The Playlist Podcast Network

The folks behind Marvel Studios' first animated series, "What If?" (head writer A.C. Bradley and director Bryan Andrews) join The Playlist Podcast to talk about their new multiverse series, why they didn't know anything about "Loki" before working on the show, and how other Marvel Studios filmmakers helped them shape their stories. 

Surprise, surprise! HBO put together yet another prestige show with outstanding performances, cinematography, and direction. The recent remake of "Perry Mason" didn’t so much as show up to thrill us, but confront us with simultaneously beautiful and abhorrent dread, and at the center of that is a masterful lead performance by none other than Matthew Rhys ("The Americans"). Matthew recently sat down with The Playlist Podcast for an interview on the Emmy nominated role and what to expect for Season 2.

In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we’re once again joined by Rodrigo Perez to talk about the latest film in the DCEU, “The Suicide Squad.” Did James Gunn succeed where David Ayer couldn’t? Are you going to believe Polka-Dot Man and Ratcatcher 2 are two of the best characters in modern superhero films? We dive deep into the new film and talk about all that and much more.

What is a soul? Where do souls come from? And is life even worth living if everything feels hopeless? These are questions that are tackled in “Nine Days,” the debut feature from filmmaker Edson Oda. And helping answer those questions are the two leads, Zazie Beetz and Winston Duke, who joined The Playlist Podcast to talk about the new film, plus their Marvel experiences. 

Writer Michael Waldron is one busy guy lately. Not only did he lead the writer’s room for "Loki" and the upcoming Starz series "Heels," but he’s also writing the upcoming "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and producer Kevin Feige’s upcoming "Star Wars" project. On the latest episode of The Playlist Podcast, Michael Waldron sat down with Mike and Brian to talk a little about every one of those projects.

A great comic book movie requires a lot of elements to fall into place. You need a great special effects team, at least one compelling hero or antihero to rally behind for two hours, and a snappy script peppered with engaging action. However, most of all, you need a fearless and endlessly inventive director bringing all of the other pieces together. Without fail, the greatest comic book films have had extraordinary creatives at the helm, whether it be Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy Sam Raimi with “Spider-Man,” James Mangold with “Logan”...or James Gunn when he successfully brought the Guardians of the Galaxy to life catapulting them from obscure to iconic in the public eye overnight instantly becoming  MCU fan favorites. Seven years later, Gunn has done it again with his quasi-reboot of the big-screen version of DC’s Suicide Squad, “The Suicide Squad.” Putting the definitive article at the front of his title is no mistake; by extracting Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and a handful of other characters from previous films and transplanting them into a new story with an otherwise completely blank slate cast, Gunn’s latest film finally gives the enduring antihero franchise the explosive, violent, dark cinematic representation that it truly deserves. Set after, but also separate from, 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” the film centers on a group of inmates in Belle Reve Penitentiary, including Quinn, Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone). Inducted into Task Force X in exchange for reduced/suspended sentences and other arrangements, the Suicide Squad are sent to a laboratory on Corto Maltese in order to destroy it, bury government secrets, and find themselves in conflict with Starro, a giant alien starfish. “What separates this movie from Guardians of the Galaxy is that [in Guardians] at the beginning we know they’re probably good guys,” said Gunn on how the process of crafting a film around not-so-good-guys differs from when you craft one around a group of heroes. “When Rocket says he’s gonna shoot Drax’s face off, we don’t really believe him, but when someone says they’re gonna kill someone in this movie, they might, and sometimes do.” When it comes to how Gunn attached himself to such a different group this time around, it was easy for him. “There’s a lot of loss here,” said Gunn. “Some of these characters are redeemable and some are not. We don’t know who’s going to show some heart, who’s going to die, who’s going to live. And it is those stakes that make it exciting for me to tell this story.” Elaborating further on the bond he creates with his characters, Gunn added, “I feel having compassion for those characters, even villains, is important, [and] if I’m not having fun with a character, finding their voice, I’m writing them out of the picture.” During my conversation with James Gunn, we dive deep into all things “The Suicide Squad,” more details on the upcoming Peacemaker series, why Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and his convictions make him so endearing, the meteoric rise of Harley Quinn, and why we all love her, and how working on “The Suicide Squad” ended up being the first time Gunn truly enjoyed the shooting process. "The Suicide Squad" hits theaters and HBO Max this Friday, Aug. 6.

