10/22/14 Marvel News Mash-Up (Age of Ultron Trailer, Star Wars Comics, ETC.)

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

First Trailer For Avengers: Age Of Ultron Coming Next Week

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The first trailer for Avengers: Age Of Ultron will debut on Tuesday, October 28th during next week’s episode of Agents Of SHIELD, which will air on ABC at 9 PM.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron will open in theaters on May 1st, 2015.

First Image Of Michael Douglas As Hank Pym In Ant-Man

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Recently we got our first look at Michael Douglas as Hank Pym in the upcoming Marvel movie, Ant-Man. Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, is a brilliant scientist that creates a substance that gives him the ability to alter his size to that of an insect (Ant-Man) or that of a giant (Giant-Man). Paul Rudd plays Frank Pym’s protege, Scott Lang, who takes over the Ant-Man persona from Frank Pym. I think Michael Douglas looks great and was an excellent choice to play the mentor for the future Ant-Man.

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Ant-Man will be released on July 17th, 2015.

The Doctor Strange Bunch

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It seems like everyone in Hollywood and their brother are being looked at for the role of Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Every week there is at least one new contender and hopefully they will just choose one already. The front runners are the following:

  • Ryan Gosling
  • Benedict Cumberbatch
  • Ethan Hawke
  • Ewan McGregor
  • Keanu Reeves
  • Jared Leto
  • Joaquin Phoenix
  • Matthew McConaughey

Apparently Joaquin Phoenix is not out of the running yet. I actually think they are all good choices but wouldn’t be surprised if it they go with someone not even mentioned. I think Michael Fassbander would be a great candidate. Seriously, just pick one.

New Variant Cover For Marvel’s Star Wars #1

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Entertainment Weekly has revealed the new variant cover for Marvel’s Star Wars #1 done by artist Alex Ross. To me, Alex Ross is the Norman Rockwell of comic books. I am always amazed at his art and how realistic he makes the characters look. Ross’ version is a homage to the very first Star Wars comic done by Marvel in 1977. You can see the two versions below. This will be Marvel’s first Star Wars comic book since 1986 and will be used to refamilaiarize readers with the original heroes from A New Hope and the upcoming sequel, Star Wars: Episode VII. Star Wars #1 will launch in January 2015.

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Warner Brothers Announces A Wonder Woman Movie For 2017. Your Move Disney.

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Last week Warner Brother’s announced a slew of future superhero movies going all the way out to 2020. The one movie that caught most people’s eye was the announcement of a theatrical Wonder Woman movie staring Gal Gadot, who will make her debut as Wonder Woman in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. I’m glad that Wonder Woman is finally coming to the big screen, especially after being in limbo for decades. With a Wonder Woman movie coming with the first female superhero to get a solo film, it’s time that Disney and Marvel get their act together and bring one of their female superheroes to the big screen. Unfortunately some of the most popular Marvel super heroines are part of the X-Men franchise, which Fox owns the movie rights to. But there is one character who’s popularity has grow among comic book fans in the last few years and that is Ms. Marvel.

Ms. Marvel (or sometimes referred to as Captain Marvel) was in the comics with Marvel’s original Captain Marvel. He was a Kree (Guardians Of The Galaxy) super warrior and she ended up with some of his Kree superpowers. She’s basically Marvel’s version of Wonder Woman as far as powers go (strength, flight, speed, endurance, etc).  She’s not as strong but she’s able to absorb energy and channel it back as an energy blast.  She may not be an Amazon Warrior, but she’s had military training in the Air Force and knows how to fight.  She’s tough and has been in some brawls with some of the Marvel’s heavy hitting villains. Like Captain Marvel, she’s able to fly around in space on her own without a suit. She’s not as serious as Wonder Woman though, much more light-hearted.

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I think it is only a matter of time before an announcement of a Ms. Marvel movie comes out. She has been a member of the Avengers and wouldn’t be surprised if at least Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel’s secret identity) makes an appearance in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, setting up a future solo movie for her.  It’s hard not to go to a comic book convention these days and not spot several cosplayers dressed as Ms. Marvel.

