‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ star Joe Pantoliano on June 05, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with veteran actor Joe Pantoliano about his work on ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’, returning after his character’s death in ‘Bad Boys for Life’, Captain Howard’s love for Mike and Marcus, working with Smith and Lawrence again, shooting his scenes, and his respect for directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Pantoliano and Melanie Liburd.
‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ star Joe Pantoliano on June 05, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Moviefone: To begin with, your character was killed off in ‘Bad Boys for Life’, how surprised were you to discover you would be retuning for ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’?
Joe Pantoliano: I wasn’t going to give them any opportunity to change their mind. “Yes, sir. May I have another?”
MF: What was it like for you to return and have a chance to play Captain Howard one more time?
JP: Oh, it was great. It was brief. I was working on something else, and I needed to get back, I was doing a play. So, they accommodated my schedule. It was a whirlwind, but it turned out to be so very good.
MF: Can you talk about Captain Howard’s love and respect for Mike and Marcus, and the trust that he’s given to them over the years?
JP: It’s a natural trajectory that played into the chemistry. In a lot of ways, it reflected our own personal journey as actors, as people, and as humans. I got to know those guys when they were kids, and then started families, and grown up in a way that I’m very proud of them as professionals and as humans.
MF: What was it like getting to work with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence again?
JP: It’s just very easy.
MF: Can you talk about shooting the “After Life” scene with Martin Lawrence?
JP: It was fascinating, because it was blue screen, and the equipment that they use. When Marcus goes back into the bed and the clothes get torn off. The equipment boggles my mind, it boggles my imagination. The forty-some years that I’ve been doing this, the idea that focus pullers can now be 200 yards away from the camera, it just boggles my mind. So, I was just like a kid in a candy store, seeing how they do all this stuff and having no idea how it gets pulled off.
MF: Finally, you began making these films with director Michael Bay but what has it been like working with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah on these last two ‘Bad Boys’ movies?
JP: They have a childlike quality about them, and enthusiastically, and Michael Bay is one of their hugest fans. They’re huge fans of Michael Bay. So, to pay homage to what Michael created, and they adore him, and they think about that, and their collaboration with Robrecht Heyvaert, the cinematographer who’s extraordinarily creative in his own right. So, it’s a combination of the three of them. Fascinating. It’s like being a student of filmmaking, you just watch this stuff, and you go, “Wow, how did they do it?”
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What is the plot of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’?
When the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is implicated in a longstanding string of drug-related crimes, the Bad Boys — Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) — attempt to clear his name, only to find themselves framed as well. With a bounty on their heads, they’re forced to go on the run from the drug cartel, the local gangs, and their fellow officers in the Miami PD.
No one was more surprised than us when we walked out of 2020’s ‘Bad Boys for Life’ having enjoyed the film. Especially coming some 17 years after the unpleasant ‘Bad Boys II,’ and with Michael Bay abdicating the director’s chair to Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (credited as Adil & Bilall), the third entry in the franchise was as mayhemic (if not Bayhemic) as ever, but actually offered up some character development, a decently structured plot, and yes, plenty of eye-watering yet well-staged action and violence, not to mention the undeniable Will Smith-Martin Lawrence chemistry.
Flash forward five years and it seems the ‘Bad Boys’ franchise has actually flashed back a bit: ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ is more frenzied, sillier, and more mind-numbing than its predecessor. The returning Adil & Bilall (along with encoring screenwriter Chris Bremmer, this time working with Will Beall, whose less-than-sparkling credits include ‘Gangster Squad’ and ‘Aquaman’) seem to be leaning into the style of the first two ‘Bad Boys’ entries, and while Smith and Lawrence still have their act down, it’s starting to feel a little like a parody of itself. ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ still manages to be fairly entertaining, but it feels like eating too much of a meal you weren’t even sure you wanted.
You want story? ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ gives you plenty – or least piles on incidents and plot points like a wobbly Jenga game. Just in the first 15 minutes alone, perennial bachelor and lead Bad Boy Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) gets hitched – a lot happened in the last four years, we guess – while his partner in detective work and destruction, Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) has a heart attack while dancing at Mike’s wedding. A near-death vision of the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano, picking up a paycheck) convinces Marcus to channel his inner Jeff Bridges circa ‘Fearless’ and walk on the ledge of the hospital roof after he recovers, while we also discover that Mike is now suffering from panic attacks – you know, the kind that always pop up at critical life-or-death moments in a movie like this.
