REVIEW - Captain America: Brave New World

Brave New World is the fourth Captain America film for the MCU, and the first to see Anthony Mackie step up as the lead after playing second fiddle to Chris Evans for so long. It's also the 35^th movie in the MCU as a whole, and deep into Phase 5 of the increasingly convoluted franchise. This perhaps explains some of the film's messiness and the mixed reviews it's been getting. It's inarguable that Brave New World tries to juggle too much of the franchise's unwieldy backstory, leaving us with a messy script. Yet, for all that, I found Brave New World to be a highly entertaining movie, one of the stronger Marvel movies of recent years, and a great showcase for Mackie's classy new Cap.

Still, it's an odd beast. It's challenging enough for the wider audience that this follows from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a TV series that was released three years ago, and which many watching in cinemas would not have seen. Yet the Marvel masterminds have decided not to make this the true next step in the Captain America story (not for the first time, in fairness: film three, Captain America: Civil War, was an Avengers film in all but name). No, this is a follow-up to The Incredible Hulk, a middling film that came out over sixteen years ago. This is one way to get round the seemingly intractable distribution dispute between Disney and Universal, which has prevented a Hulk-led sequel from being produced. Add to this the involvement of “Celestial Island,” a vast leftover from the equally middling Eternals, and it's impossible to escape the conclusion that Marvel has made this film just to tie up some loose ends. It's also no secret that this film has experienced significant rewrites and reshoots, even more than Marvel usually subjects its films to.

Still, messy as it is, the film works. This is largely down to some excellent star performances. Mackie was popular as the Falcon, but has his work cut out for him taking over from Evans as Captain America, the figurehead not just of a nation but a global franchise. Fortunately, his quietly commanding, resolute performance makes Wilson's Cap easily the equal of Steve Rogers. Still displaying an infectious sense of humour, this is a more serious, more focused Wilson than we saw in earlier films, shouldering an enormous responsibility. Both Wilson and Mackie himself are representing Black people, and more specifically African Americans, something the film comments on and brings to the forefront without ever becoming preachy or overbearing. Wilson may wear a vibranium-laced suit of armour, but he lacks the physical enhancements that Rogers enjoyed. He suffers in his fights, his refusal to back down against overwhelming opponents a potent parallel to the fact that, as a man of colour, he has to be twice as good and work twice as hard to get to the same place.

Harrison Ford is the second star of the film, putting in a more committed performance than I would have expected. It's a shame for William Hurt, who was reportedly keen to play the next stage of Ross's story, but Ford makes an excellent replacement and brings some solid gravitas to the role. In spite of some critics likening President Ross to Trump, he's really not that like him beyond being old and arrogant – for one thing, he advocates coming together as a country, which is pretty much the opposite of the First Felon. Plus, if he'd been meant as a Trump analogue, they'd have made his Hulk orange, surely. Ross's transformation into the Red Hulk was heavily trailered, so there was no surprise in its revelation; rather, a gradual build-up to its inevitable creation. The Red Hulk is a remarkably realistic creation, given how absurd a creature he is. Making it a transformation against Ross's will is far more potent than the deliberate “upgrade” of the comics, with more of a parallel to the original Hulk.

However, the best performance in the film is from Carl Lumbly, who, as usual, is pure class. Lumbly has form playing superheroes, of course, but as in Falcon he shows he's at his best when playing wounded characters carrying the weight of the world. Isaiah Bradley is a lesser known Marvel character, one who is unlikely to be recognised by those who aren't up on the comics or haven't seen Falcon, which is the bulk of the audience. Bradley's story, though, is so straightforwardly tragic and infuriating that anyone coming in can understand how this man was wronged and why he's so important to the story of Captain America. Less essential is the inclusion of Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, but Danny Ramirez makes him hugely likeable and it would be a poorer movie without him.

As for the villains, the surprise inclusion (well, surprising when the news broke months ago) of Samuel Sterns works fairly well. The beginnings of Sterns's mutation into the Leader, way back in The Incredible Hulk, left the MCU with one of its biggest unresolved story hooks. Now we finally see the fully enhanced Sterns, he looks just right; recognisably like his comicbook counterpart, but distorted and deformed, how someone haphazardly mutated by radiation and chemicals surely should look. With his towering intellect, the Leader can provide a complex plot in which he pulls the strings of our heroes... unfortunately, there isn't really time for all that, so it remains largely sketched in and frustratingly easily resolved. This is one area to which a TV series is more suited than a film; had this been season two of Falcon, say, Sterns's plan could have been made as Machiavellian as it deserves. It's also hard to deny that, while Tim Blake Nelson gives a decent turn as the Leader, he's thoroughly outdone in the villain stakes by Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker. Esposito has a sinister presence that Nelson simply lacks, and his relegation to an impressive but minor adversary is a misstep.