Here is fan favorite cosplayer, Alisa Marie, as Ms. Marvel. Alisa also created this amazing costume:

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Marvel Introduces A New Superhero To Educate Children And Families About Hearing Loss

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Dr. Ronald Hoffman of The Ear Institute at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary along with the Children’s Hearing Institute in New York were able to partner with a division of Marvel Comics to create a hearing-impaired superhero named Sapheara. The comic book heroine sports cochlear implants and fights alongside Blue Ear, a fellow superhero with hearing aids. Marvel Comics is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, which also owns ABC News. The comics are designed to do more than just entertain; the story lines will educate children about devices used by the hearing impaired, including cochlear implants and hearing aids. Dr. Hoffman said the disabled super hero will also help parents and children learn more about different options to handle all levels of hearing loss.To read more about this story visit ABCNews.com.

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Sideshow Collectibles Corner

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I’m a huge fan of Sideshow Collectibles. They have some of the best exclusive comic book, science fiction and movie premium figures and statues available on the market. Sideshow Collectibles recently announced that the Spider-man Classic polystone statue is now available for pre-order and will start shipping in May of 2015. Back when Spider-man first came out in 1962, his costume was black and red and I have always loved the look of that costume. J. Scott Cambell was one of my favorite Spide-man artists and glad to see that his work is being represented.

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has joined the outstanding J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man collection from Sideshow Collectibles. The beloved web-slinger scales the skyscrapers of New York City in our dynamic new statue, designed by the incomparable comic artist J. Scott Campbell. This is one lucky wall-crawler! Accompanied by his charming and irresistible leading ladies, the Spider-Man Comiquette completes this must-have collection. 

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That’s it for this week!

 

10/7/14 Marvel News Mash-Up

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

Iron Man’s War Machine Helmet Spotted On Avengers: Age Of Ultron Set

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During the premiere of Star Wars Rebels: The Movie on the Disney Channel, there was Behind The Scenes featurette for the upcoming movie Avengers: Age Of Ulton. And in this short preview, Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Facebook page was able to spot the helmet of War Machine from the Iron Man movies (see below). Although not officially confirmed, War Machine will be in Age Of Ultron. I have seen a photo of Don Cheadel, who plays Rhodey/War Machine/Iron Patriot, in official photos released by Marvel with the cast of the Age Of Ultron. Defeating Ultron and his minions will not be an easy task, so I can see the Avengers seeking aide from their closest allies. I expect even more heroes to be part of the battle.

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Robert Downey Jr. Will Do Iron Man 4 If Mel Gibson Directs

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Robert Downey Jr. has said in the past that after Avengers 3, he is done with Iron Man. While sitting down with Deadline.com, Downey was asked if anything would make him come back for Iron Man 4. The reporter brought up the idea of Mel Gibson directing and Downey said that would do it.

In the last few years, Mel Gibson’s star quality has fallen but one person that has always stood by his side has been his friend, Robert Downey Jr. They first met while filming Air America and have been good friends ever since. When Downey was dealing with his own demons, Gibson was there for him and stood by him. When Downey was released from prison and tried to restart his career, Gibson was there and pushed to others that Downey be given a second chance. During the worst moments of Gibson’s recent problems, Downey asked us all to pray for his friend, not to condemn him. So it’s really not surprising that Downey will come back to do Iron Man 4 only if his friend Mel Gibson directs.

If you need proof of their friendship, just watch this video of Downey asking Hollywood to forgive his friend Gibson back in 2011:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAJuynxnTQ]

To read the actual interview with Robert Downey Jr., visit Deadline.com.

Exclusive Look At Avenger’s: Age Of Ultron Will Be On The Guardians Of The Galaxy Blu-ray

Tgx65B7As reported last week, the rumored December 9th domestic release date for Guardians Of The Galaxy on Blu-ray and DVD has been confirmed by Marvel and Disney. Also in the press release was one of the extras that will be found on the disc. There will be an Exclusive Look At Avengers Age Of Ultron. This will probably be a 5-10 minute behind the scenes featurette informing people of the plot of the movie as well as interviews with the cast and some footage.

