It seems that Marvel’s Inhumans has been criticized to hell and back before it’s even made it to the big screen or the small screen, and while critics seem ready to ream out the show for its faults we’re decidedly reserving judgment. Despite what reviews and initial impressions say for the next Marvel and ABC endeavor, it’s hard to not have some hope when speaking to the creators and cast of the shows.
When we last spoke to them at San Diego Comic-Con, where Inhumans gave their audiences a sneak peek at the show, spirits were high and hopeful. “Marvel does the most incredible CGI, they just do it. I mean I think the CGI of the hair was the first time they had to do it in history, to this capacity, and so it was just waiting and trusting. When the critics first came out and talked about my wig head, it’s hard because I’m really invested in her, I love her, I know this whole other side that we can’t talk about yet,” Serinda Swan commented on the criticism about her character, Medusa, and the CGI involving her moving hair. “I love this character and people have loved her longer. I want to do justice to her,” she added.
Anson Mount, who plays the leading character Black Bolt, the king of the inhumans, was quick to agree with the sentiment and comment on the early criticism, “I think I had my performance criticised [when the first trailer came out] in one review of the trailer, in which I was on screen for maybe six seconds. In the digital age, when anybody can be in the ‘news media’ people are so eager to be a critic or be prescient about something [before] they’re willing to roll the dice.”
While Mount and Swan defended the production, hoping fans would give the show a chance rather than blindly following critics, cast members delved deeper into their characters to explain their position in the world. Isabelle Cornish talked about her character Crystal, an inhuman who also takes care of the inhuman dog Lockjaw, and Crystal’s close relationship with the dog.
Iwan Rheon talked more about his character Maximus, the brother to the king and an inhuman who becomes human, as well as playing an antagonist to Black Bolt’s rule. Executive producer Scott Buck embraced the story of two brothers coming head to head, and for me, it feels like a Thor Lite. The concept of royal brothers, the younger being the black sheep of the family, is familiar ground for Marvel and a tried and true formula. Rheon, known for his work as Ramsay Bolton on Game of Thrones, easily debunked any notion that Maximus would be like the infamously evil Ramsay, citing a more human and relatable side to the character.
Sonya Balmores and Mike Moh danced around their characters, Auran and Triton, respectively, not going into too much detail on their story. Moh talked a little about his training and prepping for Triton’s role, specifically the amount of time spent in the makeup chair. While Moh gave us a good idea of the amount of time it takes for him to get into character, Eme Ikwuakor might have to use a little more imagination when it comes to his character Gorgon. The head of the Attilan military is gifted with hooves that cause seismic reactions when he stomps down and cursed with impulsiveness. Ikwuakor enthusiastically talked about Gorgon’s power and seeing it on the big screen, “That’s amazing to me, especially seeing it all together. I’m like a kid, it’s the
The head of the Attilan military is gifted with hooves that cause seismic reactions when he stomps down and cursed with impulsiveness. Ikwuakor enthusiastically talked about Gorgon’s power and playing out a character like his, “That’s amazing to me, especially seeing it all together. I’m like a kid, it’s the funnest thing.” On the other hand, Ken Leung’s Karnak is far from impulsive. The calculating member of the royal family has the ability to see the flaws of everything and everyone around him, acting as a strategist and advisor to the king.
And although Maximus is the human in inhuman clothing in Attilan, Ellen Woglom’s Louise is our outsider character, giving us perspective into the foreign world that we’re stepping into. Although there will definitely be nods to the previously established inhumans from Agents of SHIELD, this is a brand new look, and Louise is our vehicle for that. Think Skye entering SHIELD in season one.
Let’s be honest, Inhumans is already a difficult story to sell when you think about it. Yes, it lends itself to cinematic scenes because of the nature of the show, but it’s set on the moon and involves people with extravagant superpowers. It is essentially at the height of comic book intensity. Anyone who has glimpsed Agents of SHIELD during its inhuman reveal will know that the aesthetic lands on the side of the fantastic. We’re waiting to see the final product with the rest of the masses and judge the show as a whole before we give our final verdict, and if the enthusiasm from the cast is any measure of the potential of the series, we’re still hopeful.
Check out our roundtable interviews with the cast below for full content!
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