It turns out that Marcus’ vision isn’t the last we’ll see of Joey Pants; after it comes out that Captain Howard is, for some reason, being investigated after his death for colluding with the drug cartels, Mike and Marcus are sent a recording that Howard made before his death in which he says he’s the one who’s been investigating the corruption and it goes all the way up the food chain of Miami P.D. and perhaps higher. That, it turns out, is the real reason why he was shot to death by Mike’s illegitimate son Armando (Jacob Scipio) in ‘Bad Boys for Life,’ in a neat bit of comic-book-style retconning.
Before you can say ‘plot contrivance,’ Mike and Marcus find themselves targeted for investigation, while the real villains – a shadowy militia unit led by former DEA officer and cartel prisoner James McGrath (Eric Dane) – are setting them up as well, placing a bounty on their heads with every gang in Miami. Soon the Bad Boys are on the run, joined along the way by Armando, who has been sprung from federal prison to help his father catch the true conspirators.
All of this, as well as the increasingly chaotic action, Smith and Lawrence’s banter breaks, and the introduction or re-introduction of a lot of characters we don’t really need, is presented almost as an ongoing recap of the movie you’re watching as you watch it.
Adil & Bilall move everything along at breakneck speed, with one scene practically butting into another before the previous one is finished, and while there’s a certain energy to it all, it also feels numbing after a while. Mike and Marcus seem to get out of almost every situation they’re in, making the stakes feel less substantial than they are, and for the grand climax at an abandoned amusement park (complete with 16-foot alligator still lurking on the grounds), the pair all but assemble their own version of the Avengers for the big shootout, even including high-tech battle drones.
Yes, the movie is insane, more so than ‘Bad Boys for Life,’ but we can’t say we weren’t intermittently entertained along the way. When we can actually see the action (it feels far more muddled this time than in ‘For Life’), some of it’s quite exciting: perhaps the best moment is when Marcus’ Marine son-in-law Reggie (Dennis McDonald) takes on 15 assassins by himself in a clear audition for ‘Bad Boys: The Next Generation’ (Jacob Scipio’s Armando seems to be auditioning for that project as well). And while a lot of the jokes fall kind of flat, there are a few laugh-out-loud moments here as well.
This is only Will Smith’s second film (following the ill-fated ‘Emancipation’) to arrive after the infamous Oscar slap that was heard around the world. While it kind of works for Lowrey, who has at least shown some character growth in the series, Smith seems to have lost some of his usual infectious energy here and comes across a bit muted. He’s still a compelling presence, and while he still has that chemistry with Lawrence, he (or his character) seems more impatient with the latter this time out.
As well he should: Lawrence is embarrassing. His Marcus is more or less played as a complete fool now, whether he’s standing bare-assed on a roof or immersed in hip-deep water while facing an alligator. Lawrence still manages to get off a few good lines (“He’s racist!” he exclaims after his confrontation with the gator doesn’t end well) and when he focuses, he can play off Smith well, but focus is his problem: Marcus is less a character and more a collection of pratfalls and extended bits that go nowhere.
The problem with the rest of the cast – aside from the fact that there are too many of them — is that they either don’t get time to do much or have their true nature telegraphed far too early in the film. Vanessa Hudgens’ Kelly, Alexander Ludwig’s Dorn, and Paola Nuñez’s Rita Secada (who’s now the Bad Boys’ captain) are simply the support system for the stars, while other returning cast members (and one returning filmmaker) just show up for glorified cameos. Only Armando, Lowrey’s son, has something resembling a character arc this time out, and the dynamic between father and son provide the film’s fleeting moments of genuine emotion and introspection.
But c’mon, you don’t come to a ‘Bad Boys’ movie for introspection, right? As we said earlier, this is a movie that is overstuffed – with plot, with characters, with action, with crazy camera moves. It starts at around 60mph and quickly escalates from there, but there’s simply never enough time for the viewer to truly feel anything (and since most of it was filmed in Georgia, the Miami flavor and bouncing soundtrack set the scene but never quite suffuse the movie).
