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.

REVIEW: Kingsman: The Secret Service

Now that was fun. Yet another comicbook based movie in a year that is set to be saturated with them, of course, but Kingsman stands out amongst them as a return to the classic days of spy thrillers. It is, of course, a pastiche of Bond, Danger Man and its like, but gloriously over-the-top in a way the genre hasn't been since the early eighties. Absolutely a comedy, it is nonetheless a gripping action movie with some nailbiting set pieces. It is violent, of course; god, is it violent. Yet the violence reaches such ludicrous extremes that it becomes utterly laughable. Indeed, one sequence, which by rights should be gruesome in the extreme, is played as a riot of music and colour that's almost Pythonic in its humour. The final climactic battle, set against the backdrop of worldwide, uncontrolled violence is as brutal as the film gets, and even in this is tongue kept in cheek.

I'm not familiar with The Secret Service, the original comic series upon which the film is based. I am generally not keen on the more recent work of Mark Millar, full as it is of grotesque and sexual violence, but his ideas are often brilliant. From what I understand, Kingsman diverts significantly from the source material, so much so that we're really watching a Matthew Vaughn creation. As with KickAss, he and Jane Goldman have taken the basics and turned them into a storming screenplay. For all the visual spectacle and the wit of the script, this would fail were it not for the strength of the cast. Michael Caine, Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson are all as good as they ever are; for all their overexposure, the reason they are continually cast in major films is that they will always draw crowds and always deliver great performances. Firth, in particular, is spot on as the Steed-like Harry Hart, most skilled of the Kingsmen, while Jackson is hilarious as the lisping Valentine, a megalomaniac Steve Jobs.

There are excellent turns by Vaughn's reliable favourite Mark Strong (in a non-villainous role for once), the stalwart Mark Hamill (not playing himself, as he would in a strict adaptation of the book, I am told), and young Sophie Cookson as Kingsman recruit Roxie. The film relies on its star though. Taron Egerton is fantastic as rough-as-nails recruit Eggsy, pure hard-edged charm throughout. Some people have said they don't want to see the film, having seen the trailers and considering it chavvy, which is so spectacularly missing the point it's unreal. Kingsman is profoundly anti-snobbery, and equally against reverse snobbery, hammering home the point that it's by their background that someone should be judged, but their character. And their ability to blow people's heads off.

We're Ready to Believe You

People are asking me my opinion on the new Ghostbusters. In short, I'm all for it. I've been championing a reboot of the franchise for some time now, although I had thought a TV series was the way to go, considering the perpetual stalling of the film production. Look, I realise this is probably sacrilege to fans, but the simple truth is: Ghostbusters is old. The original cast are old (or dead). Yes, there's the potential for a handover film, with the original 'busters passing the torch to a new generation, and it would be wonderful to see them back in character. But that constrains the story to fitting with the continuity of the original films. I realise there isn't a great deal of continuity to worry about, but by making the third film an actual sequel the story has to accept that ghostbusting is something that already exists.

Right, so back in 1997 when Extreme Ghostbusters came out, it was, refreshingly, a sequel to The Real Ghostbusters rather than a reboot. And this was wonderful, tying everything together and allowing the original characters to be involved (Egon and Janine as regulars, the other three boys as guests in the finale). One thing I couldn't get over though is that, at the beginning, no one believes in ghosts, they think the Ghostbusters are fakes and con men and the new recruits have to be convinced of the truth of the matter. It's not too different in Ghostbusters II, where the business went bankrupt and everyone thinks the boys are "full of crap." It's important when releasing the first Ghostbusters film almost thirty years that the concept can be reintroduced. We need to start from first principles, with new characters being convinced of the existence of ghosts and other dimensions, in order to sell the concept to kids who have never seen the original. None of that makes a great deal of sense when the original 'busters saved the world from a fifty-foot homonculus made from marshmallow.

