The great shared world experiment by Marvel Studios is about to reach its climax when “The Avengers” begins filming in two months, and after all the build-up — from “Iron Man,”“The Incredible Hulk” and “Iron Man 2″ to the upcoming tie-ins “Thor” and “Captain America” its finally here.
From Kevin Fiege:
"I think that we are confident in the choices that we are making and the way we're making them. They all don't have to be Iron Man size hits. There are various budgets and various factors that go into how successful they need to be to make the next one. But creatively speaking I think it's going to be rewarding for people to follow these movies starting in 2008 up through The Avengers in 2012. But I wouldn't say that's its just all a road heading to The Avengers as an end point. For us every movie is about expanding the Marvel Universe and the idea of the Marvel Universe. My goal is that moviegoers have that same experience comic book readers had, that when you turn the page anybody can pop up and any other character can come into it. We're really suggesting, unlike all the other films that we've made prior to Iron Man, that each of these heroes are not the only heroes that exist in those worlds, which is really what Marvel Comics have always been about. So with The Avengers coming down the line we really look at each film as being more of expanding that mythology. With Iron Man 2 it's really about expanding Tony Stark's mythology, which if people watch some of the movies to come particularly Captain America, you will realize that Tony Stark's mythology is the Marvel mythology. He is connected to the other characters in ways that are subtle and not so subtle."
Lets just take a look over of what The MCU has done so far and what for store in the future.
IRON MAN by Jon Favreau (Elf)
The movie that started it all. Widely regarded as one of the most faithful and greatest CBM adaptions ever and it became the perfect springboard to launch the new Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iron Man was selected by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best films of the year. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Editing at the 81st Academy Awards, but lost to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight, respectively. It was nominated for nine Saturn Awards, winning Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director for Favreau and Best Actor for Downey. In 2008, Iron Man was selected by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. Tony Stark was also selected as one of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. On their list of the 100 Greatest Fictional Characters, Fandomania.com ranked Iron Man at number 37.
Clark Gregg appears throughout the film as Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Samuel L. Jackson appears as their head, Nick Fury, following the credits. Jackson's face was used, with his permission, as the model for that of the version of Nick Fury in Marvel's Ultimate Marvel imprint. Other cameos include Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee (whom Stark mistakes for Hugh Hefner at a party), and director Jon Favreau as Stark's bodyguard and chauffeur, Happy Hogan. Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello, who provides additional guitar music for the film, has a brief cameo as a terrorist guard
Note: In a post-credits scene, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury visits Stark at home, and, noting that Iron Man is not "the only superhero in the world", says he wants to discuss the "Avenger Initiative".
THE INCREDIBLE HULK by Louis Leterrier (The Transporter)
General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross wants him to revive a World War II-era military supersoldier,but tells Banner the goal of the experiment is to make human beings immune to gamma radiation. The experiment fails, transforming Banner into the monstrous Hulk,and injuring Betty. Now whenever Banner becomes angry or outraged, he transforms into the Hulk. A fugitive from the United States Army, Banner has been on the run for five years.After the movie Banner is in Bella Coola, British Columbia. Instead of trying to suppress his transformations, he is attempting to initiate them in a controlled manner. As his eyes turn green, a grin appears on his face.A lot of controversy surrounded the film from the release of Edward Norton by Marvel Studios. Mark Ruffalo has been signed on to replace Norton's role as Bruce Banner in the upcoming Avengers film.
Edward Norton released the following statement to Entertainment Weekly:
“Like so many people I’ve loved the story of The Hulk since I was a kid, so it was thrilling when Marvel asked me to write and help produce an altogether new screen incarnation, as well as play Bruce Banner. I grew up reading Marvel Comics and always loved the mythic dimension and contemporary themes in the stories, and I’m proud of the script I wrote. In every phase of production, including the editing, working with Louis Leterrier has been wonderful…I’ve never had a better partner, and the collaboration with all the rest of the creative team has been terrific. Every good movie gets forged through collaboration, and different ideas among people who are all committed and respect the validity of each other’s opinions is the heart of filmmaking. Regrettably, our healthy process, which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a ‘dispute,’ seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen. It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them. All of us believe The Incredible Hulk will excite old fans and create new ones and be a huge hit…our focus has always been to deliver the Hulk that people have been waiting for and keep the worldwide love affair with the big green guy going strong.” Note:(after credit)a disgraced General Ross is drowning his sorrows by drinking in a bar, when he is approached by industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), who casually reveals that they are putting a "team" together.
