REVIEW: Deadpool & Wolverine

SPOILERS FROM THE START

REVIEW: WandaVision

 There's no way to review this one without considerable SPOILERS. Go away and watch it, if you're in any way inclined but somehow haven't done so yet. I recommend it.

Thoughts on The New Mutants

 In the latest of my "occasionally catching up on the films I've seen lately" series, I'm taking a look at New Mutants, the Fox comicbook movie that has been stirring in development hell a while. This was supposed to be released in 2018, but the continual messing around by more than one production company delayed it by two years. The original idea, to make the The New Mutants comic series into a full-fledged horror film was kiboshed by Fox's cold feet. The film was rewritten and reshot, then changed back again after the horror-themed trailers gained a good response, before Disney bought up Fox and demanded yet more reworking to make it marketable under their brand.

The result is a very brief 94-minute film, with a botched sense of tone. Still, I found a lot to enjoy. The first couple of acts work really well as a genuinely unsettling asylum horror, riffing on the enduring fear of being unjustly imprisoned. It balances this with the superpower stuff pretty well, particularly since the New Mutants' power sets are mostly pretty horrifying anyway. The final act has the same problems many superhero movies have, going all out with the action at the expense of the tone and coherence of the film, but overall it works. It feels like there's a much stronger film in here, though, and I hope that it proves popular enough that someday a director's cut is released. Sadly, the fact that it finally limped to cinemas in the middle of the pandemic means it'll probably be put down as a failure regardless.

This is officially part of the X-Men movie universe that started back in 2000, and after twenty years audiences are familiar enough with that for a mere handful of references to reassure them this is the same world. Just having people manifest powers spontaneously as a fact of life makes everything much more streamlined.

The cast is excellent, and the interpretations of the characters is strong. Blu Hunt is the star, playing Dani Moonstar (Psyche or Mirage in the comics), a teenaged girl of Cheyenne heritage who manifests her powers when her village and family are destroyed by a demon bear. If this seems ridiculous, then the writers agreed, taking that strange supernatural villain from the comics and reworking its nature very cleverly. I mean, it's well signposted, so I won't reveal the exact nature of Dani's story here for anyone who is going to watch it still. In any case, I liked what they did with the idea and thought Hunt was solid in the role.

Dani is then taken into a hospital/prison/training camp for adolescent mutants whose powers threaten them and their loved ones. Maisie Williams, probably the most recognisable of the young faces here, is excellent as Rahne Sinclair, a Scots girl shunned by her Christian community because of her mutation. Her name in the comics is Wolfsbane, and she's basically a werewolf (I guess the inference is that all werewolves must have shared the same mutated gene, but this is never explored). She and Dani form a close friendship that develops into a very sweet and tentative romance, which is a new development to the comics but works very well onscreen. It adds more weight to the anti-fundamentalist Christian narrative as well.

Anya Taylor-Joy is also excellent as Ilyana Rasputin, aka Magik. She's initially characterised as the surly mean girl, but her character has much more depth than that and has been through real trauma and abuse. Her memories of it clearly aren't meant to be accurate depictions of what she went through, instead manifesting as some of the most horrifying imagery in the film. The fact that she's very sexualised as a result of her abuse actually makes the character uncomfortable to watch, since to begin with she's clearly meant to be the sexy lithe one and this forces you to question how you're viewing her. 

Ilyana has a strange rewrite in the form of Lockheed, the dragon companion that is associated with Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde in the comics. It's not clear exactly when this is set (X-movie continuity being a minefield anyway), so they could have included a recast young Kitty here, but instead, Lockheed is reimagined as Ilyana's soft toy hand puppet, essentially her safety blanket. Her reality warping, dimension jumping powers do give us a "real" Lockheed eventually though. What's missing is her brother, Colossus, who was apparently part of an earlier draft. Still, it's hard to see how he'd fit in here.

Brazilian actor Henry Zaga plays Bobby da Costa (Sunspot in the comics), who's a rich boy jock but is a very vulnerable character once you get past the bravado. His fire-based powers are a standard superhero ability, but the script really looks at how terrifying and destructive they would really be. His character turned up briefly in the future segment Days of Future Past, so presumably this is a good few years before that. I understand there was some controversy over Zaga's casting, since Sunspot is supposed to be of mixed race and Zaga isn't, but to be honest this didn't seem to be part of this version of the character's story at all. 

Charlie Heaton, who's definitely a new big thing since Stranger Things, is Sam Guthrie (Cannonball), and plays him with a broad Kentucky accent. I really liked his character in this, more openly vulnerable than the others but tremendously brave when it came to it. I imagine that, had the Fox X-Men films continued, he would have graduated eventually to X-Force as in the comics, along with maybe some of the other cast members.

The wonderful Alice Braga plays Dr. Reyes, the teens' doctor/captor, and manages to make her both sinister as hell and quite sympathetic. Like in the comics, she can generate powerful forcefields, even using them to maintain the border of the hospital, which is a cool concept. She's normally a heroic character in the comics, so it's interesting that they've made her a villain here. She works for the Essex Corporation, which ties this film to Logan, which is presumably many, many years later. 

While I found the early part of the film very atmospheric, it's still a fairly low-rated film, whereas the initial idea was clearly to go for an R-rated release like Logan and Deadpool. Still, you can get away with quite a lot on a PG-13/UK 15 rating these days, and there are some really disturbing moments. Again, there seems like there's a lot of unrealised potential here. The plan was to make this the beginning of a new trilogy of films, and the ending is left open in a way that could easily be followed up, but this really looks like the last gasp of the Fox X-Men franchise. I mean, it's thirteen films over twenty years, if you count the two Deadpool movies, so that's an impressive innings, but it's fizzled out now and there's no indication that Disney wants anything to do with the series. Well, with the exception of a (presumably toned-down) third Deadpool and recruiting Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine (which is highly unlikely). Any new X-Men projects will be a separate thing, and we'll never get to see the screen manifestation of Mr Sinister. On its own merits, though, The New Mutants works well, but it's inarguably a middle-of-the-road comicbook movie. A shame, because it tried something different and has a lot to enjoy.

REVIEW: X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Catching up with the movie reviews. Some spoilers to follow:

REVIEW: DEADPOOL 2

It is, I'm afraid, impossible to review this one properly without resorting to SPOILERS. Proceed at your own risk, because the SPOILERS start immediately, and they might spoil things. They're spoilery like that.

REVIEW: THE GIFTED 1-1) "eXposed"

The only non-DC/CW comic-related series I'm reviewing here, this is Fox's new X-Men-related series. Aside from reminding me that I still haven't watched Legion, about which I've heard very good things, this is a great opening episode that promises an interesting take on what is now a well-worn subject. I haven't watched the second episode yet, but I ma very much looking forward to it on the strength of this. The X-verse is big enough and has enough characters to generate new spin-offs for years, as long as the creators can do something interesting with them. While it's important that The Gifted distinguishes itself from the X-Men movies, it's a good idea to have Bryan Singer helm the pilot. There's a darker, grungier feel to this than the movies, but it still feels like part of the X-verse, even though it's very unclear how - or even if - it fits into the continuity there. Not that it has to matter, given how shaky the Fox movie timeline was even before the timeline changes, but this might just fit in as an earlier part of Logan's timeline, after the X-Men are destroyed but before mutants are weeded out.

