EDITORIAL: Why Tower of Terror Closing at California Adventure Really Doesn’t Matter

WDWNT on August 5, 2016

When we first heard about a Guardians of the Galaxy overlay for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, most thought the idea to be contrived. How does that even make sense? Honestly, I was in that group, but then the announcement came out and Disney did a pretty good job creating a concept that might actually make more sense than the Tower of Terror at California Adventure ever did. Now, before you starting throwing rotten fruit at your computer screen, let me explain…

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When California Adventure opened to the public in 2001, it was a complete failure. Attendance projections were missed by 5 digit numbers, restaurants were closed, attractions made “seasonally operational” and the Electrical Parade rushed back to try to save the first summer of the park’s existence. Leading up to the massive 50th anniversary celebration of the Disneyland Resort, Disney made a budget-conscious decision to save the park with just one attraction – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It saved the Disney-MGM Studios, right? Wrong.

Disney-MGM Studios was developed as a half-day experience consisting primarily of a tour and a handful of shows and other attractions, but it burst through the gates in May 1989 and broke all expected attendance projections at the time. More attractions were developed to meet the demand being placed on the park, and Tower of Terror was the culmination of a 5-year expansion plan. In a very short amount of time after opening in 1994, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror became one-of, if not THE headlining attraction in Orlando. With this reputation, it seemed like a clone could easily save California Adventure. It didn’t.

While attendance did rise when the Tower of Terror opened in California, it again was not near any projections made internally by the Walt Disney Company. It didn’t do the trick, and so Bob Iger approved a massive overhaul of the park in the years that followed, which finally did fix the park. Historically, it would be hard to attribute the park’s later success to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. While it certainly wasn’t a bad idea, the execution was not near the level of the original and the level of care from most guests showed it. No self-respecting Disney fan clamored for Tower of Terror at DCA, but it did well enough in Southern California with a steady diet of thrill-seeking everyday guests.

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Disney claimed they didn’t have the space to build the Florida version of the ride in California (meanwhile, the land around the Tower will now become a MARVEL themed area in the years to come). The architectural design in California is less menacing and the queue was significantly shorter outside, leaving none of the build-up to the interior queue that guests enjoy at Hollywood Studios. Inside, a boiler room multiple stories tall somehow made for a new load area, even though it made little sense that a boiler room would be so tall and clearly go so high up into the main hotel building. Besides that, when the elevator does arrive, the doors don’t even open to the elevator, they open to a strange in-between hallway that surely does not exist for any real elevator. Only once passing through elevator doors into this hallway can guests then board the actual elevator, which begins the ride by going backwards, not up and down like the real thing. Rather than an ominous build-up to the elevator lunging forward through the 5th dimension, this version of the ride simply tried to take guests into the main portion of the ride as cheaply as possible, cutting away the 5th dimension scene and a separate unload area for elevators. While the California attraction did have a unique mirror effect to showcase, it otherwise lacked randomized drop sequences and most of the elements which made the attraction in Florida an instant classic. It also features an exit hallway which is pretty much the least-themed portion of any Disney theme park attraction ever conceived. In my opinion, it was a disgrace to the original that lacked any of the effort and ingenuity employed in 1994 to make something the likes of which the theme park world has never experienced before. It was a cheap knock-off intended to be a temporary band-aid.

Clearly, there is no way to add the missing elements from Walt Disney World after the fact, so why not keep what works and reinvent the rest? Why not put a powerhouse franchise in to anchor all of the MARVEL additions on the way?

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Joe Rohde is the Imagineer in charge of all of the MARVEL projects for the Disney Parks and he is man with a resume few can ever aspire to assemble. With Joe at the helm, I have great faith that Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout will be a huge success (despite its rather lackluster name). The elevators that begin their journey by going backwards are far better suited for a life as a containment unit for the valuable assets of The Collector, and the concept art showcased thus far appears to be as enthralling as the Twilight Zone material ever was.

