Interview with Peter Ramsey | Faceplant, Spider-Verse, Stan Lee, & More
Peter Ramsey has done it all, from sketches to directing and a lot more in between. But that doesn't mean everything has gone as planned for him. In the new doc-series Faceplant on MillionStories.com, Peter shared what it was like going from storyboard artist to director and also what happened when Rise of the Guardians didn't go as plan. But like anyone with a dream, Peter continued to pursue his goals which led him to direct Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
Faceplant features personal stories from people who discover the value of failure in pursuit of their dreams. Each episode carries valuable lessons and encouragement for us all as we push on towards fulfilling our goals.
I had the honor to interview Peter about his Faceplant episode. It was like talking to an equally geeky old friend. We talked about everything from comic books to representation in films to Stan Lee and Spider-Verse 2. Well, at least as much as he is allowed to say about that last one!
And for those of you who follow along with my podcast and #MarvelMondays chats, Peter agrees with us on future X-Men and Fantastic Four movies. I knew we were right. You can watch the full interview here.
Faceplant Peter Ramsey: Oscar Winning Director of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Watch Peter's Faceplant episode here.
Picture from Tony's Twitter @Pumbaaguy1
Interview With Tony Bancroft
After I got over my Disney kid best day ever moment, we chatted about the film Red Shoes and The Seven Dwarfs were he served as the voice director. I also asked him about his favorite characters, what he is up to now, and more. Watch the full interview below.
Red Shoes And The Seven Dwarfs
This outrageous fairy tale spoof starts as Snow White steals a pair of red shoes that transform her into a princess. Meanwhile, a witch’s curse turns seven brave princes into dwarfs, forcing them to seek out the princess, hoping for a kiss to break their spell. Together, they must face Snow White’s wicked stepmother – who will stop at nothing to get her precious shoes back – and, along the way, learn that true beauty lies within!
Chloë Grace Moretz (Bolt, Inside Out), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games series), Gina Gershon (TV’s “Riverdale”), Patrick Warburton (TV’s “Family Guy,” The Emperor’s New Groove), and Jim Rash (TV’s “Community”) lend their vocal talents to this humorous and heartwarming retelling of the Snow White fable, only this time it’s the princess who must save the prince(s) – all seven of them! This family-friendly film has “a strong body-positive theme that emphasizes the beauty of characters of all shapes and sizes” (Common Sense Media), and received the Dove Seal of Approval for All Ages.
Red Shoes and The Seven Dwarfs is available to own on Digital and Blu-ray.
New Marvel Phase 4 Release Dates
Let's start with the movies. Black Widow, Eternals, and Shang-Chi have all be shifted thanks to the current global situation. Thor Love and Thunder, Spider-Man 3, and Doctor Strange have not been updated at this time. As always, I will keep you updated.
Read more: How To Watch Every Marvel Movie
Black Widow: May 7, 2021
Black Widow will be the first movie released for Phase 4.
The film will focus on Black Widow's past. Scarlett Johansson will be back as Black Widow with David Harbour as Alexi aka The Red Guardian, Rachel Weisz as Melina, O-T Fagbenle, and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, a sister figure to Natasha. Cate Shortland will direct.
Black Widow will take place after the events of Captain America Civil War. Taskmaster has been confirmed as the villain, footage at SDCC showed Natasha fighting him.
For more on the Black Widow film:
Black Widow Final Trailer- Who Is Taskmaster?
Black Widow Comics To Read Before The Movie
Eternals: November 5, 2021
Chloe Zhao will be the director of Eternals. The Eternals will star Richard Madden as Ikaris, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Don Lee as Gilgamesh also known as The Forgotten One, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, and Lia McHugh as Sprite.
Kit Harrington and Gemma Chan will also star in the film. Gemma plays Minerva in Captain Marvel. There are a total of 11 Eternals in the MCU.
Related: Marvel Phase 4 Movies and Disney Plus Shows Confirmed
Shang-Chi: And the Legend of the Ten Rings: July 9, 2021
Shang-Chi will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and star Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Awkwafina, as well as Tony Leung who will be playing the Mandarin.
