MUCH OF WHAT IS PRODUCED

by independent content creators on youtube and elsewhere on the internet is far (or infinitely) better than any of the stuff produced by the “professional industries and studios.” Just saying…

WRONGEST THERE IS!!!

This made me laugh… not this scene, the article

WRONGEST THERE IS!!!

 

THE PACIFICATION AND PUSSIFICATION OF MARVEL’S CIVIL WAR – ALL THING

THE PACIFICATION AND PUSSIFICATION OF MARVEL’S CIVIL WAR

(Spoilers included: so if you get all emotional about spoilers then take a powder, this ain’t for you.)

My wife, the girls and I went to see Civil War this evening. Before you come to the conclusion that I didn’t like the film based on the title of this post, actually I did, let me just say the entire subject matter of Marvel’s Civil War was completely pussified and pacified by this particular film. Not that the film wasn’t good, it was at a certain level. It just had nothing to do with Civil War.

What Marvel did so bravely in the comic series Civil War (to the outrage of couch potato fisticuff Captain America’s throughout this great land) they completed pussed out on in this film and in that sense entirely ruined it. There was no tyranny of the government, nor was there a real rebellion against the government. A real shame since what this nation actually needs is a real and certifiable Civil War. The closest the film even got to the real ideas and ideals in the Civil War series was in just speaking the terms “vigilante” and “criminals.” There was nothing really about the series evident in the film. Hell it wasn’t even an initiative of the US government, it was a damned United Nations effort. Any time anything is a UN effort you can bet it will be entirely pussified, and completely ineffective at attempting to achieve it’s true goal. As this certainly was.

Nothing about the original Civil War was evident, not the fact that the government tried to suppress the rights of the individual (and not just for the Avengers, narrowing the Civil War down to just the Avengers completely missed the point, not that I disagreed entirely with what the government was attempting to do) and tried to tell individuals what they could do with their own talents and abilities and “powers.” Nor did it ever truly address the issue of what is the proper response of the individual to such an attempt at tyranny by the government? How Far does the individual have a right to go in rebelling against government oppression? (All the way – he has a God-given right to go all the way to destroy such a government. Well, all the way short of murdering the innocent. He should leave that kinda shit to the government. They’re really good at it.) All of that, all of the really important stiff, was completely missing. This was Civil War Lite, the balless Millennial Edition. The pastel and collegiate safe-zone/safe-place edition. You know, still-mint-in-box with that plastic smell. A shame Marvel pussed on that very germane and pertinent point, especially at this time in our history.

I think back to Batman-Superman (and Superman-Batman had it’s share of problems, but being about true ideals was not one of them) and how Superman, realizing that Luthor’s mark was about to explode and kill everyone in the US congress chamber did not even bother to move, did not even bother to attempt to move to save anyone at all. Not anyone at all. Didn’t even use his body to mitigate the explosion so at least some could survive. He just passively watched it. Just stood there shaking his head as if to say, “if only the government had allowed me, if only I had permission.” Now that’s actually about something, a critique of Modern Man, of the Modern American actually. Hell, that is the modern American. The passive, uninvolved, don’t drag me into this, that’s someone else’s job, “do I actually have your permission to intervene” modern American. Or modern Christian, take your pick. (Superman was at one time the quintessential American of Action, now he is the quintessential modern American as well. Welcome to your true selves modern Americans. Even your superheroes are now in on your pathetic act.) Civil War never rose to that point, to being about something nearly that big. It was, as a super-hero film, more or less just a kick-ass superhero film about nothing more than, you guessed it, mere superheroes. Ina tiff about their own drama-club, their own Dr. Phil episode. Civil War was not about something really important, such as the people and population that the superheroes are supposed to represent, either as wish-fulfillment, or as a real critique on their actual natures. In a way though that is unfair criticism, because unintentionally this was a critique on the character of modern Americans. How by absence, habit, and training we don’t really have any anymore. So in that sad sense it was Batman-Superman all over again, just without all the outright honesty. This film though never truly gets a chance to succeed at failing like that because it fails to be about what it was supposed to be about.

What then was Civil War the film actually about? The closest it ever got to being real was a running (literally, a lot of running) discourse about friendship, loyalty, and how far a man will go to remain loyal to a true friend. (Black Panther by the way had an excellent little sub-plot which was aloes instructive, about vengeance for the right reasons versus vengeance for the wrong reasons. I truly enjoyed watching Black Panther.)