The elephant in the room is the inclusion of Ruth Bat-Seraph, one of the most controversial Marvel characters. As a member of Mossad and an originally highly Islamophobic, Palestine-vilifying character, her inclusion was going to be contentious even before Israel's nightmarish final push began. Disney/Marvel hedged their bets and rewrote the character into an ex-Black Widow, who while Israeli has no overt ties to that regime. I'm all in favour of reinventing problematic characters from earlier times, but it still rankles, particularly due to the casting of Shira Haas in the role. She gives a strong performance, and there's a certain joy in seeing a tiny, disabled actor playing a deadly warrior, but given Haas's historic support of the IDF her casting is bound to cause anger. There's not an easy way round this, and it's not as if Israeli actors shouldn't be cast in major films, but it adds an unsavoury political controversy to the film.

On a far less weighty note, there was one genuine surprise appearance in the film. Not Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes – it would have been more of a shock if he hadn't turned up – but Liv Tyler reprising her Incredible Hulk role as Betty Ross. After trolling the audience by using a perfunctory voice performance which could just as easily have been a soundalike, Tyler appears in the flesh in the film's closing act. We are assured that it is indeed her, and she was present on set with Ford and Mackie, although given the amount of Botox she's clearly had they could have saved a few quid and used generative AI.

The really baffling thing, though, is the act of making this an in-all-but-name sequel to The Incredible Hulk, and not include the actual Hulk. Who knows, perhaps that would have tipped it over into being a Hulk film and invoked the wrath of Universal. Still, it's one of many odd decisions in a film that baffles as much as it entertains. Nonetheless, it does entertain, and should Mackie lead the Avengers in the MCU's next phase he can certainly shoulder the burden. Let's hope Marvel holds its nerve.

Review: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

 SPOILERS for this one... I've given you a week, but if you're not caught up, don't read on.

REVIEW: Avengers - Endgame

And so, I finally begin to catch up with not only my viewing, but also my reviewing, of the many sf and superhero extravaganzas (extravaganzae?) to hit the screens.

Endgame is less a movie, more a cultural event; the culmination of eleven years of cinematic material designed to draw a line under the first iteration of perhaps the most successful film franchise in history. It's the sort of film that can't be appreciated alone; much of the experience comes from seeing and discussing it with like-minded friends. As such, this review is going to be slightly different, as my lovely partner-in-crime Suzanne and I chat about the film (in reality, we've been chatting about it for days with various other people as well, but this sums it up nicely).

And obviously, if you still haven't seen it, there are SPOILERS after this break.

REVIEW: Avengers - Infinity War

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

REVIEW - Captain America: Civil War

SPOILERS INSIDE, TRUE BELIEVERS!

Marvel Comics October Round-Up

October was the month of the big relaunch for Marvel Comics, and while Secret Wars is still stumbling on - in fact, there's even some pre-Secret Wars stuff on the shelves - the main lines have been relaunched with a slew of new issue ones. Some seem to be making the most of the new universe they're launching, others are taking characters back to their core appeal. I've finally managed to catch up on the first bunch, and here are my thoughts. Nearly up-to-date now; The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl relaunched this week too, but I'll hit that with the November titles.


Sam Wilson: Captain America #1: Sam Wilson goes freelance, pitting himself against the corporate facade of American politics and fighting for the under-represented, instead of acting as a weapon for a corrupt national security force. Marvel-America tears him apart, and real America does the same. Sam Wilson pits himself against the forces of hatred and intolerance and defends Mexican illegal immigrants from hate groups. This is exactly what Captain America should be - putting the real America to shame.

Doctor Strange #1: A definite success, relaunching the Sorceror Supreme in a stylish, unnerving way. Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo work brilliantly together, illustrating Strange's deeply unsettling worldview. It doesn't seem that the big reboot has really made any difference to Strange, what with imagery from an early issue being used to illustrate his origins, but that's all for the better. This is a great fantasy comic.

The New Avengers #1: The first lot of Avengers to be introduced into the post-Secret Wars world, this is a mix of the Mighty Avengers and the Young Avengers retooled together as an official team, albeit under the auspices of AIM, which is a questionable authority. Plus, Squirrel Girl, happily acting like she's still in her own comic in spite of the serious chaos around her. There's an intriguing threat masterminded by the Maker, ie the evil Ultimate Universe version of Reed Richards, which is a good use of the melding of continuities that there's a place for now.