Nevertheless, there’s just enough action and, in the third act, suspense to keep us going for two hours. Smith is certainly still watchable, even if Lawrence has become a chore. When Adil & Bilall get the mix of violence, character, and comedy right – as they did in ‘For Life’ – this can be an entertaining buddy-cop crowd-pleaser. At the very least, the ‘Bad Boys’ franchise seems to be the last one standing in a once-popular genre that has since fallen on hard times. But this cinematic fast-food meal might leave you feeling full and empty at the same time.
‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’?
When the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is implicated in a longstanding string of drug-related crimes, the Bad Boys — Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) — attempt to clear his name, only to find themselves framed as well. With a bounty on their heads, they’re forced to go on the run from the drug cartel, the local gangs, and their fellow officers in the Miami PD.
“Bad Boys, Bad Boys, wotcha gonna do?” If you’re Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, apparently you’re gonna make a fourth movie in the successful action comedy franchise.
Yes, with Will Smith seemingly persona grata again despite that little incident at last year’s Oscar ceremony, the actor took enthusiastically to Instagram for a new video which included him driving to Martin Lawrence’s house to announce that a fourth ‘Bad Boys’ is indeed now in the works.
Featuring a funny moment where the pair realize that it might have been a mistake to call the last movie ‘Bad Boys for Life’ (since ‘Bad Boys 4 Life’ would really work for this one), it’s mostly the excited actor teasing fans about what he’s actually announcing.
(L to R) Martin Lawrence as Detective Lieutenant Marcus Miles Burnett and Will Smith as Detective Lieutenant Michael Eugene ‘Mike’ Lowrey in ‘Bad Boys for Life.’
But whatever it ends up being called, the fourth film will see the return of directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who oversaw that last movie, which ended up being one of the few movies released in 2020 ahead of the incoming pandemic and making more than $426 million worldwide. So of course Sony and producer Jerry Bruckheimer would want to try and get another going.
‘Bad Boys For Life’ saw an older Mike (Smith) and Marcus (Lawrence) tackling their latest case, a mother-son drug trafficking duo who proved to be a dangerous threat.
Nothing is yet known about what the cops will be dealing with this time, but the script will come from ‘For Life’s Chris Bremner. And we’re all but guaranteed cars crashing and things blowing up, plus comedy squabbling between our heroes. Will anyone be slapped? Let’s find out!
It’s certainly better news for the directors, who have had mixed fortunes of late. Following the praise and box office bonanza of ‘For Life’, they were in demand, squeezing in indie movie ‘Rebel’, worked on episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’ (which boasted a fun visual style) and also cranked out ‘Batgirl’ with high hopes for more cinematic success.
(L to R) Leslie Grace, co-director Adil El Arbi, and Michael Keaton on the set of ‘Batgirl.’ Photo courtesy of Adil El Arbi’s Instagram.
Yet ‘Batgirl’ not only fell victim to Warner Bros. Discovery cost-cutting, consigned to the shelf when still in post-production.
And the knocks have kept coming. The movie, which stars Leslie Grace, Brendan Fraser, J.K. Simmons, and Michael Keaton has now been described as “ not releasable” by producer and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran. Having spent a couple of months figuring out the future of the DC movie, TV and video game universe with James Gunn––who outlined their plans yesterday––Safran was doing press for the big new announcement when he was asked about the ‘Batgirl’ situation.
“I saw the movie,” he said. “There are a lot of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the camera in that film, but that was not releasable. It happens sometimes. “I think [Warner Discovery CEO David] Zaslav and the team made a bold and courageous decision to cancel it, because it would have hurt DC and those people involved. I spoke to Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah last week. We’d love to be in business with all of them.”
It’s an unusually candid answer for a controversial subject, especially about a movie that plenty of fans still want to see. But perhaps El Arbi and Fallah will get a do-over at DC. Once they finish wrangling Smith and Lawrence, that is.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
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Batgirl herself, Leslie Grace, added her own statement, via Twitter.
Now today, El Arbi has gone one step further in an Instagram story, offering up a look at the movie, which may well end up being the only proper look we have at the movie.
The picture is particularly galling, as it shows Grace in costume standing on set with El Arbi and, most excitingly, Michael Keaton in his Batman suit.