And while I'd be as pleased as the next fan to see Aykroyd, Murray and Hudson reappear, the truth of the matter is that their original characters don't have much place in a new version. We've spent years waiting for Ghostbusters III, Ghostbusters in Hell or whatever other treatments to get the green light that we've forgotten what made the original so much fun. It was well-written, well-performed characters in a funny script packed with new ideas. And look, this isn't Star Wars; the original isn't going anywhere. All you guys saying that the new movie is "destroying your childhoods" are being idiots. If you don't like the new movie, fine. Stick your blu-ray of the original on and enjoy it. No one's stopping you.

Other objections are just as absurd. "Reboots don't work." OK, so you prefer the 1943 Batman movie over the 1989 one? Casino Royale wasn't a good Bond film? It's true, there are too many remakes around right now and too few new properties, but it's not as if a full sequel would be addressing that balance any better, and for every shitty remake there's a successful new version.

Most aggravating is the rampant misogyny that has been unleashed against the new cast. It's a simple truth that if a film or show has an all male cast no one bats an eyelid. Release something with an all female cast, and people decry it as a gimmick, or political correctness. It's also nothing like, to cite a commonly thrown about example, remaking Sex and the City with male leads. Women remain criminally underrepresented in film and comedy alike, and while things have slowly improved, there's still a long way to go. There are characters who can't withstand a gender swap, where being male or female is intrinsic to their persona. Many, however, can be changed with little difference to the story. In this case, rather than remaking the film with female version of Egon, Ray, Winston and Pete, we have a new version with what sounds like similar characters that happen to be female. Played by four women with a pedigree in comedy films and television, just like the guys in the original.

I can't wait.

Comics Round-Up (January the Last)

Still trying to pair down the series. Reluctantly dropping Batgirl for the time being. Star Trek is getting a rest after this story is finished. Going to keep going through Spider-Verse and its associated titles, then I think I'll stick to Spider-Gwen, so long as it's as good as expected. Wild's End must be seen through to the end, The Wicked + The Divine has become a must-read. Ms. Marvel is a must on those months it comes out, as is The Multiversity. Other titles here and there. Squirrel Girl and Thor I want to stick with for a while at least, although I'm not sure about Marvel's new Secret Wars plans. They seem to be gearing up for a DC-New 52-style event. Not sure I can be bothered with all that.

Spider-Verse #2 (Marvel)

I am enjoying these anthology titles, I have to say. None of them are actually necessary to read to follow the overall plot of the Spider-Verse event, which is refreshing, but they do add something to the characters and are a good read in their own right.

Spider-Verse #2 is a mixed bag of actual short stories, such as "Anansi: A Spider in Sheep's Clothing," which has an unexpected meeting of Anansi the Spider God and Spider-UK; and brief vignettes, such as the opening "It's Showtime," which is just one page of the Capcom video game Spider-Man. The highlight is "With Great Power, Comes No Future," an origin piece for "The Anarchic Spider-Man," aka Spider-Punk. I'd be surprised if he doesn't get his own title after all this is over. The final vignette, "It's the Little Things," is also cute; it's just a series of nods to the various Spideys that can't be included for various reasons, such as the Electric Company version and the Broadway musical star. So, even though we can't have a panel with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield facing off, we at least know they're there, along with all the others. Except LEGO Spider-Man and the evil misogynist Turkish Spider-Man from 3 Dev Adam, who have yet to show up.

The Amazing Spider-Man #13 (Marvel)

The penultimate installment of the Spider-Verse storyline visits a universe where it was Uncle Ben who was bitten by the spider. I can't recall this being tried in a "What if?" story before, though, even though it really is the most obvious idea you can think of. It's also very difficult to tell the various Spiders apart in some panels. There's a nice moment where Spider-UK and Spider-Man India reflect on their nature as shadows of Peter Parker, the Man-Spider appears and rips the villains to shreds, and Silk continues to screw everything up, but essentially this exists to set up the big shebang finale.

Star Trek #40 (IDW)
So, "The Q Gambit" comes to its conclusion, in quite a perfunctory way. I mean, it makes sense in light of the facts of the story so far, but it is a bit of a squib. I do like the idea that the Pah-Wraiths are potentially powerful enough to threaten the Q (and that the Q cannot see anything of their own future on their plane). The best part is Picard's final line on the last page.