Uncanny Avengers #1: And the other Avengers team of the month, the continuing exploits of Steve Rogers and his desperate attempt at unity. It's often hard to see what the difference is between Marvel's various groups of superhumans and why anyone should care, but this does a good job making mutants, Inhumans and enhanced humans distinct, particularly with Rogue, the last of the X-Men to remain while the others have fled, slowly being killed by the Terrigen that has been transforming people into Inhuman beings. Thrown into this is Deadpool, so clearly not Avenger material that he had to join the team eventually.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1: Bendis doing good Bendis. Pletny to enjoy here. Again, I can't see how the reboot has changed anything, since this carries on directly from the events at the end of the pre-Secret Wars run, but I do like the new status quo, with Kitty Pryde as the new Star-Lord and the Everlovin' Blue-Eyed Thing having a whale of a time being an astronaut. Maybe the movieverse Chitauri are a continuity implant? I'm not sure. In any case, this is roughly 300% more fun than the Fantastic Four reboot, and Thing deserves that.

Spider-Gwen #1: Relaunched less than a year after its initial launch, Spider-Gwen looks to be be just carrying on happily as if no universe-collapsing events ever happened, so clearly Earth-65 survived the cataclysm. There's no reason that this needed to start over with issue one, but cool, let's go with it. Gwen continues to juggle her parallel lives while her father tries to clear her name with the NYPD. Meanwhile, the Lizard returns to terrorise New York, except that in this universe, Peter Parker was the Lizard, and died as such. It remains good fun, ticks along nicely. Nothing new here, but why break what's fixed? Oh, and then this reality's Captain America turns up, and she's not happy.

Karnak #1: Karnak of the Inhumans is a hell of an odd character to see headlining his own series. I bought this out of curiosity and on the strength of positive recommendation, but to be honest, it didn't do much for me. Karnak's power - to see the flaw in all things, and exploit it - is intriguing but rather opaque, and I'm not sure it makes for an exciting comic. However, I suspect the problem is with me on this one; I just don't think I really get what it's trying to be.

The New(er) Avengers

It's legit: this is the new Avengers line-up in the comics, post-Secret Wars.  Once the various universes have settled down, this is who's heading Marvel's premier team.

The new Thor, secret identity currently unknown. Good to see she's sticking around, her comics are very good.
The new Captain America, Sam Wilson, previously the Falcon. Again, it's good to see Marvel aren't using their shake-up to reverse their more diverse recasting of the main heroes.
Iron Man? Or potentially someone else in an Iron Man suit. Rumours are it's Pepper Potts/Rescue, but we don't know right now.
The Vision, about to hit big in the movies.
Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan. The current darling of Marvel comics.
The teenaged Nova, Sam Alexander, perhaps best known from the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoons but also heading his own title.
Miles Morales as Spider-Man, which means a) the regular and Ultimate realities are indeed being combined, and b) Peter Parker's status is in the air.
And that sure looks like a Hulk they're running to.

REVIEW: Marvel's Agent Carter, series one

If any Marvel character has been screaming out to be used better in their screen appearances, it's Peggy Carter. Her appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger was a rare example of a genuinely strong female character; not just ass-kicking, or wise-cracking, or physically perfect, but a well-rounded and believable woman of remarkable talents. It seems particularly appropriate that I write this on International Women's Day. The running theme of Agent Carter, itself inspired by the same-titled DVD One-Shot mini-movie (now presumably rendered apocryphal), is that of Peggy proving her worth to the men who dominate her world. Gratifyingly though, this is never Peggy's aim. She doesn't set out to prove herself, she simply gets on with her job and does what she believes is right. As she herself says, she genuinely doesn't care about stuffed-shirts and old boys recognising her.


It's interesting that the series manages to pull this off so well, in spite of being so male-dominated in some areas. In part, this is necessary; Peggy lives in a world where men run the show, and women are thought of as ornamental or mildly useful. On the other hand, Peg's own story is inextricably tied to that of the men in her life. Most obviously, her story is entwined with that of Howard Stark, accused of selling his military secrets to the highest bidder and enlisting Peggy on a quest to prove his innocence. More significant, though, is Steve Rogers. The story of Captain America bookends the serial by dominating the first and last episodes, running through the story between by means of a MacGuffin vial of his unique blood. Plus, of course, there's the joyously period-styled Captain America radio series we hear broadcast and see being recorded, in which a thinly veiled Peggy named “Betty Carver” is nothing but a feeble damsel in distress. It's not far from how Peggy's colleagues view her; as having got her job on the strength of being Cap's bit of stuff, rather than her merits. It's these attitudes that continually undermine Peggy's character in the eyes of her superiors. None of them can conceive of a reason for her helping Stark other than that she must be sleeping with him, never once considering that maybe she's actually made the right choice. Indeed, while there appears to be genuine respect for Peggy on Howard's part, the series doesn't shy away from depicting what an unrepentant womaniser he is, and the damage that this can deal to his various partners. The relationship between Peggy and Howard appears considerably more strained by the end of the series, even if they have, superficially, formed a close friendship. Far stronger is the friendship between Peggy and Howard's butler, Edwin Jarvis, a relationship that is built on mutual respect for each other's abilities and unquestioning loyalty.