Now didn’t get me wrong, friendship and true loyalty (that is to say the kind of, “I will fight and die for you loyalty”) is an extremely rare commodity in the modern world. And in modern America. Hell most modern Americans won’t risk themselves for anything, much less other people. See the Superman reference above, and so that’s precisely the point. So I am in no way denigrating or negating a film about true loyalty and real friendship. It’s important subject matter for modern myths, like comic superheroes. The shame is that it could have been that and still been about an actual and real Civil War. Oh, I understand that the film had to be limited (in comparison to the comics) in actor numbers and scenes and the overall plot had to be pared down, but it could have still been about a real Civil War. And friendship. Like the comic series was. It wasn’t. It wasn’t about a war at all really, and that’s the real fault of the thing. Mostly it was only about superheroes and character development and all of the other comic book bullshit that so floats the hole filled chalk anchors and thrills the nascent testicles of comic book fangurls everywhere. But it really wasn’t about anything. Other than that. Superheroes, entertainment, diversions, fist and laser beams fights, explosions.

If only there had been a Real War. An actual Civil War. But Marvel pussed out. They could have taken what they did with the last Captain America film, Winter Soldier (an excellent film about a real rebellion against government) and went all the way. Instead a cold wind blew up their skirts and they pulled their panties up and went home. And there ya go. Civil War as a faux entertainment and superhero fight fight, rather than one about a well, ya know, a war…

This was more like a hat-tip to fangurls and continuity agitators so they could babble more Nerdspeak while Rome burns. The real Rome I mean. Not that I blame the actors and actresses. They did superb jobs especially Falc, Panther, Cap, Iron Man, Vision, Widow, the kid playing Spiderman, and Bucky. No, this film was entirely a failure of writing and balls. Not acting, and maybe not even of directing. Just an horrendous and total lack of balls. No balls and you can’t write around that kinda thing. It becomes obvious quick.

Technically though, and as an entertainment, I give it a 4 out of 5. Because technically it was a superb film. And as a comic book superhero film it was also pretty good. Just not Winter Soldier good.

As far as being an important film, I give it a 2 out of 5. It was an urban film. Unlike the Winter Soldier it revolved around urban thinking. Petty turf fights. Avoidance of reality. And that showed the whole thing through.

In other words it was just another superhero fun-flick, rather than a film about what it actually means to be a Hero fighting for a truly important cause. You won’t get that in this flick. Nothing really important happens. You will get some boom-boom and some pretty flashy fights. Just not many fights about anything really worth fighting about. Or about anything applicable to the Real World. And if a story isn’t really applicable to the Real World then let’s just call it what it is, a pussified wish-fulfillment, or put another way, just another diversionary fantasy. I hope Marvel stays far away from ever again doing this kind of thing to their best work in the future.

You want something much, much more entertaining and infinitely more important then read the original Civil War comic series.

Better yet start your own Civil War. It’s way past time anyhow.

That’s my take on the thing. What’s yours?

’66 AND COUNTING

Recently I’ve been reading the Batman ’66 set of graphic novels. If you haven’t read them then you really need to do yourself a favor and read them as soon as possible.

They’re superb! Absolutely superb!

 

LUKE CAGE – THE FORGE

Netflix Original Series ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ Adds to the Cast

Simone Missick, Theo Rossi, Frank Whaley and Rosario Dawson join the series!

• Sep 16, 2015

“Marvel’s Luke Cage” has added four important characters with Misty Knight, Shades, Rafael Scarfe and Claire Temple. The series will be streaming everywhere Netflix is available in 2016.

• 

Simone Missick to star as Misty Knight

MoreI

Simone Missick (“Ray Donovan”) has joined the cast to play popular character Misty Knight, a Harlem police detective who is determined to learn the truth about Luke Cage.

“We know fans have waited years to see Misty Knight brought to life, so we had to find the right actress,” said Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of TV Jeph Loeb. “Simone blew us away with her performance as the strong-willed cop on a mission.”

• 

Theo Rossi to star as Shades

MoreI

Theo Rossi (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Bad Hurt”) has joined the cast as Shades, a ruthless criminal with ties to Cage’s mysterious past.

