Episode 7 of "The Studio" kicks off with Maya making her entrance to meet Matt, bringing up the Kool-Aid poster that has garnered more positive online buzz than any of their teasers in the past half-decade. The duo is elated and promptly dives into the casting process, confident that they're assembling a stellar ensemble and anticipating a billion-dollar box office haul.
However, Maya voices her apprehension about casting Ice Cube as the Kool-Aid Man due to potential racial connotations. Sal and Matt quickly grasp the gravity of the situation and decide to seek external perspectives. They turn to Tyler, the sole Black member of their executive board, but with Anaheim Comic Con looming, he feels he's not in the best position to advise.
Matt and Sal then venture out from the Lot, seeking the opinions of various Black men and women on Ice Cube's casting. As they descend into the racial rabbit hole, criticisms also arise concerning the casting of a Korean Mrs. Kool-Aid.
Under the mounting pressure, Matt and the others make the drastic decision to fire Sandra Oh from her role, sparking a chain reaction in the casting process. They bring in Regina King and subsequently focus solely on race rather than merit when considering actors. As they scrutinize the entire cast, Matt resolves to turn the entire production into a "Black Panther"-like ensemble.
The ripple effect has now cascaded, necessitating a shift within the writing team and necessitating their collaboration with an AI animation collective. With an ensemble entirely comprised of black actors, they have come to the realization that excluding diversity amounts to racial insensitivity. Hence, Matt embarks on a mission to consult Ice Cube, seeking his perspective on this matter. Ice Cube, however, asserts himself as the unwavering Kool-Aid Man, a fact he intends to uphold with unwavering resolve. Should he be sidelined, he vows to confront Matt head-on. Talk about adding pressure to the mix!
At the Anaheim Comic Con, Matt makes a grand entrance to announce to the masses that Ice Cube is, indeed, the iconic Kool-Aid Man. But the real storm brews over the prospect of AI replacing human animators, inciting the crowd into a frenzy. It becomes crystal clear that the true controversy stems from this very issue.