Avengers Age Of Ultron Trailer To Be Attached To Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar

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Currently label this as a rumor but a story has been floating around that the first trailer for Avengers: Age Of Ultron will be attached to Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, which will be released on November 7th. Keep in mind that on this day, Big Hero 6 will also be released, so it is possible that it could be attached to Big Hero 6 or maybe even both.

Avengers 3 To Be Split Into 2 Films?

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This story hit the net recently and it does sound like it could be more than just a rumor. The two next likely story lines for the next Avengers movie after Avengers: Age Of Ultron could be either the Infinity Gauntlet or Civil War. Every Marvel movie in the last few years has been revealing Infinity Gems. At last count, 3 Infinity Gems have been found and Thanos, the villain in The Avengers and Guardians Of The Galaxy, needs 6 of them to make up the Infinity Gauntlet and to control the Universe. Both of these storylines have a lot of material that could be difficult to put into one 2 hour movie. It does sound like Avengers 3 will be the last movie with Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America. If the storyline is split into two movies, they would have to renegotiate the contracts for all of the actors but I am sure the profit would far outweigh the cost by a huge margin. Warner Brothers split the last Harry Potter movie into two movies and that worked out very well for them.

Joaquin Phoenix No Longer In Talks To Play Doctor Strange

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I was really looking forward to seeing Joaquin Phoenix play Doctor Strange but unfortunately it’s not going to happen. Probably the biggest issue was a multi-picture deal that Disney now wants to lock their actors into for future Marvel movie sequels. The good news is that this means that my favorite choice, Benedict Cumberbatch, is still in the running. Other potential candidates are Jared Leto, Tom Hardy and Ethan Hawke.

First Look At Variant Cover For Upcoming Star Wars #1

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In the beginning of this year, Disney and Marvel announced that starting in 2015, they would be the soul producer of all Star Wars comics and graphic novels. Previously Dark Horse Comics had the license but with Disney’s acquisition of both Marvel and Star Wars franchises this was the obvious direction they were heading to. Marvel Comics was granted the very first license for Star Wars comics starting with with Star Wars #1 back in 1977. This variant cover was created by Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer, Joe Queseda. Back in the 90’s, Queseda was an artist for Marvel as well as DC and other independent comic book companies. Queseda was one of my favorite artists and it’s nice to see his work again and especially that this is the first Star Wars art he has ever done. Star Wars #1 will be released in January 2015.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Figure Available For Pre-order At SideShow Collectibles

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Sideshow Collectables will be releasing a Captain America: Winter Soldier premium collectable figure in November. It’s definitely a bit pricey at $339.99.  I’m always amazed at the attention to detail that Hot Toys is able to achieve with their incredible work.

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Marvel’s Avengers Assemble Brings Back Writers From Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

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This was one of those news stories that made me, as well as many fans of the original series, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, very happy. Last year Marvel cancelled it’s popular animated series Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and replaced it with their own Avengers Assemble. This did not go over well with the Marvel fan community who loved the original series. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was an excellent series which followed some of the best know stories found in the original comic books. Avengers Assembly changed the focus to have the Avengers follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the episodes that I have seen from Season One of Avengers Assemble, the episodes have been hit or miss and most usually miss. Disney and Marvel must have listened to the fans and have brought back some of the original writers of the series. The first episode aired this Sunday, October 5th, and was much better than anything I had seen in Season One. Here’s hoping that this is the start of something good. Avengers Assemble airs on Disney XD.

