MCU Phase 4's Role in Setting Up Phases 5 & 6, Box Office Struggles, and AI in Film

Box Office Performance of Recent Marvel Films

• 📉 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has grossed nearly $400 million domestically in 27 days, significantly less than the original Black Panther's $574 million at the same point.
• 💰 Black Adam, with a production budget of $195-200 million, is struggling to reach $400 million worldwide and needs $600 million to break even.
• 💸 Wakanda Forever had a $250 million budget and needs $750 million worldwide to profit, though it's currently at $735 million and expected to surpass the threshold.
• 📦 The exclusion of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever from screening in China due to LGBTQ+ content hurt its box office, especially considering the original film's $105 million gross in that country.
• 🛍️ Warner Bros. countered the Black Adam profit concerns by highlighting revenue from merchandise like action figures and dolls.

Creative Decisions and Cut Scenes in Wakanda Forever

• ✂️ An early cut of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reportedly included romantic scenes between Shuri and Namor, which were later removed.
• ⏳ The film's runtime is 2 hours and 41 minutes, nearly 30 minutes longer than the original Black Panther, leading to potential pacing complaints.
• 💔 Angela Bassett revealed she filmed a scene where Queen Ramonda met T'Challa and Nakia's son, Toussaint, but director Ryan Coogler held this reveal for the mid-credit scene to end the film on a hopeful note.
• 😭 Bassett also expressed anger upon reading the screenplay and discovering her character, Queen Ramonda, would die during Namor's attack.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and AI in Filmmaking

• 🚀 The trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 debuted alongside the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailer, possibly due to an event in South America.
• 🤖 Disney has developed an artificial intelligence tool that can convincingly de-age or age actors, demonstrated in tests and potentially used in The Dial of Destiny.
• 👴 This AI technology is a significant advancement from earlier de-aging techniques used in films like Ant-Man and The Irishman.
• 💥 The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer featured a young Rocket Raccoon and a more muscular Groot, with the latter humorously dubbed "Man in Groot."
• 🎬 James Gunn received a rare director credit on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 teaser poster, a tribute insisted upon by Kevin Feige.

MCU Phase 4 Reflection and Future Setup

• 🧐 Marvel Studios held an executive retreat to reflect on Phase 4, acknowledging it didn't generate the same excitement as Phases 1-3.
• 💡 Phase 4 is seen as a setup phase, introducing new characters and concepts to lay the groundwork for Secret Wars and The Kang Dynasty in Phases 5 and 6.
• 🎢 The Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind holiday remix at Epcot faced criticism for its new holiday song, where dialogue was difficult to hear over the coaster's motion, unlike the original ride's use of 1980s music.
• 🌟 The introduction of mutants, starting with Ms. Marvel and Namor explicitly identifying as mutants, is a key element being integrated into the MCU.
• 🕸️ Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (introducing incursions and Clea) are seen as paving the way for Secret Wars and its multiverse-spanning narrative.
• 🎬 The delay in releasing art books for films like Shang-Chi and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is attributed to Marvel's secrecy and the pandemic's impact on global publishing, costing potential sales.
• 📊 Bob Iger's return as CEO is expected to bring a renewed focus on profitability, potentially re-evaluating the cost of Marvel's secrecy on merchandise and book releases.
• 🎥 The use of The Volume (360-degree LED sets) for shows like The Mandalorian is highlighted as a cost-saving measure compared to traditional sets and location shooting, as seen in Andor.
• ✨ The practice of digitally cleaning up and enhancing older films and shows, like Star Trek: The Original Series, is discussed as a way to make them palatable for modern audiences.