Sunday, April 26, 2015

Daniel Brühl Confirms Playing Baron Zemo


Late last year, it was announced that Daniel Brühl was joining the cast of Captain America: Civil War. At the time, he was rumored to be playing the villain known as Baron Zemo and would be only a small role until he appears again in Doctor Strange.

There was a casting sheet later on that labeled his role as Baron Zemo but Marvel had still not confirmed that's who he is playing.

Brühl has beaten them to it as he confirmed his role to The Independent during an interview.

In the interview, first found by Marvel_Freshman of ComicBookMovie, they asked him if he was in fact playing Baron Zemo and he responded by saying, “I think I can tell you that without being thrown into Marvel prison.”

Captain America: Civil War is scheduled to start filming tomorrow so we can expect an official casting list, roles, and synopsis from Marvel soon.

Share your thoughts on Captain America: Civil War in the comments below!
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Saturday, April 25, 2015

Marvel Weekly News #35

The world is officially in the Age of Ultron. The movie debuted oversees and has started breaking box office records, while the United States will get to see Avengers: Age of Ultron this coming Friday. Now that Avengers: Age of Ultron is out, the focus for the MCU turns toward Ant-Man, Agents of SHIELD, and the rest of Phase 3.

Agents of SHIELD Season 2 Wraps Filming
There are only three weeks left of what has turned out to be a fantastic second season of Agents of SHIELD. The cast and crew revealed this week that they have finished filming this season. Agents of SHIELD has not yet been renewed for a third season but it is very likely that ABC and Marvel will pick it up again.


Ant Sized Ant-Man Promotions
Marvel has turned their attention to promoting Ant-Man, the film coming out after Avengers: Age of Ultron. The marketing team at Marvel has gotten very creative with their latest set of promotional materials. They have started putting ant sized billboards in various places in America to shed light on the next movie.

Captain Marvel Officially Gets Writers
Last week, The Tracking Board broke a story that Nicole Perlman and Meg LeFauve have been tapped to co-write Captain Marvel. This week, Marvel officially announced the hiring of the two female writers for their first female lead film.


Possible Leads for Agents of SHIELD Spinoff
Two weeks ago, EW revealed that their sources have told them that ABC and Marvel have been quietly developing an Agents of SHIELD spinoff series. The Hollywood Reporter came back this week claiming to know who might star in the series. According to THR, Lance Hunter (Nick Blood) and Bobbi Morse aka Mockingbird (Adrianne Palicki) will be the leads in the series. For more info on the spinoff series, click here.


Daredevil Renewed for Season 2
After the booming success Marvel and Netflix found with Daredevil, they moved quickly to get the series back. Marvel announced that Daredevil will be returning for a second season in 2016 but that there will be some changes. We recently gave our ideas for 10 Shows Marvel Should Make on Netflix and some of these could be set up in Daredevil Season 2. Read more about the second season of Daredevil here.


Agents of SHIELD EP 18
As mentioned earlier, the second season of Agents of SHIELD is coming to a close and that meant a new episode this past week. "Frenemy of My Enemy" brought the many separate stories of Agents of SHIELD together as they gear up for the season finale. Read our full review of EP 18 here.

Shortlist for Spider-Man Actors Revealed
Spider-Man is nearing his debut in the MCU as rumors stating that he will appear in Captain America: Civil War, which starts filming next week. Marvel and Sony has not yet locked down an actor to take on the iconic role but they have started to narrow the hunt. Jeff Sneider of The Wrap broke a story where his sources told him that Asa Butterfield, Nat Wolff, Tom Holland, Timothée Chalamet, Liam James, and few more are in the running. These actors range from 18 to 20, with Asa Butterfield being the biggest name revealed so far.

Doctor Strange May Visit Netflix
Doctor Strange is currently slated to make his debut in the MCU when his solo film, Doctor Strange, hits theaters in 2016. This week, Bleeding Cool ran a scoop that they are being told that Doctor Strange will in fact debut on Netflix first. This is an interesting rumor as they go on to say they are unsure if Benedict Cumberbatch would be the one to play him. They also say that he will appear in Iron Fist but that is currently scheduled to come out after Doctor Strange hits theaters, so that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Share your thoughts on this week's news in the comments below!
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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Agents of SHIELD 'Frenemy of My Enemy' Review- The Calm Before the Storm

Agents of SHIELD was turned upside down after HYDRA overtook SHIELD during Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Coulson was appointed the new director of SHIELD and had to rebuild the organization from the ground up. He has since been overthrown and possibly lost the trust of his agents trying to rescue Skye.

