6 Great Reasons Marvel Should Bring Back The One Shots

6 Great Reasons Marvel Should Bring Back The One Shots

There was an idea that Marvel Studios could maintain its Marvel Cinematic Universe with a series of MCU shorts that could tell stories that the movies never could. At least, not at the times they were released. They were called Marvel One Shots: shorts exclusively created for the home video release of each Marvel film from 2011 until 2014, and dedicated to taking the still fledgling franchise everywhere it could go, without having to spend a feature length budget each trip.

Before Team Darryl from Thor: Ragnarok, it had been a while since we’d seen anything close to being known as a One Shot. And even then, the comedic short explaining Thor’s absence from Captain America: Civil War wasn’t technically branded as a One Shot. But it does embody the spirit of the One Shot, and its success helps remind us of just why they should exist.

As we approach Avengers: Endgame, the long-awaited finale of the Infinity Saga, here are six reasons why Marvel Studios should go back to the practice of doling out One Shots with each home video release.

It Could Help Set Up Crucial Characters And Plot Points For Phase Four

Avengers: Endgame is about to wrap up eleven years of storytelling that make up the first arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there’s definitely a plan in play for Phase Four to introduce new franchises like The Eternals and Shang Chi in the near future, as well as handing off the leadership reins to Captain Marvel, that’s only just the beginning.

If Phase Four is going to be more diverse -- and more ambitious -- than the first three phases, it’s going to need a lot of new and exciting content to do so. Which means, the One Shots could very easily help do a little of the heavy lifting by supplementing characters and plot points that start in mid or end credit sequences, and bridge into new films.

Imagine if Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel finally had an opportunity to show up, without the need of a TV series or a full film. That short could lay the groundwork for her character, and keep her in play until she’s used in either capacity. Meanwhile, she’d finally be onscreen, ready to return at a moment’s notice in a natural context.

They’re A Great Way To Tell Additional Stories Outside Of The Films

As we saw with the One Shot All Hail The King, the continuation of the story involving Trevor Slattery and his guise as The Mandarin in Iron Man 3 was eventually used to twist the character in another way. Were Marvel to pursue the eventual fallout of this short, with Slattery being brought to meet the actual Mandarin, there would be a potential to tell an entire story in One Shots.

What if the “true” Mandarin’s story was a serialized happening, scattered throughout home video releases of Marvel Studios titles? Instead of just being a juicy tease for a massive retcon of Iron Man 3, it could be an entire story that adapts the character closer to the comics.

Or, say the idea of telling the stories of jailed villains caught on? You don’t need a full Iron Man movie to tell that story, or at least not to start off. You could bring back Justin Hammer, or the Vulture, or even Colonel Zemo for one short and round off their stories in captivity. Of course, were they popular enough, there would always be the chance to expand further.

One Shots Help Test The Popularity Of Potential Concepts And Characters

Peggy Carter of the Captain America series is the best example of how testing the popularity of a character before launching them into greater things can work perfectly in the One Shot laboratory. While she was pretty beloved in Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as her guest appearances on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., her One Shot short Agent Carter provided the best piggyback for her character to jump into her own TV series.

Again, the foundation was laid out in a short that, at the very least, would have stoked fan support for the character. But at the most, you find the people that really get the fans riled up and ready to come back to the fold, which indicates that it’s a good time to jump back into TV and Movies with said character.

The Marvel Comics universe is so vast that no one is a guaranteed hit, so using One Shots as the test kitchen to cook up further adventures of side characters that are primed for a spinoff makes a lot of sense. If Inhumans had been a One Shot rather than an expensive theatrical event/season of TV, Marvel’s approach to the material, as well as the viability of the property itself, could have been tested in a less costly manner.

The Shorts Are A Nice Extra To Tide Fans Over Between Films

While Marvel Studios seems pretty set with its three-films-a-year layout, they tend to be front-loaded into the earlier part of the year. In 2019, March, April, and July all see the release of an entry into the MCU, leaving the rest of the year untouched except for home video releases.

Should those three films have additional One Shot content on each of those shelf loving physical copies, fans would have at least three more times to get excited about a new gem of information or a new character to fall in love with. It would basically be giving fans extra content in the off season.

Why should the comic movie fan be content with merely switching to another comic company’s films, when Marvel can keep its name in everyone’s minds with fresh supplies of events and characters? And what about the die hards who don’t even touch the competition? Those true believers deserve something extra for this devotion, in my opinion. Besides, it’s not like there’s a shortage of ideas in the One Shot canon.