Guardians of the Galaxy do not belong in Epcot and they sure as hell should never replace the original Tower of Terror, but this Disneyland Resort overlay is likely the right move to fix the inferior Tower and to begin the MARVEL themed land at California Adventure. Hollywood Land is a disaster of an area, doing little to further the grandeur and ingenious design of the nearby Buena Vista Street, but this new direction could finally be the answer to the problematic former Hollywood Pictures Backlot area which has struggled to keep up withe the rest of the park in its expansion era. Those who claim that the Guardians attraction will ruin the area should probably evaluate what it looks like today. Most of the facades are hollow, the animation building does little to evoke 1930’s Hollywood, and underneath a nighttime party setup lies a cobbled together collection of items that still just don’t work together in harmony. It’s the one section of the park that is a unmitigated disaster.

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Let the hate mail flow, but I refuse to live in a world where the California Adventure of Tower of Terror is spoken of in the same breath as the Hollywood Studios original, or even Ellen’s Energy Adventure for that matter. It isn’t good, it never was good, but it can be good. If you want to see the Tower of Terror, just come to Orlando. We here in central Florida have to travel cross-country for the Indiana Jones Adventure and Cars Land, you can certainly hop on a plane to visit the Twilight Zone in our neck of the woods if you wish. Please, drop in anytime.

RUMOR: Guardians of the Galaxy Attractions for Disney Parks to Be Announced at San Diego Comic Con?

WDWNT on August 5, 2016

I wasn’t sure if posting this was such a good idea based on how often we might scare Disney out of announcing things, but current rumbling indicate that San Diego Comic Con might be the time and place for the announcement of the Guardians of the Galaxy attractions at Disney theme parks.

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If the rumors are true (or if Disney decides to go through with it), the MARVEL Studios panel may be used to announce a Guardians of the Galaxy overlay of the Tower of Terror attraction at Disney California Adventure and a Guardians of the Galaxy ride to replace the Universe of Energy at Walt Disney World’s Epcot.

The reasoning for the announcement at SDCC is that work will commence on the new additions by the Fall, far before another D23 Expo arrives in Anaheim next summer. In fact, Disney would like the new Guardians-themed Tower of Terror to be open by then.

The cast of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is slated to be at the panel, making it an opportune moment to promote the movie and possibly announce that they are coming to Disney Parks.

12/4/14 Marvel News Mash-Up (Vision, Full-Length Star Wars Trailer with Avengers?, Darth Vader Coming)

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

First Good Look At “Vision” From “Avengers: Age Of Ultron”

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A picture of a promotional movie poster has leaked online for Avengers: Age Of Ultron and we get out first good look at Vision as one of the new team members. I definitely couldn’t be happier because they made the look of Vision very faithful to the comics. Growing up, Vision was always my favorite member of the Avengers and I’m so glad that he will be in the movie and that he looks great. Also glad to see Captain America finally wearing a good costume and that his ears are finally showing (maybe lose the chin strap or paint it blue).

Here is a photo of Vision concept art that leaked months ago and it matches the movie poster:

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First Official Trailer (Not Teaser) For “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” To Appear Before “Avengers: Age Of Ultron”

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By now, most people have seen the teaser trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. And as awesome as that teaser was, it didn’t reveal much of the plot. Teasers are just that, they tease us and just give us quick flashes of a movie. A trailer on the other hand is usually 2 minutes or more and gives us some idea of the plot and what to expect from the movie. According to /Film.com, they were informed that the first official trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will be attached to the movie, “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” on May 1st, 2015. Age Of Ultron will be Disney’s second larges film of that year and it makes sense to introduce Disney’s largest film of that year, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. Cross promotion marketing working at it’s best!