The cast are all fairly impressive in this pilot. Amy Acker is always a favourite, and Stephen Moyer is very strong as the anti-mutant police officer Reed Strucker. It's a set-up with some effective built-in conflict: the family headed by someone who prosecutes mutant criminals, and then lo and behold, the two kids turn out to be mutants with psychokinetic abilities. I like Reed is clearly torn between his oath and his family, but quickly and decisively chooses to go on the run with them because he knows exactly how badly the kids will be treated. Immediately after young Andy's powers manifest while some jocks are kicking the shit out of him, everything goes to hell, and the news is branding them as unknown mutant terrorists. Sentinel Services - complete with its own mutant-hunting robots - is sent out to detain them without charge, and in seconds, one of them has a gun trained on a teenaged kid. While the X-Men franchise has been used to explore all sorts of discrimination and outsider groups, this is so far pretty blatantly about racism and kneejerk reactionism. You only have to look at how many black kids are shot by white cops who supposedly felt threatened to see how this would go down in the real world. (It might have been interesting to show Andy deliberately blowing up the school as a lashing out against his bullying as a parallel to the epidemic of school shootings in real world America, but I guess that would have made him far too unsympathetic a character).

The mutant vigilante team are fun, although we don't get to know them very well. Even Marcos/Eclipse (a new character, not from the comics), who is the de facto leader gets little fleshing out, but then this is only the first episode. His power set is pretty cool so far: not only can he generate light energy as a weapon, he seems to be actually full of light, which bleeds out of him when he's shot. It's good to see Blink reintroduced after her short appearance in Days of Future Past (more Blink-and-you'll-miss-it there), and Jamie Chung's a favourite too. I like that these kids aren't portrayed as straightforwardly the good guys, either. They're obviously fighting against real injustice, but people die because of their actions, and they're not left unquestioned. There are some interesting hints for the future, as well. Polaris is clearly set up to be a major character once she appears, which brings possible links back to her father, Magneto, and presumed half-brother, Quicksilver. The multiple images of a wolf-like creature are interesting foreshadowing, too. (I'm guessing nothing to do with Wolfsbane or the Demon Bear, what with these lined up for The New Mutants movie).  Definitely one to follow.

Comics Round-Up: First in Ages!

I cut waaay down on my comics purchasing this year due to the fact that the things cost an absolute fortune to keep up with. Currently, I have only one item on my pull list: Ghostbusters 101, which I plan to review in full once it's finished. However, I decided to pick up a few one-offs over the last few weeks just to see what new things were on the shelf, and thought it was high time for a little round-up. Plus, I'm going to be catching up on some recommended titles in the trades and graphic novels, for review as well.

America #4 (Marvel) I was so up for an America Chavez series, but this wasn't all that. It's interesting exploring her backstory, and I guess that was always how a series centring on her had to go, but America is one of those characters whose mystery is a big part of her appeal. That, and punching things. Maybe this was an off-issue, but among all the glitzy visuals, the story didn't do much for me.

Astonishing X-Men #1 (Marvel)

The X-Men, who have about twelve series on the go at any one time, get their latest issue one. And, well, it's not bad. There's a strong hook - the Shadow King is making his comeback via the minds of the world's psychics, and almost overcomes Psylocke. She calls out to various mutants to help fight him: Angel, Bishop, Gambit (who comes in two with Fantomex), Rogue and Old Man Logan. There's some very clunky dialogue as different characters (some from different universes) get each other up to speed, but the interplay is pretty fun otherwise. The last page reveal, while a bit predictable, is effective enough.

Bill & Ted Save the Universe #2 (Boom!)

Blast, I missed the first issue. I'll have to keep my eyes open for it. This is a treat. They've been to the past, they've been to the future, they've been all around the afterlife, but one place they haven't been is outer space. Apart from the obvious fun to be had with Wyld Stallyns meeting aliens, this series introduces their long lost mothers into the mix, plugging a big gap in the narrative of the films by revealing that they've actually been travelling the universe to prepare other civilisations for the coming of the Stallyns. Rufus is satisfyingly shifty and the dialogue for the guys is spot on. The art by Bachan and Guimaraes fits the mood perfectly as well. Definitely plan to pick up issue three.

Centipede #1-#2 (Dynamite)

Just out in digital, and this is really pretty good. Adapting an extremely simplistic Atari game into a comic is always going to be a challenge, no matter how much fun it is, but this works, because it allows itself to be a simple tale and focuses on straightforward beats. Elements like the last man alive and an unstoppable threat never get old. There are some great emotional beats in here as well, which come at you in between the highly effective monster attack panels. It's a shame we ca't escape Joseph Campbell even on an alien planet, but this is nonetheless a fun way to spend a few minutes.



Shade, the Changing Girl #8 (DC's Young Animal)

DC's latest imprint includes this new update/sequel to Shade, the Changing Man, and I've only now come round to reading an issue. Young Loma, an avian alien from the planet Meta, follows in the footsteps of her hero Rac Shayde and comes to Earth. I finally picked this up because the cover features rainbow-feathered dromaeosaurs and that is guaranteed to appeal to me. Actual dinosaur content of the issue is minimal. It took me a while to get up to speed with what was happening here, but the disjointed uncertainty of the story is the point. Interesting, probably needs to be picked up as a trade so I can really get to grips with it. 

FILM REVIEW: LOGAN

"An excellent farewell to Jackman's long run as Wolverine."

Batman has been played by eight actors in live action films since 1943. Superman by five, Spider-Man by four. Most of the X-Men, in spite of the seventeen years of continual film production in a (broadly) consistent universe, have been played by two or more actors. But it's hard to imagine anyone else playing the Wolverine.

Some day, of course, someone else will play Logan. Fox won't let the character lie forever, and if they ever let the X-Men rights slip, Marvel would snap them back up and make a Wolverine film like a shot. Whoever takes on the role is going to have a very tough time winning over Hugh Jackman's fans. On paper, he is totally, notoriously wrong for the part. A short, stocky, beaten-up little bruiser being played by a strapping, handsome actor, who was best known for musicals prior to getting the part. Nonetheless, Jackman has been note perfect throughout his appearances in the X-Men franchise, from starring roles to cheeky cameos. He's the only actor to appear in all of the X-Men and Wolverine films - you can even include Deadpool in that, if you want to count the paper face mask Wade sports at the end. 

Logan is to be Jackman's final time as the Wolverine. This is probably for the best; there's only so long anyone can play an ageless mutant. Taking inspiration from the Old Man Logan storyline is something that Jackman himself campaigned for for some time, although seemingly he was mostly interested in the "old man" part of that than anything else. Indeed, very little from that questionable comics series has survived, beyond the future setting, the aged Logan and the road trip format. It's 2029, and no mutant has been born for over a decade. Logan is working as a chauffeur, of all things, trying to earn enough money to get out of the States. He is, along with the vampire-like mutant Caliban, caring for Professor Xavier, who is having psychic seizures that are devastating to everyone in the vicinity.

It's not a jolly setting, and it doesn't appear to be either future shown in Logan and Xavier's last mission together, Days of Future Past. But then, the writers X-Men franchise has never worried too much about continuity. Logan exists in relation to the previous X-Men films, but set apart as its own story. Nonetheless, the script assumes a certain knowledge of the basic set-up of the X-Men's world, and the nature of both Logan and Xavier's characters. It would be possible to come in cold and pick this all up, but it's not intended to be watched like that. It's a reflection on Wolverine's character, how he's developed through the films, and how he can be expected to deal with the decades of horror and violence he's experienced.

Logan is an extremely violent film, with decapitations, gunshots to the head, brutal beatings and murders aplenty. While I might sound like a scratched record, I am amazed that it has been released with a 15 certificate in the UK (an R-rating in the States, which isn't quite the same but still more permissive than I'd expect). Not too long ago, Logan would definitely have been rated 18. I don't think it's too violent, though. Indeed, it's honestly violent, in the way that, say, Tarantino films usually are. Violence is horrific and should be treated as such, and a less visceral version of Logan would blunt the message of what violence can do to someone.

