Tag Archives: MCU

Oct 27 2024

Venom, Spider-Man & Sony’s Upcoming Crossover Film Event

The latest Spider-Man-related venture by Sony Pictures, Venom: The Last Dance, has teased viewers with an attempt to create a crossover storyline that spans several different films. Sony has tried for years to create their own cinematic universe but failed miserably for the most part because they weren’t able to deliver anything cohesive or high quality. Unfortunately, that problem will continue.

WARNING: Spoilers will be revealed related to Venom: The Last Dance.

Ever since the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the emergence of other cinematic universes, Sony wanted in on the action given the massive box office success of the MCU. On paper, it seemed easy to copy the MCU’s success: have a bunch of films interconnect with each other with some kind of B-plot storyline running throughout the films that will culminate in an epic crossover event like Avengers: Infinity War. But as the cliché goes, easier said than done.

Sony first tried creating a shared universe with The Amazing Spider-Man films with the last one dropping obvious hints of a film featuring the supervillain team, the Sinister Six. However, given the bad reception of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and announcement for a Sinister Six film, those plans fell by the wayside. But Sony would not give up. Afterall, they hold the exclusive film rights to Marvel Comics’ most popular character and all related characters, and they would lose those rights if they did not pump out some kind of Spider-Man-related film every few years.

This is how we got the Venom films. By no means are they superhero film classics, but they are entertaining enough (including Venom: The Last Dance with its plot holes and other flaws) and more importantly to Sony, financially successful. This encouraged them to greenlight other films related to Spider-Man, but the dreck they released could not match the success of the Venom films. Still, they plowed ahead as seen with that non-sensical post-credits scene in Morbius where the title character met the Vulture, who was transported over from the MCU. What was so baffling was that for reasons unknown to us, Morbius decides to join Vulture in attacking Spider-Man, even though Morbius never met the superhero! It seems as if Sony is still hellbent on their Sinister Six film and more will probably be revealed in December with Kraven the Hunter, where there will most likely be some post-credits scene that has Kraven meeting the Vulture. Thankfully this did not occur in Venom: The Last Dance.

Instead, the third and (for now) final Venom film introduced the beginning of an adaptation of the King in Black comic book event. That storyline was the culmination of Donny Cates’ Venom run which explored the backstory of the Venom symbiote and introduced the supervillain, Knull, who created the symbiotes and invaded Earth. While it was tantalizing to see Knull on the big screen, he didn’t receive much screen time and was a background menace who drove the action. In the film’s prologue, it’s revealed that Knull is being held prisoner by the symbiotes he created and only Venom can break him free through some biological MacGuffin. After Venom and other symbiotes defeats the small army of alien creatures sent by Knull to Earth, the Venom symbiote is killed and a still-imprisoned Knull vows in a post-credits scene to escape and wipe out all life in the universe.

That sounds great but this development happens in the so-called final Venom film. Where else can this Knull story continue? Well in a Spider-Man film, of course.

There are reports that Sony and Marvel have been at odds over the story for the next Spider-Man film. Marvel wanted it to be a grounded film involving Spider-Man with street-level threats and heroes like the Kingpin and Daredevil and fans have been demanding this since such a plot would return the character back to his grounded, street-level roots, which has been missing from the MCU Spider-Man films. However, Sony is demanding the character be involved in universe-threatening events as seen with Spider-Man: No Way Home since it is the best platform for crossovers with the characters the studio has the film rights.

The current rumor is that the next Spider-Man will not only feature the non-MCU Spider-Men teaming up with the MCU Spider-Man but that at long last Venom will meet Spider-Man. This was something that was teased in Venom: Let There Be Carnage when Venom was transported to the MCU, but that turned out to be a disappointment because Venom returned without meeting Spider-Man.

So, why would the two meet? To fight Knull, of course! But wait didn’t the Venom symbiote die in Venom: The Last Dance? Yes, but a post-credits scene teased us with an offspring of Venom that was loose, who will probably seek out Eddie Brock to bond with him. Or the offspring that was left behind in the MCU during Spider-Man: No Way Home be the new symbiote for Eddie to bond with. Maybe this time, the new Venom will sport the iconic large white spider symbol on his chest.

While there is some potential with this plot, given Sony’s inability to give us a coherent Spider-Man-related film without the help of Marvel Studios, there is the possibility that the buildup to this event will be bungled, and we’re seeing that already. Knull should have been introduced in the Venom films much sooner or made a more prominent menace in the current Venom film. He also should have appeared in the other Sony Spider-Man-related films like Madame Web, which would have been natural given Madame Web’s psychic powers that enabled her to detect him.

