Thoughts on the Disney/Marvel announcements

 Disney has just emptied a bucketload of new series and film announcements onto the internet to gear everyone up for the next phase of its media empire. Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a new wave of Star Wars properties and more, there's a lot to take on, but he's my thoughts on the MCU revelations. (I'll get to Star Wars eventually, but I'm not even up to date on The Mandalorian yet. However, really suspicious of the idea of bringing back Hayden Christiansen.)

MARVEL PHASE 4

She-Hulk: Confirmed to be starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, this will be a Disney+ series. I was hoping for Gina Camaro, but Maslany is a solid choice (presumably the She-Hulk herself will be at least partly CGI). No surprise that Mark Ruffalo will be appearing as Bruce Banner/the Hulk, but very surprised and pleased that Tim Roth is back as Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination. He was the best thing about The Incredible Hulk back in 2008.

Secret Invasion: Good news, but no surprise. The involvement of the Skrulls in Captain Marvel and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos pretending to be Nick Fury all pointed to the Secret Invasion storyline coming to fruition. Presumably this will have an impact on the films in time, but for now, this is another Disney+ series. Marvel have tried to tie together their TV and cinematic productions before to limited success, but this looks like a far more sophisticated effort. Mendelsohn and Sam Jackson both confirmed back for this.

Ironheart: The occasionally controversial (for small-minded people) new Iron Man comic treatement, Ironheart features Riri Williams as a young genius who creates her own biomechanical armour suit. The Disney+ series will star Dominique Thorne. Could be well worth watching.

Armor Wars: Less interested by this one. Do we need both? This has Don Cheadle back as Rhodey/War Machine dealing with the fallout from Stark's death when his technology falls into unscrupulous hands. Should be good, but just not sure these need to be separate series.

I am Groot: This sounds very silly: a series of Disney+ shorts revolving around Baby Groot, with "new and unusual characters." Could be a good chance to involve the more ridiculous and out-there ideas from the Marvel universe (Howard the Duck please!) No word on whether Vin Diesel will voice Groot.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special: Now this is just fabulous. Prior to the third Guardians of the Galaxy film in 2023 (finally confirmed to have James Gunn onboard without a doubt), this is a wonderfully daft thing to do. A homage to the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special, this is bound to be all kinds of ridiculous. Lined up for 2022, presumably for Christmas unless they bring it forward for a Thanksgiving drop.

Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel 2

Really looking forward to this one. I adored the first couple of runs of Ms. Marvel comics, and I'm stoked to see her on screen. Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan, and from the brief glimpse here, she seems perfect. She'll also appear with Ms. Marvel's idol in Captain Marvel 2, confirmed to star Brie Larson (so much for the stupid rumours that she was being recast), with Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau.

What If? and Loki

Not going to overload this post with videos, but here's the link to the dazzling trailer for What If? and a fun first look at the Loki series. Both are set for Disney+ next year, dealing with the MCU's expansion into the Multiverse. What If? looks particularly fun, with some of the best of the MCU cast involved (although clearly not everyone is voiced by their original actor). Hayley Atwell as Captain Britain? The inevitable introduction of Marvel Zombies? I'm in. Loki looks like it's going to embrace the alt-reality elements as well, with the introduction of the Time Variance Agency. A crime thriller with time travel and Tom Hiddleston? Can't go wrong.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

This is going to be fabulous, but the news today is the casting: Rachel McAdams is returning as Christine Palmer, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo and Benedict Wong as, well, Wong. We already knew that Elizabeth Olson was onboard as Wanda Maximoff, but the big news is the confirmation that dimension-jumping America Chavez is involved, played by newcomer Xochitl Gomez.

Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania

I love how silly these titles are getting. We expected a third Ant-Man film, but it's good to get confirmation of the title, which implies some exploration of the Quantum Realm, aka the Microverse. It was revealed a little while ago, but I'm still excited for Kang the Conqueror to finally make his big screen debut played by Jonathan Majors.

Fantastic Four

The least surprising but most welcome revelation, the Fantastic Four property is now back with Marvel following Disney's acquisition of Fox. Jon Watts, set to direct the third MCU Spidey film, is on to helm this. No cast news yet, but we can expect some crossover elements, if not with this film, with a follow-up, given the close links in the comics between the FF and Spider-Man, Kang and the Secret Invasion.

Casting round-up!