“Theo Rossi is a swiss army knife–no matter what you bring to him, he has a tool for it–and he’s playfully unpredictable,” said series Executive Producer and Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. “His Shades will be someone you hate to love.”

• 

Frank Whaley to star as Rafael Scarfe

MoreI

Frank Whaley (“Ray Donovan,” “Pulp Fiction”) has been cast as Rafael Scarfe, a hard-nosed NYPD detective who partners with Misty Knight in their Luke Cage investigation.

“Frank Whaley has a wiry intensity that he’s imbued in Det. Rafael Scarfe,” said Coker. “He’s a great counterpart to Misty, and a wonderful actor.”

• 

Rosario Dawson reprises her role as Claire Temple

MoreI

Actress Rosario Dawson, celebrated for her work in “Top Five,” “Sin City,” and “Kids,” will reprise her role from “Marvel’s Daredevil” as nurse Claire Temple. Her blossoming friendship with Luke Cage will have a major impact on both characters’ lives.

“We are thrilled to have Rosario in another one of our television series,” said Loeb. “Her performance as Claire Temple in Marvel’s Daredevil was astonishing and we can’t wait to see her shine in Marvel’s Luke Cage.”

It was previously announced that Mike Colter (“Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” “The Good Wife”) will play the charismatic lead character, Luke Cage, in the series. Mahershala Ali will play his archrival Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes. Cheo Hodari Coker (“SouthLAnd,” “Ray Donovan”) will write the series’ first two episodes in addition to serving as showrunner and Executive Producer along with Loeb.

After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) becomes a fugitive trying to rebuild his life in modern day Harlem, New York City. But he is soon pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city – forcing him to confront a past he had tried to bury.

“Marvel’s Luke Cage” is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.

More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/news/tv/25106/netflix_original_series_marvels_luke_cage_adds_to_the_cast#ixzz3m1bryjnR

STRANGE THINGS – GAMEPLAY

Welcome to the Marvel family, Rachel McAdams! True Detective star signs on for Doctor Strange

By Justin HarpMonday, Sep 14 2015, 3:47pm EDT

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Rachel McAdams is joining the Marvel family in the highly-anticipated Doctor Strange movie.

The True Detective actress revealed on Monday (September 14) that she will star opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2016 cosmic epic, reports TheWrap. A spokesperson for Marvel declined to comment to Digital Spy.

© Getty Images / Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

McAdams tipped a possible role in Doctor Strange in July, but cautioned at the time: “I don’t know where that’s gonna go, if it’s gonna go anywhere at all.”

Doctor Strange already boasts a star-studded cast, with Tilda Swinton portraying a gender-bending version of the Sorcerer Supreme’s mentor the Ancient One and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the baddie Mordo.

© Getty Images / Marvel Comics

Watch Benedict Cumberbatch’s Star Trek goof at Marvel’s D23 Doctor Strange presentation

Hannibal‘s Mads Mikkelsen is also apparently being courted to play a villain in Doctor Strange.

Scott Derrickson’s introduction to the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe is currently slated for October 28, 2016 in the UK and November 4, 2016 in the US.

Read more: http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a668484/welcome-to-the-marvel-family-rachel-mcadams-true-detective-star-signs-on-for-doctor-strange.html#ixzz3llFmMJZr
Follow us: @digitalspy on Twitter | digitalspyuk on Facebook

WONDER WOMAN – THE FORGE

Confirmed: Wonder Woman To Begin Filming In November

• Jay Jayson
• – 09/09/2015

  

Wonder Woman producer Deborah Snyder (Zack Snyder’s wife) has now confirmed that filming for Gal Gadot’s solo film, which will be directed by Monster director Patty Jenkins (replaced Michelle MacLaren), will begin filming in November.

“But we still wanted a female director and we found Patty Jenkins, who had the right vision and the same vision as we had for the character,” Snyder said at Geena Davis Institutes’ Gender In Media event. “And we’re really happy to be going into production in November and it’s been a really great process. We tried to hire as many female people on the crew as possible.”

 

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman solo film, also starring Chris Pine (Star Trek), will hit theaters on June 23, 2017.

