It’s the clash of the multiverses. Whose team are you on?
Marvel has been opening up its cinematic universe since June 2021 with Loki. While the MCU multiverse looked promising for fans of the superhero franchise, some feel the results have been lackluster.
Then, directing duo Daniels, who turned down Marvel meetings about Loki, have opened up their own multiverse with Everything Everywhere All at Once, and readers of No Film School will know how much we adore this film. Its multiverse is unique, fun, and tugs at the heartstrings as it dives into different genres of film. Daniels created a film to celebrate the concept and tell a genuinely beautiful story about family.
This past weekend, Marvel reminded us that they still had a multiverse to explore with Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Jamie Lee Curtis shared on Instagram a photo of Dr. Strange’s poster and Everything Everywhere’s poster side-by-side, saying, “Is it JUST me? Does it seem STRANGE that our tiny movie that could and did and continues to do ##1movieinamerica and is TRULY MARVELOUS, out marvel any Marvel movie they put out there[?]”
Everything Everywhere All at Once has been dominating the box office since debuting with a limited theatrical release in March with its relevantly small budget of $25 million while Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cost an estimated $200 million. In a subsequent post, Curtis noted this huge difference in budget and promoted her followers to go and watch the more indie yet larger-than-life multiverse film.
“TRUTH ALERT @everythingeverywheremovie is MARVELOUS! It has a deep BEATING heart and BRILLIANT visual treats, EXTRAORDINARY performances and FANTASTIC BEASTLY FIGHT SCENES……AND it COST LESS than the ENTIRE craft service budget on ‘Doctor Strange’ and/or any other Marvel movie,” Curtis wrote, referencing the comparison made between both films in A.O. Scott’s New York Times review of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Curtis continued, “COMPETITIVE? F— YES. I wasn’t head cheerleader in high school for nothing. And P.S. our movie has a dynamite dildo fight scene as well as a very erotic hotdog hand mating dance and rocks. #guessiwillneverbecastinamarvelmovie.”
Curtis had previously talked about this tiny feud between both films on The Talk, stating that the baseline requirement for a “sci-fi multiverse movie” should be an emotional through-line that leaves the audience with something gained from the experience.
“Marvel movies just feel very sort of dead to me,” Curtis said in the interview. “And [Everything Everywhere All at Once] actually makes you feel tremendous heart.”
Guillermo del Toro must have listened to Curtis’ call to action and opted to spend the Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opening weekend watching Everything Everywhere All at Once. On Monday, del Toro tweeted:
Everything Everywhere All at Once - I loved it. And I believe that "Nothing Matters" therefore everything does. And the notion of Pain and Prejudice being inherited from generation to generation unless we examine ourselves. Skillful, smart, beautifully shot and profoundly moving. pic.twitter.com/ftRyLgM9vp
The director continued, “And also – there is MUCH that is renewed – formally, rhythmically – It feels very much a movie of the ‘now’ and it speaks to this moment. Its urgency feels both intimate and grand. GO SEE IT. Pay no mind to box office charts or punditry- it is a beautiful, worthy film to pursue! Michelle Yeoh is absolutely splendid. But so is the rest of the magnificent cast.”
Is Curtis right to say that Daniels created a spectacle that had a story that will melt your heart and outshines the latest Marvel multiverse movie? That’s up to you to decide (but I think you know where we stand).
Let us know which side of the multiverse film feud you stand on in the comments below!
Your Comment