Almost out of breath now, so a quick rundown of casting news. Hailee Steinfeld is Kate Bishop in the new Hawkeye series on Disney+ (I foresee next gen crossovers with Ironeheart and Ms. Marvel). Hilariously, Christian Bale's role in Thor: Love and Thunder is Gorr the God Butcher, an alien being committed to killing every god in the universe. They won't be recasting T'Challa for the second Black Panther film due in 2022, instead "honouring his legacy." I presume that means a new Black Panther, but I think we can rule out Shuri, since Letitis Wright's in trouble these days for stupid online behaviour.

Spider-Man 3 casting round-up!

Now this is ridiculous and wonderful. The third, as-yet-untitled Spidey film is clearly taking Tom Holland's requested route and piling straight into a live-action Spiderverse story. Presumably they got sick of him spoilering things in interviews so just went with his idea from the outset. Holland is confirmed, of course, along with Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon and Marisa Tomei. But there's also official confirmation that Jamie Foxx is back as Electro (from The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and now Alfred Molina as Doc Ock (from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2). Emma Stone is in negotiations to return as Gwen Stacy, and rumour has it that Andrew Garfield, Tobye Maguire and Kirsten Dunst have been approached to reprise their version of Spider and MJ. Plus Benny Cumber as Dr. Strange, presumably handling the interdimensional stuff.

REVIEW: Avengers - Infinity War

You've seen it, right? If not, go see it first. This review contains SPOILERS and SPECULATION.

REVIEW: Black Panther

Now that I finally find time to review the latest Marvel blockbuster, I can agree that yes, it is very good indeed. It's no masterpiece, but it is a very fine superhero actioner with a lot to recommend it. A tad overlong, maybe, but exciting, intelligent, surprisingly funny and hugely entertaining. However, there is no way that I, as a white man, will ever be able appreciate this film in the same way as black audience members. While Black Panther is far from the first superhero movie with a black lead, but it is the first one with a predominantly black cast, the first one set largely in Africa, and the first one that looks seriously at African and African-American concerns. I've seen a lot of blockbuster movies filled with people that look, more or less, like me. Black people haven't. I'm also a 34-year-old, not am impressionable youngster that these films are arguably designed for. It can't possibly have the same effect on me as it would on a black kid.

That said, while I'm perhaps not the right person to fully critique the movie, I recognise and appreciate just how important a film it is. Black Panther isn't simply set in Africa, it's set in a powerfully positive view of Africa. The fictional Kingdom of Wakanda hides its incredible wealth and technological power behind a sort of cloaking device, pretending that their country is just another poor, third-world collection of farms that most people would have trouble finding on a map. Although there is no African nation with the technological prowess of the Wakandans - the Marvel universe is a few years ahead of our in progress, and Wakanda a good fifty years beyond everyone else - it serves to reflect the predominant view of Africa by white and Western people. We look at Africa and see the third world. We don't see the cultural, industrial, and economical richness of the continent unless it's pointed out to us.

 However, the film doesn't shy away from criticising the Wakandans. As a powerful economic force, they have the capability to help their neighbours and those further afield, but they choose to keep themselves hidden away, for the safety of their citizens. The twin threads of the film are King T'Challa's understanding of his strength as the Black Panther, and his acceptance of his role in the world at large, both of which he needs to come to terms with in order to truly become a great king. It's important that his final victory against his enemies isn't simply his superior fighting skills, his special powers or his technological prowess, but his decision to open Wakanda to the wider world.

Chadwick Boseman builds on his initial appearance in Captain America: Civil War, making the Black Panther into a noble, mystical, yet very human and relatable character. He balances the character's roles as king, warrior, superhero and charismatic lead extremely well, dominating a very strong, varied cast. It would be easy for a lead actor to become lost amongst so many memorable co-stars. Boseman never does. There're almost two many memorable roles to choose from in the film if we want to single out a particular actor. Lupita N'Yongo is classy, formidable, likeable and exceptionally beautiful as Nakia, and undercover spy and fighter. She's T'Challa's love interest throughout the film but this is never her defining role. Other remarkable women in the film include Danai Gurira as Okoye, the finest warrior from the all-female special forces unit of Wakanda, who is as likeable as she is intimidating; and the great Angela Bassett as the Queen Mother, Ramonda.

