Captain America: The Winter Soldier – BREAKING GEEK Radio: The Podcast

A Layman’s Guide To The Returning Characters In CIVIL WAR: #TeamCap

Posted on May 12, 2016February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies

Captain America: Civil War is a bona fide hit! It made $179.1 Million opening weekend, Critics love it, and I love it! If you are going to see Civil War this weekend, or if you’re trying to figure out a few Civil War moments after seeing the film, and you haven’t memorized all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films like myself; this catch-up will help you better understand the film’s many character threads and relationships.

We’ll start with #TeamCap; those that alley with Steve Rogers or are tied to the Captain America films (like Brock Rumlow). Why did Ant-Man and Falcon have that exchange? Why is Bucky such a polarizing a figure? Who is that burned dude? Haven’t I seen that Blond Agent before? What’s Scarlet Witch’s deal again, Age of Ultron was so confusing!?!

Never fear! I’m here for you with a guide to all the returning players in Captain America: Civil War, from Captain America to Agent 13. NO SPOILERS for Civil War. Many Spoilers for any earlier MCU film including the character we’re discussing.

Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans)Movies He’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World (sort of…), Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Super strength, enhanced reflexes, fast metabolism/healing (the man can’t get drunk), leadership skills, superhuman morality (I say that counts), a Shield made of the strongest metal on Earth, Vibranium.

His Story So Far: Steve Rogers was too scrawny to serve with his life-long friend Bucky in WWII, so he underwent an experiment in which a “Super Soldier Serum” not only made him the beefiest Avenger, but taller (along with the powers listed above)! After rescuing Bucky from the hands of Hydra, the two proved their bond was just as strong on the battlefield as it was growing up. Now known as Captain America, Steve Rogers receives his Vibranium Shield from Tony Stark’s father, Howard, a friend of his during the Great War. During the events of The First Avenger, Steve Rogers watches Bucky plummet to his assumed death. Rogers defeats the head of Hydra, Red Skull, stopping his attempt to to conquer the planet. In the process, Captain America crashes into the Arctic and is frozen for 70 years.

Captain America is awakened in an age of superheros (or “the enhanced”) in which a man with a weaponized suit of armor, a giant green monster, and an Alien with God-like powers are all known to the world. Under the direction of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the four heroes are brought together with two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to form The Avengers, just in time to stop an alien invasion. Though the aliens are dead, New York is decimated by damage from the battle. Even in saving the world, Steve Rogers has reservations about organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D and the World Security Council which governs it.

Following the climatic Battle of New York in The Avengers, Steve Rogers finds himself as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., carrying out missions for Nick Fury and his bosses, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) and the World Security Council. While working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Rogers comes to blows with The Winter Soldier, a Hydra Agent who has been carrying out assassinations for the evil organization for years. Captain America learns that the Winter Soldier is actually Bucky, who survived the fall during WWII due to Hydra experimenting on him, was given a metal arm, brainwashed, and was frozen and then unfrozen for decades to carry out said assassinations. Cap also learns that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been Hydra all along (more or less), lead by Alexander Pierce who is himself controlling the Winter Soldier/Brain-Washed Bucky. With the help of allies including Black Widow, Sam Wilson/Falcon, Agent 13, and Nick Fury, Captain America destroys three automated Helicarriers that are targeting all of Hydra’s potential enemies. In the process, his team sends all three flying ships crashing into Washington DC below, with many casualties. Pierce is brought down, but not before killing the World Security Council and leading to the end of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the finale, The Winter Soldier and Steve Rogers fight, the latter refusing to kill his old friend in hopes he will remember him. In the end, Bucky does save Rogers from drowning, before disappearing without a trace. Let’s just say the whole process cemented Rogers’ concerns about government organizations and their control

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America fights alongside his old teammates to defeat the evil Artificial Intelligence, Ultron, created by Tony Stark and bent on destroying the human race. Rogers and The Avengers stop Ultron, but at the expense of a European City known as Sokovia. The death toll in Sokovia is higher than ever and by the end of the film Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, and Tony Stark/Iron Man leave the team in favor of Steve Rogers’ led “New Avegners,” made up of Black Widow, War Machine, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Vision.

The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)Movies He’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Powers: Super strength, a metal arm that can even deflect bullets.

His Story So Far: Bucky Barnes grew up with Steve Rogers before he was Captain America, being the only one there for his friend when Steve lost his parents. Enlisting without his scrawny friend, Bucky’s unit is captured by Hydra. Captain America rescues his old friend, but not before Hydra’s best scientist, Dr. Armin Zola, experiments on poor Bucky. Bucky serves alongside Rogers in a unit known as The Howling Commandos, until he falls from a train-car into a canyon with a freezing river.

Bucky is rescued by Hydra, who experiment on him further, replacing a limb he lost in his fall with a metal arm. Now The Winter Solider, he is brainwashed and used by Hydra as an assassin for decades, kept in cryosleep between missions. Eventually, The Winter Soldier battles his old friend, Steve Rogers/Captain America, confused when he is called Bucky. The Winter Soldier is brainwashed again and sent to prevent Captain America and his allies from crippling Hydra’s Helicarriers. The two old friends fight, and with Steve Rogers refusing to kill his old friend, he is defeated and plunges into the water below. The Winter Soldier rescues Steve Rogers, and though at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we do not know what Buck remembers as we see him inspecting his own memorial in the Smithsonian’s Captain America Exhibit.

Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)Movies He’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man

Powers: Special Flight Suit that resembles a Falcon, with wings that can act as a Shield, and googles which increase his eye sight.

His Story So Far: In The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson is a Veteran who meets Steve Rogers, and the pair quickly become friends. When Captain America learns S.H.I.E.L.D. is actually Hydra, he seeks out Wilson as his number of allies are limited. Falcon more than pulls his weight, taking down one of the Helicarriers, before having his wing ripped off and being thrown from a Helicarrier by the Winter Soldier. Falcon survives the fall and fights Hydra Agent Brock Rumlow in the S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ building, winning only when the building collapses and he escapes!

In Age of Ultron, Sam Wilson is carrying on the search for Bucky following the events of The Winter Soldier. At the end of the film though, Falcon is revealed to be one of Captain America’s New Avengers. Finally, in Ant-Man, Falcon is beaten by Scott Lang/Ant-Man while trying to defend the New Avengers Compound. Wilson takes note of the tiny Superhero, in case he is ever needed to assist the Avengers.

Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner)Movies He’s In: Thor, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron

Superpowers: Best character with a bow and arrow in the history of cinema (suck it, Legolas and Katniss!). Also has a variety of arrows for many uses.

His Story So Far: Hawkeye is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who served with the Avengers in both the 1st film and Age of Ultron. In Ultron, he is saved by Scarlet Witch’s brother, Quicksilver at the cost of Quicksilver’s life. For this reason and the pep talk he gave Scarlet Witch during the battle that destroyed Sokovia, he has become closer to her than perhaps anyone but Vision. Clint Barton has a secret family kept even off S.H.I.E.L.D.’s books which he retires to at the end of Age of Ultron.

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)Movies She’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (post-credits scene), Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: The true limits of Scarlet Witch’s powers are unknown. She is able to move objects with her mind, create telekinetic shields, and induce crippling images of your worst nightmare.

Her Story So Far: Wanda Maximoff and her brother volunteered to be experimented on by Hydra after a bomb made by Stark Industries kills her parents. Using Loki’s Staff from The Avengers, she and her brother are the only survivors of Hydra’s experiment, endowed with extraordinary powers making them the newest “Enhanced.” Due to their hate for Stark, “The Twins” team with Ultron until Scarlet Witch realizes his goal is to destroy the world. Siding with The Avengers, she helps defeat Ultron, but at the cost of her brother’s life and her entire city, Sokovia.

