MY dream Marvel Phase 4

After the release of Ant-Man this Summer we will be concluding Phase 2 of the MCU, I decided to look forward to what I would love to see in the future after Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 & 2. After the events of those films we will be entering Phase 4, so here is what I would like to see happen during this "phase". Along with the characters I would like to see in the next phase, also, I will put up my ideal casting (current actors) even though the films will not happen for another 5+ years, I just LOVE fancasting if I am honest. The list will not be in any sort of order, just names as I spin them off from my head. This is NOT a list of what I expect to happen, this is just a list of what I would like to see. Would LOVE to know your "dream Phase 4" either drop a comment or hit us up on Twitter with who you would pick for yours.

Captain Britain

This is the ultimate dream idea for me, Captain Britain is a thoroughly enjoyable character, originally designed as the British equivalent of Captain America. While some have always seen Captain Britain as a bit of a joke, I can assure you, some of us Brits love him. It's super bad ass that we got out own slice of the Marvel pie (he is not the only one), however for me, he is one of the better British characters. My ideal actor to play Brian Braddock, would be Charlie Hunnam, huge fan of his work, can see him being a pretty bad ass Captain Britain.

I'd love to see the "Captain Britain and MI-13" arc by Paul Cornell from 2008 adapted to the big screen. I read it last Summer and it revived my love of Braddock, I'd like to think a lot of British fans of the MCU and the books would like to see this arc included in the future of the franchise.
 (There is talk Cap B, being part of X-Men universe so owned by Fox, would love confirmation if anybody knows either way, thanks in advance).





Captain America 4

For me, the best way to progress Captain America in the MCU, would be a widely unpopular choice I imagine and that is to have Steve Rogers killed off in Infinity War Part 1 or 2, having Bucky step up to fill his shoes. After Bucky takes over for Steve, I think he should go solo in Phase 4, most people will know Sebastian Stan signed a multi picture deal rumoured to be 9 films, already featuring in Cap 1, Cap 2 and filming Cap 3 (time of writing). So he has a good amount left on his contract, plus after reading some issues in which he takes over after Steve's death in the comics, I can really see even the more casual comic film fan enjoying Bucky taking over.

I'd like to see the "Madbomb" arc from King Jack Kirby himself adapted for Bucky, I know it is Cap and Falcon however pretty simple to tweak it a bit to have Bucky and Falcon teaming up to save America. While the stories started off brilliant towards the end they fell off a bit, but there is so much to take from that arc I think would be perfect on the big screen.






Guardians Of The Galaxy 3

I recently started reading the Marvel NOW latest version of Guardians Of The Galaxy I have completely fell in love with this team. The sooner this team gets on the big screen the better, and now with Sony open to Marvel using their purchased properties, there is a big possibility that Agent Venom can also join the team. My dream Guardians team up would be, Groot, Rocket Racoon, Gamora, Drax, Star-Lord, Captain Marvel, Agent Venom and Adam Warlock (who would actually be Star-Lords Dad). All returning cast, with Yvonne Strahovski as Captain Marvel, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) as Adam Warlock and Travis Fimmel as Agent Venom.

I will be honest I have read VERY little Guardians, before the film was even announced I wasn't even aware of them. Since the film though I have read some stuff, personal favourite is "Cosmic Avengers" by Bendis, McNiven and Pichelli. It's a very fun arc which I could see James Gunn doing perfectly if he were to make the third instalment, which should NOT be called "vol 3".






Thor 4

Some may dislike this idea, it is a character that conjures up many arguments, I will just say that this newly revised female Thor is outselling the previous Thor by 30%, proof in itself that she is vastly popular. I have read a fair share of the comics myself while very different to what I was used to it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. With the release of Captain Marvel in 2018 and Wonder Woman in 2017 I think we will finally get to see female characters given the screentime they deserve, plus after this years "Mad Max Fury Road" we have been given further proof that females can be equal and even more badass than their male counterparts. Personally I wouldn't choose the route they went in the comics and use the character they used, personally I'd pick Lady Sif to take over and have Jaimie Alexander continue the role.

With this character being so young, I decided to choose a Thor arc I particularity enjoyed I not so long ago read the Surtur Saga and couldn't put it down. I'd be a happy camper if we ever got to see that arc adapted to the big screen even with my complaints of Loki in recent times, I would put that all aside to see this wonderful arc by Walt Simonson which is possibly in my top 10 arcs of all time.




Spider-Man & Daredevil

This is a team up I have been dying to see since I was extremely young, I have loved Spidey since, well I couldn't even pinpoint a time I haven't dreamt about these two joining forces. As for actors I 100% back Charlie as Matt, he was superb in the first season of "Daredevil" and willing to give Tom Holland the benefit of the doubt, personal favourite choice would be Dylan O'Brien though. That being said I am excited to see Holland take on the role.

Let's be honest ANY arc in which Spidey & Daredevil team up to take down Kingpin, this is all I have wanted in the comic world.











