You don't get it, son. This isn't a email service, it's a blog and we're the bloggers! We are the Caped Informers. Here to inform you on all current comic related news.
Guardians Of the Galaxy was the surprise hit of summer 2014. So it was of no surprise that Marvel Studios locked up director/writer James Gunn for a second installment. Check out it's first trailer.
1. Baby Groot is everything and has been everything for about 3 years now.
2. The trailer gives away zero plot. A move which is totally uncommon by today's trailer standards.
3. I found the lack of Kurt Russell disappointing, but James Gunn is probably saving the reveal of EGO the living planet for the movie.
What did you think of the GOTG Vol 2 trailer? Are you excited for more wacky space adventures? Or do you really not give a shit? Sound off in the comments.
Captain America: Civil War springs into theaters tomorrow. In honor of the Captain's third solo MCU outing, I decided to go back and rewatch his previous two films and see how they hold up or if I feel any differently about them from multiple viewings. Today's movie is Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
In my last rewatch review, I talked about how I never saw Captain America: TFA in theaters. That was not the case for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I was so hyped that I saw the movie in a Thursday night preview screening. I even wrote a short review for the film on this site. Here is an excerpt:
"Last night the Informers got together to see the premire of Captain America :The Winter Soldier. Wow, was it great. The group had a lot of praise for Cap's second outing and trust us that the universal acclaim is deserved." I went on to list ten aspects I loved about the film and then two I did not. I didn't go into extensive detail on any of the 12 points (I'm a lazy bastard sometimes) so it's kind of funny to look back and try to remember what I was thinking. Here are those lists:
What we loved
Awesome fight sequences
Great balance of action and comedy
Very current themes
BLACK WIDOW!
The Cap and Falcon bromance
Nick Fury's action sequence
Mid Credits Scenes
Winter Soldier's knife skills
HAIL HYDRA!!
Cap and Widow at the mall
What we didn't like
No Hawkeye
Maria Hill's portrayal
Now after rewatching this movie again, I can tell you I still agree will a lot of my initial thoughts, but I really question what I was thinking when I picked out what I didn't like about it. So here is what I thought about the film this time around.
The Winter Soldier upped the ante on action. We get to see Cap mow down countless bad guys in many different environments. The best part about it was Cap was not just running and jumping around like he was in TFA, this time he was beating ass in every way he could. He also gets a lot more use of his shield this time around. It's hard to pinpoint my favorite actions sequence so I'm gonna give you my top three fights. Each of one of these is a masterpiece:
1. Elevator Brawl
2. Knife Fight in the street against the Winter Soldier
3. The opening ship siege sequence
Solange vs Jay Z: Part 2
Captain America's allies are a lot more interesting than his last movie. Look back at my last review and notice I do not mention the Howling Commandos once. That's because besides Bucky they are interchangeable and the movie never gives you a reason to give a shit about them. Now Cap has a different team in place for this outing. He gets to hang out old Avengers favorites like Black Widow and Nick Fury, while also being introduced to a new ally in Sam Wilson/Falcon. I really enjoyed the dynamics between all of these characters. Especially the comradery between Cap and Falcon. They are the kind of guys you would wanna grab a beer with.
"Hail Hydra" is an amazing catchphrase (even though it basically confirms you are a Neo-Nazi). Shout out to the late great Gary Shandling playing a Hyrda supporting Senator. Here are some of the my favorite Hail Hydra memes.
As every person who has reviewed this film has already pointed out, this movie is a 70's political thriller. It's just as much a spy movie as it is a superhero one. The opening ship siege is very reminiscent of a James Bond cold opening.
Loved the scene with Zola as a computer. Gave the audience answers in a cool way while also giving a nod to Zola's comic book counterpart.
Hydra's infiltration of SHEILD was an interesting path for this movie to take. It also helps fuel Cap's motivations for Civil War.
The culmination of Hydra's plan leads to the end fight scene aboard the 3 giant death ships. It has solid action, but I find it less memorable than those 3 sequences that I listed earlier. Although Falcon's air acrobatics are pretty stunning. Actually fuck what I said, this scene kicks ass too.