***** SPOILERS for EP 2.18 "Frenemy of My Enemy to follow *****


The eyes of the Marvel universe are focused on the upcoming release of Avengers: Age of Ultron but there is always more happening in the MCU. Daredevil just got picked up for a second season on Netflix and now Agents of SHIELD has started building towards their season 2 finale.

In "Frenemy of My Enemy," written by Monica Owusu-Breen and Paul Zbyszewski and directed by Karen Gaviola, Coulson (Clark Gregg) realizes that his team of Deathlok (J. August Richards), Lance Hunter (Nick Blood), and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) will not be enough to rescue Skye, who spends some quality time with her father.

Coulson has to make the difficult decision to ask Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) and Agent 33 (Maya Stojan) for their help to infiltrate HYDRA. Coulson proposes wiping Ward's memories after he complies but they instead settle on giving Ward a clean slate so he and Agent 33 can be together.

Meanwhile back in Afterlife, Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) decides it is time to split of the family and send Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) away from the rest of the Inhumans. Skye (Chlose Bennet) is not a fan about this plan so she decides to spend a day with him to try and ease the pain.

Back at the SHIELD headquarters Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) is testing relationships by trying to get to the truth of Coulson's actions. She orders Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) to hack Deathlok and Mockingbird (Adrianne Palicki) and Mack (Henry Simmons) go to track Coulson's team down.

HYDRA, Coulson's team, Skye, Cal, and Lincoln Campbell (Luke Mitchell) all collide in an epic showdown. The battle ends with Gordon (Jamie Harris) taking Cal and Skye away just as she realizes Coulson and Ward are there and working together. Mockingbird and Mack arrive soon after everyone has cleared out to find Coulson ready to surrender after Ward points out they do not have the necessary man power for this mission.

Kyle MacLachlan is the standout in this week's episode thanks to the wide range of his abilities, both as an actor and as Cal. He gets super emotional talking about the life and family he dreamed he would have had and shows the rage multiple times whenever Skye, who now knows her full name is Daisy Johnson, is put in harms way.

Agents of SHIELD returns next week with "The Dirty Half Dozen" as they prepare to take down HYDRA once and for all. Check out a promo for next week's episode below!


Share your thoughts on this week's episode in the comments below!
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Daredevil Renewed For Second Season


Marvel and Netflix hit a home run with their first team up series, Daredevil, and they both want more.

Marvel has officially announced that the show has already been renewed for a second season!

The second season will debut on Netflix sometime in 2016, which means production should not be far off.

Thanks to the quick renewal, Steven DeKnight has had to step down due to previous commitments. DeKnight will be replaced by Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez.

DeKnight said, "While previous commitments unfortunately prevent me from continuing on with Daredevil into its second season, I could not be happier that Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez are carrying the torch. They were invaluable collaborators during our first season, and I for one can't wait to see what they do with the show moving forward."

It is safe to assume that Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Rosario Dawson (Claire Temple), Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), and Vincent D'Onofrio (Kingpin) will all reprise their roles in the second season.

Marvel's press release confirmed that AKA Jessica Jones will debut later this year with Luke Cage debuting in 2016 along with Daredevil Season 2. Iron Fist and The Defenders will likely come in 2017.

Share your thoughts on Daredevil in the comments below!
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Monday, April 20, 2015

Will Hunter and Morse Lead Agents of SHIELD Spinoff Series?


Just over a week ago, Entertainment Weekly ran an exclusive story where they revealed that ABC and Marvel are actively working on an Agents of SHIELD spinoff show. Details of the show at the time were sparse but did lay the groundwork.

According to EW, the series will have its own original pilot, use elements from the rest of this season to launch, debut in either Fall 2015 or during the winter break of Season 3, and that the spinoff has yet to be ordered and it is possible it doesn't happen.

It seems that ABC and Marvel have taken another step towards making that spinoff happen. We had our own 5 Ideas for the Agents of SHIELD Spinoff and a few of our theories could still happen.

The Hollywood Reporter have gotten their hands on more information on the spinoff series. According to their sources, Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird) and Lance Hunter, played by Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood respectively, have been chosen as the focus of the new series.