One of the strongest elements in the production is the utilisation of various African nations and tribes to produce a varied and believable Wakandan culture. This extends not only to the complex visual and musical character of Wakanda, but also the characters who populate it. The various tribes that make up the kingdom all have their spokesperson, although only some have significant roles to play in the plot. Daniel Kaluuya is very good as W'Kabi, the head of the Border Tribe who is torn between his loyalty to his kingdom, his role in his tribe, and his friendship with T'Challa. Equally memorable is Winston Duke as the M'Baku, the towering chief of the Jabari. In the comics, M'Baku is known as Man-Ape and dresses as a gorilla, and wisely, Marvel opted not to use these deeply questionable elements in the film. Instead, the Jabari worship gorilla gods (as the Border Tribe worship rhinos and T'Challa's people worship panthers), and keep things on the respectful side of the cliche of the powerful African warrior tribe from deepest, darkest Africa. (In a nice touch, the Jabari speak the Nigerian language of Igbo, while the rest of Wakanda speak the southern African language of Xhosa. Neither is particularly likely to be spoken in the region of Africa Wakanda is supposed to be found, but it does add variety and believability to the cultures).

The favourite, though, has to be Shuri, T'Challa's younger sister, played with infectious positivity by Letitia Wright. Rather than just a princess in the usual movie mode, Shuri is the chief weapons and defence designer for Wakanda, a skilled scientist and engineer. She's like a tiny, adorable Q to T'Challa's Bond, kitting him out with ingenious supersuits and a remotely driven car, among all manner of other gizmos. Letitia Wright's performance has seen her become a firm fan favourite already, and I'm very pleased to see that she will be reappearing in Avengers: Infinity War. The character is a remarkably positive role model for young women, particularly young black women, and has the brains and confidence to challenge the cocky male superheroes with whom she'll be sharing the screen.

There's a serious flaw in this pro-black, pro-African narrative, however, in that the two major American characters threaten to derail the film and take over. Martin Freeman's CIA man Everett Ross (who previously appeared alongside T'Challa in Captain America: Civil War) spends much of the film convinced he's the one in the position of power, only to be taken to Wakanda for his own good and rudely stripped of his presumptions. Then, however, he gets in the cockpit of a Wakandan flying machine and defends the country from its invaders, a white Western guy swooping in to save the day. While it's presumably intended to show cooperation between people from different cultures, it looks a lot like another American soldier shooting a lot of brown people. Equally, Michael B. Jordan's turn as T'Challa's lost cousin, N'Jadaka aka Erik Stevens aka Killmonger, puts the power once again in American hands. Jordan is exceptionally good as Killmonger, but he represents another American influence toppling a foreign nation. While he is of Wakandan birth and embraces his heritage, culturally he is American, and in spite of his clear skill as a soldier and assassin, it's hard to accept that he can just walk into Wakanda, beat T'Challa in ritual combat and take over the kingdom. It weakens the Black Panther's character.

It's a pity that Killmonger is such a transparent villain, because his reasons for hating T'Challa and wanting to take over Wakanda are sympathetic. Having been abandoned in Harlem after his father was killed by the former king and his right-hand man, N'Jadaka has grown up in a culture that systemically suppresses and abuses black people. This is an exceptionally important issue to be exploring in film, especially with the political situation in the US getting worse all the time, and making the character so utterly evil takes away from the validity of his viewpoint. Let's not forget that the term Black Panther is still primarily associated with the Black Panther Party of the mid-to-late twentieth century, a movement that began with noble goals of emancipation before it became corrupted by crime and violent spokesmen. While Shuri's aid programme in Harlem at the film's close represents the best of the Black Panther movement, Killmonger's violent crusade against the West represents its worst excesses.

In some ways, Andy Serkis as the repellant Ulysses Klaue would make a better central villain. With his rapacious desire for wealth, disrespectful sense of humour and hatred of the "savage" Wakandans (plus a thick South African accent), he represents the colonial forces that Killmonger despises; the white man coming to the old world and plundering its resources (no coincidence that his greatest crime is not just killing Wakandans, but being the only person to successfully steal from their supply of miracle ore vibranium). On the other hand (the non-mechanical one), he's such a weak and pathetic character, for all his posturing, that he could never stand equal to T'Challa the same way Killmonger does.

Black Panther isn't perfect, then, but it is a vital new image in superhero cinema. An expansive, global, sci-fi, mystical, cultural adventure, it stands apart from the bulk of superhero and comicbook movies in its desire to speak from a different place, and on those terms it is largely a success.