Wanda shares a special relationship with Vision because their powers both come from the same place; Loki’s Staff revealed to be the Mind Stone. She also sees Hawkeye as a sort of mentor after his speech to her during the Battle of Sokovia. By the end of Age of Ultron, Scarlet Witch is a member of the New Avengers.

Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd)Movies He’s In: Ant-Man

Powers: The ability to shrink and return to normal size instantly at the push of a button, with extreme super-strength and speed when tiny. Can also “control”Ants with his helmet.

His Story So Far: Scott Lang is a known felon, recruited by the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, to take up his mantle and save the world. Ant-Man fights Falcon and wins, when he is sent to the Avengers compound to steal some Stark Tech. Taught by Hank Pym never to trust a Stark, Lang still hears through the grapevine at the end of the film that there may be an Avenger interested in recruiting him.

Agent 13/Sharon (Emily VanCamp)Movies She’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Powers: None, but a former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent with incredible fighting skill.

Her Story So Far: Sharon aka Agent 13, was the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury put in charge of watching Captain America prior to the fall of Hydra. Living across the hall from Rogers, posing as a nurse, Agent 13 is the 1st to respond when Nick Fury is shot by the Winter Soldier in Steve Rogers’ apartment. After Hydra was revealed to be S.H.I.E.L.D. she was one of the primary Agents that sided with Captain America in order to take down the Hydra Agents and prevent the launch of Hydra’s lethal Helicarriers. Though there was some sexual tension between her and Rogers, and Black Widow recommended to Steve that he ask her out, the pair have never even kissed.

Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell)Movies She’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Ant-Man, Agent Carter (MCU Short), Agent Carter (ABC TV Series)

Superpowers: None, strong WWII Agent and Founder of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Her Story So Far: Peggy Carter was partially responsible for selecting scrawny Steve Rogers for the Super Soldier Program. She served with Rogers and Howard Stark during WWII, the latter two being S.H.I.E.L.D.’s founding members. Peggy was in love with Steve, but she never got that dance she was promised when Steve Rogers plunged that plane into the Arctic, saving the world. She was an important Agent during the Cold War as well, being an important decision maker at S.H.I.E.L.D. through the 80’s. When Steve Rogers finally catches up with her after he is unfrozen in The Winter Soldier, she is an old woman in a hospital bed, suffering from extreme dementia. At least these two have kissed (when she was young, you sicko!).

Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo)Movies He’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Powers: None, just a well trained special forces Hydra Agent who worked with Captain America long enough to know his moves and what makes him tick.

His Story So Far: This one isn’t #TeamCap at all, but a villain from the Captain America film franchise. Brock Rumlow was Captain America’s right hand man as leader of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team STRIKE. He ran countless missions with Steve Rogers and was the first one sent to take in Captain America when Rogers started having doubts about S.H.I.E.L.D. When Hydra was revealed, he fought to defend it, coming to blows with Sam Wilson before having S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ dropped on him. Though badly burned, at the end of Winter Soldier, we see that Rumlow has survived.

That’s really all you need to know about all the characters that make up #TeamCap (more or less)! Read our Leyman’s Guide to #TeamIronMan NOW!

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Review: The Avengers, Fully Realized

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Nick Doll in Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Civil War, Marvel, Marvel's Spider-Man, MCU, Movies, Reviews

Believe the hype. Captain America: Civil War delivers every “Holy Shit!” moment you were hoping for in an Avengers movie. And this is a Captain America film (mostly)!

There will be NO SPOILERS in this review; no exact plot points, no surprises ruined, no twists revealed, no characters’ greatest moments exposed. Just the broad strokes here, kiddies, because I want you to enjoy this film as much as I did. If it wasn’t in the trailer, I won’t discuss it here (there will be one minor spoiler, but I’ll warn you… and be as ambiguous as possible). It may make for a very short review, but all you really want me to do is confirm that Civil War is as great as everyone else is saying it is.And IT IS! Good Lord, this movie delivers on every level. I had very high hopes going in, and I can’t say I was ever disappointed.

It is hard to answer if Civil War is better than Marvel’s old reigning champ, Captain America: Winter Soldier, but that’s because they are very different films. Plus, if I consider both movies 5 Star Films, does it really make a difference which is better? Winter Soldier was a tighter, more contained movie – a 70’s-esque Thriller – while Civil War is a sprawling epic, hitting more parts of the globe and carrying the weight of more characters than even Avengers: Age of Ultron. Yet it works better, much better than Ultron. Civil War does keep that Captain America focus, spending less time with the other heroes than with Captain America and Bucky “The Winter Soldier” Barnes, but really is more of a full Avengers adventure, sans Hulk and Thor. If you’re reading this, you know enough of the plot that I don’t need to say much of anything else. What I will say though, is that Civil War delivers more “I feel like I need to stand up and clap because I never thought I’d see that scene/character/moment so beautifully realized in a film” than any Marvel Cinematic Universe film before it. There are shots/scenes/moments in this film that are the most exciting you’ve seen since the unbelievable occurrence in 2o12 when the Avengers actually assembled in one movie! If The Avengers will always be remembered for bringing together different heroes with their own films onto one team, then Civil War will go down as the MCU movie that fully realizes the full potential of EVERY Avenger present, nearly always exceeding expectations. Powers you’ve never seen them use, skills highlighted in a way the other films have not, and personality shining through in characters that you could have previously accused of being one dimensional. It’s everyone from Hawkeye & Falcon as you’ve never seen him before, to Ant Man as you’ve never seen him before! Really, a stellar evolution to even the characters you already knew were bad-ass.

Avengers: Age of Ultron, you’ve been out Avenger’ed by a film with Captain America in the title. Civil War isn’t nearly as dark as Winter Soldier, even when funnier characters like Spider-Man and Ant-Man don’t populate the screen. The tone is lighter, though the plot is just as serious as an MCU film ever was, with poignant moments that may be among the most gut-wrenching in any superhero film. While I have Spider-Man brought up though, let’s just say he’s the most amazing (reference to original comic intended) iteration of the character, again, living up to all expectations (like everything else… I keep telling you!).

In this way, Captain America: Civil War avoids all the pitfalls of Batman V Superman, a movie with a similar premise but much lower IQ. Even Batman V Superman‘s greatest strengths are eclipsed by Civil War. I’m not biased, Batman is my favorite comic book character, but even his shining moments in BvS don’t touch the excitement produced by Civil War‘s spectacle; both in character moments and those action scenes you CAN NOT BELIEVE you’ve seen!The one comparison to Batman V Superman I will make, and this is the only MINOR SPOILER, is the villain behind the warring heroes. Unlike Lex Luthor, the baddie pulling the strings in Civil War is subtle and incredibly clever. You never question the logic of the plan he has put into action and the twists he throws into the film. Minimal Spoiler Over!

I really don’t know what else to say except… If you like the MCU, YOU WILL LOVE THIS FILM! I didn’t notice a single missed opportunity.

With directors of this film and Winter Solider, Joe and Anthony Russo, also at the helm of the Phase 3 ending film, Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1 & 2, all is well in the Marvel Universe.

DC, you best step up your game… and fast!

And yes, there is an amazing Community cameo in this film, just like Winter Soldier (but better!).

Record-Breaking Trailer Catch-Up: ZOOLANDER NO. 2 and CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Posted on December 3, 2015December 3, 2015 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Civil War, Marvel, MCU, Movies, Posters, Trailers

Last week, while ~~my computer was down~~ Breaking Geek’s massive array of servers was down, two little trailers hit the net and both made record-breaking splashes!First, following the amazing poster for Zoolander No. 2 (above), Paramount quickly offered up a true trailer with real footage, not just a classically Derek Zoolander nonsensical conversation with “Stephen Hawking” as in the older teaser trailer for the film. This trailer has already become the most viewed comedy trailer of all time.

