6/1/15 Marvel News Mash-Up (New Look for Iron Man, FOX Franchises Being Erased, Ant-Man, ETC.)

WDWNT on June 5, 2015

“Iron Man” Promo Art From “Captain America: Civil War”

 

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Heroichollywood was able to get his hands on some leaked promo art of Iron Man from the upcoming movie, “Captain America: Civil War.” This looks very similar to the armor that was in “Age Of Ultron” but there are some slight differences. The chest plate that holds the arc reactor is different as is the helmet.

Source: Heroichollywood via Instagram

“X-Men” And “Fantastic Four” Characters Removed From Marvel’s “Secret Wars” Merchandise

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Well, it’s not all merchandise but this definitely raises a red flag. Marvel t-shirts being sold at Walmart show that the X-Men and Fantastic Four characters, whose movie rights are owned by Fox, are no longer seen as part of the group. This t-shirts display classic comic book covers from the series, “Secret Wars.” In the above image you can see that members of the X-Men and Fantastic Four are replaced with Thor, Dr. Strange, Black Panther, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Black Bolt (Inhumans). It’s interesting that She-Hulk is in both images because she could have easily been removed. Does this meant that Marvel has plans for She-Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or possibly part of a Netflix series?

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This above image shows another classic Secret Wars cover on a t-shirt but again all of the members of the Fantastic Four are removed. The She-Hulk is right next to the Thing and again could have easily been removed but she wasn’t. The Human Torch was removed but his flame still remains. In the left hand corner you can see the Thing being replaced with Wonder Man, Mr. Fantastic is just gone, Wolverine is replaced by Captain America and Storm is replaced by Hawkeye.

Source: Bleeding Cool

New “Ant-Man” Stills Released From Empire Magazine

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Empire Magazine’s latest issue highlights the upcoming movie, “Ant-Man.”

From Empire: Michael Douglas is super scientist Hank Pym, the man who creates the technology that powers the Ant-Man suit, while Evangeline Lilly is Hope Van Dyne, his estranged daughter. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is the thief who Pym takes under his wing to become the new, modern Ant-Man.

You can also see (under a magnifiying glass) Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross in his Yellowjacket suit, the villain of the piece. Cross is the former protege of Pym, and the man who has taken over his business and plans to use the Ant-Man tech for military purposes. The Yellowjacket suit is the super-slick version of the old-school Ant-Man outfit.

Empire also released three exclusive stills from “Ant-Man.”

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Source: Empire

Director Scott Derrickson Hints That The Character “Death” Will Make Her First Appearance In “Doctor Strange”

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Scott Derrickson, the director of the upcoming movie “Doctor Strange,” has confirmed that the character “Death” will make her first person in “Doctor Strange” before we see her in “Avengers: Infinity War.”

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So why is Death such a significant character? In the comic book series, Infinity Gauntlet, Mistress Death is upset that the balance between life and death has recently not been in her favor. Her solution is to give her ardent follower, Thanos, a chance at rebirth setting him forth with a mission of killing half the life in the universe. Thanos hopes that accomplishing this task given to him by Death that he will earn Death’s affection. He also battles some of Marvel’s greatest heroes as a way to impress Death.

Source: Scott Derrikson on Twitter

 Sideshow Collectible Corner

“Avengers: Age Of Ultron” Series 2 Collectible Set

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Following the introduction of the Hot Toys Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron Cosbaby Series 1 and 1.5, Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys are happy to expand the series and present the new Avengers: Age of Ultron Cosbaby Series 2!

This series features Tony Stark’s new suit from the movie Iron Man Mark XLV, Ultron Prime, Ultron Mark I, War Machine Mark II, Black Widow and Vision! The collectible set of 7 includes a Tony Stark (Mark XLIII Armor Version) that is exclusive in the set! 

The “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” Series 2 Collectible Set is available for preorder exclusively through Sideshow Collectibles for the price of $99.99 and will ship in the 4th quarter of 2015.

Source: Sideshow Collectibles

That’s it for this time!

11/3/14 Marvel News Mash-Up – More Avengers: Age of Ultron, Spider-Man Rumors, and More!

