Blank Check — Patreon: Marvel Nerdfest
Published 2022-06-26; 0:40:54 by the feed.
As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)
The extraction calls the show “Blank Check with Griffin & David (Patreon)” and the episode “Marvel Nerdfest”.
Hosts: Griffin Newman, David Sims, Ben Hosley. Guests: Patrick Willems.
Subject films: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
On the transcript: No speaker labels; Ben Hosley addressed by name. Some exchanges between host speakers are guesses.
Films that came up
subject (1)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
compared (8)
Raiders of the Lost Ark · 300 · Justice League · Spider-Man: No Way Home · Eternals · Spider-Man 3 · Spider-Man (Raimi films 1 and 2) · Hudsucker Proxy
passing (17)
Jurassic World Dominion · Spider-Man: Homecoming · Cop Car · Fantastic Four · Paper Towns · Robot & Frank · Guardians of the Galaxy · Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 · The Suicide Squad · Peacemaker · The Batman · The Flash · Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice · X-Men: Days of Future Past · Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. · Morbius · X-Men '97
anecdote (2)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife · Gambit (unmade)
dismissed (4)
Black Widow · Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings · Hawkeye · The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
recommended (2)
Claims (33)
-
career (career):
Waverly Films → Sleigh Bells.
Before the Spider-Man gig, Waverly Films also made music videos for Sleigh Bells alongside their weekly shorts.
“they would also be like doing like music videos for like, um, like sleigh bells and stuff like that.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:05:45 · Patrick Willems (0.70 sure it was them) -
people (people):
Waverly Films → Jon Watts.
Patrick idolized the Waverly Films internet-shorts group, whose Dino-video guy went on to direct Spider-Man.
“the guy who made the Dino videos is going to direct Spider-Man”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:06:03 · Patrick Willems (0.80 sure it was them) -
career (career):
Jon Watts → Franchise filmmaking.
Watts now seems locked into franchise work, Spider-Man and a Star Wars thing, forever.
“this guy seems to be like locked into this franchise world forever now”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:06:26 · Patrick Willems (0.80 sure it was them) -
career (career):
Jason Reitman → Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Reitman, who always said he was different from his father, ended up running a franchise with a PowerPoint press conference.
“now not only did he have to do the franchise that he always said he didn't want to do”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:07:17 · David Sims (0.60 sure it was them) -
industry (industry):
Sam Raimi → Kevin Feige.
Raimi is a rare hire with a defined style, with hope Marvel will not smother it.
“Raymi's such a rare example of them hiring a guy who has such a fucking defined thing”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:07:46 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
career (career):
James Gray → Commercials.
Esoteric auteurs pay the bills with commercials, e.g. Maybelline for Gray.
“How does James Gray pay the bills, right?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:08:41 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
craft (craft):
Derek Cianfrance → 300.
His baseball-ad continuous shots used speed ramping like 300.
“a sort of like a 300 style speed ramping”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:09:57 · Patrick Willems (0.60 sure it was them) -
craft (craft):
Derek Cianfrance → Commercials.
Cianfrance used baseball commercials to test an advanced camera system and speed-ramping, 300 style.
“clearly like they test out the stuff on those”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:10:20 · Patrick Willems (0.50 sure it was them) -
industry (industry):
Franchise filmmaking → Commercials.
Franchise filmmaking has become the world of commercials: taking the job for money or to try the toolbox.
“the franchise filmmaking thing has sort of become like the world of commercials”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:10:30 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
career (career):
James Gunn → Suicide Squad.
Fired from Guardians 3, DC snatched him up and let him make an R-rated superhero movie.
“He got like an R-rated superhero movie.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:11:30 · David Sims (0.55 sure it was them) -
career (career):
James Gunn → Peacemaker.
Gunn found a zone where a cheap DC-branded show lets him do what he wants with total control.
“He's able to basically just do what he wants with like total control.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:11:53 · David Sims (0.55 sure it was them) -
programming (programming):
The Batman → The Flash.
The Batman is not in the same world as the other Batmen; DC is carving out separate zones.
“Matt Reeves comes in and is just like, I don't really want this Batman to be in the same world as the other Batman.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:12:13 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
verdict (verdict):
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice → Zack Snyder.
BvS underperformed because Snyder's vision is specific and does not cross over to kids.
“BVS does not make a $1000000000, which it should objectively.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:13:24 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them) -
contrast (contrast):
DC Comics → Marvel Comics.
