Last month, it was announced that Alden Richards will be starring in the new show Victor Magtanggol, where he plays the titular character. It sounds harmless enough, until you see that the character turns into Hammerman, a superhero who wields Mjolnir to save the day.
Sound familiar? The story is lifted from the Norse character Thor, which Marvel turned into a superhero many of us know and love. And because of the popularity of the Thor franchise and his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, netizens have been quick to point out the similarities between Victor Magtanggol and Marvel’s hero.
Why do we copy #Marvel when we have myths of our own? And when we do copy, why are we such poor copycats? @tjdimacali weighs in on the slippery slope #VictorMagtanggol is on & Norse Mythology w/ real references. (His essay continues in the succeeding tweet.) pic.twitter.com/qi3RMhbNet
In Victor Magtanggol, Richards uses the same hammer Thor wields and his arch nemesis is Loki. In a now-viral Facebook post, writer TJ Dimacali said the series borrows heavily from the comics with elements originated by Marvel, such as Mjolnir’s characteristics, the look of the Bifrost (the rainbow bridge that connects the Earth to Asgard, the gods’ home), and the details of Ragnarok (an event that will wipe out everything).
Jules Katanyag, the show’s concept creator, told GMA News that the show is inspired by Norse mythology, which is public domain. He added that the show reflects the Filipino condition, which is uncertainty. More importantly, the show is not about Thor, since Thor is played by the actor Conan Stevens.
It’s true that many of the things we consume today are iterations of something else. In today’s world, can anything be original? It doesn’t really matter what Victor Magtanggol’s inspiration is. My main gripe is how a lot of movies and shows in the Philippines copy what Western media creates. If we’re going to take inspiration from something, why not get it locally? Why look towards the west when our country is rich with myths, legends, and stories we can turn into movies and TV shows?
For starters, networks can find inspiration in the legends of Lam-Ang, Maria Makiling, and Bathala. Many of them can be turned into a high-budget and successful production and the feedback of Heneral Luna is great proof.
Producers can also turn to the thriving local comics industry to create new material. Some of the comics that I love are the adventures of Alexandra Trese in Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo’s Trese, where she investigates crimes of a supernatural bent; the fall of the realm of the Diwata after the passage of the Magic Prohibition Act in Eliza Victoria’s After Lambana; and the adventures of a warrior woman in Ma-I Saffron Germaine E. Entico’s Emla and Bugan. Following the footsteps of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them adaptation, producers can create a story that puts together the fearsome creatures of Filipino mythology in Edgar Calabia Samar’s 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang.
ABS-CBN is on the right track with Bagani. Despite criticism for its misuse of the word “bagani,” which means tribal warrior, and the casting of mestizo actors in pre-colonial roles, it aims to show the culture and history of the Philippines. And there’s plenty more to show. And in the past, GMA found success in shows like Amaya, Indio, and Encantadia.
Mervin Malonzo’s graphic novel about aswangs, Tabi Po, has recently been transformed into a series by Cignal. Arnold Arre’s The Mythology Class, which follows a young girl as she meets Filipino mythological creatures is set to be turned into a film soon. There’s also the upcoming release of Heneral Luna’s sequel, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.
Our history and culture are rich enough that we can mine it for stories to tell this generation and the next. The success of Victor Magtanggol shows that we are receptive to locally-made heroes. Let’s do more next time.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WheninManila.com.
Why copy someone else’s heroes when we can create our own?
Last month, it was announced that Alden Richards will be starring in the new show Victor Magtanggol, where he plays the titular character. It sounds harmless enough, until you see that the character turns into Hammerman, a superhero who wields Mjolnir to save the day.
Sound familiar? The story is lifted from the Norse character Thor, which Marvel turned into a superhero many of us know and love. And because of the popularity of the Thor franchise and his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, netizens have been quick to point out the similarities between Victor Magtanggol and Marvel’s hero.
In Victor Magtanggol, Richards uses the same hammer Thor wields and his arch nemesis is Loki. In a now-viral Facebook post, writer TJ Dimacali said the series borrows heavily from the comics with elements originated by Marvel, such as Mjolnir’s characteristics, the look of the Bifrost (the rainbow bridge that connects the Earth to Asgard, the gods’ home), and the details of Ragnarok (an event that will wipe out everything).
Jules Katanyag, the show’s concept creator, told GMA News that the show is inspired by Norse mythology, which is public domain. He added that the show reflects the Filipino condition, which is uncertainty. More importantly, the show is not about Thor, since Thor is played by the actor Conan Stevens.
It’s true that many of the things we consume today are iterations of something else. In today’s world, can anything be original? It doesn’t really matter what Victor Magtanggol’s inspiration is. My main gripe is how a lot of movies and shows in the Philippines copy what Western media creates. If we’re going to take inspiration from something, why not get it locally? Why look towards the west when our country is rich with myths, legends, and stories we can turn into movies and TV shows?
For starters, networks can find inspiration in the legends of Lam-Ang, Maria Makiling, and Bathala. Many of them can be turned into a high-budget and successful production and the feedback of Heneral Luna is great proof.
Producers can also turn to the thriving local comics industry to create new material. Some of the comics that I love are the adventures of Alexandra Trese in Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo’s Trese, where she investigates crimes of a supernatural bent; the fall of the realm of the Diwata after the passage of the Magic Prohibition Act in Eliza Victoria’s After Lambana; and the adventures of a warrior woman in Ma-I Saffron Germaine E. Entico’s Emla and Bugan. Following the footsteps of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them adaptation, producers can create a story that puts together the fearsome creatures of Filipino mythology in Edgar Calabia Samar’s 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang.
ABS-CBN is on the right track with Bagani. Despite criticism for its misuse of the word “bagani,” which means tribal warrior, and the casting of mestizo actors in pre-colonial roles, it aims to show the culture and history of the Philippines. And there’s plenty more to show. And in the past, GMA found success in shows like Amaya, Indio, and Encantadia.
Mervin Malonzo’s graphic novel about aswangs, Tabi Po, has recently been transformed into a series by Cignal. Arnold Arre’s The Mythology Class, which follows a young girl as she meets Filipino mythological creatures is set to be turned into a film soon. There’s also the upcoming release of Heneral Luna’s sequel, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.
Our history and culture are rich enough that we can mine it for stories to tell this generation and the next. The success of Victor Magtanggol shows that we are receptive to locally-made heroes. Let’s do more next time.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WheninManila.com.
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About The Author
Koji Arsua likes to read. He makes book-related content on Instagram (@koji.reads) and TikTok (@koji.reads).