The film hinges on Logan's two core relationships: with Xavier and Laura Kinney. Both call back to the first X-Men film in 2000. While X-Men saw Xavier take Logan in and bring him back to some semblance of civilised behaviour, here we have Logan caring for the decrepit Xavier, looking after him both for his sake and the sake of anyone else in the local area. The second relationship, with his genetic daughter, Laura, mirrors his paternal relationship with Anna Paquin's Rogue in X-Men. However, there's no element that calls back to the Logan-Jean Grey relationship, although a line referring to Jean was reportedly cut from the final edit. It's hard to see how such a relationship would have worked in this film, and it works better focusing on a relatively small core group of character. Nonetheless, it's a pity that there was no room for Liev Schrieber's Sabretooth in the film - the one good addition to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and a character who is inextricably tied up with Wolverine's story.

Both Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart give exceptionally good performances as aged, sick versions of their now familiar characters. With Logan slowly dying from the adamantium that has been poisoning his system for decades, and Xavier dying from straightforward old age, there's an sense of impending death throughout the film. The Logan-Xavier relationship is one of exhausted commitment and responsibility, tempered by genuine fondness and good humour. Hearing Stewart swearing his tits off throughout the film is worth the ticket price alone. Surprisingly good is Stephen Marchant's performance as the ghoulish Caliban, bald and albino and sickly, an outsider to the pairing but one who helps hold it together.

Really, though, it's Dafne Keen's performance as Laura that makes the most impression. In spite of having no dialogue for much of the film, the Anglo-Spanish actress, at only eleven years old, gives the most remarkable performance of the film. She easily holds her own alongside Jackman and Stewart, no easy feat at all. She possesses both raw, terrifying instinct and heart-rending vulnerability. Laura Kinney has been a huge success in the comics, first as X-23 and now as the new Wolverine, and it's easy to see a great future for Keen as both an actor in general, and as an ongoing star of further X-Men films.

Logan's journey is at once both cynical and hopeful, giving up his less realisable hopes of escaping with Xavier to his adoption of Laura's own dreams, finally helping her achieve her freedom. It's also, as the X-Men films have always been at their best, about family.

SPOILER-HEAVY AFTER THE BREAK

REVIEW: X-Men: Apocalypse

SPOILERS INSIDE!

REVIEW: DEADPOOL

Deadpool shouldn't work as a character. Created by the notoriously shit Rob Liefield at the height of his nineties excess, Deadpool is hyper-violent, puerile and deliberately offensive. As a comicbook title that repeatedly breaks the fourth wall, mocks the conventions of its medium and genre and pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable for the format, it certainly shouldn't work as a movie. Languishing in development hell for a decade, the film has been the personal mission of Ryan Reynolds since he fell in love with the character when, in one issue, he was referenced as a potential lookalike (“Ryan Reynolds crossed with a shar pei,” was the actual phrase used). Reynolds could have been forgiven for dropping the project when he signed up to play the character in the disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a film that completely missed the point of Deadpool almost killed any potential the character had for screen success. Yet, seven years and a well-judged test footage leak later, here it is: a faithful, hilarious and already hugely successful Deadpool movie.


It's only February, and Deadpool is probably already the film of the year. Utterly vulgar and excessively bloody, bursting with truly hilarious moments alongside exploding guts, gratuitous nudity and, somehow, a genuinely sweet love story, the movie captures the spirit of the comics at their best. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and it's most definitely not suitable for the tween-to-teen target audience of The Avengers and its ilk, and it's a breath of fresh air in a climate of endless and increasingly interchangeable comicbook movies. Reynolds is absolutely spot-on in the part he was born to play, silencing anyone who thinks he can't be funny. The knowing postmodernist style of the comics is present and upfront, with the story told, alinearly, by Deadpool to the audience, while he isn't ripping the piss out of himself, the guy playing him, the directors, comicbook movies as a whole and anyone who crosses his path. The decision to animate Deadpool's mask – allowing his emotions to show through, just like in the comics – is inspired. They should really do the same thing with Spider-Man when he comes back.

Deadpool's lover, Vanessa, is the second-most likeable prostitute Morena Baccarin has played, and the two leads have excellent chemistry, through each foul-mouthed yet tender moment to the next. (Although, frankly, I think their relationship develops a little on the slow side. Also, their banter almost descends into the “Four Yorkshiremen” sketch at one point.) Equally spot-on is T.J. Miller as 'Pool's best mate Weasel, as is the wonderful Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Deadpool's elderly, coke-nosed roommate. Ed Skrein is great too; a protagonist as violent as Deadpool needs a truly loathsome villain, and Skrein's sadistic turn as Ajax, ably supported by Gina Carano as Angel Dust, is more than up to the task.

The characters I'm desperate to see again, though, are the X-Men: Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, played by Stefan Kapicic and Brianna Hildebrand, respectively. Finally, they've got Colossus right; gigantic, unstoppable, Russian through-and-through and a complete boy scout. NTW, on the other hand, is sure to be an instant favourite with everyone, a sullen goth with no time for any of this shit who wipes the floor with anyone stupid enough to underestimate her powers. If we ever get that X-Force movie, Deadpool, Colossus and NTW are all surely going to be on the team (along with Cable, naturally). It does raise questions, though. Is Deadpool part of the X-Men movie franchise? Well, clearly, yes, although it exists in its own, tangential reality to the canon. Obviously it doesn't fit with Origins: Wolverine, but that seems to have been pretty much dropped from continuity anyway. In any case, it's rather pointless worrying about continuity in a film where the main character not only references the rest of the franchise's actors and complains about the timeline being too confusing, but actually makes a fourth-wall joke whilst breaking said wall.

The action is, of course, spectacular, with brilliantly choreographed fight scenes that are both funny and brutal. It's all the more impressive when you consider that the already tight budget was being slashed even as they were filming, necessitating last-minute rewrites. Really, though, Deadpool's all about the humour, uncompromisingly, violently hilarious all the way. Deadpool winks and wanks his way through the movie, winning more fans than ever, and the sequel is already in the works. However, let's not forget the real hero of this film: Dopinder, the taxi driver. Make sure Karan Soni is in the sequel as Deadpool's exclusive driver.

Casting Call: X-Men Universe updates

Deadpool is coming! R-rated and set for February next year, this is looking good, with set photos and teasers already starting to appear, and Ryan Reynolds himself tweeting updates to keep fans interested. As well as this, casting updates are coming through for the next X-Men film proper, Apocalypse, expected May next year. Looks like X-fans of the nineties and noughties (like yours truly) are set to be entertained.

DEADPOOL

Brianna Hildebrand
Ellie Phimister/Negasonic Teenage Warhead

Not many people will recognise the name, but Negasonic Teenage Warhead is a favourite amonst certain fans. Created by Grant Morrison for his excellent New X-Men run in the early noughties, Ellie Phimister was one of the new generation of mutant students, a heavily made-up goth with exceptional powers of clairvoyance and precognition. While never a major character as such, she was significant, and managed to play an important role in ongoing developments despite dying twice. Her mutant name, as it happens, is cribbed from a song by Monster Magnet. Relative unknown Brianna Hildebrand is set to play NTW in the Deadpool movie.

T.J. Miller
Weasel

Weasel, whose real identity is, improbably, Jack Hammer, is Deadpool's best mate and long-suffering sidekick. He has no powers, but he is a genius, albeit a socially awkward one. He also went to the same school as Peter Parker and Jessica Jones, not that Fox will have the rights to make any reference to this. Still, nice bit of trivia. Deadpool and Weasel are quite often at loggerheads, including one period when Weasel was tasked to bring his comrade in while posing as superhero House. T.J. Miller is a stand-up comedian and actor, although his best known film role, in Cloverfield, was almost entirely off-camera. This will be his second stint as a Marvel character; he recently voiced Fred in the excellent animated feature Big Hero 6.