DC is multiverse all the time in the comics, while Marvel is not known for multiverse shenanigans.
“DC is like all multiverse all the time.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:14:17 · David Sims (0.60 sure it was them) -
industry (industry):
Spider-Man: No Way Home → Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Multiverse lets Marvel turn sequels into Lego sequels, like a Force Awakens inside a newer franchise.
“by using the multiverse, they can now turn these sequels into Lego sequels.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:15:48 · Griffin Newman (0.55 sure it was them) -
industry (industry):
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness → Fantastic Four.
The multiverse is a way to fold Fox's X-Men and Fantastic Four into a 25-movie universe.
“figure out what the fuck to do with the Fox things they've inherited”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:16:19 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
unmapped (continuity):
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness → X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Professor X here is not the same version as Patrick Stewart's in the Fox X-Men movies.
“the Professor X that shows up in this movie is not the same one from the Fox movies.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:18:04 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
contrast (contrast):
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness → Justice League.
Stewart's Professor X with the old chair and sting is like Elfman reusing the Batman and Superman themes: clever or fan service.
“I'm going to use my Batman theme.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:19:39 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them) -
craft (craft):
Danny Elfman → John Williams.
Elfman's score for the theatrical cut of Justice League reuses his own Batman theme and Williams's Superman theme; the speaker can't tell if it's clever or fan service.
“I'm going to use my Batman theme. I'm going to use the Williams Superman theme.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:19:39 · unidentified host (0.30 sure it was them) -
unmapped (continuity):
Spider-Man: No Way Home → Morbius.
Morbius is technically canonical to No Way Home's logic.
“And don't forget Morbius, technically.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:22:08 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them) -
verdict (verdict):
Spider-Man: No Way Home → Spider-Man 3.
The movie's internal logic is bananas but audiences accept anything to see three Spider-Men together.
“what did everyone emotionally want to see?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:22:13 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them) -
people (people):
Wolverine → Hugh Jackman.
Jackman embodies Wolverine as the only live-action player, but differs from the comics.
“he embodies him in my mind now”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:26:52 · Griffin Newman (0.45 sure it was them) -
people (people):
Gambit (unmade) → Channing Tatum.
Tatum's passion project New Orleans con-artist Gambit movie died with the Fox deal.
“the fucking fox deal ended that”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:27:56 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them) -
verdict (verdict):
Spider-Man 3 → Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Spider-Man 3 is more purely Raimi but disappoints because Patrick cares about that story; he doesn't care about Doctor Strange's references.
“even though it's much more of a pure Raimi movie.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:28:41 · Patrick Willems (0.60 sure it was them) -
contrast (contrast):
Eternals → Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Eternals let a director shoot it her way and it is called their biggest folly; Raimi gets a bit more latitude.
“It is now perceived as their biggest folly ever.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:30:39 · Patrick Willems (0.50 sure it was them) -
industry (industry):
Chloe Zhao → Sam Raimi.
Marvel lets selected auteurs do a bit more while still delivering required content.
“Sam Raimi because he's like, you know, he's a legend.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:31:28 · Patrick Willems (0.50 sure it was them) -
craft (craft):
Sam Raimi → The Hudsucker Proxy.
Raimi's best movies have one deliberate way each scene could be constructed, with no alternate coverage.
“there is only one way this scene could be constructed”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:32:10 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
craft (craft):
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness → Spider-Man 3.
Opening tentacle scene has shots that lead into each other; the Illuminati fight is less fluid than Raimi's usual action.
“this doesn't feel as like fluid as Raimi's action usually does”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:33:12 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them) -
industry (industry):
Black Widow → Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Marvel should have made smaller movies, but needs spectacle to signal cultural events.
“Marvel would make a movie that costs less than $200 million”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:33:26 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them) -
verdict (verdict):
Hawkeye → Hawkeye (comic).
The Hawkeye show kept the characters but stripped the Fraction/Aja comic's style.
“kind of stripped all the style and personality out of it”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:35:57 · Patrick Willems (0.50 sure it was them) -
what-if (what-if):
Marvels (comic) → Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
A daring Marvel project would be Marvels, a photojournalist witnessing the history of the Marvel universe.
“it's basically just one guy witnessing the the world changing”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:36:51 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them) -
what-if (what-if):
Truth: Red, White & Black (comic) → The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Truth could have been a very different movie but was burned off in Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
“they sort of burned that in Falcon the Winter Soldier”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:37:17 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them) -
lineage (lineage):
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness → Blank Check.