Fantastic Four Comic To Be Cancelled In 2015 Just Prior To Fox’s Fantastic Four Reboot

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BleedingCool.com reported this week that the Fantastic Four comic book will be cancelled in 2015 with issue #215. By doing this, Disney will not be providing free promotion for Fox’s upcoming Fantastic Four movie. To some this is not a big deal, but if you know the history between Disney, Marvel and Fox, it is basically another chapter in their soap opera. There is definite bad blood between Disney and Fox especially since Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise. Lucasfilm and Fox have produced and distributed all of the Star Wars films since 1977 and I am sure Fox was not happy to learn that Lucas sold all of the franchise to Disney, meaning that Fox would lose a ton of potential future revenue. Last year Josh Whedon announced that the characters Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch would be in the sequel to the Avengers. Not to long after that, the script for X-Men Days Of Future Past was changed to have Quicksilver (and Scarlet Witch) replace a character from the original script, Juggernaut. In the comics, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are the son and daughter of X-Men’s main villain, Magneto. They have also been members of The Avengers in the comics. So this is one of those grey areas where both Disney and Fox own the movie rights to both of the characters.

This new Fantastic Four movie sounds like a disaster. It goes against what the Fantastic Four have always been about in the comics. I also learned this week that the director, Josh Trank, held no auditions for any of the main four roles. I find it hard to believe that the best actors were chosen to represent each character if there were no screen tests and the majority of these actors, most people have never heard of. The majority of the Marvel fan community wants the Fantastic Four to go back to Disney and Marvel because they have been very successful with all of their adaptions of comic book heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Out of all of the Marvel movie rights that Disney does not own, I honestly would like to see the Fantastic Four go back to Disney and Marvel. The Fantastic Four could join up with the Avengers or battle the Avengers, bring in the Silver Surfer and plus the Marvel Cinematic Universe would get something its lacking, villains. Villains like Dr. Doom, Galactus and the Super Skrull. And I would love to see a battle between the Thing and the Hulk probably more so than Batman vs Superman. Only time will tell.

The Fantastic Four will return to comics but only after Fox has released the Fantastic Four movie to home video.

That’s it for this week!

9/18/14 Marvel News Mash-Up

WDWNT on September 30, 2014

Animatronic Rocket Raccoon Helps Promote Guardians Of The Galaxy As It Opens In Japan

To help promote the theatrical opening of Guardians Of The Galaxy in Japan, Marvel sent over an animatronic Rocket Raccoon to answer questions from the Japanese press. The animatronics are impressive but I have no idea what he is saying. Guardians Of The Galaxy opened in Japan on September 12th.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGX0ASNpqMY]

A new poster was also released in Japan seeming to put Rocket front in center:

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Official Synopsis Released For Avengers: Age Of Ultron

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This week Disney and Marvel released an official synopsis for the upcoming movie, Avengers: Age Of Ultron. The also released brief character profiles. The synopsis does point out that Tony Stark (Iron Man) is to blame for the creation of Ultron. In the comics, Ultron was created by Hank Pym (Ant-Man), but I think it was difficult to introduce the character of Ant-Man into the sequel to Avengers as well as Ultron, so it is probably for the best that the origin was changed. They also mention that Vision is an old friend in new form. This has been rumored for a while but it now seems confirmed that JARVIS will become Vision. Originally in the comics, Jarvis was Tony’s butler, Edwin Jarvis,  similar to Alfred Pennyworth and Bruce Wayne/Batman. But as time went on Marvel decided to change the story and have JARVIS be and advanced computer AI that assisted Tony in his day to day life as well as be a link between Tony and the Iron Man suit. JARVIS stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. Just typing this out, I noticed that the last 3 letters of JARVIS’ name are VIS. Could see that some how playing into the introduction of Vision in the movie.

Here is the official synopsis:

Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.

Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series The Avengers, first published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Marvel’s Avengers:Age of Ultron on May 1, 2015.

 The Doctor Strange Movie Will Be Released On July 8, 2016

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Disney and Marvel have announced that The Doctor Strange movie will start filming next year at Pinewood Studios, UK and will officially open in theaters on July 8th, 2016. The movie will be directed by Scott Derrikson, who is mostly known for directing horror movies like The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Sinister and Deliver Us From Evil. Although not officially announced, Jaoquin Phoenix is said to be in final negotiations to play the title role of Doctor Strange.