Morena Baccarin
Vanessa Carlysle/Copycat

The stunning and very bankable Morena Baccarin comes fresh off her stint on Gotham to join Reynolds on the short list of actors playing both Marvel and DC characters. Baccarin is set to be Deadpool's love interest (lucky girl?), Vanessa Carlysle, who comic fans will recognise as the mutant Copycat. A shapeshifter, not unlike Mystique, Copycat can adopt the form of her targets right down to the genetic level, so that she is able to duplicate their powers as well. She took the form of the X-Force agent Domino in her first appearance, and we later found out that she became a mercenary to escape a life of prostitution after she met and fell for Deadpool. Later, however, she was captured by the Weapon X facility and altered to become one of their agents. I would expect much of this to make the transition to the film, since it seems to fit with the overall plot of Weapon X victims and escapees. Of course, given her abilities, Baccarin may not actually be Carlysle's true appearance...

Ed Skrein
Ajax

The villain of the movie, Ajax, whose real name is know only to be Francis, is a mysterious and deadly individual was part of the Weapon X project. He experimented on numerous victims, taking pleasure in harming those he took exception to, most particularly Deadpool. Of course, in Deadpool's case, he's created an enemy who is virtually unkillable. Indeed, Ajax's attempted murder of Deadpool may be what costed him his sanity in the first place. A genetically and cybernetically enhanced agent, Ajax has the usual superhuman strength and endurance, plus superhuman speed and an incredible tolerance to pain due to having the bulk of his natural nervous system removed. He also has an intuitive capacity which allows him the edge in combat. Ed Skrein is an English rap musician who has segued into acting of late and looks to be on the brink of making it big in that field. He's best known as Anthony Walsh in The Tunnel but also appeared as Dario Naharis in the third season of Game of Thrones, before being recast in season four.

Unknown: 
Colossus/Piotr Rasputin

Joining Deadpool, Xavier, Magneto, Storm, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Moira McTaggart, Angel, Gambit and possibly Wolverine in the list of returning characters is Colossus, the powerfully built mutant with skin of steel. What we don't know, however, is who is playing him. Daniel Cudmore played the part as a student of the Xavier School in  X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, but he is not set to return for Deadpool.

X-MEN:APOCALYPSE

Ben Hardy 
Angel/Warren Worthington III

No surprise at seeing this character included in X-Men: Apocalypse. Warren Worthington was one of the five X-Men in Professor Xavier's original team, but didn't appear in the movie franchise until X-Men: The Last Stand, in which he was played by Ben Foster. Given that Apocalypse is set a good twenty years before The Last Stand, this might pose some continuity problems, but perhaps we're better off forgetting all that nonsense, especially as this is a fresh timeline and all. Angel was a significant part of the Apocalypse storyline in the comics, and the corresponding arc on the hugely popular 90s X-Men cartoon series. In this storyline, Warren loses his wings, and in his desperation, agrees to side with Apocalypse in return for a new pair. Apocalypse's genetic techniques cause Warren to grow a new pair of wings formed from a sort of semi-metallic material, and as a side effect, his skin turns blue. Changing his codename from Angel to Archangel, he becomes Apocalypse's Horseman of Death. Production art for both the feathered and metallic versions of Angel has been released. Ben Hardy, aged 25, is off Eastenders, but I shan't hold that against him.

Olivia Munn
Elizabeth Braddock/Psylocke

Breaking news, this one. Olivia Munn's casting seems to be dividing people. As I can make outm, she's been in some poor productions but is generally regarded as a decent actress. Psylocke is one of the more popular and more powerful mutants in the X-Men roster, so seeing her join X-Men: Apocalypse is no huge shock. Her backstory is complicated, to say the least. Betsy Braddock is the sister of Brian Braddock, aka Captain Britain, and first appeared in his Marvel UK title in the seventies. She displayed powerful telepathic abilities, but fighting alongside Captain B. she was blinded.

In the eighties, she was brought into the X-Men franchise in The New Mutants, whereupon she received both bionic eyes and her codename, Psylocke. Her abilities increased, including teleportation and the manifestation of "psy-blades" - purple telepathic energy blades. Later, Psyclocke merged with her enemy, the ninja Kwannon, so that the modern Psylocke is actually in the body od a Japanese warrior. Also, she's died and come back to life, just like everyone else in Marvel. I think we can expect her backstory to be simplified quite drastically in the movie. I think we can count on three things: purple hair, purple psy-blades, and possibly a relationship with Angel (and American actress playing an Englishwoman and an English actor playing an American, of course). Psylocke has actually appeared in the film franchise before; Meiling Melancon portrayed a version of her in X-Men: The Last Stand, albeit in a minor fashion and without much in the way of Psylocke's characteristics.

Lana Condor
Jubilation Lee/Jubilee

Jubilee is the most nineties of X-Men characters, probably most famous for her major role in the animated series, so seeing her turn up in the eighties-set Apocalypse is going to be strange. Props though for casting an actual Asian American girl to play her. Lana Condor is so new to acting that IMDB have absolutely nothing on her except her height. She's clearly an actual teenager though, which is refreshing. Jubilee has the mutant ability to generate plasma streams, i.e. fireworks, making her an especially glam mutant. The character had entirely missable cameo appearances in the first two X-Men films, but it looks like she'll be a proper character this time round.

Casting Call: Fox-verse - X-Men and Fantastic Four

Miles Teller
Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic
The Fantastic Four (August 2015); Fantastic Four 2 (July 2017)

Josh Trank's FF reboot is rapidly approaching, and we've still seen very little promotional material for it. At least a teaser trailer has been released, which seems to suggest a harder science-fictional take on the source material, although the shaky, handheld-style footage expected from Trank is noticeably absent. It appears that this version will be based heavily on the Ultimate Fantastic Four series, with teenaged character who gain their powers when traversing another dimension in a scientific experiment, rather than travelling into space. Miles Teller is 28, perhaps a little old for such a role, but this isn't unusual for Hollywood. Teller has an awkward charm, which is just right for the ingenious but often unconfident Reed Richards. Richards was played in the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four movies by Ioan Gruffudd.

Kate Mara
Sue Storm/Invisible Girl
The Fantastic Four; Fantastic Four 2

The oldest of the four leads, Kate Mara is 31, so they're really stretching that young hero angle. Best known for House of Cards and American Horror Story but with a string of film credits to her name, she's also been  the most outspoken in regards to the new movie, stating that she was advised not to read the comics to cloud her interpretation of the script, and that she and all the cast are focusing on making their characters "real." Bizarrely, some internet madmen are attacking her appearance in the trailer with her natural brunette hair. Far better than casting a Hispanic actor like Jessica Alba and altering her to look Aryan, surely. Seriously, some lunatics are suggesting that the casting of Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Melissa Benoist as Supergirl as evidence of discrimination against blondes.

Michael B. Jordan
Johnny Storm/Human Torch

The Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 2

Easily the most controversial casting decision on this list, I'd say this is also the best. Having worked with Trank already on Chronicle, and Teller on That Awkward Moment, there's already a good working relationship in place, and Jordan is easily capable of playing a charismatic yet vulnerable young man. At 28, he's perhaps getting a little old to play a teenaged character. If anything, it puts me in mind of Donald Glover's campaigning to play Spider-Man - another black American actor keen to play an iconic but caucasian character, who is fast getting too old to do so. Inevitably, some people are up in arms about this casting. Frankly, any logistical arguments are farcical. There's nothing in Johnny Storm's character that suggests he has to be white, and the only problem is that he is the brother of Sue Storm, who remains white. Even this is easily dealt with with a simple rewrite; they could be half-siblings or stepsiblings, or Johnny could be adopted. Hardly an insurmountable narrative problem. Johnny Storm was previously played by Chris Evans, who was the best thing about the 2005 Fantastic Four, but is now, of course, Captain America.