Scarlet Witch manipulating computers with magic recalls the hosts' Hacker Witch bit.
“She manipulates the computer using magic, thereby witch hacker.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:39:57 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
Fun items (17)
-
fun, about
Patrick Willems:
His feature cost .006% of Doctor Strange's budget.
“our budget, I did the math, was .006% of the budget for Doctor Strange.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:03:39 · Patrick Willems (0.85 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Patrick Willems:
One shot composited from Virgin Islands and Bermuda footage four months apart.
“pieces I shot in the Virgin Islands, and then Bermuda, like 4 months apart.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:04:08 · Patrick Willems (0.90 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Jake Schreier:
Directing Thunderbolts; also made Robot and Frank.
“so they just announced the Thunderbolts movie”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:05:16 · Patrick Willems (0.80 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Jon Watts:
Waverly Films shorts and Sleigh Bells videos.
“they would also be like doing like music videos for like, um, like sleigh bells”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:05:45 · Patrick Willems (0.80 sure it was them) -
fun, about
James Gray:
Maybelline commercials fund the uncompromising artist.
“He does like fucking Maybelline commercials.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:08:44 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Russo Brothers:
Directed a Bud Light campaign starring Alison Brie.
“they did this Bud Light campaign starring Alison Brie.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:09:30 · Patrick Willems (0.70 sure it was them) -
fun, about
The Flash:
Dad confused about which Batman is where.
“I've tried to explain to him so many times”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:12:19 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Marvel Comics:
Stan Lee invented the No-Prize for explaining continuity errors.
“This is why Stanley invented the no prize”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:21:16 · David Sims (0.55 sure it was them) -
fun, about
X-Men:
Krakoa era: mutants become a nation; issue one ends with Magneto saying we're your new gods.
“the 1st issue ends with Magneto just saying we're your new gods.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:23:46 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them) -
fun, about
X-Men '97:
Disney Plus show continuing the 90s cartoon.
“They are doing a show called X-Men 97”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:24:45 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Gambit (unmade):
Tatum wanted a New Orleans neo-noir Gambit; Gore Verbinski was attached.
“Tam wants to do a fucking like New Orleans. Oh my god. Neo-Noir, gambit movie.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:27:45 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Eternals:
Zhao's style could not be removed; still obligated Marvel beats.
“The one movie that was shot so specifically that they could not take her style out of it.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:30:42 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Black Widow:
Should have been a $6 million-style stripped espionage film.
“Black Widow was the exact moment they should have done it”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:33:39 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Hawkeye:
The show dropped the comic's style.
“it looks exactly like every other Marvel thing.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:36:04 · Patrick Willems (0.50 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Marvels (comic):
Four-issue story of a photojournalist through Marvel history.
“Which Marvel's Ben is a comic book about like a photographer”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:36:30 · David Sims (0.45 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Blank Check:
Hacker Witch lore.
“I'm very excited that I got to witness this lot.”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:40:27 · Patrick Willems (0.50 sure it was them) -
fun, about
Kevin Feige:
Joke: did he jot down Hacker Witch five years ago.
“Did he jot down Hacker Witch 5 years ago?”
Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:40:39 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
Who's talking
- Patrick Willems (guest): Loves Marvel characters he has cared about all his life and wants resources to make something. Idolized the Waverly Films shorts group. Dislikes the franchise pipeline that strips directors' voices.
- Griffin Newman (host): Interested in franchise mechanics and multiverse logic; likes Raimi's defined voice. Annoyed by fan service and canon contradictions.
- David Sims (host): Reads Marvel comics and cares about X-Men; leads with comics-history and industry knowledge.
- Ben Hosley (host): Producer in the room; cares about X-Men canon and does not read all Marvel. Gets drawn into fan debates despite saying he doesn't care.
The show's recurring bits
Names the transcriber got wrong
- Spike Jones = Spike Jonze
- Bennett and Miller = Bennett Miller
- Derek Sian France = Derek Cianfrance
- Gorvinski = Gore Verbinski
- Chloe Shack = Chloe Zhao
- Hackman Jackman = Hugh Jackman (joke)
- Trevor = probably Colin Trevorrow (guess)
- Kresinski = John Krasinski
- Meta Fraction = Matt Fraction
- Carl Lumbley = Carl Lumbly
- Mabeling = Maybelline