A TV series doesn't need to last for twenty-six episodes and have teams of writers, although apparently, a platoon of executive producers comes in handy. You can fit a lot of story into eight episodes, and there really is a lot to be said for the more concise approach. While Agent Carter has been designed to fit snugly in the gap between the two halves of Agents of SHIELD's second season, it's very clearly a better made production than its sister show. SHIELD took an age to get going, to firmly establish its characters and to develop a coherent storyline. Agent Carter had me hooked by the end of its first episode. By the end of its eighth, it was all over, and the only times it felt rushed were at points in that finale, where the pacing was a little lopsided. For the most part, this series worked beautifully, fitting the right amount of plot and characterisation into each episode, making each an enjoyable piece of televisual adventure while part of a greater story. Flashback scenes in the opening episodes of the new run of Agents of SHIELD helped tie the two series together, but Agent Carter felt far more a part of the MCU than SHIELD did. There were many references to the comics, but none of them felt forced or took anything away from the show if they were missed. Captain America is a character whose mythology I am less familiar with than some Marvel heroes, and so there were numerous nods that passed me by, but at no point did this dampen my enjoyment of the episodes. The only odd decision was the renaming of Fenhoff as Ivchenko – fans were already suspecting he was Doctor Faustus, so why adding yet another name on top was necessary I don't know.


One of the strengths of the story was the lack of a single major villain, instead presenting the heroes with more and more aspects of the USSR's Leviathan project. While it culminated in the involvement of Fenhoff and his muscle, Dottie – part of the Black Widow project, further tying the series to the wider Marvel universe – there was an ongoing atmosphere of a conspiracy being slowly unravelled. This Cold War paranoia is an element that can only be utilised further in further series. If a further series we get, but even if ABC's broadcasts aren't enough to secure a renewal on that station, surely Marvel could add a second season to their roster of Netflix series. There's still no word on when and how British viewers will get to watch the series, at least legitimately. There are, of course, ways and means, but dithering over the official routes only means more losses to piracy in the meantime. I don't want anything jeopardising the chances of a second series, especially as there are so many possibilities to explore. I would love to see more comic-booky elements be introduced into the set-up now that the world has been established. I don't know the status of Marvel's rights to the original Human Torch, but I would jump at the chance to see Jim Hammond, the inflammable android, introduced here.


At the end of the day, though, it's not just the writing and content of the scripts, but the cast that makes any such series a success or failure, and Agent Carter has it talent in spades. Of particular note is Dominic Cooper as Howard, who dominates any scene he's in with effortless charisma, but mention has to be made of Peggy's coworkers. Shea Wigham makes the SSR chief, Roger Dooley into a subtle and likeable character, in spite of his brusque and overtly masculine persona. Enver Gjokaj is especially likeable as Daniel Sousa, the one character who is in something of a similar position to Peggy, looked down upon as a lesser agent due to the disability he received in the war. Chad Murray's character, Jack Thomson, also has a great deal of potential, and the dynamics between the characters, supported by some excellent chemistry between the actors, could develop into something very interesting. Of all the second-level characters, it's probably Angie, the waitress and aspiring actress, who is the one I'm looking forward to seeing more of. As well as being the perfect match for Peggy as someone going through her own experiences in a male-dominated postwar world, Angie is rendered with such likeability by actress Lyndsy Fonseca, who makes her more than just a light-hearted sidekick. Also praiseworthy are Ralph Brown and Bridget Regan as the aforementioned villains Fenhoff and Dottie.

Fundamentally, though, this series belongs to Hayley Atwell, and to slightly lesser extent, her co-star James D'Arcy. Dealing with the latter first, D'Arcy actually had one of the hardest jobs of all. The original, comicbook version of Jarvis has been overshadowed in the MCU by his computerised equivalent, the AI JARVIS, voiced by Paul Bettany in the three Iron Man movies and both Avengers films. An ordinary human butler might seem like a step back, but skilful writing and an excellent turn by D'Arcy, quite unlike his more recognisable roles, make Jarvis a truly likeable character who undergoes genuinely interesting and believable character development. He makes for a perfect sidekick to Peggy, the one man who at no point looks down on her for her gender. It's Atwell's show though, and deservedly so. Her role as Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger made her many fans, and her own series is a just reward for her performance there. Given the limelight, she improves on an already fine performance. Peggy is an imperfect and therefore believable hero, relying on hard work and talent rather than superpowers, and what's more, doesn't need to parade around in a skintight outfit to do it. Not that there's anything wrong with beautiful actresses in tight costumes, but it's long been the case that barely concealed curves have been a prerequisite for the female comicbook hero. No, Atwell shows that beauty, brains and skill are not contradictory, and that sometimes, a damned fine hat is far more eye-catching than any amount of brushed leather. At the end of the day, Agent Carter is very much a spin-off of The First Avenger, but this is not to its detriment. For Steve Rogers is the one man, out of all the men who have impacted Peggy's life, that truly changed it. While his shadow may be cast over her story, Captain America is not the heart of it. It's Peggy's journey, and we need to see more of it.

