The Dark World Of Television...

There seems to be a lot of collusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...

While DC Entertainment seems to be still struggling to make their plans solidify, Mighty Marvel marches on.  The newly started DC Cinematic Universe will extend only to films, while their television shows both animated and live-action are two other separate worlds. Marvel Studios on the other hand, seems to be including most of their live-action as one whole universe. While letting the animation department be its own world, it too though has influences with the MCU.

Many of you saw the announcement that an upcoming episode of "Agents of Shield" will tie in directly to the latest Marvel Studios film, "Thor: The Dark World".  This also stands to reason that the upcoming Marvel Studios film, "Captain America: Winter Soldier" will also play an important role in the series should AOS get a green light for a season two.  Even more so when "Avengers: Age of Ultron" rages across the screen.  It turns out it was a good thing making Marvel's first series a part of the MCU. Or maybe it was just unbelievable luck? Either way, there appears to be a lot more of it coming down the line.

With the monstrous deal signed with Netflix, Disney has placed on Marvel into an even broader playing field with even more platforms to distribute their brand.  And the shows appear to be connected to the main universe as well. Which means, we might see crossovers with other shows and possibly even additional movies.  It appears they've adapted a strategy for television similar to their successful film plan.  While Marvel Studios started out with Ironman and built up various characters until they had a group that could form the Avengers, these television heroes are each building until they become a group of their own, "The Defenders".  Television-sized of course.

Starting off first with Daredevil, then Luke Cage, Iron Fist and ultimately Jessica Jones, these grittier heroes will embark upon an area of the Marvel Universe not seen so far.  It will also be the introduction of Marvel's first superhero characters with secret identities. Something that the films avoided so far.  Unlike DC with their "Arrow" series, their "Flash" spin-off series, or their upcoming Hour Man show, these characters will be in the same universe as The Mighty Thor and The First Avenger.  There might even be a tie-in/crossover with Agents of Shield.  Although that could prove difficult since the AOS series is designed as a family show, and these four series (+miniseries) will be of at least a slightly more mature content than offerings on networks.  It's an exciting time right now for Marvel fans, comic book fans, and geeks in general.

It's hard for a DC Guy like myself to say, but Marvel really is doing a pounding on the former National Periodicals right now...

Steel Relevant...

Another featurette is out for the "Man of Steel" has been released...

This one is much longer than many of those two or four minute presentations that focus on a specific part of the film.  This one clocks in at almost fourteen minutes.  And there's plenty of new footage to drool over till you get the chance to see the film.  Take a look and prepare for Warner's DC plan to compete with Disney's Marvel strategy.

If Bunny Suits are smart then they're preparing more adaptations instead of just waiting to see if this Superman reboot is a success.  There are plenty of characters to be getting ready for film, and "Green Lantern" shouldn't keep them from moving forward.  The problem is they've got to have the right strategy and the right person to guide it.  Maybe it's time they put David Goyer in the advisory role on the DC Cinematic Universe the way Joss Whedon is on the MCU?

And hire someone to start adapting a film about a guy that gets a lot of chemicals spilled on him that make him move incredibly fast.  I'm mean, really, we all know that another Batman reboot is coming, but there are other great characters besides the Alien and the Vigilante.

Just a thought...

Hat Tip to Comic Book Movie.

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...

A Rising Tide Lifts All Ratings...

It's not very often a trailer for a television show generates this much hype...

But this is no ordinary television show/series.  It's got connective tissue to the biggest blockbuster film of last year.  That alone means that the S.H.I.E.L.D. trailer would get a lot of buzz.  The fact that it also comes from the director/writer of that show, and he directed and co-wrote the pilot is another major reason eyeballs will not only be on this tease for the series, but the show as well.

Joss Whedon has moved from talented writer, to cult creator, to frustrated genius, to blockbuster film maker over the past decade+.  It's about time that people outside Whedonesque got note of the amazing work this storyteller can do.  Avengers let him burst forth onto the silver screen with a vengeance  and now he'll have an opportunity to blend the D.N.A. of that film into the television world.

