Does Marvel Have A Stakes Problem?
And One of the Keys to Sustainability in Filmmaking
Welcome to this week’s Sunday Evening edition of The Backlot. These newsletters will include stories from my recent experiences working in documentary filmmaking, helpful resources for emerging filmmakers, and other posts covering topics in the industry.
NOTE - The Sunday evening version of the newsletter is free. Future mid-week posts on Wednesday evenings will require a paid subscription.
This week, we’re sharing a recent thought from conversations with filmmakers and sharing my take on Marvel’s storytelling problem…
🎞️ Fund Your Life and Make Your Films
🎬 Does Marvel Have A Stakes Problem
🗞️ Wrapping Up & Recommendations of the Week
The Key to Sustainability in Docmaking
The world of documentary filmmaking is in a precarious position. The film industry as a whole is undergoing a lot of change, including new technology, changing studio landscapes, and a lack of funding, which has placed many on the edge.
In recent months, I’ve spoken with a lot of friends. colleagues, and other filmmakers who have experienced a lot of stress and anxiety about the future of this career path. I wanted to share a recurring recent thought from these conversations and the way we can manage ourselves in the current state of documentary filmmaking.
As emerging filmmakers, especially in documentary filmmaking, developing a sustainable career can be difficult because it takes a lot of time. Not only do films take years to get funded, greenlit, and produced, but a career in this industry comes from consistency and a good reputation.
Over the last few years, while I have been trying to fund my living while producing several documentary films, I’ve come to experience the hardships of trying to jumpstart a career as an emerging filmmaker. I’ve had to prioritize survival in many cases, which has meant many nights working for DoorDash, taking on tedious projects for commercial film clients, and working as a full-time freelance writer.
Through this, I’ve come to realize the power of self-financing your work and having financial freedom that isn’t inextricably linked to your films.
In many ways, using other jobs as forms of income opens up the potential for your filmmaking career. Instead of relying on your film projects to make you money, you can make the money to produce your films. This control allows you to be in charge of your career instead of funders, investors, and gatekeepers.
Having your main source of income from another form of work also helps take the pressure off filmmaking. This allows you more space to learn and grow and means filmmaking is no longer the key to your survival but a project you can devote your passion, energy, and love towards.
Now, obviously, working a full-time job and making films is not the easiest of career paths or lifestyle choices. The balance between the two can be time-consuming, exhausting, and downright frustrating, but this balance is the best way to survive and pursue your passions.
And one day, your films will make you a living. Until then, though, do not be afraid to find a balance - in many ways, this juggling act can be the key to your future success.
The Marvel Multiverse and It’s Stakes Problem
In the last few weeks, Deadpool & Wolverine has shattered box office records and reignited belief in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.
As of writing this, the third installment in the beloved franchise has crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Shawn Levy’s film is well on its way to becoming the best-selling R-rated film of all time, passing Todd Phillip’s Joker.
The film’s success marks a welcome reprieve from the many issues and problems the MCU has experienced over the past five years. With the exception of Tom Holland’s Spiderman franchise, the MCU’s Phase Four has been marred by a lack of critical success, box-office failures, and even the loss of a major star who was supposed to lead the franchise forward.
Through all these problems, though, there appears to be a much bigger underlying issue in the MCU and this phase of its existence.
Since Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the MCU has expanded its focus on the Multiverse, working to include multiple timelines, alternative realities, and different worlds.
This Multiverse was first introduced to film audiences in Doctor Strange. We’ve seen it most prominently in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, Spiderman: No Way Home, and Ant-Man: Quantummania. This form of multiversal storytelling is also at the center of Deadpool & Wolverine, with the keepers of these alternative timelines, the TVA, playing a pivotal role in the conflict of the film.
In many ways, the existence of the multiverse has opened up the MCU to different forms of storytelling and provides the option to expand into different worlds while using the same characters. It’s also a rendition of the multiverse found within the comics, which fans have come to know and love.
Unfortunately, the existence of the multiverse is also at the heart of many of the issues Marvel has had with critical and audience success in recent years. That’s because the mere existence of these alternate realities and timelines opens the franchise up to two of the pivotal flaws in storytelling - too much complexity and a lack of stakes.
For fans who are not accustomed to the existence of the multiverse, the existence of these alternative timelines has become quite complicated and difficult to follow. The use of this storytelling means you have to understand pivotal moments from a wide variety of media, including past films, TV shows, and even the history of the film’s production, to understand the basic mechanisms of the plot.
In addition, the existence of alternative versions of each character simply lowers the stakes associated with the movie. For example, in Deadpool & Wolverine, the existence of many Deadpools and Wolverines across various different timelines means there will always be a backup to our current version of the character.
When Wolverine, who has been played by Hugh Jackman for the past 20 years, died in the previous film Logan, it was an inspirational tribute to a beloved character and franchise. The pain of his loss was real and profound, as we felt the reality of never seeing this actor play this character on screen again.
At the time of Logan’s release, the multiverse was not a prominent feature in many of the films, and for many individuals, the loss of Logan felt like the end of an era.
The same has been true for other prominent members of the MCU. Losing Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, who was killed during Endgame, was one of the most heartbreaking moments in the franchise. The loss of his character felt like the passing of the torch, and many of us truly believed we would never see this rendition of this character again. And even that may not be true.
The existence of these multiversal stories changes the assumption that these characters can be lost. Even in superhero storytelling, where we know the character is supposed to win, the potential of loss is the reason the fight scenes work. It’s the reason we care when Spiderman takes on Mysterio or the Avengers take on Thanos. There is still the potential for them to lose.
Yet, the use of multiversal storytelling means the characters are now expendable because there are many other versions available to replace them. In fact, there are many versions of them that are played by the exact same actor, always leaving the door open for a return to the screen.
The death of a beloved and celebrated character is nothing more than a beat in the ever-expanding storyline of the MCU. It’s no longer an emotional sendoff to one of our favorite superheroes but a simple loss of one version of them, only to be replaced by another who is exactly the same.
In this way, we’ve reduced these beloved characters from one of a kind to a single version of many.
Maybe this form of storytelling works in the comics, but it has failed to meaningfully translate to the big screen. For now, thats why the multiverse is at the heart of Marvel’s and its growing storytelling problem.
Wrapping Up & Recommendations of the Week
Did you guys watch the Olympics? I cannot believe the competition has come to an end and we have to wait another few years to be back. Until then, though, here are some films that can hold us over till Italy 2026.…
Rising Phoenix (2019)
Icarus (2017)
Miracle (2004)
Munich (2005)
Chariots of Fire (1980)
Other Recommendations
Disney announced a number of new attractions and films at the D23 Expo in Anaheim over the weekend. These announcements included a trailer for the new Snow White film, a new Disney Villians-themed land in Disney World, and Incredibles III.
Tom Cruise rappelled down from the top of the Stade de France at the end of the Olympic Closing Ceremonies to take the Olympic flag back to Los Angeles for the 2028 games.
James Cameron has announced the title of the third installment of the Avatar franchise, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Fede Alvarez shared a wholesome and endearing note left by Ridley Scott on his first day of filming for Alien: Romulus.