The trailer is below, delivering all the goods in a way that feels very akin to Anchorman 2, but will hopefully deliver vastly different results (i.e. it may be great!).

All the right ingredients are there, from the stupid artistry that defines Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) with kooky additions of Kristen Wiig and Penelope Cruz.

And let us never forget Will Ferell, back as the villainous, latte throwing Mugatu. This movie looks more fun than a freak, gasoline fight accident!

Next, how could Breaking Geek not share the Captain America: Civil War trailer and posters?!? We may have been away with technical difficulties for a few weeks, but the trailer must appear on this site! It’s been tracking at nearly double the views the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron had in the same time.

Check out the trailer 1st and stick around for commentary as well as the three official posters!

How awesome is that? The exact tone and feel of Captain America: Winter Soldier from the same writers and directors, with an Avengers sized spectacle. That fight scene at the end…. bananas!And the heart…. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) telling Tony Stark that he has to side with Bucky (Sebastian Stan) because they’re friends, only to have Stark reply “So were we.”

Here are the posters I promised….

Both these films hit in 2016 along with other Geek Fantasies such as Deadpool, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Star Trek Beyond, Doctor Strange, and yet another Star Wars film!

It’s good to be a geek!

The 6 Best Films of Summer 2015: PART I – No. 6, 5 & 4

Posted on September 20, 2015October 7, 2015 by Nick Doll in 007, Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Jurassic World, Lists, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marvel, MCU, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, Reviews, SPECTRE, Star Wars, The Force Awakens

We did it! We survived one of the highest grossing summers on record due mostly to Universal Studios hits like Jurassic World, Minions, and Straight Outta Compton. Not that Disney doesn’t deserve credit for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Inside Out, and Ant-Man.

But this list isn’t about the money grossed, it’s about the quality of films we watched. What were the 6 best films of Summer 2015? According to me…

Let’s start with my predictions for the whole year. View that article in its entirety or just read this list of my anticipation levels from least excited to complete obsession. Again, there were my predictions based more on enjoyment level, not a list predicting which films would necessarily be best this summer.

7. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

6. Ant-Man

5. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

4. Mad Max: Fury Road

3. Avengers: Age of Ultron

2. SPECTRE

1. Jurassic World

Since this new List only covers Summer 2015 and not the Fall, we can knock Star Wars and SPECTRE off my possibility of choices.

The original list are the titles I thought would be most enjoyable. To be transparent, this new list of the “Best” Movies of Summer 2015 takes into account enjoyably AND quality. If this list were purely based on how much I enjoyed a film, the list would look slightly different.

Let’s start work from sixth favorite to my number one; this post just containing Sixth through Third favorite.

WARNING: SPOILERS Follow for each Film. Skip one if you haven’t seen it and don’t want it spoiled.

6. MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

Not a great Guy Ritchie, nor Spy Film, but I had to include it rather because it still deserves a spot on this list, even if it was my 6th favorite movie of the summer and most lists are traditionally out of five.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E film is classy as hell, with tons of Guy Ritchie style more apparent than his more tightly controlled bigger studio franchise, Sherlock Holmes. The “buddy” dynamic between US Agent Solo (Our current Superman,Henry Cavill) and USSR Agent Illya (Armie Hammer!) brings most the humor that is not limited to dialog exchanges, but also humorous action scenes involving the competitive nature or two Spies from different sides of the Cold War.

HIGHLIGHTS: Henry Cavill continues to nail the role as an American (again, see Man of Steel) with all the added almost overabundance of charm required to be a fantastic play on Sean Connery’s or Roger Moore’s version of James Bond.

Likewise, though they have a Brit playing an American and Armie Hammer playing Russian, Hammer also nails the role, with his aforementioned antics with Cavill’s Solo providing most of the film’s enjoyment.

Just like Kingsman back in February, Man From U.N.C.L.E. also has great classic 60’s 007 references in its locations and over-the-top not-so-secret Spy work of suave Solo.

WEAKNESSES: The action just isn’t there compared to other 2015 spy films like Kingsman: The Secret Service and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. There’s a decent chase at the end, some fun silly action sequences like the opening car chase, but the action just isn’t as abundant as in a 007 picture, for example.

Likewise, the “turncoat” scene where Gaby (Alicia Vikander) gives up Solo and Illya only to be reveled as a questionable British Agent, is very reminiscent of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

That’s just bad (unlucky) timing for Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The film really feels like a set-up for a wonderful franchise we will never see as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a flop.

5. ANT-MANLook, Ant-Man is neither my favorite Marvel movie, nor my least favorite. In an age when Ant-Man is Marvel’s 12th(?… Maybe 11th) movie, that is not a bad thing what-so-ever.

For me, Ant-Man falls in the middle of the pack, higher than The Incredible Hulk, both Thor movies, Iron Man 2, and Captain America: The First Avenger, but lower than movies Iron Man 1 & 3, Captain America: Winter Solider, Guardians of the Galaxy, and both Avengers films.

Highlights: The cast, to start! Paul Rudd as Scott Lang gives us our most grounded Avenger yet; a father who is kept from his daughter because of a criminal past. Marvel as a Universe is known for down-to-Earth heroes, but Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, and Capt. are not mortals like Ant-Man (Iron Man technically is mortal, but he has none of the angst that comes with fatherhood). Rudd is one of the most likable Avengers, with his character’s weaknesses yet strength of charm, empathy and comedy.

Let’s not stop there! Of course Michael Douglas as Hank Pym and Evangeline Lily as eventual Wasp, Hope van Dyne, don’t disappoint. But, besides Rudd, Ant-Man’s Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket and Michael Pena as Lang’s best friend Luis steal the show.

Michael Douglas as Hank Pym with Corey Stoll as Darren Cross

Stoll combines the classic elements of Norman Osborne’s madness in the original Spider-Man and Obadiah Stane’s suit-envy in Iron Man. Meanwhile, hilarious Michael Pena brings more humor to the film than even funny-man Paul Rudd, reminding me of his favorite role as Seth Rogen’s right-hand security guard in Observe and Report.

Which brings me to Ant-Man‘s next strength… the genre. Lately, Marvel movies have played with mixing different genres with the classic Super Hero story to give their origin stories and the like more originality. Winter Soldier was a 70’s Thriller, Guardians was a Star Wars-esque Space Opera, and Ant-Man is a heist film… complete with a full team… including Michael Pena! (BOOM! Brought it all the way ’round.)

Yet, the tie-ins to Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War are the movies greatest strengths. Nothing like Ant-Man fighting Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and the mention of someone who “can climb walls.”

Humor is the final piece of Ant-Man‘s successful puzzle. My father had no interest in Ant-Man, but I dragged him along and he was shocked by how funny the film is! Like The Guardians of the Galaxy, humor was the only way to make Ant-Man mainstream.

Weaknesses: Some of Ant-Man is very cookie-cutter Marvel. Sometimes it does feel too much like the 1st Iron Man from the idea of a “suit” as his superpower to the notion that the villain just wants the same tech. In it’s least interesting moments, Ant-Man can feel like an Iron Man clone.

4. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

It’s The Avengers Assembled! Again! This time fighting a creation of almost villainous Tony Stark (who does risk the team’s life with the best intentions), Ultron, an artificial intelligence who cannot be destroyed until he is locked out of the net and every drone is blown to bits.