FF4 TRAILER – DESIGN OF THINGS TO COME

Final ‘Fantastic Four’ Trailer Brings the Team in Full View

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BY: BRAD BREVET
TUESDAY, JUL 14, 2015 AT 7:08 AM

Photo: 20th Century Fox

The biggest thing the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot has going for it is its cast. Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Miles Teller and Jamie Bell make up the titular superhero team and they, and they alone are the reason I have any modicum of interest in this movie as it’s become harder and harder to actually muster interest for superhero movies nowadays as they all feel part of a larger whole that’s more about selling toys and tickets than telling a good story. In fact, the supposed turmoil behind-the-scenes concerning director Josh Trank may actually be further evidence the goal here was to make something more than just another visual effects extravaganza. I guess it all depends on how you choose to look at it.

Today a final trailer for the upcoming Aug. 7 release has arrived and it offers the most extensive look at the film yet. For video see link.

 

 

SUPERGIRL – ALL-THING

I think my wife and daughters will like this. I’m not sure I won’t.

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA – FREEMAN?

Martin Freeman Joins The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Who Will He Play?

BY SEAN O’CONNELL 9 HOURS AGO 30 COMMENTS

There’s one sure-fire way to improve your movie or television show: Cast Martin Freeman. So by this logic, Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War just got better, because Marvel just revealed that Freeman has been added in a mysterious role.

In a press release, Marvel notes that Martin Freeman, of Sherlock and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, has joined the cast of the third Captain America movie, which has begun filming in Atlanta. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige talks about Freeman’s “range” in the announcement, and notes that Marvel couldn’t be more “honored or excited” to have the actor in the movie.

But you know what Feige doesn’t tell us? Who Martin Freeman will PLAY in Captain America: Civil War!

My best guess is that Martin Freeman will assume a supporting – possibly political – role, the kind occupied by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones or Robert Redford in the previous Captain America movies. Freeman’s not playing a superhero, or a villain. His casting wouldn’t be posted to Marvel.com casually if that were the case. One colleague already has suggested that Freeman could be cast as Henry Peter Gyrich, a government liaison who interacts with The Avengers, and eventually became a member of the Commission on Superhuman Activities… something we assume will have to be very popular in the Civil War storyline.

It’s very possible Martin Freeman is playing a small role, something like Garry Shandling’s character in Iron Man 2 and, later, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But let’s expand out minds a little and have some fun. What if Marvel cast Martin Freeman as Norman Osborn, and is putting him in place for possible use in the untitled Spider-Man movie for 2017?

Norman Osborn played an unusual role in the Civil War storyline, leading up the government-sanctioned Thunderbolts, a team of villains hired to round up heroes who refused to register. (In a way, the act like the Suicide Squad… wouldn’t that be funny if the Thunderbolts were introduced the same year that DC tries to beef up its universe.) It would take a lot of set up on Marvel’s part – probably too much set up – to adhere to Norman’s traditional Civil War arc. But since we expect to see Spider-Man in Civil War, and Marvel now knows it needs to seed Spidey material ahead of the 2017 movie, it’s not that far-fetched to guess that Freeman’s role might have more implication than just a Senator of Congressman who sides with either Tony Stark or Steve Rogers.

MARVEL’S ANNOUNCEMENT

Marvel Encodes: I have two theories of my own but let’s see…

By the way, the images are on the original link.

Marvel Has A Big Surprise Coming, Here’s A Clue

By Eric Eisenberg 43 minutes ago 27 Comments

The next few weeks are going to be rather huge for Marvel Studios. This Friday will see the release of their first Netflix series, Daredevil; then Joss Whedon’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron will be dropping on May 1st; and soon after that the company will begin production on Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War. That’s all pretty huge stuff, but evidently it’s not enough, as now a big Avengers announcement has been scheduled for tomorrow morning.

This extremely exciting news comes to us from Marvel Cinematic Universe star Robert Downey Jr. himself, who teased the special reveal on his personal Twitter account. In addition to revealing that there will be big Avengers news tomorrow morning on Good Morning America, he also presented us fans with a rather cryptic image as well:

Given the source of the tease, the metallic plates, and the red and gold coloring, it’s pretty clear that what we’re looking at is a close-up of some kind of Iron Man-related “thing” – but what the hell is it? Is it a new suit of armor? Is it something bigger? Is it some kind of vehicle? (UPDATE #1: As one of our commenters pointed out below, it looks like this shot is a closeup of Iron Man’s shoulder from his character poster). Perhaps even more importantly, what’s up with the very strange and very specific white spaces. My first instinct is to look at them as letters, but that still doesn’t really clear things up.