IRON MAN 2 by Jon Favreau (Iron Man)
If "Iron Man" loaded the gun and "Incredible Hulk" pointed the barrel, then Iron Man 2 pulled the trigger for "The Avenger bullet" to hit you right between the eyes..with references to S.H.I.E.L.D.,Fin Fang Foom, Mandarin, War Machine, Black Widow, Thor, Cap, Hulk, Namor, Black Panther and probably 10 other characters we missed from all the easter eggs. Some might say it ruined the movie because of all the cross references and cameos..But I thought it was just what Marvel needed to get people familiar on how big the MCU really is and the vision and ambitions the architects have for the continuity. And for that, this movie served its purpose.. and served it well.
Favreau explained...
"We introduced Captain America's shield briefly in one shot in the last film. So now it really was in his room, so we had figure out how to deal with the reality that the shield was in his workshop". As for why it's there, Favreau wouldn't divulge any information about the conversations he's had with the filmmakers behind the other Marvel movies — except to say that they've had them.Nick Fury watches a video of Hulk's rampage while telling Tony about the Avengers Initiative. A prototype of Captain America's shield is seen in the film and Tony uses it as a shim to level his particle accelerator. Among many others.
Note:(after credits):Angent Coulson is sent to New Mexico to investigate a strange object that crashed in the Desert...Mjolnir.
THOR by Kenneth Branagh (Henry V)
Anything could happen in this film..being that its Thor the roads the Avengers story goes down from here are limitless.We shall find out on May 11.
Rumors:Hawkeye might make an appearance as well as several items are reported to be on set,that include The Infinity Gauntlet(Thanos) and "The Eye of Agamotto"(Dr.Strange) which could lead to other films.
*SPOILERS*-Courtesy of
DCMarvelFreshman -Movie starts off with Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgård in a van out in the New Mexico desert observing a phenomenon in the sky. This is when Thor drops to Earth... Natalie Portman accidentally hits him with her van (which she does again later in the film)
-We cut to a flashback of Thor back on Asgard. He's about to be anointed king by his dad (Anthony Hopkins) when two frost people or whatever they're called infiltrate the palace and try to steal a "casket" which Thor's dad got during a battle with the frost people on their planet.
-Thor tries to convince his dad to wage war against the frost people after they broke the truce with Asgard. Thor's dad refuses; Thor, Loki and 3 other soldiers (Jaime Alexander and two dudes) end up going to the frost planet alone
-Thor's dad comes to the rescue just as the Frost people are about to kill Thor and his warriors (despite Thor kicking *** for much of the scene)
-Inside his detention cell; Thor is visited by Loki...who tells him that his father has died
-Thor confronts the Destroyer, and apologizes to Loki (via a conduit with the Destroyer) about what caused him to be resentful of Thor after becoming king of Asgard.
-It was actually Loki who helped the frost people infiltrate the Asgard palace; Loki made a deal with the frost king in that Loki would help the frost king kill Thor's father in exchange for Loki assuming complete control of Asgard (this was a LIE)
Thor destroys the Destroyer by a blow to the head by his Hammer
-Thor shares a kiss with Natalie Portman before going back to Asgard to confront Loki--who kills the frost king just as he is about to kill Thor's father (Loki essentially did everything as a way to earn Odin's respect)
-Out on the rainbow bridge, Thor defeats Loki. He and Loki are hanging along the edge of the bridge and are about to be sucked into a wormhole when Odin (who regained consciousness when Thor returned to Asgard) comes to their rescue.
-Loki tells Odin that he "did this all for him" (killing the frost king and about to destroy his planet)...but Odin replies that he didn't want peace "like this." Loki realizes he failed his father once again and lets go of the bridge...falling into the wormhole
-Back in the Asgard palace, all is well. But we see Thor on what remains of the Rainbow bridge...asking the Gatekeeper (Idris Elba) what Natalie Portman is doing back on Earth.
-Thor had to destroy the rainbow bridge (with his Hammer), which was his only way to get to Earth, because Loki threaten to go to Earth and kill Natalie Portman
-The Gatekeeper replies with "She is searching for you." Final shot of the film is of Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgård inside a room working on their science equipment.