Highlights: A lot of people love to hate this film, but I still think Avengers: Age of Ultron is Marvel Top Five; even better than the 1st film.

Why? Because The Avengers was mainly awesome because of the “Holy Shit! Bruce Banner just met Steve Rogers!” That single shot in the 1st film that flies around New York City, catching every Avenger in action was mind-blowing.

And this film opens with a scene just like that!

Age of Ultron is the stronger film as the plot is more important and fleshed out than the 1st Avengers. Think about it; the 1st film was mainly on the Helicarrier and dealt with simply following Loki around, knowing exactly what he was up to. Age of Ultron doesn’t just offer a more fluid and varied plot crafted for amazing action sequences, but a more personal story that brings out every Avenger’s (except Hawkeye) greatest fears.

Tony Stark’s scene of fear is the most poignant; an alien invasion heading toward Earth while his friends die a rocky-planet with Capt. accusing Stark of not being there to save them. This is an excellent plot device to drive Stark into horrible decisions… like creating artificial intelligence using Loki’s staff… which was also handled by Hydra. It also sets the stage for Avengers: Infinity War where our heroes could very well end up dead on an Alien planet after a failed defense against Thanos.

Finally, we get a lot of Captain America! he has most the screen-time and why not? He’s team leader and his fight with Ultron is Seoul may be a mismatch, but it’s Capt. at his best!

Weaknesses: I may like Age of Ultron better than Ant-Man, but it sure has more faults.

Too many characters! You can’t just add three Avengers in the 3rd Act (even though we knew you would…)! One can only hope that the super talented Russo Brothers can balance the sheer amount of Avengers that will exist by the time Avengers: Infinity War comes out.

Ultron is not as cool as he could have been. Right James Spader?

Hawkeye needs some screen-time to make up for The Avengers, and it’s awesome he actually has a family (like Scott Lang), but too much time spent on his farm regardless.

That’s it for Today, folks.

My favorite Summer Movies #3 – #1 is HERE

Podcast #17: Turtlenecks & Porn Star Lips

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Avengers, Captain America, Marvel, MCU, Movies, Podcasts, Posters, Star Trek, TV Shows

Nick and Andrew play the 2nd and final round of the Oscars Game: 2015!

Arguments over the Street Sharks “Jawsome!” legitimacy lead to Nick and Andrew’s ‘Elektra’ lament. They watched the ‘Daredevil’ spin-off as part of their “POS Film Series” and you get to hear about it… without having to watch the not-so-Jawsome movie yourself! Talk ends with ‘The Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ as it always does, where our heroes disagree about the appeal of the poster for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ 2nd big-screen adventure.

Now with “The Stan Lee Theory!”

Chris Pine cries for no man! Except a single tear for Leonard Nimoy! (Okay, he's crying at the Oscars...) — Chris Pine cries for no man! Except a single tear for Leonard Nimoy! (Okay, he’s crying at the Oscars…)

Tune in every Friday for a new ‘Breaking Geek’ podcast!

New ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Poster Provides Proof We’ll See Another Old Face… Or Four

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Marvel, MCU, Movies

Though we’ve seen no sign of him in the trailers (like Vision) and his mug isn’t on the New Poster (unlike Vision who flies above our classic team), said poster still proves that this fan-favorite from ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ made the cut when it comes to the new, almost overfulling roster of Avengers this summer.

I’m talking about Anthony Mackie who plays Sam Wilson/Falcon. Look at the poster below, courtesy of Cinema Blend.

Check out that highlighted name. Yup, that's Anthony Mackie alright. — Check out that highlighted name. Yup, that’s Anthony Mackie alright.

The poster is crowded as hell, which could be why we don’t see Falcon along with his best friend Steve Rogers aka Captain America. Wilson is not even in the released scene where James Rhodes/War Machine/One-Time Iron Patriot (Don Cheadle) tries to helps team Stark lift Thor’s Hammer. Of course, none are worthy, except for Rogers who pulls the hammer just a few inches… so imagine if he had future-Captain America helping him lift that sucker.

Since we haven’t seen Falcon at all yet, the other explanation is that he is barely in the movie, which is the safest bet. He’ll likely have a small role like Nick Fury, and the Asgardian’s ALSO listed on the poster.

You can also see Tom Hiddleson (Loki), Idris Elba (Asgard’s Gate Keeper), and Stellen Skarsgard (Scientist gone mad in 2012′ ‘Avengers’) made the cast list at the bottom of the poster as well. So more fun from Asgard and Thor’s world!

Finally, even Hayley Atwell makes the cut. A recent fan favorite who premiered in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ appeared as an old woman with CGI make-up magic in ‘The Winter Soldier,’ finally landing her own Marvel One-Shot and mini-series based upon it.

Atwell’s Agent Peggy Carter seems to be tightly intertwined with the early age of S.H.I.E.L.D. It is assumed that Scarlet Witch messes with the minds of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, controlling the Hulk and sending Captain America into a flashback to what was or what could have been in the 1940s.

Or, Peggy Carter could be used for some exposition on the ‘Ultron Program’ which was dormant before Tony Stark kick-starts it in ‘Age of Ultron’ After all, her show ‘Agent Carter’ delves into the earliest years of the MCU and she is also in the cast for ‘Ant-Man’ which should fill in some gaps around the years of a younger Hank Pym and middle-aged Howard Stark.

Peggy Carter will fill in some blanks in Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man’s origin. Above: Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Michael Douglas as an older Hank Pym.

Whatever the case, watch for fan favorites Falcon, Loki, and Peggy Carter in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ on May 1st!

The New ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Poster Is… Kind of Pretty, Actually.

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Avengers, Marvel, MCU, Movies, Posters

Marvel Studios has released their official poster for May 1st’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (we have only seen a teaser poster up until this point) , the sequel to 2012’s ‘The Avengers.’

Though the painted poster-style of artists like the incomparable Drew Struzan may be dead, the final poster for ‘Age of Ultron’ is way classier and less of a Photoshop mess than the final poster for the 1st film.

Or the Photoshop messes of overcrowded ‘Iron Man 3,’ ‘Thor: The Dark World,’ and ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ posters. (The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ poster was actually pretty sweet…)

This poster, though also a Photoshopped hodgepodge, has way more style and is much more pleasing to the eye than Marvel Studios’ previous attempts at a good “final” poster for a film.

Here it is.

The official poster for 'Avengers: Age of Ultron.' — The official poster for ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’

There you go. Notice the curved flow of the images, making the poster more pleasing to the eye, as art, than any of the previous posters from Marvel Studios.

Plus, we get Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, AND our best official look at The Vision yet! No “Ultron Prime,” though. Just the Ultron Drones.

And my favorite Avenger, Captain America, is finally front and center where he belongs! Team leader (now with high franchise potential)! Capt.’s not wedged behind Iron Man and Thor like last time!

May 1st can’t come soon enough, kids!

Spider-Man Joins The Avengers In the MCU! All Your Questions Answered Here!

Posted on February 11, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Avengers, Captain America, Comics, Features, Marvel, Marvel's Spider-Man, MCU, Movies

Monday night Marvel made an announcement on their website (web… site… webs… like Spider-Man!) announcing to the world that Sony and Marvel Studios/Disney have reached an agreement to bring Marvel’s most popular character Spider-Man into Marvel’s most successful franchise/universe: the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).

The official announcement from Marvel’s website is below. Following that quick read, let’s break down what all this means for Spider-Man, Sony, Marvel Studios, and the rest of the MCU’s Phase 3, which has been shuffled due to the addition of a Spider-Man solo pic in 2017.

(Culver City, California, and Burbank, California February 09, 2015) – Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man.

Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.

Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films.

The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel’s world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said: “Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s great characters, beloved around the world. We’re thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building.”