Doctor Strange was created in 1963 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in the comic book, Strange Tales #110. Dr. Stephen Strange is a brilliant neurosurgeon who cared very little about people and was mostly concerned about wealth. After a car accident leaves him unable to perform surgery, he looks for a way to restore his abilities and purpose. He comes across an ancient mystic who sees good in the Doctor and he teaches him to become Sorcerer Supreme, who protects Earth against magical and mystical threats.

Scott Glenn Joins The Cast Of Netflix’s Daredevil As Daredevil’s Mentor

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Scott Glenn has joined the cast of Netflix’s Daredevil and will play the character Stick, who is a martial arts expert and mentor of Matt Murdock/ Daredevil. Scott Glenn is known for such movies as Silence Of The Lambs, The Right Stuff and Urban Cowboy.

“Marvel’s Daredevil” follows the journey of Matt Murdock, who was blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, now fighting against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the super hero Daredevil in modern day Hell’s Kitchen, New York City.

When I was a kid, Daredevil was my favorite super hero, next to Spider-man. He definitely shared allot of similarities with Spider-man. Daredevil received his powers as a child from an accident involving a radioactive chemical, that although resulted in him losing his sight, it also greatly enhanced his other senses. Daredevil was created in 1964 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Bill Evert. As odd as it sounds, that with the name Daredevil, and his devil like costume and him living in Hell’s Kitchen, I believe he is comics first Catholic super hero. Back in 2003, Fox released a theatrical movie of Daredevil staring Ben Aflfeck, which was a well done adaptation of the comic book series.

From the set photos that I have seen so far, all of the characters look spot on to their comic book counterparts and I am really looking forward to seeing this.

Marvel’s Daredevil will debut on Netflix in May of 2015.

Denzel Washington Talks Of Interest In Playing A Marvel Character

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Recently Cinemablend.com had the chance to talk with Denzel Washington during his press conference for his upcoming movie, The Equalizer. One of the questions that was asked is if he was ever approached by Marvel to play a hero and Denzel said no, but he said he would be interested. The only thing that concerned him was his age. “I’m probably getting too old. They didn’t make the Black Panther yet, though, did they? I heard that they have been talking about it. That’s cool.” Denzel is one of my favorite actors and would have loved to have seen him play Black Panther but at age 59, like Denzel said, he probably is at the point where he may be to old to play the character. The movie is getting some buzz recently so hopefully Denzel will be cast in a role that suits him. He could play the Black Panther’s father who was the Black Panther before him.

Captain Citrus Gets A Marvel Makeover

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According to the Orlando Sentinel, Captain Citrus has received a $1 million dollar makeover courtesy of Marvel comics. Originally, Captain Citrus was a giant orange with a cape from the Planet Orange, now he is John Polk, empowered by mysterious solar pods found growing in his family’s Central Florida citrus grove. In a debut issue of a digital comic, Polk joins members of the Avengers to battle a “gamma enhanced evil genius” known as the Leader whose minions have attacked Orlando. Clad in a muscle-skimming, citrus-hued suit, Captain Citrus is still spreading the message of the nutritional value of orange juice. In the inaugural issue, just before Polk answers the call to help the Avengers, he advises his sister on the need to drink her orange juice to prepare for a cheer leading tryout.

Lord help us all.

That’s it for this week!

First Look At The Vision In Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Concept Art)

WDWNT on September 30, 2014

collagevisionThis looks perfect. YeongJip posted a photo on Instagram of himself posing with actual concept art for the upcoming movie, Avengers: Age Of Ultron. This is the first time we have seen the front view of The Vision, played by Paul Bettany. I was really surprised that they decided to go with a look that mirrored the comics because Vision is a character that has to be hard to transition to the big screen. There are a few minor changes that I can see, like the yellow boots and gloves being replaced with red ones, but this really is better than I could have ever imagined.

In the comics, The Vision was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in 1940. In 1968, Stan Lee and Roy Thomas decided to add The Vision as a new member of the Avengers. This Vision was slightly different and no longer and alien but now was an android created by Ultron. Originally he fought for Ultron against the Avengers but turns against Ultron and helps the Avengers defeat him.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron will open in theaters on May 1st, 2015.