 

“Avengers: Age Of Ultron” Set To Have Stars Return For Re-shoots

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Even though filming for Avengers: Age Of Ultron completed months ago, some of the stars are being asked back to film some re-shoots in London early next year. According to DailyMail.com, Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Paul Bettany (The Vision), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Tom Hiddleston (bad-guy Loki) have all been asked to make themselves available over a two-week period in January to film additional scenes at Pinewood Studios. Interesting that Chris Evans (Captain America) is not on the list. Total speculation on my part, but it could mean that maybe they are filming additional scenes to introduce one of these two characters (I can dream, can’t I?):

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Preview Art For Marvel’s New Star Wars Series “Darth Vader”

star-wars-darth-vader-1-alex-ross-674x1024The cover above is from my all time favorite artist, Alex Ross. It’ really great to see him doing so many Star Wars covers lately. 🙂

Dark Horse Comics had been publishing Star Wars comic books since the 80’s and they have done an excellent job with the franchise. Many Star Wars fans, myself included, were worried when Marvel got the rights back to the Star Wars comic book franchise that it wouldn’t match the quality of what Dark Horse Comics had done. But looking at this preview, I would say they are on the right track.

Marvel.com recently provided an exclusive preview of the upcoming Darth Vader series.

Ever since Darth Vader made his first on-screen appearance, he became the one of the most popular villains to ever haunt an audience’s dreams! Now, follow Vader straight from the ending of “Star Wars: A New Hope” (and the pages of the new STAR WARS comic book) into his own series, showing the Empire’s war with the Rebel Alliance from the other side! Writer Kieron Gillen and artist Salvador Larroca bring us a peek behind the mask of evil!

ISSUE #1 – 48 PGS./Rated T 
$4.99
ISSUE #2 – 32 PGS./Rated T 
$3.99
On sale in February 2015!

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Here is a preview for two variant covers for Darth Vader #2:

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Guardians Of The Galaxy Animated Series Coming To Disney XD In Early 2015

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Originally announced at this year’s New York Comic Con (NYCC), “Guardians Of The Galaxy, The Animated Series” is set to premier on Disney XD in early 2015.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will follow the adventures of Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, who teams up with Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora and Drax the Destroyer to protect the universe from its greatest threats.

Here is some test footage of the series from this year’s NYCC:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLAU6jF0qwY]

Dad Dresses As Spider-man To Wish His Son A Very Special Birthday

 

 

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In a video posted recently on to Youtube, Jayden Wilson’s dad, Mike Wilson, dressed up as the comic book hero Spider-man to ensure that his son, who was diagnosed with having a grade four brain tumor in September last year, had an extra special 5th birthday.

The video captures Mike Wilson, dressed from head-to-toe in a Spider-Man costume, jumping from the top of the family’s roof and in front of a shocked Jayden.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLzZlwON9EM]

Source: Independent.com.UK

Emily Blunt Talks About Fan Interest In Her Playing “Captain Marvel”

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Even before the movie Captain Marvel was announced, many comic book fans had their top actress picks to play the character. One actress I thought of, especially after seeing Edge Of Tomorrow, was Emily Blunt. What not to many people know is that Emily Blunt has been courted by Marvel several times to be in a superhero movie. She was the first choice to play Peggy Carter in Captain America and was also the first choice to play Black Widow. Maybe the third time is a charm.

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Recently during an interview with Screen Crush Blunt was asked about playing Captain Marvel:

SC: Are you aware of the Internet buzz surrounding you playing Captain Marvel?

EB: Somebody told me about it this morning! I knew because my brother told me.

SC: People want you to play Captain Marvel.

EB: Which is kind of amazing. What’s she like, though? I don’t know anything about her. What’s it like, this character?

SC: She’s great. She’s witty and strong. That’s why people keep bringing your name up. They don’t want a boring actor. A lot of personality.

EB: Oh, cool.  They call it fan casting?

SC: Yes.

EB: Which is lovely. It’s my favorite kind of casting! I wish it was always like that.

SC: Maybe they can make ‘Captain Marvel’ a musical now that you’ve done ‘Into the Woods.’EB: [Laughs] ‘Captain Musical Marvel.’ Let’s just call Marvel about that right now. We’ll call Kevin Feige about that. “Kevin Feige, we have one hell of an idea.” Yeah.

SC: But in seriousness, it does appeal to you?EB: I think, it’s always for me, it’s always about—and now, more so—what am I putting out there? What would be interesting for me and what would be interesting for people to see. So, if it’s an awesome part, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Marvel movie or a tiny movie, I’d be up for it.