The viral campaign for the show has also kicked into high gear with the launch of the We Are The Rising website.  Not much is there yet, but as we move closer to the launch of the series you can expect more content to be added.  The network has a lot riding on this show.  And so does Marvel.  It's their first big jump into live action series.

But it won't be their last...

A Badge Required To Enter S.H.I.E.L.D...

During tonight's episode finale of "Once Upon A Time", the Mouse is going to tease us...

But until then we have this peek at what the show might be from the app Vine. The ABC Suits are going all out with hyping this show.  I'm sure that Joss Whedon must be happy to have the support for his fledgling, new show.  The Fox Suits just never gave the support for "Dollhouse" when it was on the network.  I've never understood why a broadcaster will invest millions of dollars in a show and not properly try to promote/expose it to the public.  But Hollywood is filled with stories such as these.

Watching that makes you have to wonder who will show up on this show....

Agents Access Granted...

Your authorization has been activated...

As if they'd want to feel the repercussions of the newly uber-powerful Joss Whedon, the programming heads of ABC have green lit his new television show, it just hasn't been made official to the public yet.  I know, shocking news.  But now fans can look forward to Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." on the network schedule.  Mid season or fall slot?  The announcements have been planned for today, with a major publicity event for Sunday.  Whether it happens exactly then or not, it the series will go forward.

A large marketing campaign will commence shorty afterward, leading up to the broadcast.  Expect a big roll out when the series debuts, and something that Whedon has always had trouble with: support and a prominent  time slot (sorry "Dollhouse").  Having the success of that little film last summer has given him a lot of wiggle room to have his way.  And with the exposure of the series of very popular superhero films, it'll have a great chance for people to see the show about a top secret organization officially set in the MCU.

Will there be more series that he watches over?  Doubtful with his busy schedule.  There's only so much time the man has between sleep.  It's not like he's Guillermo del Toro.  Jeph Loeb will be the guiding hand behind Marvel's ventures on the small screen.  Whedon has a lot of plates twirling in the air right now with the biggest coming out in 2015.  But we'll go inside the secret organization before then.

How deep we go, only Joss knows...

UPDATE:  The Hollywood Reporter is saying that it's official.  And as we mentioned, you'll get your first look at the show on Sunday night at 8pm.  The official presser:

Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. 

Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

They haven't announced if it's for fall or a mid-season on the schedule.  We won't have to wait long though.  ABC will announce their fall schedule on Tuesday.

A 2, A 3, No 4...

Artwork: HD Wallpapers. 

So negotiations for the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark are ongoing...

But with a twist.  It appears, as of now, that his agents are negotiating for him to play a role in "Avengers 2" and "Avengers 3" as part of an ensemble.  But no plans yet for an "Iron Man 4" are being discussed.  It could be that RDJ feels like all that can be said, has been said in solo adventures.  Does this mean there will be no fourth adventure of Shell Head?

Not necessarily, but it could be that Downey feels it's time for other characters to have their part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Plus, being a part of a movie means he doesn't have to carry the entire load of the film.  Should it happen, fans would still get to see Stark played by the actor through the end of Phase Three.  He might even negotiate a cameo in one of the other films so as to make him feel a part of the universe still.

But a fourth Iron Man may not appear till Phase Four if current talks are the direction the actor/studio is heading in.  And if that is the case you can expect someone else with the goatee and mustache by then.

Now that is a part in need of a hero...

Third Time's The Charm...

He is Iron Man, again... 

So we finally have the first trailer for next year's last film for Marvel Studios...

And it looks great, awesome even.  "Iron Man 3" has been highly anticipated by me, mainly because of the director/writer attached to helm it.  Shane Black has been around Hollywood for three decades, but only recently got into directing.  Primarily a writer (creator of the "Lethal Weapon," etc.), Black made his directorial debut with Robert Downey Jr.'s comeback film, "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang," which I loved.

The announcement that he was directing the film, as well as co-writing the screenplay was what perked up for me.  I believe that this film could be the best of all three of Tony Stark's adventures in celluloid, but that's just me.