Jamie Bell
Ben Grimm/The Thing
The Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 2

English actor Jamie Bell is best known for Billy Elliot, but has action movie background in Jumper and King Kong. He's an unusual choice for the normally beefy Ben Grimm, who was previously played by Michael Chiklis. The look of the post-transformation, rock-like Thing has been a closely guarded secret, with an early leaked image being retracted and only the briefest glimpse in the trailer. Incidentally, all four leads are contracted to appear in Fantastic Four 2 in July 2017, but the production of that film will hinge on the success of the first, so I don't think we can consider it confirmed.

Reg Cathey
Dr. Franklin Storm
The Fantastic Four

Also known best for House of Cards, Cathey plays the father of Sue and Johnny Storm. The mainstream comics version of Franklin was a surgeon, estranged from his children, but the Ultimate Universe version was a regular character who worked on the supersoldier programme with Dr. Molhevic (the Mole Man). Expect some elements of this to be worked into the script, but not the supersoldier elements, which belong to Marvel.

Toby Kebbell
Victor Domashev/Doom
The Fantastic Four

First things first: Toby Kebbell is amazing. Another English actor, Kebbell played Kobo, the damaged and eventually villainous bonobo character in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. It's probably safe to call him the next Andy Serkis, and his motion capture and voice skills should come into good use as the masked Dr. Doom. He was also excellent as a disturbed character in Black Mirror. However, news of the rebooted version so encouraging. The original version is one of the big bads of the Marvel universe, of course, a despotic ruler whose real name is Victor von Doom. The Ultimate version was changed to something slightly more sensible, Victor van Damme. So Victor Domashev is fine. It's just... he's being described as an angry blogger. "Doom" is his online handle. That's just so appallingly naff I can hardly compute it.

Tim Blake Nelson
Harvey Elder/Mole Man
The Fantastic Four

Tim Blake Nelson previously appeared in the MCU as Samuel Sterns. His appearance in The Incredible Hulk ended with him beginning his transformation into super-brained mutate The Leader. Clearly he was set to appear in the next Hulk film... which never happened. Now he's hopped over to Fox's franchise to play Harvey Elder, who, in the comics, is the freakish supervillain Mole Man, ruler of the Moloids and creator of numerous monsters. The Ultimate Universe version goes by the name Arthur Molekevic, a scientist employed at the Baxter Building where the FF are based. It's likely that, despite the name change, the movie version will be more like the Ultimate version, but as both are monster-breeding biochemists, it's clear Nelson's character is being set up as a future villain for the franchise. Expect him to have a major role in the sequel should it come to pass.

Ryan Reynolds
Wade Wilson/Deadpool
Deadpool (2016), X-Force (unknown)

Hurrah! Deadpool is finally getting an actual movie, thanks to some clever sorts who leaked that test film that got huge acclaim. Reynolds, of course, played Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which completely destroyed the character by turning him into a sort of conglomerate of all the cool bits of other mutants with none of the actual appeal. Or a mouth. However, Reynolds is now back in the role, which should actually have proper Deadpool stuff, like breaking the fourth wall and being funny. I really hope Deadpool turns to the camera and apologises for Origins: Wolverine. Everyone's second favourite Canadian mutant with a healing factor is set to get his own film next year, so they'd better get a wriggle on, before hopefully appearing in an X-Force movie further down the line with other popular characters such as Cable.

Gina Camaro
Angel Dust
Deadpool 

Actress/MMA fighter Gina Camaro is set to play Angel Dust, a reasonably obscure character who is one of the Morlocks, a group of underground mutants with generally useless powers such as the ability to alter adrenaline levels, which is was Angel Dust can do. Still, with Camaro playing her, she should be good at fighting. She's also supposedly going to be starring in a movie adaptation of Rob Liefield's shit comic, Avengelyne.



Channing Tatum
Remy LeBeau/Gambit
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Gambit (2016?)

Cajun charmer Remy LeBeau was the sexiest male cartoon character of the nineties in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by Chris Potter, before finally making it to the big screen played by the generally awful Taylor Kitsch in Origins: Wolverine. After rumours that he would be back for Deadpool, it was confirmed that Gambit would in fact be returning to our screens in 2016 in Apocalypse, before spinning off into his own movie. Both of which are supposedly going to be filmed in time for this extremely X-Men heavy year, which seems unlikely. Channing Tatum is set to take the role, after years of saying how much he'd love to play him. General consensus is that he should be pretty much perfect for the role. We might also expect him to appear in the proposed X-Force movie if Gambit is successful.

Sophie Turner
Jean Grey
X-Men: Apocalypse

The Game of Thrones star is set to play the young Jean Grey in the 1980s set X-Men: Apocalypse, as one of the mutants tutored/recruited by Professor Xavier. Famke Jansen previously played the older Jean in the 2000s X-Men trilogy (with dreamscape appearances in The Wolverine and a cameo in Days of Future Past). Jean was one of the original 'first class' of X-Men in the comics, in which she initially used the codename Marvel Girl. Sophie Turner is a truly excellent choice for the role.

Tye Sheridan
Scott Summers/Cyclops
X-Men: Apocalypse

Another first class recruit and eventual leader of the X-Men, Cyclops was played in the X-Men trilogy by James Marsden (also with a cameo in Days of Future Past). A teenaged version appeared briefly in Origins: Wolverine, played by Tim Pocock. Tye Sheridan is not an actor I'm familiar with, but a brief tells me her is well-regarded for his performances in The Tree of Life, Joe and Mud.

Of the other original class of X-Men, Hank McCoy/Beast is already part of the team, played by the excellent Nicholas Hoult. Warren Worthington/Angel and Bobby Drake/Iceman both featured in the initial 2000s trilogy as young characters, precluding their inclusion in these retro-set films.

Alexandra Shipp
Ororo Munroe/Storm
X-Men: Apocalypse

Sometimes leader of the X-Men, Storm doesn't date back quite as far as Cyclops and Jean Grey, but she's still a longtime member of the team, first appearing in Giant Size X-Men #1 in 1975, the first major black female hero in mainstream comics. Having been played by the dreadfully miscast Halle Berry in the X-Men trilogy and Days of Future Past, the younger Storm is now to be played by Alexandra Shipp, who is best known for playing the popstar Aaliyah. She's probably very good, but I note this another mixed race American actress. It's not like there aren't plenty of black African actresses who could play the character.

Oscar Isaac
En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse
X-Men: Apocalypse


Apocalypse is an ancient mutant in the Marvel universe, possibly even the first mutant, born over 5000 years ago. With complete psionic control over the matter of his own body, he is almost unstoppable, a monstrous monomaniac determined to rule the Earth (which he does in the timeline of the Age of Apocalypse). He was briefly played by Brendan Fredder in the post-credits scene at the end of Days of Future Past, building a pyramid psychokinetically while his four Horsemen looked on. Lauded Hispanic actor Oscar Isaac is set to play the mighty mutant in his eponymous film. Why Apocalypse did not figure in the initial timeline of the X-Men films is uncertain; perhaps the changes to history in Days of Future Past may have had more extensive repurcussions than we've seen. Maybe the slumbering Apocalypse was destroyed by Sentinels before he awoke in the initial timeline, whereas in the new timeline he is free to awaken and threaten the world.

Who the Horsemen of Apocalypse will be is as yet unknown. In the comics various mutants and mutates have taken up their roles over the years, with both Wolverine and Gambit taking on the role of Death. Seeing that they're both set to appear in Apocalypse (Gambit a definite, Wolverine a very likely), could we be seeing one of them being corrupted? 

