Marvel Weekly News #1

Even without a Marvel Studios movie coming to theaters till May of 2015, there will not be a lack of news between now and then. With that in mind, this website and account is a one man show and I can not compete with the daily articles that other websites put out, so I have decided to do something a little bit different. Instead of trying to push out articles on a daily basis, starting today, every Saturday I will publish a week of review for Marvel news. So without further notice, here is Marvel Weekly News #1

Will Hawkeye be in Captain America 3?

Jeremy Renner made some noise this week by telling Collider that "there are rumblings of a Hawkeye appearance in Captain America 3." This may surprise some people since there has been massive speculation that he could die in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Renner also debunked that rumor by telling Larry King that he won't die in the sequel and that Marvel wants to keep him around for a long time. Now he obviously could be lying but I hope he is not. Giving Hawkeye more screen time in Avengers: Age of Ultron is definitely happening but he has the least amount of screen time it seems and putting him with Captain America and Falcon would be a nice team up movie and possibly help set up some other stuff that I will touch on shortly.

First Look as Lucy Lawless in Agents of SHIELD

Fans were ecstatic when Marvel announced the addition of Lucy Lawless to the cast of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She will be playing Isabelle Hartley and will help Director Coulson and his team. Marvel released the first official image of Lucy Lawless as Isabelle Hartley this week and you can view that here.

Captain America 3 will start filming in spring of 2015

The Russo brothers have started making the rounds around the media again thanks to Captain America: The Winter Soldier coming out on DVD shortly. Luckily for us, interviewers have not shied away from asking them about Captain America 3. They have revealed small tidbits that I will breakdown individually but one of the first thing they revealed was that the movie will start filming next spring. They have already finished their first draft of the script and will start filming in Atlanta.

Official Captain America 3 Title will be Announced Shortly

Marvel has officially announced Captain America 3 will come out in 2016 and that the Russo brothers will return to direct it. In the same interviews, they have teased that the official subtitle for the movie will be announced very soon. They also teased that when fans find out what it is that they will realize how far Marvel is willing to push.

Possible Cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron?

This one could contain a SPOILER for Avengers: Age of Ultron so if you want to stay spoiler free skip this one. Still with me? Okay good. There have been rumors for a very long time that there will be a cameo featuring Ms Marvel. The cameo is reportedly not crucial to the movie's story but just a cameo at the end of the movie to bring her into the world. Getting a Ms Marvel or Captain Marvel cameo would be great for the future of the Marvel universe and bring a strong female lead that Marvel's movies lack into the universe.

Joaquin Phoenix to be Doctor Strange?

Many of us expected Marvel to announce a Doctor Strange movie alongside the lead actor at Comic-Con last month, but we were disappointed. We did get a new rumor that week that Joaquin Phoenix could play the lead. Those rumors have come back up again thanks to a report by Collider. They claim to have knowledge that Joaquin Phoenix is in the final stages of contract talks to become the Sorcerer Supreme in Marvel's cinematic universe. If he does land the gig, he will have beat out the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, and Jon Hamm to name a few that were rumored to be in consideration for the role.

Agent Carter Casts Two

There is not much known about the cast or story of Agent Carter except that Haley Atwell will return as Peggy Carter. Marvel announced this week that they have added two members to the show. Chad Michael Murray and Enver Gjokaj have joined the cast as Agent Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa respectively. Both will be allies of Peggy but are they both truly SHIELD agents or early HYDRA sleepers?

Is a Blade reboot in Marvel's plans?

Lots of speculation floated around this weekend that Wesley Snipes has another deal with Marvel to return for a fourth Blade movie. Marvel did not produce the original Blade trilogy and have no contractual ties to Snipes so the rumors are nothing more the rumors and speculation at this point. Wesley Snipes is more than 50 years old and while he has previously said he wants to return, a Blade movie or even having him as a supporting character in the universe does not seem likely.

Will there be more Avengers teams in the near future?

This post could also contain a possible SPOILER for Avengers: Age of Ultron so steer clear if you want to avoid. If you are still here, along with a Ms Marvel cameo, there have been rumors that at the end of the Avengers sequel there will be another Avengers team. The Russo brothers were asked a similar question this week and stated that Captain America would be a good leader for a team because of his ability to inspire others. A West Coast type Avengers team featuring Captain America, Hawkeye, Falcon, Mockingbird, and some others would further flesh out Marvel's universe and give movie goers bigger movies on a yearly basis.

