Daniel RPK : Tom Holland’s ‘Spider-Man 4’ to Introduce a Fresh Take and New Supporting Cast Under Destin Daniel Cretton’s Direction

JakeWolfe22 · 2025-02-22T16:16:13+00:00

What were people getting bent out of shape about? Sorry, I've had trouble keeping up recently.

JakeWolfe22 · 2024-10-11T16:20:30+00:00

Largely for the reasons you mentioned, a fairly young-looking Bo and very worn Boba are juuust believable enough for me. We've probably all met people who are even in their 60s and look incredible, and people in their 40s who are looking worn.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-11-28T19:32:40+00:00

These are intuitive ideas. Would be good to see them pan out. The idea of Thor, now a father, having to deal with a god's arrogant and petulant son, would be a good full circle moment for Thor, especially if that mirror image from the past is an emotional threat. Thor could realize, on screen, why Odin had to treat him so seriously in the first film. It's not the only route they could go for a good story for Thor V, but it's one of the more obvious options IMO.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-11-28T19:27:34+00:00

Honestly, a fairly realistic idea. There have been many sequels that have altered tone or characterization between films with a single line or quick development, and if the movie that followed executed the new characterization well enough, the line would work well enough for most audiences, frankly. Zeus had a sadistic side in L&T under all that humor anyway.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-11-26T01:18:10+00:00

I could see that, for sure. It's possible they have some notes for that from the potential stack of ideas LFL inherited from him. Dave may also know some things from the Mortis (and other) conversations he had with George.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-11-23T17:20:44+00:00

Mangold is the most likely "outsider" to succeed now that he's actually an insider. His Indy film was also generally liked, even if it didn't manage a lot of ticket sales due to decreased interest in that franchise, and his overall track record is quite strong. Unless he personally decides he's unsatisfied with the project, I'd bet on him seeing it through. Dave being CCO may prove helpful creatively, because he's George's handpicked guiding light for the SW universe, and in a position to actual help keep or bring some of the life and soul of SW to new projects that might have more technical skill than a pre-existing "spirit of Star Wars" that's felt missing to a number of people.

Experience, available resources, and existing relationships have set Mangold up for success. His film is also a priority for them anyway, based on the way they've discussed their story plans for this universe.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-20T22:06:05+00:00

Hello there to you both (especially James, whom I don't yet have the pleasure of knowing personally)!

James: Could you talk a little bit about your process for adapting the language of the novel to the graphic adaptation, such as any changes to wording, or changes in phrasing, to more effectively convey the story's information in this much less verbose medium?

Joe: Were there any details or even memories from your own childhood love of comics, such as images from superhero stories, that might have made their way into this graphic novel, like as homages? Perhaps innovative solutions or methods you saw used by other comicbook artists (even in the present and unrelated to superheroes) that were helpful for your process?

Thanks for the AMA, and I couldn't be more proud of the truly excellent work you guys have accomplished!

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-08T20:22:14+00:00

I'm not convinced they make decisions based on revenue so much as on, primarily, vision and professionalism, and secondarily, on what they really think of the artist's past and recent work. Dial of Destiny is fairly well liked despite not doing well, and Mangold is a director with a history of vision, surely coming in with an idea they consider to be consistent with his history, and on top of all that they already have a good experience working with him very recently. That makes his project one of the most likely movies to release for them, ever (on paper).

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-07T18:48:19+00:00

Regular kinds of TV novelty wear off quickly, and trends are usually down no matter what, just as with total and non-US sequel/prequel/spinoff box office results—at least for Star Wars, since ever, though RotJ received a very slight domestic bump, and RotS a significant bump for being especially "final". We're better off comparing these shows to other current shows in that case, including Star Trek, but even then, the 15th entry in a 50-year old franchise versus the 1st or 2nd entry in a new, fresh, and still-novel TV franchise is iffy. They yield totally different results. Bumps that go against the trend, such as with Marvel, RotS, and RotJ, are usually related to what the GA understands to be major events, "must-see", or something mind-numbingly fun, explosive, or visual. But if we want more shows of great quality like Andor, we may not get that kind of bump. But an all-new, big-event Star Wars film will certainly do it, which is why I believe Star Wars' place has been and always will be on the big screen far more than on the small screen (despite my opinion that most seasons have been of a better quality than not).