Because the image isn’t much help, let’s look at this mystery from another angle. It’s interesting to note that Downey Jr. says “Avengers announcement” as opposed to “Iron Man” announcement, and while that could be a reference to The Avengers: Age of Ultron, what if it is instead something to do with The Avengers: Infinity War? That movie is certainly many years away, but Marvel Studios has earned a reputation for always thinking 10 steps ahead.

Without more information, it’s tricky to figure out this puzzle at face value – and hopefully throughout the day we see more clues pop up and give us more of a hint of what to expect. Of course, speculation is always fun, and this is a fun and exciting jumping off point to do just that. Hit the comments section below to tell us both what you think the image is and what you think the big announcement is going to be tomorrow. And be sure to come back in the morning, because you can be sure that we will have full coverage of what goes down!

UPDATE #2: The official Good Morning America Twitter account has posted a clue of their own, which appears to be Hawkeye-centric, and has more of what now definitely appear to be big white letters. Check it out below:

UPDATE #3: Now the official Jimmy Kimmel Live! Twitter account has chimed in with their own post, this one featuring Captain America’s chest star. It’s pretty clear that the letters here say “Jimmy,” and as one of our commenters pointed out below, it looks like the lettering in the Iron Man image above is very similar to the logo of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

KILLER CROC

I very much liked him as the Priest.

 

‘Lost’ Alum  to Play Killer Croc in WB’s ‘Suicide Squad’ (Exclusive)

Ian Gavan/Getty Images; DC Comics

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After playing dual roles in “Thor: The Dark World,” Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is switching sides and moving from Marvel to DC, as he’s set to play Killer Croc in WB’s “Suicide Squad,” TheWrap has learned.

Representatives for Warner Bros. and Akinnuoye-Agbaje did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

David Ayer is directing “Suicide Squad,” which is set to star Will Smith as Deadshot, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Jay Hernandez as El Diablo and Jared Leto as The Joker, as TheWrap first reported.

Jesse Eisenberg is also expected to reprise his upcoming role as Lex Luthor, while Scott Eastwood is set to appear in a small role that is rumored to be Wonder Woman’s love interest.

Also Read: Scott Eastwood Joins ‘Suicide Squad’

Karen Fukuhara has also been cast in an undisclosed role, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.

Killer Croc’s real name is Waylon Jones, and the character is among Batman’s rogue’s gallery of supervillains. He has a reptilian appearance and he first appeared in Batman #357 in March 1983.

Charles Roven and Richard Suckle are producing “Suicide Squad,” while Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns are serving as executive producers. Production starts in April, and Warner Bros. will release “Suicide Squad” on Aug. 5, 2016.

Also Read: 5 Eye-Popping ‘Daredevil’ Character Posters, New Trailer Released by Netflix (Photos, Video)

“Suicide Squad” reunites Akinnuoye-Agbaje with Smith, as the duo will soon be seen in Ridley Scott’s football drama “Concussion,” in which the “Lost” and “Oz” alum plays NFL veteran Dave Duerson.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje is well known to fans of comic book movies, having played both Algrim the Strong and the villainous Kurse in Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World.” He recently appeared in Sony’s “Annie” remake and will soon be seen on HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and in the Bryan Cranston drama “Trumbo.”

MAN WITHOUT FEAR

I think this has the potential to be every bit as good as Gotham. I look forward to it.

 

JL-VD (Justice League via Detroit)

JUSTICE LEAGUE DETROIT!

Sigh… shudder… LOL!

Was Justice League Little Rock already taken? What about Justice League Possum Kingdom?

‘Justice League Detroit’: The Failed Comic Behind the CW’s Superhero Future

9:00 AM PST 1/17/2015 by Graeme McMillan

Vixen and Vibe owe their origins to a forgotten reboot of DC’s ‘Justice League of America’

Chuck Patton/DC Entertainment

Throughout the long and illustrious history of DC Entertainment’s Justice League of America — a team that debuted in 1960 and has been in near-continuous publication ever since — one era in particular stands out for many comic book fans as the nadir of the concept, a time when an attempted reinvention failed to such a degree that the series was actually cancelled. But, thirty years later, that period has proven to be source material for the CW’s The Flash, Cartoon Network’s DC Nation and the upcoming Vixen animated digital series on CW Seed. Could this be the second life of the Justice League Detroit?