“We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. “This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans.”

“Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker’s story into the future,” added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

“I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. “Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel’s involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years.”

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

Let’s put all this in Layman’s terms. I’ll answer the questions this deal raises right now!

Does Marvel Studios Own the ‘Spider-Man’ License now?

Spider-Man has a love history with Captain Marvel... who is also getting a solo movie in Phase 3. — Spider-Man has a love history with Captain Marvel… who is also getting a solo movie in Phase 3.

No. In fact, no money has changed hands. Marvel doesn’t need to pay Sony anything for Spider-Man’s inclusion in the MCU. Sony doesn’t need to pay Marvel Studios any money for their characters’ appearances in ‘Spider-Man’ films.

Spider-Man will make an appearance in a MCU property, most likely 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’ which already features Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Anthony Mackie back from ‘Winter Soldier’ as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Frank Grillo back as Brock Rumlow now running around as Crossbones, new classic Capt. villain Baron Zemo played by Daniel Bruhl, and introducing Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther.

That’s a very full playing field and I would be worried, but the same writers and directors from ‘Winter Soldier’ are returning and, simply put, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ is the best MCU film yet.

After appearing in ‘Civil War’ made by Marvel Studios (there’s a small chance Spider-Man may instead appear in 2016’s ‘Dr. Strange,’ but that hero pairing makes less sense), Spider-Man will get his own solo-pic on July 28th, 2017.

Marvel makes the MCU movie, Sony does all production on the solo-Spider-Man films like the apparent “reboot” of Spider-Man as a member of the MCU. They split the money.

Movie Spider-Man has many new MCU friends!

Sony saves their crumbling 4 billion dollar ‘Spider-Man’ franchise (after ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ fell below expectations and alienated Spider-Man fans who have seen 3 bad films too many) with the might and creative input of Marvel’s incredibly successful MCU overseen by Kevin Feige.

Sony keeps all rights and has all final say on the new ‘Spider-Man’ films, though Feige will partner with Amy Pascal, who recently stepped down as President of Sony to head the production company handling Spider-Man for Sony.

Sony gets the good-will of the MCU and Marvel gets to use Spider-Man in their extended universe.

They will split the profits as they have in the past with the ‘Spider-Man’ franchise.

What Does This Deal Mean For ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 3’ and ‘Sinister Six?’

There’s a bit of confusion here. Since Marvel is introducing a new Spider-Man, said to be high-school age to contrast the older Avengers who are all in their thirties and forties, it seems Andrew Garfield is out. It is also assumed the ‘Amazing’ header is kaput, with a brand new era starting for the web-slinger.

There are reports that Sony still wants to make ‘Sinister Six,’ ‘Venom,’ and a female-team-up with characters from Spider-Man’s universe like Spider-Woman. It is not clear how these fit in the new continuity, as ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ was basically a big set-up for ‘Sinister Six,’ and now it appears we are entering a new age of Spidey, ignoring not only the original Sam Raimi films but the Marc Webb directed ‘Amazing’ titles.

How Sony gets the other projects off the ground is a mystery; the scariest part of the equation. As they don’t need to consult Marvel with these titles which could be as poorly handled as ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2.’

‘Amazing Spider-Man 3’ appears to be dead, making way for a new title. Is it back to ‘Spider-Man’ with a subtitle (please!) or another book’s name like ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ or ‘The Sensational Spider-Man.’

Is Andrew Garfield Returning?

No! Both Garfield and director Webb are out of the equation now. Rejoice!

This movie is still about Peter Parker right?

Miles Morales from Marvel's 'Ultimate' Universe — Miles Morales from Marvel’s ‘Ultimate’ Universe

Not necessarily. Unless I missed it, the name Peter Parker is never mentioned in the announcement.

One way to shake up the franchise is to not use Peter at all and instead go with Miles Morales, who took over for Spider-Man in the ‘Ultimate’ Comics Universe after Peter Parker was killed by the Green Goblin.

Mile Morales is black, which would be an amazing change for the franchise. Is the story of a black nerd in Queens any different than if he was white?

Troy's (Donald Glover) Spider-Man PJs on 'Community' — Troy’s (Donald Glover) Spider-Man PJs on ‘Community’

You could even keep the name Peter Parker and go black. I really want the franchise to go this direction, mainly because I think comedian/rapper/actor Donald Glover would be an amazingly geeky, yet hilarious Spider-Man. Sony needs a funny-man like Glover to make those quips quippy enough for Spidey.

All this being said, Sony is apparently looking at Dylan O’Brien from MTV’s ‘Teen Wolf’ and ‘The Maze Runner’ and Logan Lerman from ‘Fury’ suggesting Spider-Man will remain a white Peter Parker.

Dylan O'Brien, other possible Peter Parker. — Dylan O’Brien, possible Peter Parker.

Logan Lerman, possible Spidey. — Logan Lerman, another possible Spidey.

What Does This Mean for the Rest of the MCU?

It’s shuffle time. Marvel may have already released their ‘Phase 3’ lineup last year, but the addition of Spider-Man shakes things up. First, by hitting July 2017 he takes ‘Black Panther’s release date, pushing Panther’s solo movie to November. Other films are pushed by several months including pushing the ‘Inhumans’ movie to AFTER ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Part 1 & 2.

Spider-Man’s inclusion in ‘Civil War’ could possibly bump or drastically shrink Black Panther’s role in that film.

Who knows what other changes Spider-Mans addition to the MCU will cause, as he could be a main player in a new Avengers team containing newbies Black Panther, Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, a Bucky Barnes or Sam Wilson Captain America, and likely Quicksilver and his sister Scarlet Witch in ‘Infinity War’ and beyond! As long as Sony and Marvel continue to play nice.

Who Wins?

Everyone! Hopefully.

Sony gets the Marvel Studios bump to save their ‘Spider-Man’ property. Hopefully Kevin Feige’s influences improve the quality of films to a point even above Raimi’s.

Marvel Studios gets to use Spider-Man in at least one film, if not through Phase 3 and possibly 4. Their characters, like Daredevil, can also cross over into a Sony made, Spider-Man solo film.

We get to see Spider-Man alongside our new favorite heroes. Rocket and Spider-Man shooting the shit in ‘Avengers: Infinity War?’ Why not!

Rejoice! We’ve all won something special, something to look forward to for years to come.

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 With Robert Downey Jr. – The Do’s and Don’ts – PART III

Posted on October 20, 2014February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies

When we hear about a movie we are excited for, we all have certain expectations for what we want to see and what don’t.

Tell me you didn’t have things you hoped for in ‘Star Wars: Episode I’ that were crushed. And maybe now, especially after the prequel debacle, you may have strong feelings for what you want to see in ‘Episode VII’ and what you hope never see again.

In this spirit, welcome to the 3rd and final installment of ‘Captain America 3 – The Dos and Don’ts!’

Read PART I – CLICK HERE

Read PART II – CLICK HERE

If you have made it this far, you are a true believer and I thank you. What started as one post spiraled into three. I am passionate about these topics; ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ is my favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Capt. is my favorite Avenger, and I can’t wait to see Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man “share” the screen with Steve Rogers in a non-Avengers film.

So, let’s do this!

What About ‘Winter Soldier’s’ Loose Ends?

Like the common sequel, future Marvel films build off what came before. Plotlines from solo-franchises like ‘Captain America,’ ‘Thor,’ and ‘Iron Man’ continue in their own sequels, sometimes including bigger, MCU changing events like the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the reveal of all the Infinity Gems.

‘Winter Soldier’ left plenty of loose ends within the ‘Captain America’ franchise. Some may just be “Easter eggs,” but we will see which ‘Winter Soldier’ story elements payoff in ‘Captain America 3.’