On a more positive note, though, he also shared some of the messages of support that have come through, particularly from directors James Gunn and Edgar Wright.
The story also shows a message from Kevin Feige, for whom the duo directed several episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
“My friends, I had to reach and let you know we are all thinking about you both,” Feige wrote in an email to Arbi and Fallah. “Because of the wonderful news about the wedding (congrats!) and the disappointing news about ‘Batgirl.’ Very proud of you guys and all the amazing work you do and particularly ‘Ms. Marvel’ of course! Can’t wait to see what is next for you. Hope to see you soon.”
In related ‘Batgirl’ news, the decision has also impacted those who make decisions about DC movies at Warner Bros. Discovery. Walter Hamada, the DC Films president, was reportedly told about the decision to shelve the movie while attending a test screening of another title, ‘Black Adam’.
Yet chances are he’ll be leaving anyway given the new broom approach that freshly arrived company CEO David Zaslav is taking to DC, looking to find a Feige-style figure to guide the movies going forward.
And following the shareholder earnings call yesterday (which was more eagerly watched than many previous examples), Zaslav repeated his commitment to future DC movies including ‘Adam’, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ and, yes, ‘The Flash’ even given more problematic news stories about star Ezra Miller’s behavior.
This is one that feels like it’ll just keep rolling. But for now, the most we can hope for on the ‘Batgirl’ front is that enough stills will be released that those who were excited about the movie can create a flipbook…
Leslie Grace in ‘Batgirl.’ Photo courtesy of Leslie Grace’s Instagram.
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Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
There was shock and disbelief yesterday when reports began to emerge that Warner Bros. Discovery had decided to ditch the DC title ‘Batgirl’ – even though the movie had finished shooting and was in the middle of post-production.
That feeling of disbelief was shared by the directors of the movie, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The duo, who had previously worked on the likes of ‘Bad Boys for Life’ and the Disney+ series ‘Ms. Marvel,’ have been quick to respond.
El Arbi and Fallah (who had been taking a quick break from editing the movie for El Arbi’s wedding in Morocco) were informed of the studio’s decision a short time before the news began to emerge into the world. And now they have hit Instagram to express their stunned feelings over the move.
“We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it,” the directing duo wrote in the post. “As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will.”
They continue, “Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front and especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedication and humanity.”
“In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment,” the statement ends. “‘Batgirl’ For Life.”
Though there had been talk of problematic test screenings or issues with the movie’s quality, the studio’s own statement refutes that.
“The decision to not release ‘Batgirl’ reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” it read. “Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of ‘Batgirl’ and ‘Scoob! Holiday Haunt’ (the animated movie that was scrapped at the same time as the superhero adventure) and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”
Batgirl herself, Leslie Grace, added her own statement, via Twitter.
“I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!” she wrote. “To every Batgirl fan – THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, ‘my own damn hero!’” You can see her full stamen below…
Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie “Batgirl,” I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. pic.twitter.com/jGACQHoMjm
Turns out the real reason for the change was something far more mundane – the incoming executive team is changing the direction of how Warner Bros. handles its DC titles (again) and ‘Batgirl’ fell through the cracks as a movie that wasn’t big enough to justify the budget to upgrade and market it for theatrical release, as it had been planned as a direct-to-HBO Max movie.
The corporate decision was made to write it off on taxes as a loss, as part of an accounting technique in the wake of the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery that allows for such moves.
It’s only available for a limited time, so other movies including ‘Blue Beetle’ seem safe for now.
Yet to our thinking, this is just another sign that Warner Bros. still appears to have very little idea how to plan for and execute a coherent strategy for its DC movie universe.
There are various strands, between the DCEU and the unconnected likes of ‘The Batman’, with different versions of characters floating around.
Merging Warner Bros. and DC has led to even more chaos, as a new executive team arrives and decides to change up the thinking once again. Plenty of other projects in development and existing shows are being cancelled as the corporate strategy shifts.
While at one point the studio was all about sharing content between theatrical and HBO Max (and, during the pandemic, releasing everything day-and-date), it now appears to be intent on keeping bigger theatrical titles in their lane and making fewer movies for the streaming service in order to cut costs.