Hunter has currently aligned himself with Coulson (Clark Gregg) while Morse has stayed with Roberto Gonzalez (Edward James Olmos) in the SHIELD vs SHIELD battle.

How the two could come together again is a mystery but we will find out by the end of season 2 what their futures hold.

Share your thoughts on the Agents of SHIELD spinoff in the comments below!
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Saturday, April 18, 2015

10 Shows Marvel Should Make on Netflix

Marvel and Netflix launched Daredevil, the first of five series available exclusively on Netflix, last week and it has been met with fantastic reviews, including ours. With recent reports that a spinoff show is in development as well as Oscar winner John Ridley reportedly joining Marvel to develop another new series, there are plenty of Marvel stories that deserve to be told.

Daredevil is now over and AKA Jessica Jones is currently in production. Luke Cage has recently found a showrunner and Iron Fist should do the same soon. The four heroes will then join forces in The Defenders.

As long as the success keeps up, second seasons and more new series are certainly to be explored. Here are 10 shows that Marvel should consider putting on Netflix.


10. Blade
After Eric Brooks became Blade, he spent his time fighting crime in the darkest corners of the world. This would not be the first Blade would be portrayed however. New Line Cinema made three Blade movies starring Wesley Snipes and while they were not big box office hits, they did not flop either.

A Blade series on Netflix would certainly be the way to go if Marvel had any interest in bringing him into the MCU. It would allow the series to be very dark and be able to expand upon the mystical side of the universe we will first see in Doctor Strange. The idea of the underworld and vampires are certainly new aspects to the MCU and would likely get the attention of fans of the horror genre.


9. Cloak and Dagger
Tyrone Johnson (Cloak) and Tandy Bowen (Dagger) formed a powerful duo at a young age and will do anything for each other. Cloak possesses the power to bring darkness wherever he goes and it drains the life of anyone caught inside. His partner Dagger can withstand the darkness thanks to the light that powers her.

Cloak and Dagger would also bring more light to the mystical side of the MCU but would be able to do so with a much different approach. The contrast to light and dark would be entertaining and if they stay true to their origins and cast young teen actors, then they could get younger fans even more invested in their universe.


8. Ghost Rider
John Blaze is a very unique anti-hero that would benefit greatly from a Netflix series. The first two Ghost Rider films starring Nicholas Cage became a mockery among fans and did not do the character justice. If Ghost Rider is in the plans for Marvel, a Netflix series is the best option.

A big screen portrayal, at least initially, would not be able to give the necessary story that the character would need. Unless Fox's Deadpool movie is a big hit, Marvel will probably never do a R-rated film. The Netflix avenue would allow for a similar dark tone that they gave Daredevil and as long Marvel gave them the necessary budget to make the special effects realistic, I can't see a way fans would not love the show.


7. Elektra
Elektra got a quick nod during the first season of Daredevil and it was a surprise to most fans that she did not appear. She would be an avenue for a series acting as a spinoff of Daredevil. Even though most people hate the Elektra films starring Jennifer Garner, she is worthy of a role in the MCU. She has many ties to Daredevil and her ability to side with both heroes and villains would be an interesting story.

Just like Daredevil, her mentor and trainer was Stick and was a member of The Hand, which was introduced in Daredevil. She was also a love interest for Daredevil in the past and worked for Wilson Fisk briefly.

http://mrsteiners.deviantart.com/art/NAMOR-The-Sub-Mariner-352484442

6. Namor
The one area Marvel has not yet explored in the MCU is the sea and the world that lies beneath it. Namor is a founding member of The Defenders, who just so happen to be getting a Netflix series in 2017.

Namor also walks the fine line and is considered an anti-hero by most. He has superhuman strength, can fly, and also communicate with most marine life. The trouble with this series could come with being able to make an underwater city and more look believable on the Netflix budget.


5. She-Hulk
Jennifer Walters is the cousin of Bruce Banner and when he tried to save her life, she gained the same abilities as him. As She-Hulk, she was a member of the Avengers and even helped out Luke Cage, Daredevil, and other heroes in Hell's Kitchen from time to time.