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

Marvel Releases An Extended Trailer For Avengers: Age Of Ultron

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The Avengers: Age Of Ultron teaser trailer was originally supposed to air during last week’s episode of Agents Of SHEILD, but due to the trailer being leaked early, Marvel decided to release the trailer early. To entice people to watch the episode of Agents Of Shield that was to debut the original trailer, Marvel released and extended trailer especially for Agents Of SHIELD that included a new scene from the movie.

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What is great about this scene is you get to see the Avengers taking a break from the action and enjoying what looks to be a party at Avengers Tower. Thor, in his Earth casual clothes, challenges the other Avengers to do an almost impossible task, lift his hammer, Mjölnir. The writing on Mjölnir states, “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” So basically one must be worthy.

CapturedgdgBoth Iron Man and War Machine are unable to budge it.

CapturedfdsdsIf you notice, Captain America does move it, he just doesn’t lift it.

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My opinion is that Captain America is holding back, and that he knows he can lift it, but he doesn’t want to show off to the other Avengers. In the comics, there are very few people, other than Thor, who can lift Mjölnir and one of those people is Captain America. You can’t be more worthy than Captain America. Another person who has lifted Mjölnir is Superman when the Justice League took on The Avengers in a DC/Marvel crossover (might as well throw in Captain America’s shield while you are at it).

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So What About Spider-Man?

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The one thing that that I was hoping that would be announced during the Marvel Phase 3 Event was that Spider-man would be joining the Avengers, but it didn’t happen. That doesn’t mean that it is not going to happen. Kevin Feige, the President of Marvel studios, was asked directly whether Spider-man will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and he replied, “Anything that wasn’t specifically and obviously revealed today is either not true at all, or still rumor until it’s worked out.” Originally Marvel was to have the Phase 3 announcement at this years New York City’s Comic Con, but Robert Downey Jr. was still in negotiations to star in Captain America: Winter Soldier and they wanted to make sure that it was official before they announced it. The last line that Kevin Feige said about Spider-man gives me hope. Until it’s worked out. I do believe that Disney, Marvel and Sony are working out a deal to bring Spider-man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which it will be beneficial to all parties involved.

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In the comics, Spider-man is an integral part of Civil War. Some would say that you could not adapt Civil War without him. The truth is, it can be done, but it wont be as good. It is my gut feeling that in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, the after credit scene will consist of Spider-man swinging towards Avenger’s Tower.

Being the nerd that I am, I made a little preview of what I feel will go down:

collagedshadhgsaaRemember what I said if I am right and just forget that I ever said it if I am wrong.

Avenger’s: Age Of Ultron Clip Leaks Onto The Internet

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During Marvel’s Phase 3 Event that was held recently, the audience was shown an exclusive clip from Avengers: Age Of Ultron. The clip has not been officially released but, at this time, a leaked version is available on YouTube. Basically, this scene is setting up the Civil War. Steve and Tony are outdoors splitting logs and there seems to be a lack of trust and a question of ones methods between the two of them. Some of the audio is difficult to understand, but here is a breakdown of what was said:

TONY: Thor didn’t say where he’s going to get answers?

STEVE: Sometimes my teammates don’t tell me things. I was kinda hoping Thor would be the exception.

TONY: Yeah, in time. We don’t know what the Maximoff kid showed him.

STEVE: I don’t know what she showed you. It’s enough to make you do something stupid. “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” — pulled us apart like cotton candy.

TONY: Well, it seems that you walked away alright.

STEVE: Is that a problem?

TONY: I don’t trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old-fashioned.

STEVE: Well, let’s just say you haven’t seen it yet.

TONY: Banner and I have been doing this research—

STEVE: —that would affect the team—

TONY: —that would END the team! Isn’t that the mission? Isn’t that the “why” we fight, so we can end the fight, so we get to go home??

STEVE: Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time. What do you think?