The only real problem (if you even want to call it that) is that this movie lacks a big comic book villain such as the Joker or Loki. Alexander Pierce is essentially the bad guy, but he is kind of barely in the movie. So the brunt of the evil workload is handed off to Pierce's muscle, the Winter Soldier. Now while The Winter Soldier certainly makes for an tough physical opponent for Cap and his crew the real nitpick I have is that I prefer a villain whose motivation is more than just that he is brainwashed and being told what to do. That being said he was still a cool presence throughout.
Lastly, I have two questions about my dislikes from my old review.
1. Was Hawkeye not in this movie because he was busy working on his farm that we saw in Avengers: Age Of Ultron? Seriously he is a high level SHEILD agent and he didn't show up when his place of work was being destroyed because he was too busy fixing a tractor? I call bullshit. Do your job Clint!
2. Who gives a shit about Maria Hill? Why did I care about Maria Hill's portrayal? I didn't create the character. She was utilized fine in the movie. Why did I give shit? That is an answer I would like to know.
I love this kick.
In the end I loved this movie two years ago and I still do. I nitpicked more than I did before, but in spite of that I'm going to give it a higher score than I did two years ago. My rematch of Captain America: The Winter Soldier gets an A What did you think of Cap's second solo outing? Did you like the first one better? Do you Hail Hydra? Sound off and the comments and make sure to follow me @cstrand73 on Twitter and Instagram for all my superhero insights.
In anticipation of Captain America: Civil War I decided to go back and rewatch some old Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to see how they hold up. Leading off this parade through the MCU is Joe Johntson's 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger.
Captain America: The First Avenger is the one MCU movie that I didn't get to see in the theater. In fact I didn't watch it until after I saw Joss Whedon's The Avengers in2012. My college friends and I were so jazzed up about Marvel after watching The Avengers that we started talking about all the solo movies that came before it. What we quickly discovered though was that none of us had seen Captain America: The First Avenger. So without much hesitation I loaded the movie up my TV and we were off. Now I'm gonna tell you the truth. The first time I watched this movie I didn't like it. In fact all of my friends and I spent the majority of this film shitting on it. Now in retrospect that is probably because all of us had just seen The Avengers and we looking forward to this film being akin to that. In the 4 years that have passed since my first viewing I have seen (and loved) this movie's sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier and enjoyed another great Cap outing in Avengers: Age of Ultron. I have also read some Captain America comics and grown more fond of the character every time I've see him. In fact he is my favorite character on Marvel Studios roster now and I'm riding the #TeamCap train right into my Civil War screening tomorrow. So I think the combination of tempered expectations and more fondness of the character lead me to enjoying this movie a lot more in my second viewing. The first time I watched it I would have given it a D. Here is what I thought about it this time.
My Thoughts
The movie is very much a character piece. It is fully focused on showing it's audience how Steve Rogers is a great guy and hero at heart. Overall it's a great intro to the character.
Most of the action beats are solid though out, but full use of Caps fighting abilities (like kicking fuckers off boats and using his shield to take down a helicopter) are better showcased in The Winter Solider. This movie seems to be really focused on telling us that Cap can run fast and jump high. Now if this was a movie about how a shrimpy dude used a super soldier program to cheat his way into the Olympics then I would be fine with it. The problem is that this is a superhero flick and not The Ringer.
Watch Cap run and jump through the streets
A criticism for the MCU as a whole has been that there are no good villains besides Loki. Red Skull continues that trend by being the very one note evil German guy. In his defense though his makeup looks amazing.
Thorin Oakensheild, Margery Tyrell, and Damien Darhk are in this? That's cool. Also did anyone notice both of the announcers from the Hunger Games are competing German scientists? Coincidence I think not!
Hyrdra?