A She-Hulk Netflix series would give Marvel an avenue for testing out the draw of a "Hulk" show but without it having to be majorly tied to the MCU. If it flopped, they could push it aside, much life what they've down with The Incredible Hulk. The series would bring another strong female character to the MCU and the Netflix avenue would allow the series to show the true darkness that lies within her and Banner as well.


4. Black Widow
This is the only suggestion on the list that stars someone who already exists in the MCU. Marvel fans have been wanting Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to get her own solo movie for awhile and that has only gone up thanks to her roles in The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Johansson has recently said that conversations for a Black Widow series are ongoing. Netflix would be a great way to do that thanks to an already packed lineup on the big screen.

A Black Widow Netflix series could turn it's focus in a number of ways. One way to go would be to explore her dark past leading to Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) recruiting her to SHIELD, and ending with the mysterious battle in Budapest. The Netflix platform would bring a way to give the prominent female character in the MCU an 8-13 episode hour arc.

Other stories depend on the outcome of Avengers: Age of Ultron but seeing her go on her own or lead a team of other highly trained specialists seem like the obvious ways this could go.


3. Moon Knight
Marc Spector (Moon Knight) is extremely skilled in fighting thanks to his background in the marines and the CIA and gets enhanced abilities from the moon. He has been a member of The Defenders at times as well Daredevil.

Moon Knight is a character a lot of fans want to see in the MCU, and he may have even gotten a quick mention in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Moon Knight has a long history in the comics and there are plenty of interesting stories that this series could pull from.


2. Marvel Knights
Marvel Knights would be a culmination of a lot of the previously mentioned series. Much like how Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist will join forces in The Defenders, a Marvel Knights series would do the same. The likes of Black Widow, Dagger, Moon Knight, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Punisher, and Shang-Chi were all members of the team in the comics.

The team did not stay together very long but bringing Punisher, Moon Knight, Cloak, Dagger, and another character would provide a show driven by heroes with questionable pasts and motives.


1. Punisher
Frank Castle (Punisher) is the ultimate antihero in the MCU. He has played important roles in some of the major story's in Marvel history and is constantly changing sides. Castle takes up the mantle of the Punisher after a mob kills his family and nearly kills him as well.

Punisher is ruthless in his quest to stop crime but also does not like the help of others which gets him into trouble at times. Netflix is the only avenue that would give Marvel a chance to properly show what Castle is all about. The darker tone, higher tolerance for violence and blood, and a more mature audience is the only way to do a Punisher series.

Share what Marvel shows you want to see on Netflix in the comments below!
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Marvel Weekly News #34

It was another busy week for the MCU. We are less than two weeks away from Avengers: Age of Ultron hitting theaters and that means Marvel is promoting the life out of the movie. There has also been a flurry of news on the television front surrounding Agents of SHIELD. There was also news on when Doctor Strange and Captain America: Civil War will start filming, a new Ant-Man trailer, and much more. Check out all the news from this past week below!

Doctor Strange Production Date
Marvel will venture into the mystical side of the MCU next fall with the release of Doctor Strange starring Benedict Cumberbatch. While Kevin Feige was as the press junket for Avengers: Age of Ultron, he told reporters that Scott Derickson's Doctor Strange will start filming in November of this year.

Is Spider-Man Already in MCU?
Marvel and Sony made a groundbreaking deal early this year to bring Spider-Man into the MCU. He is set for his own movie in 2017 but we are probably going to see him in Captain America: Civil War next year. Kevin Feige talked to Crave Online about Spider-Man and said, "There is a young kid [already] running around New York City in a homemade version of the Spider-Man costume in the MCU, you just don’t know it yet." Maybe we could see Spider-Man himself or a reference to him sooner than we think.


More Age of Ultron Footage Released
Marvel has started to heavily promote Avengers: Age of Ultron and released 6 more revealing clips of the movie. You can watch the beginning of the Hulkbuster vs Hulk fight here, Ultron and Iron Man collide here, Black Widow calm down the Hulk here, the Avengers deal with initial Ultron attack here, an extended look at the party scene here, and a new TV Spot featuring the return of an old ally here. Along with the new footage, they released 14 stills from the movie giving us new looks at some new faces. You can see all 14 stills here.


New Ant-Man Trailer Released
Marvel also released the second full trailer for Ant-Man and totally changed the perspective of the movie for most people. It gave us our first live action look at the Yellowjacket suit worn by Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) and more action with Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) getting the help from ants. Watch the full trailer here!

