Marvel One-Shots are a series of
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
s produced by
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
, set within or inspired by the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU). Initially released from 2011 to 2014, they were included as special features on the MCU films'
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
and
digital distribution
Digital distribution, also referred to as content delivery, online distribution, or electronic software distribution, among others, is the delivery or distribution of digital media content (media), content such as Sound recording and reproductio ...
releases. The films, which range from 3 to 15 minutes, are designed to be self-contained stories that provide more backstory for characters or events introduced in the films. Two of the shorts inspired the development of
MCU television series.
''The Consultant'' (2011) and ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer'' (2011) star
Clark Gregg
Robert Clark Gregg Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Iron Man'' (2008), ''Iron Man 2'' (2010), ''Thor'' (2011), ' ...
as Agent
Phil Coulson
Agent Phillip J. Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longtime partn ...
and offer up brief, self-contained stories about a day in the life of a
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
agent. Marvel Studios then made several longer One-Shots: ''
Item 47
''Item 47'' is a 2012 American direct-to-video short film featuring the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division), produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studi ...
'' (2012), starring
Lizzy Caplan
Elizabeth Anne Caplan (born June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films ''Mean Girls'' (2004) and ''Cloverfi ...
and
Jesse Bradford
Jesse Bradford (born May 28, 1979) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor at the age of five and received two Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film nominations for his performances in ''King of the ...
as a down-on-their-luck couple who find a discarded
Chitauri
The Chitauri () are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, specifically in Ultimate Marvel. They were created by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch for the Ultimate universe franc ...
gun after the events of ''
The Avengers'' (2012); ''
Agent Carter'' (2013), starring
Hayley Atwell
Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is a British and American actress. Born and raised in London, Atwell studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and made her stage debut in a 2005 production of James Kerr's translation ...
as
Peggy Carter
Margaret Elizabeth Carter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character in books featuring Captain America. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirb ...
after the events of ''
Captain America: The First Avenger'' (2011); and ''
All Hail the King
''All Hail the King'' is a 2014 American direct-to-video short film featuring the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) character Trevor Slattery, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. It is a follow up a ...
'' (2014), starring
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two ...
as
Trevor Slattery
Trevor Slattery is a fictional character portrayed by Ben Kingsley in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). An actor hired to portray the legendary terrorist leader of the Ten Rings dubbed " the Mandarin", he first appeared in the film ''Iron Man ...
after the events of ''
Iron Man 3
''Iron Man 3'' (titled onscreen as ''Iron Man Three'') is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Ir ...
'' (2013).
The first two shorts received generally negative reviews, but the rest were more positively received and highlighted for their contributions to expanding the MCU. All the One-Shots were made available on
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
by January 2022, when the ''
Team Thor
''Team Thor'' is a series of American direct-to-video mockumentary short films produced by Marvel Studios, featuring characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Initially released from 2016 to 2018, they were included as special featur ...
'' mockumentary shorts (released from 2016 to 2018) were reclassified as One-Shots.
Development
![Marvel One-Shots logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Marvel_One-Shots_logo.png)
In August 2011, Marvel announced that a couple of short films, designed to be self-contained stories,
would be released
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
.
Co-producer Brad Winderbaum said they were a "fun way to experiment with new characters and ideas" and expand the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU) beyond the plots of the
feature films
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
. The first two shorts were made in conjunction with
The Ebeling Group.
Winderbaum said the name of the shorts program was derived from the label used by Marvel Comics for their
one-shot comics.
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
co-president
Louis D'Esposito
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
later said Marvel was considering introducing established characters who may not yet be ready to carry their own feature films in future One-Shots, stating, "There's always a potential to introduce a character. We have 8,000 of them, and they can't all be at the same level. So maybe there are some that are not so popular, and we introduce them
ith a short€”and they take off. I could see that happening."
When asked whether a Marvel superhero would ever appear in a One-Shot, D'Esposito replied that "We would love to, but it's difficult because there's a cost to that. If
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
is flying around doing something, that
svery costly. And first of all, what's the story? Is it important that that superhero is in the story?"