Winter Soldier at the Smithsonian learning about his past as Bucky Barnes.

First, both the last line of the ‘Winter Soldier’ from Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson at Fury’s grave and the final post-credit scene set up Steve Rogers’ quest to save Bucky from his brainwashed, Hydra obeying, Winter Soldier self.

Many of these other loose ends will most likely be there to add more depth to the MCU and delight comic book readers, but this plotline seems too important and was obviously very much set-up to continue in ‘Capt. 3′

Perhaps movie kicks off with Falcon and Captain tracking down the Winter Soldier, confronting him, and finally saving Bucky. After all, Bucky eventually came to his senses in the comics. He even became Captain America after Steve Rogers’ death! (More on that later…)

Maybe their conflict and the ensuing destruction is what makes Iron Man support the superhuman registration act in our ‘Civil War’ storyline? (Read about Marvel’s ‘Civil War’ by CLICKING HERE)

Steve Rogers' former right hand man and Hydra Agent, Brock Rumlow, in 'Winter Soldier' pre-Crossbones — Steve Rogers’ former right hand man and Hydra Agent, Brock Rumlow, in ‘Winter Soldier’ pre-Crossbones

Next up, remember Rogers’ right hand man on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s “Strike Team” at the beginning of the film on the Lemurian Star? When he wasn’t “helping” Captain America on missions, he was hunting Rogers down for Hydra. Said man is Agent Brock Rumlow… who in the comics often fights ‘Captain America’ under the identity of Crossbones.

Seeing as how we witnessed Rumlow’s charred body survived the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Triskelion HQ at the end of ‘Winter Soldier,’ the complete set-up for Crossbones is there; it’s just a question of whether or not it will pay off or simply be an ‘Easter egg.’

I’m wager there is no room for Crossbones in the already crowded ‘Civil War’ storyline. Especially if Winter Soldier / Bucky Barnes returns as I predict he will.

Brock Rumlow after S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ collapsed around him.

I believe the ground work is also there for the return of Zola, if need be.

The drive Black Widow plugged the USB drive into containing “Project Insight” had more than one USB port. And based on the dust patterns, someone used more than just one USB port. If it takes a warehouse full of old-school computers to contain Zola’s mind, then wouldn’t he fit on a modern day thumb-drive of sorts?

Zola can come back, but just like Crossbones I’m not sure he fits into ‘Civil War’

Red Skull. Red Skull, Red Skull, Red Skull. Will we ever see you again?

Red Skull’s appearance would make the third ‘Captain America’ film less grounded than the new standard tone set by ‘Winter Soldier,’ but no more wacky than ‘Captain America: First Avenger.’

The special effect that swallowed Red Skull when he gripped the Tesseract too tightly in ‘First Avenger’ is identical to the special effect when Thor and friends get launched across space by the Bifrost. That means Red Skull could come back, just like the two aforementioned characters, though his appearance is the least likely.

Red Skull accidentally opens a door to the galaxy and is quickly swallowed by it.

If all three characters and their loose ends were crammed into ‘Captain America 3,’ it would be a disaster. That being said, I would love to see all three eventually return, especially Red Skull.

If they return, Crossbones could be the 1st act combat scene instead of facing Winter Soldier; seeing Rumlow in ‘Capt. 3’ is the most likely of the Hydra group including Zola and Red Skull. Zola may play a role in the superhuman registration act, but that would be repetitive of “Project Insight” in ‘Winter Soldier.’ And there is NO chance we’ll see Red Skull in ‘Captain America 3’ if the film’s focus is ‘Civil War.’

No time for Red Skull, Dr. Jones!

Maybe next time. If there is a next time.

Which takes me to my final point…

Will Steve Rogers Die?

'Captain America 3' may be titled 'Fallen Son,' which involves the Death of Captain America. — ‘Captain America 3’ may be titled ‘Fallen Son,’ which involves the Death of Captain America.

Like Superman, Captain America’s death was one of the biggest superhero deaths in the history of comics.

It’s nearly impossible to imagine a ‘Captain America’ franchise not including ‘The Winter Soldier’ storyline and ‘The Death of Captain America.’

Seeing as how the two rumored titles are the straightforward ‘Captain America: Civil War’ or ‘Fallen Son,’ the death of Captain America is likely in ‘Capt. 3.’

Perhaps he will die fighting Iron Man. Or more likely maybe he will be assassinated for his views.. or his past (Crossbones could be a likely candidate for Steve Rogers’ killer).

No matter the case, I would say there is a 99.99% chance Steve Rogers doesn’t make it past ‘Avengers 3,’ if he is alive to see even that.

Sam Wilson as Captain America in Mavel Now! Comics

Further support of this theory comes from the rumor that Sebastion Shaw is signed on for nine MCU films (which seems like an exaggeration) while Chris Evans wants out. Like RDJ, he doesn’t want to play his signature Marvel character forever and has expressed interest in leaving the Avengers sooner rather than later. Meaning he might not even make it to ‘Avengers 3…’ because he may die in ‘Capt. 3!’ Boom! Full circle.

And then the comic storyline can continue on the big screen, with Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier taking up Captain America’s cowl… Sam Wilson / Falcon taking over for Steve Rogers is less likely, though that is exactly what is happening currently in the ‘Marvel Now!’ run of comics.

There you have it. That’s the end! No more parts to read! Sorry I wrote a novel and I thank you reading it, because you are one of the few who made it this far. You deserve a reward! Super Geek-cred, yo!

To quickly sum it all up…

DO keep that ‘Winter Soldier’ tone/vibe.

DON’T make ‘Capt. 3’ the Tony Stark story. Keep it focused on Steve Rogers and his point-of-view.

DO keep ‘Civil War’ contained to ‘Captain America 3.’

DON’T load the movie with too many superhumans.

DO tie up as many loose ends as possible without making the movie feel crammed together.

DON’T kill Steve Rogers, even though they will, because he is my favorite Captain America.

‘Nuff Said.

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 With Robert Downey Jr. – The Do’s and Don’ts – PART II

Posted on October 17, 2014February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies

Picking up where we left off in ‘Part 1,’ the following is what I hope to see, and not see, in ‘Captain America 3’ involving the ‘Civil War’ storyline.

Keep ‘Civil War’ Contained To ‘Capt. 3’

‘Civil War’ in the comics lasted for months and months, crossing the books of all the big Marvel heroes. Simply put, way too much story for one film (unless you keep it small…).

That being said as expressed in my other post about ‘Captain America 3,’ the Marvel films work best when they feel self-contained, not just another chapter leading to a bigger plotline.

‘Winter Soldier’ heavily involved S.H.I.E.L.D. in the overall plot, while also involving the more personal battle between Steve Rogers and his brainwashed former partner. The film still managed to move the MCU forward with the larger plotline involving Hydra (which is always tied tightly to Captain America), “Project Insight,” and the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D.

While riding this universe altering event, the film never felt like a partial movie or just a chapter meant to get us to ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ also carried the universe forward with “the Orb” and mention of other Infinity Gems, as well as the inclusion of the MCU’s biggest baddie to date: Thanos, the Mad Titan. Yet it works completely on its own; proven by its huge domestic gross, bolstered by most movie-goers who don’t know a thing about Infinity Gems, Thanos, or any other way ‘Guardians’ ties into the rest of the MCU. ‘Guardians’ is a completely independent movie with those MCU strands that tie it into the rest of Marvel Studios’ world.