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?  

A State of the Universes Report

We haven't yet reached the end of Phase Two, but clues are already becoming apparent regarding Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bits and pieces of Avengers: Age of Ultron have been released at cons, and when this arrives next year, it will no doubt set up further elements of the expanding cinematic universe. Guardians of the Galaxy had no direct teaser for the following film; the post-credits sequence of The Winter Soldier took care of that, introducing von Strucker, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. It did, however, expand the Marvel world further, so that it truly lives up to the appellation of a cinematic "universe." Thanos waits in the background, supposedly set to be the villain of the third Avengers movie, if not an even later instalment. Other elements were seeded that may reappear, such as the Celestials, and the Kree have already been mentioned in Agents of SHIELD.

Phase Three already promises certain instalments. A third Captain America and a Guardians of the Galaxy sequel have been confirmed, as has a Doctor Strange movie. We know certain little fragments so far. James Gunn has just revealed that his take on the Guardians mythology will be something different to the comics, and that Quill's father will not be the King of Spartax, but something quite different. A whole universe is being created. A second series of Agents of SHIELD is on the way, which will hopefully build on the promise of the first. The risk is the same as what happened with that first series, which pootled along not really impressing anyone until The Winter Soldier was released, whereby it could deal with the collapse of SHIELD and the resurgance of HYDRA. There are some big mysteries for season two to explore, not least of which is the exact nature of Coulson's resurrection. It's been suggested that the blue-skinned alien from whom the life-giving element was extracted was a Kree, which would help tie the series to the wider Marvel universe. More importantly, it gives Clark Gregg some strong material to work with, and when he's given good material, he can be impressive. I still have yet to be impressed by Chloe Bennet's character, Skye, but the tease of her father at the end of series one bodes well, especially since it's now been revealed that Kyle MacLaclan is playing him in series two.

So, who are these mysterious fathers? I doubt they're in any way related, what with one being extraterrestrial and the other very much terrestrial. Quill's father may possibly be Starfox, who in the comics is the brother of Thanos, although as yet this is all guesswork. Theories as to the identity of Skye's father range from Ghost Rider to the Man-Thing, who has at least been mentioned a couple of times in the series. Personally, I feel that he may be a member of the Inhumans. There have been hints of Marvel's plans for an Inhumans movie, not least of which has been Vin Diesel's latest teasing tweet, which suggests that his voice role as Groot was indeed a placeholder to get him on contract for an Inhuman role. Without the rights to the X-Men, the Inhumans could become Marvel's answer to this cinematic franchise, providing an array of uniquely powered individuals with a complex mythology to pick from.

Also coming up is the highly anticipated Agent Carter series, which can only be a good thing for two reasons. One: more Hayley Atwell. Two: a chance to further explore the past of the Marvel universe. This can not only seed elements into the contemporary stories, but allow historical stories which have their own self-contained problems and content. There's plenty of room for WWII-era Marvel characters such as Namor the Sub-Mariner to appear. I also wonder who holds the rights to the original Human Torch, the wartime android who predates the Fantastic Four. Add to this the four heroes who are getting Netfix series, including the interesting casting of Charlie Cox as Matt "Daredevil" Murdock, and a rich universe is taking shape. First though, we have Ant-Man. I honestly can't see the point to this one anymore. Ant-Man was always an odd choice to head a movie, and the developments are not reassuring. This was Edgar Wright's own dream project, and it was the prospect of Wright-directed superhero film that gained fans', and actors', interests. With his script rewritten and a new director on board, it's seeming more and more like a dangerous decision to launch Phase Three, and a huge missed opportunity. The script choices are strange, too, and some of this at least must go back to Wright. Hank Pym is one of Marvel's more interesting and flawed characters, yet he is relegated to a supporting role here, with the action going to Paul Rudd's Scott Lang. Janet van Dyne, a great character and a core Avenger in the comics, is apparently deceased before the movie even starts, and though it's possible Evangeline Lily's character will be the Wasp in all but name, it feels like the most interesting elements of the story have been removed.