(SPOILERS) Runor is that The Avengers will split up into two teams at the end of Age Of Ultron. Captain America will form his own team consisting of Black Widow, War Machine, Falcon, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, essentially forming the West Coast Avengers. Iron Man will form the (East Coast) Avengers consisting of Thor, Hulk and Vision. Black Panther will appear in Captain America: Civil War but I am not sure whose side he will be on, and also not sure of Hawkeye. In Captain America: Civil War, I think that the main battles will consist of Captain America fighting Iron Man. But even though it hasn’t been announced, I would expect to see all of the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, just their roles wont be as prominent as Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.

Benedict Cumberbatch Will Be “Doctor Strange”

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For months I have been reporting that someone new is up for the role of Doctor Strange and recently Deadline has confirmed that Benedict Cumberbatch will indeed be Marvel’s newest cinematic superhero, Doctor Strange. I couldn’t be happier because Cumberbatch is the one that I wanted from the very beginning. He has proven to me, especially through his role in Sherlock, that his has great acting ability and he does indeed have the look needed for Doctor Strange. Still no official word from Marvel but it sounds like they are close to finalizing the contract.

After his career is destroyed, Dr. Stephen Strange, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under his wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.

Doctor Strange will be released in theaters On July 8th, 2016.

Captain Marvel Fan Made Poster

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It is hard to believe that this is a fan made poster because it is practically perfect. I have a feeling that this is the costume that will be used when Captain Marvel hits the big screen because her current costume is not very family friendly. Captain Marvel (Ms. Marvel) is basically a combination of Wonder Woman and Superman. She has super human strength, the power of flight and cosmic powers, such as firing energy blasts from her hands. Captain Marvel’s identity is Carol Danvers and she is from Boston. Actress Katheryn Winnick is mostly known for playing Lagertha in the History Channel series Vikings.

Captain Marvel will be released on July 6th, 2018.

Sideshow Collectible Corner

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Another fantastic premium figure from Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys. This piece is from Thor: Dark World and is another example how much detail is put into these amazing figures.

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 That’s it for this week!

Marvel Entertainment Announces A Slew Of New Movies For The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase 3

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

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Marvel Entertainment held a special event today at the El Capitan Theater announcing so much stuff, I don’t know where to begin!

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I would say that the biggest news is that Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans were joined on stage by Chadwick Boseman, who will play the title role in Black Panther. This is an excellent choice! He looks just like the character in the comics and I loved him portraying baseball legend, Jackie Robinson, in “42”. Boseman also portrayed the living legend James Brown in Get On Up.

So lets go down the line of what was announced.

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First off Captain America 3 is officially titled Captain America: Civil War. This will be Captain America, Chris Evans, vs Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr., with fate of all of the Marvel superheroes hanging in jeopardy. Civil War was a comic book series that put half of the Marvel superheroes, representing pro registration of superhero identities with the Government against the other superheroes, who felt it was their right to keep their identity a secret. Captain America leads the side against registration and Iron Man leads the side that is for registration and it does lead to a Civil War in the Marvel Universe. Captain America: Civil War will be released on May 6, 2016.

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Next up we have Doctor Strange. I was expecting an official announcement of Benedict Cumberbatch, but no such luck. He is in final negotiations with Marvel to play the Doctor, but so was Joaquin Phoenix, so we will still have to wait. After his career is destroyed, Dr. Stephen Strange, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under his wing and trains him to defend the world against evil. Doctor Strange will be released on November 4th, 2016.

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Next we have the sequel to this year’s successful Guardians Of The Galaxy. Right now it is called Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 and it could very well be the final title of the film. So not giving any clues with a subtitle, I have no idea what the storyline will be about. I do know that they will add more members to the team. Rumors are that it will be Nova or Captain Marvel (see below). Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 will be released on May 5th, 2017.

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Thor 3 is officially titled, Thor: Ragnarok. “Ragnarok” was a series in the comic Thor that brought about the destruction of Thor, Asgard, and all of its inhabitants for several years. The story would have a lasting impact on the Marvel Universe for several years, removing Thor and his supporting cast from Marvel’s publishing schedule. Could this mean that we will see the new female Thor in Phase 4? Thor: Ragnarok will be released on July 28th, 2017.