There Are Already Unused One Shot Scripts That Can Be Made

It has been mentioned on multiple occasions that there were One Shot scripts that simply never got made, post 2014’s All Hail The King. Producer Kevin Feige, and even Marvel creative player Drew Pearce both talked about ideas that were laid out, but never executed for different reasons.

However, with Disney having more clout and position in the entertainment world to call its own shots, some reasons such as budget and effort could theoretically be overcome quite easily. While this isn’t a reason to advocate spending an obscene amount of money on a young Loki or Nick Fury short, it’s also a call to move past such limitations.

Should Marvel spend more money on the studio’s One Shot projects, that would mean that home video might not be the best or only home that those shorts should inhabit. If only there were a streaming platform that Disney owned, that could use such content to entice subscribers.

One Shots Past And Future Could Be Great Disney+ Exclusives

Perhaps the greatest reason that Disney and Marvel should resurrect the One Shot initiative is, quite simply, that Disney+ needs content. While the What If animated series, as well as plenty other spin-offs of popular characters are coming to the platform, there’s so much more potential here.

This new streaming home could take all of the lessons learned above, and turn them into gold. With Loki already getting a spin-off series, the problem of cost involving any Asgardian shorts is solved. Just use the assets already provided with that series.

Think Agent Carter is worth another spin? Make a short that shows us what Season 3 would have looked like, and see where the public lands! Having merely the test shorts of such concepts on Disney+ would be enough to start winning those hungry for more Marvel, all the time. And if Chris Hemsworth wants a TV show between Thor and his human roommate Darryl, you can practically chalk that success up to the unofficial success of the One Shots that was Team Darryl!

There is a tremendous opportunity to expand the depth and scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe through the redeployment of the One Shots. All that has to happen is for the studio to see the possibilities, and make them happen in reality. For now, we may have to content ourselves with other longform streaming projects.

Which means it’s time for you True Believers, you Marvelous Mavens, to take a poll below and let your voices be heard. Do you want more One Shots, or do you think their day has come and gone? Vote and decide, and don’t forget to explain your choice in the comments below.

In the meantime, Avengers: Endgame will be upon us in early showings on April 25th, so there’s still time to cram a very specific MCU catch up session into your schedule.

Rumor: Lady Gaga Allegedly Loved Her Star Is Born Role So Much She's Having Trouble Letting Go

Rumor: Lady Gaga Allegedly Loved Her Star Is Born Role So Much She's Having Trouble Letting Go

It was a whirlwind Awards Season, as 2018's top movies competed for various accolades from the filmmaking community. One of the projects that picked up a ton of nominations was Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, A Star Is Born. The musical drama was a massive success, earning money at the box office, topping the music charts, and earning a whopping eight Academy Award nominations-- even earning one. It was also a breakthrough for Lady Gaga, who became a bonafide leading lady.

Lady Gaga got a ton of positive attention and nominations for playing unknown singer Ally, and it should be fascinating to see how her acting career continues on. But a new rumor indicates she's having a hard time letting go of Ally Maine, after living as the character during filming and press for A Star Is Born. This report indicates the singer/actress is still a well of emotion, and is therefore struggling to leave her Oscar nominated role behind her.

This rumor comes via Us Magazine, which also reported on the "insane chemistry" that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper share on the screen and stage. While that connection is no doubt what helped bring Jackson and Ally's love story to life in A Star Is Born, it also fueled the fire of the rumor mills. And that fire got considerably larger after the duo performed the film's anthem "Shallow" during the Oscars.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga walked from the audience directly onto the Academy Awards stage, and belted out "Shallow" for the audience, breaking the internet in the process. The chemistry between the two was palpable, and it even looked like they might kiss when sharing a microphone. Rumors began swirling about the two's personal lives, although Gaga put the to rest on a Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance.

Lady Gaga appeared on Kimmel, complete with the Oscar she won for Best Original Song. When discussing her Oscars duet with Bradley Cooper and the rumors that followed, Gaga said:

Social media, quite frankly, is the toilet of the internet. And what it has done to pop culture is just abysmal. Yes, people saw love and guess what? That’s what we wanted you to see. This is a love song, 'Shallow'. A Star Is Born is a love story.