Most of this movie is great set up. Setting up Cap for the Avengers. Setting up Zola for his return in The Winter Soldier. Setting up Hydra and their utter awesomeness (I do not like Nazis I just like saying Hail Hydra!). Through all this set up is one crucial mistake. That is the mishandling of Bucky's death. He falls off a train and is never talked about again.They Han Soloed him. It was like in The Force Awakens how Leia hugged Rey and not Chewie. There is never a moment of Steve morning or saying anything about his best friend for the rest of the movie. Because Bucky's death was so unmemorable, The Winter Soldier has to drill what happened into the viewers head over and over for it's big twist to work.
The movie is poorly paced. So much exposition in the beginning then the end feels like a clip show of action moments. Don't get me wrong I liked a lot of the action and a lot of the exposition, it just felt like they were clustered together at the beginning and at the end.
I totally forgot about Cap's budding movie career. The old movie within a movie.
Final Grade: Overall Captain America: The First Avenger is more enjoyable than I remember. It has great character moments and does a good job introducing the Captain we all know and love.
I'm giving my rewatch of CA:TFA a B-
What do you think of Captain America: The first Avenger? Was there to much running and not enough punching? Sound of in the comments and make sure to follow me @cstrand73 on Twitter for all my takes on superhero stuff.
Marvel Studios has released 12 comic blockbusters since 2008. Iron Man kicked off their interconnected universe with a bang and comic book movies have never been the same since. So now that Marvel has released one of it's best solo movies yet called Ant-man, the Informers decided to rank all 12 of the studios interconnected films. Let's get it going. 12. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Total garbage. The first Phase 2 movie takes Iron Man's greatest foe and turns him into a joke while placing Tony outside of his suit for 98% of the run time. Shane Black and Drew Pearce successfully took Jon Faveru's Iron Man saga and turned it into shit.
11. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
2013 was not a good year for Marvel. After the debacle that is Iron Man 3, Thor's sequel later in the year that wasn't that impressive either. At this point if Loki wasn't in this franchise would anyone care? Malekith was absolutely forgettable along with Thor's crew of human sidekicks. Natalie Portman is really just picking up paychecks in these movies as Jane Foster. Less of her and more Lady Sif and the Warrior's Three for Thor Ragnorak, please.
10. Iron Man 2 (2010)
Love both Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell. Just not in this movie. Neither villain really stands out or has an interesting plan. One could say the real villain is Tony's alcoholism. But despite all it's faults, RDJ's charm combined with the addition of Don Cheadle as War Machine elevate this mediocre film to a decent one.
9. Thor (2011)
Not much to say here. Just an okay movie with some solid humor. It helps set up the Thor + Loki for The Avengers, but doesn't really do much else. The Frost Giant battle is fun though.
8. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The epic throw down between Abomination + The Hulk was the only reason I placed this film this high. Ed Norton makes for a convincing Banner/Hulk while on the other hand Liv Tyler is a pretty crappy Betty Ross. Mark Ruffalo has done a commendable job picking up Banner from Norton left off, but after seeing Norton put on an acting clinic in Birdman last year, I would have loved to see what he would have done with the character had he continued to portray the Green Goliath.
7. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
An interesting period piece about Steve Rogers and his transformation into this universe's first superhero Captain America. Loved the WW2 setting and Steve's motivations. What I didn't care for was a slow story that had a difficult time showing off Cap's abilities. If you used this film as a point of reference for Cap's superpowers you would have to assume his own ability is super leaping. He barely uses his shield in his opening appearance.
6. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Earth's Mightiest Heroes reunited for a second go around. This time against the evil AI Ultron. The same humor and action you loved from the first Avengers is here. Seriously they could make 20 movies just like this and I would love them all. In the MCU, I think there are 3 tiers in the hierarchy of the MCU. Those are Average, Good, and Great. I would say #12-9 are average, #8-7 are good, and here at #6 the great films begin. Which makes it hard to put this great film all the way down at 5, but with so many awesome films compromises needed to be made.
5. Ant-Man (2015)
The more I think about Ant-Man, the more I like it. It is a great palatecleanser from the recent massive Marvel movies. The stakes feel smaller and that makes the movie feel tighter. It really marks it own corner of the MCU. Paul Rudd is great as Scott Lang and Michael Douglas is even better as Scott's mentor Hank Pym. This heist adventure is humorous throughout and is Marvel's best first solo outing since Iron Man.