It appears that this, along with "Thor: The Dark World" are both offering more grandiose adventures that will expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Success has a way of making one bolder, and this trailer makes the film feel like a larger take on the superhero world.

Now, if they want Downey back for another film(s), then they should back the Brinks truck up to his house...

A Dark World, A Bit Brighter...

God of Asgard, and rock and roll...

With each passing week, more and more information comes out about the God of Thunder's return...

Marvel Studios has finally released a more comprehensive description of Thor 2, aka: "Thor: The Dark World."  Read it below:

Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s “Thor” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, “Thor: The Dark World” is directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Kevin Feige, from a story by Don Payne (credit not final) and screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (credit not final) and is based on Marvel’s classic Super Hero Thor, who first appeared in the comic book “Journey into Mystery” #83 in August, 1962.

“Thor: The Dark World” is presented by Marvel Studios. The executive producers are Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Craig Kyle and Nigel Gostelow. The film releases November 8, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Ok, so it's not a great deal of news, but it does flesh out the story somewhat.   It does give us a peek outside the curtain toward the direction that the screenwriters and Marvel plan on taking the character in this, and future films.

Looking forward to climbing further up the branches of Yggdrasil...

Roll Call...

Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

Well, we finally are starting to find out about that new Joss Whedon series...

The one that he's doing for Marvel Television, of course.  Whedon has been a cult hero to television viewers for a long time, but he never quite was able to translate that into a transfer to the big screen, until "The Avengers" happened.  And even when it comes to tv, he's never had the power of a J.J. Abrams until now.  With his new blockbuster cred, he's going to be able to get what he wants, how he wants, and the patience that Suits have with him will be much greater.

While "Buffy" was a very entertaining series, it's never been a staple in my viewing habits.  "Angel" was a natural spin-off of that show.  "Dollhouse" had a great premise, but didn't quite live up to that with the actual show.  Now, "Firefly" is a wonderful little jewel that was sadly overlooked.  Will this new show allow him the opportunity to explore territory he's wanted to go, but couldn't because of studio interference?  It's going to be interesting seeing the details of this S.H.I.E.L.D. series unfold as each month goes buy.

So  TVLine got their hands on a list of the main characters in the series and put it out for all Whedonesque viewers to see:

SKYE | This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm. AGENT GRANT WARD | Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you. AGENT ALTHEA RICE | Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged. AGENT LEO FITZ and AGENT JEMMA SIMMONS | These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/10/01/joss-whedon-s-h-i-e-l-d-casting/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

• Skye – This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm.
• Agent Grant Ward –  Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you.
• Agent Althea Rice –  Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged.
• Agent Leo Fitz and Agent Jemma Simmons – These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

Now, the line up of characters are definitely the archetype that Joss works with, and you can see the resemblance to some of the roles in Firefly.  There's even a joke going around now that he's basically redoing that beloved show and setting it in the Marvel Universe with different names.  But, I'm sure this show will have plenty of originality and creativity when we finally get a look at it.

SKYE | This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm. AGENT GRANT WARD | Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you. AGENT ALTHEA RICE | Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged. AGENT LEO FITZ and AGENT JEMMA SIMMONS | These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/10/01/joss-whedon-s-h-i-e-l-d-casting/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

SKYE | This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm. AGENT GRANT WARD | Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you. AGENT ALTHEA RICE | Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged. AGENT LEO FITZ and AGENT JEMMA SIMMONS | These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/10/01/joss-whedon-s-h-i-e-l-d-casting/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

Now we have to wonder when Agent Nathan Fillion shows up...

Natural Selection...

I just hope it's not a musical...




Well, it didn't take long before we found out what that Marvel Television series would be about...

Today the story broke that the Marvel television series that Joss Whedon would guide for broadcast on ABC will be based on the secrective government organization ran by Nick Fury. S.H.I.E.L.D. does seem like an obvious choice for the show which will be based in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (I still believe people will be confused by shows like "Hulk," which will not be canon.).