We’re still not sure that this all sounds like a good idea, at least not until Warner/Discovery and DC has a workable policy for its movies and TV series. While not everyone has to look to Marvel, Disney’s approach to essentially letting Kevin Feige and his creative partners control every aspect of their output has paid dividends and (largely) delighted fans.
Warners is said to be on the hunt for someone who can offer similar guidance on the DC front, though picking from the comic book company’s ranks or the movie side hasn’t yet led to firm success.
DC has certainly had hits – ‘Aquaman’ made more than a billion dollars, while ‘Joker’ brought both big box office and Oscar-winning kudos.
But all this chopping and changing has not been good for the movies’ reputation, and while DC has ‘Black Adam’, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ and ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ on the way, they’ll all need to perform to stop the concern over output quality and the direction behind the films as a whole.
And while ‘The Flash’ – whose future remains in flux while star Ezra Miller continues to bring the wrong type of press – seems destined to still get the blockbuster treatment, it’s really not a great look to effectively flush a movie directed by and starring people of color down the corporate toilet to serve the needs of shareholders.
Plus, it’s hardly the best sign to creative people who might want to work with you in future and are now concerned that their hard work may end up on a shelf forever.
Leslie Grace in HBO Max’s ‘Batgirl.’
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Leslie Grace in Warner Bros. Discovery’s ‘Batgirl.’
Call it a Bat Cave-in.
In a surprising development, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC have apparently decided to shelve the ‘Batgirl’ movie, which was going through the post-production process and had been targeting a theatrical release or an HBO Max debut (depending on which report you read).
Now though, the movie, which had a reported budget that began in the $70 million range and ballooned to $90 million because of Covid protocols, is no longer going to be seen in any venue, not even a home entertainment release. There had been stories of disappointing test screenings and complaints about the lack of spectacle in the movie.
Which means that Warners – fresh off its acquisition by Discovery – is willing to cut its losses and abandon the film. It’s all part of a new strategy that will focus on the bigger budget theatrical DC Extended Universe movies. ““This is the end of DC as a hobby,” a source told the New York Post, which originally broke the story.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
‘Bad Boys for Life’ and ‘Ms. Marvel’ directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah had been overseeing the new movie, which stars ‘In the Heights’ actress Leslie Grace starring as Barbara Gordon. The exact plot of the film hadn’t been released, but it’ll effectively follow Gordon (the daughter of J.K. Simmons’ Commissioner Jim Gordon) donning her version of a Bat-suit to fight crime in Gotham City.
In addition to Grace and Simmons, the movie stars Brendan Fraser as the villainous Firefly and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
It’s a confusing move since the company had been trying to put more of a plan in place for its DC output. There remain concerns over ‘The Flash’, given the negative press around star Ezra Miller’s unorthodox behavior and run-ins with the law off screen.
Then there are the other DC movies. While ‘Blue Beetle’ appears to still be on track (for now, and it has the relative security of being firmly aimed at a theatrical release), a third ‘Wonder Woman’ remains in limbo.
The studio still has ‘Black Adam’ due in theaters on October 21st, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ out on December 21st, then ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ March 17th and (assuming it sticks), ‘The Flash’ on June 23rd.
There were warning signs about ‘Batgirl’ last month when Warners/DC said nothing about the movie in its big Comic-Con presentation. But we’re not sure anybody had “completely shelved” on their bingo cards.
Premiering June 8th on Disney+ is the new Marvel series ‘Ms. Marvel,’ which introduces the title character to the MCU, who will next be seen in ‘The Marvels.’
The first and final episodes of the six-part series were directed by executive producers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (‘Bad Boys for Life,’ ‘Batgirl’), and introduces audiences to Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). She is a 16-year-old Pakistani-American obsessed with Captain Marvel and the Avengers, who eventually gains the ability to harness cosmic energy and create constructs with her magical bangle, making her a superhero too.
In addition to Vellani, the cast also includes Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Rish Shah. The result is a fun and family friendly Disney+ series that skews young but has enough superhero action and character development to please MCU fans.
The series begins by introducing us to Kamala Khan (Vellani), a 16-year-old Pakistani-American Avengers fan girl, whose favorite superhero is Captain Marvel. With her best friend Bruno (Lintz), Kamala is making a Captain Marvel cosplay costume to wear to the upcoming Avengers-Con. But her over protective mother Muneeba (Shroff) does not want Kamala attending and would rather she focus on her school work. Searching for an item to personalize her costume, Kamala finds a bangle belonging to her grandmother in the attic and sneaks out with Bruno to attend the convention.