UPDATE

Cody Smit-McFee
Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler
X-Men: Apocalypse

Long-rumoured to be appearing in this film, Nightcrawler was previously played rather brilliantly by Alan Cumming in X2. Now the sequel/prequel/whateverquel has its Nightcrawler, to be played by 18-year-old Smit-McFee, best known for voice work including Paranorman, but with live action credits for Let Me In and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Good to see they're casting young with this; Nightcrawler's age was inderterminate in X2, but he's have to very young in the eighties. Looking forward to see what the guy looks like in blue.

Comicbook Movie Calendar

The UK release dates for pretty much all the comic-based movies heading our way next year, with my excitement levels appended. Just because.

Big Hero 6 - 30th January

They've already got this one in America. I am not happy about this. I'm used to getting my comic movies on time nowadays. This is the first ever animated theatrical feature based on a Marvel property, released by Disney and not part of the MCU. Early reviews suggest it's going to be an absolute belter. Excitement level 5/5

Kingsman: The Secret Service - 12th February

This one's been pushed back a lot, and while I know very little about Millar and Gibbons's The Secret Service, the synopsis does sound rather fun, and Matthew Vaughan makes very good comicbook movies. The cast is amazing too: Sam Jackson, Mark Strong, Colin Firth and Michael Caine are all involved. EL 3/5

Avengers: Age of Ultron - 24th April

At least we get this one before the Yanks. Cap, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, War Machine, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Heimdall and Loki all set to return, with Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and the Vision joining the ranks to battle Ultron. Can't bloody wait. EL 5/5

Ant-Man - 17th July 

Looking forward to this one a little more now. It's got to be good if it's going to successfully launch Phase 3 of the MCU, especially considering the vast array of films set to follow it. Peyton Reed directs and it sounds like he knows what he's doing, even if he isn't Edgar Wright. EL 3/5

The Fantastic Four - 6th August

Josh Trank directs the first in a new series of FF movies, based heavily on the Ultimate Fantastic Four comics and with a whole new cast including scary Tony Kebbell as Dr. Doom. Could be great. EL 4/5  UPDATE: Sounds like they really are going head their attempt to make this realistic and "lo-fi." Kebbell has even let slip that his version of Doom is going to be an "angry blogger." Christ. EL reduced to 2/5.

Bananaman - Summer?

We don't know exactly when this is coming out, or even if it will make it out next year as planned. No news on cast or director, but it's being made at Elstree. Apparently they want to call it Bananaman: Man of Peel, which would be amazing. With no concrete news, I can only go by my love of the comics and cartoon series. They'd better have a cameo role for the Goodies. EL 4/5

Further into the future, we have continual releases from Marvel/Disney including Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Inhumans and the two-part Avengers: Infinity War. I don't really need to specify how much I'm looking forward to all of these. Marvel overall excitement level 5/5

DC/Warner have their own raft of movies to rival Marvel, starting with Batman vs Superman next year, which will introduce a whole load of characters and spin off into solo movies in the reverse fashion to Marvel. Whether this can work is anyone's guess, but I'm quite looking forward to Wonder Woman and The Flash. There are also movies for Cyborg, Aquaman, Suicide Squad and a reboot for Green Lantern, but of all the DC projects the one I'm most looking forward to it Shazam! The DC hero known as either Shazam or Captain Marvel is uncast as yet, but Duane the Rock is playing the villainous Black Adam. This all leads up to the the two-part Justice League movie, seeing DC and Marvel going head-to-head in the big event stakes. The Vertigo side of DC is also heading to the big screen with plans Justice League Dark bringing together various supernatural beings under the maestro Guillermo del Toro, and very possibly a Sandman movie, although that has not been officially confirmed. There are also plans for further Superman and Batman films, plus, quite wonderfully, a Lego Batman film. DARKNESS! NO PARENTS! DC overall excitement 3/5, but rising to 4/5 for Shazam! and Lego Batman.

Fox has a further FF movie planned and many more X-Men films on the slate. Surprisingly, the first one we'll see is the long-awaited Deadpool, which hits in February 2016 and could be brilliant, if they don't fuck it up this time. Then comes the eagerly anticipated X-Men: Apocalypse, which will finish the trilogy of films begun with First Class, followed by a third Wolverine movie. At some point we can expect to see Gambit and possibly X-Force, as well as another X-Men title of some description. Probably a mix of new and familiar faces in these movies, but it's worth remembering that several of the newer cast members in Days of Future Past signed up for multiple films. X-Men overall excitement 4/5.

Sony's Spider-Man universe is all over the place right now, so there's little point in taking anything they say as a concrete plan. We'll almost certainly be seeing Sinister Six at some point, probably The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and just maybe a Venom movie (last reported as being titled Venom-Carnage). Any of this could change. A potential spin-off featuring one or more female superheroes set in the Spider-Man milieu is also planned, but details are scarce. I'm hoping for Firestar to be involved somehow. Any of this could change at any moment, especially with rumours of a deal with Marvel to allow Spidey to appear in their productions. Another reboot is not out of the question. Spidey-Verse excitement a cautious 3/5, pending developments.

The only other definite comic-based movie to my knowledge is a Ninja Turtles sequel, which will probably be dreadful. EL 1/5, although I haven't seen the first one yet.

Comics Round-Up September

There's a lot coming out right now, so I've had to drop a few titles. Might pick them back up somewhen along the line. It's still all very Marvel for me, right now. I won't be picking up anymore comics till payday, so that'll be under October's reviews.

The Mighty World of Marvel #3 (Marvel/Panini)

I think I've been seduced by these bumper UK reprints. This is chock-full of Marvel superheroes, with no fewer than eighteen listed on the inside front cover. It's such a busy magazine that I shall review each segment separately.

Guardians of the Galaxy #5 This is the first part of the "Angela" storyline, whereby, as a consequence of Neil Gaiman's defection to Marvel and the end of a years long legal battle with Todd McFarlane, a character from Spawn is uncomfortably inserted into Marvel continuity. To be honest, I can't say I am impressed by Angela based on her first appearance here. She looks like a skinny chick in extremely inefficient armour that barely covers her tits and who has serious anger issues. Still, as she has now been retconned as Thor's half-sister and is set to join the Avengers, she's worth keeping an eye on. The rest of the strip is great though. Brian Michael Bendis has a great knack with snarky characters, so it's a treat to see his take on Tony Stark and Rocket Raccoon hanging out. Plus, this is just after Stark and Gamora have been shagging, so everything is super-uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Drax is being seriously unpleasant to the Badoon, Mantis is being mysterious and cheeky, and Quill makes the baffingly ill-thoughout decision to ask Thanos for help regarding the fracturing of reality.

Daredevil #26-27 I haven't read any Daredevil for ages. This includes two stories, both by Waid and Samnee. "Punching Cancer" is a touching little story in which Foggy Nelson learns to deal with his cancer by talking to some kids about his experience with superheroes and drawing up some comics with them. Really lovely. On the other end of the emotional scale, "Devil's Due" is a brutal story which pits Matt Murdock against the now horribly crippled Bullseye. It ends with a truly nasty example of poetic justice, and god, it's grim. I wouldn't like to read stories like this every week, but wow, this is bold stuff. At first, Javier Rodriguez's art seemed too cartoony for the subject matter, but on reflection it works, in a nineties Batman kind of way.

Avengers Arena #3 "Earth Girls Aren't Easy" is a slight story, but one that sets up some great characters for later exploration. It's the tried,. and tired, idea of taking a bunch of heroes and villains and pitting them against each other on Murderworld, only this time, they're mostly untested youngsters. Cammi Benally is a great character; not a mutant, not a cyborg, she's an ordinary human girl with no superpowers who happens to have been abducted by aliens and is fricking awesome and hard as nails. Even X-23 doesn't match her for sheer tough girl charisma. Should be fun to see where this is going.