Surprisingly, while we're waiting for Marvel to make a Black Widow or Captain Marvel movie, it's Sony who look like they'l be the first to produce a film centred on a female superhero. With The Amazing Spider-Man 3 pushed back till after the Sinister Six movie, and possibly after the Venom film (apparently now titled Venom Carnage), Sony are actively pursuing other options for movie series. Spider-Man is the core hero of the rights they own, but there are several female supporting characters who could take up their own adventures. The most obvious is the Black Cat, as Felicity Jones was included in TASM2 as Felicia Hardy. This version of the character has links to Oscorp, and she could be great for a Catwoman-esque antihero movie. There are several alternatives though. One would be Mary Jane, whose introduction has been delayed and has, in the comics, some superhero history (she's Spider-Woman in the Marvel Mangaverse, for example). Other suggestions have been Silver Sable, Firestar (from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends) and Spider-Woman (the original Jessica Drew version). Again, though, it's rights issues. Firestar was created to be a Spider-Man ally, but is first and foremost a mutant, and a onetime X-Man. Spider-Woman has only a tangential connection to Spider-Man, although there were later Spider-Woman, (and the Ultimate Comics version was Peter Parker's clone). Who holds the rights to her is anyone's guess.

As for Fox, Fantastic Four is rumbling along but news is sparse. There's more info on the X-Men franchise, with both X-Men: Apocalypse and Gambit entering pre-production. An eighties set X-Men movie is a fun prospect, and if they don't finally introduce Dazzler, I'll be very cross. Beyond that, we don't know where the franchise is going, but I suspect that numerous other characters will be included to test for audience response so that they can one day head up an X-Force or New Mutants movie. We know that come of the new actors in Days of Future Past have been signed up for long-term contracts. There's also a third Wolverine movie in the works, although there will come a point when Hugh Jackman is to old to play an ageless mutant. Many fans point to Old Man Logan as a possible last movie for him, including Jackman himself, although there are significant rights issues that would stand in the way of a direct adaptation. Hawkeye and the Hulk are major characters in the story, so a great deal of rewriting would be necessary to get round that. Then again, previous films have all been pretty loose adaptations of existing storylines, so this is unlikely to be a major problem.

Oh, and DC are doing some films too.

Marvel Diversity

If you've been on the geeky pages lately, you'll no doubt be aware of the latest big announcements from Marvel. New developments in the Marvel NOW! range (still think that's a naff name) will see a new female Thor, and Sam “The Falcon” Wilson become the new Captain America. This has, predictably, caused protest and praise in roughly equal measure.



Now, we don't know precisely what form the Thor development will take. It certainly sounds like Thor Odinson will step down as the God of Thunder, and another character (established or new, we don;t know), will take over. How this will make her Thor is unclear. In the comics, Thor was originally the alter ego of Donald Blake, a human being into whom the Thunder God's spirit was placed. Nonetheless, Thor was still a distinct identity, not a title or superhero name like Captain America or Iron Man. Other characters have held the Hammer of Thor, having been found worthy, the most famous being the extraterrestrial Beta Ray Bill, who did become known as Beta Ray Thor for a time. Some of the other bearers of Mjolnir have been women. Still, it's never been a case of actually taking the place of Thor the character, so quite how this will be different is open to speculation. To quote Jason Aaron, the writer of the current volume: “This is not She-Thor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is Thor.”


Gender bending popular characters is usually seen as a fan pursuit, but Marvel have actually been doing it for years. Loki was recently reborn in a female body, although he's now back to his male form. Loki has always been a very fluid character, of course. Mr Sinister was reincarnated as Miss Sinister. It's not unheard of, but rarely sticks.

The unveiling of the new Captain America has been less controversial, and received less publicity. It would have made more of a splash if Marvel had released the news before the Thor revelation, really. In any case, having a black Captain America is no bad thing at all, and has rightly been lauded in most quarters, except for the usual pro-white arseholes. Again, though, it's less of a big deal than it might seem. There have been black Caps before, including, for a short time, Sam Wilson himself. Isaiah Bradley, a black man, was the first or second Captain America, depending on how you look at his retconning into continuity. There have been a lot of Caps over the years – io9 lists most of them here, and the Marvel Database, which covers alternative timelines as well, lists even more. It wasn't all that long ago that Bucky Barnes was the one true Captain, Steve Rogers having been assassinated. However, as we all know, deaths in comics rarely last, and neither do alternative character identities.


Sometimes it's different. Carol Danvers is the current Captain Marvel, a rightly celebrated move. Captain Marvel is a title that has been held by various characters over the years, and that's just in Marvel comics (it's complicated). The current bearer of the power of Captain Universe is Tamara Devoux, an African-American woman, but about half of the major characters in the Marvel universe have been Captain Universe at some point. In the Marvel Mangaverse (Earth-2301, fact fans) Danvers is Captain America, having taken over from Rogers. In the Ultimate Comics line (Earth-1610, trivia buffs), Miles Morales is Spider-Man, and this looks set to continue, in spite of Peter Parker's return from the dead. However, these kinds of changes are rarely permanent in the mainstream Marvel continuity. The status quo usually reasserts itself before long, hence why no one can stay dead.


