Tag Archives: Avengers

May 2 2013

Starloggers Asks Which Superheroes Should Appear In The Next Avengers Film?

 

Art by Marko Djurdjevic

Art by Marko Djurdjevic

 

Work is underway for a sequel to last summer’s mammoth blockbuster The Avengers. There is so much speculation about not only the film’s plot but if new superheroes will join the ranks of the Avengers. Our contributors were asked who should appear in The Avengers 2.

Annette DeForester: “Wonder Man as long as Nathan Fillion plays him. His character could set up another sequel that would feature Vision and Ultron. Sean Bean would be perfect as the Black Knight. If the rumors about Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch appearing in The Avengers 2 are correct then that would be fabulous! She (Scarlet Witch) is one of my favorite superheroes.”

C.S. Link: “Spider-Man, he seems to fit in with the group and many stories take place in NYC. Also, I’d pick Nova, he’s a cool character.”

Evan Rothfeld: “I’m not up on who’s who in the world of superheroes. Quicksilver? He looked like a cool guy and the Scarlet Witch, she was babe-licious. I would say in general, Doctor Strange, just as long as he’s not like that New Age wimpy version done in that ’70s TV pilot movie.”

GEO: “These are the characters I want to see in the sequels: Vision and Scarlet Witch, plus Quicksilver, who is Scarlet Witch’s brother and the siblings are founding members of the second lineup. Captain Marvell and Ms. Marvel, that way we can have the Kree-Skrull War! antmanWonder Man; his brain patterns were used to create the Vision’s brain. Tigra, she’s exotic, feline and would be as popular as Neytiri from Avatar. Black Panther, who is pure royalty and ties in with Captain America and his shield, which is made of vibranium and can only be found in Black Panther’s kingdom. And of course, Ant-Man/Giant-Man and the Wasp; they’re a great bickering couple.”

Jennifer Drucker: “My number one choice would be Spider-Man and then Wolverine. But Stan Lee’s the real superhero and he needs a better cameo in the next Avengers film.”

Jim McLernon: “I would like to see Ant-Man and the Wasp the most but only as long as they use the storyline where Hank Pym beats up on Jan as what happened in The Ultimates–and as long as Captain America beats Hank up for being a wife beater. Since they won’t do that I’d like to see Spider-Man and either the She-Hulk, Daredevil or War Machine as the new Avengers.

José Soto: “If the studios can work out an agreement then go with Spider-Man, that film would redefine the term blockbuster. But two people missing from The Avengers were Giant-Man and the Wasp. They’re two of the original founding members, have a good storyline and need to appear in the sequel.”

Lewis T. Grove: “I’ve always liked Hercules, and She Hulk could be a breakout character for The Avengers 2. I don’t understood the adulation for Ant-Man, he’s so uninteresting, although I liked his role in The Ultimates as Giant-Man.”

schwarmaWaldermann Rivera: “I have three picks aside from the obvious. Quasar, I liked that comic book from the late ‘8os and he would fit in with that cosmic angle Marvel is shooting for with Guardians Of The Galaxy. Valkyrie, not only does she tie in with Thor but could set up a Defenders film! Then do Spider-Woman before Sony snatches up the rights to that character…it will be the closest we’ll get to a spider character appearing in an Avengers film.”

 

Jun 11 2012

Casting Call For The Next Avengers

As The Avengers racks up at the box office, speculation has naturally turned to the inevitable sequel. Aside from an official announcement by Disney and Marvel Studios, very little is known about the sequel. But as with most follow ups, new characters are introduced to keep things interesting and an Avengers 2 wouldn’t be an exception to this thanks to Marvel Comics’ abundance of characters. The Avengers team has been made up of many different superheroes that would make exciting additions to the core roster used in The Avengers. So who could be tapped to play some of these heroes? These are our picks:

Henry Pym/Giant-Man/Ant-Man: Lately there has been speculation about efforts to greenlight an Ant-Man film. Well, Marvel Studios may want to table that for now and use this original Avenger in the sequel. One way to go is with the controversial character development of having Pym being an abusive husband wracked with insecurities. This may or may not turn off mainstream audiences expecting another rousing adventure but if handled correctly, Pym could be an interesting addition. For the actor to play Pym, Marvel should go with Aaron Eckhart. He looks heroic and sympathetic but can play conflicted characters as seen with his performance as Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight. Plus, he’s played a scientist before in The Core, which is Pym’s occupation. Alternate actors: Adrian Pasdar; Damien Lewis; Josh Brolin.

