A Beginning And An Ending...

                                                         

So there's news on the the Marvel front...

Rumors are circulating hat the character of Black Panther will make an appearance in "Avengers 2" when it comes out in the summer of 2015: The Year Movie Theaters EXPLODE with awesomeness.  There's also a rumor that Marvel will replace Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in that film since he's been conspicuously absent from any of the other films.

The first rumor seems to have something of substance behind it since officials in South Africa have been quoted as having conversations with Marvel scouts about location shooting. It could be true, but since Wakanda is a fictional country on the Continent of Africa there really is no need to shoot there between numerous locations and CG technology.

The other rumor is less substantiated since it's based on simply the lack of any scenes of Renner in the Captain America or Thor sequels.  Jeremy Renner was known to have been unhappy with the development of his character in the film, and wanted the chance to portray him more, but it's unknown if Marvel is unhappy about his being unhappy.  Rumors are that the character will be recast for the film, or recast and made available for the new "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." television series.  Until concrete news is announced I'd take this rumor with a huge grain of salt.  It could happen, but so Galactus landing on Earth and destroying it.

I'll believe it when I see it.

That being said, the first rumor has some weight to it since there seems to be plans for a "Black Panther" film moving forward.  Many sites (Latino Review, etc.) have been stating that T'Challa would be developed as one of the films in Phase Three.  But then, with the news about a possible "Doctor Strange" film it makes for a clearer picture of what we can expect from a P3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  So if these two projects become legitimate films we know that each phase is 5-6 films.  After "Avengers 2" we know that the beginning of the third phase is "Ant-Man".  So doing a little analyzing we can get a clearer picture of what MCU3 will look like:



Avengers 2 (End of P2)
Ant-Man
Doctor Strange ?
Black Panther ?
Captain America 3 ?
Thor 3 ?
Avengers 3 (End of P3)



So, if this is how it might look then it shows you that there are only two slots for returning characters.  The most obvious choices for films are Captain America and Thor.  It also makes it relevant as to why there might not be a need for a fourth Iron Man film if Marvel wants to introduce more characters.  There's only so many slot available, and Kevin Feige doesn't want to dilute he brand by having too many films.

Since there are a lot of characters that are yet to be seen, the studio is probably willing to let Shell Head take a more backseat role.  It doesn't mean there won't be an "Iron Man 4", but it does mean it's less likely.  Unless there happens to be a time when Feige feels that they can release three films in a year.  Which just seems unlike right now, but things could change.  But for now, we might have a clearer picture of what Marvel Studios has for a third narrative in this vast universe.  But what about another "Hulk" film?

Now, lets not get too far ahead and start focusing on Phase Four...

Dark Metal...

The Iron Knight Returns...







The third and last (as of now) time Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark may be a shade different...

The other day someone leaked what sounds like the trailer for Marvel Studios "Iron Man 3" would be like. It seems to follow the tone of what some our saying about this third outing for the billionaire/philanthropist-vigilante/hero. It's going to be a darker, more harrowing tale of the comic character. Not so much, as following Stark down the neck of a beer as in "Demon in a Bottle," but as in watching a character take a stroll down a road where everything he has is stripped away from him.

Kevin Feige has sad as much when he was talking about taking Tony Stark back to that cave we saw him in the first film. But from what I hear, I don't think people realize how far into that dark hole he actually means. From what I'm hearing, this film will be closer to "The Dark Knight Rises" than "Avengers." While I don't believe it'll actually be that dark, I believe it'll cross over into territory near it. If you've ever read or seen the comic/motion comic "Extremis," then you'll realize that this Iron Man isn't going to be making as many flippant jokes.

We're going to see him brought back to what makes him who he is. And considering he's just seen an attempted alien invasion of Earth, things have changed. How could your world not be altered after experiencing something like that? And with Shane Black in charge and no writer's strike this time, I expect a script worthy of the actors in this film. I've made no attempt to hide my belief that this film could be the best of all three Iron Man films, and I'm certainly more interested in seeing it that the second outing of Marvel's God of Thunder. Black taking over the directing of the franchise is a primary reason why I feel that way (Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang is awesome, and the reason Downey got the role of Tony Stark in the first place).