4. Iron Man (2008)
Speaking of Iron Man, it single handedly kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe and rejuvenated RDJ's career all at once. Iron Man is one of the most important superhero films of all time. Aided by RDJ's charm and Jon Farveru's slick visuals this movie presents an interesting origin for Tony Stark while creating a world that has allowed for all these incredible superhero films to exist. Also ACDC kicks ass!
3. The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers is the first ever giant superhero team-up on film. The final 45 minute battle alone could secure it a high spot on this list, but The Avengers has more going for it besides it's action. Joss Whedon expertly weaves in the each team members' different dynamics as the team forms to take down the villainous Loki (played by the great Tom Hiddleston). Solid performances across the board and hilarious moments make this movie a must for a superhero fans.
2. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
When this film was initially announced, the general consensus was that it would be Marvel's first real flop. Introducing five relatively unknown characters that include the likes of a talking raccoon and a tree sounded like a major risk at the time. Well, James Gunn proved all those people wrong and these five "losers" won the 2014 summer box office. GOTG is packed with humor + heart that just fit it's tone completely. Not to mention the best soundtrack in ages. Also Chris Pratt is now the world's biggest star. GOTG, Lego Movie, and now Jurassic World have made this guy huge.
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier(2014)
Perfection. This film is an excellent adaption of a classic Captain America storyline that is great at infusing both drama and comedy. Directors the Russo brothers understand Cap's Universe and utilize the additions of Falcon as a sidekick, The Winter Soldier as an adversary, and Black Widow as Cap's moral foil to propel this sequel way past it's predecessor. Best Marvel film period. Hail Hydra!
Thanks for reading! What's your favorite Marvel film? Which future movie are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow,Flash, and Daredevilreviews. You can also read my original rankings by clicking here.
P.S. These movies are dope and all, but Daredevil is the best thing Marvel has ever produced!
After looking through every teenaged actor who had a headshot, Marvel Studios + Sony finally decided to go with Tom Hollland (The Impossible) for their new take on the Webslinger. Holland will make his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War then jump to his own solo film in 2017 that will be directed by indie director Jon Watts (Cop Car).
So we got a couple of real unknowns leading the Spiderman franchise. I hope Jon Watts' has a real kick ass vision for a 3rd set of Spidey films. If you wanna check out 6 things that I think the new Spirderman needs to do click right here.
What do you think of the new Spidey? Did you want Miles Morales? Sound off in the comments or tweet us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73.
Doctor Strange has found it's bad guy in the form of Chiwetel Ejiofor. The 12 Years A Slave actor will be suiting up to play evil sorcerer Baron Mordo. He joins an already impressive cast that includes Tilda Swinton (Snowpiecer) and of course Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) as the titular hero. Source: Deadline
Ejiofor is a great actor and has played villainous parts before. Check out either Four Brothers or Serenity. He will be a great baddie.
I hope we see Baron's past that includes him attempting to kill Dr. Strange's mentor, the Ancient One. And if we do see that maybe Baron can help set up his bestie Dormammuu as the villain of the sequel. That would be badass. Doctor Strange hits theaters in November of 2016.
Thanks for reading! Are you a Chiwetel Ejiofor fan? Are you excited for more magic in the MCU? Let us know in the comments and make sure to check out all our articles and reviews about comic book movies.
Wait Baron Mordo? That means... #SpidermanConfirmed!
Earth's Mightiest Heroes are back on the big screen! Here is my review of the team's second outing with very mild spoilers.
Description:Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. High Points:
Excellent opening sequence. Very cool to see the team fully formed and going on raids together.
Hail Hydra! Everyone's favorite evil organization shows up just in time to get it's ass kicked.
Captain America is my favorite Avenger. Joss Whedon finds about 150 new ways to use Cap's shield in battle this time around. #TeamCap #FuckStark
Hawkeye gets some much deserved screentime in this flick. He was brainwashed for the majority of the first outing, so it was great to spend some time with Clint and see what makes him click.