Janet Pym/The Wasp: This diminutive superheroine goes hand in hand with her husband Henry. As a founding member of the Avengers, Janet is rich, spunky and her wasp stings carry some surprising punch. In other words, the actress to portray her has to be beautiful, with a bit of an aristocratic flair while being tough yet personable. For this reason, Elizabeth Banks should play Janet Pym. She’s had experience in the superhero movies with her portrayal of Betty Brant in the Spider-Man films, but now that she has more clout as an actress she can have a more substantive role as the Wasp. Alternate actresses: Rachel McAdams; Eva Green; Noomi Rapace.

Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch: It would’ve been funny to have Scarlett Johansson playing the Scarlet Witch just for the bad puns. But since that won’t happen, this mutant who can alter probability needs to be portrayed by someone that is beautiful and can give off a slightly exotic and mysterious flair. If Joss Whedon is involved with the sequel he can turn to Firefly alumnae Morena Baccarin. It’s so easy to imagine her doing Wanda’s dramatic hand motions to shoot her hex bolts. Alternate actresses: Lynn Collins; Mila Kunis; Gemma Arterton.

Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver: As Wanda’s headstrong brother, this super-fast mutant can be cocky and disruptive but harbor a troubled soul. Sam Witwer is doing an excellent job playing a conflicted vampire in Syfy’s version of Being Human so this role should suit him nicely. Besides Witwer’s got that expressive eyebrow that Quicksilver shows in the comics. Plus, he’s had experience playing tortured characters in live-action superhero TV (as Doomsday in Smallville). Alternate actors: Zachary Quinto; Andrew Lee-Potts; Aaron Paul.

Victor Shade/The Vision: WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD-the idea of hiring Clark Gregg to play a resurrected Agent Coulsson that turns into the Vision is very popular with fans across the Internet. But purists will argue that the Vision is really an android that was once the original Human Torch so using Coulsson would deviate from the unemotional artificial being’s roots. Also Gregg has said in recent interviews that he doesn’t expect to return to that role. Filmmakers can go that route but if they wish to have him be closer to his comic book role then another actor is needed. Christopher Eccleston has the right look and acting ability to portray the Vision. His roles in 28 Days Later and as the Ninth Doctor in Doctor Who are excellent showcases for his talent. Alternate actors: Guy Pearce; Zachary Quinto.

Simon Williams/Wonder Man: He’s one of the most powerful, yet self-effacing superheroes in the Marvel universe. The actor who portrays him should be personable while slightly buffed, someone that audiences can relate to since Williams is a down-to-earth type. The best choice for that role would be fan-favorite Nathan Fillion. Putting aside his association with Joss Whedon, just look at his performances, he can play heroic with a touch of humility. If picked, he would add so much to Williams’ character that could make him as much of a breakout character as the Hulk was in The Avengers. Alternate actors: Josh Holloway; Karl Urban; John Barrowman.

T’Challa/Black Panther: As the ruler of the African kingdom of Wakanda, Black Panther is actual royalty thus requiring an actor of such stature to portray him. At the same time, T’Challa is a very hands-on kind of guy who can hold his own in a fight so the actor needs to look physically fit. Hands down the perfect choice would be Chiwetel Ejiofor; he’s very regal, dignified but with a hard edge to him. Look at his work on the Serenity film for comparison. Alternate actors: Richard Brooks; Jamil Walker-Smith, Michael Early.

Hercules: Thor’s jovial rival is uber buff and enjoys a good fight. Hercules can provide some welcome comic relief for an Avengers 2. If not, they can use the character in a future Thor film. The actor who looks perfect for the part is True Blood’s Joseph Manganiello. As a werewolf on the show, Manganiello is pretty honorable, with a heroic and sensitive side. The question is can this actor be funny? Alternate actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jon Bernthal; Brian Austin Green.

Dane Whitman/The Black Knight: The Arthurian hero with his mystical sword and flying horse would be an interesting addition to the movie roster. The actor needed to play him needs to be athletic, do a British accent, and have a dash of nobility. This role should go to Karl Urban who has been appearing in several notable genre works. Look at the way he looks as Judge Dredd with his helmet and get a sense for how he would be as the Black Knight. Alternate Actors:  Orlando Bloom; Colin Firth; Jamie Bamber.

Sam Wilson/The Falcon: Best known as Captain America’s partner during the ’70s, this winged superhero could be introduced in a future Captain America film then used in The Avengers 2 or 3 or vice versa. Laz Alonso has played a wide variety of strong roles throughout his career (best known for his work as the mighty warrior Tsu’tey in Avatar) and would be a terrific choice to play a solid and sympathetic hero with a dark past. Alternate actors: Jason George; Mehcad Brooks; Morris Chestnut.