For those of you that have been following Blue Sky Disney, we broke news of this possibility two years ago based on info from a couple of our Bothan spies. Of course, it was still in a very early stage, and the Suits at Disney/Marvel had no idea what the form would actually be, but the idea had been floating around.

With Joss Whedon producing/writing it with his brother, Jed Whedon and collaborator Maurissa Tancharoen, the show looks to have the makings of the most prominent series Joss has ever created. His budgets won't be cut like on "Firefly," and his time slots won't get shifted around like other series of his. The profits from "The Avengers" will have many of those problems as the winds at his back.

And with him writing and possibly directing the pilot, helming that little sequel, and having a hand in the story lines of Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two, it appears that he's on his way to competing with J.J. Abrams for pop-CULTure icon of the 21st century. Is there anyone out there that can't also see Nathan Fillion all in black as a hardened Shield agent fighting against the powers of Hydra? Perhaps he'll be a bridge to the film series and appear in both? From Browncoats to Black Suits? It could happen.

Marvel certainly is firing on all cylinders right now...

Path To Valhalla...

What you call magic and science, for us are one in the same...





With the recent announcements of casting on the God of Thunder sequel, the story is finally, unintentionally being unwrapped...

Just thinking out loud here. Not that everything is going to happen, but when you look at a map you tend to have an idea as to where something is headed. The characters involved in the film tend to give you a hint as to where the story takes you. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje being cast as Algrim, a powerful Dark Elf that eventually becomes the character Kurse, kind of tells you what will happen. Let us explore the possibilities, shall we?

Malekith manipulates Algrim into fighting Thor, and ultimately becomes a character called Kurse, but in the end he realizes that his real enemy is Malekith. I won't bring into this equation that the Beyonder turns him into Kurse, since that would mean he would be in this sequel - I doubt that will happen.

But with recent news that Kat Dennings will be returning along with Natalie Portman, we know that some part of the real world will make it into this film. So what you can imagine is Portman and Kat's characters will probably get drawn into another realm: the Dark World, the world of the Dark Elves, known as Svartálfar.

This will likely be some trick that Malekith is using to capture Thor. His weakness for humans, and for Jane Foster specifically is the reason she's used for bait. Algrim will be used as a tool to kill Thor and at some point he'll be turned into Kurse to help finish his mission. And as always, Malekith will likely be trying to either take control of his world, or less likely Asgard. To do this, he's going to need some form of power (Casket of Ancient Winters, anyone?) and naturally, someone will be there to give him the tool to achieve his goal. Of course, there will be a price for that power. That price is the death of Thor. Now who would want that? Loki, naturally.

Is this right? Could this be the plot line for the script for "Thor: The Dark World"? Probably. But until we see a trailer it's all speculation and theory. But based on the casting, it has some merit. Each day a page turns, each month another chapter is revealed. And slowly, this dark world gets a little lighter. Now, this brings into speculation another part of Marvel's Nordic mythology that one wonders could be part of this film. Will this story lead up to Surtur for the third film, because that would be truly epic.

And we won't know for sure until the credits roll...

Whedon Cinematic Universe...

Now, about that rewrite of Cap Am 2...








Bob Iger announced the news geeks have been hoping to hear for months...

Joss Whedon is signed for "Avengers 2." And not just that, but he'll develop a television show set in the MCU, likely the one we heard about last week. Now, Iger didn't reveal any details other than the fact that Whedon would be back. You have to expect the Mouse has got Whedon signed, because to announce that without the ink being dry wouldn't be very smart. And Iger is a very savvy businessman.

Along with being in charge of "Avengers 2," it also means that he'll likely have some say in the Second Phase of Marvel's films, and that is really good news. Joss knows comics, he knows characters and he knows story. So he'll like help guide the narrative of the scripts as they move forward towards the second Avengers film.

Now, if he'll just write that Hulk script I want to see...

The Studio Without Fear...

Born again in the MCU...




It appears another Marvel character may be coming home...

While earlier today there was talk of Marvel Studios in talks with 20th Century Fox about a character swap in exchange for an extension of the rights of another. In other words, a little longer to get filming on "Daredevil" for the rights to Galactus and the Silver Surfer (What, no Skrulls?).