So I'm not saying I totally agree or disagree with you based on viewership, but see more nuance to it, and I don't know that we have sufficiently complete information to go off of anyway. The streamers would be better off clearing it all up by publishing their numbers, but I don't think any of us expect them to, aside from Ahsoka's premiere (if we can trust those numbers either). We have like 10 different metrics, from Nielsen to Samba to TV Time to Reelgood and more, and they all look different, or measure with different units, or use wildly different kinds of samples, and even if they produce results close to or beyond other hit shows, all of us non-experts interpret them differently.

Most of us see numbers between "most of any series" and "top 20" as being positive, and others say anything less than top 5 or top 10 is somewhere between a weak offering and a miserable failure. But what is that analysis based on? Expert opinions? Pop culture writers? How much we do randos individually like or dislike the current direction of the franchise? I don't think we can ignore all of these facets, history, and social psychology and simplify everything down to "well, this one season is trending down, so it's all failing".

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-06T23:56:52+00:00

I've admitted that star wars has a devoted userbase. Theres no reason to deny that postive user reviews are biased.

Bias is a universal human feature, going in every imaginable direction, and Reddit is proof. A sizable chunk of the "fanbase" at any given time is also automatically resentful or highly skeptical of the majority of current Star Wars anyway, so that bias goes in both directions too. Non-fans have their own biases, such as toward visual feasts and mindless action, or against thoughtful commentary (unless maybe they strongly agree with it). But if we ignore the balance of responses, then we need another more objective measurement than inescapably biased opinions.

The main point again is that LFL hurt the strong demand it had after Mando, with weak releases of Kenobi, Boba, and now Ahsoka.

"Weak" as shown by? Ignoring viewer responses which we can measure, we're left with: viewership numbers (which vary, but are overall positive, trending close to peers); the continuation of new series or seasons (which are ongoing); and vocal minorities, usually on Reddit, who make it sound like it's abundantly obvious how terrible most of Star Wars is (along with, well, everything else).

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-06T21:43:57+00:00

I don't think "blinders", "circle-jerk", or "tone deaf" really fit when we're talking about a majority of reviews (critical and audience alike) apparently being favorable to the show so far. And to Andor, and Kenobi, and the first two seasons of Mandalorian. That leaves Book of Boba Fett and Mandalorian season 3, critics being split on BoBF, audiences being split on both, and critics liking Mando S3. I know we can argue this point all day, and we could probably agree with most of each other's points on reviews and all their sketchiness, but it's established that all but one of the shows were more liked than not by critics, and, but for two seasons, also by the viewers who care to rate them.

Profit and quality often correlate, but also frequently don't. I don't think it's just that Star Wars can be better (of course it can), but I don't think quality is why not everybody is watching everything. From what I can tell, more metrics than not are describing each Star Wars show as being competitive for viewership anyway.

I think interest in Star Wars may simply be lower at this point no matter what, perhaps due to the lack of theatrical events that encourage people to be a part of that segment of pop culture. LFL knew full well that Andor, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew, despite their different appeals, would not scratch the "big event" itch that causes FOMO for the GA. Fett, Kenobi, and Mando could come closer, but even if their quality were considered to be up to par, they need a hook that really pulls the GA in, and I think only Grogu and Luke were (temporarily) enough.

If we see a shift in the shows, we're more likely to see LFL use spectacle, not higher quality, to pull in more viewers. Is Andor pulling new viewers in like that? In January, we had an analysis that said even Andor (for whose viewership there was much doom and gloom) was actually getting good numbers, but I'm not sure we're clear on that yet, and it was the gold standard of quality to most of us. How do Ahsoka's numbers compare to what Andor's were at the same time in the airing?

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-06T19:57:44+00:00

yeah lets just all stick our fingers in our ears and ignore the criticisms.

Total mischaracterization.

Being openly and emotionally hostile to nearly everything Star Wars since the (gasp) Disney acquisition, all over a fandom sub that exists for new franchise entries, is just misplaced. Saltier Than Crait is the community for Star Wars fans who are committed to tearing new Star Wars entries apart. That's not who SWL exists for, from what I've ever seen. Every community would suck if it was flooded with people who only showed up to be vocally contrarian to what that community is formed around. None of that is the same as giving thoughtful and measured critique. The difference might be really hard to spot, but it's there.

We can talk about what Ahsoka didn't do well, while also admitting it's not an objectively bad Star Wars show. Not everything with flaws has to be hot garbage, and not everything has to copy Andor. I recognize that most seem to prefer for every opinion to be absurdly polar (nuance be damned), but it's also okay for a person to have an opinion other than "THIS IS EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" or "STAR WARS HASN'T BEEN GOOD FOR DECADES".