Then there is the problem in that Knull is a Venom villain, having him being the main foe in a Spider-Man film does not feel right. Also, the King in Black story involved all of the Marvel heroes with Venom leading the fight against Knull. Forcing Venom to share this burden in a Spider-Man film takes away from Venom’s transformation in the comic book story into a full-fledged hero and the new King in Black of the symbiotes after defeating Knull.

Also, the meeting of Spider-Man and Venom should be a film event unto itself and jamming it with the dense King in Black storyline will make this event feel rushed. That is unless Sony plans to split the King in Black story into a couple of Spider-Man films. The first film would have Spidey meeting and fighting Venom, then the second film they would team up to fight Knull along with the other crossover characters. As to how this story would mesh with the MCU’s Infinity Saga and the upcoming Avengers films, who knows at this point? But do not be too disappointed if Sony drops the ball, but on the other hand, since Marvel Studios will be involved with the Spider-Man films, hopefully the result will be better than expected.

Sep 25 2024

Increasing Optimism For The MCU

It’s been commonly accepted that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been on a downward spiral given the mediocre results of their recent offerings such as Secret Invasion and The Marvels. But the powers that be (Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios) have taken corrective steps to rectify the situation with the MCU and from what we are seeing, we fans have cause for optimism.

As most of us know, Feige has restructured the slate of films and TV shows to the point of redoing them as was done with the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again and next year’s Captain America: Brave New World. Feige took an honest and hard look and admitted what was working with the MCU projects and what wasn’t. Marvel Studios has also reassessed which film and TV projects, which were planned and announced previously, would actually go forward. This meant that some anticipated and announced projects will not see the light of day, at least for the near future.

However, while we can mope about the lost projects like Armor Wars and the endangered Blade, we can rejoice with recent concrete developments and the current and upcoming releases.

Of course, Deadpool & Wolverine was a smash success that delighted fans and critics alike as it reveled in Easter eggs, raunchy humor and unfiltered violence. The film is now the second biggest hit of the year and the most successful R-rated film ever released. Seriously, Deadpool & Wolverine could not have arrived at a better time. The film demonstrated that Marvel Studios was still capable of producing quality films that could engage audiences, which translated into box office success.

Then Marvel Studios just began streaming on Disney + the TV show Agatha All Along, the sequel/spinoff to Marvel Studios’ best TV show, WandaVision. Even though the spinoff TV show about the witch Agatha Harkness wasn’t highly demanded by fans, it so far has exceeded expectations with its witty, clever and imaginative early episodes. Sure the jury is still out and we have to see if it sticks the landing, but Agatha All Along is off to a great start.

Another reason to be optimistic is due to the success of the animated TV show X-Men ’97, which captured the essence of the classic X-Men animated TV shows of the 1990s and the best X-Men stories and characters. Even though X-Men ’97 and Deadpool & Wolverine are not actually part of the MCU, they were produced by Marvel Studios and both projects showcased the talent from the studio that could still deliver the goods.

While there has been leaked footage of upcoming TV shows like Daredevil: Born Again and of sizzle reels for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans have not had much else to sink their teeth into. But what they have at the moment is more than enough. The trailers for Captain America: Brave New World look very promising, which is a bit of a relief given the behind-the-scenes reports of a troubled production that practically had to be reshot. Hopefully, the actual film, which comes out in February next year, will be half as good as the trailers promise.

Also promising with the release of just one trailer is Thunderbolts*, which can be best explained to non-fans as the MCU answer to the Suicide Squad. Essentially, a bunch of misfit anti-heroes and low-grade villains teaming up to fight a powerful foe and becoming actual heroes in their own right. The trailer that was just released a couple of days ago perfectly captured this theme and the film looks like it will be a lot of fun. Hell, even the first official poster for Thunderbolts* is great and captures the mood the trailer is selling of misfits who can’t get along with each other but are forced to cooperate. Take a look, below.

All we need now is a sneak peek of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but all in good time. Then there is the constant stream of news and speculation about the upcoming Avengers films featuring Robert Downey, Jr. as Doctor Doom. Surely, once confirmed plans for the X-Men come out the fans will go ballistic. The only news and speculation giving us a pause has to do with the troubled Blade film and whatever Sony Pictures plans to do with future Spider-Man films. But we’ll see how that situation works out.

Sure, the upcoming films and TV shows could wind up being huge disappointments but let’s stay optimistic, shall we? That is because for now it’s a thrill to be excited for the MCU again.

Aug 11 2024

Top Ten Cameos & Appearances In Deadpool & Wolverine…Spoilers, DUH!

