Latest news with #Deadpo
The Star
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'The Eternaut' review: Too short a season
Come for the apocalypse, stay for the allegory. The Eternaut, Netflix's latest science fiction series, is an adaptation of a late 1950s Argentinian comic by the writer Hector German Oesterheld and artist Francisco Solano Lopez. The initially apolitical Oesterheld "rebooted" the story in 1969 with artist Alberto Breccia at a time of rising political tension in his home country and inserted stronger allegorical themes into the story. After joining a leftist revolutionary group opposing the ruling military junta, Oesterheld and his four daughters were subsequently kidnapped and disappeared in the 1970s, presumably killed. In the years since, The Eternaut has come to be hailed as a bona fide literary landmark, with Sept 4 (the date of its first publication in 1957) now recognised as the Day of the Argentine Comic Book. There's more history to the title and its writer's significance than this review can fit, so do continue researching it for some useful insight when viewing this Netflix adaptation. It is written and directed by Argentinian filmmaker Bruno Stagnaro, with Oesterheld's grandson Martin on board as a consultant. 'This swimming pool, with all the departed beside it ... it's a veritable Deadpo – no! If I say his name, he might appear.' The story takes place in Buenos Aires, as a sudden snowfall proves lethal to anyone who comes in contact with the, um, snowflakes. Those fortunate to be indoors, such as the everyman protagonist Juan Salvo (Ricardo Darin), struggle to figure out what's happening as communications systems also fail. (Cue that line from The Phantom Menace...) The Eternaut starts with a narrow focus, on just Juan and his immediate buddies, steadily expanding with each of its six Season One instalments: from house to apartment block, block to street, street to neighbourhood, and neighbourhood to city, with the veil lifted slowly each time to give us glimpses of what's happening. (For a similar vibe, consider the Steven Spielberg-Tom Cruise War Of The Worlds, which took an "ant on the ground" view of an alien invasion.) There's another mystery unfolding as this particular invasion develops: Juan's frequent flashbacks and possible flash-forwards – revisiting his experiences in the Falklands War and sometimes, situations of which he has no memory, hinting they might be from his future. First, 'The Eternaut', then 'Starship Trooper's – is it a coincidence that space bugs seem to love Buenos Aires? As it becomes apparent that not all survivors can be trusted, and (what we believe to be) human collaborators with the invaders perpetrate heinous acts, we begin to wonder just how much of the story we will get to see before the end of the season. The answer: sorry, it ends on an abrupt note. Brace for the (already confirmed) next season, when answers will be forthcoming and the showrunners promise things will get even wilder (like that bizarre multidigited extremity glimpsed in one scene here isn't wild enough). The consequence: this first season seems maddeningly unfulfilling, stopping where it does. Also, to hold stuff back for the next batch, and keep things going for six episodes until this (presumed) halfway mark, there are frequent pacing issues. This only makes us wish they'd done the whole saga in one go, as an eight- or 10-episode limited series. The bright side: The Eternaut has loads of striking visuals and constant suspense from not knowing what will befall our beleaguered protagonists next. There is also a pervasive, creeping sense of helplessness slowly eroding their faint hope; at first, that may not seem like any kind of brightness – but it is, from the perspective of effective storytelling. While some of its more specific metaphors may elude non-Argentinian viewers, the world in general is no stranger to fascism and imperialism, not even in these ought-to-be-enlightened times. The Eternaut is perhaps a fitting release in these days when reality has taken on entirely different dimensions, thanks to science and the facts no longer being factors in many people's thinking (though I hesitate to call it that). It used to be that science fiction was a lens through which we could sometimes consider real-world concerns in an exaggerated manner that was still a "safe space" for ideas. That lens is now a mirror, though it's up for debate which is the object, and which is the reflection. All six episodes of The Eternaut Season One are available to stream on Netflix.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Deadpool Creator: ‘Kevin Feige Does Not Treat Comic Book Creators Well'
Deadpool's is cutting ties with Marvel. Liefeld is a comic book creator who is best known for inventing Deadpool with Fabian Nicieza and Cable with Louise Simonson. His work has been adapted to film by Marvel a number of times, the most recent example being 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Liefeld has now cut ties with Marvel following an experience he felt was meant to 'embarrass, diminish,' and 'defeat' him. In an episode of his Robservations podcast, Liefeld explained that his problems with Marvel Studios began in early 2023. The issues started when Liefeld learned that 'the company made the controversial decision to change the credits on Wolverine, awarding co-creator status to editor Roy Thomas. The character was created decades before Liefeld worked in comics, but he is close to Christine Valada, the widow of late Wolverine co-creator Len Wein, who was upset with the decision.' Then, in June 2024, Liefeld wrote an email to Marvel asking for a special credit on Deadpool & Wolverine. He did not ask for any money but did further inquire about access to movie premieres and other opportunities. 'Marvel's treatment of creators has never been their strength,' his email said. 'Without the worlds, the characters, and the concepts that we create — and in this specific case, the world of Deadpool — there are no films to shoot. No blockbusters to distribute…I am not the easy button at Staples. I am the human imagination behind it all….Comic book creators cannot continue to be relegated as afterthoughts. This is easy to address. Unless I reach out to address it, it will never manifest.' Liefeld never received an official response to his email. However, it was at the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine that he learned that he and his family had not been invited to the afterparty. 'He also felt snubbed by Disney brass, including Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, whom he says was near him on the red carpet but did not acknowledge him,' The Hollywood Reporter's article notes. '…And there was another apparent slight: Liefeld said he posed for professional photos with creatives on the Deadpool & Wolverine team, but later was told by his publicist that those photos were deleted. He believes they were only taken as a courtesy and not intended to be used, though other photos, featuring Liefeld alone as well as with his family, appeared as part of Disney's Getty press portal from the event.' In the Robservations podcast, Liefeld stated: 'Kevin Feige does not treat comic book creators well. That is my personal experience.' He wrote on X,' Not so much as a single handshake. Classless.' Liefeld did acknowledge that he was invited to London for a set visit when Deadpool & Wolverine was in production, though he did say he 'began to feel unwelcome' there and didn't elaborate further. He further told The Hollywood Reporter, 'Do I think [Feige] can improve his relationship with comic creators? Yes.' Liefeld — whose final work for Marvel Comics, Deadpool Team-Up #5, releases on February 12 — added, 'You can't always share your hits. Sometimes you have to share your misses. This one was a miss. It was important for me to do the podcast, so people could hear my voice. You didn't hear anyone who was angry. At times, it was hard to hide how sad I was.'
