Hey Everyone!
So, I havent posted an article in a very long time. Mostly due to not being on what to say or bring to the table. If any of you remember me, it was for my crusade in defending X-men First Class, which turned out to be a financial and critical success. So, I think a big "Suck it!" is in order.
However, that is certainly old news and I wanted to share my thoughts on who I think should be in the next Avengers Movie. Some of them might surprise you, some others might not. Now, obviously this is completely for fun and no decisions have been made. Hopefully some of them will become a reality.
First off, I want to say that it's known that Marvel/Disney are trying to release 2 - 3 new movies in the next couple of years, my guess is before the release of Avengers 2. So probably around 2014 with Avengers 2 being released in 2015 or 2016. And the reason they want to make these movies before Avengers 2 is so they can launch these characters into that movie. Personally, I feel like the movies in question will be Dr. Strange and/or Ant-Man. Which, if that's the case, it can be easily concluded that the Wasp will be included in the latter. Now, this article will be quite long, so keep that in mind before reading.
If they make Dr. Strange, I think some of the most modern candidates have been Johnny Depp and Patrick Dempsey. Not bad choices given their particular fan-bases (and it will come down to money at the end of the day.) But I don't see either of them being selected. Johnny Depp has several projects going on at once and is already tapped by Disney to star in another installment of the Pirates of the Carribean franchise, which will probably be released not too far off of Avengers 2. Not to mention his cost. He probably isn't any more expensive than Robert Downey Jr., but I don't see Disney pitching another multi-picture deal with Mr. Depp anytime soon. And with Patrick Dempsey, the actor has stated he'd be interested in the role, but his primary issue would more than likely be scheduling conflicts. His hit TV show, Greys Anatomy, is still a rating success and got renewed for a Ninth Season. Dempsey also inked a 2-year deal which would have him on the show as a series regular until the end Season 10 (2013-14 television year) which would make his availability to do a movie like Dr. Strange and be included in Avengers impractical. To be clear, though, I would love to see Patrick Dempsey in the role.
Now, with Dr. Strange, two things can happen. With Disney's acquisition of Marvel, as a marketing technique, I can see them trying to launch Dr. Strange as a younger man, in his twenties. Sort of like a "Sorcerors Apprentice" type movie. A young man who is eager to know power but is reluctant to take responsibility for it. That being said, I have no idea who Disney would choose. It certainly wouldn't be an unknown, but looking at the more youthful actors talent pool that we have...and there isn't much. So, I would be surprised. However, if Disney decides to stay the path and have Dr. Strange a bit older, I think a wonderful choice would be Benedict Cumberbatch, people will recognize him now for his work as the titular character Sherlock Holmes in BBC's Sherlock.
He's a fresh face, he has an international appeal and fan-base and he has experience in playing enigmatic characters. And because of his age, which is mid-thirties, he could sign a multi-picture deal with Disney/Marvel and still look the part throughout. I think he would be an intriguing actor to take up the Sorcerer Supreme.
Next, Ant-Man. There has been heavy debate on the creation of this character since before Avengers came into theaters, with some people wishfully thinking that he would be a part of it in some way. Not the case. I definitely believe Ant-Man will be made in the next couple years. And many people have fan casted Nathan Fillion as the size-shifting hero. I think Nathan Fillion is a wonderful actor and his previous works with Joss Whedon make him a larger front-runner for the role, especially if Joss returns for the sequel. However, I do not the think the role will go to Fillion. Mostly, due to the same aforementioned reason of Patrick Dempsey, his ties to his television show, Castle. It was recently renewed for another season and I do see it lasting for another season beyond that. It is impractical to suggest that he would be able to do a blockbuster like Ant-Man and any other pictures while also being tied to a show such as Castle.
So, that being said, I would like to nominate actor Aaron Eckhart for the role. With his matinee-idol looks and a strong history of straight-laced authority figures with more going on beneath the surface, Eckhart is ideal to play the often mentally fragile Pym.
Now with Ant-Man, it's easy to assume that Wasp will also be featured. And my choice isn't something so new and I know a lot of people will probably facepalm or disagree. My nomination for Janet Van Dyne is none other than Eva Longoria.