By now most fans have seen Deadpool & Wolverine and enjoyed all the cameos and appearances of the characters and actors that appeared in numerous Marvel films including the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Here is a top ten list of cameos and appearances in Deadpool & Wolverine, and as a bonus there will be a mention of cameos that never materialized in the film but should have.

Obviously, there will be major spoilers in this list for anyone who hasn’t seen the film yet (What are you waiting for? It’s the best MCU film of the year! Actually, it’s the only MCU film for the year. Spend a few bucks and see this already in theaters!).

10. Thor

Thor’s brief appearance where he cradled a dying Deadpool in archival TVA footage from the future was just repurposed footage from Thor: The Dark World with Deadpool swapping out Loki.  However, it set up a gnawing mystery that was never resolved in Deadpool & Wolverine and left us wondering if this was a scene from the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars or some other film.

9. Pyro and the Evil Mutants

It was a blast seeing many of the evil mutant characters from the Fox X-Men films, which included Pyro, Toad, Juggernaut, Azazel, Psylocke and more. For the most part they were good foes and deserved to be seen again. It was also great seeing Aaron Stanford reprising his role of Pyro again, who was a scummy as ever and one of the more developed villains.

8. Elektra

Jennifer Garner’s reprisal of the assassin may not have been wanted by those who hated the Fox Daredevil and Elektra films. Yet, her strong performance and off-color remark about Daredevil (once portrayed by Garner’s ex-husband, Ben Affleck) being killed, not only gave her character credibility, but provided some mischievous meta humor.

7. The Deadpool Corps

For a film that is about the main character jumping around the multiverse, it was only natural that he would encounter outlandish versions of himself. And this film certainly did not disappoint us. From Lady Deadpool to Kidpool, to Dogpool and Nicepool, the Deadpool variants were hysterical and imaginative. It’s guaranteed that we’ll be pausing the scenes when all the Deadpool variants appear together whenever the film hits home media.

6. The Hulk

The green giant made a quick appearance during Deadpool’s visit to a timeline where the events of The Incredible Hulk #181 (the debut appearance of Wolverine for you non-fans) were taking place. Sadly, we did not get to see the epic throwdown between Hulk and Wolverine, but it was a tantalizing tease. Maybe this can happen in Avengers: Secret Wars? We fans can only hope.

5. X-23

Having Dafne Keen reprise her role as a now-adult X-23 was an appropriate way to follow up Logan and reunited her with Hugh Jackman. The two actors have a natural chemistry and their scenes together provided Wolverine with needed emotional growth and a means to embrace his humanity. Keen was also such a kick-ass when she ripped those evil mutants apart later in the film.

4. Gambit

Channing Tatum was thisclose to having his own Gambit solo film before the project was canned during the time when Disney acquired the rights to the Fox X-Men films. It was a passion project for the actor and thankfully Deadpool & Wolverine gave him the chance to show off how awesome he would’ve been as the Cajun mutant, who was comic book-accurate down to his thick Cajun accent. Remember it!

3. Wesley Snipes as Blade!

The original Blade is back, baby! With all the behind-the-scenes headaches in trying to reboot Blade for the MCU, having Wesley Snipes return as Blade was a great surprise and a fitting tribute to the actor. After all, his films ushered in the modern Marvel films and his appearance has now sparked calls for Marvel Studios to forego the character’s recasting with Mahershala Ali and allow Snipes to reclaim the role for future MCU films.  

2. Cavillerine!

Henry Cavill’s brief appearance as Wolverine was the most unexpected cameo in the film and the best Wolverine variant to appear (though the comic book-accurate Wolverine was hysterical). Not only did it allow fans to see someone else credibly play Logan, but it was a well-deserved middle finger to Warner Bros. for the way they mistreated the actor during the entire DCEU debacle.

1. Chris Evans…as the Human Torch!

The funniest and most out-of-left-field appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine was Chris Evans who did not reprise his role as Captain America, as Deadpool and many audiences expected, but as the Human Torch from the Fox Fantastic Four films. The way he was introduced was misleading and ingenious, and a nice call back to those films. Evans’ appearance also contributed some of the best laughs in the film, especially the line by Deadpool that the actor was too expensive to keep around for too long, hence his untimely death.

The Unrealized Cameos

Given the fact that Deadpool & Wolverine deals with the multiverse, the possibilities of variant characters were endless. Unfortunately, the realities of filmmaking precluded some possible cameos and appearances, some of which were planned but never materialized.

The Avengers

Aside from archival footage at the TVA we never see the team appear, much less have them interact with Deadpool. At one point, this was supposed to happen but the logistics of gathering the actors together was too much.