So now we wait to see a trailer showing us the third installment of the film that started Marvel's foray into the control of their own filmic destiny. The chances that we'll see RD Jr. in an Avenger's sequel is a little higher now that the company has shown a willingness to re-up Joss Whedon for that film. Will they sign him for just "Avengers 2," or another round of Iron Man films? That's a question I don't think even Tony Stark knows the answer to.

But I do believe it's going to be a dark journey toward the light for this character, and this Disney division's future films...

Guardian's New Guardian...

If this isn't good, Feige will be blacklisted...





So Marvel's newest film gets a new writer...

The original draft of Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" was by Nicole Perlman, who has written a few stories about space, but being as GOTG has a lot of humor in it, the Marvel Suits intent for a draft by someone with those talents.

Enter Chris McCoy, a talented screenwriter with a known ability to instill his prose with wit and quirky humor. He's been on Hollywood's Black List three times over the past five years, and that's saying something. Although none of his projects have made it to the screen, his work is highly in demand, and it appears that his take on the superhero group will be the first credit to make it to the silver screen.

Kevin Feige knows his source material and he and the inner circle at Marvel tend to have a great knack for finding the right people to translate it to film. Hiring someone like McCoy shows that they're willing to look in alternate areas for talent to tell their tales.

Now they just have to find the right director...

Villains Too/Two For 2...

Of thunder and rock and roll...




In a few Months, "Thor 2" starts production in England...

Unlike many in the Marvel Universe, Thor doesn't have a large rouge's gallery of villains. Characters like the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man or the X-Men have a great deal more respected and credible villains, the Norse god's enemies are not as well known. There are a few that might wind up being potential opponents in a cinematic environment.

While Loki is the most known/best foil to Thor, several other villains could play a role in the upcoming sequel. Many are asking what villain will confront the Norse god in the new film? Who could the actor hired to play him be portraying? Well, he could be playing Atum, the God Eater, a being created to consume the gods. Or maybe Desak the God Slayer of an unnamed world. Then again, Ego the Living Planet might be him, but doubtful. Kryllk the Cruel a Asgardian Troll Leader? All are possible, but I don't believe any are the villain.

In fact, if you look at the actor cast to play the lead villain, he bares a striking resemblance to a certain villain that has been a pain in Thor's side since the 80's. Mads Mikkelsen is a very tall, lean actor with piercing tiny eyes. He's capable of playing a villain with cold blooded intensity. He's a charismatic Danish actor and has a Scandinavian appearance that would go with many of the villains that come from Norse mythology which Stan Lee adapted into comic form. Out of all these villains, one seems to stand out.



Malekith the Accursed.

For those of you that don't know who he is, Malekith is the ruler of the Dark Elves in the Asgardian Nine Worlds. And his story would work with Thor 2 taking place mainly within the other realms of Thor's chronology. Since we know that Loki would play a part in the film, it also makes sense. Because in the stories, Malekith makes a pact with Loki that involves him ruling the lands of Asgard and could bring about an epic adventure that could lead to a truly "Lord of the Rings" type film for "Thor 3" if they follow the Surtur storyline. Who is Surtur? Click on the link and see the Walt Simonson run on the book as well. We now know that Thanos won't be in this film, so there won't be a plot line involving The Infinity Gauntlet. But perhaps Thor's sequel will feature The Eternal Flame? Now, if some reporter will just ask Kevin Feige this question we can see if he tries to squirm out of answering it.

But if all this turns out to be true then the sequels to Thor could be a quite interesting and radical direction that differentiates Odin's son from the rest of his underwear wearing friends on Earth...

Luxo In Tights...

With "The Avengers" ready to pass a billion dollars by the end of the weekend Marvel Studios has become an amazingly successful studio...