-The special FX in the bridge scene was obviously not complete...but I think it will look really cool when Thor uses his Hammer to shatter it. Most of the fight took place in the Asgard palace
-From what I remember we only see the helmet during the flashback scene at the beginning of the film
-Nope... Thor doesn't wear the helmet at the end
-Didn't notice any easter eggs. Can't remember if Hawkeye was shown in the flick
-Nothing really stands out with the dialogue...except the "What you consider magic is science to us" or however the quote goes in the trailer
-The romance bits. The comedy was fine...but I wanted the "intimate" scenes between Thor and Portman to end quickly
-Loki is relatable evil. Everything he does is to earn the respect of Odin and even Thor. But he becomes corrupt when he finds out he was actually the son of the Frost king, and becomes King of Asgard after Odin falls into a coma
-In terms of cameos, Stan Lee plays a truck driver who tries to pull the Hammer out of the ground (in the crater scene shown at the end of Iron Man 2) by chaining it to the back of his truck. He fails in the attempt.
CAPTAIN AMERICA:THE FIRST AVENGER by Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer)
(fake trailer,but kinda has the feel of Cap.)
Marvel Studios is renowned for its secrecy when it comes to its superhero movie adaptations, but its latest movie, Captain America: The First Avenger, has to be the most secretive production to date. A teaser trailer was played at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, but it only featured a brief glimpse of title star Chris Evans in the iconic costume and no bootleg copies of the teaser have ever surfaced online. Some intrepid photographers have managed to snap "spy pics" from the the various English sets from time to time, but the only official images released were revealed in an Entertainment Weekly cover story.
Director Joe Johnston talking about how the film fits into the continuity Marvel studios has created. Check out what he had to say.
“There are links between all the Marvel films, mostly ones that only the fans will pick up on. We have several subtle references to certain elements in Thor, but since Captain America is a period picture taking place in the 40′s, there are fewer opportunities for contemporary links to the rest of the Marvel Universe. We can, however, create events in our story that will be paid off in Avengers and other Marvel pictures.” It makes sense that they would make Cap stand alone more than the other films, which coincidentally is a really smart move. It’s very likely that Cap will be our eyes throughout The Avengers, so we need to get a lot of characterization out of his film. We need to really get to know Cap.
*SPOILERS*-Courtesy of
RorMachine -Past and Future: 90% of the film takes place during the period 1939-1945, but the beginning and end of the feature film takes place today ...
-The first scene of the film: As an introduction, so today, we see an exploration team discovered the remains of a giant bomber, under the snows of the Arctic. Flashback (true beginning of the film): attack on a village in Norway (Hansberg) by troops from Hydra. Johann Scmidt is present (Skull): a passion for Nordic mythology, it looks for an object, the cube [cosmic course! Undoubtedly, this scene will continue with the excerpt aired at Comic Con: the discovery of the cube in a castle on Earth Asgardian ...]. -The character of the[Red] Skull: former Nazi party member, he left to found the Hydra. The vehicle of the wicked will be most impressive is the "cut" is a car nine feet long, shielded and armed ... Its secret base is located in the Alps, and he worked on controlling the energy of the cube. The object is able to open a portal to "other dimensions of space-time [?]. His face "human" is just a mask hiding his true appearance: Red Skull.
-Before Captain Steve Rogers: A young man puny victim of mockery by thugs in Brooklyn. The body of actor Chris Evans will be digitally processed to give it that. Steve is already friends with Bucky Barnes [his sidekick, future Winter Soldier]. Unlike Steve, he was accepted into the army and he was preparing to leave.
-The return of Stark: The two friends visit an exhibition in New York, "The world of tomorrow." Among the exhibitors? Howard Stark (Tony's father)! There has anti-gravity boots ... Furthermore, it has a fraction of the energy of the cube. It is he who will create the shield of Cap.
-The debut of Captain America: After its transformation [all this, we already know: experience in a laboratory hidden in an antique shop, the projesseur Erskine, his murder shortly after the operation by a Nazi spy, his flight submarine], Steve Rogers is used as a mascot, cinema, theater, performing in a music hall! He became a celebrity and down to earth once sent to Europe, where he learns that Bucky was captured in a weapons factory in the Hydra. During this first mission, he frees a group that will become the Invaders [there must be an error, the Invaders are a group of superheroes helping the Cape, but absent from the film. Probably an inversion with the real name of this group: the Howling Commandos).
-The final scene [?]: The purpose of the Skull is to build a huge bomber, containing planes carrying bombs, which are destined for London and U.S. cities ... There will be a great battle between the Red Skull and Captain America in the plane [and if the photo of the magazine empire was after this scene?], Which eventually crashed in the Arctic.