During the ''
Agent Carter'' panel at the 2013
San Diego Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
, D'Esposito said Marvel was considering debuting short films in theaters before feature films.
In May 2014, it was revealed that ''
Captain America: The Winter Soldier''s (2014) home media release would be the first to not include a One-Shot since the program started,
and in October 2014, it was revealed that ''
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
''s (2014) home media release also would not include a short.
''Guardians of the Galaxy'' director
James Gunn
James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker and executive. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1997). He then began working as a director ...
said a One-Shot was not included with the film due to lack of space on the disc.
Marvel Studios head
Kevin Feige
Kevin Feige ( ; born June 2, 1973) is an American film and television producer who has been the president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise since 2007. The films he has produced have a combin ...
stated in May 2015 that there were no active plans to make more Marvel One-Shots, but the studio was not opposed to continuing the series.
All of the One-Shots were made available on
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
by January 2022, at which point the ''
Team Thor
''Team Thor'' is a series of American direct-to-video mockumentary short films produced by Marvel Studios, featuring characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Initially released from 2016 to 2018, they were included as special featur ...
'' mockumentary shorts (which were released from 2016 to 2018) were reclassified as One-Shots.
Feige had previously described the ''Team Thor'' shorts as a "doable" version of the One-Shot program, and felt there was potential for future One-Shots to similarly be released as extra content prior to a film's premiere.
Films
''The Consultant'' (2011)
![Clark Gregg by Gage Skidmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Clark_Gregg_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
Set after the events of ''
Iron Man 2
''Iron Man 2'' is a 2010 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures, it is the sequel to ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' (2008) and List of Marve ...
'' and ''
The Incredible Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
'',
Phil Coulson
Agent Phillip J. Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longtime partn ...
informs
Jasper Sitwell
Jasper Sitwell is a fictional character, an espionage agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The character was portrayed by Maximiliano Hernández in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Publication history
Created by wr ...
that the World Security Council wishes for
Emil Blonsky to be released from prison to join the
Avengers Initiative
''Avengers: The Initiative'' is a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series deals with the aftermath of Marvel's "Civil War" s ...
. They see him as a war hero and blame the devastation in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
on
Bruce Banner
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
. The Council orders them to ask General
Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross to release Blonsky into
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
custody. As
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
does not want to release Blonsky, the two agents decide to send a
patsy
Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among It ...
to sabotage the meeting. Coulson reluctantly sends "The Consultant",
Tony Stark
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
, and (as partially depicted in the post-credits scene of ''The Incredible Hulk'') Stark approaches the disgraced Ross while he is drinking in a bar. Stark annoys Ross so much that he tries to have Stark removed from the bar, until Stark buys the bar and has it scheduled for demolition. The next day, Coulson informs Sitwell that their plan worked and Blonsky will remain in prison.
At the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel announced that ''The Consultant'' would appear exclusively on the ''
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
''
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
release on September 13, 2011. It was directed by Leythum and written by
Eric Pearson
Eric Pearson (born December 14, 1984) is an American screenwriter. He has worked with Marvel Studios, writing various short films for their Marvel One-Shots series of films, and writing the screenplay for the feature films '' Thor: Ragnarok'' (201 ...
, with music by
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold (born 30 August 1963), formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Madonna, Britney Spears, Mass ...
.
The short was filmed over 2–3 days.
Clark Gregg
Robert Clark Gregg Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Iron Man'' (2008), ''Iron Man 2'' (2010), ''Thor'' (2011), ' ...
and
Maximiliano Hernández
Maximiliano Hernández (born September 12, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Agent Jasper Sitwell in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and FBI Agent Chris Amador in the first season of ''The Americans''.
Early life
A nati ...
return to portray Agent Phil Coulson and Agent Jasper Sitwell, respectively, from the films.
They are joined via archive footage by
Robert Downey, Jr.
Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...
as Tony Stark / The Consultant,
William Hurt
William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he received various awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor.
...
as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, and
Tim Roth
Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the "Brit Pack (actors), Brit Pack".
He made hi ...
as Emil Blonsky in his Abomination form.
Co-producer Brian Winderbaum said the producers "wanted to paint a picture of S.H.I.E.L.D. pulling the strings and being responsible for some of the events seen in the films. What better character to represent this idea than Agent Coulson, the first S.H.I.E.L.D. agent we were introduced to in the
first ''Iron Man'' film?"
Gregg said he was told about the short film program in the same phone call that warned him Coulson would die in ''The Avengers''. The actor noticed that the One-Shots could then provide more information on Coulson, to "build the audience's relationship
ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediatel ...
him" and make his death in the film more impactful. ''The Consultant'' was written after ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer'', due to the latter taking up 80% of the budget Marvel reserved for the two shorts, leaving a remaining budget "
for two guys talking". To help with this, Pearson included Sitwell in the short, who had a minor role in ''Thor'', and had him and Coulson "brainstorming a way to deal with this
red tape
Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to g ...
bureaucratic politics of the Avengers Initiative".
''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer'' (2011)
Set before the events of ''Thor'',
Phil Coulson stops at a gas station on his way to
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
. While Coulson shops for snacks in the back of the station, two robbers enter and demand the money from the register. When the robbers ask whose car is outside, Coulson reveals himself, surrenders his keys, and offers to surrender his pistol as well. As he turns over the gun, Coulson distracts the robbers and subdues both men in seconds. He then nonchalantly pays for his snacks while advising the clerk not to mention his involvement to the police.
''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer'' was included on the ''
Captain America: The First Avenger'' Blu-ray release on October 25, 2011.
It was directed by Leythum and written by Eric Pearson, with music by Paul Oakenfold.
It was filmed over 2–3 days.
The short stars Clark Gregg reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson,
and served to showcase Coulson as "more than just an annoying bureaucrat" of S.H.I.E.L.D.
''Item 47'' (2012)
Bennie and Claire, a down-on-their-luck couple, find a discarded
Chitauri
The Chitauri () are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, specifically in Ultimate Marvel. They were created by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch for the Ultimate universe franc ...
gun ("Item 47") left over from the attack on New York City in ''The Avengers''. The couple use it to rob a few banks, drawing the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., which assigns agents Sitwell and
Blake
Blake is a surname which originated from Old English. Its derivation is uncertain; it could come from "blac", a nickname for someone who had dark hair or skin, or from "blaac", a nickname for someone with pale hair or skin. Another theory, presuma ...
to retrieve the weapon and "neutralize" the couple. Agent Sitwell tracks the couple down to a motel room that gets wrecked in the subsequent confrontation, and the stolen money gets destroyed. Instead of killing the couple, Sitwell invites them to join S.H.I.E.L.D., with Bennie assigned to the
R&D 'think-tank' to reverse engineer the Chitauri technology, and Claire becoming Blake's assistant.
''Item 47'' was released on ''The Avengers'' Blu-ray on September 25, 2012. The film stars
Jesse Bradford
Jesse Bradford (born May 28, 1979) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor at the age of five and received two Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film nominations for his performances in ''King of the ...
and
Lizzy Caplan
Elizabeth Anne Caplan (born June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films ''Mean Girls'' (2004) and ''Cloverfi ...
as Bennie and Claire, respectively. The film also sees the return of Agent Sitwell, played by Maximiliano Hernández, and introduced Agent Blake, portrayed by
Titus Welliver
Titus B. Welliver (born March 12, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of the Man in Black in ''Lost'', Silas Adams in '' Deadwood'', Jimmy O’Phelan in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and the title role in the television seri ...
.
It was directed by Marvel Studios co-president
Louis D'Esposito
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
, written by Eric Pearson,
and features music by
Christopher Lennertz
Christopher Joseph Lennertz (born January 2, 1972) is an American composer, songwriter, and conductor of film, television, and video game scores. His musical scores appeared in ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'', ''Hop'', ''Think Like a Man'', and ''Ho ...
