If you're at SDCC you'll be able to check out Marvel's next One-Shot AGENT CARTER, but most of us are going to have to wait until it is released with IRON MAN 3 on Blu-ray. But what is Marvel's thought process when it comes to these short films?
EW spoke with Marvel co-president Louis D'Esposito (who directed AGENT CARTER and ITEM 47) about the One-Shots, and he went into detail about why we haven't seen any superheroes or new characters in the short films (yet):
I’ve been asked many times too, would you introduce new characters? That even proves to be very difficult, just from a cost perspective. What does the costume look like? Who is the actor playing it? A lot of R&D goes into it. We have a great concept department here, a visual development department, and it takes time.
"Cost perspective" is a running theme in D'Esposito's comments, and it's understandable that Marvel doesn't want to sink too much money into something that is essential a Blu-ray special feature.
We would love to, but it’s difficult because there’s a cost to that. If Iron Man is flying around doing something, that's very costly. And first of all, what’s the story? Is it important that that superhero is in the story?
But Louis D'Esposito does say that Marvel is getting closer to using actual superheroes and maybe new characters in their One-Shot. He goes on to use Ms. Marvel as an example
Let’s just say I knew I was going to direct Captain Marvel [as a feature], right? And we knew who was going to play her. That would make it easy to introduce her first in a One-Shot. But that’s a plan that requires a lot of coordination. And I don’t know if really we … if I’ve been thinking that far ahead. It’s difficult enough to find something that’s enjoyable, that we can tell with the budget limitations and in the time we have. Introducing a lot of complicated variables might weaken that.
D'Esposito also says that at one point he was considering a Loki One-Shot:
I’m not gonna lie, when we were developing these [One-Shot] stories I was trying to develop a Loki story. And is he on Asgard? Being on Asgard is very difficult for us to do in a short. It’s just impossible for us cost wise. The short would be 30 seconds, and it’s over. One shot of Loki on Asgard.
Louis D'Esposito continues the interview by saying Marvel was also looking into doing a One-Shot with a young Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos or Black Panther:
We also thought about potentially … let’s say a young Nick Fury with Dum Dum Dugan. Or a Black Panther short, maybe, in that [One-Shot format.]
There are several issues with a One-Shot for Black Panther. If Marvel is also trying to develop a feature film for the character, they would have to cast an actor they would want for both projects, which means a lot of planning. Also (once again with "cost perspective"), if Black Panther is featured in the One-Shot would it also have the fictional African country Wakanda? And how would Marvel show Black Panther's home with such a small budget?
It does sound like at some point Marvel will start using One-Shots to introduce new characters and superheroes, but I wonder if it won't be until Phase 3. Fans really dig them, and it's a nice way for the company to expand on different things in their cinematic universe. It would be cool if Marvel started introducing characters with One-Shots, but I'm glad they aren't trying to rush things or do too much too soon.
Marvel's next film is THOR: THE DARK WORLD, and it will be in theaters on November 8th, 2013.