But when an accident endangers the patrons at the convention, Kamala discovers that her bangle gives her the ability to harness cosmic energy and create physical constructs. She uses her powers to save the day but unknowingly becomes a public hero and is now being hunted by a mysterious organization.
Meanwhile, Kamala battles with her mother and father (Kapur) for independence, encourages her friend Nakia (Fletcher) to be her own person, meets a mysterious new boy (Shah), and works with Bruno to control her new powers and become a hero.
‘Ms. Marvel’ is the seventh series Marvel Studios has produced for Disney+ following ‘WandaVision,’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,’ ‘Loki,’ ‘What If …?,’ ‘Hawkeye,’ and ‘Moon Knight,’ with countless more Marvel series on the horizon. ‘Ms. Marvel’ retains the high quality and production value that fans expect from the Marvel movies, as well the Disney+ shows. But it also feels unique and stand-alone, even if it takes place in the MCU.
One of the criticisms of the Marvel shows and movies since the launch of Disney+ is that the films are just advertisements for the series, and vice a versa. While its well known that Iman Vellani will star opposite Brie Larson in the upcoming ‘The Marvels,’ the new Disney+ series feels nothing like an advertisement for what is to come, but rather an introduction to something new in the MCU … a Marvel fan!
Just like in the real world where we have Comic-Cons where fans dress up as their favorite fictional characters, it would only make sense that within the world of the MCU, they would have similar conventions where fans celebrate their favorite heroes, only in the MCU the heroes are not fictional. Making Kamala Khan a fan girl was a brilliant move, as it makes her an extremely retable character for the Marvel fans watching the show.
Fans of Kamala Khan will also notice that her powers have been drastically changed from the comics, where she was originally given the ability to stretch. Marvel has decided to change that, perhaps concerned fans couldn’t take two stretchy characters in the same universe now that John Krasinski has been introduced as Reed Richards in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ and a ‘Fantastic Four’ movie is in pre-production.
But they also changed the origin of how Kamala received her powers, with them now coming from a bangle that belonged to her grandmother. Instead of stretching, Kamala can harness cosmic energy and create physical constructs, not unlike the Green Lantern from DC Comics. But, the constructs she creates includes her signature “big hand” from the comics. The choice to change up her powers and how she got them really works and rooting them in her own family history and culture helps drive the character and her story.
In fact, the strongest part of the first two episodes, besides the superhero action sequences, is the sense of family and culture you get from Kamala’s relationship to her loved ones and friends. You really get a sense of who Kamala is in the opening moments of the series, watching the young girl juggle school, friends, family and the occasional fun. Actress Iman Vellani is a lovely discovery, and her performance as Kamala Khan is excellent bringing a very relatable teenager to the screen with all the emotions and expectations that come with that.
Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur bring a lot to the series playing Kamala’s parents. Shroff’s Muneeba is an extremely traditional and protective mother, but you do get the sense that she is just trying her best to raise her daughter safely. Kapur’s Yusef is clearly the “fun dad” and its heartbreaking to watch Kamala pull away from his love as she grows and matures. Along with Saagar Shaikh who plays Kamala’s brother, all four actors do wonderful work creating a completely believable and relatable family dynamic.
Matt Lintz and Yasmeen Fletcher play Kamala’s friends, Bruno and Nakia, respectively. My best guess is that as the series goes on, they will play roles similar to Ned Leeds and MJ in the Tom Holland ‘Spider-Man’ series, as Kamala’s closest allies. But keep an eye on Bruno, as its clear he has hidden feelings for Kamala, he could go over to the dark-side if her friendship with the mysterious Karman progresses. It’s also obvious that something else is going on with Rish Shah’s Karman and discovering who’s side he is really on is going to be one of the big questions answered by the series’ end.
First and final episode directors and executive producers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah do a great job of setting the tone for the series with the first episode, and also using animation to progress the story. Their other big contribution is focusing on Kamala as a person first, before meeting her as a hero. They really set her up as an average teenager, worried about school, family, friends, and of course, boys.