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We finally have confirmation of a Black Panther movie! And as I mentioned above Chadwick Boseman will portray Black Panther. The royal leader, T’Challa, of an African nation, Wakanda, is bestowed with super human powers to protect his kingdom against invaders. Wakanda is rumored to be one of the locations that will be in Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Wakanda is also the only place that has the material necessary to form Captain America’s shield, vibranium. Black Panther will be released on November 3, 2017.

Marvel released concept art for Black Panther:Capturebppp

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I doubt Marvel was listening to me last week when I said that after Warner Brother’s announcement of a Wonder Woman movie for 2017, Marvel and Disney need to step up their game and releases a movie based on one of the most popular female superheroes in the Marvel Universe, Ms. Marvel. It’s complicated, but Captain Marvel is Ms. Marvel. Captain Marvel (or sometimes referred to as Ms. Marvel) is basically Marvel’s version of Wonder Woman as far as powers go (strength, flight, speed, endurance, etc). Her cosmic powers were obtained from the original Captain Marvel (not Shazam). Definitely a fun and exciting character. Captain Marvel will be released on July 6th, 2018.

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My first encounter with The Inhumans was in early Fantastic Four comics and my first impression is that they are weird. But I also thought Guardians Of The Galaxy was a weird group and look what happened to them. This could be the answer to Fox’s X-Men franchise. Basically aliens, The Kree (Guardians Of the Galaxy), experiment on humans to create a super race which result in a group of superheroes, The Inhumans. Inhumans will be released on November 2nd, 2018.

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OK, this is the big one! We are finally getting the Infinity War, which will be Avengers 3, and split into two movies. So what is the Infinity War? Remember the guy that appeared in the after credits scene in Avengers? And then that same guy appeared for a bit in Guardians Of The Galaxy? That is Thanos and he is a super baddy. Thanos wants one thing and that is to control the Universe and in order to do that he needs to find 5 Infinity Stones, which we have already seen 3 of them in the last few Marvel movies. Combining the 5 Infinity Stones will create the Infinity Gauntlet, making Thanos the most powerful being in The Universe. With a guy this powerful, the Avengers will need some help. So expect to see Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Guardians Of The Galaxy and the Inhumans join the Avengers to join in the Infinity War. Avengers: Infinity War will be released in two parts. Part one will be released in May 2018 and part two will be released in May 2019.

Marvel Entertainment released a photo of Thanos, Josh Brolin, wearing the Infinity Gauntlet:

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Shwooooo! I need a drink!

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

10/13/14 Marvel News Mash-Up

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

Is Spider-man About To Join The Marvel Cinematic Universe?

 

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Word this week is that there has been talks between Sony and Disney about possibly bringing Spider-man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I reported last week that Disney and Fox, who own X-men and Fantastic Four movie rights, are at war with each other and we wont see those franchises come to any Disney/Marvel productions any time soon. But Sony and Disney have always had a good relationship and continue to do so and there is a strong possibility that we will see Spider-man at some point in an Avengers movie.

This was reported by Hitflix.com:

While I can’t get the confirmations I need to verify the story, I’m hearing that there are some very cool “Spider-man” plans being discussed that would help Sony refocus their enormously important franchise while also opening up some connections in the onscreen Marvel movie universe that would blow fandom’s minds. Will it work out? I don’t know. I would love to be able to state for sure that it’s happening. What seems clear from what I’ve heard is that Marvel wants to be able to play with all of their characters, and if they can make that work creatively and on a corporate level, they will, and that means the world gets bigger again.

This year Sony released Amazing Spider-man 2, and although it was profitable for Sony, it was the worst performing Spider-man movie in the franchise’s history. This caused Sony to postpone the sequel and reconsider the future of the Spider-man franchise. Financially, Sony is not doing well and for the last few years have been reporting an operating loss for their company, which prior to this has never happened before for the company. Sony has gotten out of the cell phone business (Erickson) and computer business (VAIO) and other than the Spider-man franchise, their movie business has not been doing well either. Disney may not own the production rights to the Spider-man movies, but they own all of the merchandising licensees, which means Sony’s is just making profit from the movie distribution.