REVIEW - Captain America: Civil War

SPOILERS INSIDE, TRUE BELIEVERS!

Casting Call: Marvel Cinematic Universe - Movies

Aaron Taylor Johnson
Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
Avengers: Age of Ultron (April 2015)

One of two "miracles" introduced at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pietro or Peter Maximoff is capable of superhuman speed. We've already seen him, played with great charm by Evan Peters, in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and the character's popularity suggests Fox will try to find a way to include him in a future film. In an unusual situation, both Marvel and Fox have a claim to Quicksilver, since he is both an major member of the Avengers, and a mutant member of the X-Men. In an odd compromise, Marvel can use both him and his sister Wanda but not refer to them as mutants, while Fox cannot make any reference to their association with the Avengers.

Quicksilver and his sister began as villains in the X-Men comics, part of Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, before swapping sides and eventually joining the second version of the Avengers. In the comics they are probably the children of Magneto, although there has been a suggestion that they're actually the offspring of Golden Age hero the Whizzer, who has similar powers to Quicksilver. (In Days of Future Past it is hinted that Quicksilver is indeed Magneto's son, but that can't be the case in the MCU.) At the end of Winter Soldier they were prisoners of HYDRA agent Baron Strucker, so may be used against the Avengers in their upcoming appearance before joining them. Both have signed up for multiple pictures, so we're bound to see them again, most likely in the big Infinity War double-picture.

Elizabeth Olson
Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Avengers: Age of Ultron

Twin sister of Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch is one of the most powerful and significant characters in Marvel comics. With the mutant ability to alter probability and reality - essentially magic - she has been part of the Brotherhood, X-Men and Avengers and was responsible for the terrible M-Day event that vastly reduced the mutant population. Unfortunately, none of this is within the MCU's remit, but the trailers for Age of Ultron suggest that she will be playing a significant role.

While she and her brother are mutants in the comics, they have to be something else in this version. It's possible they'll be mutants in all but name, but perhaps it's more likely that either HYDRA will have created them, or that they will be reworked as Inhumans (as Skye/Daisy was in Agents of SHIELD). Given her magical abilities, she may possibly be involved in the introduction of Dr Strange. Whatever happens, I hope they don't follow the Ultimate Comics version of events, in which the twins had an incestuous relationship.

Chadwick Boseman
Prince T'Challa/Black Panther
Captain America: Civil War (2016); Black Panther (2017)

I've seen a black panther, and met a Black Panther, but I'm still excited to see the movie Black Panther. The Black Panther made his debut in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four, predating the infamous political party by some months (although far from being the first use of the name). The very first black character to be a true superhero, the Black Panther is the T'Challa, the ruler of the advanced fictional African nation of Wakanda. The Black Panther is the ruler of the Panther tribe, and the avatar of the Panther Spirit. He has superhumanly acute senses and enhanced strength, speed and agility, as well as access to Wakanda's magical artifacts and advanced technology.

Wesley Snipes expressed interest in bringing the Black Panther to the screen in the early 90s, before he starring as another Marvel superhero in Blade. It will be Chadwick Boseman who finally gets to bring the Panther to film after years of development stalling. His official first appearance in the role will be in Civil War, although we are expecting a possible cameo in Age of Ultron. Later he will headline his own film as part of Phase Three, and it's almost certain that he will be involved in Infinity War. One element that will sadly be missing from the films will be T'Challa's relationship with Ororo Munroe, aka Storm; as part of the X-Men franchise all cinematic rights to the character belong to Fox.

James Spader
Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultron

The villain of Age of Ultron, if you didn't realise. Ultron is a major Avengers villain going right back to 1968, an artificial intelligence created by Hank Pym (see below) who, upon attaining awareness, continually upgrades himself to become more and more powerful. Hyper-intelligent, supremely strong and capable of hacking both electronic and organic minds, Ultron is a force to be reckoned with. In the comics he is primarily composed of adamantium (like Wolverine's skeletal coating), although vibranium is also used in his construction, and it is this which he is likely built from in the movie. The Age of Ultron comic event was a major crossover piece set in a world where Ultron had conquered the Earth, but the movie seems to have just taken the name and the concept of Ultron to use. We see a lot of Ultron in the trailers for the movie, including various stages of his development, including one seemingly based on the Iron Man armour.