Civil War to Start Filming Soon
Once Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters, production will begin on Captain America: Civil War. Variety reported that the Russo brothers will start filming the movie on April 27th. This lines up with other reports in the past and we should be getting an official synopsis and cast once production officially starts.

Universal Studios Owns Solo Hulk Movie Rights
When Marvel announced their entire lineup for Phase 3, many fans were not happy that Hulk or Black Widow were left out of the picture and not getting solo movies of their own. Scarlett Johansson recently stated that conversations are ongoing about how they could tell more of Black Widow's story but the Hulk solo movie is not coming soon it appears. Mark Ruffalo told Collider that Universal still owns the distributing rights for Hulk. That means that Marvel would have to come to an agreement with Universal if they wanted to have the Hulk carry his own franchise.

Captain Marvel Finds Writers
Marvel will finally have a female led movie in 2018 when Captain Marvel joins the MCU. Marvel is actively talking to female directors to take on the project but it appears they have already added two females to the movie. The Tracking Board posted an exclusive this week saying that Marvel is very close to hiring Nicole Perlman and Meg Lefauve as writers for the project. Nicole Perlman helped write a draft for Guardians of the Galaxy so Marvel is very familiar with her work.

Agents of SHIELD Finale, Guest Stars, and More
Agents of SHIELD is quickly approaching the end to the second season and it appears that we are in for a treat. SpoilerTV reiterated an earlier report that the finale will be 2 hours long as Marvel will air episodes 21 and 22 back to back on May 12th. We also finally learned the story of how Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) got the nickname The Calvary in this week's episode. Cobie Smulders also revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she is returning as Maria Hill at some point this season, but Marvel will probably try and keep which episode it is a surprise. They did however release the synopsis for episode 20, which is the first episode in a post Avengers: Age of Ultron MCU.


First Look at Luke Cage
Luke Cage (Mike Colter) will make his debut in the MCU when AKA Jessica Jones debuts later this year or early 2016. He is set to appear in 6 or 7 episodes and we finally got our first look at him this week. The MCU Exchange found some photos on Tumblr that showed Mike Colter on the set and riding a motorcycle, with a helmet as well. Either Cage is trying to blend in or the man with indestructible skin does not have his powers yet.


Steven DeKnight Talks All Things Daredevil
Now that Daredevil is on Netflix, it has been receiving great reviews (you can read ours here). DeKnight sat down with IGN this week to talk about season 1, the possibilities of a second season, and much more. Reach the highlights of the interview here.

John Ridley Helping Marvel with New TV Series
Last week we learned that Marvel and ABC were developing an Agents of SHIELD spinoff show for the fall. Now, EW is reporting that Oscar winning writer John Ridley has joined Marvel to help them develop another new and secret television series. EW said, "We hear the deal involves reinventing an existing Marvel superhero character or property for ABC—but all sides are staying quiet on exactly which title Ridley is adapting."

Share your thoughts on this week's news in the comments below!
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Friday, April 17, 2015

Agents of SHIELD Post Age of Ultron Synopsis Revealed

If you have already steamrolled through Daredevil then you are probably eagerly awaiting the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. There is however more action in the MCU between now and then. Agents of SHIELD is currently airing and delivering quality content on a weekly basis.

The show has transformed to become a pivotal part of the MCU and after Ultron and his drones meet the Avengers, the MCU will surely be different.

Coulson (Clark Gregg) has lost control of SHIELD and may be losing the trust of some of his agents while Skye (Chloe Bennet) has been learning more about her new abilities and the Inhuman history.

On May 5th, Agents of SHIELD will return for it's first episode post Avengers: Age of Ultron and it would not be surprising for the show to start having tie-ins during episode 20 titled "Scars."