But that appears to be premature. It seems that Fox is willing to let go of the Character and focus on their current reboot of the Fantastic Four. Their only interest seems to be a co-production of either a Daredevil film and/or a F4 film. And I can't image this being a deal that Marvel/Disney would be willing to do.

So if 20th Century Fox isn't filming by October 10, then the rights revert back to the Mouse, via Marvel. The Fantastic Four reboot has somewhere between a year and eighteen months before it runs out. So they appear confident that the Josh Trank's direction start over will be up by then. I wonder if Iger/Feige are crossing their fingers that this one falls apart as well? So this along with Ghost Rider will likely now be welcomed back into the Disney family. Ghost Rider hasn't officially been turned over yet, but with the box office returns of the sequel, it appear that Columbia won't be too eager to get another one going before the rights expire. And don't forget, all of Daredevil's villains revert back as well (Kingpin and Bullseye, etc.).

It'll be a while before "X-Men," Wolverine," and "Spider-Man" come home, but you can expect that Disney's lawyers will be counting down every second and making sure every word of the agreement is taken word for word. Any wiggle room to wedge these character from these contracts will be used to the limits the law provides.

But the clock is counting, and the dominoes keep falling...

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...

Meet The Accursed...

Dark villain for a dark world...









It appears they've found the villain for "Thor: The Dark World" again...

So Mads Mikkelsen's loss is another actor's gain. Christopher Eccleston is now in final negotiations to play Malekith the Accursed. That's the character we suspected was the villain of the sequel back in May (and were correct about!). Eccleston will play the Dark Elf in his efforts to be a bigger pain in Thor's side than his brother, Loki.

It appears this film will take place in other realms besides Midgard; which is a good thing. It'll be more believable to watch the God of Thunder face Frost Giants, Dark Elves and Surtur than other superheroes running around saving the planet from Thanos (by proxy). Seriously, the original script for Thor was like a superhero film set in the Lord of the Rings universe, and it was awesome as I mentioned it in my "The 5 Best Scripts Hollywood Never Made" post. If this script is even close to Mark Protosevich's script then I'll be happy.

Now if they can just get Thor to wear his helmet for more than an opening scene...

Purple Guys Rule...

A son of Titan, not a teen titan...







Those of you that have seen "The Avengers" remember the post credits...

Particularly the first one with the big guy with the purple skin. Many people wondered who that was, and I'm sure Google got a lot of people looking up the word "Thanos" over the last few months.

But for those of you that haven't seen the film (are there any?), Marvel has now released the first post credit online for your entertainment. And to sell a boat load of these. I expect we'll be seeing more of him over the next couple years, particularly 2014. And once he's defeated who else will we see fill the void?

Too bad they cancelled that "Thanos: Son of Titan" mini-series...

MCU2TV...

Excelsiorvision...






Nikki Finke's website has a nice little rumor...

I don't link to Deadline anymore (if you want it, you can google it), but they had a small blurb about what Marvel Television's plans are in the future. While a series like the Guillermo del Toro produced "Hulk" series is not set in the MCU, the Superhero Studio and the ABC Network are working on a series that will be set in the movie universe: read that it'll be canon.

No word yet on what it'll be about other than it won't be about the characters in the film, but will be in the universe of the film. So it could be about everyday people dealing with a world with super powered heroes, or a special unit of S.H.I.E.L.D. perhaps? There has been talk of a rumored animated series, but it was nowhere near being green lit. Then again, this sounds barely out of that realm as well.

All we know it that they're looking for a writer for the show. May I suggest J. Michael Straczynski? He's a great writer that's worked in comics/tv/movies and knows how to travel between those worlds. He's written entire seasons of shows, so why not let him help them build this bridge from the MCU films to the MCU tv?

Heck, maybe even get Joss Whedon since he's talked so much about his love of tv lately...

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Revealed (Almost)...

And a one, and a two...



Sorry for the delay, but it was a long day...