Coming off of the practically hard R-rated horror of ‘Moon Knight,’ some Marvel fans might be confused by the teenage family drama of ‘Ms. Marvel,’ but should give the series a chance. While the show is clearly for a younger audience, there is still a lot there for older fans of Marvel to enjoy.
The first two episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’
Premiering on Disney+ beginning June 8th is the six-episode series ‘Ms. Marvel,’ which is based on the popular Marvel comics character of the same name.
The series introduces audiences to Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a 16-year-old Pakistani-American who is obsessed with Captain Marvel and eventually gains the ability to harness cosmic energy and create constructs with her magical bangle, making her a superhero too.
Moviefone recently had a chance to speak with directors and executive producers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah about their work on ‘Ms. Marvel.’
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You can read our full interview with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Arbi and Fallah, and writer and executive producer Bisha K. Ali, as well as actors Mat Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, and Saagar Shaikh.
Moviefone: To begin with, Adil can you talk about the challenges of directing the first and final episodes of this series and handing off the middle episodes to other directors? Did you work with the other filmmakers to keep continuity between the episodes?
Adil El Arbi: Yeah. The challenge is always when you have the power to establish the character and describe somebody that everybody will love, but also deciding really what the visual style is going to be. That’s why we came upT with that animation. It was not in the script, but we wanted to find a way to convey her dream world and fantasy world in those sequences.
That’s why we tried to convince Kevin Feige to allow us to do that, because it’s different from the other MCU shows. Surprisingly, he let us do that. He said, “As long as it’s true to the character and the story, go for it.” Inspired by ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ we tried to do a live action version of that. That’s why you get this animation sequence in the beginning. When she text messages, you see the environment, and that mirrors on the wall.
Then when we talked with the other directors, Meera Menon and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, we showed them the pilots. We said, “That’s the blueprint. We love sweeping camera moves. We love fast-paced cutting. We love music, all the vibrant stuff. Go loco with that and find your own moments of creativity.” It was a great freedom.
That’s why in episode two you have the romantic music sequence, and that’s because of Kamala. As it goes further, it’s a very consistent style, and it becomes cooler and cooler. Then we hope that we have a nice bookend at the end. It’s hopefully a great satisfying finale.
MF: Bilall, can you talk about the choice to change Kamala’s powers from the comics and rooting them in her family’s history and culture?
Bilall Fallah: So, Kevin Feige wanted to adapt the comic book, and not really make a literal translation. So, when we came on the project, it was written as hard light. At the same time, it was like, oh, it has to be as cool as it was in the comic book, but at the same time it was super exciting to create something new.
Then with our whole production team, we were thinking, how can we make this power really exceptional? We came back to the comic books and tried to capture that spirit. So that’s why you still have the big hand, or that she cannot control her power.
So, she has to still be that teenager with a changing body that was in the comic book, which was really also important to have in the powers that we see on the show. I think if you go further in the show, the powers will get really close to who Ms. Marvel is going to be. So, it’s going to be exciting to see.
AEA: Maybe there’s a variant in the multiverse of Kamala Khan who has exactly the same powers as in the comic book. Everything’s possible now!
MF: Finally, why was Iman Vellani the right young actress to embody this beloved character and bring her to life on screen?
AEA: Well, Iman Vellani’s life is really Kamala Khan, there’s a real parallel story of her journey that’s the same as Kamala Khan. Iman is this Canadian, Pakistani Muslim girl that is the biggest fan of the MCU. She looks up to Marvel. Kevin Feige is her idol. ‘Iron Man’ is her all-time favorite movie. She never thought that one day she would be part of the MCU. All of a sudden, she’s there, an actress, playing a main character, playing a superhero!
That’s the same as Kamala Khan who aspired to become a superhero. She was looking up to Captain Marvel and the Avengers, but not believing that one day she would be part of their team. All of a sudden, it happens. You really have that parallel journey of Iman Vellani and Kamala Khan. She brought so much of her own personality. She’s also a filmmaker. She’s so smart. She knows so much about movies that she really became the heart and soul of the whole show. She was born to play this character.
Back in February, word first arrived that DC was looking to promote super-powered siblings Zan and Jayna, better known as the ‘Wonder Twins,’ from cartoons and cameos to their own live action movie.