The synopsis of the film states that Ultron is created by Tony Stark in an attempt to "jump-start a dormant peace-keeping programme." This does not preclude the possibility that Pym is responsible for the initial development, although some intel suggests that Stark also utilises salvaged Chitauri technology in the programme. Either way, James Spader sounds extremely evil in the role.

Paul Bettany
JARVIS/The Vision

Avengers: Age of Ultron

There have been several superpowered beings called the Vision in the Marvel universe, but the main one is a mechanical "synthezoid" created by Ultron to fight his own maker, Hank Pym. The Vision's origins are pretty complicated and contradictory, and involve time travel, but he's supposedly based on the systems of the original Human Torch, an android who went by the name of Jim Hammond (and who I'd love to show up on Agent Carter, but this seems unlikely at present). His brain patterns, however, were based on Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man. I think, anyway; like I say, it's complicated. He eventually marries Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, and they even have children (with magic). A new version of the Vision has since been created from a fusion of the original's operating system and the mechanical armour of Iron Lad (who is way to complicated to go into at the moment).

The Vision is uber-powerful, able to fly, alter his mass and density, become intangible, regenerate and emit solar energy blasts. Quite what the story is behind the MCU version of the character is we don't yet know, but given that he's played by Paul Bettany, it seems highly likely he's based on the systems of Stark's AI, JARVIS. On the other hand, some publicity suggests he is indeed created by Ultron (perhaps he is freeing JARVIS from his servitude?) Judging by the artwork released, he's going to look bloody perfect. Bettany also suggests that he'll be back in the role for future movies.

Andy Serkis
Ulysses Klaw
Avengers: Age of Ultron

Just confirmed by Marvel, the character Andy Serkis is playing in Age of Ultron. Ullyses Klaw is a perennial enemy of the Black Panther (and also the Fantastic Four and Ka-Zar, one of Marvel's oldest characters). Klaw is a physicist who requires vibranium for his research. Vibranium, being an incredibly durable and rare metal, is extremely valuable material in the Marvel universe, and is used in the construction of both Cap's shield and Ultron's body. As Klaw knows how to get it, it makes sense that he would be involved in the Age of Ultron events somewhere. Vibranium is only found in Wakanda, which is what brings Klaw up against the Black Panther so frequently; in the comics, he is even responsible for T'Challa's father's death. Klaw develops a way of using vibranium to manipulate sound into a physical substance, and event ends up converting himself into a sound-based entity. It's easy to imagine Serkis playing Klaw in his human guise, before using his motion capture skills to perform as the sound-based version. It's almost certain that he'll return as a villain in the Black Panther movie in 2017.

Paul Rudd

Scott Lang/Ant-Man
Ant-Man (July 2015)

Paul Rudd is a big movie star, but he's always going to be Phoebe's husband from Friends to me. Anyway, he's a great choice for Scott Lang, the second and current Ant-Man in comics continuity and the star of the Ant-Man movie. Lang is a good sort but turns to crime when his daughter becomes seriously ill and he needs to pay for treatment, a storyline that looks to be maintained for the movie. He nicks the Ant-Man costume and technology in the comics but it looks like he's being recruited in the movie. As well as joining the Avengers on occasion, Lang becomes part of the Defenders team alongside Dr. Strange. Movie-wise, I think we can assume he'll join the Avengers for the big bash-up in Avengers: Infinity War.

Michael Douglas
Hank Pym
Ant-Man

Michael Douglas is always good value, so if nothing else, Ant-Man should be watchable. Hank Pym is Ant-Man, originally, a physicist and entomologist (as unlikely a combination as that sounds), who discovers Pym particles and uses them to create his shrinking suit, along with a cybernetic helmet that he can use to communicate with and control ants. Pym goes right back to pre-Marvel magazine stories, and as Ant-Man, was a founding member of the adventures. He later finds a way to use his Pym particles to increase in size, and takes on various costumed identities including Giant Man, Goliath and Yellowjacket. Pym is also a schizophrenic and a wife-beater, so he's a pretty divisive character among Marvel fans. He's even more messed up in the Ultimate Universe continuity. In the movie, Pym will revive his Ant-Man programme and recruit Lang to perpetrate a heist that will help save the world.