Originally Disney/Marvel were going to have Oscorp Tower, that was in the first Amazing Spider-man movie, in The Avengers movie as a cross promotion for both films, but Sony was unable to meet the deadline to submit the design before final editing of The Avengers was completed.

It is feasible that a deal can be struck where Sony will have Spider-man in Avengers 3 and that Disney may coproduce Amazing Spider-man 3. There definitely have been talks with Disney and Sony and without a doubt, Disney does want to get Marvel’s most popular character to be part of their Marvel Cinematic Universe.

First Official Image Of Daredevil Released

 

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Marvel. com has released the first official image of actor Charlie Cox (Stardust, Boardwalk Empire) as Daredevil, which will be an ongoing series on Netfilx. I’m pretty sure this is just his first costume that he uses before he dons the traditional red costume (well, I hope so).

Here is the official synopsis for the Netflix Daredevil series:

“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.

Back in 1979, Frank Miller began writing for Daredevil and infused some new life into the Daredevil legend. One of Miller’s stories, Daredevil: Born Again, is one of my favorite story lines of all time and tells a very dark story in which Daredevil’s identity is revealed to the public and how it affects his life and the lives of those closest to him. Born Again was published shortly after the Frank Miller story that forever changed comics and was responsible for bringing comic book movies into our culture, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986). The Dark Knight Returns comic heavily influenced Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and to me was the most influential comic ever written. The Dark Knight Returns turned Batman into the Dark Knight, who no longer played by his old rules and truly became a dark and menacing figure, no longer the Adam West Batman but a dark hero that criminals feared. Miller’s gritty and film noir writing style first originated with Daredevil. Back in the day, Daredevil was nowhere near as popular as Batman, but if he was, it’s possible Daredevil would have been what Batman is to most people today.

Matt Murdock, Daredevil’s secret identity:

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Daredevil’s Netflix costume (center) is heavily inspired by comic book artist, John Romita Jr. (left). I’m sure we will see Frank Miller’s classic design (right) in the series:

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Official Daredevil logo:

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Marvel’s Daredevil is an upcoming live-action American television series developed by Drew Goddard, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It will be produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios, distributed via the streaming service Netflix, and will be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is the first in a series of shows that will lead up to a Defenders miniseries. Charlie Cox stars as Daredevil, The Man Without Fear. All episodes are set to premiere in May 2015.

Keanu Reeves Now Added To The List Of Potential Doctor Strange Candidates

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Never thought of Keanu Reeves for Doctor Strange but he does have the look. Not sure about the voice though, keep thinking of Ted Theodore Logan. Now that Joaquin Phoenix is out of the running, along with Reeves as a potential candidate, are Benedict Cumberbatch, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy and Ethan Hawke.

Reeves recently spoke to Collider.com about possibly playing Dr. Strange:

From a practical standpoint the idea of a longtime contract is sort of “errr” because you want to make sure the material is up to a certain level.  Like the good or great level.  I like the idea.  I go to those kinds of movies.  I grew up on them and comics and graphic novels.  [But] I didn’t know Doctor Strange as a character, I didn’t read that as a kid.  I’m gonna have to read it. I remember reading something… who’s going to play Doctor Strange? Would I be good for the role?

Disney Vs. Fox: Round 2

 

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Last week I reported that Disney and Marvel are cancelling the production of all Fantastic Four comic books just prior to the release of next year’s Fox’s Fantastic Four reboot. This is likely being done so that no free promotion will be provided for the Fantastic Four movie. ComicBook.com was at this year’s New York Comic Con convention this past weekend and took a photo of 2015’s newest X-Men story line called “No More Mutants”. Is the same strategy that Disney/Marvel used for the Fantastic Four movie being applied to the Wolverine and X-Men Franchises? It does make you wonder. Wolverine is also being killed off in the comics this month and not expected to return until sometime in 2016. (No one dies forever in comics)

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So how much credence is there to this story? Well there are some points to consider. The next X-Men movie, X-Men: Age Of Apocalypse will not be released until 2016 and the next Wolverine sequel will be released some time in 2017. So as far as hurting the movie franchises, if that was the case, I think they would kill them off later rather than sooner.

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!

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