Here is the official synopsis for the episode courtesy of Marvel.com.
“Skye is torn between her loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. and her connection to the Inhumans as tensions rise between the groups -- and Coulson reveals a secret he’s been hiding from even those closest to him, on 'Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Tuesday, May 5 (9:00-10:00 PM ET) on the ABC Television Network.
'Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' stars Clark Gregg as Director Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, Chloe Bennet as Agent Skye, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Nick Blood as Lance Hunter and Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse.
Guest starring are Henry Simmons as Alphonso 'Mack' Mackenzie, Ruth Negga as Raina, Patton Oswalt as Sam/Billy Koenig, Kyle Maclachlan as Cal, Edward James Olmos as Robert Gonzales, Jamie Harris as Gordon, Christine Adams as Agent Weaver, Mark Allan Stewart as Agent Oliver, Maya Stojan as Kara/Agent 33, Dichen Lachman as Jiaying, Luke Mitchell as Lincoln Campbell, Alicia Vela-Bailey as Alisha, David Douglas as Michael and Crystal Coney as scientist.
”Scars” was written by Rafe Judkins & Lauren LeFranc and directed by Bobby Roth.
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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Daredevil Showrunner Steven DeKnight Talks Season 1 and Future Possibilities


Marvel debuted Daredevil exclusively on Netflix last week and the original series has gotten high praise. Steven DeKnight was brought onto the show as the executive producer and showrunner after Drew Goddard, who is set to write and direct the Spider-Man reboot, left for another project.

DeKnight sat down with IGN this week and talked about the first season in length as well as the possibilities for the future of the show and Daredevil. Check out some of the highlights below!

***** SPOILERS for all 13 episodes of Daredevil below *****

Daredevil was one of the first superheros to become noticeably tired during fight sequences. That was a focus for the show and DeKnight saying,
"Gritty and grounded were always the way we approached all aspects of the show, especially the action part. We had many conversations about the action because obviously I am very invested in the action... It's something we don't see very often in superhero shows, but since Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is very human and we always wanted to stress that he has heightened senses but otherwise he's just got to push himself to the limit."
Daredevil has drawn comparisons to the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy due to the style and darker tone. Another similarity lies between the two heroes and their reluctance to kill their enemies. Daredevil made it through the whole season without killing a foe and that was a big focus for the show.
"We never wanted him to intentionally kill someone, could certainly put someone in a coma. With Nobu (Peter Shinkado), it was more of a deflection so he wasn't actively trying to kill Nobu, he kind of brought it on himself... It was always the moral question of 'How far do I go to save this city?' He certainly tried to kill Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) and realized his mistake and how his desire to kill Wilson Fisk really almost lead to his own death."
Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) played a pivotal role in the first season of Daredevil and was the prominent female character. The show hinted at her dark past and showed what she is willing to due to survive when she killed Wesley (Toby Leonard Moore). Her back story is mysterious at this point but DeKnight says they have tentative plans for her.
"We got a pretty broad idea of what happened in the past and we really wanted to nod to the classic Miller run. I'm not saying we'll go as far as she falls into drugs and pornography and sells Matt out for a fix of dope, but there is obviously something going on with Karen and we really want to explore that dark side."
 Daredevil also included an appearance by Melvin Potter (Matt Gerald) as he helped create suits for Wilson Fisk and eventually the classic red Daredevil costume. Goddard originally came up with the idea for Potter to make the suit but DeKnight explained more about who he is and who he could become.
"Once we actually see him, I really wanted to go full on with the idea that there is something mentally unstable about him, a bit childlike. I wanted to bring in the reference to Betsy. Obviously, you see hints that he may become The Gladiator in the future. You see the pattern and you see his schematics for his saw blades and the big Easter Egg, the poster in the background."
Leland Owlsley (Bob Gunton) was one of the major players in Hell's Kitchen working for Fisk. He had a crushing end his appearance but their were mentions that he has a son, which could possibly become the real Owl. DeKnight confirmed that Owlsley is indeed dead but as far as Leland's son becoming The Owl he said,
"If you know the mythology of The Owl, Leland Owlsley, The Owl had a father who was in high finance, so will his son, Lee, be The Owl? We'll have to wait and see." 