Evangeline Lily
Hope van Dyne
Ant-Man

Comics-wise, Hope van Dyne, or Hope Pym, is the daughter of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, who were founding Avengers as Ant-Man and the Wasp. This seems to be the case with Lily's version in the movie. As she says of her character: "I was raised by two superheroes. So, I'm a pretty screwed up human being. I am also fairly capable, strong, and kick-ass, which is wonderful to play, but the most fun to play was just how messed up she was from being raised by two superheroes. And the clear message sent by my name is that I'm not a big fan of my father and so I took my mother's name." 

Considering the shit Janet went through with Hank in the comics, it's perhaps understandable that Marvel are keeping that off screen and instead proceeding with Hope as the main female character. She's being presented as both Lang's love interest and an action character in her own right. In fact, she seems to be set up to become the MCU version of the Wasp, so I guess we'll have Janet van Dyne in all but name, one generation removed. In the comics, Hope goes down a villainous path, so it'll be interesting to see where she's headed on screen. 

Corey Stoll
Darren Cross/Yellowjacket
Ant-Man

The main villain of Ant-Man, Darren Cross is the founder and CEO is Cross Industries, a major technology developer in the Marvel universe. This seems set to be the state of play in the MCU too, with Cross set up as someone who worked under Pym on the Ant-Man technology before a major falling out. He develops his own version of the tech, creating the Yellowjacket suit, which is described by actor Corey Stoll as "the next generation of Ant-Man suit." He also stresses that Cross is not wholly villainous, and is very similar to Hank Pym in his outlook. Who knows who we'll be rooting for by the end of this film? A lot of dodgy characters in play. And will the next generation of Ant-Man suit be capable of changing size in both directions? Could we be setting up the creation of Giant Man?

Daniel Brühl
Baron Zemo
Captain America: Civil War

Baron Zemo is a title handed down through German nobility. The 12th and 13th Barons became prominent Marvel villains, commonly enemies of Captain America. The 12th Baron, Heinrich Zemo, was a gifted scientist and top member of the Nazi party, who wore a hood to disguise his face in battle before it was accidentally glued to him with an indelible adhesive (really). His son, Helmut Zemo, continued his legacy as a supervillain under various guises including Phoenix and Iron Cross. Helmut is a rather more complex character than his father, and like many early Cap villains, has been given enhanced strength and slowed ageing to keep up with his nemesis. It's no surprise to see Zemo is to appear in a Cap film, although precisely how he is involved we don't know. Given that Daniel Brühl is thirty-six years old and terribly handsome, I think it likely he is playing the younger Helmut Zemo, although feasibly the MCU character might be a combination of the two Zemos.

Thomas Kretschmann
Baron Strucker
Avengers: Age of Ultron

Seen at the end of The Winter Soldier examining Loki's sceptre and holding the Maximoff twins captive, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is set to appear in Age of Ultron and could be lined up for villainous roles in further films. The long-lived Strucker is a core member of HYDRA in the comics, and we can expect a similarly prominent role in the MCU. I wouldn't eb at all surprised if he returned on television (either in Agents of SHIELD or, if he is as long-lived as in the comcis, Agent Carter).  The character was included as a driving force in the TV movie Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD, which starred David Hasselhoff. Strucker was played, briefly, by Campbell Lane.

Benedict Cumberbatch
Dr. Steven Strange
Doctor Strange (2016)

Another long-standing Marvel hero, Dr. Strange first appeared in Strange Tales in 1963. Once a surgeon, Stephen Strange lost the fine use of his hands in a car accident. Bitter and resentful of this, he searches for a way to restore his abilities, leading him to a mystic known as the Ancient One. After some hoo-hah, Strange proves he has a noble side and is taken on as the Ancient One's apprentice, before succeeding him as Sorceror Supreme, the most powerful wizard in the cosmos. Strange's adventures lead him to bizarre parallel dimensions and pit him against vastly powerful adversaries, so his movie appearance marks a turning point for the MCU, pushing Phase Three into wilder, more magical arenas. We've only dabbled with magic so far, with the Asgardians' skills being presented more as advanced science than true magic (although we still have Scarlet Witch to come). Everyone's favourite, Benedict Cumberbatch, is confirmed to be taking the role, and he does has form as playing a supremely talented but arrogant arsehole. No word on the villain yet, but Baron Mordo, who is strongly linked to Strange's origin story, seems likely. Rumours are that Chiwetel Ejiofor is up for the part, but that is only hearsay at this stage. One thing though: if he's a surgeon, shouldn't he be Mister Strange?