.
The short film, which was filmed over four days,
has a runtime of 12 minutes, longer than the previous films, which were no longer than 4 minutes.
Pearson and D'Esposito had the idea for the short after watching ''The Avengers'' and thinking, "New York is a mess. There must be weapons everywhere".
''Item 47'' partially inspired the
MCU television series ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and L ...
''
''Agent Carter'' (2013)
![Hayley Atwell by Gage Skidmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Hayley_Atwell_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
One year after the events of ''Captain America: The First Avenger'',
Strategic Scientific Reserve Agent
Peggy Carter
Margaret Elizabeth Carter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character in books featuring Captain America. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirb ...
is stuck compiling data instead of working field cases. One night, while alone in the office, the case line informs Carter of the location of the mysterious
Zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
. She is able to retrieve the Zodiac serum single-handedly. The next day, Agent
John Flynn reprimands Carter for not going through the proper procedures to complete the mission. Carter explains that the mission was time-sensitive, but Flynn is unmoved, dismissing the indignant Carter as an "old flame" of
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
's who was given her current job out of pity for her bereavement. The case line rings again, this time with
Howard Stark
Howard Stark is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a background character in stories featuring Iron Man and stories featuring Captain America. He is the fou ...
on the other end, who tells Flynn to inform Carter that she will co-head the newly created S.H.I.E.L.D. In a mid-credit scene,
Dum Dum Dugan
Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader "Dum Dum" Dugan is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an officer of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is one of the most experienced members of Nick Fury's team, known for his mark ...
is seen poolside with Stark, marveling at two women wearing the newly created
bikini
A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coveri ...
s.
''Agent Carter'', released on the ''
Iron Man 3
''Iron Man 3'' (titled onscreen as ''Iron Man Three'') is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Ir ...
'' Blu-ray release on September 24, 2013, as well as part of the digital download release on September 3, 2013,
was seen as a bridge between that film and the then-upcoming ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier''. Marvel had considered adding it to previous home media releases as well.
Hayley Atwell
Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is a British and American actress. Born and raised in London, Atwell studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and made her stage debut in a 2005 production of James Kerr's translation ...
reprises her role as Peggy Carter,
along with
Dominic Cooper
Dominic Edward Cooper (born 2 June 1978) is an English actor known for his portrayal of comic book characters Jesse Custer on the AMC show ''Preacher'' (2016–2019) and young Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with appearances in ...
and
Neal McDonough
Neal McDonough (born February 13, 1966) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Lynn Compton, Lynn "Buck" Compton in the HBO miniseries ''Band of Brothers (miniseries), Band of Brothers'' (2001), Deputy District Attorney ...
reprising their respective roles as Howard Stark and Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan.
Chris Evans appears as Steve Rogers / Captain America via archive footage. The short introduces
Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford (born October 10, 1959) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman in the NBC television political drama ''The West Wing'' (1999–2006), for which he w ...
as Agent John Flynn and ''Iron Man 3'' director
Shane Black
Shane Black (born December 16, 1961) is an American filmmaker and actor who has written such films as ''Lethal Weapon'', ''The Monster Squad'', ''The Last Boy Scout'', ''Last Action Hero'', and ''The Long Kiss Goodnight''. As an actor, Black is ...
as the Disembodied Voice.
It was directed by Louis D'Esposito and written by Eric Pearson.
The short was filmed over five days,
and reused visual effects shots of 1940s New York from ''Captain America: The First Avenger'' to save money.
Christopher Lennertz returned from ''Item 47'' to compose music for the short, and went on to compose the score for the MCU television series ''
Agent Carter'', which was partially inspired by the short.