Wolverine and Deadpool #3 (Marvel/Panini)

In the title for "Marvel's Toughest Heroes," things have finally moved on from the Savage Land for the fun, rather cute intermission that is "Ain't no sin to be glad you're alive!" It's date night for the X-Men, and it's all as inconsequential as that sounds, but it's a welcome breather. I'll be honest, I'm lost now when it comes to all the politics and soap opera in the X-Men titles, so this all took a little getting up to speed. The next installment goes... back to the Savage Land. Still, this is more fun, with Wolverine heading a bunch of misfit X-students on a survival course. Plus points for including a cheat sheet of all the characters, minus points for all those poor dinosaurs who get cut up while minding their own business. Oh, and Wolverine's brother Dog Logan is back. Deadpool, meanwhile, is still fighting dead presidents, even though that story seemed to come to a nice conclusion last month. There are some great moments, but the joke is wearing thin now.

Saga #22 (Image)

I'm running out of things to say about Saga. Even when it's on an off issue, it's well ahead of most titles. and on a good issue like this one... Let's just say the shit hits the fan here. Things have been gearing up for a clash between Marko and Alana, and the fallout from that should be immense. Plus, we get to meet King Robot! Also, Saga is probably the only regular title with a letters page worth reading these days.

Ms Marvel #7 (Marvel)

An intermediate sort of issue, linking the Wolverine/Inventor story to further ongoing events, and beginning to explore Kamala's status as an Inhuman. The greater mythology stuff is less interesting than the details, though, Giving Kamala the teleporting dog Lockjaw as a sidekick is a stroke of genius, perfectly fitting the joyfully silly nature of the strip. At the same time, the story is able to look at more serious issues, such as Kamala's struggle to balance her superhero life with school (shades of Peter Parker there) and commenting on how it's always children who suffer the most when adults go to war. Fun, dotty, but occasionally profound stuff.

Captain Marvel #7 (Marvel)

Still a good, easy superhero read, if a bit lightweight and brief. Captain Marvel is running alongside Guardians of the Galaxy now, the two of them crossing between each other. This might mean dropping this title since I'm behind Guardians with the above reprints. The Danvers/Rocket interplay is good fun, but it's Danvers's relationship with her unwanted sidekick Tic is stronger. So, a fun series, but one I could stand to let go right now.

Rocket Raccoon #3 (Marvel)

Blam blam blam blam! "I'm gonna kill you in the face!" Yep, this is deep stuff. I've finally realised what the artwork reminds me of - those Where's Wally? activity books that came out with the TV series. I don't think there's a link, but maybe Skottie Young had some involvement with them. Who knows? Blam blam blam! Raccoons.

Ghostbusters #19 (IDW)

Oh, I really don't want this series to end. One more issue left, I understand, so this is building to a climactic conclusion. Dapper Dan seems to be at his happiest when he's drawing his favourite monsters from the animated series, so he has a field day with issue, which takes place largely inside Ray's mind. Both Gozer and Tiamat have taken up residence within him to battle it out. While they both take forms fans will expect - Gozer picks Stay Puft and Tiamat appears as she did in the cartoon - various other creatures from the animated days get used as avatars. It's a lovely touch in a well-told issue, leading to Winston's grand stand. So, while I don't want it to end, I am dying for that last issue.

2000 AD Prog 1898 (Rebellion)

I pick up 2000 AD occasionally. It is something of a British institution, after all. It's generally all a bit too grungy and macho for my taste, but sometimes a cover feature catches my eye. The Roman horror of "Aquila Carnifex" is very good, well written by Gordon Rennie and with suitably nasty artwork from Leigh Gallagher. And Dylan Teague's colours - just lovely. Moore and Reppion's "Black Shuck" is also very good, making it a worthwhile grab. The anthology nature of 2000 AD means as many hits as misses, of course, "Jaegir: Circe" is fine, if grim as hell, Judge Dredd does his usual stuff, and "Brass Sun" is just completely meh,

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #2 (Titan)

I forced myself to pick between Titan's two Doctor Who titles this month, so the tenth Doctor has been dropped and Eleven wins out. Especially important to let one go, as a twelfth Doctor title is on October 1st. Anyway, I think I made the right choice here. This is really great stuff. While "The Friendly Place" is somewhat similar to "Welcome to Tickle Town" from DWM a few months back (a risk when multiple companies have rights to the same characters), it's a hell of a lot better. Alice is proving to be a fine companion, the Doctor is characterised with just the right balance of optimism, world-weariness and whimsy, and the short, one-part stories are adding up to something bigger already. Simon Fraser's art is a bit scrappy, but that really suits this title. If you missed any of the covers from the first issues of either series, by the way, this includes a covers gallery. If you didn't miss any, how the hell did you afford them all and what did you do with them? There must be more covers than pages. It's ridiculous.

Fire and Stone: Prometheus #1 (Dark Horse)

This is another huge crossover event, but the Prometheus title alone is only four issues long (until the next story starts in February). Might look at getting the trade if it collects the Aliens, Predator and AvP strips together. Anyway, this is a pretty good start. Taking place twenty-five years after the movie, it introduces a new crew following up on the lost Prometheus mission, When they arrive on LV-223 (or possibly LV-426, there's some confusion), they discover a huge ecosystem, teeming with life. The alien ants are pretty cool. There a re a lot of characters introduced, and my simple mind is already muddling them up, but I am confident Paul Tobin can tell a more coherent story than the twerps who wrote the film.

Edge of the Spider-Verse: Spider-Man Noir (Marvel)

Right, so I dropped Amazing for Noir this month. There's just too much Spider-Man right now. While the link up to the Spider-Verse storyline at the end  is a bit clunky - I guess that's hard to avoid - the actual story here is a bit of a cracker. Spider-Man always benefited best from the Noir treatement, and this works as well as those original strips. Mysterio is an obvious choice for the setting, and this version, a stage magician, actually makes a formidable foe for Noir Spidey. The mystical elements of the Spider-Man Noir origin story tie it all to the Spider-Verse reasonably well. I really like Richard Isanove's art. Just gorgeous.

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.

X-Men - Kinematic Continuity Questions

How is Xavier alive, and how does Magneto have his powers back? Xavier was killed in The Last Stand, and Magneto was depowered by the mutant 'cure.' Now, both events have potential get-outs hinted at by that movie. Magneto was seen playing chess at the end, with a barely perceptible movement of a metal piece hinting that his powers were returning. The post-credits sequence hinted that Xavier's mind had survived his death at the hands of the Phoenix, and had set up shop in a comatose body. However, neither of these is elaborated upon or even given any mention in Days of Future Past. The post-credits sequence of The Wolverine has Logan state that Xavier's presence is impossible, to which he merely replies that Logan is “not the only one with gifts.” DOFP however, mentions nothing. Some kind of explanation, however, brief, would have been welcome.

It's possible that the mutant 'cure' was not as all-powerful as it appeared to be. Perhaps it's effectiveness faded over time, and required top-ups, more like the genetic therapy that McCoy uses on himself and Xavier in DOFP. This would certainly help to explain why the Sentinels are killing mutants and potential mutant sires, rather than forcibly curing them. As for Xavier, even if we accept that he has acquired another body, why does he still appear the same? He's even in a wheelchair. Perhaps his new body is quite different, but he is telepathically projecting his original appearance. The commentary to The Last Stand suggested that Xavier had a braindead twin whose body he took over, which is not mentioned in the film and is also really stupid. There is nothing in the films to actually suggest a full explanation. Seriously, one quick line would have done.


