hearts about issues that matter to them. (I mean, they’ve been given a voice. They should use it.) I even love my Oscar pool with friends.

Ultimately though, they don’t determine which films or performances matter most. Only the ones that mattered to these people. That’s why it doesn’t really matter in the end if Boseman posthumously took home the gold. His performance in Ma Rainey’s was a thing of brilliance and it will be remembered. (In fact, it should be remembered.) This year’s Oscars may have been the most diverse in the Academy’s history. Chloe Zhao. Daniel Kaluuya. Yuh-Jung Yoon. H.E.R. Soul. Jon Batiste. All of these winners from last night show that things are changing. This was not #OscarsSoWhite, even if it did feel like #OscarsSoWrong.

The loss by Boseman doesn’t change any of this… but it’s all anyone’s talking about.

Yes, it would have made an amazing story to see him cap off his young but incredible career with a win. It would have been an emotional moment for us all. But there’s a reason that they announce the winner by saying ‘the Oscar goes to…’ They don’t want the other nominees to feel as though they are someone lesser than the others.

Because they aren’t. Not Riz Ahmed. Not Boseman. None of them, regardless of category. They all achieved something great with their cinematic achievements. And, like Chadwick’s performance, their work lives on. 

The Academy knows that. We may have forgotten it.

Message received.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Battle Scars and Bank Loans

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Next one up.

With seven series and five films (!) on tap for 2021, it’s fair to say that Marvel wants to keep their schedule moving along. As a result, even though we’re only two weeks out from the finale of WandaVision (don’t you kind of miss Agatha already?), the House that Stan Lee Built has already moved on to their latest Disney+ entry with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a series which explores what it means to be a hero when you’re stuck living in the shadow of another legend.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier picks up shortly after the events of Avengers: Endgame. (With no direct ties to WandaVision, there’s no obvious indication from the series where they fall in the timeline with one another.) Living from military contract to contract, Sam ‘The Falcon’ Wilson (Antony Mackie) has passed on the opportunity to take on the mantle of Captain America, opting instead to go home and help his sister deal with their family’s fishing business. Meanwhile, Bucky “The Winter Soldier” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) continues to live a life of solitude as he attempts to make amends for his past crimes. However, as a new evil lurks in the shadows, Sam and Bucky must work together to expose their plan and save the world once again.

With the global success of WandaVision and today’s release of the first episode of Falcon, Marvel (and Disney) have seamlessly moved from an (almost) exclusively MCU to the M-TV-U. But, so far at least, the most unexpected element has been the quality of the series thus far.

In some ways, it should not a shock that the Marvel product has been translating so well onto the small screen. While the MCU is known for its big budget special effects and larger than life battle sequence, the material has never forgotten its roots in comic books and long-form storytelling. (Besides, what is the Marvel Cinematic Universe if not the modern equivalent of the Saturday morning serials with a larger budget?) 

Even so, it does come as a bit startling how patient Marvel has been with their storytelling with this new venture into television. For example, in WandaVision, it wasn’t until the 3rd or 4th episode before the Marvel connections really began to take shape. With Falcon, Marvel again shows their confidence in their storytelling (and their fan base) by adopting this patient approach. Though this series will ultimately be only six episodes long, the introduction to the series primarily focuses on the challenges in the lives of our two protagonists. (Seriously, when did you ever think you’d see an Avenger struggle to get a bank loan? Doesn’t S.H.I.E.L.D. take care of their own?) While the series opens with a solid action scene, the rest of the episode focuses almost exclusively on character development, grappling with issues of PTSD and systemic racism.

It instantly impressed me.

Marvel has always been at its most interesting when they take risks. Whereas WandaVision leaned in exclusively into television history, Falcon (so far) seems committed to telling a story that focuses on what happens when the war [seems to be] over. With Sam working from contract to contract and Bucky grappling with the sins of his past, the two men are attempting to reintegrate their lives with everyone else. Though known as heroes for their time with the Avengers, they are now struggling to get by. Whether it’s trying to pay the bills or simply living with extreme anxiety, both Sam and Bucky are coming to grips with life after the shield. 

Now, of course, we know that the story is not going to end there. Teases of a new evil organization point to a more traditional MCU series of large-scale military battles on the horizon. But, for now at least, their greatest battle is understanding the legacy they leave behind. In this way, Sam’s story feels the most relevant. After having passed on the mantle of Captain America, he’s wrestling with his own worthiness as a hero and the missed opportunity to follow in the footsteps of an American icon. Sam understands that the world ‘needs a new hero [that’s] suited for the times we’re in.’ But he doesn’t believe that he can be that person…yet, anyways. (Certainly, the prospect of an African American lead taking on the role of Captain America would be an important opportunity that Disney needs to take—but that remains to be seen at this time.) For Sam (and Bucky as well), the mantle of ‘hero’ simply feels overwhelming. They know who they are and what they’ve done and, because of it, the standard of heroism simply feels too high for them to apply. 

While I’m certain that, eventually, the men will reconcile their past with their role as heroes, it is always interesting when Marvel challenges their characters emotionally. In Falcon and the Winter Soldier, there is a recognition that the mantle of responsibility must be taken seriously. At the same time though, the series also hints at the fact that all leaders are imperfect at some level, meaning true worthiness stems from some other aspect of their character.

But we’ll have to wait for the show to unravel to tell us what that is.

The first episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier is available to stream on Disney+ on Friday, March 18th, 2021, with new episodes every Friday.

7.13 Wrapping Up WANDAVISION

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Previously on SF Radio, Heather Johnson, Miriam Ibrahim, and Dina Hamdieh joined me to talk about the first half of WandaVision. Now, the team reassembles to break the fourth wall and delve into the World of Westview once more. With the Series Finale in the rearview mirror, we discuss managing fan expectations and whether or not Wanda is the true villain.

You can stream the episode on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

7.13-WandaVision-FinaleDownload