That seemed to put the story to bed, or at least it was Lady Gaga's attempt to do so. Because now more rumors are circulating about Gaga and her A Star Is Born director/co-star. And once again, it relates to the chemistry shared between the two professionals. While Bradley Cooper has had a long acting career, it's still the early stages for Gaga. As such, the reports indicate that she's having a harder time letting go of Ally, after spending so much time with her. And that includes the character's love for her fictional husband Jackson.

A Star Is Born is available for home purchase now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Original Suspiria Writer Is Not In Love With The Remake

Original Suspiria Writer Is Not In Love With The Remake

Dario Argento created a memorable monster when he committed Suspiria to the screen in 1977. As the writer/director of the famed horror film, you can imagine how attached he is to one of the film’s that he’s best known for creating. With that in mind, one would assume that the 2018 remake from director Luca Guadagnino would get under his skin more than a little bit.

But as it turns out, the reason Argento is upset with the remake is for artistic reasons than incendiary ones, as he called the film out for specific behaviors. In particular, he had the following critiques:

To me, the remake of Suspiria doesn’t look like a well-realized project. It lacks fear, music, tension, and scenic creativity. Films like Get Out and Hereditary have struck me for their beautiful photography, their plot, and their production.

Now while that isn’t a sick burn in the measures of our times, Dario Argento’s criticism of the new version of Suspiria definitely strikes hard. Rather than being just a couple of colorful remarks of displeasure that could have easily been fun and personally rewarding, Argento has actual artistic claims to make on 2018’s well-received and certainly WTF redo.

In particular, the criticism of Suspiria 2018 lacking the most vital components to both a horror film, as well as any film in general, is a dressing down that‘s devastating, while carrying significant weight. Though it’s certainly something that can be disputed, as again, the public response to Luca Guadagnino’s version was quite favorable. With a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes when all was said and done, much of the critical community seemed to enjoy the fresh, modern take on Dario Argento’s storied classic.

Even our own Eric Eisenberg, upon seeing Suspiria’s remake for himself, had the following raves to offer:

Dario Argento's original will forever be recognized for its breathtaking cinematography and insanely bold use of color, and while Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria molds its own aesthetic, it's no less jaw-dropping. And this is true within the film's many different modes. Simply moving through the dark halls and vast spaces of the academy is a haunting experience; while the cinematography and choreography for the dance sequences are exquisite and elegant while also fierce and violent.

But alas, Dario Argento wasn’t taken with 2018's Suspiria, and that’s just the way it is. Rather than just blindly rubber stamp or trample the film into the ground though, he had valid concerns that he voiced in his conversation with Interview Magazine. Agree or disagree, no matter what the MPAA has to say on the matter, it’s a solid thought.

Of course, you can compare and contrast for yourself, as the 1977 version of Susperia is available on home video in a brand new 4K restoration, and can also be streamed on Tubi. As for the 2018 version, you can catch it now on home video and on Amazon Prime’s streaming catalog as of May 3.

New Spider-Man: Far From Home Photo Puts Nick Fury And Maria Hill Back In Action

New Spider-Man: Far From Home Photo Puts Nick Fury And Maria Hill Back In Action

Although Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark will not be showing up for Spider-Man’s next big screen adventure, two MCU vets will be joining Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger for his very own Eurotrip. Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Cobie Smulder’s Maria Hill will be enlisting Peter Parker’s help against the Elementals. A new photo from Spider-Man: Far From Home shows us these two spies back in action. Check it out:

Poor Peter Parker, he just wanted to enjoy a fun vacation seeing the sights with his friends, and instead he’s in a conference room getting scowled at by Nick Fury and getting the ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed’ look from Maria Hill. Presumably Spider-Man screwed up in some way or isn’t taking his mission seriously enough for Nick Fury’s taste. He’s probably not especially receptive to Spidey’s humor either.

This image from Reddit shows that Nick Fury and Maria Hill are very much on the job and counting on Spider-Man to execute some important task towards uncovering the mystery of the Elementals and stopping their attacks. We don’t know why they need him specifically, but it must be something that requires his skillset and can’t be achieved with their own guns and spycraft. Fury even gives Peter a new Stealth Suit so that nobody knows that Spider-Man has left his neighborhood.