Her most notable roles was as Gabrielle Solis in the ratings tycoon Desperate Housewives that just recently ended its eight year run. I will be the first to say that I absolutely hated Desperate Housewives for the longest time. But, I really didn't have a solid reason other than, "It just looked stupid." Well, because of Netflix, I had the luxury of watching the Pilot for free and I absolutely loved it. And I finished the first seven seasons in 5 weeks and caught up with Season 8 to watch the finale live. And over the course of the series, Eva Longoria's character easily became one of my favorites. The depth and the desperation that she brought to her otherwise shallow character was absolutely amazing. Amongst the other three leading females, she certainly held her own presence wise and I think that's what this character needs. Someone who is memorable, especially if she is to be featured against an ensemble cast like in the Avengers or even just as a leading lady across Ant-Man. And with Desperate Housewives ending, scheduling conflicts wouldn't prevent her from being a part of the Marvel Cinematic family.
Now before I go any further, I just want to point out that it's likely that in Avengers 2 another female superhero will be featured. Seeing as how Black Widow is the only one to be kicking any ass (Maria Hill doesn't count). So, I have suggestions for Ms. Marvel, Mockingbird and Scarlet Witch. I see those as the most likely of candidates.
If they make Dr. Strange then it's easy to assume that Magic will be a greater theme in Avengers 2. Which would make a character like Scarlet Witch to be an organic addition. How and why? I couldn't tell you. I'm not pretentious enough to assume a story line, but it would make sense. And especially if they focused on the more Magic part of her, rather than the mutant aspect (which they couldn't anyway due to the X-men film series clause.)
And I think the best choice for Scarlet Witch is actress Eva Green. She not only looks the part, she has a nack for playing complex characters with daddy-issues. And she's also no stranger to kicking some butt in film, either. I think she would round off the cast quite nicely.
Mockingbird is most known, in my opinion, as a love interest for Hawkeye. So I think her inclusion would be dependent on the popularity of Hawkeye beyond the Avengers movie or if the director wants to include a love-triange of sorts which could be done with Hawkeye, Black Widow and Mockingbird. My suggestion for the role is probably surprising. I choose this actress based on her relationship with Joss Whedon (assuming he returns to write/direct) and the roles she's played.
Eliza Dushku. Notable roles include Faith Lehane from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Echo from the short-lived Dollhouse, both helmed by Joss Whedon. She has a fan-boy fan-base which would make her a good choice economically. And even though I don't think she's a strong actress, it's safe to assume that if Mockingbird was featured she would have limited/supporting screen time much like Hawkeye did to sort of test drive the characters popularity. And given those parameters, I think she would be a really good choice. And let's be honest, wouldn't it be amazing to see a bitch fight between Mockingbird and Black Widow? ScarJo and Eliza Dushku going at it as scorned love interests. I doubt it would happen like that, but I wanted to firmly explain her appeal. She does have it. She's recognizable and memorable and that's the point to making a strong female lead. Also, based on her relationship with Disney I would also like to give a nod to Keira Knightly as a possible candidate for Mockingbird.
Now for my final suggestion I will be nominating an actress for the role of Ms. Marvel. Her inclusion is all but confirmed in the sequels. With hints dropping like a fly. I would be extremely surprised if she wasn't in the Avengers 2. And to helm such an iconic role takes a lot of guts and talent that I know for a fact Disney/Marvel will not settle for an unknown. I would love to see the role go to someone like Kate Winslet, but I highly doubt she would even consider it.
I would like to nominate Charlize Theron. She has an oscar award on her belt, is internationally recognized, has a moderate box-office success legacy. She isn't someone who is afraid to take on risky roles. The movie Aeon Flux was terrible, but it was a risk to try and turn that into a movie to begin with. And it wasn't her acting that made the movie bad, that script was just awful. She has the looks, the talent, and I'm willing to bet she could hold her own against the other actors fairly easily.
There you have it. Those are my suggestions/ideas for the movies to come if they do. I would have loved to have included Luke Cage or Black Panther into this mixture, but I have no idea who could play those characters. There are a lot of talented African-American actors out there, but none that I think may be bankable. Samuel L. Jackson makes an impressionable Nick Fury. And outside of Denzel Washington (who is entirely too old now) and Will Smith (who probably costs wayyyy too much) I'm really stumped on who could helm those characters. People have suggested actor Wesley Snipes. I say no. My personal opinion is that I couldn't take him seriously as Blade. I don't know if that was because of him or the time the movie was made. So, I'm open to hearing any and all suggestions as to who should play Luke Cage or Black Panther.
Thanks for bearing with me and reading through the entire article. I look forward to reading any and all comments below!