I thought since every website had pretty much covered the footage, discussions and teases that were revealed in the Marvel Panel yesterday, I'd try something different. With the films that Marvel President, Kevin Feige introduced we now have a very clear direction of what leads up to "The Avengers 2" with one tiny blank spot. Let's look at the path that is spread before us.

2013:

May 3

We will get the last of an "Iron Man" trilogy starring Robert Downey Jr. possibly. It's going to take some serious negotiations on Feige and Marvel's part to get him to return. I hope that they do, but they've already mentioned that the part will be like James Bond. No actor is bigger than the character, but Downey inhabits Tony Stark like no one, and it'll be hard to replace him.


November 8

The continuation of the God of Thunder, but this time we're promised a lot, if not most of the adventure will take place off of earth and in the other realms of the universe. We can look forward to more dealings with Thor's brother, Loki and another mysterious villain that has yet to be revealed, and now recast. This will be Marvel taking another chance with people having to not only believe in a race of Asgardians, but a world along the lines of "Lord of the Rings" in terms of scope. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

2014

April 4



The return of the original Marvel Boy Scout comes back to tell the story of "Winter Soldier." With the reveal of the title we can expect to see Bucky back in part two. And it also explains how we'll have some of the flashbacks. If you remember the first film, they glossed over the fighting with a montage of scenes. It looks like now we're going to see some of the battles that made up the relationship between Steve Rogers and his best friend. It will also be interesting how they fit Bucky in the modern world as well.

August 1




Marvel takes its biggest gamble yes as it goes for the stars. This is a title not as well known to audiences as others, but it promises to be a much larger scale than where we've gone before. Also with the addition of this film, it appears that Thanos will likely be seen in this film before/instead of "The Avengers 2"

Now that is what is solidly confirmed. Everything else is speculation, but based on what we've seen in the past, and what has been announced/teased in the past few days.

2015

Unless something happens that we don't know about, this will be the year that "The Avengers 2" comes out. And it's the type of film that will be a summer release. So in all likelihood it's going to be their summer release that year. Now, the main question is when will it release its other film that year? Spring, as in something like April, or fall as in something like November? That is what we don't know.



As for what that other film is? In truth, it'll probably be "Ant-Man" with all the information that has been put out there. Of course, Marvel could decide to release three films in 2014, which means this one could have a fall/winter release during the year. That way it would come out before Avengers, leaving room for one more property the following year. That property could be the one reportedly being put on the front burner, which is "Black Panther" according to Latino Review.



So if Ant-Man doesn't make it, we may get a trip to Africa. And then there is the possibility that Marvel may release three films in one year. They've talked about that as an option, but they don't want to over saturate the market with superheroes and destroy their own branding. I don't think that this will happen. Which ever one of these doesn't make it in to 2015, will likely be the first one we see in 2016. And you know what that is?

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Phase Three...

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase OMG...

The power of the Tessaract...






Now this is incredibly enticing...

The first series of films produced by Marvel Studios is coming out soon in its own geekly inspired, awesomely done boxed set and it's a sight to behold.

"Iron Man"

"The Incredible Hulk"

"Iron Man 2"

"Thor"

"Captain America: The First Avenger"

"Marvel's The Avengers"

All comprise the "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One" that you can pre-order here. I have some of these films and I still want one of these sets. It's a shrewed move by Disney/Marvel producing this collection and it'll be interesting to see how many people will be willing to put down the $219.00 (on sale for $139.96) for it. I have a feeling that even in these financially troubled times there will be a great deal of people that are still willing to pay for dreams. And these are very pretty dreams.

And being forward thinking like I am, it makes me wonder what Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two will consist of. We know a good deal already: "Iron Man 3," "Thor 2," "Captain America 2," and "Avengers 2," which adds up to four films. If the second box set consists of the same number of films, then there are two other films that will be part of it. Will we find out this week if "Guardians of the Galaxy" is one of them? Or maybe "Ant-Man" or "Black Panther" will be announced at Comic Con? We'll know soon enough. But until then, you can just salivate over these lovely little discs boxed up in pretty packaging.

Packaged dreams...