DeKnight also confirms that the "Greek Girl" Matt knew in college was a reference to Elektra and that she may have a future should the show continue. As far as why she and Bullseye weren't introduced in season 1, he said,
"It just didn't feel right coming out of the gate. Wilson Fisk was the right protagonist to start us off with The Wire-esque world that we wanted to do but we did want to nod to the fact that Elektra is out there somewhere." And as far as Bullseye appearing, "Whether or not that was Bullseye, time will tell. But I loved Bullseye growing up... Hopefully sometime down the road we'll get there and earn that but definitely something I think had we started out with would have sent the slightly wrong tone for what we were going for."
An emotional and surprising moment in the series came at the end of episode 12 when Wilson Fisk killed Ben Urich (Vondie-Curtis Hall).  DeKnight explained the decision to kill Urich saying,
"I wish I could claim responsibility for that cause I thought it was very powerful decision. It was a Marvel idea."
DeKnight also revealed there were discussions to add post credit scenes to some episodes,
"Originally in episode 7, the scene with Stick and his mysterious partner, we wanted that to be post credit but we discovered that we ran a foul with Netflix with their automatic starting the next episode. They don't do post credit stuff."
As far as how long we will have to wait to see a second season of Daredevil thanks to the already scheduled Netflix lineup, DeKnight is keeping it close to the vest.
"The response has people thinking about the possibilities."
Share your thoughts on Daredevil in the comments below!
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Agents of SHIELD 'Melinda' Review- The Calvary is Born

In the early episodes of Agents of SHIELD, it became clear that Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) had a rough past but that she also was a very skilled agent. Nicknamed "The Calvary" around SHIELD, May always hated that name and in this week's episode, we finally find out why.

***** SPOILERS for EP 2.17 "Melinda" to follow *****



This episode, written by DJ Doyle and directed by Garry A. Brown, takes us seven years in the past to Bahrain. We see a completely different Agent May then the one that is currently the second in command at SHIELD. Coulson, May, and a tactical SHIELD team go to Bahrain to meet the super-powered Eva Belyakov (Winter Zoli).

Back in the present time, Mockingbird (Adrianne Palicki) tries to recruit May into helping the "Real SHIELD" figure out what Coulson (Clark Gregg) has been up to. It appears that Coulson has secretly been very busy. He has been moving assets and resources all across the globe and not telling anyone. This project is being called Theta Protocol and Mack (Henry Simmons) believes it is because Coulson is building a separate base to house powered people. 

Skye/Daisy (Chloe Bennet) is still with the other Inhumans in Afterlife and learns the secret that Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) is her mother. Jiaying helps Skye understand her abilities and the different ways she can use them. Jiaying requests Skye has dinner with Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) because without him her, they never would have been reunited.

When we go back to Bahrain, another organization was also after Eva and captured her and a young girl. This forces Coulson's hand and reluctantly sends May in alone. Once inside the building, May finds a room containing her other SHIELD agents but they are not okay. They need her pain. 

Melinda goes on to take down guards and try and rescue the little girl being held hostage. She kills Eva thinking that her death would eliminate the spell her coworkers were under. Unfortunately, a much darker choice lies ahead for her. The little girl, Katya (Ava Acres), is actually the one controlling their minds. May is given the choice of either touching Katya's hand and falling under her spell or eliminating the child.

She is forced to make the logical choice and kill the child. This came at a time where her and her husband Andrew Garner (Blair Underwood) were trying to have a child of their own. Melinda becomes distant and requests a transfer out of the field and not become a member of the team Coulson is assembling to recruit Earth's mightiest heroes.

Coulson has always referred to his SHIELD team as a family and this week we got a look at an Inhuman family but also the beginning of the end for another. 

Check out the promo for next week's episode "The Frenemy of My Enemy" below, which has strong ties to Avengers: Age of Ultron!
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Marvel Releases 14 Age of Ultron Stills

With just over two weeks standing between the world and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel has started to crank out more and more promos. This week started with a live stream from the red carpet for the premiere of the movie in Hollywood and included a new clip of the Hulkbuster vs Hulk fight.

Today, Marvel has officially released 14 new stills from Avengers: Age of Ultron giving us looks at James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), Baron Von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), and much more. Check out all 14 images below!















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Sunday, April 12, 2015

Beginning of Hulkbuster Fight Shown At MTV Movie Awards


During this years MTV Movie Awards, the show recognized Robert Downey Jr by giving him the Generation Award. After a speech and getting the award presented by his fellow Avengers, they debuted an exclusive clip from Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The clip shows the beginning of the highly anticipated fight between Hulk and Iron Man in the Hulkbuster suit. The clips reiterates that the Hulk is being controlled by Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and that he does not like the mention of his other half, Bruce Banner.

Check out the clip below!



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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Daredevil Review- Hell's Kitchen Makes Its Devil


In the early morning hours on Friday, April 10th, a devil was brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanks to a unique partnership between Marvel and Netflix, subscribers could instantly binge watch all 13 episodes of Daredevil starting at 12:01 a.m. PST.