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The “Detroit Era” of the Justice League was the creation of writer Gerry Conway, who wrote the Justice League of America series from 1978 through 1986. Late in his run, with the series beginning to be eclipsed in popularity by companion titles The New Teen Titans and Legion of Super-Heroes — both of which centered around teenage soap operatics — Conway decided to revamp the League by replacing established characters like Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman with his own, younger, creations.

“I wanted to do something I hadn’t seen at DC, which was a ground-level superhero team that was rooted in a neighborhood,” he’d explain to Back Issue Magazine years later. The result was a storyline that launched in 1986’s Justice League of America Annual No. 2, in which Aquaman disbanded the original League and created a new one that would be dedicated full-time to the job of saving the planet. “The world needs a committed fighting force,” Conway had him explain. “A team of full-time, active members, living together, training together — sharing a common purpose, a common duty.” That that description not only defined Conway’s new League, but also the Teen Titans, Legion of Super-Heroes and competitor Marvel’s uber-successful X-Men, did not go amiss.

Read more How Marvel Became the Envy (and Scourge) of Hollywood

Conway’s new League — relocated from a satellite headquarters to inner-city Detroit — consisted of existing DC characters Aquaman, the Elongated Man, the Martian Manhunter and Zatanna, in addition to his own creations, Steel — an angst-ridden cyborg teen who visually resembled Captain America — teenage runaway Gypsy, supermodel-turned-crimefighter Vixen and the breakdancing Vibe. To say that it was an underwhelming line-up in comparison to what it replaced is an understatement; in a later letter column that appeared in the Justice League of America series, the editor described fan response as “moderate,” and that was undoubtedly the peak of excitement surrounding the change. Within two years, the series would end as a result of low sales, Conway having been replaced as writer some months earlier.

The final storyline in the series might point towards the feeling towards the “Detroit League” — whereas other superhero teams might come to an end with the heroes going their separate ways to allow them to be used again in the future, both Steel and Vibe were swiftly murdered in the final issues, with the other characters resigning in the aftermath and — with just a couple of exceptions — fading into obscurity for years afterwards. Within months, DC relaunched the Justice League series (ditching “of America” from the title for almost two decades) and the Detroit team became little more than a footnote or butt of many fan jokes about bad ideas and unsuccessful relaunches… until 2012.

That year saw the first signs that Geoff Johns — DC Entertainment chief creative officer and, notably, a Detroit native — had an affinity for the short-lived Justice League that existed in his hometown, with Vibe, arguably the most derided of all of the Detroit League thanks to his association with the short-lived breakdancing craze, receiving both his own series of shorts as part of Cartoon Network’s DC Nation block of programming and his own (short-lived) comic book series, Justice League of America’s Vibe. The character would later show up, in depowered, secret-identity form, as Cisco on the CW’s The Flash. Vixen, similarly, will become part of the Arrow/Flash universe with the recently-announced animated series for the CW’s online sibling CW Seed, overseen by Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim.

In fact, of the Justice League Detroit’s eight-strong line-up, only two members haven’t made it into a live-action spin-off or adjacent project (Aquaman, Zatanna and the Martian Manhunter all appeared in Smallville, with Aquaman obviously preparing for his own big-screen debut in next year’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). That’s an impressive batting average for what was viewed by many to be a “failed” team — for DC characters, it beats the Teen Titans, Legion of Super-Heroes, Doom Patrol or almost any other super team outside of the “classic” Justice League line-up of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman and Green Lantern — and a testament to the fact that no character or concept is beyond salvation if someone is dedicated enough to make it happen.

Of course, now we need someone to work on getting Steel and the Elongated Man out of the comics and onto our screens. Surely someone can come up with a pitch for a detective who has stretching powers…?

THE END OF MARVEL

The Marvel Universe Is Coming to an End in May 2015

222

OMG!

By Joshua YehlThe Marvel Universe as you know it will be coming to an end.