''All Hail the King'' (2014)
Trevor Slattery
Trevor Slattery is a fictional character portrayed by Ben Kingsley in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). An actor hired to portray the legendary terrorist leader of the Ten Rings dubbed " the Mandarin", he first appeared in the film ''Iron Man ...
was arrested at the end of ''Iron Man 3'' and is now held in Seagate Prison where he is living luxuriously, with his own personal "butler", Herman, as well as a fan club of other inmates who protect him. Looking on at the attention Slattery receives is
Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a villainous entrepreneur, head of Hammer Industries and a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man. As he ex ...
, who wonders what makes him so special. Slattery has been talking with documentary filmmaker
Jackson Norriss to chronicle the events of the
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
situation seen in ''Iron Man 3''. Trying to learn more about him personally, Norriss recounts Slattery's past from his first casting as a child to his starring in a failed
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
pilot. Norriss eventually informs Slattery that his portrayal has angered some people, including the actual Ten Rings terrorist group, which Slattery did not know existed. Norriss tells him the history of the Mandarin and the terrorist group, before revealing that he is a member of the group. The real reason for the interview is to break Slattery out of prison so he can meet the actual Mandarin. Hearing this, Slattery still has no idea of the full ramifications of his posing as the Mandarin.
In October 2013,
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two ...
said he was working on a secret project with Marvel involving "many members of the crew that were involved in ''Iron Man 3''",
later revealed to be the Marvel One-Shot ''All Hail the King'',
which was released on the digital download release of ''
Thor: The Dark World'' on February 4, 2014, and on February 25, 2014 for the Blu-ray release.
The film stars Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, reprising his role from ''Iron Man 3'';
Scoot McNairy
John Marcus "Scoot" McNairy (born November 11, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his roles in ''Monsters'', ''Argo'', ''Killing Them Softly'', '' 12 Years a Slave'', '' Gone Girl'', and '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of J ...
as Jackson Norriss, a member of the Ten Rings terrorist organization posing as a documentary filmmaker;
Lester Speight
Lester Speight (born August 28, 1963), also known as Rasta, is a former American football player who has had subsequent careers as a professional wrestler and then actor. He achieved significant recognition for his portrayal of '' Terry Tate: Offi ...
as Herman;
and
Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for appearing in independent films and also as a character actor portraying a wide variety of roles both comedic and dramatic in films such as '' Lawn Dogs'' (199 ...
as Justin Hammer, reprising his role from ''Iron Man 2''.
The short was written and directed by
Drew Pearce
Drew Pearce is a British screenwriter, director, and producer. He is known for creating the British TV comedy ''No Heroics'', co-writing ''Iron Man 3'' and ''Hobbs & Shaw'', and writing the story for '' Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation''.
...
, the co-screenwriter of ''Iron Man 3'',
and was filmed in Los Angeles.
Pearce and producer Stephen Broussard had the idea for the short during the production of ''Iron Man 3'', to provide a "fresh take" on the Mandarin character.
Music for the short was composed by ''Iron Man 3''
Brian Tyler
Brian Theodore Tyler (born May 8, 1972) is an American composer, conductor, arranger, and record producer, best known for his film, television, and video game scores. In his 24-year career, Tyler has scored '' Transformers: Prime'', ''Eagle E ...
, with the fake CBS pilot, ''Caged Heat'', receiving a new musical theme composed by 1980s TV-music icon
Mike Post
Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil, September 29, 1944) is an American composer, best known for his TV theme music for various shows, including ''Law & Order''; '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; ''The A-Team''; ''NYPD Blue''; ''Renegade ...
.
''Team Thor'' series (2016–18)
''Team Thor'' is a series of direct-to-video
mockumentary
A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary.
These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...
short films that were released from 2016 to 2018, consisting of ''Team Thor'', ''Team Thor: Part 2'', and ''Team Darryl'', all written and directed by
Taika Waititi
Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at t ...
. The three short films are included as special features in the MCU films' Blu-ray and digital distribution releases. The first two films follow Thor as he moves in with a new roommate, Darryl Jacobson, during the events of ''Captain America: Civil War'',
while ''Team Darryl'' sees Darryl move to Los Angeles and move in with the
Grandmaster.