Robert Downey, Jr.

He was supposed to appear in the scene were Deadpool visits the MCU timeline and tries to get a job with the Avengers. But unfortunately, the actor turned down the opportunity and then wowed us when it was revealed that he would portray Dr. Doom, later on.

Ghost Rider

Speaking of actors who turned down the chance to reprise previous Marvel roles, Nicolas Cage was asked to appear as Ghost Rider. The actor was approached with the opportunity but for reasons unknown he passed on the offer. Blame the crappy Ghost Rider films.

Spider-Man

As much fun as it would have been to have Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine the fact that the film rights of Spider-Man are owned by Sony pretty much nipped that idea. They’ll probably appear in Avengers: Secret Wars.

Alternate Castings

Tom Cruise as Iron Man? How about Daniel Radcliffe or Tom Hardy as Wolverine? Sorry, these variants do not appear in the film nor was there any indication that this was considered. But given how busy Deadpool & Wolverine with its cameos, appearances, references and Easter eggs, it is probably for the best that these additional cameos did not happen.

José Soto

Aug 3 2024

The Return Of Robert Downey, Jr. To The MCU…As Doctor Doom!

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Robert Downey Jr. speaks onstage at the Marvel Studios Panel during 2024 Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 27, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Marvel Studios, as usual, figuratively exploded fans’ minds last weekend at the San Diego Comic-Con with their announcements of their upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films. But the biggest jaw-dropping revelation at Hall H was that MCU mainstay Robert Downey, Jr. would return to the MCU in the next Avengers film as Marvel Comics’ most infamous villain Doctor Doom.

As wild and flabbergasted fans were when the announcement first came out, it was inevitable that questions and second guessing followed soon after the announcement. People wondered if this was the best casting decision and if it meant that Marvel Studios was desperate to rekindle the excitement and attention the MCU had just a few years ago during its heyday.

Marvel Studios couldn’t find an actor qualified enough to play Doctor Doom? Did it have to be Robert Downey, Jr.? Let’s be clear here, Downey is a gifted actor, he’s so great he even won an Oscar for his work in Oppenheimer, and he is the face of the MCU because of his portrayal as Tony Stark/Iron Man, which put the MCU on the map to greatness. But there are many other actors who could’ve easily portrayed the villain. Some have complained that the casting is lazy, unless if some reports are true about Doom’s identity in the upcoming MCU films.

Doctor Doom is traditionally, Victor Von Doom, the armored, despotic ruler of the fictional Eastern European country Latveria, who became a bitter rival to the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards. Now, Downey was introduced as Von Doom by Marvel Studios, but there are rumors that the actor will actually play an evil variant of Tony Stark from another reality, in fact it will be the same universe where the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in. This makes a lot of sense and circumvents the complaints by fans about how the other characters in the films are ignoring the fact that Doom looks just like Stark. Otherwise, if he plays Von Doom, then that will raise questions from viewers, which will take them out of the film.

In the recent comic books, Stark has become Dr. Doom and vice versa because the two characters are very similar to one another. So, there is precedent for this to occur. Maybe, in the MCU timeline, Stark came into existence earlier in the Fantastic Four’s universe and did not have the same redeeming experiences that the MCU Stark had and became evil but shares the same goal as the MCU Stark had: to protect the Earth using armor. During his Comic-Con appearance, Downey did say “New mask, same task,” which implies that he will play a variant of Stark.

If this pans out, it will be an ingenious way to bring the actor back to the MCU and allow him and the screenwriters to do something different with the character. It can work and it probably will. But many will be disappointed that the traditional Victor Von Doom with the same backstory from the comic books won’t be in the MCU. However, people should not give up hope.

Marvel Studios probably decided to bring back Downey because of his star power and the twist that will guarantee that people will rush to theaters to see Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, while the actor will excel as Doctor Doom, it’s doubtful he will play the villain in the long term. He is being paid a hefty amount to appear in these films and it will be hard for the studio to afford his paycheck forever. What could happen is that Doctor Doom will get killed off in Avengers: Secret Wars and be replaced by another variant i.e. another actor. This variant could possibly appear in a post-credits scene and be introduced as the MCU version of Doom, who will be Victor Von Doom with the comics-accurate backstory. Going forward, this new version of Doom, portrayed by a different actor, will be the go-to MCU version of Doctor Doom that the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the other MCU heroes will contend with.  

Whatever develops with Doctor Doom, Downey’s casting brought much-needed publicity and excitement for the MCU. Surely, once we see him in his green robes and armor, we can pass final judgment, which will most likely be very favorable.