Star Wars #1 (Marvel)

Well, I had to pick this one up, just like everyone else. It's fine, reasonably good fun, and it certainly feels sufficiently Star Wars-y. Can't say it really convinced me to follow the series though, and I don't really care that it's officially canon. This is Marvel, where every bit of nonsense is canon (except 3 Dev Adam). I'll probably give Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader series a look, though.

The Wicked + The Divine #6-7 (Image)

Speaking of Gillon, I've got myself both issues of the second volume of the superlative W+D. Laura has become more cynical in her view, giving this a distinctly aggravated, downbeat tone. Issue 6 sets up some direction for the second volume, but it's issue 7 that's the better read. This is such a gorgeous book, and the convention scenes are incredible, with the thousands of convention goers rendered as nothing more than faceless shades. It's callous, jealous, Daft Punk-inspired Woden who is the most fascinating thing in this story right now, though.

Avengers Universe #9 (Marvel/Panini)

Still on Gillon and McKelvie, their Young Avengers run is by the best thing about this compendium, even if this (issue 5) isn't best installment of the story. The Apocalypse Twins storyline for The Uncanny Avengers (issue 14) is throwing major events at us but it's starting to feel like overkill, although I am intrigued by the unravelling timelines. The Black Widow/Hawkeye/Spider-Woman story from Avengers Assemble #13 is frankly dull (and the cover provided for the issue as a whole is hideous). I'll probably see the current storylines through to one more issue and then rest it if it fails to reignite.

Wild's End #5 (Boom!)

Not much to say on this beyond it's still a solidly exciting and well told treatise on the horrors of war and its toll on civilian populations. The lantern-headed invaders are a monstrous force, and the animal characters are more well-rounded and believable than the stars of half the comics on the shelves.

SHIELD #2 (Marvel)

More of an extra issue of Ms. Marvel than an Agents of SHIELD instalment, but that's no bad thing in my book. Jemma Simmons gets some decent focus this time round, although it's still Coulson everyone's here for. Good fun, nothing special. I enjoyed the artwork, particularly Delgado's unparalleled colouring, but Humberto Ramos's pencils do make the characters look extremely dopey on occasion.

Guardians of the Galaxy #23 (Marvel)

Finally, the Planet of the Symbiotes arc arrives at the Planet of the Symbiotes. There's some wonderfully weird imagery on offer, but the exploration of the planet feels cut short. It's an mportant part of Flash/Venom's development though, and the diagnosis of the Venom symbiote as being disturbed and damaged is perfectly obvious.

Thor #4 (Marvel)

The inevitable man-Thor vs. woman-Thor issue arrives, and plays our predictably but entertainingly. I'm tempted to keep following this series; I find the new Thor a genuinely enjoyable character to read, and the ongoing mystery of her actual identity is intriguing. A fiver says she's Jane Foster.

Powers #1 (Marvel/Icon)

With a Powers TV series on the way, it's unsurprising that Marvel have launched another new volume of the comic, bringing Walker and Pilgrim back to Homicide. And, you know, it's fine. There are some striking images, as you'd expect from Oeming, but it's not the exciting title it once was.



Multiversity Guidebook (DC)

Oversized and overpriced, but an essential purchase to those following Morrison's latest opus. The actual guidebook segments are the part that can be done without. Fun and fascinating as the reality descriptions are, it's hard to care too much when we know they'll just be rebooted again a few years down the line (as the history of the various "Crises" makes clear). No, it's the actual storyline in which it is embedded that is the important part, building on events in the previous installments and setting up major conflicts to come. At the same time, the tales of the futuristic Justice League coming into contact with the innocent Chibi Little Leaguers is joyfully acerbic, pitting the two extremes of DC's story styles against each other with genuine consequences for the overall story. While the fallout will have to wait, this remains an excellent series.

I ain't afraid of no reboot

I don't think there's anything I need to say about the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot - starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon - that isn't covered in this erudite post.

satire