Fan art, but damned good fan art.

Marvel Phase Three: What do we know?

Last night while I was out, ahem, socialising, in the States it was mid-afternoon and Marvel was making a buttload of announcement regarding their next wave of movies. They revealed the complete set of films that make up Phase Three, right through to 2019. It's fair to say I am a little bit excited, and was immediately texting and sharing the hell out of the news over my Guinness.

So, what have we got? New bits of info keep coming to light, but here goes, with a little speculation thrown in:

May next year sees the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, for which Marvel released an extremely exciting trailer last week, and now followed up with a clip with a slightly different cut of the trailer. All the main heroic characters from Avengers Assemble are back, along with Don Cheadle as War Machine, potentially setting him up for future Avengers membership. Also included are Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver and Emily Olsen as the Scarlet Witch, briefly seen at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. James Spader is scary as hell as Ultron, seemingly created by Tony Stark in this version of events, but apparently taken from an old weapons programme, so Hank Pym might still have some level of involvement in the backstory. Seeing that he's a major part of the next movie, Ant-Man, this would make sense. Paul Bettany plays the Vision, almost certainly a development of the JARVIS AI. Andy Serkis has an undisclosed role, but it's been suggested that he plays Ulysses Klaw, which would tie into the Black Panther release scheduled. And Ultron will be needing some ultra-hard metal for his new body, and what better than a job lot of Wakandan vibranium?

Black Panther villain Klaw?

Age of Ultron is the eleventh film released by Marvel and finishes Phase Two. Phase Three kicks off in July with Ant-Man, starring Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man and creator of the shrinking suit. Evangeline Lily is Hope van Dyne, who seems to be filling the role as Lang's romantic interest, and is also probably going to be the Wasp in this version of things. Corey Stroll is Darren Cross, the villainous Yellowjacket, and John Slattery is back as Howard Stark. So this would seem to involve flashbacks and potentially tie in to the Agent Carter TV series. 

May 2016: Captain America: Civil War. Marvel did a huge fake-out with this, putting the title up as Serpent Society, which went round the internet and changed to the real title in the time it took me to text someone the false information. I initially thought this would be a difficult one for Marvel to adapt. The Civil War crossover event involved superheroes from all over the Marvel universe, including an absolutely vital role for Spider-Man. The major problem for the MCU is that they smply don't have enough characters set up for a Civil War style event, and those they do have don't really have secret identities to protect. On the other hand, it looks like only the generally gist of the series is being used (it's not like Age of Ultron is much to do with the crossover event beyond having Ultron in it). Marvel Supremo Kevin Feige says "Events of the whole cinematic universe will make all governments in the world want regulation. Not so much about secret identity, but about who reports to who." 

We do know that Robert Downey Jr. will appear, and that he and Cap will go head-to-head. Whether this will be RDJ's last film for Marvel we don't know, but rumours abound that Steve Rogers will end up dying in these events, seeing that Chris Evans is coming up to the end of his contract. There's also the question of the Winter Soldier, who hasn't been mentioned, but surely will have some time devoted to him. We do know that this film will have a significant role for Prince T'Challa, aka the Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman. Given how early Marvel have announced the actor playing the Panther, he might even appear as early as Age of Ultron. Now, while there has been a ton of speculation regarding Sony and Marvel finally finding a way to work together and use Spider-Man, any details on this has been conspicuous by their absence. It's no secret that Sony are in a state of crisis regarding their Spider-Man movies, and allowing Marvel to use the character, if only for crossover and team-up movies, would allow them to broaden their scope. If they can agree terms, Marvel could use Spidey in Civil War or future Avengers installments, and pay Sony a stipend; it'll basically be free money for them. On the other hand, there's no news whatsoever on whether this is true, and many have suggested that T'Challa could take Peter Parker's place in the story.

November 2016: Doctor Strange. No confirmation on the lead actor for this feature, but it sounds as though Benedict Cumberbatch has got the gig, but negotiations are still going. This is the first all-out mystical character to make it to the movies, after Thor and the Asgardians were interpreted more as hyper-advanced aliens than gods.No details on the plot yet, but a tenner says Dormammu is in it. May 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy 2. This will probably deal with Peter's parentage to some degree, and all we know is that he is not the son of the king of Spartax as he is in the comics. Peter's father seems to be something very old, and Den of Geek have suggested he's an Eternal, which might link him to the mad Titan Thanos to some extent. This is all major speculation right now, but Thanos is definitely going to be involved somehow, building up to the big events in Avengers 3. Suggestions are that some new members of the team will be introduced; I'd go out on a limb and say we'll at least get Nova and maybe Adam Warlock. Fingers crossed Howard the Duck and Cosmo will appear, but I doubt it.