Iron Man (barely) 4

I know this one is kind of obvious, but I feel like this is the perfect way forward for the franchise. Ty was introduced in Iron Man 3 as you all will know. I said the second I seen it that he will be Iron Man in the future, now that Simpkins is becoming a huge name Jurassic World & Insidious I can see it even more. Not sure if I see Tony stepping down or dying, I just see it making sense that Ty's character take over the mantel of Iron Man.

As for the story, really hard to say, I do not want a reusing of a previous Iron Man arc from the books (not that I am familiar with any late teen Stark arcs?). I'd rather see a completely original story used in this.


Avengers 4 (2 parts)

A vs X style story, leading into having X-Men back in the MCU for Phase 5.

Avengers consist of Cap, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Skye, Cap Britain, Daredevil, Spidey and new Iron Man.

X-Men consist of Cyclops, Beast, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Mystique, Rogue and Gambit.

That seems like a LOT of characters I know, but this stroy-arc needs a good amount of members as the book cover shows. It's a fun run, if you haven't read it I recommend it. This would be the perfect way of bringing the entire Marvel back under one banner. May be a strange way to start off a world after such a story, but I can see it bringing in a lot of fans into the MCU that aren't already here (if there is many left), it may come across as a similar approach to Captain America Civil War in the way it's clashing the heroes. That being said I can see this being Civil War and that bit more on the big screen, in the book form Civil War is better I just see A vs X making a brilliant film maybe even better than Civil War translation to the big screen.


Shows;

Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D season 8 - yes you read that correctly, in my dream Phase 4 "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D" is still alive I absolutely adore the show and can't really imagine not having it on my television weekly! By this point I'd like to see the show have a bit of shake up, more "powered" people in the team hunting down bad "powered" people.

Punisher - An origin story (prequel), build on his appearance in "Daredevil" to would have to recast Jon unfortunately while I doubt he will be anything but brilliant. I'd like to see Frank becoming Punisher told on the small screen. (Art by BossLogic)

Black Widow - Even a Netflix prequel movie, show us what the whole "Budapest" reference is all about. Obviously right now I would love to bring back Johannson. If not a Widow show I could definitely see a Widow/Hawkeye team up. (Art by SG Posters)

Blade - This is a MUST at some point in the future of the MCU especially after Marvel got the rights back I can't see a reason to why Blade should not be rebooted into the MCU. As it currently stands John Boyega has interest in playing the character so he is obviously the go to guy, he's British and young too BIG pluses for the future of Blade I think.

Ant-Man review

Genre: Action, Comedy, Superhero, Science Fiction, Adventure.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip "T.I." Harris, Anthony Mackie, Wood Harris, Judy Greer, David Dastmalchian.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG13 (US)
Runtime: 117 Minutes

Director: Peyton Reed
Synopsis: "Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world." IMDB

12 films into the Marvel Cinematic Universe can Marvel keep up their stellar track record? 

Lets start off with the cast, when the film was nearing production there was talk of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Paul Rudd being favourites for the lead role of Scott Lang, to me both were laughable ideas for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Boy was I WRONG, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang may be my favourite casting in the entire MCU, he was brilliant be it from dropping the typical Rudd jokes we're used to or actually portraying real emotion when talking about his daughter. Not only was Rudd a brilliant call, I loved the entire cast, Michael Peña was absolutely hilarious, he even rivalled Rudd in his comedic ability, Corey Stoll as Yellowjacket was also another inspired choice I mean everybody in this film was spot on in my opinion. Then we have Douglas and Lilly, who had some a wonderful father and daughter dynamic that just felt so real.

Now we have the visuals even in the modern day of the height of CG it is a bit of a baffling thought to imagine seeing a man running around underground with ants and it to not look stupid. However as ALWAYS ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) delivered some truly stunning visuals. I don't want to pick out specific scenes, because really they all stand out in their brilliance seeing him shift from man size to ant size in the blink of an eye is like something straight from the page of a book. There is also two scenes towards the end of the film I know you guys and girls will love they involve an ant and Thomas The Tank Engine (not that part from the trailer, it's even better). Marvel have done it yet again, delivered some stunning effects as they continue to do.

Image courtesy of www.Marvel.com

Onto the story, while it is not going to win awards for originality, the story was very fun I thought. Even though Edgar Wright left the project, you could still feel some of his comedic styling in the film, I'd like to know if Tomas The Tank Engine was his idea, feels like a very silly British approach to humour. While the point of the film is not primarily meant to be a comedy, however having Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Paul Rudd and Adam McKay write the script you should expect a fair few giggles and this doesn't disappoint in that sense. The film is filled with laughs, action, nods to the MCU and even heart strings pulling scenes.

The film touches on some subjects that really hit home for me, which was a nice change of pace for a superhero film. I mean we all want to relate to superheroes in our own way, I just think this felt more relatable the whole Hank and Hope relationship was wonderfully done by Douglas and Lilly, if these types of performances continue I can see an actor/actress getting an oscar nom for their work on a superhero film. Great times ahead for us "nerds" yay!