SC: You’d be a hero for every 10-year-old girl out there right now. There’s no Marvel female superhero who has her own movie yet.

EB: Really? That’s huge. How awesome. I love this. No one has actually called me about it, so, we’ll hold our breath. [Laughs] I don’t know if I’ll get the call ever if I pitch it should be a musical.

 

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!

Guardians Of The Galaxy Blu-ray And DVD Gets An Official UK Release Date

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

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Today Marvel UK announced that Guardians Of The Galaxy will be coming to Blu-ray and DVD on November 24th. We still have not heard from Disney or Marvel regarding the official US release date but recently the director, James Gunn, tweeted that the Blu-ray and DVD will arrive on December 9th. That tweet, as seen below, was immediately taken down. I’m not sure if that means that Disney and Marvel were not ready to announce the US release date or maybe it will come a little earlier to coincide with the UK release.

Yep. #GuardiansoftheGalaxy Blu-Ray out Dec 9. Huge amount of extras & commentary. Order it now.

James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 25th, 2014

The UK versions will be available in a 3D/2D combo pack, single Blu-ray, single DVD or a Limited Edition Steel Book (3D/2D Blu-ray), which can be purchased at Zavi.com.

Here is the official announcement from Marvel UK’s Twitter Page:GuardiansMarvel UK also released some box art for these two editions.

UK 3D/2D Blu-ray Combo:

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UK Limited Edition Steel Book (also 3D/2D Blu-ray):

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Here is the cover art for the upcoming US releases. Both versions are available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

US 3D/2D Blu-ray, Digital HD Combo Pack:

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US Blu-ray:

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From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team–the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits–Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand–with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

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!

“Guardians Of The Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1” debuts at #3 on Billboard chart

WDWNT on September 5, 2014

Marvel Studio’s latest cinematic hit Guardians of the Galaxy is not only top of the box office, but is also climbing high at number three on the Billboard charts with its soundtrack album, Awesome Mix – Vol. 1.

The album, a joint project from Marvel and Hollywood Records, was released at the end of July and features classic soft rock and pop tunes from the 1970s include Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” and The Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb” and is a major plot point for the film.  It is currently number 3 on the Billboard chart and has shifted over 60,000 albums based on data available from Nielsen. The album has also topped the iTunes Soundtrack charts in over 22 countries as well has gaining the top spot in the overall iTunes album chart.

Marvel and Hollywood Records are also teaming up with Spotify to launch “My Awesome Mixtape Vol. 1” which riffs on Star-Lord’s cassette from the film and allows Spotify users to create their own awesome collection of new and classic hits using Spotify’s 25 million strong catalogue as the ultimate pick list.  Budding Star-Lords or Groots can build their own tape at http://awesomemixtape.marvel.com/.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1, is available now physically or digitally wherever music is sold.

My Awesome Mix, Vol. 1 connects you with Spotify to make your own classic mix tape.

My Awesome Mix, Vol. 1 connects you with Spotify to make your own classic mix tape.

 

Star Lord & Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy To Appear at Villains Unleashed

WDWNT on September 5, 2014

If you’ve seen the hit film Guardians of the Galaxy, you undoubtedly know all about “Awesome Mix Vol. 1,” a mix tape of retro-1970s gems given to Peter Quill by his mother. Well it appears that “a mysterious gang of villains has stolen that prized cassette, and Peter Quill – you may know him as the legendary Star-Lord – is on his way back to Earth on a mission to retrieve it.” At least this is the backstory Disney is giving for the “Guardians of the Galaxy” Awesome Mix Tape Dance Party now scheduled as part of the “Villains Unleashed” event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 23. The dance party will be held in Stage 5 in the Animation Courtyard (Disney Junior: Live on Stage location). Disney is promoting that the Star Lord and Gamora characters from the film will be making an appearance to retrieve the “tape” during the party. This will make the pair the very first Marvel characters to appear at Walt Disney World. image So, have you been convinced to buy a ticket yet?