Jul 26 2024

Deadpool & Wolverine Save The MCU

The only film from Marvel Studios this year, Deadpool & Wolverine, introduces the film characters based on Marvel Comics before the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was created and the Fox X-Men films into the vast MCU with a gory and wild flourish.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman return to the superhero roles that made them famous, and even though it’s been several years since they donned their costumes, they fit easily into the roles as if they last played the roles yesterday. Frankly, it was great seeing the two actors interacting with one another as they had instant chemistry in what amounts to a reluctant buddy film. The last time they appeared in film together was with the abominable X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was a low point for the Fox X-Men films. Now, the two actors reunite to salvage the MCU, which is currently undergoing its own rough patch. Some spoilers will follow.

Deadpool & Wolverine begins with everyone’s favorite mercenary, who has the power to instantly heal, exhuming the remains of Wolverine/Logan who died at the end of Logan. His mission ends when he finds out the hard way that this version of Wolverine is not coming back from the dead and he is forced to find another version of Wolverine to save his world.

An extended flashback reveals that Deadpool aka Wade Wilson is now retired from being a mercenary and living a meaningless and lonely life as a used-car salesman. He is soon captured by agents from the interdimensional Time Variance Authority (the TVA featured in the series Loki). At the TVA headquarters, Deadpool meets Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), who informs him that his timeline is dying because Wolverine is an anchor being in his timeline who kept the timeline intact. But because he died in Logan, the timeline is becoming unstable and will cease to exist. In order to move up the corporate TVA ladder, Mr. Paradox plans to destroy Deadpool’s timeline with the Time Ripper, a machine that can quickly destroy timelines as a form of “mercy”. He offers Deadpool the opportunity to live in the MCU’s Sacred Timeline and actually lead a meaningful life, but the retired mercenary steals a time traveling device and explores various universes to find a Wolverine variant to fill in the role of his timeline’s anchor being.

Deadpool eventually encounters a surly and bitter version of Wolverine that is considered the worst Wolverine and Deadpool manages to subdue him. However, once back at the TVA with the Wolverine variant, Mr. Paradox banishes Deadpool and Wolverine into the Void, a realm outside of time. Amidst their bickering, the duo come across many variants of characters we last saw in the Fox X-Men films and Marvel films before the MCU was created, implying that their timelines were destroyed. One of these characters is Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrinn), an evil twin sister of the powerful mutant telepath, Charles Xavier, and the ruler of the Void. Nova plans to take control of the Time Ripper and intends to use it to destroy all timelines. Now Deadpool not only has to save his own timeline but every other as well, and he has to find a way to convince the gruff Wolverine to help him.   

Deadpool and Wolverine serves as another raucous return to form for Deadpool that revels in over-the-top profanity and violence. It is definitely the most violent Deadpool film, but the violence is so cartoony and sick that one can’t help but laugh at the outlandish nature of the violence. This film certainly earns its R rating from its sexual innuendo to its graphic violence and exaggerated profanity.  Of course, parents SHOULD NOT allow young children to see the film, but everyone else will have a blast watching Deadpool and Wolverine savagely ripping through their enemies while swearing up a storm, and laughing at all the meta jokes.

The film has its flaws, namely with its pacing at times and the script needed more polishing. This is most likely due to last year’s writers’ strike that prevented any revisions of the script, which is regrettable because there are a few plot holes and threads that are not resolved. As for its dark humor, while the film is quite hilarious at times, not every joke lands and some of it may become dated with its topical references. Let’s be honest, Disney, Marvel Studios and the MCU needed to be roasted for their missteps and familiar tropes, and the film doesn’t hold back on riffing on Marvel and the MCU. Seriously, it’s amazing that the film was allowed to go above and beyond with its humor which was very raunchy and with MCU (and Disney) often being the butt of the jokes.

But Deadpool & Wolverine more than makes up for its faults with witty energy and great banter between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. It goes without saying that it was a joy not just seeing Jackman playing the wild mutant again but in wearing for the first time a comic book-accurate costume. Plus, the action scenes are very inventive and are some of the best featured in the MCU, especially one bloody and claustrophobic fight that takes place inside a minivan. Then there are the numerous cameos, some of which will make jaws drop since they were unexpected. Not every character or actor or reference that can be imagined shows up. But nearly every character introduction steals the scenes and are welcome not just for returning characters but those we never got to see before.

Saying that Deadpool & Wolverine saves the MCU is not a small exaggeration. At this point in time and given its recent missteps, the MCU needed a win which is provided by this hysterically gory and fun romp that should be seen multiple times to take in all of its jokes and references.

José Soto