The only other current studio with that track record is the Lamp. Pixar, is similar and different at the same time, but the success model of control, and the autonomy to create their own projects is something that they share. To be fair, they both have different content: Pixar creates original properties that become pop-culture stories and Marvel takes pop-culture properties and creates original stories. Both are well written and follow a focused plan for success.

The many division of Walt Disney Studios operate almost as separate kingdoms (no pun intended) within a larger kingdom. The irony of this is the crown jewel, Walt Disney Pictures (the live-action division) is the one division that is run by the old Hollywood model. It's also the one which is the least successful in terms of hits, both critically and financially. And it's lead by... no one really. As of right now, it's a rudderless ship adrift in a sea of high concept confusion. The failed experiment that was Rich Ross is now gone. Hopefully, Sean Bailey will get the nod to take over in the near future if Iger wants to make a smart move. He's a smart guy and with the right amount of autonomy could generate some positive creativity at the Mouse.

While at the other divisions, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar have John Lasseter to guide it, Marvel Studios has Kevin Feige to lead it to the current state the comic book company finds itself in. I'm not saying that Feige is as creative as Lasseter, but he is as business smart and as deeply concerned about the characters and stories that he tries to bring to the silver screen. Disney's last division, Touchstone Pictures is essentially a label used to distribute DreamWorks films, and those are controlled by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider respectively.

All this has come about with what are many of Marvel's second tier characters. Since the heavy hitters like "Spider-Man," "X-Men," "Fantastic Four" and "Daredevil" are controlled by other studios, the studio has been limited in the direction they can take their stories, but that direction has followed a laser like focus. I try and imagine how films of the Web-Head, Mutants and Super-powered Misfits would be handled if Marvel actually controlled their presence on the screen.

I wonder if Bob Iger is somehow trying to work out deals to end all, or at least most of the agreements made with other studios for Marvel properties? If the buyout of Paramount Pictures was worth the investment, after the Avengers is it worth it to attempt to take back control of other properties? I can only imagine how a "Fantastic Four" film under the Marvel Studios banner would look compared to the weak attempt that Fox tried to make. With the disappointment of the latest "Ghost Rider" film, that property will likely fall back to Marvel just as the Punisher has now done. Spider-Man and X-Men could take a decade or more unless Iger is able to pull together a business deal that will make sense both financially and legally.

But with at least two Marvel films a year for the foreseeable future, it looks like we're going to get used to seeing men in tights for a long, long time. We have "Iron Man 3" and "Thor 2" in 2013 and "Captain America 2" and an untitled Marvel film (Uhhhant-man!! Excuse me) in 2014. The first film that will be coming out in 2015 will likely be "Avengers 2" and at least one other film later in the year. Maybe after the success of this superhero team, the Hulk will get another chance to shine in his own film again? And may I ask that Joss Whedon write the script since he seems to get the character better than previous versions. But the future looks bright for the Marvel way.

And being a DC Guy, that says a lot...

Marvelous World...

Excelsior...



Earlier in the week Kevin Feige let slip his desires for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...

In an article between the pages of the newest issue of D23 he gave a few nuggets as to where he hoped to go:

"We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. — all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films."

This along with the other projects in development (Dr. Strange, Runaways, ect.) mean that as the young upstart studio moves further into the decade, we can look forward to a wider and greater expanded collection of stories. This also helps buttress some of the reports that I was getting concerning a desire to develop a S.H.I.E.L.D. franchise sans the men-in-tights. I'm still trying to find out if that proposed animated series has gotten any further along the line than just a broad concept. An animated S.H.I.E.L.D. series on Disney XD featuring the right cast of characters could/would be awesome.

I know that a "Dr. Strange" film would be quite interesting, but the person best suited to direct it is too busy at this time. Guillermo del Toro you need to offer yourself up for a cloning experiment. Hopefully they can get him to at least write the screenplay with his writing partner like he's doing for "Haunted Mansion."

"The Runaways" could work as an interesting piece that moves toward a lower demographic, age-wise, I mean. It's got a very healthy cult following and with the right script, cast and director, would be an interesting departure for the Marvel universe.