Related: All The Disney Plus News From D23
Disney Plus Marvel Shows Release Dates
WandaVision: December 2020
Wandavision is inspired by the classic Dick Van Dyke show, so think sitcom meets MCU adventure. Kat Dennings and Randall Park will also be joining the show reprising their roles from Thor and Ant-Man and The Wasp. A grown-up Monica Rambeau will also feature in the series.
WandaVision just released its first trailer. From West Coast Avengers, Secret Invasion, to Dark Avengers, and Mephisto a lot was teased in this one.
Read more: WandaVision Trailer Breakdown
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Early 2021
The show will center on Falcon and the Winter Soldier teaming up after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Emily VanCamp will reprise her role as Sharon Carter. Wyatt Russell is joining the show playing John Walker aka U.S. Agent. Look for the show on Disney+ in 2021.
Loki: Spring 2021
Loki answers the questions where did Loki go after he took the tesseract? Can he make a friend? and Will the sun shine on him again?
So far this wasn't hasn't been pushed back. Filming has resumed on all shows and films.
Marvel's What If?: Summer 2021
23 animated episodes exploring an alternate reality to each of the 23 MCU films. Original MCU actors will reprise their roles for this show.
Hawkeye: Fall 2022
Hawkeye will introduce Kate Bishop's character and star Jeremy Renner. Currently (and before any virus related delays) this show was put on hold due to scheduling conflicts.
Ms. Marvel: 2022
Kevin Feige has stated that Kamala Khan will also appear in the MCU films. Being a big Captain Marvel fan, I see her showing up in Captain Marvel 2. Bisha K. Ali has been tapped as showrunner, while Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Meera Menon are set to direct.
Moon Knight: TBA
Moon Knight will follow a former criminal who becomes “The Fist of Kohnshu” and evolves multiple personalities. Jeremy Slater (The Umbrella Academy, The Exorcist) has been pegged as the showrunner.
She-Hulk: TBA
Tatiana Maslany has been cast as She-Hulk. Mark Ruffalo hasn't ruled out appearing and the show runner will be Jessica Gao of Rick and Morty.
Catch up on MCU Phase 1 through 3 on Disney Plus
Enola Holmes Movie Review
On the morning of her 16th birthday, Enola Holmes wakes to find that her mother, Eudoria has gone missing. Being left alone in England in 1884 is not ideal for a young woman, so her brothers are summoned back to the house. Mycroft and Sherlock, yes her brother is the Sherlock Holmes, arrive and immediately try to make things right. For Mycroft that means sending Enola away to finishing school to make her a proper young lady while Sherlock begins to piece together the clues that might lead to their missing mother.
Enola takes her destiny into her own hands, as her mother taught her, and chooses to run away to find Eudoria. It's then when she happens upon the young Viscount Lord Tewksbury who has also run away from home. With her brothers on her tail and her goal to find her mother in mind she does not have time for Tewksbury or his problems. But when she discovers that his life is in danger, all that begins to change.
When movies are adapted from stories they can either go right or terribly wrong. Books usually included multiple storylines and subplots within plots. All of that can be difficult to translate in the space of 2 hours. Although the storylines of Enola can seem convoluted at times, especially for younger viewers, overall the cast delivers memorable and engaging moments throughout the film.
Millie Bobby Brown is absolutely brilliant as the title character. She brought Enola's charming, bright, and strong-minded self to life. Breaking the 4th wall can come across cheesy or overdone in some cases, but in this movie, Brown effortlessly switches back and forth between addressing the viewers and being in the moment of the scene.
Sherlock might be the most notable family member, but in the end Enola becomes a super-sleuth in her own right, impressing her brother and the audience with her deductions.
Speaking of big brother, Henry Cavill's portrayal of Sherlock is refreshing. He is warm hearted and even loving beneath that always observing surface. The closeness he feels for Enola and the almost reluctant affection she has for him in return makes for some memorable exchanges.