The Orb is one of the strands connecting 'Guardians' to the other MCU films. But it is used as a MacGuffin and knowledge of how it ties in is not necessary for enjoyment of the film. — The Orb is one of the strands connecting ‘Guardians’ to the other MCU films. But it is used as a MacGuffin in the film. Knowledge of how it ties into the bigger MCU is not necessary for enjoyment of the film.

Certainly, don’t stretch the ‘Civil War’ plot across Phase 3, a mistake and almost impossibility I discuss in ‘Robert Downey Jr. Will Be In CAPTAIN AMERICA 3! What It Means for the Flick and the MCU‘

Better ‘Captain America: Fallen Son’ and then a stand-alone ‘Civil War’ than a storyline that consumes the MCU across multiple films and franchises.

Don’t Load The Film With Too Many Heroes

The comics version of ‘Civil War’ involves nearly the entire Marvel Universe, from the Avengers owned by Marvel Studios, to Fox’s X-Men and Fantastic Four, and most importantly, Sony’s Spider-Man (who plays a huuuuge role in the ‘Civil War’ comic event).

This isn’t an Avengers film; Marvel Studios could have made an ‘Avengers’ movie about ‘Civil War’ but they went for a ‘Captain America’ film featuring Iron Man.

Daredevil as he will appear on Netflix in this first look at his (1st?) costume

With the current characters from the MCU not being loaded with that many Earth-bound superhumans – Captain America, Falcon, Winter Solider, Iron Man, War Machine, Thor, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, The Vision (these last three being introduced in 2015’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’), Ant-Man (also introduced in summer 2015), and Daredevil (whose Netflix show should precede ‘Captain America 3’) – the team would have to be much smaller in the film than the comic which features years and years worth of Marvel characters.

(I intentionally left Black Widow and Hawkeye off the superhuman list as they have no powers, nor suits that give them superhuman abilities like Iron Man, War Machine, and Falcon.)

So, who all is in the movie?

I’d wager Marvel keeps in small, especially since other characters have their own business right now.

I don’t expect we’ll see Thor as he has to deal with a Loki run Asgard in ‘Thor 3.’ The Guardians are across the Galaxy have no reason to get involved in what is really an Earth security issue that doesn’t deal with extraterrestrials the Guardians are involved with… like Thanos.

My best bet is two small camps, especially if they want to keep the movie contained.

On one side, you have Steve Rogers / Captain America and Sam Wilson / Falcon. That’s a given.

On the opposite side you have Tony Stark / Iron Man and surely James Rhodes / War Machine.

That’s a sweet finale right there. Falcon is the perfect character to take on one of Tony Stark’s suits and Captain can hold his own in a ground based fight.

Those four characters are really all you need. Captain America who doesn’t trust the government and his new partner Sam Wilson who follows Capt.’s lead and also must be mistrusting after the S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra debacle with NSA undertones.

And Rhodes is in the US military who fund his whole War Machine / Iron Patriot plight, even if Stark provided the initial suit that Hammer Industries and then A.I.M. updated.

Maybe you’ll see another character or two. But not only is ‘Civil War’ already a Captain America film (again, I hope he is not pushed out of the picture by either too much Tony Stark or too many superhumans), it’s also paying RDJ’s tab. How many other established heroes can Marvel afford for a non-Avenger film? As big as ‘Winter Soldier’ was, the ‘Captain America’ franchise doesn’t gross nearly as much as an Avengers flick.So you can’t pay nearly as many Avengers.

Maybe we’ll see Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, The Vision, Black Widow, or Hawkeye. But looking at that list, most those heroes would oppose the measure. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver probably don’t want anything to do with the government, Black Widow made her stance clear in her senate meeting scene in ‘Winter Soldier,’ and I’d wager Hawkeye isn’t that keen either after working for an agency that turned out to be Hydra. Plus, if he and Black Widow are as close as they seem, then they would take the same side, would they not?

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver concept art from 'Avengers: Age of Ultron.' What role will they play in a post-Ultron world? 'Capt. 3,' perhaps? — Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver concept art from ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’ What role will they play in a post-Ultron world? ‘

The Vision would likely take Stark’s lead, and if they are able to fit Bruce Banner / The Hulk in there he may be in favor of registration due to his want to control “the other guy.” Or, he might not like the government knowing his whereabouts or what-have-you.

Finally, I don’t think Ant-Man will make it, as I assume they will wait for an Avengers film to tie in new Phase 3 characters like Ant-Man and Dr. Strange. Same goes for Daredevil, I don’t think we’ll see him on the big screen until Marvel produces their four Netflix shows leading up to ‘The Defenders.’

So, I’m calling it as small teams. Possibly as small as Captain America, Falcon, and Winter Soldier (will Steve Rogers convert him in the 1st act?) vs. Iron Man, War Machine, and Vision.

I don’t see ‘Civil War’ blowing up too big, both to not flood ‘Capt. 3’ with too many characters and because Marvel’s movie roster is much smaller than their decades of comic characters.

Stay tuned for Part III of this article where we discuss the loose ends of ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ and whether or not Steve Rogers will even survive ‘Captain America 3’CLICK HERE FOR PART III

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 With Robert Downey Jr. – The Do’s and Don’ts – PART I

Posted on October 17, 2014February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies

As examined previously, Robert Downey Jr. is going to have a rather large role in ‘Captain America 3;’ the first time a major Marvel Cinematic Universe character has crossed over into another hero’s film in more than a cameo (sorry Black Widow & Nick Fury, but I’m talking the big guys with solo movies – Capt., Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and even the Guardians of the Galaxy).

This means ‘Capt. 3’ will follow Marvel’s ‘Civil War’ storyline, also discussed previously.

Brief ‘Civil War’ review: people die as the result of reckless superheroes, the security council wants all superhumans to register their powers and identity with the government, Tony Stark / Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) supports the government, Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) opposes the measure.

Inner Avengers conflict ensues with the two heroes duking it out with their superhuman allies on both sides, splitting the characters of the MCU. Again, conflict ensues.

Which brings me to the issue at hand: The Do’s and Don’ts of ‘Captain America 3.’ What I want to see and what I hope Marvel Studios avoids.

Keep That ‘Winter Soldier’ Vibe

‘Winter Soldier’ is my favorite Marvel film; Marvel Studios or otherwise (the Marvel projects at Sony and Fox).

Armin Zola in talkinf computer form in 'Winter Soldier.' — Armin Zola in talking computer form in ‘Winter Soldier.’

Writers Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely worked incredibly close with directors Anthony and Joe Russo. What resulted was an incredibly taut thriller reminiscent of 70’s political thrillers with a couple of superhumans and talking computers thrown in.

But ‘Winter Soldier’ isn’t sci-fi crazy; it is the most grounded film in the MCU, without being so realistic that you lose colorful costumes, living computers from WWII, and an assassin with a metal arm.

More importantly, it balances the prevalent serious aspects with the occasional lightness/comedy that defines the tone of Mavel Studios’ films, separating them from DC’s “no joke policy;” creating films that are too dark and gritty, no matter the hero.

(‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy is perfectly fantastic the darker it gets, because that’s Batman. On the other hand, ‘Man of Steel’ seemed way too dark for the lighter Superman character. A lot of other DC characters will seem out-of-place in a DC cinematic universe that carries the same tone as ‘Dark Knight’ and ‘Man of Steel.’)

There may be men with metal arms, but the combat is still grounded in stunt work... mostly... mostly. — There may be men with metal arms, but the combat is still grounded in stunt work… mostly… mostly.

I consider the film ‘The Dark Knight’ of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ‘Winter Soldier’ may not be as good as Nolan’s trilogy, but it is the gold standard for Marvel Studios films as well as the darkest. Darkness is okay for some heroes, whereas others deserve a lighter tone (learn that, DC).