July 2017: Thor: Ragnarok. Where's my fiver? Since we caught a glimpse of the realm of the fire giants in The Dark World, it seemed likely we would see Surtr and the Ragnarok storyline for the third Thor film. This will also have to deal with the ongoing thread of Loki's relationship with Thor and his usurping of the throne of Asgard. I dare to suggest it might go some way to tying together Dr. Strange's mystical world and the bigger cosmic side of things. Planets, realms and dimensions being explored. Edit: It's just occurred to me that Ragnarok is not the end of the world in Norse mythology, per se, but the critical step in a cycle of destruction and renewal. What better time, it they so wished, to recast Thor? Perhaps even with an actress in the role?

November 2017: Black Panther. No news about this beyond the casting of Boseman and probably Serkis. There's one issue in that Marvel can't use Storm, who is a huge part of T'Challa's story in the comics, but there's still plenty to be told about the Prince of Wakanda. I'm really looking forward to what they're going to do with this one.

May 2018: Avengers: Infinity War - Part One. July 2018: Captain Marvel. November 2018: Inhumans. May 2019: Infinity War - Part Two

Marvel aren't immune to the lure of the two-part event movie, and it looks like we'll have one huge cosmic war played out over these four films. So happy that Captain Marvel is going ahead, with Marvel confirming that this is the Carol Danvers version of the character. As one of Marvel's heaviest hitters, and a member of both the Avengers and Guardians in the comics, Captain Marvel's introduction into the franchise is big news. I'd say it's also extremely likely the Guardians will show up in her movie, and at least some of them will come to Earth for the final part of Infinity War. The Inhumans will also likely tie a lot of things together. The Inhumans are genetically part-Kree, the alien race who have already appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy and are presumably the blue-skinned creature glimpsed in Agents of SHIELD. Also, Captain Marvel gains her powers from an encounter with the Kree, so this big cosmic bust-up is already full of links. The Inhumans are not unlike X-Men's mutants, albeit with a different backstory, and could massively swell the roster of superhumans in the MCU if there was a Terrigen event that caused some unknowing Inhuman descendants to manifest their powers. Kamala Khan, please come to the MCU! It's also implied that Skye's father in Agents of SHIELD is Inhuman, but I'm stuck on UK airtimes for this and so behind the times.

As for the grand finale, all we know is that Thanos is coming, Infinity Gauntlet all ready. Marvel have released a teaser made up almost entirely of old footage and dialogue but one big reveal at the end. What's more, Mssr Feige has suggested that the characters from the Defenders miniseries - including Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Charlie Cox as Daredevil - might cross to the movies for this big event. They could also bump up the numbers in Civil War if the series are far enough advanced by then. No news on the long-scripted but unfilmed Black Widow movie, although at least we're getting one female-lead movie from Marvel (DC are actually getting there first, with Wonder Woman set for a 2017 release, but I am yet to be convinced they won't foul that up). It's also unlikely we'll ever see a Runaways movie, despite early work on it, but Feige has suggested that there may be a future for it on TV. Indeed, the addition of magic and more alien races in the MCU makes it easier to bring in (and you'd just make the mutants into Inhumans).




As for Big Hero 6 - it doesn't look like that's part of the MCU, but I'm still excited about it and going to count it until proven otherwise. Frankly, I'm going to count the 1980s Howard the Duck movie until proven otherwise, just to be perverse.

Addendum: While I am very excited for both Black Panther and Captain Marvel, and encouraged to see films headlined by a black hero and a female hero, it is not as if Marvel are pioneering things here. The media are going on as if these things have never been done before. Apparently everyone has forgotten about the three Blade movies released by New Line in the nineties and noughties. Supergirl came out way back in 1984 (a fine year). Then there's the 2004 DC/WB Catwoman movie, which, awful as it was, featured a black female superhero. Indeed, Halle Berry was a major part of the first two Fox X-Men films as Storm, although she was sidelined after that. As excellent as Marvel's output has been so far, and as encouraging as these developments are, let's not forget what came before OK?