Original Instagram photo of YeongJip and concept art for Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron:44

8/31/14 Marvel News Mash-Up

WDWNT on September 5, 2014

 

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A lot of news came out in regards to Marvel this week.

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According to Collider.com, Joaquin Phoenix is said to be in final talks to play Doctor Strange on the big screen. Doctor Strange is currently in development and will be a part of Phase 3 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Right around this year’s San Diego Comic Con, there were rumors that Joaquin Phoenix was being sort after to play the role of Doctor Strange in the MCU. Prior to him, such names as Jared Leto, Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch had been mentioned. To add fuel to the fire, while Phoenix was filming the newest Woody Allen film in New London, Connecticut, he stopped by a local comic book store and purchased several Doctor Strange comic books. Very strange. Lol Colldier is reporting that the contract is being finalized and we should hear something soon. The delay may have to do with a multi-picture deal, since Phoenix is not an actor inclined to do sequels. In the comics, Dr. Stephen Strange is a brilliant neurosurgeon who cared very little about people and was mostly concerned about wealth. After a car accident leaves him unable to perform surgery, he looks for a way to restore his abilities and purpose. He comes across an ancient mystic who sees good in the Doctor and he teaches him to become Sorcerer Supreme, who protects Earth against magical and mystical threats.

 

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Avengers: Age Of Ultron wrapped up filming this month and according to Badassdigest.com, Captain America will lead a new team of Avengers at some point in the movie. What this most likely means is that Captain America will form the West Coast Avengers, which will include Vision, played by Paul Bettany, Quicksilver played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen, as well as some unknown heroes. In the Avengers comics, the Avengers eventually were split between the core Avengers and the West Coast Avengers. This could lead to a battle between the Avengers, lead by Iron Man, and the West Coast Avengers, lead by Captain America at some point. With Fox owning the movie rights to X-Men and the Fantastic Four and Sony owning the rights to Spider-man, this could lead to Disney/Marvel’s version of Civil War, which forced super heroes to choose side as to whether or not to register their identity’s due to the Governments Superhero Registration Act. A huge battle ensues, they call each other names and doesn’t necessarily end with them all hugging it out.

 
Last month Fox wrapped up filming for it’s Fantastic Four reboot and GeekPride.com got their hands on some leaked photos of the villain Dr. Doom. If this is any indication of what they are doing with the characters, hopefully Disney and Marvel will be getting the rights back to the Fantastic Four. It’s obvious that the director Josh Trank and the writers do not understand the Fantastic Four. Michael B. Jordan, who plays the Human Torch, recently talked about the reboot and said, “We’re more or less a bunch of kids that had an accident and we have disabilities now that we have to cope with, and try to find a life afterwards – try to be as normal as we can.” The Fantastic Four never had disabilities. They had super powers which they embraced, except maybe the Thing. I heard that they basically filmed their scenes and wrapped up filming in 2 months. That is not a good sign and more of a sign for a rush job. Fox has owned the rights to the Fantastic Four movies since the 90’s. They produced two movies, Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four Rise Of The Silver Surfer. After being disappointed with the reviews and box office from the sequel, Fox put all future FF movies on hold. One of the clauses that Marvel had in its negations for the movie rights with Fox is that if a Fantastic Four movie is not made every 7 years, the rights go back to Marvel. This recently happened with another Fox owned Marvel property, Daredevil, which now Disney and Marvel own and will have its own Netflix series next year. Fox wants to retain the rights to the series but they also do not want to be producing movies that generate a loss. If this bombs at the box office, it could lead to negotiations between Fox and Disney/Marvel where the rights could go back to the Disney MCU. From what I have heard of the script, casting and character design, there is a strong possibility that this will not do well. Fingers crossed.

 

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Robert Downey Jr. recently named his favorite Marvel Movie. During an interview with the Toronto Sun, Downey was asked what did he feel was the best Marvel movie and he replied Guardians Of The Galaxy. “In some ways, Guardians Of The Galaxy, is the best Marvel movie ever. It’s odd for someone with—on occasion—an ego the size of mine to actually say that,” said Downey.

