So you think you know everything there is to know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)? You’ve read the comics, you watch the films, and you’ve even caught up on the Disney+ shows. The Nacelle Co. is here to prove you wrong. In the newest season of its documentary anthology series Icons Unearthed, the company provides fans with exclusive first-hand accounts of the makings of the Marvel franchise, including some of the most iconic films the studio has ever produced.
Each season of this ongoing series focuses on a different franchise that has shaped pop culture. Previous installments featured deep dives into Star Wars, The Simpsons, and Fast & Furious.
The new season, which is airing now, features interviews with talent from Hollywood and the world of comics. Anticipate interviews from the likes of Todd McFarlane, musician and actor T.I., and more. While the series does not explore everything in the MCU — for obvious reasons — it does focus on Phase One and Two. In an exclusive interview with The Pop Insider, show creator and director Brian Volk-Weiss said it was difficult to fit even two phases into one season. “There’s truly so much to tell when it comes to their history,” Volk-Weiss says.
Icons Unearthed: Marvel begins with Marvel Studios’ inception and chronicles its journey up to the first Ant-Man film. “In its raw form, this story is about a beloved and important company that was on the verge of bankruptcy, before evolving into one of the most successful studios in movie history,” Volk-Weiss explains. “It’s also an underdog story about Stan Lee, who always wanted to turn Marvel properties into films.”
As the series explains, Marvel did not become an internationally recognized franchise overnight, and the company made bold moves and took big risks to get to where it is today. Despite not being a traditional studio and having little knowledge of how its films would connect with audiences, Marvel took on the showbiz industry. “They greenlit multiple interconnected movies at the same time, not knowing if any of them would work,” Volk-Weiss says. “Iron Man hadn’t even been released yet when they started working on The Incredible Hulk. They also made multiple edits to Iron Man after they had locked, just to set up Avengers, before knowing if audiences would even connect with it.”
The docuseries not only highlights the company’s growth but also provides viewers with an exclusive first-hand look into the creation of the franchise — one that goes beyond what might be available online. “We’re talking to producers, actors and actresses, crew members, and others directly involved with the franchise we’re covering, so the info we’re gathering comes from their actual first-hand experience, and not someone’s ‘sources’,” Volk-Weiss says.
Audiences can learn from icons like filmmaker and comic book writer J. Michael Straczynski; T.I., who starred in Ant-Man (and whose interview Volk-Weiss had the most fun with); or Margaret Loesch, former president and CEO of Marvel Productions, whose influence in Marvel Volk-Weiss calls “astounding.”
The MCU is a vast and rich universe with plenty of superheroes and villains and even some in-betweeners, and Volk-Weiss believes that this is just the beginning. “I think they’ll always be evolving and pushing the limit to keep the surprises coming,” he says. “And that’s the real secret to their success.”
Fans can check out the first episode of Icons Unearthed: Marvel on VICE TV or Hulu. New episodes will be released each Tuesday, for a total of eight episodes.