Humorous throughout. One liners were being thrown all over this joint.
Well done action sequences throughout.
Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen's accents are the funniest things ever.
Cool insight into Black Widow's past. Since last year's CA: TWS, Agent Romanoff has really opened up and become a captivating character in the MCU.
A little Andy Serkis never hurts! Neither does a little Wakanda.
Joss Whedon took those Man Of Steel criticisms about not protecting civilians to heart because the Avengers are going out of their way to protect every Tom, Dick, and Harry. Seeing heroes be heroic is never a bad thing.
Great performances throughout the cast. Each actor has really bonded with their character now that they have all had multiple outings.
The Vision's entrance was a bit awkward, but his payoff was pretty great.
Age Of Ultron feels like a global film. Action takes place all over the globe.
Fun to see the Avengers kick back and dick around. The whole party scene is a lot of fun.
I dug the Black Widow/Hulk romance. Two different types of monsters that have come together.
The science bros reunited for some more (you guessed it!) science!
DAT CUT SCENE!
Be careful Natasha that shit is dangerous.
Low Points:
Ultron was an okay villain. James Spader was good acting as an almost pseudo-Tony Stark, but he never got the full focus he deserved. For starters we never saw how he came across his first full form. He just instantly had it and was off to the races. With so many characters I understand it is hard to balance all of them. The main villain should really stand out though and once again Ultron falls into the MCU's pantheon of under developed villains.
Thor's side quest was to further inform us more about the Infinity stones. Sometimes the connective universe has it's movies looking ahead instead of dealing with what in the present.
I understand that because Scarlet Witch had come into the fold that mind control was back in play, so I'm okay with seeing it as a big plot device again, but this has to be the last time we see it in an Avengers movie. I don't want every movie to have the team be at each others throat because they are psychically being inclined to. Especially with Civil War coming up, mind control should play no role whatsoever. Have it be a fight of ideologies.
The final fight scene was pretty anticlimactic. Yes a sacrifice was made, but defeating Ultron and his goons was pretty simplistic. Also because I asked for the end of mind control in the last bulletpoint, I'm also gonna ask for this to be the last the Avengers face a giant faceless army. For Infinity War, let's see them fight a different threat. Like the Masters of Evil or maybe a space brawl.
Enough with the Disney parallels. Ultron keeping signing Pinocchio. Banner and Ramanoff are supposed to be Beauty and the Beast. I get that Disney owns Marvel and that allows for this kinda stuff to happen, but there was enough of it that I have expected Steve Rogers to start singing "Be A Man" from Mulan in the final scene.
Didn't Scarlet Witch's powers look a lot like Poison Ivy's magic dust?
Verdict:Age of Ultron delivers on action and humor. Sometimes it can feel like mindless popcorn entertainment, yet it never reaches Transformers levels of mindless violence. Something is always at stake and you care about the people who are fighting. Ultron could have used a bit more focus and sometimes the building of the future of the MCU occasionally hurt it as a standalone film, but there is such more positive stuff going on that you really don't care. This movie did it's number one job: Kept me entertained for 2+ hours. The characters you have grown to know and love are all there taking names and kicking ass. What's not to like about that? Overall I'm giving Avengers:Age of Ultron a 8.0 out of 10. Fun movie and the first must see of the summer. Thanks for reading! What did you think of Age Of Ultron? What future MCU movie are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow,Flash, and Daredevilreviews. Also make sure to look for my remodeled list of the best Marvel movies. Coming soon.
Netflix/Marvel's Daredevil is getting a second season! The status of DD was unsure because of other impending Marvel shows (AKA Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage) were supposed to lead all to a team up Defenders miniseries, so initially it seemed that we may have not been able to see old horn head until 2016. Thankfully Marvel has told us today that is not the case. Marvel's home site stated: With the first season of "Marvel's Daredevil" proving a smash success with both audiences and critics, Netflix and Marvel will continue to create further adventures of the Man Without Fear! Source: Marvel
The only down side to the renewal is that Season 1 showrunner Steven DeKnight (Spartacus) will not be returning to guide Season 2. Instead Season 1 writers Doug Petrie (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Marco Ramirez (Sons of Anarchy) will be at the helm. DeKnight is off to work on other commitments, but maybe when the time comes Marvel will give him a chance to run The Defenders? The man has his fingers in the right assholes so let's hope he wiggles them and he will be in charge of the TV superhero team-up.
