The Marvel Cinematic Universe. A tiny wave that has grown into a force like none other. Beginning with Iron Man, the badass walking tank with a broken heart (literally), to the more recent Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which gave us one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. Marvel continues to push forward, and set the bar even higher for themselves. They leave fans like us no choice in salivating for their next entry to their gigantic cinematic universe. There are many different theories that have crept up hinting at things here and there. But in the most recently uncovered tidbit of news from Age of Ultron, every thing seems to have become crystal clear. Let's begin with the AOU information, and then analyze why every single line is significant. Fair warning, there might be spoilers in the article below. However, this could still be speculation.
"Anyhow, it is first mentioned that we'll see three different versions of the titular villain, Ultron, which writer/director Joss Whedon has confirmed in the past. "His original state is very rudimentary, but he's constantly upgrading" throughout the film. "He is coated in Vibranium and spends the film seeking out more of the raw material to continue his 'upgrades,'"
This is pretty straightforward: The King has arrived. Marvel has made no secrets in saying that they have every intention in bringing the Black Panther to the MCU. From Stan Lee, to Kevin Fiege himself. With Ultron needing a coating of Vibranium, it's safe to say that Wakanda will be involved in some form or another. I doubt he would be able to penetrate Wakanda's defenses, however it most likely is available in small amounts on the black market. Something his highness won't be too happy to hear about. Possibly setting up a reason for him to be involved with the Avengers, as they both would like to see such a powerful element out of the hands of supervillain organizations such as Hydra and A.I.M.
Also, it might be important to note that the MCU has gotten some of their ideas from the Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon (tear for cancellation). In the cartoon, the vision heads to wakanda and aqcuires the vibranium himself for Ultron. If they go this route, we might get a glimpse of the Black Panther in Age of Ultron. Now onto the next piece of information.
"Tony Stark/Iron Man has created an army of Iron Man 'drones' (much like he utilized at the end of Iron Man 3) and uses them to 'keep the peace.' The Avengers are not in hiding or attempting to keep a low profile. They are very public and 'out' about their intention of keeping the world safe, especially with the absence of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Costumes
- "all (or most) of The Avengers will be rocking an Avengers logo on their costumes, courtesy of the upgrade to each superhero's duds, thanks to Stark, Black Widow will have 2 batons that have shocking ability as part of her new arsenal and Hawkeye will indeed be rocking the long sleeve jacket that is reminiscent of his comics costume. Hulk will now be wearing "stretchy pants" that grow and shrink with him when he goes back and forth between Banner and Hulk.
Vision - "
The costume is said to retain the green and yello color scheme."
These are my favorite, and probably most significant leaked information concerning an MCU property since its genesis. I like it because it showcases that Marvel is embracing its comic book authencity to the core. Hawkeye jacket, Hulk's stretchy pants, Tony Stark giving everyone suit upgrades, Quinjet, Avengers Tower, etc. This as all so
perfect.
However it is significant for another reason. It is the beginning seeds for something special. For now, everything is fine. Iron Man has robots to help keep the peace because Hydra has essentially destroyed SHIELD. These robots are needed, and Captain America is with Tony. For now. There will come a time when Captain America begins to disagree with Tony Stark's self proclaimed authority to protect the world with his machines. When exactly will this come? Well we already have recieved a hint with Von Strucker's line in Captain America The Winter Soldier's Post credit scene.
"It's not a world of spies anymore. Not even a world of heroes. This is the Age of Miracles, doctor. And there's nothing more horrifying than a miracle. " - Von Strucker
What exactly does this mean? It means the MCU is headed into a new direction. One where the Avengers are not the most powerful superbeings on Earth anymore. Beginning with Scarlett Witch, and Quicksilver. And continuing with Doctor Strange, and much more. All of whom could pose a threat to the safety of all of humanity. How does Iron Man respond? Iron Man would respond in the way we all already know he will. By acting as a human, for other humans. Thus creating the Superhuman Registration Act for the safety of humanity. Which we all know will lead to....
For those unaware, the Superhuman Regitration Act is a bill that forces super beings to be registered by the government. In the bill, it also forces those who want to be heroes, to be licensed authorities who go through training on safety and how to use their powers without harming others. If they perform heroic acts, and aren't licensed, they could be arrested and serve time in jail. It also forces heroes to lose their secret identities as a result of the licensing, and essentially puts every hero into the hands of the government, which is corrupted on many different levels. We know by now that Captain America isn't just going to accept this. His moral code is too strong to agree with Stark on such a thing. So he goes rogue, and puts together a team in this comic book arc. It's an interesting debate that goes deeper than simply "Captain America Vs. Iron Man". It's one to surely create intense conversation in audiences, choosing sides on which ideology they support: Captain America's, or Iron Man's.
Though this could happen at the end of Phase 3, I personally think they need more superbeings in order create such an extreme reaction by Stark and others. Which could come in the form of The Inhumans. Who could essentially act as the "mutants" of the MCU.
This leaves a few questions unanswered. When will this take place? After or before the Age of Thanos/Thanos Imperative/Infinity, or whatever they decide to call the Thanos film. How would they adapt it to make up for the characters that are missing from the comic book version? Will Black Panther and Wakanda take sides with Captain America or Iron Man? Will Thor be neutral and try to keep the peace for both sides? I don't know, i'll leave those questions for you to uncover. The prospect of the future makes me jump for joy. But for now, especially after The Winter Soldier, I feel like I should live in the moment. I'm hooked on this feeling.
Thanks for Reading,
Maestro