It won't be long before Steve Rogers is back as Captain America, and Thor is once again male. Comics rarely deviate from the status quo for long, especially with regards to the major characters. However, this may not be the case for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvels' TV and film projects have, so far, done reasonably well when it comes to diversity in their main casts, but still the big star turns are white males. We've got a black Nick Fury (thanks to the Ultimate line casting Samuel L. Jackson long before the movies were on the radar). Marvel's Agents of SHIELD has a good 50/50 mix of male and female core characters, along with great guest turns from Cobie Smulders as agent Hill and Jaime Alexander as Sif. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are both getting online series, and Hayley Atwell will be starring in an Agent Carter miniseries. So there's some good work there. Still, though, there's a long way to go. We've got a Guardians of the Galaxy movie imminent, with aliens, tree people and talking raccoons before we've had a female lead hero or one of colour. It's not that women and minority groups are particularly poorly represented in the MCU, but they aren't headlining it either. There exist scripts for both Black Widow and Runaways films, yet there are currently no plans to actually make either of these. Either of those would be a major push in the right direction. Runaways is a particular favourite of mine, and if it stuck to its comics line-up, would be predominantly female and with a good mix of ethnicities. In spite of fan hopes, there still don't appear to be plans for a Black Panther or Ms. Marvel/Captain Marvel movie. We can only hope that the new Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, gets a movie or series one day (it's a very good comic and I highly recommend it). On the other hand, the details recently released for Disney's new animated feature Big Hero 6 have already brought it under fire for whitewashing the character line-up. I don't know enough about the original team to comment too much on this, other than that some of the characters are mutants who are part of the X-Men property, therefore not available for use by Disney/Marvel. The film isn't part of the MCU, it would seem, and Disney are downplaying it's connection to Marvel comics.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is taking a step in the right direction. With the Scarlet Witch joining the team, Black Widow will no longer be the only female Avenger. Don Cheadle as James Rhodes, the War Machine, is set to feature, and rumours have it that Anthony Mackie will be back as Sam Wilson. None of these actors will headline their own superhero feature in the immediate future, but there could be a long future for the Marvel franchise. I'd previously assumed that Bucky Barnes would take over as Captain America once Chris Evans's contract to play Steve Rogers has expired, but perhaps we could be seeing Sam Wilson donning the red, white and blue instead? Robert Downey Jr. is also coming to the end of his initial contract, so perhaps Rhodey will receive a promotion too. It's not as if black actors can't headline superhero flicks; we've had a whole trilogy of Blade films in the past. Of the predominantly male team at Marvel's film department, Joss Whedon is surely the best at writing for strong female characters, so maybe he'll push for a Carol Danvers film, or a female Thor? He's already said that he'd like Katee Sackoff for the role of the Thunder Goddess (I personally still see her as Danvers).


So, maybe one day we might have a line-up for Avengers 5 that runs like this: Don Cheadle as Iron Man, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Katee Sackoff as Captain Marvel, Gwendoline Christie as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow, Djimon Hounsou as the Black Panther and Idrid Elba as Blade? An incredible cast without a white male among them.



I tell you one thing: Doctor Who is looking a bit backward now, while we still have a white male Doctor. Pull your finger out BBC.

MOVIE REVIEW: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is shaping up to be even better than Phase One. The MCU has become a deep, complex world, and The Winter Soldier makes the most of this, exploring and reacting to the status quo and then shattering it. It's a back-to-basics action film, a Bourne-like political thriller where Cap becomes an enemy of the state. It's a faster, more violent, less kid-friendly take on the character and his world than either The First Avenger or Avengers Assemble.


As wonderful as it was to see a period superhero film with The First Avenger, Captain America works best as a man out of time. The original comics brought Cap only twenty years or so into his future, the rolling present of the comics universe eventually forcing him to confront the morally questionable United States of the twenty-first century. The MCU, however, has dropped the Captain straight into the murky world of modern geopolitics and the War on Terror (TM), a world to which his straightforward and noble morality is spectacularly unsuited. This is the stark truth of the modern world. It's not that the military and governments of the past didn't compromise their morals in order to hold onto power or to fight for the greater good. It's that now, we are under no illusions that this is the truth of things. While I don't buy into the concept of a vast conspiracy steering global history, it's no secret that those in power do not always have our best interests at heart; or that, when they do, they may take some appalling actions in order to protect them.