Image courtesy of www.Marvel.com

Overall, I absolutely LOVED Ant-Man it's very different from the rest of the MCU but exactly the same in some aspects. I will be straight up, I expected this to be easily the worst in Phase 2, I'd say joint second with Winter Soldier after Age Of Ultron for me and I know I gave Winter Soldier a 10 and this a 9, but I still think they are equally as good as each other if that makes sense? No, it doesn't not even to me, but I stand by it. Plus this gets massive bonus points for a certain reference to a friendly neighbourhood somebody :p. Hard to believe that Marvel have delivered again with a character hardly known outside comic readers, they have kicked ass with both Ant-Man and Guardians, here is to the future of the MCU!

9/10

Avengers Age Of Ultron review (SPOILER FREE)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Superhero, Comic Book.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, James Spader, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L Jackson.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK)
Runtime: 141 Minutes
Director: Joss Whedon

Synopsis: "When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans." IMDB

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you guys and girls may know I'm a HUGE comic fanboy not one publisher, I'm a fan of the medium of comics. So every time there is one released you know I am going to be posting about it more than most genres. This time around is no different, I went to the midnight showing of Avengers Age Of Ultron on April 22nd and it is safe to say it was the best cinematic experience of my life. If you are here and would like to read a review that is spoiler including CLICK HERE it has ALL spoilers in it.

 

The visual effects in the film were phenomenal, there was a minute or so at the beginning that felt a little off, but I think that was just me. After that the battle scenes were amazing, in my opinion second to none in comic films, it was as beautiful to watch as the action in say "Edge Of Tomorrow". There was some scenes that seem so flawlessly made that they could easily pull off being real life events. Stand out effects for me was the Hulkbuster and Ultron, both were amazing to see, especially Ultron the range of emotions shown by a completely robotic humanoid made the character that extra bit disturbing.  

As for the characters and cast, which at this point due to longevity have become one in the same really, by that I mean when I think about the characters I envision them as their live action selves and no longer their comic looks. All the returning cast are as good as they have been in previous instalments, except for Jeremy Renner, he was outstanding in his role as Clint he was really given the freedom to actually show emotion and his range as an actor. Was great to see him able to flex his acting chops, which I will be honest I was not sure he had. The biggest additions to the cast are Paul Bettany as Vision who was brilliant in what he done, but didn't have to do much due to being an emotionless android, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver his acting is as expected personally I find him to be a good actor who is really honing his skills in recent years, while his accent falters at times, it is a hard accent to pull off I find. Then we have Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch, another extremely talented actress in my opinion, she was brilliant in this too, especially in the more emotionally driven scenes then we have James Spader as Ultron the most ominous audible villain I have heard in a  LONG time, his voice just oozed evil and dominance I can say I finally understand the hype around his ability.

The action starts at an 11 in this film and only gets better, that's not to say that the story or characters miss out. The film has a solid story to it, but even more so, has some wonderful character development, you get to see sides of some characters we have not yet seen in the MCU. Really shapes up some big moments for the future of the franchise, some great moments, some gut wrenching, all together mashed into a brilliant story and progression to characters we all know and love.

The runtime does seem long beforehand, however, there is enough going on at every turn that you kind of forget how long you have been watching and that is a good thing. It's a 141 minute ride that doesn't feel as long as others that run this time.

Overall, I'd go as far as to say this is the best film in the MCU to date in my opinion, which I never thought I'd say due to my dying love for Avengers and Captain America The Winter Soldier. The film was an emotional ride from start to finish, filled with action, ass kicking, hilarious lines and character development second to none in the current MCU crop. If you are not currently into the whole superhero explosion we have had in recent years, I highly recommend starting with this or Captain America The Winter Soldier (REVIEW HERE) they perfectly personify the superhero world but also serve as "everyday" films if you will. Very happy to say Mr Joss Whedon goes out with a bang and certainly not a whimper, I'm already longing for the day he returns to the MCU in the future. I had extremely high expectations going into the film, came out with them shattered and then some, roll on Ant-Man!

10/10

 

Avengers Age Of Ultron review !!!SPOILER HEAVY!!!

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Superhero, Comic Book.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, James Spader, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L Jackson.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK)
Runtime: 141 Minutes
Director: Joss Whedon

Synopsis: "When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans." IMDB

***!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***

So I got to experience the latest instalment in the MCU, when earth's mightiest heroes reformed in Avengers Age Of Ultron.Which may anger a few of my American based followers, I apologise for rubbing it in, but you guys NEED to book tickets for this go the second you can. This review will not just be spoiler heavy, it will be a detailed outline of the films plot, read on if you are willing to learn ALL the major plot details, if not, jump to our spoiler free review!

The film starts off in the midst of a battle between the Avengers and HYDRA agent Baron von Strucker played by Thomas Kretschmann, the Avengers are after Loki's sceptre that has been stolen. Resulting in some wonderful battle scenes with incredible visuals, while a brilliant opening in itself, it also serves as a recap if you will of the powers of our beloved heroes. During the fight we get to see the two new adversaries to the Avengers they are twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, they may better be know as Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch. During this big opening fight, the less than loved by many fans Hawkeye gets a pretty nasty injury, which he survives a few scenes later. After the fight scene we get to see the first huge part of character development in the film, we see Black Widow calm Hulk back from his green rage to Bruce Banner using a "lullaby", showing there is something going on between Bruce and Natasha.