Today at a live press event at Midtown Comics in New York City moderated by Marvel PR man Chris D’Lando, Marvel Comics’ Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso announced that the Marvel Universe will smash together with the Ultimate Universe and will be replaced by Battleworld — a mashup of many different Marvel realities.

Take a moment to compose yourself.

This huge development has been in the works for some time in Jonathan Hickman’s years-long Avengers saga. The heroes have been trying to stop a series of universe-ending “incursions” where two universes collide with one another. The inciting incident to May’s eight-part Secret Wars event will be when the heroes fail to stop the regular and Ultimate universes from crashing together. The resulting Battleworld will the Marvel Universe going forward.

Marvel’s Secret Wars: Battleworld Revealed

01:18

“This is putting an endcap to decades of stories and starting a new era. When you see the scope of the event, [you will] see what we’re willing to do. This is a place where we’re going to be bringing new pieces onto the board and taking old pieces off. You guys will be yelling and screaming, loving and hating in equal measure,” Alonso said.

It was clarified that Battleworld will be the Marvel Universe during, through, and after Secret Wars. None of this is an Elseworlds, What If, or any other kind of alternate reality — it’ll be the setting for in-continuity stories that will all count going forward.

Is Marvel Finally Doing a Reboot?

08:44

Late last year, there were a batch of teaser images harkening back to big Marvel events and such, and during the press conference it was revealed that each of those teasers will be a new comic book series. However, those are just the tip of the iceberg. Many new comics will be announced within the next two weeks, both ongoing series and limited.

In addition, D’Lando said that Marvel will be partnering with the likes of Hasbro, Funko, UpperDeck, and more to make new products to get fans excited for Secret Wars. He also mentioned that the Marvel games team will be coming up with some new “interactive content” for fans. Could a Secret Wars video game be on the horizon?

IGN Conversations – Will Spider-Man Miles Morales Survive Secret Wars?

07:23

For those wanting to read Secret Wars, Marvel will be releasing a free Secret Wars #0 comic on May 3rd’s Free Comic Book Day that will act as a primer to get you ready for the event. Both Secret Wars #1 and #2 will be released in May, written by Hickman with art by Esad Ribic.

Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Game of Thrones, Spider-Man, or Super Smash Bros. are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter and IGN.

SPIDERMAN, MARVEL, AND SONY

Marvel Wants A Fresh Start With ‘Spider-Man’ Without Andrew Garfield

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Dec.12.14 – by Kellvin Chavez

We previously reported on the potential deal between Marvel and Sony to share the rights to Spider-Man at a 60/40 split, and that deal seems to be the one that will potentially be jump-started if Sony Pictures Entertainment continues to stumble in their handling of the Spider-Man franchise.

Sony is understandably preoccupied with the consequences of a massive hack that includes leaked films, downed intranet services and the leak of documents and e-mails, but should this deal move forward, we’ve learned some more details about what Spider-Man’s potential return to Marvel would entail.

The 60/40 split still looks to be the divide with Sony handling distribution. However, Marvel’s not inclined to give Sony creative control over the character, nor planning on honoring the contracts with Sony’s Spider-Stars. More poking into the origins of the Aunt May solo film and Female Spider movie rumors revealed that these were actual Sony Picture Entertainment plans that Marvel knew about and severely disliked. Now that Marvel can have the rights to the character back, they plan to wipe the slate with the Amazing Spider-Man universe.

IF the Marvel/Sony deal were to go forward, Andrew Garfield would no longer be Peter Parker and any baggage from existing films, Raimi or Webb, would be non-canonical, Marvel doesn’t want any part of those films. The idea is that the Spider-Man romance movie has been played out over five installments, so any new Spider-Man films would focus on the difficulties of being a teenager and a superhero with a romance side-story, not the film’s focus. Marvel also thinks that the origin story is well-trodden territory, so any Spider-Man movies under this deal would begin with Peter Parker already leading a dual life. Spider-Man making his debut in Captain America: Civil War is still a distinct possibility and would serve as the character’s introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But as of now Spider-Man will NOT be in Civil War. I was told that they have a script nailed down.

Marvel’s desire to remove Andrew Garfield from the role was a major point of contention with Sony’s Amy Pascal, traditionally a stalwart defender of the talent in her films. However, current events leave her positioned slightly weakened.