Steve Rogers isn't a man to compromise his morals, something that is both his strength and his weakness in this story. In a world where no one can be trusted, he is the one man who can be. Chris Evans is still utterly perfect as Rogers, convincing as the unstoppable pinnacle of the human form at the same time as he portrays a vulnerable naivety. Pairing him with the Black Widow is a clever decision. She represents the exact opposite of Cap; someone morally compromised who learned how to be a better person, while Rogers is having to learn that sometimes, he needs to be worse. Some of the work is already done; from the outset, this is a more violent version of the Captain than we've previously seen.


While this is a thoroughly modern, up-to-date actioner, it wears its influences on its sleeve. Retro elements abound, from the forties flashbacks to the seventies-style vibe of the politics and espionage. Samuel L. Jackson brings his usual Shaft­-like cool to all his scenes, even when he's violently incapacitated. The Winter Soldier himself, the crucial element of the movie, may be a 21^st century character but is screamingly nineties in his design. Cap himself looks better than ever, sporting a stealth version of his uniform for the initial night operation, before going plain clothes and finally reverting to his forties outfit from The First Avenger. Each look is a hell of a lot better than his Avengers outfit. (What will he wear for Age of Ultron? Will he have a new Avengers Ensemble?)



The Winter Soldier stands above all the preceding MCU films in terms of action. While it's saddening to realise that the most spectacular sequences will have been primarily created in the computer suite, the genuine live-action setpieces are still breathtaking. However, this is no Michael Bay gratuitous explosion-fest; everything pushes the story forward and allows further insights into the characters, and how each of them approaches a war situation. And, because this is a treatise on 21^st century American warfare, there is plenty of collateral damage. Indeed, this is the entire point of the film. While it is revealed that SHIELD has been compromised, that revelation is almost unnecessary. It's entirely feasible that a US-based military organisation would see defending the world's freedom and using horrifying weapons of mass destruction as somehow compatible.



Sebastian Stan makes a great impression as Bucky Barnes, in spite of spending more than half his screentime silently dealing out punishment. His chemistry with Evans sells their scenes together; you can still see Bucky somewhere under the Winter Soldier mask. Stan is signed up for a nine picture contract; with Evans only signed up for six, with three down already (surely his cameo in Thor 2 can't count?) I think it's reasonable to assume that the movies will follow the comics and rehabilitate Bucky as the replacement Captain America. That, however, is in the future. For know, there's the still the battle to recover Bucky from his enslavement as the Winter Soldier.



The remaining cast all impress; there really isn't a bad performance in the film. Anthony Mackie's Falcon has a great rapport with Cap, giving the film some of the bromance that Bucky and Cap had in The First Avenger. They've even managed to make the Falcon's flying gear look feasible and not completely ridiculous, always a challenge when translating comic visuals to the screen. Robert Redford oozes old American class as the duplicitous SHIELD supremo Alexander Pierce. There's a beautiful cameo by Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, and Emily VanCamp makes an impression in her debut as Sharon Carter, surely set to become a more significant character in the MCU. Cobie Smulders gets the screentime she deserves at last; Agent Hill absolutely rocks in this film. In fact, for such a boys' film, this is strong on powerful female characters. Scarlett Johansson sometimes seems a little uncomfortable as Romanov, but then again, this could be a deliberate character choice. In any case, we know she is capable of more than she shows in this film; if anything, The Winter Soldier is a great argument for a non-superpowered, Black Widow spy thriller. It's just a shame the poster designers decreed it was necessary to take such bizarre liberties with her appearance and photoshop the hell out of her.



There are other unexpected apperances. Jenny Agutter has her sexiest screen moment since her dip in Walkabout. Toby Jones reappears as Arnim Zola, in drastically altered circumstances reflecting his peculiar evolution in the comics, in a scene that adds an eighties techno-feel to the movie's retro mash-up. Frank Grillo makes the most of his role as Brock 'Crossbones' Rumlow, a thoroughly nasty piece of work.



In the end, this is a film about lies, compromised morals and the problem of trust. Today's corporate, surveillance-controlled America (and by extension, Britain and much of the west) threatens to become more of a danger to freedom than the regimes it pits itself against. While this movie will do nothing to combat that (it belongs to Disney, for Christ's sake, so it's not exactly innocent in the corporate evil stakes), it reflects the populace's growing disquiet with the nature of of our civilisation. It raises the question of whether the only way forward is to tear everything down and start again. There will be, at the very least, massive repercussions for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Agents of SHIELD (with which I am lagging behind, being in the UK) will certainly be affected, and the set-up for Age of Ultron will be somewhat different than in Avengers Assemble.




Oh, and make sure you sit through the credits. Not only are they a minor masterpiece in themselves, but both the mid-credits and post-credits scenes are worth waiting for.