Fans from all over the world got the chance to be introduced to the newest hero and it opened up a whole new side for the MCU to play in. The MCU started with a billionaire and his advanced suit, a super soldier, the god of Thunder, a rage filled beast, and two highly trained and skilled SHIELD agents. It has since evolved to include Inhumans, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and soon a pair of super powered twins. Then as Phase 3 hits, we will be introduced to the mystical corner of this universe with Doctor Strange and continue to explore the cosmic side.

Daredevil has given Marvel the opportunity to explore the streets of Hell's Kitchen and follow the journey of Matthew Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio), who both want to transform the city into something greater.

***** Possible SPOILERS for the Daredevil series to follow *****

Marvel decided to bring the story of Daredevil to Netflix so that they could make stories for a more mature audience. Daredevil certainly achieves those goals as it is the darkest and bloodiest property to come out of the MCU, and it's not even close.

Daredevil takes no time introducing the newest batch of characters to the audience and quickly shows the plethora of people Fisk has at his disposal. Whether it is Nobu (Peter Shinkado), Leland Owlsley (Bob Gunton), Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho), Vladimir (Nikolai Nikolaeff), Anatloy (Gideon Emery), Turk Barrett (Rob Morgan), Melvin Potter (Matt Gerald), or Fisk's right hand man Wesley (Toby Leonard Moore), Fisk has people from different backgrounds and different talents to help him run his empire.

Our hero is not without his allies as he gets help from his best friend Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) throughout the series and makes new friends such as Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), Ben Urich (Vondie-Curtis Hall), and Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson).

Daredevil is tasked with introducing all these characters, and more, plus tell an origin story through flashbacks that deliver pay off during the rest of the series. The best part about the series is Murdock's inner conflict about how he should be dealing with everything he encounters. Being a lawyer by day, but the man in the mask at night, brings Murdock a lot of turmoil.

He is a very good lawyer and Daredevil shows that off early but there are also moments where he is either dangling a mobster off the top of a roof or going in alone to a building full of henchmen that show his wide-ranging and conflicting beliefs. His catholic upbringing certainly factors into his decisions, especially not killing anyone when he is masked up.

The majority of the cast are given meaningful story arcs and it shows just how well Steven DeKnight did as the showrunner after Drew Goddard stepped away. Fisk is shown as a ruthless monster and then as a big hearted softy towards Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) within minutes of each other. Foggy is the typical best friend at the beginning of the series but really shines during the last half of the series. Karen's arc is fascinating as she constantly shows that she has a lot of fight in her as well.

Obviously, the fight sequences, choreographed by Philip Silvera, were arguably the best to ever happen in the MCU. That title, previously held by Captain America: The Winter Soldier, is put on display multiple times throughout the series. Without getting too far into spoilers, the sequence at the end of episode 2, the fight throughout episode 9, and the confrontation between Fisk and Daredevil in the finale are among my personal favorites for different reasons.

Not only were the sequences amazing, but there are plenty of moments that are far bloodier than I was ever expecting to see in a Marvel property. Episodes 3 and 4 both close on jaw dropping scenes and the previously mentioned fight in episode 9 had more blood than any single scene I can remember.

One of the best things about Daredevil was its ability to exist inside the MCU but NOT rely on it to tell a meaningful story. Sure there were references to the Battle of New York, The Rising Tide, and Carl Creel, who we saw as The Absorbing Man in Agents of SHIELD, but Daredevil didn't use anything that was already established in the MCU to make the story it told meaningful.


That doesn't mean that Daredevil finishes without laying the groundwork for whats to come as there are many teases of what could come. They tease Potter becoming The Gladiator, the logo of Iron Fist villain Steel Serpent, and possibly the beginning of Civil War as pictured above.

The one disappointment I had was not with the show itself, but rather with the leak of the classic Daredevil suit. The final suit looks great but the lack of a surprise during the final moments of the season. It would have made the reveal even great had it been mistakenly released before Marvel and Netflix intended it to be.


If AKA Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders can deliver at the same quality and content then Marvel may have just found a great avenue to tell the stories to dark for TV or in movies. The likes of Punisher, Blade, Moon Knight, and Ghost Rider could all benefit from a Netflix series but we will have to wait and see if that happens.

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