Just around the corner now with a release date of May 2020, Marvel's upcoming Black Widow prequel has released a teaser trailer. The trailer was decent for what it was. It was basically a quick intro to the characters Natasha will meet back up with from her past. Enough to get me a little more intrigued than I was in the first place. Red Guardian seems to be one of the most interesting aspects for me. If they don’t make him a complete joke, he looks like he could be a lot of fun. For me this really hinges on the what & when. I can't pinpoint exactly when this actually takes place. Which will mean a lot, but really takes second place to the what. Because I'm not thinking the actual what of this film, but what it will have to do with the future of the MCU? Much like Captain Marvel, a good prequel has major effects on the now & beyond. I'm wondering what that will be with this? Something here should heavily influence the now & beyond. That's actually my biggest excitement from this film. Good character intro teaser though. Not much on substance, but it’s a teaser. I will say this though, they’re really going t ok have to come out the booth to make this a Marvel film, & not just another spy film. What are y'all's thoughts though? Put ‘em in the comments, like, & share.
James Gunn Will Partner With Feige To Oversee Marvel Cosmic Universe
Before the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 we talked about James Gunn taking up Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. We also went on to mention how that would be the beginning shape of things to come in the Marvel Cosmic Universe. I took that as this, but apparently I jumped the gun. According to Collider yesterday, in an interview with IGN Gunn has revealed that he will work with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to oversee the future of the entire Marvel Cosmic Universe. As I said, I kinda thought this was a thing already. It's confirmed now though, & I think it's awesome. Guardians have become my favorite entries in the Marvel Universe. Which is strange considering out of all the comics I get every week, I've never really read Guardians. I have to thank the X-men crossover Black Vortex for giving me the limited amount of Guardians of the Galaxy knowledge I do have. I used that knowledge to win the soundtrack at the opening of Volume 2. Anyway, are you pumped about this James Gunn revelation or do you think Feige was fine on his own? Let us know in the comments, like & share.
Marvel Next Three Movies Have A Synopses
According to Superpoweredfancast.com, Marvel has released the synopses for their next three upcoming films. Here they go:
Thor: Ragnarok (Nov. 3, 2017) - Thor’s world is about to explode in Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok. His devious brother, Loki, has taken over Asgard, the powerful Hela has emerged to steal the throne for herself and Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe. To escape captivity and save his home from imminent destruction, Thor must first win a deadly alien contest by defeating his former ally and fellow Avenger… The Incredible Hulk!
Black Panther (Feb. 16, 2018) - After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakandan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
Avengers: Infinity War (May 4, 2018) - As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
Not to much to make a big deal about here as they all seem pretty par for the course if you've been keeping up with the MCU. The Thor trailer gives us basically what we got out of the teaser, while Infinity War basically sums up the path we've been going down. Out of the three, I probably feel like I actually learned something from The Black Panther. That's probably because this is the only one that is a "first" movie, & we don't really know much about T'Challa, save the taste we got in Civil War. Any thoughts on these synopses? Let us know in the comments, like, & share.
Thor: Ragnarok Gets International Trailer
The international trailer for Thor: Ragnarok dropped today, & all in all it's nothing to get excited about if you've already seen the domestic trailer. It's basically just the domestic trailer with all the humor stripped away. So what you get is a way more serious looking Thor film. Either way the movie still looks great. You still get the idea, Hela's out to destroy Asgard, Thor's on another planet having to play Gladiator, & he's fighting to get back & make a stand for Asgard with his usual cadre of companions. Now with more Hulk. That missing humor really put this over in my opinion though, so Ima just go with the domestic. What to you think? Let us know in the comments, domestic or imported?
Could We Be Closer To A Marvel TV & Marvel Movies Crossover?
Kevin Feige has always addressed the Marvel TV universe is part of the Marvel Movie universe, but complications scheduling between the two worlds stops that from happening. In an interview with io9 when asked if a character on TV 100% means they will not be in the cinematic universe Feige replied, "Not necessarily." The future's a long time. So, the truth is, I don't really know, but there are a lot of TV shows being made, & hopefully we'll continue to make a lot of movies. At some point, there's going to be a crossover. Crossover, repetition, or something." Now some people are getting out of this that a TV/Movie crossover is basically happening now, but he didn't act like this was anything on the table in the foreseeable future. I really can't get over the doubling back after saying crossover though. He repeated, then made sure to add repetition or something. To me that just seems to point more to seeing someone else picking up the role like DC is handling their TV & Movie universes over at Universal. What do you think this sounds like? Leave it in the comments, like, & share.