The shorts were designed to introduce MCU fans to the irreverent tone of Waititi's ''
Thor: Ragnarok''.
Cast and characters
Collection
All of the Marvel One-Shots were included on the bonus-disc of the "
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Collection"
box set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
, which includes all of the
Phase Two films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The One-Shots feature audio commentary, with Gregg providing it for ''The Consultant'' and ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer''; D'Esposito, Hernandez, Welliver, and Bradford on ''Item 47''; D'Esposito and Atwell for ''Agent Carter''; and Pearce and Kingsley with ''All Hail the King''. The collection was released on December 8, 2015.
All One-Shots were made available on Disney+ by January 2022, along with the ''Team Thor'' films.
Reception
Cindy White of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' was intrigued by ''The Consultant'' and felt the "snappy dialogue seems to fit right in with what we expect from a Joss Whedon-ized Avengers movie."
Scott Chitwood of ''
ComingSoon.net
Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male- ...
'' was disappointed by the short due to a third of it simply re-using the end scene of ''The Incredible Hulk'' and the rest of the short just featuring Coulson "sitting and having a chat".
R.L. Shaffer at IGN said ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer'' was fun,
while Zachary Scheer wrote for ''
CinemaBlend
Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...
'' that the short was "as hackneyed as that title. It's about four minutes of Coulson being a badass, if the definition of 'badass' is performing needless slow-motion action stunts and then pausing to consider something normal people would consider—like which donuts to buy."
''
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...
'' Andre Dellamorte said ''Item 47'' was silly,
while William Bibbiani of ''
Crave Online
Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male- ...
'' found it to be a success, highlighting the performances of Hernandez, Bradford, and Caplan. He did think Welliver was "saddled with a little awkward dialogue, particularly in regards to Coulson, which doesn't entirely sell".
Spencer Terry at ''
Superhero Hype!
Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male- ...
'' said the short was "easily the best" of the One-Shots so far, and attributed that to its longer runtime. He felt that this meant ''Item 47'' did not need to rush and was able to give a "clear understanding of both the S.H.I.E.L.D. perspective of the events and the robbers' point of view".
Andy Hunsaker of ''Crave Online'' said ''Agent Carter'' was a "fun treat" that could lead to some female-focused Marvel films, and also felt it gave Peggy Carter "the send-off she deserves."
At ''IGN'', Scott Collura said Carter was the "big-screen female superhero we've all been waiting for. She kicks so much ass in this short story with such aplomb, using not just brawn but also brains, and it's all very clever and fun".
Rosie Fletcher of ''
Total Film
''Total Film'' is a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly and a summer issue is added every year since issue 91, 2004, which is published between July and August issue) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched i ...
'' praised Atwell as a "perfect femme fatale-come-special agent", and also praised the visuals of the short as well as its action.
By the release of ''Agent Carter'', knowing that ''Item 47'' had led to the creation of ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' and there were discussions of the ''Agent Carter'' short doing the same for a series centered on Peggy Carter, Graeme McMillan of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' felt the shorts were no longer "fun little throwaways filled with Easter Eggs" but instead were an important program for Marvel that gave a "sneak peek at the shape of things to come".
''IGN'' Cliff Wheatley gave ''All Hail the King'' a 9.4 out of 10, and described it as a "return to the loveable personality of the hapless Trevor and a step forward for the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has its twists that should satisfy both lovers and haters of Trevor Slattery. But it's the approach that Pearce takes with the material, from the kung-fu movie style credit sequences to the light-hearted tone that takes a sudden and jarring turn. Kingsley once again shines in the role of Slattery, aloof and ignorant, but more than happy to slide back into Mandarin mode if it will please his adoring fans. Pearce does go for some of the same jokes from ''Iron Man 3'' in a sort of referential way, but it's nothing too damaging."
Andrew Wheeler of ''
Comics Alliance
ComicsAlliance was an American website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the catego ...