-Captain America 2: Heinrichs evokes the possibility [that is his personal opinion, nothing official] a film blending the past and the present [as the current Ed Brubaker stories]. Especially at a time of the interview, he speaks of the Hydra as an organization still in existence, as Nick Fury fighting [he is well aware !.
THE AVENGERS by Joss Whedon (Serenity)
The project is probably one of the most ambitious films in history, and I’m not sure how even Joss Whedon,god of all things creative,is going to pull off smashing all these different franchises together.But if anyone can do it, it’s probably him.
Discussing The Avengers recently, Mr.Whedon said
"Every waking minute, I'm working on that script. This is a gig I've waited my whole life to do. I feel connected to this movie in that it's about a gruop of broken people. And if you look at my work, it's very clear that that's the sort of thing that appeals to me. All sorts of things have inspired me. For example, Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down. It's the movie that made things click for me the most, because of the toll taken on them. I felt that superhero movies were a little too nihilistic or a little too clean. I want to stick the screws in and make it personal and make it tough. I feel when it comes to the superhero genre, it's entered its postmodern phase without getting its modern phase right." Sounds promising. ;)
Other projects, Marvel Studios have
Confirmed to be in development.
THE HULK(T.V. Series) by Guilermo Del Toro (Hellboy)
(Fall of 2012) It will mark Marvel’s first series project for ABC and ABC Studios since Disney's acquisition of Marvel last year and the launch of Marvel's TV division in June. It also marks del Toro's first TV project. Details of the premise are sketchy but I hear that the series will follow an origin story. In it, physicist Bruce Banner, whose alter ego is the green and raging Hulk, will be in his mid-twenties, less reactive and more energized as the world is still his oyster.
Del Toro spoke about the blockbuster deal to DEADLINE, where he says...
"I have always been attracted at the combination of comic book heroics and monsters, Jack Kirby's Demon or Kamandi or DC's Deadman or Marvel's Dr. Strange, Morbius, Metamorpho, Mike Mignola's Hellboy, etc" Del Toro said. We coalesced a respectful but powerful way of retelling the Banner/Hulk story in a fresh way. I've enjoyed the challenging, rewarding process of revisiting beloved characters," Eick said. "[Hulk is] one of the crown jewels of the Marvel world for generations", [and it's a ] dream opportunity to join one of my all-time film-making heroes, in a faithful but unique retelling of the primal, emotionally-rich tale of one of my all-time comic book." ANT-MAN by Edgar Wright (Shaun of The Dead)
(Winter of 2012) Speaking with Cinema Blend, Wright says...
"I talked to Kevin Feige about that a while back where we just discussed about whether he would be in The Avengers. The thingis, the script that I’ve written, you know, whether it’s next or not I don’t know, the chronology of it or the way it works wouldn’t really fit in with what they do. And my film is very much an introduction to that character, and so it wasn’t something where it felt right to introduce him in that film. Maybe if I do the solo Ant-Man film and maybe there’s a later Avengers then they could draft him in later. But it didn’t work with the kind of the angle that we were going to do with the origin that I’d written." Our own DCMarvelFreshman responds with a good point on this quote.
"The way I see it is, there is no way Marvel Studios will produce a solo film for Ant-Man, without him being apart of the Cinematic Universe. So despite what Wright says, Marvel can easily weave the current Cinematic Universe with Ant-Man's even if the script doesn't say so. Only if it isn't too out of place of course. But if he really doesn't make in the Avengers live-action debut, you can guarantee he'll make it in the sequel." IRON MAN 3 by ??? ?????
(Summer of 2013) In one of the biggest surprises of the year, Jon Favreau reported to be leaving the director chair for Iron Man 3 in favor of focusing on Magic Kingdom. Making it clear that his departure from Marvel is no result of fractured relations, his main goal was to “find something that lights a fire” inside of him as a filmmaker and gives him a chance to “blow people away, which is easier to do with a project that isn’t loaded with built-in expectations.” He also said he has been researching the film for many weeks.
Almost immediately Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige have been seeking a suitable replacement. Some of the many names thrown out have been
Guy Ritchie(Sherlock Holmes),
Duncan Jones(Moon),
Neill Blomkamp(District 9) and
Joseph Kosinski(Tron:Legacy).
If anybody wants to comment and have a Marvel "geek fest", be my guest. Share Theories, ideas, fan-fics, etc.