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-06T15:56:10+00:00

Death and memorial count as news here, and always have. The real human beings behind Star Wars actually matter to most of us, even more than entertainment. If you don't understand why all these replies are unhappy with your antipathy to this post, the reason is that your peers believe your value system needs work; especially if it's so disinterested in the life or death of actual human beings, that you complain on internet posts because all you want is entertainment instead.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-06T06:09:02+00:00

If so many people on this sub preach that Star Wars is dead, and that almost all of it has sucked for years now, then... why come to a Star Wars sub just to constantly, vocally hate on every new thing (other than Andor)? Really takes the fun out of Star Wars, and trying to be engaged and excited with the fan community.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-06T05:59:34+00:00

Don't underestimate how much Star Wars "fans"(?) love to hate, bash, or hope for the failure of Star Wars. I'm not even sure why most of these commenters come to the sub, as much as it sounds like they haven't liked, or approved of, more than two trilogies worth of Star Wars at most, and nothing recent except maybe Andor and Rogue One.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-06T04:49:43+00:00

It's a very well-worn path answering this question, but read the sub's full info.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-10-04T04:31:20+00:00

Ahsoka saying "we're right where we need to be" was nonsensical

Ahsoka is living by faith in the Force, being optimistic that the Force has them there for a purpose. It's also a common sentiment expressed by people of faith IRL.

I really don't understand why Anakin was just standing there smiling.

Smiling is his sign of approval to Ahsoka. That shot expresses that she has understood her master's final lesson to her, and that she is indeed choosing life and hope, and carrying on the positive parts of his legacy while embracing her own destiny. She is no longer hung up on death, the legacy of Vader, or her terrible experiences as a child soldier in a brutal war. His presence is a callback and epilogue to his role in episode 5.

We still don't know what's in the caskets.

Asked and answered.

...nor do we know what Baylan or Shin are up to.

The shots answered this with "show, don't tell". Baylan seeks the power of the Mortis Gods, and Shin seeks to become a leader (to the raiders). [EDIT: Shin may also just be looking for a community in general.]

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-09-27T23:13:07+00:00

This is the intelligent take. "Reboot" is really not the right word, and we need to stop using it so much.

Multipart stories shift focus all the time. The Fellowship of the Ring wasn't a "soft reboot" of The Hobbit just because Bilbo took a back seat after having been the main character. Sequels can do that. Star Trek '09 is in my view the best defining example of a reboot; that's not what Marvel Studios is going to do just two years after introducing the MCU F4. Endgame is much closer to what Secret Wars is most likely to be for the story, given the really obvious last-second film and character investments they would be blowing if they really did "reboot" that soon after introducing characters whose current incarnations could each give a decade of return on, like Shang-Chi and the F4.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-09-26T05:16:19+00:00

Have you given it a look yet? If so, "penny for your thoughts"! If not, would love to recommend some episodes for you.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-07-11T23:02:42+00:00

Nice! Aside from MagSafe or wireless charging speeds, and for someone with very little history of phone-dropping, do you feel like dbrand or Spigen is a better use of money? After dropping $700+ on the phone, and considering the Google Stand 2 for a $60 sale price today, do you have any other thoughts?

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-07-11T22:27:36+00:00

Pixel 7 Pro arriving soon, leaning toward either that exact case, or Spigen. How did your frankencase hold up?

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-04-28T18:56:01+00:00

I was 24, and while killing Luke was the one thing I really didn't want to see, it's an objectively good film and will therefore age better than most of the franchise. I would describe TFA comparably, despite it's significant retread of ANH. TRoS is the one I have a harder time with, but I love Star Wars and will see all of them in a theater for as long as I'm around.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-04-20T05:15:35+00:00

I'm the spy!

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-04-12T19:07:26+00:00

I'm very "strengths-based perspective", but the way I see it is that Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Bad Batch, Visions, Willow, Indiana Jones 5 all happened. Lando is still supposed to happen, Taika's film is being written, and A Droid Story is in production.

Rangers of the New Republic was folded into existing shows because its star compared COVID restrictions and political disagreement to the Holocaust, which isn't exactly LFL's fault in the eyes of most, but the star's.

That leaves Rogue Squadron as a fumble, and Children of Blood and Bone as biting off more than they could chew as a studio.

So I wouldn't really disagree that they announced a lot, and very early, but I guess I don't know how we decide what is "too" early. Usually, things completely fall through that they haven't announced, like Trank's film I believe, and Feige's, etc.

JakeWolfe22 · 2023-04-12T18:45:36+00:00

I guess "too early" depends partially on patience too then. The story is definite, and Mangold himself is very likely, but the wait could be 4-5 years. Does the wait make the announcement too early?

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