Why are Scott and Jean alive in the altered timeline, yet Rogue is powerless? Clearly, the new timeline has experienced some quite different events to what we've already seen. If the first two movies happened, they must have happened in a different way, but The Last Stand doesn't seem to have happened at all. If Jean didn't sacrifice herself at the end of X2, she never would have returned as the Phoenix, and never would have killed Scott in the naffest of offscreen fashions. Why, then, is Marie able to touch Iceman without her energy draining powers affecting him? Perhaps the mutant 'cure' was still developed, but with a different chain of events in the absence of the Phoenix. Alternatively, perhaps with Hank McCoy present, Marie has been able to use some kind of therapy to suppress or control her powers.


How is Shadowcat able to transport someone's consciousness through time? Again, just one line to explain that she'd developed a secondary mutation, or trained herself to phase through time as well as space would have done. And is she really sitting there, with no food, sleep or bathroom breaks, holding Logan's mind in place the whole entire time? Because if time runs in parallel in both timezones, she's been squatting there for days.

Did any of Origins: Wolverine actually happen? Aside from the fact that the previous films have now been shoved into an alternative timeline, it seems as though the widely hated X-Men Origins: Wolverine has already been retconned out of existence. That movie suggests that Logan spent most of the twentieth century hanging out with Sabretooth, and that they were both present during the conflict in Viet Nam, none of which meshes with Wolverine's presence in America in 1973 here. That said, it's not as if the version of Sabretooth we meet in Origins: Wolverine has much in common with the virtual mute we met way back in the first ­X-Men film in 2000, so disregarding Origins isn't necessarily a bad idea.


What's going on with Mystique? The retcon I found hardest to swallow in First Class was learning that Raven spent her childhood as Xavier's adopted sister, before joining Magneto and becoming Mystique. This was all excellently done, but nonetheless clashed somewhat with the initial X-Men trilogy, in which neither party showed any affection or emotional engagement with one another. DOFP at least managed to link the two versions of Mystique, although it raises further questions. What happened to Mystique in the original timeline, if she was captured by Trask and used to develop the Sentinels' shifting abilities? Did Magneto break her out? Considering that The Last Stand doesn't seem to have occurred in the new timeline, I think it's safe to assume that she still has her powers, so it's feasible she's till out there, but we don't know on whose side.

As a related aside, in the comics, Mystique and Azazel were revealed to be Nightcrawler's parents. Now, that's not necessarily true of the movie-verse, but if it is, Nightcrawler will have to have been born by 1973, considering that Azazel is dead and Mystique certainly does not appear to be pregnant. That's not a problem; Mystique clearly ages slowly, just as in the comics, so it's feasible Nightcrawler does too. Nightcrawler is expected to appear in X-Men: Apocalypse, so perhaps we'll learn something more then.


Why are there two Bolivar Trasks? And, for that matter, two Emma Frosts, two Moira McTaggarts and possibly two Toads? Well, the two Trasks aren't really a problem. Bill Dukes's character in The Last Stand was clearly based on the comic's Bolivar Trask, but never got a name beyond Secretary Trask and had little impact anyway. So he's just another guy with the same surname (and props for the blind casting – an African American man and a caucasian dwarf both getting the role instead of yet another tall white guy). The two Origins: Wolverine is only ever referred to as Emma, and is the sister of Kayla Silverfox. So I guess she just happens to have the same crystalline powers as Emma Frost, and the same first name. (Again, if Origins even counts.) The two Moiras is another oddity, one being a briefly seen Scottish medical doctor at the end of The Last Stand, and the other an American secret agent and Xavier's love interest in First Class. Clearly they can't be the same person, although I suppose it's feasible that they are related – maybe the Last Stand Moira is the First Class Moira's daughter or something. The two Toads might be the same character, although the green-skinned, leaping version from the first X-Men film and the warty, goggle-wearing version from Days of Future Past seem quite different.
Emmas are a bigger problem, although again, they could just be two people with the same name. The Emma we meet in


Why does Wolverine have metal claws in Days of Future Past, and does he have them in the new timeline? A big cock-up, this one, considering that The Wolverine only came out last year and is fresh in people's memories. In the climactic (well, climactic-ish) battle in that film, the Silver Samurai lopped off Wolverine's adamantium claws with a hot adamantium blade. He soon grew back bone claws, but there's no way, surely, for his adamantium to grow back. So why does he have metal claws in the future scenes of DOFP? The most likely explanation is that Magneto used his powers to manipulate the metal in Logan's body, but again, just a quick explanation would have sufficed to end this mystery. On a related note, does Wolverine have an adamantium skeleton in this new reality? Considering that in the last scene of DOFP, he is dragged off not by Stryker, but Mystique disguised as Stryker, it's questionable that he goes through the Weapon-X treatment in this timeline.


What happened to (insert mutant name here)? Well, Mystique's look at the files tells us that Azazel, Emma Frost and Angel Salvadore from First Class have all been killed and dissected. One of Angel's wings also turns up on display. Havok is alive and well, serving in Nam, but we don't know what happened to Banshee. As for later characters, Nightcrawler was going to turn up in the future scenes at one point, but was cut at an early stage because of the overload of characters. Rogue's future scenes were actually filmed, but cut, leaving only her alternative future cameo. Yukio, Logan's 'bodyguard' from The Wolverine, was already absent by that film's “two years later” post-credits scene, so her whereabouts are a complete mystery. Her precognitive skills might have come in handy in avoiding the Sentinels, though. Angel (Warren Worthington, not Salvadore) is a notable absentee, since The Last Stand seemed to be setting him up for joining the team. Perhaps he'll appear in the sequel, seeing that he was a major part of the Apocalypse storyline in the comics. According to the tie-in site, '25 Moments,' Angel was killed in 2011 in the Sentinel timeline. No news on Pyro, Magneto's volatile protegé from X2 and The Last Stand. Gambit does not appear, but we know he's alive in the altered timeline since he's set to appear in future films. The status of Blink, Bishop, Sunspot and Warpath in the new timeline is unknown, but BingBing Fan (Blink) has revealed she's signed up for further films.

What happened in the original timeline, before Logan changed everything? The sequence of events seen in Days of Future Past makes the original timeline hard to work. Magneto is imprisoned for ten years following the assassination of Kennedy in November 1963, until Logan, Xavier and Quicksilver break him out. How did he escape in the original timeline? It's tempting to imagine Mystique had something to do with it, but she's busy trying to kill Trask at this point. The development of the Sentinels is also confusing. Trask is ready to demonstrate his mark-one killer robots as early as 1973. The failed assassination attempt allowed him to push the programme forward on panic value, but even so, the development in the original timeline was slow. It's easy to accept that the shapeshifting Sentinels took a long time to develop, even with Mystique's tissue samples to hand, but why were there no simpler Sentinels sent in to quell the mutant uprising in The Last Stand? They'd have evened the odds at least.



Where does the X-Men universe go from here? Well, it's X-Men: Apocalypse next. The post-credits scene shows En Sabah Nur, latterly Apocalypse, basking in the worship of his followers, while he psychokinetically assembles the pyramids, as the Four Horsemen look on. Apocalypse is going to be set in the eighties, although there are apparently going to be at least cameos from some of the older generation X-Men. This new timeline can unravel in unforeseen ways – although we've seen a happy, shiny future for the Xavier school, we know time is in flux and can be altered. Presumably, Cable could well be involved, stepping back from even further in time. Has the change to history somehow allowed Apocalypse to rise to power in the twentieth century? (Perhaps the Sentinels would have killed him originally? Seems dubious, but not impossible.) And will Mr. Sinister be in it? And if not, why not?