9/11/14 Marvel News Mash-Up

WDWNT on September 5, 2014

Guardians Of The Galaxy Becomes This Year’s Highest Grossing Domestic Movie

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I definitely was one of the doubters when this movie was first announced. I knew very little about the super hero team that contained a walking tree and a gun crazy talking raccoon and figured Disney was scraping the bottom of the barrel with it’s Marvel properties. Disney took a big risk, casting relatively unknown actors, and an unknown director, but in the end somehow it all worked and paid off.  According to Box Office Mojo, Guardians Of The Galaxy (GOTG) has become 2014’s highest grossing movie with a domestic gross of $284 million well on its way to reaching $300 million. It’s foreign gross is $273 million with a cumulative global gross of $557 million. Disney’s next gamble is with Big Hero 6, which is another Marvel property that very few have heard of.

Here are the top 5 domestic grossing movies for 2014 year to date courtesy of Box Office Mojo:Capture

 

Marvel Not Involved With The Promotion Of Big Hero 6

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Speaking of Big Hero 6, if you have seen the trailers and the posters for the movie, the name Marvel is nowhere to be seen, even though this is a Marvel property. Part of the reason is because the movie and the comic book share the name of the team, but very little else. It was decided jointly by Disney and Marvel that the characters from the Big Hero 6 movie would not be part of the Marvel Universe. In the comic, the characters and the overall mood are darker. Two main characters, Sunfire and Silver Samaria, do not appear in the animated movie. These characters have both appeared in the X-Men and Wolverine movies, who’s movie rights are owned by Fox. Recently while being interviewed by Comic Book Resources, Marvel’s Editor in Chief, Axel Alonso, confirmed that there are no plans for a comic book tie in. Alonso said, “The characters and stories that have appeared in our comics are very different from what they are in the film. Releasing material that would be viewed as movie tie-in product would be a disservice to film goers. We wanted the Disney folks to be able to create their own unique style and story, unencumbered by those older stories.” As you can see in the above image,  there is a big difference in Disney’s interpretation of the heroes and Marvels original design. Big Hero 6 is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 7th, 2014.

Stan Lee Confirms That A Black Panther Movie Is In The Works

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While attending Fan Expo Canada, Stan Lee was available to answer questions regarding a possible Black Widow spinoff movie with Scarlet Johansson. “We haven’t made a Black Widow movie but she’s been in some of our movies, and she will be featured more prominently as we move forward,” Lee said. “And the chances are she will have her own movie because eventually all the superheroes are going to have their own movies. They are already working on Ant-Man, Dr. Strange and the Black Panther and there are others I am not allowed to talk about.” So he kind of let the cat out of the bag that they are indeed working on a Black Panther movie. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the character in 1966 and the Black Panther has the honor of being the very first black super hero to appear in comics. One of the locations that was used in the upcoming movie Avengers: Age of Ultron was an area in South Africa. It’s possible that this could be used to represent the fictional kingdom of Wakanda, which is the kingdom of the Black Panther. In the comics, the Black Panther protects his kingdom from invaders by using his powers that give him animal like characteristics and super human strength. The Black Panther eventually becomes a member of the Avengers.  Nothing has been announced but it’s very possible that the Black Panther may make his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

Al Pacino Wants To Be In A Marvel Movie

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Recently Al Pacino was attending the Venice Film Festival and declared his love for The Guardians Of The Galaxy movie. Deadline.com was able to interview the actor and he explained to them why he felt that the movie was, in his words, “a most entertaining, inventive, beautiful film.”

Pacino said, “It was not something I would readily go see, but my kids got me to go, and one has to draw the line at where prejudice starts and where it ends — that was good stuff!” He had even more praise: “I recognized the ingenious stuff they were doing; the invention, the attractiveness of the way they were performing it. It had Shakespearian feeling to it at times. I was caught up in the big screen, the great sound
” So, would he do the sequel or another Marvel movie if one were to come his way? “I would do anything that I could understand in terms of how I fit in it. And you know, of course if I could fit in it. Anything’s possible. You know, I did Dick Tracy and I got an Oscar nomination, so come on. I mean, what can I say?”