Mycroft is essentially the villain of the story, at least in the eyes of Enola. He represents the old ways of society, the status quo, the thing she needs to overcome to make her own path. Eudoria has trained Enola to be more than what society expects of her, to forge her own way in the world. The flashbacks showing mother and daughter bring warmth to that relationship and showcases why Enola is so adamant about finding her mother.
Viscount Lord Tewksbury might be a boy with a title but he is also someone who doesn't walk the path the world wants him to. He sees things for himself, in a “new” way, this endears him to Enola and the two of them together are sure to have some great adventures. And what adventures they could be! With more books to adapt and this endearing cast, I hope to see Netflix make more of these films.
I always like to look for little lessons we can all take to heart in films. Eudoria's various encouragements to Enola throughout the film are not just for her but for us as well. There are two paths- yours or the one others choose for you. And maybe even more noteworthy: Our future is up to us.
Enola Holmes is available on Netflix starting September 23, 2020. It is rated PG-13 for some violence.
WandaVision Trailer Breakdown
Just Married, An Abnormal End
We open on a newly-married, very much alive couple driving into the quaint town of Westview. Everything is in black-and-white giving it that 1950s sitcom feel. It seems from later in the trailer, that the black-and-white moments are the fiction Wanda has created, with the color being the reality.
Their license plate says 0102 which in computer code means an “abnormal end.” Nothing about this situation is normal.
The Mind Stone
Thanos destroyed the Infinity Stones (and Vision), with the Avengers time traveling back to locate them all in order to undo The Snap in Endgame. Despite the mostly happy ending of Avengers Endgame, Vision is not alive and certainly is not rocking the mind stone. However, here we see it front and center on his head.
Whether this is somehow the real one or one she has manifested using her powers remains to be seen. The window on their door also looks like the mind stone.
Bewitched, Baby June, And The Dark Avengers
She looks to be using hand gestures that typically correlate with her powers. Later on she levitates the House of M bottle of wine (more on that in a minute). This scene, and the overall feel of the show seems to draw heavy influence from the classic sitcom Bewitched where a witch is married to a regular guy and hides her powers from everyone.
“LITTLE BABY JUNE'S FIRST WORD TICKLES MOTHER” is the headline on the newspaper. In the comic books June Covington is a part of the Dark Avengers, using the alias Scarlet Witch.
Vision's Human Disguise
This isn't a new trick. Vision first showed his human look off in Avengers Infinity War. This is the first time it is accompanied by sparkles, sound effects, and a Bewitched style head jiggle to complete the transformation.
Related: New Marvel Phase 4 Release Dates
The Nosy Neighbor
When we first see Kathryn Hahn‘s character she comes across as a friendly, albeit nosy neighbor. However, as the trailer goes on she shifts into something else. Which leads me, and others, to believe that she is in fact an important character (more on that below) and will be the antagonist (or at least one of them) in this series.
House of M
As I mentioned above, Wanda is still using her powers in this new world of hers. At the table, we see her levitating a bottle of “Maison du Mepris” wine. That's French for House of Contempt. House of M is a popular comic run that features Scarlet Witch grieving so deeply the loss of her children, that she alters reality to bring them back. Unfortunately it brought about dire consequences that caused the Avengers and X-Men to team up to stop her.
Although we see children in this series, it's clear she is grieving the loss of Vision. WandaVision is likely to be loosely based on House of M, which could mean we would see Secret Invasion coming sometime down the Marvel Phase 4/5 line.
Classic Sitcom Easter Egg
Debra Jo Rupp is another nosy neighbor of Wanda's but at least she doesn't appear to be an evil one. You can't have a sitcom based alternate reality without a queen of sitcoms. I wonder if Wanda binged That 70s Show while grounded at the Avengers' Compound?
Wanda Begins To Become Unhinged
During that dinner as they are being bombarded by questions from Rupp's character, Wanda seems to struggle to keep her “reality” going. She starts to make hand gestures that correlate with her magic. By her face though, you can see that the real reality, the one she is running from, is creeping back into the forefront of her thoughts.