It’s shaping up to be great year for Nick Fury. Although we don’t know if he’ll show up in Avengers: Endgame, he got his most substantial MCU adventure earlier this year in Captain Marvel. Although Nick Fury and Maria Hill showed up in Avengers: Infinity War end-credits scene, they have been largely absent from Phase 3.

So it will be good to see them back in action again, and it appears as though they will play a significant role in the events of the film. We don’t get nearly enough of Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill, and even the actress herself wanted people to know that she is actually in this movie, despite a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the first trailer.

Based on that trailer, it looks like she and Nick Fury will be in the field of battle and not just calling plays for Spider-Man. That’s exciting, as Spidey will need all the help he can get and their presence ties this universe together and reminds us that even when we don’t see them, Fury and Hill are constantly working to combat threats.

With Avengers: Endgame arriving next week, hopefully a new trailer for Spider-Man; Far From Home (maybe with more Maria Hill) isn't far behind. There are still a lot of questions we have about this film, like when it takes place in the timeline. We have heard that it picks up right after Endgame, but Marvel has misled us before in order to keep its secrets.

Sony has bumped up its release date a few days and Spider-Man: Far From Home will now swing into theaters on July 2. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the big titles headed your way as we enter the summer movie season.

How Much Men In Black International Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

How Much Men In Black International Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

It's been seven years since the last installment of the Men in Black series, and when the franchise returns in June, it will be with an almost entirely new cast. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson will take over from Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. While we're still almost two months out, the first projections on the box office are coming out now, and MiB: International is currently tracking toward an opening weekend around $40 million.

While these numbers are early, and are certainly subject to change, BoxOfficePro expects Men in Black: international to end up somewhere between $30-$50 million at the start on the way to a $107 million domestic box office. That would put the new movie at the bottom of the Men in Black franchise from a box office perspective, Mien in Black 3 opened at close to $55 million on the way to a domestic total of almost $180 million, probably not where the new film wants to be.

On the other hand, Men in Black 3 is actually the highest grossing film in the franchise globally, because the international numbers for the film were much higher than the previous entries. In the 10 years between Men in Black 2 and Men in Black 3, Hollywood had made great inroads in international distribution, especially in China, where MiB 3 made $77 million. Today China is an even more important part of the global box office. If the new MiB does even better there, the movie could pay for itself in China alone.

Based on the fact that the new film is actually called Men in Black: International, one gets the impression that the foreign box office is really where the focus for the new movie is. The simple fact is that the film doesn't have to do particularly well in the U.S. if it gets embraced in enough other places.

Men in Black: International won't be the only franchise returning to the big screen in mid-June as the film will open on the same date as the new Shaft movie with Samuel L. Jackson. MiB is currently tracking to be the box office winner of the two, but only by a few million dollars, so anything is possible.

Both movies will have to also contend with The Secret Life of Pets 2, which opens the previous weekend. Animated family movies tend to have better staying power at the box office than other types of films, so both movies could lose the box office crown to a rabbit voiced by Kevin Hart.

It will be interesting to see how the first Men in Black movie without Will Smith does at the box office. We don't really know if he's so close to this franchise that it really needs him or not. We'll find out in June.

James Gunn And Michael Rooker May Be Re-Teaming For Suicide Squad 2

James Gunn And Michael Rooker May Be Re-Teaming For Suicide Squad 2

James Gunn and Michael Rooker have already worked together once in the superhero realm through the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. While Rooker’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is over, now that Gunn is also lending his talents to the DC Extended Universe, it’s looking like these two might get to reunite in Suicide Squad 2, a.k.a. The Suicide Squad.

According to The Wrap, Michael Rooker is currently in talks to play King Shark in Suicide Squad 2. He’s been a part of the officially-designated Task Force X in recent years, particularly during the New 52 era, and it was reported last week that he’s one of the characters that will make up the team when it returns to the big screen.

Introduced in 1994’s Superboy #0, King Shark, a.k.a. Nanaue, is said to be the son of the Shark God, and he flip-flops between being a straight-up super villain and a tragic anti-hero. His abilities include superhuman physical attributes across the board, breathing underwater, enhanced senses, a regenerative healing factor and, of course, razor-sharp teeth.

Outside of the comics, King Shark’s most prominent appearance has been on The Flash, where he was originally a marine biologist named Shay Lamden who was transformed by the particle accelerator explosion on Earth-2. King Shark has also popped up in DC Super Hero Girls, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and Batman: Assault on Arkham. He was originally supposed to appear in 2016’s Suicide Squad, but he was eventually replaced by Killer Croc.