Before even turning thirty, Alicia Vikander had already starred in the sci-fi thriller “Ex Machina,” teamed up with Matt Damon in “Jason Bourne,” was in pre-production as the lead in the reboot of the action franchise “Tomb Raider,” and had won an Academy Award for her performance in “The Danish Girl.”  Whether it be the three projects she has coming out this year, her marriage to fellow actor (and former co-star) Michael Fassbender, or time spent enjoying life’s simple pleasures, Vikander remains one of the busiest and most underrated gems in the industry. Continuing to showcase her range, the actor switches gears for her latest film, “The Green Knight.” Based on the poem and Arthurian legend, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” this medieval fantasy follows Dev Patel as Sir Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur, as he goes on an epic quest in pursuit of the Green Knight. The film challenges many themes laced in lore, such as honor, nobility, questions of identity, and worthiness to become a legend. Vikander plays dual roles as Essel and The Lady and is treated to a showstopping monologue that makes for one of the film’s greatest moments. Vikander had long been a fan of the film’s director, David Lowery, and had met him prior to being offered a part. But when she was sent the script, she wasn’t asked by Lowery to read for any specific part. It wasn’t until the end of the casting process that she was asked to play two roles. At that time, he introduced her to the legend of Sir Gawain and the modifications he made to the original material, namely, Vikander’s soliloquy about the color green.  The film not only takes on the challenge of modernizing a 700-plus-year-old poem but manages to capture the essence of a great adventure movie through Lowery’s direction. Vikander views it as a coming-of-age story. While it’s not without its Arthurian hallmarks, there is a meditative and cerebral approach to the philosophy of morality (Lowery regulars are all too familiar) that aids in putting a unique spin on the genre. This question caused Vikander to reflect on her own life and status. One of Vikander’s earlier breakout roles was in Guy Ritchie’s sleek spy flick, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” While packing a star-studded cast, including Henry Cavill and Elizabeth Debicki, and vibrant, kinetic spy action, the film, unfortunately, struggled to find an initial audience tanking its franchise potential. Since then, the film has gained quite a cult following, with fans expressing interest in a sequel. Vikander looks back fondly on making the film and loved how it captured the look and feel of the 60s. While a follow-up remains up in the air, she’s happy that people are finding it and enjoying it, even if it’s years later. During my conversation with Vikander, we also get into the magic of 80s fantasy films and how “The Green Knight” recaptures that magic,  her love of genre, “Ex Machina,” and much more! Don’t miss “The Green Knight” when it hits theaters on July 30.

Before the DM or chatroom, if you wanted to connect with a stranger pseudo-anonymously, you bought a personal ad. This week, Be Reel seeks three films with classified ads as inciting incidents: “Desperately Seeking Susan” (1985), “Single White Female (1992) and the now 20-year-old “Ghost World” (2001). Romance, murder and vicarious living abound, plus the story of Chance and Noah once answering an ad.

On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk about the recent news about the big box office drop from "Black Widow" and a theory that perhaps Marvel Studios is its own worst enemy when it comes to the poor box office showing. Is NATO correct in blaming Disney+ Premier Access for taking away from box office earnings? Is COVID the reason that the recent Scarlett Johansson-led superhero film is underperforming? Or maybe Marvel Studios is teaching fans bad lessons thanks to “WandaVision,” “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and “Loki,” leading to a new trend where the event films aren’t all that exciting anymore?

On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, actor Alex Wolff joins us to chat about his roles in “Old” and “Pig” – both movies dropping within a week of one another this summer. During the conversation, we talked about how "Old" director M. Night Shyamalan gets a bad rap for being dark and mysterious, what it's like working with Nicolas Cage for "Pig," and the legacy of "Hereditary."