Greer Grant Nelson/Tigra: Originally introduced back in the ’70s as the Cat, Greer was transformed into Tigra through sorcery and science. The actress who should portray this feline-based heroine should be athletic, beautiful and able to give off a feline quality with a hint of savagery. Zoe Saldana would be puurfect for Tigra (sorry couldn’t resist the pun) being that she’s had a resume filled with heroic action parts like Star Trek, Colombiana, The Losers and Avatar.  She may not want to do a role that may be compared to her stint as Neytiri in Avatar. So a good alternative would be Jessica Alba who has many of Saldana’s qualities and has played superheroines before (Fantastic Four, which would reunite her with Chris Evans, and as the lead in Dark Angel). Alternate actresses: Anna Ortiz; Frema Agyeman.

Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk: The female version of the Hulk isn’t like her gamma-fueled cousin. Funny, scrappy and easy on the eyes, She-Hulk needs to be played by someone who can convey her personality. Angie Harmon has had a picture of herself doctored to show her in green skin as a way of auditioning for the role. However, Sara Ramirez who projects beauty while being tough and sporting a rich mane of hair would be an ideal choice to play the jade giantess. Alternate actresses: Lynn Collins; Moon Bloodgood.

Just for kicks…

It’s doubtful if the following characters would be used, except for Jarvis, but just in case, here are prime choices to play these Avengers and associates:

Jarvis the Butler: Richard Jenkins

Hellcat: Rachel McAdams

Ms. Marvel: Lauren Cohan

Captain Marvel/Pulsar: Frema Agyeman

Starfox: Josh Hartnett

Peter Henry Gyrich: Sam Neill

Jocasta: Dichen Lachman

Moondragon: Any actress willing to shave her head for the role.

José Soto (special thanks to GEO)

May 5 2012

The Avengers Changes Superhero Films Forever

Wow. The new movie The Avengers literally left me breathless and spent after seeing it. Marvel Studios needs to take a well-deserved bow for their efforts throughout the years that culminated in this film. Many had doubts regarding the ability to pull this endeavor off but they are quickly dispelled with The Avengers. It so profusely feels like the climax that had been building up for many years.

Marvel Studios clearly made the right choice with Joss Whedon as the film’s director. He has the filmmaking talent and perhaps, more importantly, possesses a clear love and respect for the Marvel universe and it shows onscreen. But this film isn’t some slavish fanboy production. No, Joss Whedon and the crew had an understanding of how the Marvel universe works, how the Marvel characters behave and how to translate that to the screen and entertain even non-Marvel fans. It is difficult to imagine anyone else achieving what Whedon did and The Avengers will make him a deservedly A-list director. (On a side note, hopefully he will have the clout now to do a Firefly revival. Hey, we can only hope!)

The Avengers jumps right into the action when demigod Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) nemesis and brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) arrives at an underground S.H.I.E.L.D. bunker and makes off with an otherworldly and powerful MacGuffin called the Tesseract (that’s the Cosmic Cube seen in many Marvel comics that grants unlimited power to wielders). After Loki escapes from the bunker, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson doing his usual tough-as-nails shtick) assembles a team of super heroes to help him retrieve the Tesseract and stop Loki’s plan to conquer the Earth.

Then the fun begins as beloved characters like Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor, Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, replacing Edward Norton and Eric Bana), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) meet for the first time. In the typical Marvel comics manner, they don’t get along with each other and even come to blows. But they learn to get along and even respect one another just in time to confront Loki and his alien army.

The Avengers is an action-packed bonanza with fantastic characters and that’s before the climatic final third of the film. Taking place in New York City, the beachhead for Loki’s alien invasion, the explosive, multi-tiered battles on the streets and in the skies are simply spectacular. There have been some complaints over how low-budget some previous Marvel Studios productions have been, but here no expense was spared. But unlike some empty, big-budget films, the action was very fluid and easy to follow, but more importantly the audience cared deeply about the heroes as they fought the alien army. Each character, even some minor ones, had their moment to shine. The Avengers could’ve easily been dominated by one or two characters like Iron Man due to the actor’s charisma but Joss Whedon knows how to give the actors just enough time to make their contributions before moving on the next character or plot point.

This film has set new standards for super hero films. One can only wonder how the filmmakers will top themselves (a clear, audience-rousing hint is given during the end credits; Marvel fans will rejoice) or how other studios’ films can compare to this one. Marvel Studios would be wise to retain Whedon for the inevitable sequel or at least use him for other productions. BTW, stick around for the very end, there’s another post-credit sequence. Without giving anything away, it isn’t anything earth-shattering, but rather a cinematic equivalent of having a cigarette or a relaxing drink after being so pumped out by the movie.