Stan Lee's Cameos In The Marvel Cinematic Universe Are What?!?
It's been an ongoing theory for awhile, one that I've actually thought would be really cool, is that Stan Lee is actually Uatu the Watcher. Uatu watches Earth as part of a race of cosmic beings that appear to oversee major events throughout the galaxy. WARNING THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2. This theory was acknowledged in a conversation with Screen Rant by Kevin Feige in which he said, "Yes, we always thought it [the theory] would be fun. Stan Lee clearly exists, you know, above & apart from the reality of all the films. So the notion that he could be sitting there on a cosmic pit stop during the jump gate sequence in Guardians was something very fun..." Apparently, & this was a spoiler for me too as I still haven't seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Stan Lee appears in a space suit talking to the Watchers. It takes some reading in between the lines, but it's being strongly hinted through all of this that, yes, Stan Lee is Uatu the Watcher. Feige went on to talk about James Gunn having the idea & loving it. They had taken it out, but put it back in at the last minute, a spot where Stan Lee references the time he was a FedEx agent. That referencing his cameo in Captain America: Civil War.
Feige Teases More Howard The Duck
1986's Howard the Duck has gone down in history as one of the worst movies of all times. However, I was 6 at the time so I loved this movie. It still has a place in my heart even though it has been universally panned. Making it an even bigger surprise when Howard the Duck made an appearance in the post-credits of the first Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm not the only fan of Quack-fu apparently as according to Movie Pilot at a press conference for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Kevin Feige was asked about what's in the cards for Mr. the Duck. Offering no concrete response he gives a vague, "You know, the fun thing about Howard is he shows up where you least expect him, so like who knows where he's going to appear next?" So nothing major, but he definitely left the door open for the possibility. I'm down, as long as we keep it more in touch with the source material this time around. Do you want to see more Howard the Duck in the MCU? Let us know in the comments, like, & share.
Kevin Feige Talks Infinty War, Avengers 4, & Beyond
At one point Infinity War was to be two parts with both films being shot at the same time. Then, it was let out that Avengers 3 would be subtitled Infinity War while 4 was untitled. They would still be shot at the same time. Now, in talks with Collider, Kevin Feige has announced that Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers 4 will now be separate shot movies. After part 4 was no longer Infinity War pt. 2 I kinda figured this would be announced a long time ago. It's a very hard undertaking for everyone involved, & usually has mixed results in the long run. So why do it if the movies don't slide right immediately into each other? That wasn't the biggest part of the interview though. When Collider's Steve Weintraub asked about the future of the MCU in Phase 4 Feige's response included, "Certainly as we get to Infinity War there is a sense of a climax if not a conclusion to, by the time we're at the untitled Avengers 4, the 22 movies that will have encompassed the first three phases of the MCU. And what happens after that will be very different. I don't know if it's Phase 4, it might be a new thing." He goes on later to add, "We have an idea, & it's going to be very, very different." It's that last sentence that really sticks to me. Very, very different. I've only got two guesses. One, this seems to e going into a "cosmic" direction making me think there's going to be a much bigger Sci-Fi aspect to the future. With the additions of Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, & the notion of Guardians Vol 3 kicking this new phase off I might not be that far off. My other guess is the "Avengers Initiative". There was a time when the Avengers thought they wouldn't be enough. The "Avenger Initiative" basically made almost everyone in the Marvel Universe an Avenger on call. Who knows though I could be wrong on both fronts. What do y'all think? Any guesses into the future? I'd love to hear them & talk about them with ya. So leave 'em in the comments & let's get the discussion going.