As for "Black Widow," I will admit that she's a character I don't know as much about or really follow. Scripting chores should not go out to the people that gave us "Electra." "Hawkeye?" I'm game for anything with Jeremy Renner(Uncharted, anyone?).

Hopefully this expanded universe will continue expanding and expanding and expanding...

Black Opportunities...

Now this is the kind of rumor that makes a fanboy feel like he's died and gone to Comic-Con...

The Hollywood Reporter is saying that among the short list of directors to take the place of Jon Favreau is Shane Black. Not only to direct the film, but possibly write it as well. The writer-director is said to be meeting with Marvel and is on the short list of people that are being considered for the job. PLEASE, please, please let this happen, Black is one of a few people that would be perfect for this deal. His ability to write smart, funny scripts filled with action would make him an ideal choice to helm the third adventure of Shellhead. It would also reunite Black with Robert Downey Jr., with whom he worked on the wonderfully fun, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang." That film was one of the early works that got Downey back on track after his rehab and let the actor shine in his performance. If Marvel Suits like Kevin Feige are smart, they will lock this deal asap because it's simply too good to be actually be true.

Almost as if it were a tale straight out of a comic book...

Weaving Black Widow...

Widow, Black Widow...







And the possibilities just keep multiplying...

We all knew there were many characters to have the opportunity to exploit, but what appears to be happening is a build up to the "Avengers" film and then a build out from there. There's a really nice interview with Kevin Feige over at MTV's Splash Page. But the important quote is this:

"We've already started discussions with Scarlett about the idea of a solo movie and have begun putting together concepts," Feige told reporters, adding one very important caveat: "'The Avengers' comes first."

So the plans for Marvel Studios keep getting broader. As of now, the plan is for two movies a year as of 2013. That said, if more of these characters keep going through development then we may see a year where three Marvel films will be out before the middle of the decade. And remember, as of that year all the films and sequels that are distributed by Paramount will be solely under the Mouse. Of course, with the notable exceptions licensed by Fox and Columbia. In addition to these projects you have all the animated series, possible greenlighting of live action series and the upcoming Marvel Shorts, not to mention the internet series. It's going to be a Men-in-Tights decade for sure.

Developing...

Cinematic Shielding...

And the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands...

While we're going to be treated to several different films coming out over the next few years with major Marvel characters, there will be several that make cameos so as to gauge the interest of fans for possible new tent poles. Several minor characters will get their own, lower budgeted films. Shorts will be another way to get these unknown or relatively unknown characters before the public. But in the major films like "Iron Man" and more importantly, the Avengers we're slowly getting introduced to a continuing character that threads many of these plot lines.

Nick Fury.

Now, that isn't just to introduce him. It's to introduce who he works for: S.H.I.E.L.D. We've seen this organization work in the world of Tony Stark and soon the world of Thor will encounter it as well. Then in two years we'll get to experience it even further in the Avengers. Now, that film is THE big film for Marvel right now, but it's also an introduction. A starting off point for this organization. And if the powers that be get their way, it's going to be simply a doorway into another franchise with that secret organization. Kevin Feige has a nice interview over at MTV's Splash Page that has an interesting quote:

"I think the answer is yes," said Feige. "I think S.H.I.E.L.D. could be it's own franchise. I think, frankly, 'The Avengers' is going to be told from that point of view more so than any of the other films at that point, so we're going to get an inside look [at how S.H.I.E.L.D.] operates."

As we mentioned in the post: "Shielding Disney," there are those that have been looking at characters in the Marvel library that really want to play up this concept into a fully blown franchise. Of course, all depends on how Earth's Mightiest Heroes do at the box office. If they slay it, then the development process that is already going on will move into fast gear. But don't expect to see a movie about this secret spy organization before 2014 even if it is greenlit. Now, the animation series on the other hand could come sooner if everything holds together. But when you see all the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and technogadgetry that will be on display, don't think it's just there for background purposes.

It's there as a greeting card...