THE DOCTOR IS IN

Looks like Cumberbatch will play Doc Strange. Very interesting, because I’m hoping Marvel will do for the Strange film what they did for Thor and Iron Man.

I actually want it to be creepy, horrific, and supernaturally threatening. Not a bunch of pyrotechnics and a mere stage show.

Strange could be an awesome character facing lethal and terrifying opponents if they don’t muck it up.

Benedict Cumberbatch Is ‘Doctor Strange’

Marvel just made it official, folks — Benedict Cumberbatch will play the title role in Marvel Studio’s upcoming superhero fantasy film Doctor Strange. The sorcerer supreme hits theaters November 4, 2016, as part of Marvel’s Phase 3 in their shared movie universe. The film will be directed by Scott Derrickson (and let me use this opportunity to plug the fantastic occult horror film Sinister — if you’ve not seen it yet and want an idea of how perfect Derrickson is for the Doctor Strange film, check out Sinister, just make sure you aren’t alone in the house when you do).

Marvel’s announcement quotes producer and president of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige as saying, “Stephen Strange’s story requires an actor capable of great depth and sincerity. In 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character.”

The official confirmation also included word that the film will indeed focus on how neurosurgeon Stephen Strange survives a car crash and discovers the occult world of magic that leads him to become master of the mystic arts Doctor Strange. This origin was originally revealed way back in the comic book series Strange Tales in issue #115, in 1963.

Cumberbatch is getting much Oscar buzz for his performance in The Intimidation Game, and is considered a top contender for the award. Should he walk away with the little golden fellow next February, it will certainly be an added bonus for Marvel in securing the actor as part of their superhero cinema. But even without a win, Cumberbatch is pretty much a sure thing for a nod at the Academy Awards, and that alone is great for him and for Marvel’s boasting rights. And going a step further, even without an Oscar nomination, Cumberbatch is one of the most popular and acclaimed actors in film today, with a large fanbase on TV and film. So he brings instant credibility and power to Doctor Strange regardless of award season speculation.

After the huge success of Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s impossible to say that anything is too far-out or weird or different in the Marvel movies to be a big hit. So, Doctor Strange clearly takes the fantasy elements in a new direction and is going to be the first truly pure-magic story in Marvel’s stable of franchises (Thor‘s films treats Asgard’s magic as a form of advanced science and harnessing of cosmic forces), and will surely be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel Studios so far; however, the Marvel brand plus the general global popularity of fantasy films and occult-horror, Cumberbatch’s built-in personal brand and popularity, plus Derrickson’s deft hand at handling films of the occult and horror variety, adds up to lots of reason to expect this to be another feather in the studio’s cap.

EXCELLENT LONG TERM WAR PLAN

THE AGE OF NERDON

I had already seen extended trailers for both this film and the Hobbit: 5 Armies, as well as Chappie, among others. It is an excellent time to be a nerd. And to get your Nerd-on.

 

I AM IRON MAN

There will be an ‘Iron Man 4,’ Robert Downey Jr. says

By Darren Franich on Oct 7, 2014 at 6:09PM @DarrenFranich

Image Credit: Disney

Downey hemmed, hawed, said that Marvel is planning a whole lot of movies. “We’re in the middle of negotiation,” he explained. Ellen didn’t roll her eyes, but she kind of rolled her eyes. “Okay, yes,” he said.No other information is available about the movie, and it’s doubtful that Marvel will announce anything official until after the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. The studio currently has a few open release slots throughout 2017 and 2018–not to mention the possibility that they could announce tomorrow that they’ve decided to release Iron Man 4 on March 25, 2016, just to mess with Warner Bros. The Iron Man movies have generally charted their own path with the character, taking story arcs like “Extremis” or characters like the Mandarin and putting an entirely new spin on them. So the movie probably won’t be called Iron Man: Armor Wars, even though the Shoulderpad Suit deserves the cinematic treatment, and Iron Man probably won’t meet King Arthur, even though that seems like an ideal role for Benedict Cumberbatch or Michael Fassbender or your other favorite British person.

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It’s also worth pointing out that Downey merely confirmed there would be an Iron Man 4 but didn’t specifically state he would be in the movie–which could lead a conspiracy theorist to assume that Iron Man 4 will star Don Cheadle’s War Machine…