00:00The last time we talked, you were just about to become an Avenger.
00:03You were actually not even sure.
00:05You were like, are we actually doing this?
00:08So what was it like getting on that set with the Russos, seeing Downey as Doom?
00:13What was the experience?
00:15It was unbelievable.
00:16It was reminding myself where I was when Endgame came out and
00:21how moved I was by the film and wanting to join it.
00:25And then to realize, all right, we went from Falcon and Winter Soldier to
00:28Captain America, Brave New World to now being a part of this.
00:34And yeah, there's moments that I've catch myself just like Chris Hemsworth was in there.
00:40I was like, oh my God, Thor.
00:42And just like having to be like, all right, cool.
00:45But then realizing my character, Joaquin himself knows these heroes in the same way
00:50and would be as inspired as I was or as moved.
00:53And so there's a cool parallel that happened there that I was able to just lean into.
00:56Yeah, he's kind of a fanboy, if you will, in that sense.
00:59Here it is.
01:00Nice.
01:01Nice.
01:02I'll be right back.
01:03I know.
01:03It looks good.
01:04I mean, to that point, I mean, you are part of all of these different families.
01:07You've got the Top Gun universe.
01:08You also just directed for your first time.
01:11Tell me a little bit about that experience of stepping behind the camera and
01:14getting your feature film off the ground.
01:16Well, it was a passion project that I started writing in 2018.
01:20And I played college soccer, and I knew that there was a perspective of the game that I
01:26wanted to tell.
01:27And I've always realized how athletes, we carry so much of our lives onto the field.
01:32And this conversation around, like, you leave your life out of the field because in the field
01:36you, like, compartmentalize.
01:38I don't think that's as true as people lead on to be.
01:40And so I was fascinated by that.
01:42I'm fascinated by how different people take on grief and dreams and how grief doesn't stop
01:48your dreams, and there's this negotiation that happens that I started writing about.
01:53And luckily, this amazing cast came together that all believed in the vision, and we put
01:59together something really special, and I can't wait to share it.
02:02We have a lot of amazing partners.
02:04We just partnered with the MLS.
02:05We just, it's, and the timing of it, obviously, it's fantastic that it's near the World Cup.
02:11But it had been a long time coming, and I'm just excited to be able to represent the
02:17sport and athletes and, um, and everyone in it that's in the best way possible.
02:23I mean, and taking again some of those lessons from working on these blockbusters, and actually,
02:28what is something that you learned, maybe from the Russos, that you want to carry into your
02:32directing career?
02:33I think there was something really interesting about how much fun we had on set, and the
02:37looseness that that creates, and the ability to nurture that.
02:42Because I think that's not a given on any set.
02:45Sure.
02:45A lot of sets are, have a different tempo and a different texture.
02:48And they were, they were, they were able to harbor such a safe area to throw down and
02:53play and be big and choke and also bring it down.
02:57There's, and there's so much freedom, and I loved how that felt.
03:00And so to be able to put that into my actors as well was a necessity.
03:04It was a reminder of how it feels to be best on set, most creative.
03:08And so, yeah, and it's like, I've been able to shadow some of the best filmmakers and just
03:14absorb everything I can, and just hope that through repetition, and that that comes out.
03:20Well, congratulations, and we can't wait to see more of that.
03:23And it's always good to see you.