Is Red Skull returning soon?

One of the biggest questions on my mind since Captain America: The First Avenger finished was what will happen with the Red Skull. Others have also been wondering as they have asked the Russo brothers this past week about the Red Skull's possible involvement in Captain America 3 or other future Marvel movies. They touched on the subject by simply saying that he exists in the universe for a reason and that there is always a possibility he will be included in Captain America 3.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1

The last piece of news this week is not so much news but a nice piece of information. Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel's riskiest movie to date, has become the highest domestic grossing movie of 2014. James Gunn launched Marvel's next big hit and the success is great to see and only further enforces my trust for Marvel's plans.

Share your thoughts on this week's news in the comments below!

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10 Things We Want in Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Guardians of the Galaxy is officially a hit for Marvel. It had the 3rd highest opening weekend of any movie to come out this year. Marvel knew it was going to be success based off early reactions and wasted no time announcing a sequel at Comic-Con. 

James Gunn will once again be the master mind for the sequel and revealed via Facebook that he has already started brainstorming on what will happen when Guardians of the Galaxy 2 hits theaters July 28, 2016. Since Gunn has started getting a rough idea on what to put into the movie, I thought I would help him help.

Here are 10 things I want to see in Guardians of the Galaxy 2-

***** Potential SPOILERS for Guardians of the Galaxy to follow *****

1) Introduction to Nova

Richard Rider is one of the characters many fans want included in the Marvel universe. In the comics he joins the Nova Corps after being selected by Rhomann Dey, who is dying. Rhomann Dey was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy and played by John C. Reilly. He has a past with Thanos and Star-Lord, going so far as dying alongside Star-Lord to defeat Thanos. He is more of an Avengers member than he is one of the Guardians of the Galaxy but his origin could easily be introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. 

2) Introduction to Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock is one of the most powerful members of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics. He was born from a cocoon, much like the one seen in The Collector's possession. Whether he still has it is in question after his collection is now in shambles. If Warlock is on the loose, he could be a big factor in the sequel. He was in possession of the Soul Stone for quite some time in the comics and the Soul Stone is one of the 3 not yet introduced to Marvel's cinematic universe.

3) Bigger Role for Thanos

Thanos is without a doubt coming and so far we have only got a glimpse of who Thanos is. We have heard his voice and have seen his full body look now. Giving him more screen time before he most likely becomes the main villain in Avengers 3 would be very smart. Thanos is one of the most powerful beings in the entire galaxy. Seeing what he can do now without any Infinity Stones would be a good way to show fans how powerful he will become once he has all 6.

4) Deeper Backstories for the Guardians

While Guardians of the Galaxy was fantastic, it still feels like we do not know a lot about these characters pasts. For instance, Rocket Raccoon is obviously still scarred by all the enhancements and surgeries he went through. Getting to see a glimpse of what has happened to him and how he and Groot became partners would be neat. Also getting to see what Drax was like before Ronan killed his family would be a new dynamic. 

5) Who is Star-Lord's Father

One thing was made clear at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy. Whoever is the father of Star-Lord is not normal. Ronan and the Nova Corps were astounded when he was able to absorb the Power Stone. Only the strongest and powerful beings in the galaxy can control the power the Infinity Stones contain. Star-Lord is half human and the other half comes from his father who is from an ancient species. His father sent Yondu to retrieve Star-Lord for him but Yondu had different plans. Star-Lord's father is obviously very powerful and wants him back. Finding out who he is could answer some questions. Just a thought of mine as a fan, what if Marvel decides to make Star-Lord the son of..... THANOS! Thanos has regularly had kids with many different species and races, so adding Star-Lord to the mix would be crazy confusing and awesome. Especially when they inevitably meet. 

6) Gamora and Nebula Rivalry

It was obvious during their moments of interaction and confrontation that Gamora and Nebula have an intense rivalry. I mean growing up as the daughters of Thanos could not have been easy. Getting a look at what it was like for them growing up would add depth to their characters respectively and give more screen time to Thanos.

7) Another Prominent Female Character

It is obvious that Marvel movies are stuffed with male characters. Even the ones I want to be introduced the most are male but that does not matter. Marvel has two main female characters, Black Widow and Gamora. They are introducing Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age of Ultron next spring and then Hope Pym, who may become Wasp, in Ant-Man in 2015. Adding another female character to the Marvel universe and more importantly the Guardians team should be a focus. Ms Marvel, Mantis, Moondragon, Nicholette Gold, or Aleta Ogord could all be possibilities.