Now we know who will be playing the pair, as ‘Riverdale’s KJ Apa and ‘1883’s Isabel May have landed the lead roles.
Aliens Zan and Jayna, unlike many of their comics stablemates, made their debut on TV in Hanna Barbera animated series ‘The All-New Super Friends Hour’ in 1977. Created by Norman Maurer, they went on to appear on other series before making their debut in comic books based on the show and became part of the wider DC Universe.
They’re best known for their catchphrase, “Wonder Twins power, activate!” and touching hands, leading Jayne to transform into any animal and Zan into any form of water. Which might not seem like the greatest combo when you are extraterrestrial crime fighters.
Still, they do at least have a sidekick, a monkey pal called Gleek, who is intelligent, communicates via sign language and has a stretchable, prehensile tail, which comes in handy.
They’ve rarely been given major attention, popping up on the likes of cartoon series ‘Teen Titans Go!’ and live-action show ‘The Flash’.
Now, though, ‘Black Adam’ writer Adam Sztykiel is the person who will look to bring them up to date even further and make them work on their own. But as is usual for a film like this, the plot is being kept locked behind a shield of secrecy. Sztykiel is also directing the movie.
Wonder Twins Photo Courtesy of DC Comics.
In other DC Comics movie news, Leslie Grace, the star of ‘Batgirl’ has been enthusiastically talking up working on her own superhero saga, with ‘Bad Boys For Life’ directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah now shepherding the movie through post-production.
As part of an interview with Variety, Grace explained that the mood on set shifted noticeably when Michael Keaton arrived in his Batman suit. “Our directors were like two little kids,” she laughs. “They’re legit Batman nerds openly. He’s Batman, man! I couldn’t even believe that I was sharing space with Batman. I want to say more, but I can’t. It was insane, surreal, incredible. It was the stuff of dreams really.”
And despite opining about the night shoots and squeezing into her costume, Grace seems excited to continue on to a sequel, even if she offers a caution that the initial outing must still be a success. “We got to see this first one first,” she says.
“But there’s definitely some talks about what it could be. I’ve seen some of what we’ve shot, obviously in the playback and stuff like that, and it’s insane. We’ve already been talking about where we do take this from here, because there’s so much that happens in this film. There are a lot of different themes in the plot that we touch on. It’s not just the action. There’s a love story. There’s this father-daughter relationship. There’s looking at the world through a lens that isn’t just black and white and seeing the color and the spectrum between things.”
Actress Leslie Grace set the Internet ablaze late on Friday when she premiered on her Instagram account a first look photo of herself as Barbara Gordon in her full superhero costume for the upcoming HBO Max movie ‘Batgirl.’
The film is currently shooting in Scotland for a late 2022 release on the streaming service and will also see Oscar winner J.K. Simmons return as Barbara’s dad, Commissioner James Gordon, as well as Michael Keaton’s return as Bruce Wayne/Batman, after his upcoming appearance in November’s ‘The Flash.’
The photo reveals a purple and yellow Batgirl suit reminiscent of the costume the character wore in DC Comics’ 2011 reboot “The New 52,” which was also the template for most of the previous DCEU movies.
Grace also posted along with the photo a quote from the seminal 2003 series, “Batgirl: Year One” by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon. “I use their expectations against them. That will be their weakness. Not mine. Let them all underestimate me…and when their guard is down, and their pride is rising, let me kick their butts.”
Created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino for inclusion in the 1960’s ‘Batman’ TV show, the character made its debut first in Detective Comics #359 before appearing in the third season of the series in 1967.
In the comics, Gordon is eventually injured by the Joker, and becomes the paraplegic computer expert, Oracle. While there is no indication that this version of the character will appear in “Batgirl,’ Oracle has appeared in live-action television series including the 2002 show ‘Birds of Prey’ played by Dina Meyer, and more recently in the third season of ‘Titans,’ portrayed by Savannah Welch.
With ‘The Flash’ set to introduce the idea of the DC Multiverse, and bring Michael Keaton’s Batman back into the fold, it’s a little unclear which DC universe the movie will take place in. Simmons returning as James Gordon would indicate that it is a continuation of Zack Snyder’s DCEU, but Keaton’s inclusion, and not Ben Affleck’s, means all bets are off.
