Marvel Reshot Finale All-Female Scene Multiple Times to Be Less Pandering
Don Khan Swaylo | Oct 30, 2021 |
According to a new book by executive producer Trinh Tran, the “all-female” segment of the final battle in Avengers: Endgame went through extensive reshoots because the original was criticized as “pandering.” So, it went from “pandering” to “contrived;” suppose that’s better.
The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Tran’s new book and, in an excerpt, she claimed that she always planned in the original script to “really showcase and empower the women [in the MCU].” When her feminist vision was put to test audiences, it went over as well as a terminal diagnosis, with moviegoers noting how the scene felt like “pandering,” so Marvel reshot said scene to add some more context. It’s still one of the scenes in the film that gets mentioned as a “What the hell was that?” moment over two years later.
“In earlier cuts, when we started screen-testing it, there was a little concern for ‘Does it come off [as] pandering?’” Tran’s book details. “Are we going to get people saying, ‘Oh you’re just putting that scene in there just to put the scene in there. Does it actually have a story to tell with the rest of the narrative?’ That was always a concern in the back of our heads.” Clearly, that thought was not seriously considered.
Tran would not budge on the inclusion of the scene because, as has obviously manifested in the current “Phase 4” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, diversity matters… identity politics matter. So, the studio ended up adding additional content featuring the female characters, like everyone’s favorite, Captain Marvel, and the tolerable (sans the decisions made in WandaVision; she was fine until then) Scarlet Witch in smaller groups, so the final “Girl Power” flowed and was presented more naturally.
If that’s what they came up with and believe was acceptable, no wonder the MCU is in the current state it’s in.
Comments (3)
You’re bang on. The only little set piece like that that would have worked was the originals that were still in the battle do a team up for the final volley. But there’s not enough women, so it’s understandable…
so cheese balls. it would’ve been a lot more natural to include a part of the scene where they’re co-op beating up enemies, complementing each other’s skills, melee, ranged, brawl, scrap, magic, abilities, etc.
so cheese balls. it would’ve been a lot more natural to include a part of the scene where they’re co-op beating up enemies, complementing each other’s skills, melee ranged, brawl, scrap, magic, abilities, etc.