After defeating, what is made out to be modernised Nazi's it feels like, the gang returns to Avengers tower as it is now, no longer Stark tower. While there Stark realises the power that the sceptre really holds, he sees it as the answer to artificial intelligence he and Banner have been looking for, for their Ultron project (self aware Iron Man suits that patrol the earth protecting from evil), after this we are blessed with the party scene, sure to give anybody a few giggles especially the Mjolnir scene and the obligatory Stan Lee scene. While everybody is on a high we are introduced to Ultron voiced unbelievably well by James Spader.

 This is where the film really kicks into gear, Ultron attacks the Avengers in his destroyed state controlling Tony's "Iron Legion" to try and take out the team to no avail. With the sceptre being stolen the Avengers clash heads, mostly everybody with Stark for creating Ultron and being responsible for sceptre being back in evil hands. Ultron returns to the previous home of the sceptre in Sokovia to rebuild in the HYDRA base before setting out to recruit the Twins for his evil plans. Who both have deep seeded hatred for Stark due his weapons being responsible for their deaths. Working out Ultron has set his sights on vibranium the team heads to Wakanda, the teams goes head to head, after Scarlett Witch does what she does best and twists the minds of the Avengers, sending Hulk into a rampaging frenzy tearing through a city, Stark call in his Hulkbuster suit and he and Hulk go toe to toe in one of the most enjoyable fight scenes in comic film history.

After this huge rampaging battle, the Avengers have to go into hiding and Clint recommends a safehouse he knows of. The gang turn up at the farm house, which seems like a normal farm house, which it is, it's who that is inside that truly makes this farm house special. In the house we meet Clints wife, YES HIS WIFE, it doesn't end there, he has TWO CHILDREN, I'm being honest my mind was blown. It really gives depth to a character that had become very stagnant, before the film I was desperate for him to be killed off, this film changed that. They really gave him a new lease of life as a character. At the farm house, Banner susses out that Ultron will use their friend Dr Helen Cho's synthetic prototype she has been working on (mentioned previously before Tony's party, where Ultron overhears it).

Ultron plans to meld himself into the newly acquired synthetic organism, due to the newly found organism being as much "man" as it is machine, Scarlett Witch gets her first look into what Ultron is planning to do. A plan her and her brother had no clue how severe was to be, he plans to end ALL living life on the planet, this results in the twins switching their allegiance from Ultron to Avengers, or at least that is their plan. The Avengers fight to get back the synthetic body, so Ultron doesn't have the body he needs to take over the world. Once they have the body, Stark decides they should install J.A.R.V.I.S into the body, most disagree, Thor on the other hand does not, using his lightning wielding ability to literally jolt the body into life. Bringing us the incredibly great looking and wonderfully acted Vision. Thor informs the Avengers that the stone in Vision's head is in fact one of the most power gems in the entire universe, one of the six "infinity stones". During these scenes of Vision being born and the Avengers deciding he is a good guy there is a moment when he is wielding Mjolnir like it is a toothpick and it will blow you away how funny it is, how Thor and everybody else reacts.

The Avengers, now joined by Maximoff twins and Vision head out to Sokovia, where Ultron has made a device that is lifting a whole city skywards, which he plans to drop from a huge height to cause a global extinction event on par with what took out the dinosaurs. Here is where the HUGE battles commence, the Avengers fight off Ultrons army of robotic clones, Fury turns up with a S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier to help save the innocent people in the city, along with the carrier he brings his trusted Maria Hill and remaining S.H.I.E.L.D agents. At this time Ultro is inside the Quinjet shooting bullets and everything and everybody nearly killing Cap & Thor in the process, he sets his sights on Hawkeye who has ran back into the city to save a child. Quicksilver sees the immediate danger Clint and the child are in so sprints over to save them, knocking a car into the path of the bullets and saving the pair, unfortunately resulting in his own death, a death I partially expected going in but really shocked me still. After the death of her brother, Wanda, unleashes her true potential destroying numerous robots with just her emotional scream then setting out on causing the death of Ultron, which she does ripping out his "heart".

The Hulk, seeking a break from all the destruction he causes and is involved in sets a Quinjet to autopilot and just leaves, not to be seen again in the film. Tony and Thor find a way to say the city from plummeting to the ground and ending mankind after Ultron pulls the trigger on his master plan. Just when you think the last piece of Ultron is gone, we see the last remnants of him trying to escape, only to be confronted by Vision, who using his insane powers obliterates him after they converse shortly. With Ultron defeated life reverts back to its semi-normal ways for the Avengers, a few months later we arrive at the new Avengers headquarters in New York, now ran by Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Dr Helen Cho and Erik Selvig. Now with the belief in mind that the infinity stone is safe with Vision, Thor decides to return to Asgard, with the addition of Stark and Barton retiring the Avengers lose Thor, Hawkeye, Iron Man and Hulk (whereabouts unknown). Becoming a shell of what they were, not for long though.

