The pop culture disaster that is James Gunn continues, but this time it's not DC-related. At Marvel he's fighting with fans over race-swapping (a decision I doubt he had much control over given Disney's quota system for casting, not that I think he opposes it). It's fascinating to me that fandom seems unwilling or unable to recognize that Gunn is stamped from the same mold as everyone else at Disney (or DC). He's more than willing to participate in the fan baiting approach that's become ubiquitous. It's just empty virtue signaling, and I say 'empty' because Gunn has nothing negative to say that impacts his bottom line or personal life--there's no objection to things like the lithium mining required to power his smart phone, or the manufacturing practices that dress him, or stepping down so a POC or alphabet community member can have his position, etc--it's all style, no substance (maybe not as bad as Jon Stewart giving a Neo-Nazi a medal, but still). Making the High Evolutionary black (and because this is America, the change is usually to black--just like Seth Rogen's new TMNT cartoon or Disney's new Little Mermaid) isn't going to accomplish anything. You'd think after years of failure the industry would give up on antagonistic tokenism (echoing what made Spike Lee complain back in 2001), but if the goal is ideological I suppose it's less about the money than it is about the statement.
It's no surprise to hear that Marvel finally signed Jon Bernthal to reprise his role as the Punisher, as they've been attempting to do so for years and it matches the same logic that brought Daredevil back. It's also no surprise that the prior Karen (the delightful Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy (Elden Henson) won't return--the latter is a redhead (so an anathema in the industry) and both are white, so race-swapping is in order (the odds would make Foggy black; perhaps Karen will be Asian, to borrow Netflix's failed Elektra idea, cf; it's unlikely either would be Latino, as Marvel considers Latinos white). We have to assume the show will feature the same awful writing that has become the norm for the MCU, because there's been no change in their writing hiring preferences (they are doubling down on David Callaham of all things). In general though, I'm less troubled about the Punisher than other things. To my mind, the Punisher's second season (2019) had already started to ruin the character, while Daredevil had all sorts of problems at Netflix from both the second and third season (none are as bad as the D+ shows (Jessica Jones' final two seasons are), but they aren't good either). Do I think Bernthal's presence will help early ratings? Yes, but it won't sustain itself (Daredevil couldn't save She-Hulk either). The character will be subverted and humiliated just like Matt Murdoch.
A bit of humble pie for me as The Last of Us' ratings went up for episode 4 (via Nielsen). Despite that, it's Trends continue to fall, so it's an increase in eyeballs (over 30%), but less public discussion. This makes me think the casuals have already decided whether it's for them or not. Where the show seems to have landed is as a modest success, but not a smash hit (which does rationalize a second season). I can only hope we get the golf clubbing crescendo from The Last of Us Part II (y'all got a towel or anything?). For those looking for optimism, there's a gleam of hope for Naughty Dog themselves, that Druckmann will be too preoccupied with HBO to infect their games with his ideas (I think that's unlikely, but it remains as the only potential positive). On an anecdotal level I don't know anyone who has seen the show (which is unusual, as I know fans of Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time), but I expect that will change at some point.
It's been fascinating watching the entertainment industry try to deal with the unprofitability of their products. There's no acknowledgement of the cause (it can't be because of their own hackneyed ideas). Kevin Feige and Bob Iger think they just need to add a few more jokes (an idea that already failed in Ant-Man 3). I think Feige is trying to double down on memberberries, but that cupboard is not particularly full and its impact not assured (it worked in Spider-Man 3, but not in Doctor Strange). Not surprisingly, the consequences for failure vary widely. Let's look at some examples:
- Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi) - best known for fighting with fans (something he hasn't given up on); his Star Wars trilogy will never happen and his film career seems essentially dead after Knives Out (2019)
- Kevin Feige - lost his Star Wars film (which is shocking), but remains in absolute control of the MCU
- Taika Waititi - won't get another Thor-film, but his Star Wars project remains alive (link above)
- Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) - got demoted in her own sequel (Captain Marvel 2 is now The Marvels) and has been pulled as the face of the MCU's future, but remains in Marvel
- Melissa Rosenberg - on the rise after the first season of Jessica Jones (2015), landing a deal with WB that was quietly abandoned as a result of the next two seasons and she essentially hasn't worked since
- Patty Jenkins - given all the credit for Wonder Woman when (like James Gunn) she was brought in to finish someone else's project; had a slew of films lined up until the sequel bombed, all of which have been canned (link above as well as this for DC)
- Ava DuVernay (New Gods) - given the project in the Berg/Johns era, which she was quietly jettisoned from
- Jessica Gao (She-Hulk) - hit Neil Breen levels of stupidity with her show and was unable to keep her mouth shut; it appears as though she will be ushered out of Marvel
- Leslye Headland - despite the widespread belief she helped facilitate Harvey Weinstein's assaults when working as his personal assistant, her Star Wars project (Acolyte) is still ongoing (you have to wonder what she knows that gives her this kind of immunity/opportunity)
- Neil Druckmann - has been fighting with fans since he became an Anita Sarkeesian acolyte back in 2014; this antagonism has had no consequences, even though The Last of Us Part II bombed and The Last of Us Remastered is seen as a poorly executed cash grab
- Mindy Kaling - fought with fans over Velma, which bombed horrendously, but theoretically is getting a second season (I think it will air just after Watchman and Lovecraft Country season two...)
- Rings of Power duo - despite the show's horrendous reception, Amazon has not meaningfully changed it (although Ismael Cruz Cordova and Nazanin Boniadi won't be back)
- Lauren Hissrich - her limp efforts lost her Henry Cavill, which likely means losing the IP entirely (I think Blood Origins would have flopped regardless); for the moment the second announced animated spinoff is still occurring
- Ezra Miller - despite multiple instances of criminal activity (cf), is still the star in The Flash and getting heaps of praise from James Gunn
- David Lindelof - couldn't get a second season of Watchman (2019), has seen his film career die, but may get to write a Star Wars project (link above)
- Alex Kurtzman - the scab has been universally derided for his terrible work and forced creatively away from a lot of it, but continues to be attached to Star Trek (RIP Discovery)
- Neil Gaiman - in his later years fully embraced fan baiting that's made success harder--American Gods has dragged along without any resonance (look at the declining viewership), and had to publicly beg to get another season for his magnum opus, Sandman
Individual consequences aside, the biggest problem for the corporate overlords is that these efforts are failing with Gen-Z. Young people aren't attracted to the 'made for a modern audience' productions. Anecdotally young people consume a ton of older shows/films while reading Manga and teen fiction (there's a very obvious throughline with that material if you care to look for it). They will often espouse opinions that echo Feige, Gunn, etc, do incessantly, but they don't show up for things made with that in mind. I'd argue ideologues don't make quality entertainment, so having that as your priority when hiring guarantees failure. Pure spectacle can still work (Avatar 2), but it's expensive and risky (the MCU has tried it in multiple Phase Four/Five projects and they've failed to resonate).
This article was written by Peter Levi
No comments:
Post a Comment