8) Killer Soundtrack

Normally I am not one to go crazy for the music in a film and most of the time I hardly notice it honestly, but Guardians of the Galaxy was different. The planning and song choices James Gunn put into the soundtrack fit the movie perfectly. I really want another great soundtrack for the sequel. I already bought Awesome Mix Vol. 1 on iTunes and I want Awesome Mix Vol. 2 to be just as good if not better.

9) Cosmo the Space Dog

We got a glimpse at Cosmo when The Collector's collection was destroyed. From what we saw, he wasn't the talking dog with telekinetic powers that we know from the comics. He is currently in Knowhere where he was the head of security in the comics. He is also a regular member of the Guardians of the Galaxy and would be another unique addition to the team.

10) Cameo by an Avenger

This one seems far fetched but remains a possibility, especially depending on how things play out in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The most commonly linked Avenger is Hulk but adding another prominent CGI character doesn't seem likely. If not Hulk, then Iron Man with a space suit or Thor could have a shot at crossing paths with the Guardians. It doesn't have to be a long appearance by one of the members. Just some sort of interaction between them would be cool.

Share your thoughts on my ideas and share your own in the comments below!

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Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Guardians of the Galaxy has officially hit theaters and opened up with a bang. It raked in over $11 million on opening night. I saw it at midnight in a crowded theater. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend seeing it in IMAX 3D. James Gunn even made a video about how this movie was planned from the beginning for IMAX 3D and was well worth it.

***** Some slight SPOILERS for Guardians of the Galaxy below *****

Guardians of the Galaxy captures your attention right after the Marvel logo pops up. Star-Lord dancing and singing on an abandoned planet sets up the tone for this movie perfectly. As a whole, the movie is incredibly funny, action packed, and pulls you in. Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon are constantly throwing witty one liners in every situation. Whether it is Star-Lord making jokes about the girls he has been with or Rocket constantly mocking everyone he encounters. Groot is also funny in his own unique way. The way he smiles after taking down a group of bad guys is one of the best Groot moments in the film.

The action sequences in the movie are captivating. The first scene when Gamora, Star-Lord, Rocket, and Groot are fighting is a great way to introduce how incredible they are. The prison break scene absolutely insane and that is where Rocket really shines for the first time. 

The visuals in the movie are some of the best in any Marvel movie, especially in IMAX 3D. All of the new planets and environments are eye opening and completely beautiful. Whether it is Xandar, Knowhere, or the Klyn prison, each place has a unique feel and look that is unlike many places we have seen so far in Marvel's universe.

Everyone in this movie delivered high quality performances. Chris Pratt, who plays Star-Lord, gives me a reminder of dare I say a young Tony Stark. He has a huge ego, looks the part, and turned away from his selfish ways to help the greater good of the galaxy. Zoe Saldana (Gamora) is both terrifying and captivating in this movie. Dave Bautista (Drax) may not be the actor that the rest of the cast is but the way he speaks and the words he used I thought were perfect for his role. At different points in the movie you are scared of him one second and then you blink and you are rooting for him and care about his well being. Bradley Cooper (Rocket) and Vin Diesel (Groot) both did a great job voicing their characters. Cooper's voice felt perfect in the tiny (not raccoon) body of Rocket. Vin Diesel was actually very good with all the different ways he was able to deliver the same 3 words, I am Groot, over and over.

The villains were, at times, underwhelming and I would've liked to see more screen time for Ronan, Nebula, Korath, and Thanos. Ronan scared the crap out of me every time he was on screen and getting to see more scenes, specifically fight scenes, with him would have been very enjoyable. Nebula and all of her technological enhancements caught my eye and the way Karen Gillan showed off the jealousy she has towards Gamora was great. I'm hoping we get more back story on their sibling rivalry in the sequel. Josh Brolin's voice as Thanos was deep and just perfect. I really wanted to see him standing for the first time to get a look at just how big he actually is.

All in all Guardians of the Galaxy is packed with fun, will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even scare you a bit. I highly recommend seeing it as soon as you can and in IMAX 3D. Also go pick up the soundtrack on iTunes because I thoroughly enjoyed it in the movie. Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best Marvel movies they have made so far and has earned itself a 4.5 out of 5 on my rating scale.

Share your thoughts on Guardians of the Galaxy in the comments below!

Follow us on Twitter @Marvel_CMU for instant updates

on Marvel's growing cinematic universe!