Cap and Black Widow enter a hangar in which we see Falcon, Vision and War Machine standing there and then Scarlett Witch appears now donning a more comic appropriate costume. Forming the NEW Avengers, as Cap role calls "Avengers..." cutting out before he can exclaim assemble! Now to the part many are waiting to read I imagine, the mid-credits scene, a safe/safety box opens up to reveal a glove, a glove we us Marvelheads and comic fans alike are familiar with, a large blue hand slides into the glove we hear a voice say "Guess, I'll have to do it myself" panning out to reveal Thanos, credits roll and NO END CREDITS SCENE, so no Spider-Man scene unfortunately, it was a wonderful fake like we all assumed but kind of wished was real.

Wow! That was an awful lot of writing, and I haven't even started "reviewing" the film yet ha. So here I go with my reviewing of the actual film.

The visual effects in the film were phenomenal, there was a minute or so at the beginning that felt a little off, but I think that was just me. After that the battle scenes were amazing, in my opinion second to none in comic films, it was as beautiful to watch as the action in say "Edge Of Tomorrow". There was some scenes that seem so flawlessly made that they could easily pull off being real life events. Stand out effects for me was the Hulkbuster and Ultron, both were amazing to see, especially Ultron the range of emotions shown by a completely robotic humanoid made the character that extra bit disturbing.  

As for the characters and cast, which at this point due to longevity have become one in the same really, by that I mean when I think about the characters I envision them as their live action selves and no longer their comic looks. All the returning cast are as good as they have been in previous instalments, except for Jeremy Renner, he was outstanding in his role as Clint he was really given the freedom to actually show emotion and his range as an actor. Was great to see him able to flex his acting chops, which I will be honest I was not sure he had. The biggest additions to the cast are Paul Bettany as Vision who was brilliant in what he done, but didn't have to do much due to being an emotionless android, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver his acting is as expected personally I find him to be a good actor who is really honing his skills in recent years, while his accent falters at times, it is a hard accent to pull off I find. Then we have Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch, another extremely talented actress in my opinion, she was brilliant in this too, especially in the more emotionally driven scenes then we have James Spader as Ultron the most ominous audible villain I have heard in a  LONG time, his voice just oozed evil and dominance I can say I finally understand the hype around his ability.

The action starts at an 11 in this film and only gets better, that's not to say that the story or characters miss out. The film has a solid story to it, but even more so, has some wonderful character development, you get to see sides of some characters we have not yet seen in the MCU. Really shapes up some big moments for the future of the franchise, some great moments, some gut wrenching, all together mashed into a brilliant story and progression to characters we all know and love.

The runtime does seem long beforehand, however, there is enough going on at every turn that you kind of forget how long you have been watching and that is a good thing. It's a 141 minute ride that doesn't feel as long as others that run this time.

Overall, I'd go as far as to say this is the best film in the MCU to date in my opinion, which I never thought I'd say due to my dying love for Avengers and Captain America The Winter Soldier. The film was an emotional ride from start to finish, filled with action, ass kicking, hilarious lines and character development second to none in the current MCU crop. If you are not currently into the whole superhero explosion we have had in recent years, I highly recommend starting with this or Captain America The Winter Soldier (REVIEW HERE) they perfectly personify the superhero world but also serve as "everyday" films if you will. Very happy to say Mr Joss Whedon goes out with a bang and certainly not a whimper, I'm already longing for the day he returns to the MCU in the future. I had extremely high expectations going into the film, came out with them shattered and then some, roll on Ant-Man!

10/10

MCU rumours Spidey, Doctor Strange, Civil War & Ant-Man

There has been several rumours that have surfaced over the past week or so relating to the future of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, they can be perceived as VERY spoiler heavy, the details came from the guys over at JobLo. DO NOT continue to read if you do not want to hear about these POSSIBLE spoilers for the upcoming films.

***!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***

Firstly, lets get to the rumour about Ant-Man, details have emerged that there will be two fights between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket. First of all they will be inside a suitcase that is falling to Earth from a helicopter, while inside the suitcase they will be dodging various objects within the suitcase on will be a mobile phone. The second fight which will be the final fight of the film will take place in Scott Lang's daughters bedroom, in the fight the hero and villain will show case their abilities to shrink and grow, also in the fight an ant and Thomas the Tank Engine with be enlarged to giant-sized proportions.

Secondly, we take a look at the details that have surfaced about Captain America: Civil War, the third instalment in the Captain America films within the MCU. According to the report, the film is simply being called "Civil War" in house, meaning the higher ups at Marvel see this as more of an Avenger 2.5 if you will and not necessarily a Captain America film, which is a good thing in my opinion. The film will feature an A star list of heroes, with names likes of War Machine, The Vision, and Ant-Man being reportedly involved with Iron Man's side of the conflict, while on the other hand Black Widow, Hawkeye and Falcon siding with Cap. Scarlet Witch is also said to be appearing in the film, whose side she will be on is currently unknown, along with her appearance, Black Panther is set to appear in the film and will NOT be used to fill Spider-Man's role open from the comics unlike most reports have suggested. Black Panther will appear, serving his own purpose, what that is we do not know as of yet. As for an appearance from your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, his involvement or lack of involvement is being kept very hush hush, so he my well appear, however in my personal opinion, I do not think he will appear. He may be referenced in name, but his first appearance will be his solo film in 2017.