Anyway get ready for some more arm breaking. Get ready for some more legal battles. And mostly important get ready for some more tasteful side boob! Cause the devil of Hell's Kitchen is coming back, y'all! Thanks for reading! Are you pumped for Season 2? Who should the villain be? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow,Flash, and Daredevilreviews. P.S. Please invite this dude for a few episodes.
Remember when you were a kid and thought anything was possible? You believed in Santa Claus, soul mates, and that your dreams could come true? But then you grew up and probably became a cynical asshole just like everyone else. Well, I'm here to tell you that the rest of life may suck, but literally anything is possible in the world of comic book movies. I'm telling you this because the improbable has happened. SPIDERMAN IS GONNA BE IN THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE! That's right! Spidey is back home where he belongs.
YELL IT TO THE HEAVENS, KEVIN!
Late last night Marvel Studios announced that they had reached a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to help produce their next batch of Webhead films. This new Spiderman is expected to make his Marvel debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War,then have his first solo adventure released in July, 2017. You can read Marvel's full announcement below!
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man.
Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.
Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films.
The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel's world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.
Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said: "Spider-Man is one of Marvel's great characters, beloved around the world. We're thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building."
"We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. "This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans."
"Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker's story into the future," added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.
"I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie," said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. "Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel's involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years."
Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.
Daredevil looks like he is finally gonna get his due. Netflix and Marvel have assigned show runner Steve DeKnight, who made the amazingly violent and sexual Spartacus, to dive head first into the darker part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Badass street brawls, blood, and mob figures like the Kingpin are not what we are used to from Marvel projects. So get fucking excited that we are finally seeing something different come April 10th!
Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist are all fine characters that deserve a little love, but personally I would rather have a Punisher series or Moon Knight show follow DD. That's just me.
A few days ago, Marvel Studios released a teaser trailer for their upcoming diminutive superhero flick Ant-Man. The overall reception was mixed. Some people did not like the serious tone because it did not mix with the humor included in it. Other defend it claiming it's just a teaser meant to elicit buzz about the film. Well, let me be the first to say that no one is going to criticize this new Avengers trailer, it's glorious.
That's what happens when you drink Tony's booze
Now that is how you sell a movie! Not by having Michael Douglas giving Paul Rudd a speech about redemption, but rather having two of your lead characters beat the shit out of each other in the street. Just pure action awesomeness. Trailers are supposed to be like foreplay. You got to tickle your fans balls to get them riled up. Ant-Man's didn't elicit anything emotionally (or sexually) for anyone. This teaser however has everyone sporting woodies saying that May can't get here fast enough. If that gif above doesn't make you giddy with joy you must be one miserable fuck or your soul must be trapped in the Shadow Realm. Well done on this one Marvel, well done. Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters May 1st.
Paul Rudd stars in a movie that I didn't direct alongside Michael Douglas as a character I didn't cast in Marvel Studios' Ant-Man. Last year everyone claimed that Marvel was taking a major risk with Guardians of the Galaxy (look at how that worked out!), so the risk with Ant-Man looks like slightly less at this point. Disagreements with the studio caused Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz) to leave that director chair and rumors that there is something wrong with this movie to spread. Now people love Paul Rudd (myself included) so I don't think this movie will totally bomb. I'm just saying from this trailer, Ant-Man looks a lot like another Thor: The Dark World and not a GOTG. That's not a good thing if Marvel wants to launch another character to join their Avenger's roster. In the end though there is no stopping Marvel these days. They are on a roll after an amazing 2014. So with the Marvel logo in the front the credits, Ant-Man should be just fine. Plus I fucking love Corey Stoll (House of Cards). He will be a great adversary for Paul Rudd. Ant-Man comes out July 2015.