Joining Suicide Squad 2 would allow Michael Rooker to keep up his streak of acting in all the movies James Gunn has directed. Along with his time as Yondu, Rooker is also well-known for playing Merle Dixon on The Walking Dead, and his recent projects include appearing two episodes of True Detective and starring in the upcoming Fantasy Island movie from Blumhouse.

Although it was initially described as a ‘total reboot,’ Suicide Squad 2 will still be tied to the previous Suicide Squad movie, as evidenced by the return of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller. However, the better term for this movie is ‘relaunch,’ as it will mostly feature a brand-new cast of characters.

Assuming Michael Rooker finalizes a deal for Suicide Squad 2, he would join Idris Elba, David Dastmalchian and Daniela Melchior as one of the new faces. Elba was originally supposed to replace Will Smith as Deadshot, but he’ll now play a new character, while Dastmalchian and Melchior have been tapped to play Polka-Dot Man and Ratcatcher, respectively. John Cena is also being eyed to portray Peacemaker.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for word on if Michael Rooker does indeed join Suicide Squad 2, as well as any other major updates on the project. If you’re curious about what other DC movies are currently in development, look through our handy guide.

No, Indiana Jones 5 Does Not Begin Filming Next Week

No, Indiana Jones 5 Does Not Begin Filming Next Week

In the last four years, moviegoers have reunited with Han Solo and Rick Deckard, two of Harrison Ford’s most popular characters. And the actor’s not done with this nostalgia tour just yet, as he’s been attached for years to reprise Dr. Henry Jones Jr. in Indiana Jones 5. That said, contrary to recent news, the next installment of the whip-wielding archaeologist’s franchise will not begin filming later this month.

In case you missed it, last week Harrison Ford appeared alongside Mark Hamill, George Lucas and Billy Dee Williams at the grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, during which time he also spoke with Variety and said that Indiana Jones 5 will begin shooting “sometime next week.” This was a surprising update, to say the least, as Indiana Jones 5 isn’t scheduled for release until 2021, and usually there's chatter months ahead of time on when a movie will specifically begin filming.

However, Variety has now updated Harrison Ford’s quote, which now says that Indiana Jones 5 will begin shooting “sometime next year.” It’s unclear if this misunderstanding is the result of a transcription error or if Harrison Ford misspoke and a Disney representative cleared up the matter (I’m guessing the latter), but either way, we’re still aways away from Indiana Jones 5 rolling cameras. Ford also said the following about the highly-anticipated movie:

I’m looking forward to it. Things are coming along well.

It is worth remembering that Indiana Jones 5 was initially slated to come out much earlier. Back in 2016, Walt Disney Studios scheduled it for July 19, 2019, so had the studio stuck with that plan, we’d be only a little over a month away from seeing Harrison Ford don the fedora again. Then in 2017, Disney pushed Indiana Jones 5 to July 10, 2020, and then in 2018, it was pushed back once more to its current July 2021 slot due to script rewrites.

It’s entirely possible that Indiana Jones 5 could be delayed yet again, but for now, it appears production will commence next year. By the time the movie comes out, it will have been 13 years since we last saw Harrison Ford play Indiana Jones, which was in the fan-derided Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

No plot details have come out for Indiana Jones 5, although it has been confirmed that Shia LaBeouf will not reprise Mutt Williams, a.k.a. Henry Jones III. The last big update on the movie came last week, when it was revealed that This Is Us’ Dan Fogelman was tackling the latest draft of the script.

As for the future of the Indiana Jones franchise after Movie #5, Harrison Ford made it perfectly clear that he doesn’t want anyone else playing Indy after he’s finished. There’s been talk in the past about Chris Pratt taking on the role, and Ford even told someone to break the bad news to Chris Pine, who’s played Jack Ryan, another role that used to belong to Ford.

It’ll be a long time before we learn if an Indiana Jones 6 is a possibility, if the franchise will be rebooted or perhaps, as rare as this happens nowadays, if no more Indiana Jones movies will be made. For now, fingers crossed that Indiana Jones 5 at least delivers a worthwhile conclusion for Indy, or at least one better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull delivered.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates concerning Indiana Jones 5 as we slowly move closer to its July 9, 2021 release date. For now, you can plan your trips to the movie theater this year accordingly by consulting our 2019 release schedule.