In regards to villains in the film, Baran Zemo will be making an appearance (likely being played by Daniel Bruhl) along with Zemo, Brock Rumlow played by Frank Grillo will be making the step from Brock to his Crossbones persona. Which will include a modified version of his skull mask that is said to more like a mask/helmet hybrid with skull graffiti on it. The rumours also state that Crossbones is responsible for causing the massacre that leads to the Superhero Registration Act which sparks the conflict amongst the Avengers. This is not the only reported factor in causing a rift between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, partial lies with Winter Soldier and Steve's relationship with him, who will also appear in this film.

Within the report we also found out that The Falcon played by Anthony Mackie will be rocking a modified costume, that will have a red and grey colour scheme similar to his look in comics. Hopefully somewhat like the picture above, Ant-Man is set to look exactly the same, but is expected to show his ability to go "giant-man mode" at some point.

Thirdly, the reports gives us some information on the upcoming Doctor Strange film starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role. The report says that Strange's physical look will be directly inspired by his comic appearance, including his red cape (for people unaware with his look picture below).

The suit will obviously take on some modification as to fit into this MCU world we already have established, with a shorter collar and some sort of vest piece. Villains in the film will be Dormammu and Baron Mordo, it is being said that Dormammu will be leading an army of "Mindless Ones" with lots of action taking place in-between dimensions and in the Astral Plane, the visual effects aim to be comparable to Inception.

If even HALF of this comes to be true, I will be incredibly happy, some of the ideas coming out in this report are amazing. Will add a great dimension (pun intended) to the MCU, great time to be a comic book fan

Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. to tie into "Avengers: Age Of Ultron"

Entertainment Weekly are reporting that a future episode of "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D." will tie into marvels "Avengers: Age Of Ultron", the film is releases next May which is roughly when the season will end.

“You should expect something,” executive producer Jed Whedon tells the outlet. “The Avengers is the big tent that all the franchises play under. Obviously, we’re included in that.”

“I don’t think any movie has the potential to impact us in the way that Captain America 2 did,” executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen says, “but there will be connections.”

Guardians Of The Galaxy review

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction, Comic, Superhero.
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Djimon Hounsou, John C Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro.
Year Of Release: 2014
Certificate: 12A (UK)
Runtime: 122 Minutes
Director: James Gunn

Synopsis: "A group of space criminals must work together to stop the fanatical villain Ronan the Accuser from destroying the galaxy." IMDB

So here we are, Marvel's riskiest project? Or was it? In my honest opinion "Iron Man" will forever be their riskiest taking their own money and creating a film based on a character that wasn't their most successful in comic form. However, Guardians is a close second in the risky business category, I'm a pretty big Marvel fan myself (self proclaimed) and I had never heard of the Guardians until the time it was announced their was a film being made, since then I began to read up a bit and my excitement exploded.

While being said to be a part of the MCU Phase 2, you would also be able to watch this film as a stand alone and enjoy it just as much. The film doesn't get itself stuck into the intermingling movie crossovers like the rest of the MCU has done, actually unlike 95% of the MCU taking place on earth, after minutes into Guardians we are thrown deep, deep into space to not return to earth. The Avengers had hours and hours of pre story to the characters when the film was being made, Gunn had to create back stories and bring a team together in one film, an incredible feat which he seemed to do with ease while it took the MCU 5 films at roughly 10 hours, Gunn done that within 2.

The cast does and absolutely (inter)stellar job, yes I said interstellar, I used that pun deal with it ha. The entire cast is on their A games though, Pratt as Quill is one of the best castings in any MCU film since the franchise started his charismatic, funny, relate-able in a way portrayal of Peter Quill was incredible. Zoe Saldana as Gamora may seem like a bit more of a simple task, however her femme fatale badassery is second to none in recent years, however it is the rest of the Guardians who truly shine. Bradley Cooper absolutely steals the show as Rocket, his quick witted retorts and emotional completely really bring more than the gag of "oh a talking Racoon" to the screen and really create a character you care about. Dave Bautista really comes into his own, his performance is far superior to his previous straight-to-DVD displays, he really made Drax his own as for Vin Diesel as Groot there is not much you can really do with "I am Groot" however he still gives the characters a charm of his own. 

The film is easily Marvel's most beautifully stunning film, I can imagine George Lucas watching it thinking "if I made Star Wars today, I would win ALL the awards". I truly think, Gunn has changed the game completely when it comes to comedic based Comic adaptations, the tone of the film jumps between truly emotional to laugh your socks off to science fiction insanity, truly making Gunn a blockbuster director to keep an eye on. The soundtrack is another success by Gunn, it is by far the best I have ever personally heard blending incredibly with the gritty and beautiful cinematography.