I was with him until he reminded me of Dick Tracy. Still if they can find a character that he is suited to play, I’m sure it would be fine. Wouldn’t mind hearing him say, “I know it was you, Loki. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!”

Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice Kneels Before Captain America 3

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The biggest battle of 2016 was supposed to be who would win the box office when both Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice (BVS) and Captain America 3 were to open on the same day. Originally BVS was to be released in 2015 but due to script issues, it was pushed back to May 6, 2016. After the success of Captain America The Winter Soldier, Disney and Marvel announced that they planned to release their sequel on the same day. So the two big questions were 1) Who was going to win the box office weekend? and 2) Which one would blink first? In this game of Chicken, Captain America won because BVS eventually moved its release date to March 25th, 2016. Each company wants to make the most bang for their buck and more than likely the release of two big movie on the same day would hurt the box office for one if not both of the movies. If I had to chose who would have won that day, I would have bet the farm on BVS. As much as I love Captain America, it would be a no brainer for me to see BVS first. And even though personally I think that Warner Brothers could have thrown a dart out of the window and struck someone that would be a much better Batman than Ben Affleck, I can guarantee you that I will see that movie at least 3 times. This is the movie that most comic book nerds have been waiting for all of their life. I was kind of hoping that they would go head to head because I really think that Disney/Marvel were going to surprise us and have Captain America 3 be Captain America Vs Iron Man. Maybe.

First Look At Variant Covers Of The New Thor

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That girl has some big arms and tiny little legs. This October Marvel will debut the new Thor. Prepare for an all-new era of the God of Thunder as a brand new female hero explodes into the Marvel Universe! The great hammer Mjölnir lies on the surface of the moon, unable to be lifted by anyone in all the heavens – even the Mighty Thor! Something dark has befallen the Thunder God, leaving him unworthy and unable to lift his magic hammer. With an army of Frost Giants invading Earth, the Odinson may not have the strength to stop them – and the hammer will be lifted by an all-new Thor! A mysterious woman unlike any Thor we’ve ever seen before!

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Marvel Releases Variant Covers To Support Bullying Prevention

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Marvel has teamed up with the organization STOMP Out Bullying to help promote anti-bullying awareness. “The center of Marvel’s storytelling history is the eternal struggle between good and evil, with many of its greatest Super Heroes having to contend with — and rise above — bullying, in all its forms,” said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics. “We are proud to join forces with STOMP Out Bullying on its important bullying prevention awareness mission. We hope that all our fans take a moment this month to educate themselves on the need to stop bullying among our youth by checking out the free resources STOMP Out Bullying has to offer.” These special covers will be available in October which is National Bullying Prevention Month.

Amazon And Disney Battle Over Home Video Profits

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This story is not necessarily Marvel related but more Disney related. A few months ago, I noticed when the Captain America: The Winter Soldier (CATWS) Blu-ray became available for preorder on various sites, it was not available on Amazon.com

Amazon decided not to accept preorders for Disney titles, including CATWS. Amazon also refused to promote the movie as well as other Disney owned movies. Amazon has had similar disputes with Warner Brothers because they wanted more of the profits from the sale of movies on their site. I usually order my movies through Amazon so it was a bit of a surprise that they were not carrying CATWS but it seems as though it really is only hurting Amazon since most people, including me, preordered from different sites. Similar to what occurred with WB, Amazon made the preorders available for CATWS one week before release. So now you can preorder the title on Amazon but for many its to little to late. Still don’t understand the logic behind it because if a person wants the movie they will get the movie from another retailer. No agreement has been met between Amazon and Disney so expect future titles from Disney like Maleficent not to be available for preorder unless an agreement is made.

I did notice that Marvel.com has a special offer, if you want to call it that. If you preorder or purchase CATWS at Marvel.com you are entitled to order an exclusive plush figure. One for $34.99 or all three for $99.99. They actually look nice but they would be nicer if they were free. Wishful thinking.

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier will be released on various home formats on September 9th, 2014.

That’s all 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