'' criticized the way homosexuality was presented in the short, given it was Marvel Studios' first attempt to bring
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
concepts into the MCU.
Potential projects
In May 2013,
DMG Entertainment
DMG Entertainment is a global entertainment and media company. The studio's most recognizable films include ''Looper'' (2012), ''Iron Man 3'' (2013) and '' Bloodshot'' (2020).
History
Founded by Filmmaker Dan Mintz and Producer Bing Wu, DMG sta ...
said they were considering creating a short film, tentatively titled ''The Prologue'', centered on
Wang Xueqi
Wang Xueqi (; born 19 March 1946) is a Chinese film actor whose career has spanned over 25 years. He was often cast in early Fifth Generation films, such as Chen Kaige's ''Yellow Earth'' (1984) and ''The Big Parade'' (1986), Huang Jianxin's '' S ...
's Dr. Wu from ''Iron Man 3'', who only appeared in 10 seconds of the film outside of China; Xueqi appeared in three minutes of the Chinese release of the film. ''The Prologue'' would be composed of sequences shot during the production of ''Iron Man 3'' and would explore Wu before the events of ''Iron Man''. DMG added that they were unsure of how they would release the short, saying rumors claiming ''The Prologue'' could possibly release on television or a future MCU home media release were "speculation".
D'Esposito said in July 2013 that he had considered making stand-alone shorts for several characters, including
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
, a young Nick Fury,
Black Panther
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
,
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was originally conceived as a female counterpart to Captain Marvel. Like Captain Marvel, most of the bearers of the Ms. M ...
, and
Black Widow. However, D'Esposito noted that a story about Loki would be complicated by how costly it is to portray Asgard, while for Fury and Black Panther they would have to cast new actors and design costumes. He added, "We tried. We were there in development, and we tried, but they were very difficult for all the reasons I gave. And we don't want to do something that's half baked because it's not good for us and it's not good for our fans."
In February 2014, Pearce mentioned other shorts that he had written that never came to fruition, including ones based on
Sin
In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
and
Crossbones,
Jessica Jones
Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appeared in ''Alias'' #1 (November 2001) ...
, and
Damage Control
In navies and the maritime industry, damage control is the emergency control of situations that may cause the sinking of a watercraft.
Examples are:
* rupture of a pipe or hull especially below the waterline and
* damage from grounding (runn ...
.
Feige said in May 2015 that Marvel was not opposed to making more One-Shots,
and there was a backlog of potential ideas.
In September 2015, he added that with the MCU expanding to three feature films a year they would struggle to find the "time and place" to make more content than that, despite their continued discussions about potential future One-Shots.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
actor
Tom Holland
Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. His accolades include a British Academy Film Award, three Saturn Awards, a Guinness World Record and an appearance on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list. Some publications h ...
hinted in June 2017 that Marvel was planning on creating more One-Shots,
and Pearson reiterated this in October, adding that he had a folder of One-Shot ideas that he had created.
Taika Waititi said there were discussions about creating a One-Shot centered on the characters
Korg
, founded as Keio Electronic Laboratories, is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners. Under the Vox brand name, they ...
and
Miek
Miek is a fictional character, a supervillain, and antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Miek appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films '' Thor: Ragnarok'' (2017), '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), and '' ...
from ''Ragnarok''.
In April 2018, D'Esposito said Disney hoped Marvel would continue with the One-Shot films, but admitted that the studio was busy focusing on their increased feature film output.
In the book ''The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe'', which was published in October 2021, D'Esposito said more One-Shots were in development.
See also
*
Marvel Studios Special Presentations
Marvel Studios Special Presentations are a series of television specials produced by Marvel Studios for Disney+, set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the franchise's films and television series. The Marvel Stu ...
, television specials by Marvel Studios
References
External links
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*
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{{Portal bar, Film, United States, Speculative fiction
2010s short films
Buena Vista Home Entertainment direct-to-video films
Paramount Pictures direct-to-video films
Paramount Pictures short films
2010s English-language films