What to know
Marvel Studios unveils its future… After 15 largely disconnected movies and TV shows, Marvel Studios’ phase 4 has left a lot of skeptical fans wondering, “Where is this all going?” Mega producer Kevin Feige had an answer for that on Saturday night at Comic-Con. This new era of Marvel is officially called “The Multiverse Saga,” phase 5 will start next year and end with a Thunderbolts feature in 2024. Phase 6, while mostly still a mystery, will include a Fantastic Four film and two massive bookends: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2025. While some of this had been hinted at already, it’s nice to have confirmation, perhaps now things will feel less meandering. In terms of building hype and anticipation, no one does it better.
The Duffer Brothers are already changing old Stranger Things episodes… They said they’d “pull a George Lucas” and they did. Are there other examples of showrunners doing this? TV creators wouldn’t have been able to much in the linear days, but streaming allows for “living” series. The only other example I can think of creators going back and editing their TV shows is the removal of Black face in recent years (eg Scrubs). 🙃
For All Mankind tops Ted Lasso as Apple’s most in-demand show, renewed for season 4… I love For All Mankind. I want more people to watch it. It’s one of the best shows you’re probably not aware of, it’s not a very buzzy show. Maybe it’s more “in demand” than Ted Lasso because the Jason Sudeikis comedy hasn’t been on for a year? Whatever the reason, I’m glad it’s top some chart somewhere. Join this rocket to the moon now! 🚀
How Gen Z became obsessed with subtitles… This is a fascinating look at how closed captioning is becoming more widely adopted. Telegraph cites British accents, actors mumbling, and dual screens as the reasons more people are turning on the captions — but I’m wondering if the poor at-home sound experience in movies & TV is also to blame. 🔇
Nope scores highest opening for an original movie since Jordan Peele’s last movie… Jordan Peele has become a franchise unto himself — and thank god for that. Peele’s originality and talent for surprising audiences is so rare in mainstream movies, we are truly blessed to have him out here making things like Nope (and this fake opening credits sequence for the sitcom within the movie.) 🐒
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer debuted at Comi-Con but isn’t online because its VFX aren’t ready for repeat viewings… While it would be great to see it, I’m glad they held it back for this reason. The last thing we need are more fanboys criticizing the output of already overworked and underpaid VFX artists. 🎬
Full Frontal With Samanta Bee canceled after 7 years… Another TBS casualty. To lose Bee and Desus and Mero in the same week really hurts. We need less homogenization in late night, not more. 📺
Disney in talks with BBC for Doctor Who streaming rights… The Mouse will not be happy until it gobbles up all the IP. 🐭
What’s new
Light & Magic — July 27 | Disney+ docu series | 🍅 100%
Harley Quinn s3 — July 28 | HBO Max adult animated series | 🍅 100%
The Resort — July 28 | Peacock drama series | 🍅
Paper Girls — July 29 | Amazon Prime sci-fi series | 🍅
What to watch
No one makes movies like Jordan Peele. The fact that Nope, in theaters now, had the biggest opening for an original movie since Peele’s last movie (Us) is telling. Where are the other blockbusters like this?! The ones that are willing to surprise you and challenge you and delight you and disgust you and devastate you. Maybe from trailers and promotional materials you could estimate about 40% of what Nope includes. The other 60% will absolutely floor you. It’s one bold, bonkers choice after another that in hands any less deft would fall completely flat. Here, Peele’s big ideas astonish, amaze, and poke at the brain. They also all add up and matter to the bigger story he’s telling, thematically speaking. And why is Jordan Peele almost entirely alone in making his popcorn fare mean something? No, many things. Nope has a lot on its mind, giving way to a number of equally valid interpretations. Nope is about exploitation, it’s about spectacle, it’s about trauma, it’s about family and what we owe our parents. The movie has thrilling mass appeal—the exact type of spectacle it’s simultaneously deriding—as well as willowy layered curtains of introspection and societal reflection. The movie’s slow act-one pace and more provocative set pieces might put off some viewers, but that divisiveness makes it all the more valuable. Nope draws influence from Spielberg and Carpenter and Lovecraft but it is singularly Jordan Peele. There’s nothing quite like it.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!