Vision: So Many Questions
Also during this same dinner, Vision begins to realize that something isn't quite right in his universe. He hesitates when going to answer a question and as the audio seems to skip like an old record, he looks up at Wanda with a questioning gaze.
A New Reality
Following that dinner scene, Wanda creates a new reality, this time in color in the 1980s. Even the aspect ratio changes, I love little details like that. Vision seems confused as he watches the color seep into this hand and Wanda is heard in a VoiceOver saying “is this really happening?”
This could mean that she herself seems to be losing control of what she is creating or that outside forces might be manipulating things as well. Either way, this new reality brings about a Full House vibe complete with kids.
Meet The Twins
As I mentioned in my Disney Plus Marvel TV Spot Breakdown, Wanda and Vision have kids. In the comics, Scarlet Witch creates their children using shards from Mephisto and magic. House of M also occurs when she loses the kids and her grief causes her to create a new reality.
Wanda and Vision's kids are Wiccan and Speed.
The Nosy Neighbor Returns
Although the setting has changed it seems that someone has followed Wanda to her new reality, Kathryn Hahn is back in all her leg warmer glory. The fact that she makes the jump to this new life with them suggests she is more than just a creation of Wanda's. She is a real person.
Classic Scarlet Witch Look
It is Halloween time and Scarlet Witch is showing off her classic comic book look. While Vision takes a flight around the neighborhood, looking concerned.
Vision Takes Flight
During Vision's flight it appears he is his own entity and not a fake creation of Wanda's. The fact that he seems perplexed and curious about what exactly is going on proves that fact. His flight leads him to a car where Kathryn Hahn's character is sitting, looking dazed and confused.
In the comics, Vision is brought back to life and joins the West Coast Avengers. In Avengers Infinity War, Vision is shown wearing his West Coast Avengers garb.
Read more: 50+ Avengers Infinity War Easter Eggs
Using The Mind Stone
When he encounters Kathryn Hahn, Vision touches his fingers to her head. He transfer yellow energy into her, which looks a lot like he is using the Mind Stone. Again, it is curious if she somehow created a Mind Stone like power for Vision or did she time travel to get the real one?
Am I Dead?
After she awakens from her trance she asks Vision “am I dead?” Taken aback he asks her why she'd think that to which she replies, “because you are.” This proves she is someone from the actual real world and not a figment of Wanda's imagination. The Mind Stone-like powers allowed her to access memories that had somehow become foggy to her.
Agatha Harkness
Which brings me to the fact that I believe Kathryn Hahn's character is in fact Agatha Harkness. Agatha is a powerful witch (hence the costume) who at one point mentored Scarlet Witch in the comics and aided her in creating her children. However after the death of Wanda's children things turn deadly with Scarlet Witch eventually killing her.
In WandaVision it could be that instead of the children, Agatha helped Wanda with the magic needed to bring Vision back to life. Could this also mean we will meet Mephisto? Time will tell.
Classic Vision Look
Although we saw Scarlet Witch's classic look in the teaser for this show, this is the first time we see Vision will be joining in on the retro, classic comic book looks.
Westview Is Locked In A Magical Dome
Towards the end of the trailer, we see a grown-up Monica Rambeau being forcibly pushed out of the dome that surrounds Scarlet Witch's reality. This leads us to believe that she hasn't altered the entire planet but rather a small town.
Further proof of this is shown when the camera zooms out and we see the military surrounding the world of Wanda. It appears as if they are trying to infiltrate her magic and Monica is part of the charge.
Monica Rambeau
It was exciting news when we heard that a grown-up Monica Rambeau would feature in WandaVision. It is important to remember that in the comics at one point, Monica is Captain Marvel with a power-set similar to Carol's.
We don't know what has happened to Monica since the events of Captain Marvel, but she does survive being thrown from Scarlet Witch's reality. And based on the familiar Carol Danvers-esq glow coming off of her as she clears the barrier above, it could be that she already has her powers or this is where she gets them.
WandaVision debuts on Disney Plus in late 2020. My guess is we will see it on the platform after The Mandalorian season 2 concludes.