José Soto

Jul 28 2011

Forget Summer 2011, Bring on Next Summer’s Films!

Well the summer 2011 movie season is drawing to a close. Yes, August isn’t even here yet, but almost all of the big guns from the studios have been fired. There are just a handful of anticipated, genre flicks that haven’t been released yet. They include Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Conan the Barbarian, Fright Night, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark and Final Destination 5. With this year’s Comic-Con, all the buzz is still about next year’s, and more specifically, next summer’s film releases. Here’s a list of what to look forward to:

May 2012

May 4–The Avengers–What better way to kick off the summer movie season (and Free Comic Book Day) than with a Marvel superhero film? Continuing a years’-long tradition, Marvel Studios is releasing its most anticipated film that teams up its A-list superheroes; Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk. Plus, it’s directed by fan favorite Joss Whedon so expect it to make some moolah.

May 11–Dark Shadows–Tim Burton directs Johnny Depp (again!) in this remake of the popular 1960s soap opera about the vampire Barnabas Collins which predates True Blood, Twilight and all the other hot vampire shows and films.

May 18–Battleship–The Internet’s been percolating with a newly released teaser trailer. At first people were scratching their heads over the idea that Universal Studios canceled Ron Howard’s production of The Dark Tower saga in lieu of this reportedly $200 million sci-fi film directed by Peter Berg (who’s last film Hancock didn’t exactly thrill audiences). But the sight of U.S. Navy ships getting ready to square off against Transformer-like alien ships won over many doubters.

May 25–Men In Black III–Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld reteam for the third outing of Earth-based illegal alien hunting agents. Little is known about the film, only that it involves time travel which is impossible according to some scientists in Hong Kong.

June 2012

June 1–Snow White and the Huntsman–Starring Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron, this reimaging of the classic fairy tale is supposedly more action packed and darker. Already people are clamoring for it or dismissing this as another Twilight clone. Given Stewart’s popularity with Twihards it may do well at the box office.

June 8–Prometheus–Perhaps the most anticipated sci-fi film of 2012 as Ridley Scott returns to the director’s chair to helm this prequel (?) to the Alien franchise. Little has been revealed about this film that might be about the alien space jockey whose skeleton was seen in the first Alien film. This veil of secrecy hasn’t been seen in a film for a while and its whipping up interest among fans burned out by the awful Aliens vs. Predators films.

June 8–Madagascar 3–Dreamworks Animation’s big offering for the summer brings us the further adventures of Alex the lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo as they try yet again to find their way back to New York’s Central Park Zoo. Reportedly the gang winds up in Europe and a traveling circus; the kids already can’t wait!

June 15–Jack the Giant Killer–Bryan Singer directs this fantasy epic about a young farmhand who battles against a race of giants. Described as an adult take of the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale this film features Ewan MacGregor and Stanley Tucci.

June 22-Brave–Pixar’s latest film has many firsts for the acclaimed animation studio; its first fairy tale, its first film directed by a woman and the first one to feature a girl protagonist. Its appeal to young girls who favor Disney films and Pixar’s brand for putting out animated masterpieces  should make a killing at the box office.  

June 22-Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter–Based on the popular novel of the same name it’s directed by  Timur Bekmambetov (his last film was the action-packed Wanted). It’s an interesting alternative for moviegoers who may not be into the month’s fairy tale releases.

June 29–G.I. Joe 2–The first film wasn’t exactly beloved even by those who swear by the Transformers films. But it made enough money to warrant a sequel. The question is how will it hold up to the heavy hitters released around the same time? It has got to have a killer trailer or word of mouth to get some momentum.

July 2012

July 3–The Amazing Spider-Man–Sony’s reboot of the Spider-Man film series has many Spider-fans torn over the need for a re-imaging so recently after Sam Raimi’s flicks. Yet again maybe the studio wants to get rid of the ill will the last film generated. Still no matter what critics say about Andrew Garfield looking like an emo, he does resemble Peter Parker and the mechanical web shooters will be used!

July 13–Ice Age: Continental Drift–The prehistoric mammals (featuring a wooly mammoth, a saber-tooth cat and a ground sloth) from the kid-friendly movie series return in this story that has them trapped on an iceberg and off on a seagoing adventure.

July 13–Ted—Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane makes his live-action directorial debut about a man (Mark Wahlberg) and his childhood teddy bear that comes to life. Sounds like a combo of Harvey and the recent TV show Wilfred. If Mike Judge could make the live-action transition then so could MacFarlane.

