EMILIA CLARKE IN THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

 EMILIA CLARKE
IN THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

Finally, my favorite Hollywood actress, Emilia Clarke (the Dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones), will soon be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase 4. Hurrah, the “Secret Invasion” will start production this September, and slated to premiere on the second week of June 2022 in a Disney 6-episode TV series.

In comics, Secret Invasion, like Avengers: Infinity Wars and Maximum Carnage is a multi-issue crossover series. Penned by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Filipino artist Leinil Francis Yu, it is about the “evil” Skrulls led by Queen Veranke trying to infiltrate and conquer planet Earth. The plan was to shapeshift their way into the US government hierarchy and also capturing and replacing the persons of Earth’s mightiest heroes.

With this storyline, we are talking almost all of Marvel’s superhero groups being involved: Avengers, Fantastic Four, Inhumans, Shields, Thunderbolts, X-Men, not to mention many other superheroes and supervillains. So, thinking, imagining, conceptualizing, of what the television version would be is truly mind-boggling.

On board in this TV series are Samuel Jackson, reprising his role as Nick Fury, and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, the leader of the “good” Skrulls. The two first met in the 2019 Captain Marvel film. Speaking of which, my other favorite Hollywood actress, Brie Larson (a.k.a. Captain Marvel), could make a sudden appearance in the series, as the sequel to her film, The Marvels, is scheduled to be released on November 2022.

If all goes well, that is going over mind-boggling, it could translate into another big screen production just like Avengers: Infinity Wars and Avengers: Endgame with an all-star cast of Marvel superheroes. What a “Jambalaya” that is going to be!

Now, can anyone of you hardcore Marvel fans venture a guess as to what character Emilia Clarke would be portraying?

NOTE: Wall pic courtesy of Disney Daily News.

CONCEPTUALIZING THE CONCEPT OF STORY CONCEPT WRITING

CONCEPTUALIZING THE CONCEPT OF

STORY CONCEPT WRITING

          Let me start by saying that Concept Writing is a simple term that cannot be defined in simple terms.

          I saw its potentials and the possibilities it can bring after Marvel started producing one superhero film after another. It gave me the “concept” to conceptualize. Yes, to use this in my works, both as a writer and engineer.

          If you notice, the Marvel films are interlocking. It’s like galaxies and constellations in the universe (MCU) – the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The succeeding film, though has a different lead cast and separate storyline, may be viewed as the sequel of the previous film. At first, you see Hulk (2003) and The Incredible Hulk (2008), two Iron Man (2008 and 2010), Thor (2011), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Then came The Avengers (2012), which was hinted in Iron Man and Thor. Next came three separate films, Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014), followed by Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Then again, separately, there’s Ant Man (2015), which connected to Captain America: Civil War (2016), where the Hulk and Thor were conspicuously absent because as the “connected” story goes, they were in another galaxy as shown in Thor: Ragnarok (2017).  Doctor Strange (2016) came prior to Thor’s third installment as seen in the teaser at the end of the film. Let’s not forget Guardians of the Galaxy 1 (2014) and 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), and Black Panther (2018), which were shown taking off after Captain America: Civil War. All in all 20 films, all connecting to Avengers: Infinity War (2018). In the comics world, this is called an interlocking crossover.

          Concept writing, however, is more than just thinking of doing a crossover. You can visualize it as the combination of crossovers, What ifs, Tales of the Unexpected, and numerous other possibilities. Yes, endless possibilities, in fact!

          The huge difference between comics and films, however, is that in printed publication, the number of characters and scenarios are almost limitless. While in films, the more characters there are, the more difficult the production becomes. It is, however, a general rule that the storyline of a film does not veer too far away from its comics origin. Concept writing is a very useful tool in this effect.

          Concept writing, if you remember, was only used before for consumer products: “What products would sell?” and “How to market them?” Now it is being extensively use in novels, TV series and films, and even in different kinds of propaganda.

          Comic books have employed the idea in many occasions. Now, even literary creations are incorporating it. Even now as they read this, authors would be planning on writing separate stories – novels – that will merged into one. Fascinating possibilities!

          Today’s television series take years of conceptualizing, merging different scenarios, taking into account all the possibilities into the storyline. It is the ultimate ingredient for a groundbreaking TV blockbuster.

          Take the case of Game of Thrones. It took several years before George R.R. Martin’s book A Song of Ice and Fire was made into a TV series. Each season takes a year or more to produce. Each episode has scenes and sequences being filmed in three or four locations around Europe and the Middle East. Imagine the brainstorming behind them. That is why it is the biggest TV hit ever. Almost all the actors and crews grew up and aged doing the series. And they all got rich!

          In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, concept writing is a huge part of both pre-production and post-production. That is why they are lightyears, nay a universe, ahead of D.C.

          As early as the first Hulk and Iron Man films, the concept for future Marvel films was already incorporated. Notice that in every Marvel film, there is a teaser at the end of the credits pointing to the possible crossover.

          As I have pointed earlier, one Marvel superhero films connects one to another, and they converged to Avengers: Infinity War. The “concept,” however, is still open. Can you now connect the X-Men and Fantastic 4 film series to Avengers: Infinity War 2, and even to a Part 3? And beyond, further, into Avengers: Galactic Storm? How about an Adam Warlock and a Captain Marvel films to spice the storyline more?

          Read my concept story for Avengers: Infinity War 2.