In Avengers: Phase 2, Marvel Studios finally got adept at separating all their solo films into different genres, making the Avengers we love more unique in both their stories and how they exemplify said genre/story.

‘Iron Man’ was a really well-done, but not highly original, superhero origin story. ‘Iron Man 2’ continued the almost generic superhero formula, but by Phase 2 ‘Iron Man 3’ had evolved into a film about Tony Stark, spending more time as “the mechanic” (as he tells the kid who saves his ass in that quiet mountain town) , using his own inventor/MacGyver skills, than in the suit. It’s an old-school action movie with superhero elements.

‘Incredible Hulk’ very much followed the superhero formula with the monster twist. ‘Thor’ & ‘Thor: The Dark World’ subverted the genre with elements of fantasy and magic (they are Norse Gods steeped in Norse mythology…). ‘The Avengers’ was pure superhero movie with the awesome gimmick of the first major team up.

Meanwhile, Captain America went from a superhero origin story / war movie with supernatural elements (the Tesseract) in ‘First Avenger,’ to full on political thriller with some real grit and relevant issues (NSA type issues) in ‘The Winter Soldier.’

Captain America makes the best movies and is my favorite character due to how he does combat compared to the other Avengers.

Iron suits, Hulks, and Gods result in a lot of action sequences with CGI versions of the characters zipping along. Capt. has less powers so his battles are on the ground involving hand-to-hand combat (with a Shield throw here or there), with lots of stunt work instead of CGI.

I love stunt work. That’s why 80’s movies are the best; it was the golden age of ‘Indiana Jones,’ ‘Lethal Weapon,’ and ‘Road Warrior;’ extreme action movies done with practical effects before the advent of CGI.

They just don’t make them like that anymore… except for in movies like ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier.’

The directing Russo brothers (who are rumored to also direct ‘Avengers 3’ and possibly ‘Avengers 4’ due to Marvel’s extreme satisfaction with the final version ‘Winter Soldier’) say they want to keep Steve Rogers grounded in the more realistic part of the MCU, with more down-to-Earth thriller action and realistic, stunt driven fight scenes. No Capt. fighting giant green monsters, Gods, or men in metal suits… unless said man in question is Tony Stark.

Adding Iron Man into the mix doesn’t change the tone / genre or make things too ridiculous (like I said, Zola isn’t exactly realistic, but he is Sci-fi working in the more realistic realm of the MCU than the expanded universe that features a talking raccoon and tree person), as besides ‘Winter Soldier,’ ‘Iron Man 1 & 2’ are the two most grounded films in the MCU (Iron Man 3 gets wacky – in a good way – with Extremis).

We (hopefully) should be good on Vibe/Tone of ‘Captain America 3,’ but what about that lil’ comment I made about Steve Rogers having to fight Tony Stark?

Steve Rogers Needs To Be The Star, Not Tony Stark

The movie is ‘Captain America 3’ (at this point). Maybe ‘Captain America: The Fallen Son’ or ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ but it’s not currently called ‘Captain America & Iron Man’ or simply ‘Civil War.’

If the 2016 film indeed remains ‘Captain America 3’ than Steve Rogers is our star and we must experience the film from his perspective. And Capt. definitely needs more screen time than RDJ’s Tony Stark. Even if RDJ is Marvel’s poster child.

Too much Iron Man would steal the movie from the title character, while a Black Widow in ‘Winter Soldier’ sized role might be the sweet spot. ‘Winter Soldier’ never felt like it was anyone’s movie but Captain America’s, even with the inclusion of Black Widow, Nick Fury (with his own badass action sequence and subplot that both kick off the events of the film), and Sam Wilson aka Falcon.

If we see the world from Capt.’s point-of-view, does that mean we are meant to be on his side of the ‘Civil War?’ Does that make Iron Man the villain? It seems like a hard task to either make fan-favorite and Marvel’s highest grosser a ‘villain’ to this plotline or to show us both sides of the argument equally without loading the film with too much RDJ.

I have several more ‘Captain America 3’ issues to tackle, but this post is getting long, so I’ll save my other points for ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 With Robert Downey Jr. – The Do’s and Don’ts PART II.’

So, since there isn’t ‘Nuff Said, I’ll just leave you with this…

Excelsior!

CLICK HERE for PART II

Robert Downey Jr. Will Be In CAPTAIN AMERICA 3! What It Means for the Flick and the MCU

Posted on October 15, 2014February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Avengers, Civil War, Features, Marvel, MCU, Movies

Robert Downey Jr. has been hinting for a while now that Marvel Studios has big plans involving his trademark character Tony Stark; he who kick-started the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2008’s ‘Iron Man.’

Speculation about ‘Iron Man 4’ has been thrown around for weeks, with RDJ accidentally(?) sending the impression that he would do a fourth film in the franchise that saved his career, even though he has been denying interest in said project for several years now.

Instead, the other day RDJ confirmed at least part of Marvel’s master plan for the ‘Avengers: Phase 3’ solo films, announcing he is in negotiations for a rather large role in ‘Captain America 3,’ set to be released May 6th, 2016.

We’re not talking a cameo, we’re talking a Black Widow in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ sized role.

Continue reading “Robert Downey Jr. Will Be In CAPTAIN AMERICA 3! What It Means for the Flick and the MCU” →

Why ‘Avengers 3’ WON’T Be Split Into 2 Movies And Thanos Might Need His Own Film

Posted on October 3, 2014February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Avengers, Captain America, Features, Marvel, MCU, Movies, Villains

There’s a rumor floating around the net that ‘Avengers 3’ may be split into two movies.

Part 1, mutha fuckas! Now wait for part 2, suckas!

We have, of course, seen many films adapted from young-adult novels that split the final book into two movies. ‘Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1 & 2,’ ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2’ and now ‘Hunger Games: Mocking Jay 1 & 2.’ Meanwhile Peter Jackson believes ‘The Hobbit’ is actually 3 super long movies; just as long as the non-extended versions of the entire ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.

Splitting a book in half is one thing, but splitting ‘Avengers 3’ in half actually creates ‘Avengers 3’ and ‘Avengers 4.’

The problem? If I am not mistaken, all the stars, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, and even Samuel L. Jackson are only under contract for 3 ‘Avengers’ films. And I know that Robert Downey Jr. only has 1 movie left on his contract; a single ‘Avengers’ movie, following ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’

I’m not sure how the contracts with franchises like ‘Harry Potter’ work when it comes to splitting the final book into two movies, creating eight films instead of seven. They may have had to renegotiate the actors’ contracts for ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2,’ but I’m sure the original contracts for ‘Twilight’ and ‘Hunger Games’ included the extra fourth film (aka ‘Part 2’ of the finales), as was likely the plan from the beginning.

Which is where the problem for ‘Avengers 3, Part 1 & 2’ arises.

RDJ (Robert Downey Jr.) got the sweetest deal of all, as no one expected the first ‘Iron Man’ to spawn two sequels and three ‘Avengers’ films. He got to negotiate his pay for the sequels and three Avengers films AFTER Marvel made him a superstar in the first ‘Iron Man’ film.

On the other hand, actors like Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth where hired on the cheap, pre-stardom, allowing Marvel to throw two sequels and three ‘Avengers’ movies on their contracts for a lot less cash than RDJ’s salary.

How much money will it take to get the two Chris's back for 'Avengers 4?' — How much money will it take to get the two Chris’s back for ‘Avengers 4?’

But making ‘Avengers 3’ into two films – creating ‘Avengers 3’ and ‘Avengers 4’ – would mean new negotiations with the entire cast of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Continue reading “Why ‘Avengers 3’ WON’T Be Split Into 2 Movies And Thanos Might Need His Own Film” →

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