July 20–The Dark Knight Rises–OK hands down this is the BIG ONE for moviegoers. Whether or not you are a Batman fan you can’t deny the phenomenon of the last Christopher Nolan-directed Batman film. Touted as his last film and with Catwoman and Bane as the villains it might be the year’s biggest hit. In fact it’s expected to be so successful that it seems as if the rest of the summer season is drawing to a close afterwards.

August 2012

August 3–Total Recall–Colin Farrell and Bryan Cranston star in the remake of the Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi movie that was based on a Philip K. Dick short story. Farrell stated recently that the film, like the original, will differ from the author’s tale.

August 17–ParaNorman–A stop-motion animated film that takes place in a town besieged by zombies. The citizens then call upon the services of a boy who is a sort of zombie whisperer to take care of the problem.

Of course, these release dates are subject to change and will most likely do so. Already, the new Star Trek film that was scheduled for the summer has been pushed back, so it won’t be surprising to learn that one of the above films has been removed from the schedule or another will join the list. No matter what, it’s good to know that there are plenty of films to choose from for next summer.

José Soto

Jul 24 2011

Captain America: The First Avenger Celebrates Marvel’s Premier Hero

Captain America: The First Avenger at its very best makes audiences emotionally invested in the core character of Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America. That’s largely in part to Director Joe Johnston, who shows a clear love and respect for the character and the Marvel-ous world of Cap and the casting of Chris Evans as the title character.

Not since Christopher Reeve was picked as Superman or Robert Downey, Jr. took on the reins of Iron Man or Chris Hemsworth picked up Thor’s hammer has a casting decision been so perfect. There were some doubts among fans as to the casting of Chris Evans for Steve Rogers , but he pulls it off in a big way. Forget about Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. Reynolds had the look but no personality. Evans, however, makes you care about his character, he just nails it and that is the biggest and most pleasant surprise about the film.

Regarding Johnston, Marvel Studios was very wise in giving him the director’s chair and his track record bears him out. Johnston provides plenty of action but heart as well. From what I’ve read, he took on the assignment under the condition that the film be set in World War II, which is faithful to the original stories. And also that he be given reign in casting, setting the look and other aspects. The f/x were top notch and successfully blends CGI with practical effects, you could tell a lot of care was placed in getting the film just right. Johnston creates a larger-than-life world of fantastic and bizarre Nazi super weapons, film montages that are reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark that harkens back to that era and a rousing score by Alan Silvestri.

For those not familiar with the character, Captain America (created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby) was originally a World War II-era 4F reject from Brooklyn who desperately wanted to serve his country. Volunteering for an experimental U.S. Army program, Rogers is physically transformed into the ideal super soldier, becoming a bulked up, athletic fighter who dons the patriotic duds of his country in war. At first he is used by the army as a celebrity in USO shows in Europe because he is considered too valuable to risk in combat. Then his true calling comes when he meets his arch nemesis the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), a disfigured uber Nazi who establishes his own evil organization called Hydra in order to conquer the world. Teaming up with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Captain America sets out to find the Skull’s bases and defeat the Skull. Not to worry you don’t have to be a die-hard fan to enjoy and understand this movie.

As for Marvel fans, well they should take notice, to me this is the most Marvel Universe-centric film to date. It’s the fourth stake of movie tent pole that sets up audiences for next summer’s film The Avengers–arguably the most ambitious and grandest superhero film. You will get plenty of Easter eggs such as references to the original Human Torch, SHIELD, Iron Man and others (and as you’ve heard it’s vital to stick around after the credits to not just see Cap’s final fate but to get a teaser for next year’s Avengers movie). More importantly, this film combines four distinct aspects of the main character. We get the original 1940s version created by Simon and Kirby, complete with the triangular shield; then there’s the kinetic and iconic version done by Stan Lee (who has a very sweet cameo) and Kirby from the 1960s; then there are aspects of the brutal and gritty Ultimates Captain America imagined by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, and finally the recent version done by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. It was a tricky task but the filmmakers were able to reinvent Cap by picking the best parts of those four different interpretations. Some liberties were taken with altering Cap and his supporting cast but they were for the best. Examples of that include tying the Red Skull’s origin more closely to Cap’s and making his sidekick Bucky older and grittier, which is more in tuned with the current version of that character.

IMO, a superhero film like Captain America: The First Avenger only comes along about every 40 years and is easily on my top three list of superhero films. It’s the most profound and emotional portrait of a Marvel hero that I’ve seen. The enthusiastic audience reaction in the theater where I saw it is a testament to the joy and thrills anyone will get from watching this film. Needless to say it’s the best of the four superhero flicks released this summer.

GEO