Overall, the film was an incredibly fun watch filled with laughter, action, good acting and a solid story to boot. Which in the comic world you rarely get the whole collection, usually get a two out of four, however Gunn delivers potentially the best comic film of all time, some will argue the best. For me it's easily up there with the best, Chris Pratt gets to put his comical side on show and he delivers a great performance. You will laugh your ass off throughout while enjoy the beautiful visuals and great character development from the start, has a very Star Wars feel about it. Okay, I'll say, it is the modern Star Wars, it's more than just a comic film it's a space operatic, and Gunn should be insanely proud. I would LOVE him to board all the main Marvel based films that use space and give the Russo Brothers the earthly based films, this would result in the greatest film franchise ever in my opinion.

9/10

Daniel Bruhl joins Captain America: Civil War

Before I get started on this small piece, I just have to say, EVERY time I see that ^^^ banner my heart skips a beat. I still can't believe we are getting Civil War! Anyway, back to why we are here, according to reports Daniel Bruhl has taken a mysterious role in the upcoming "Captain America: Civil War", Kevin Feige spoke about the casting;

"With Daniel's ability to deliver intense, nuanced performances, we knew we had found yet another great actor to share the screen with some of our biggest heroes," he had to say.

Other reports are also suggesting that he has signed on to not just feature in "Captain America: Civil War" he has also signed on to feature in "Doctor Strange". The main name being tossed around is he could play Red Skull, how? I do not know, however, I do kind of like the idea of it. That is if Hugo Weaving will not return, if he will then I'm sorry Mr. Bruhl no Red Skull for you!

James Gunn talks Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 and Infinity War!

In a recent interview with MTV, James Gunn spoke about how "Guardians Of The Galaxy 2" will NOT pave the way for the upcoming "Avenger: Infinity War Part I & II". Check out what he had to say;
 

"I don’t feel beholden to that stuff at all," Gunn said. "I think it's really about the Guardians and what they are doing. We're not subservient to the Avengers. 'Guardians 2' is not a movie that's made to move toward 'Infinity War.' It's something that's made to move toward future cosmic movies, so I don't feel that that is something that affects me that much."

Gunn told Sky Movies that he and Marvel had "talked about all sorts of possibilities for a crossover," and that he knew "what the basic plan is... it could always change at any minute."

"That could or could not include a couple of Avengers and a couple of Guardians meeting up, or all of the Avengers and all of the Guardians," he added during the July interview. "But, we do inhabit the same universe and they're pretty big personalities that are likely to, at some point or another, run into each other."

Peggy Carter confirmed for Ant-Man???

A couple of months back Latino Review were reporting that Peggy Carter played by the incredible Hayley Atwell would be making an appearance in Marvels upcoming "Ant-Man", seems like that rumour has been confirmed with Project Casting putting out a casting call that reads like this;

Casting directors are looking for an actor to work as a stand-in for the actor Haley Atwell. Haley Attwell is 31, 5’7 and 112 pounds. She is best known for her work in stage productions such as A View from the Bridge, and in films such as Cassandra’s Dream, The Duchess, The Pillars of the Earth, and Captain America: The First Avenger. In addition, casting directors are looking for a body double that meets certain requirements.

FIRST TV spot for Marvel's Agent Carter

Anybody else excited for "Agent Carter"? I KNOW I am, I am already a huge fan of "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D." so having their chronological predecessors on the screen is amazing. Check out the first TV spot for the upcoming ABC show here;

Chadwick Boseman IS BLACK PANTHER!!!

After COUNTLESS fancasting throughout the entire Internet, Marvel have official cast their Black Panther and the guy who got the gig is Chadwick Boseman known for playing Jackie Robinson in "42" and James Brown in "Get On Up".

Along with the announcement that he would be starring in the upcoming "Captain America: Civil War" and the titular "Black Panther" we were given an official first look at the character! Talk about BAD ASS!!!

HUGE Marvel event!!! Black Panther, Civil War, Inhumans, Captain Marvel and MORE!!!

 So now that Marvel have done trying to explode the freaking Internet, here is a round up of ALL the epic news they announced at their huge event yesterday! I pick NEITHER side in the whole Marvel vs DC battle, because why be an idiot and choose one? Just enjoy BOTH of their epic works going forward, however I will say Marvel KILLED IT with their announcement, DC were a bit lazy while Marvel went ALL out. That is how it is done!
Marvel REALLY knows how to make the most of their announcements, I mean come on they made a whole spectacle that had ALL Marvel fans on the edge of their seats. They have already built a brilliant cohesive cinematic universe, now adding these films adds even more to it. I mean when all finished we will have 21 films, 7 television shows and 5 marvel shorts, that is without them announcing a SINGLE new thing. An can anybody imagine that Marvel do not have more up their sleeve? I sure as heck can't!

NEW!!! Avengers: Age Of Ultron clip!

Last night in the US after the airing of the latest "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D." Marvel blessed us with MORE footage from their upcoming Avengers sequel.

Detailed synopsis for Agent Carter

"Agent Carter" will hit our screens in January next year, the show will air on ABC who already have "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D." on their card. Now we have an extended plot synopsis for the upcoming show from an official release;

Years before Agent Coulson and his S.H.I.E.L.D. team swore to protect those who cannot protect themselves from threats they cannot conceive, there was Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier), who pledged the same oath but lived in a different time when women weren’t recognized as being as smart or as tough as their male counterparts.

