The Franchise Wryly Unmasks Our Era of Superhero Exhaustion: Review

The Pitch: As the first AD working on Maximum Studios’ new superhero movie Tecto, Daniel (Himesh Patel) has a lot to handle — making sure the film’s director Eric (Daniel Brühl) can achieve his vision (on time and under budget), while managing an unruly crew and keeping the film’s neurotic dim-bulb star (Billy Magnussen) from completely losing it. And it definitely doesn’t help that the powerful men in charge of the franchise are starting to panic about superhero movies being in decline — just when there’s a chance that Daniel’s dreams of being an actual director may not be dead.

Martin Scorsese’s New Favorite Comedy? Executive produced by Veep creator Armando Iannucci, the new HBO series The Franchise isn’t subtle about the particular corner of the entertainment industry it’s satirizing. From the over-the-top costumes and characters to the complicated politics that exist within a multi-film cinematic universe, Marvel Studios is the show’s clear inspiration — with exceptional timing, given the MCU’s current state of being. (Yes, Deadpool & Wolverine grossed a butt-ton of money this summer, but even Mr. Pool himself admits that it’s “at a bit of a low point.”)

The Franchise really excels at mining the specific quirks of Marvel’s approach to production: There have been plenty of projects about how ridiculous the process of making a blockbuster movie can be, but the hyper-specific focus of the satire here really adds a lot. One key detail that drives The Franchise is the fact that like many Marvel directors, Eric isn’t the most authoritative voice on set. Instead, when young Bryson (Isaac Cole Powell) speaks, everyone listens, because he’s the assistant to the unseen mastermind overseeing the entire scope of the Maximum Studios slate.

There’s also the heavy reliance on “pre-vis” — digital renderings of scenes that haven’t been shot yet. The leading man freaks out about whether he’s sculpted his perfect body into the most aesthetically pleasing shape. The prestige actor knows he’s slumming it, and isn’t afraid to bring that up. And most importantly, there the crew members working brutal hours and living paycheck to paycheck, hating their jobs but knowing there’s no place else they’d want to be. After all, it’s show business.

Heroes and Villains: If there’s one complaint to make here, it’s that the ensemble nature of what’s predominantly an ensemble comedy never really manages to gel; characters are individually pretty funny, but they’re not drawn sharply enough for the kinds of interpersonal sparks you’d get on Veep to really fly. This is based on watching the entire first season, which ought to be enough time for certain dynamics to emerge — it’s an area for improvement should the show go on for a second season.

That said, this is still a great collection of actors: For example, it’s a pleasure to see Himesh Patel get this kind of spotlight, after remarkable supporting performances in Station Eleven, The Aeronauts, and Tenet. If the show has a star, it’s him, as his worn-down spirit tackles whatever madness awaits him each day.

Billy Magnussen, meanwhile, proves to be great casting for a fake movie star — he’s got the jawline and piercing eyes, as well as the ability to completely fall apart over petty rivalries or personal insecurities. Also, as the new producer on Tecto and an ex of Daniel’s, Aya Cash’s Anita fits nicely into the chaos, albeit feeling a touch underused — also underused is Lolly Adefope (Ghosts, Shrill), who plays a crew member who gets pushed by her own ambition into some bad choices.

Jessica Hynes takes the role of the film’s script supervisor and transforms it into a powerful portrait of sycophantry, and Katherine Waterston gets a memorable and deeply sympathetic guest star turn as an actress who’s a longtime veteran of these movies. (She’s desperate to finally be free of her role, especially since the toxic fans of Maximum Studios like to make her their punching bag online.) And if there’s one reason to be sure to watch The Franchise, it’s Richard E. Grant as the aforementioned slumming prestige actor, a role tailor-made for his specific talents (including gleeful snark and deliciously hammy supervillain moments).

The Verdict: One of the funniest aspects of The Franchise is how some of its cast members have previously found themselves pulled into some form of superhero quicksand over the past several years. Aya Cash is now a major part of The Boys extended universe, with an upcoming prequel series on the horizon. Meanwhile, Daniel Brühl and Richard E. Grant have both played significant roles in Marvel projects (Grant in fact doubled up as a bad guy in 2017’s Logan and an alternate Loki in Season 1 of Loki).

There’s lived experience on the screen here, is the point. But really, even those who have never stepped foot on a movie set can relate to the vibes involved — the very specific exhaustion moviegoers have when they realize that another Marvel movie is coming out, which means once again trying to remember who’s who and what role they play in a sprawling fictional world.

Even beyond that, there’s the existential fog which hangs over every character on The Franchise — the sense of dedicating your life to something bigger than yourself because at one point in time, you really did believe in the cause, only to find that in the end, there’s nothing really heroic about it. Sometimes, dream jobs just become… work.

Where to Watch: The Franchise premieres October 6th on HBO and Max. New episodes premiere weekly.

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