Falcon – 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!).

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

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!

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 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

Podcast #6: This Is CAPTAIN AMERICA’S Podcast, Dammit!

Posted on April 24, 2014November 30, 2014 by Nick Doll in Avengers, Captain America, Marvel, MCU, Movies, Podcasts, Villains

Gadzooks! SPOILERS be poppin’ as Nick and Andrew dive into The First Avenger’s Second Fight (aka CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER). The two use their Marvel and comics know-how to examine the film and what it means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.

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