But no one should ever underestimate Peggy.

It's 1946 and peace has dealt Peggy a serious blow as she finds herself marginalized when the men return home from fighting abroad. Working for the covert SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve), Peggy finds herself stuck doing administrative work when she would rather be back out in the field; putting her vast skills into play and taking down the bad guys. But she is also trying to navigate life as a single woman in America, in the wake of losing the love of her life, Steve Rogers – aka Captain America.

When old acquaintance Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper, Captain America: The First Avenger) finds himself being framed for unleashing his deadliest weapons to anyone willing to pony up the cash, he contacts Peggy - the only person he can trust - to track down those responsible, dispose of the weapons and clear his name. He empowers his butler, Edwin Jarvis (James D'Arcy, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World), to be at her beck and call when needed to help assist her as she investigates and tracks down those responsible for releasing these weapons of mass destruction. But Jarvis, who is a creature of habit and sticks to a rigid daily routine, is going to have to make some major life changes if he’s going to be able to keep up with Peggy.

If caught going on these secret missions for Stark, Peggy could be targeted as a traitor and spend the rest of her days in prison – or worse. And as she delves deeper into her investigation, she may find that those she works for are not who they seem, and she might even begin to question whether Stark is as innocent as he claims.

“Marvel’s Agent Carter” stars Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter, James D'Arcy as Edwin Jarvis, Chad Michael Murray (“One Tree Hill,” “A Cinderella Story”) as Agent Jack Thompson, Enver Gjokaj (“Dollhouse”) as Agent Daniel Sousa and Shea Whigham (American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street) as Chief Roger Dooley.

Tara Butters, Michele Fazekas, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Chris Dingess, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Alan Fine, Joe Quesada, Stan Lee and Jeph Loeb are executive producers. “Marvel’s Agent Carter” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

New Avengers roster after Age Of Ultron???

Speaking to BuzzFeed Marvel Producer and President Kevin Feige has spoken about the future of The Avengers;

“It’s like as it was in publishing," Feige tells the outlet, "when each of the characters would go on their own adventures and then occasionally team up for a big, 12-issue mega-event. Then they would go back into their own comics, and be changed from whatever that event was. I envision the same thing occurring after this movie, because the [Avengers] roster is altered by the finale of this film.”

Does this mean Ant-Man? Doctor Strange? Vision? Black Panther? Could become official members of The Avengers for the third film. What does it mean for the members we all know and love? Damn, Marvel you guys are KILLING IT!!! Talk about owning the Comic book world right now, kudos!

Lyndsy Fonesca joins Agent Carter

The beautiful and talented Lyndsy Fonesca has joined the upcoming Marvel Television Show "Agent Carter", Fonesca will be playing Angie Martinelli an aspiring actress who befriends Peggy Carter during the turmoil of post war America.

"'Marvel's Agent Carter' opens up an exciting world of new characters for us," said Jeph Loeb, Marvel's Head of Television. "Lyndsy brings a warmth and humanity to Angie, who'll be the friend Peggy needs if she's to survive the dangers that lie ahead."

Charlie Cox talks Daredevil

Charlie Cox has recently spoke to TheHollywoodReporter about the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Marvel's Daredevil, which I assume we are all looking forward to, here is what he had to say;

"It's great fun, but it also comes with a great deal of responsibility," Cox said of playing Daredevil. "I wasn't really aware of how vast the comic book world was until I became part of the Marvel universe. I went to Comic Con last week, and it's really important to a lot of people. It really is. I'm having a great time." 

"I've read comics after comics after comics - I've never read so many comics in my life, and we're finding moments from the comics to reference in the show," Cox explained. "We're trying to make a show that's new and much, much darker than anything I've ever seen Marvel do before. The concept that he can't stop. He's going out and he's taking the law into his own hands, and he doesn't know if he can stop. He might be addicted to it." 

James Spader talks Ultron

If you haven't seen the teaser trailer for "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" where the hell have you been hiding? It is possibly the greatest trailer EVER!!! (Potentially a bit dramatic ha). There is a very ominous overtone throughout the trailer, Spader has spoken about how crazy Ultron truly is;

"There's a humorous aspect to him, which is something that drew me in from the very first conversation I had with Joss [Whedon]," Spader revealed. "In many ways he's a child, this character, because he's a brand new being who's just come to be. And yet, through artificial intelligence, he has an incredible capacity for knowledge. So he's a very powerful, smart child." 

"Ultron takes abrupt turns in scenes," Spader explained. "Red isn't pyschopathic but Ultron is. Yes, he is psychopathic. He's really batsh*t crazy!"

 

Adam McKay eyes Marvel spot???

Adam McKay the genius behind countless of the funniest films in recent years has already got his foot in the door of the Marvel Cinematic Universe boarding "Ant-Man" to rewrite the script with the help of Paul Rudd the man starring in the film. Recently while doing an "interview" if you will with CraveOnline McKay has announced he is in talks to helm his own Marvel project.

"[I] had such a great time working with them," he says, "that we're kicking around ideas. But yeah, maybe I would take on one of the characters. We haven't locked in anything, but discussions are definitely going on."