 

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This may have to do more with the DC Movie Universe but it does show how the MCU does differ with their approach to super hero movies. According to Hitflix.com, Warner Brothers has enforced a “no jokes” policy for the entire DC Cinematic Universe. This apparently stems from the failure at the box office of the Green Lantern movie. “DC treats their superhero characters more like gods, fighting battles that we simply can’t comprehend or participate in because of our natures. Even Batman, who has no superpowers, is treated like he is a legend, an icon that he’s nurtured as a symbol of fear. Marvel characters are more flawed, more human, struggling to live human lives while still dealing with their powers and their responsibility to the world. And if DC finds a way to try to play their films on this larger, operatic, hero-as-myth level storytelling, I’d be excited to see that. I’d want to see that.” Personally I enjoy the DC movies, especially the Dark Knight Series. But to me, the only character in the DC Cinematic Universe who should ever be dark is Batman. Man Of Steel had some great moments but you can tell that they used the dark and brooding story that originated in the Dark Knight series as a template for the Superman reboot. Marvel’s equivalent to Superman is Thor and even though the sequel was titled Thor Dark World, it was one of the funniest Marvel movies until Guardians Of The Galaxy came along. Even Superman’s costume was dark. Humor is put into action movies to lighten things up and give you a break from all of the action. It should be embraced, not banned.

Well that’s it for this week. 🙂

 

Marvel SDCC Roundtable Teases Roadmap for Future of Marvel Cinematic Universe

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige chaired an intimate roundtable discussion about the future of the cinematic branch of the Marvel universe mere hours before giving fans a peek at the first footage from Avengers: Age of Ultron at San Diego Comic Con this past weekend.

The studio head told lucky journalists present that films have been plotted out for some years to come yet, with Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 just some of the titles been worked upon.

When asked if the recent release dates (announced for currently unnamed properties) were mainly sequels, Feige clarified:

“We’ve only really, really announced through “Ant-Man,” But if you look at 2014 and 2015 — now, let’s hope that “Guardians” succeeds when it opens next week — but I do like the notion of the existing franchise with “The Winter Soldier” that we had this year, doing unexpected things with it. Taking it to new unexpected places, and then, the second movie of the year being an entirely new franchise, entirely new storyline. Next year, we’re doing the same thing with “Age of Ultron” and with “Ant-Man.” And I see that that could continue where it fits.”

Feige also confirmed, that whilst there are no current plans to cameo the characters starring in the co-productions with Netflix currently in pre-production, he admitted that they exist in the same world, so it isn’t an impossibility that they may show up in the coming slew of films from Marvel Studios.

The head of Marvel Studios also confirmed how they choose which of Marvel’s huge roster of characters to move into the cinematic universe.  On this, he said:

“I would say it’s a combination, but it ultimately comes down to, what do we think would be cinematic? What do we think would be the kind of movie we want to make? So with “Guardians,” we very much wanted to — you’ve heard me say this before — go to the other side of the cosmic universe. [There is] an amazing amount of outer space-based storylines in our comics, and we only sort of just scratched the surface of that in the other movies. And it felt like time, with “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and our tenth Marvel Studios MCU movie, to do that. That we’d earned the right to say, “Let’s bring a bunch of characters no one’s ever heard of.” If it was just about public consciousness, I’m not sure we would have done half the characters that we’ve done up to this point, and certainly not Guardians. But it’s about what we think the public would be interested in, because it’s what we sort of are interested in as we want to spend two or three years working on a project.”

Mr. Feige also confirmed that as the film juggernaut keeps rolling that the output will increase, with some years having three films hitting cinema screens per year from Marvel Studios, and this, he says, gives them opportunities to highlight new characters.

Marvel Studio’s Guardians of the Galaxy releases Friday 1 August in the US and UK.

The poster to Marvel's Ant-Man was also released at SDCC

The poster to Marvel’s Ant-Man was also released at SDCC