Director Scott Derickson To Return For Doctor Strange 2
While talking to Dateline about his new series Locke & Key for Hulu, director Scott Derrickson made known he's expected to return for Doctor Strange 2. This is awesome for me. Mainly because I think the first Doctor Strange was not only one of the best superhero origin stories to date, I also think it contained one of the best endings out of all the Marvel universe. Not only that, but you could tell where it ended up with Baron Mordo that it looks like Derrickson still has some story left to tell us. What're your thoughts on Doctor Strange, & are you excited for Scott Derrickson's return to the helm? Let us know in the comments.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Soundtrack Out & James Gunn Talks Adam Warlock
I loved Guardians of the Galaxy, but even more so, I loved that soundtrack. Awesome Mixtape Vol 1. was a return to something I hadn't done since I was a teenager. The day after leaving the theater I had to have it. Then my little girl made our official song Hooked on a Feeling further cementing it's importance in my life. I mean,that music should've got a title credit on the poster as it was a performance just as critical as the cast. Hopefully that wasn't lightning & it can strike twice. Awesome Mix Vol 2. was released, & I'm trying my hardest not to pick it up yet. As with most soundtracks I don't want to hear the music until I get it in context with the movie itself. It's not like I haven't heard these songs anyway. Here's the track list though, & through the songs I'm familiar with, I can't wait to see where these fit in:
- My Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
- Fox On The Run - The Sweet
- Lake Shore Drive - Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah
- The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
- Bring It Home To Me - Sam Cooke
- Southern Nights - Glen Campbell
- My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
- Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) - Looking Glass
- Come A Little Bit Closer - Jay & The Americans
- Wham Bam Skang-a-Lang - Silver
- Surrender - Cheap Trick
- Father & Son - Cat Stevens
- Flashlight - Parliament
- Guardians Inferno (Feat. David Hasselhoff) - The Sneepers
In other Guardians related events though, James Gunn revealed to Slash Film that Adam Warlock was originally planned to be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. This made sense as in the comics Adam Warlock was tied to one of the Infinity Stones. At one point there was even a pretty big rumor that Warlock might have been used in the films as Starlord's father. Now we know that part goes to Ego the Living Planet played by Kurt Russell. I'm thinkin it's a pretty safe bet now though, that Adam Warlock probably has a part in the works for Vol 3. I'm sure it'll be awhile before we know for sure though. Anyway, what do you think about the soundtrack or some future Adam Warlock action? Let us know in the comments, like, & share.
Captain Marvel Has Found It's Directors
That was not a typo that is plural. A Variety exclusive reports the team of Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck will be joining star, Brie Larson in directing Captain Marvel. As far as I know, I don't even remember hearing these on the list. They've worked together on a handful of movies I've never even heard of before. The most notable seems like Missippi Grind. Then there's Half Nelson, It's Kind of a Funny Story, & Sugar, mostly indie films it seems. This makes me a little nervous, but if Marvel Studios saw something in them, I didn't know who the Russos were either. We all know what they've done with Captain America. So what do you think? Nervous or not? Have you seen any of these films listed above? Let us know in the comments.
James Gunn On Again To Write & Direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3
This is the spot where Marvel would've just wrote 'Nuff Said. However, instead James Gunn took to Facebook to announce this more vividly than I've.... Nevermind that, let's just say if there was award for Greatest Anouncement Ever James Gun would've just received it. You can tell how passionate he is for this franchise. To me however, the best segment of this whole announcement was:
"Much of what's happened in the MCU for the past ten or so years has been leading, in a big way, to the Avengers' Infinity War. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will happen after all that. It will conclude the story of this iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and help catapult both old & new Marvel characters into the next ten years & beyond. I will be working side-by-side with Kevin Feige & the gang to help design where these stories go, & make sure the future of the Marvel Cosmic Universe is as special & authentic & magical as what we have created so far.
Wow. I don't know what got me excited more about those statements, starting the next chapter of Marvel, helping to shape the future, or just the term Marvel COSMIC Universe. Either way, right when I thought it was safe to think that the Guardians Vol. 2 anticipation was about to be quenched, this happens. Now I've got another 10 years of this at least. Guess I've gotta keep taking my vitamins & eating my Wheaties. Leave a comment, like, & share. Let us know what you think of James Gunn being around for awhile.
