If you told me last year that Avengers would be one of the biggest movies of all time and be pretty dang good at the same time, I would have scoffed in disbelief. The only standout movie of the group was the first Iron Man, and I didn’t even fall head over heels like everyone else. I actually prefer Ed Norton’s The Incredible Hulk to the rest of the bunch and he’s the only one they didn’t bring on. That said, Avengers is a fun movie. On first viewing I would have even said it was greatness. It fired on all cylinders. Joss Whedon did a great job of balancing action and humor. And even more, he balanced that many characters and no one felt left out. Though I could have been happy if they left out Hawkeye.
Marvel is currently working on “Phase 2.” They will be releasing sequels to Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and are adding Ant Man and Guardians of the Galaxy to the mix before the next Avenger Assembling. The next 5 heroes will be or should be featured in the next grouping of Marvel movies and play into Avengers 2.
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| It’s not everyday I’d pick a TV actor over XXX, Oh wait, it is. |
Out of all of these heroes, this one is least likely to be featured in the Avengers sequel. He wouldn’t really add much to the large cast of heroes, but I could see him appearing in Ant Man. Don’t look too deeply into any character’s comic book origins, which can be a little more than confusing. Basically he is a creation of one of Ant Man’s creations who went bad. His powers allow him to change his density, so that he can fly if necessary or become very heavy and indestructible. Sounds like a cop out if you ask me. I could see him as a villain in Ant Man who changes his ways at the end of the movie and eventually joins the Avengers.
Vin Diesel is looking to keep his career alive outside of the Fast One through Twelve movies. He has openly stated that he’d like to play Vision in the next movie. Fans hope for a quality experience instead and want fan favorite Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) to return in superhero form. That could work, seeing that the Vision character is partially made out of a deceased Marvel hero.
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| “Who are you?!” “I’m Batm….I mean Black Panther…..” |
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, Batman should be pretty flattered. Marvel has tried to recreate Batman’s look and character in many ways. With Panther we are basically looking at the African Batman. Catman if you will. T’Challa is the African King of Wakanda. Because he is the king, his powers are tied to an ancient Panther God. I would say this would never work in movies, but hey, somehow Thor worked.
Many people expected a Black Panther movie to be announced in “phase 2.” Seeing as it wasn’t, I could see him in a cameo role and getting his solo movie around 2016. I would love to see Idris Elba as the titular hero, but he plays the gatekeeper/keymaster/zool in Thor. I would enjoy seeing Chiwetel Ejiofor (Serenity, Love Actually) or Djimon Hounsou as the late addition to the Avengers.
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| A great actor vs some guy from a Hollister ad |
There is a rumor that in Thor: The Dark World (the Thor sequel) we will see Doctor Strange appear in a large battle. He is a super strong magician with “cosmic” magic abilities. Wow, his powers and name sound like something a Dungeons and Dragons fan would make up for their avatar late one night during a slumber party. (side note: I have never played D&D). Don’t ask me how, but this character is very popular and Marvel fanboys would prematurely nerdgasm at any announcement of a Doctor Strange appearance.
The rumor mentioned Viggo Mortensen, but his camp has denied. (They kind of have to). I hope his casting is true, because I wouldn’t mind seeing his acting caliber up on the superhero big screen. Plus, it beats the alternative. Another doctor, Dr McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) has expressed his interest in the role. He looks the part, but he kinda sucks.
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| A buzz-worthy role… I’m disappointed in myself. |
Joss Whedon loves the girl power. That’s why it was so surprising he took on Avengers. The only lady (she was butt-kicking, I’ll give her that) was Black Widow. Whedon has told people to expect another heroine in the next flick. You can’t remove Janet Van Dyne and Ant Man from each other. They go hand in hand, from using “Pym Particles” to help them change size, to their eventual marriage. She was one of the founding members of the Avengers and deserves a place alongside the Earth’s Mightiest. Did I mention, in addition to growing and/or shrinking in size, she also has wings and can shoot stinging beams from her hands? Yeah, how could I forget that….
Eva Longoria has long been rumored to play The Wasp. She is a hottie, I’ll give her that, but I’d like to see someone with some talent take on the role. I recommend Keira Knightley. She has the chops and can pull off the drama and humor expected in a Whedon movie. Just don’t ask her to change her accent.
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| Genre god vs genre god. Win win. |
This movie will be a reality in 2 short years. I’m not saying it’s the best idea for a superhero movie, but at this point Marvel can burn money and not take a loss. So they’re willing to gamble on projects like Guardians of the Galaxy with James Gunn directing and Ant Man with one of my favorites, Edgar Wright, taking the helm. Ant-Man has long been his passion project. It has a very good chance of failing miserable and being too outside the norm, but there will not be a more visually/comically pleasing Marvel film. Basically Henry Pym experirments with some particles and finds that he can change size and communicate with insects or become “Giant Man.” Sounds a little like Alice in Wonderland.
Because it’s Edgar Wright, I can see him taking the biggest risk for the lead. Simon Pegg is almost a shoe-in. He has shown that he can play a great second fiddle in Star Trek and Mission Impossible, so maybe it’s time for a Wright & Pegg reunion. Though, true fans know, this movie wouldn’t have any magic without the wild card, Nick Frost. One actor whose name is thrown around a lot and would fit the snarky Ant-Man is Nathan Fillion. he was wrongly passed over for Green Lantern and it’s time to join Whedon in Avengers 2. Plus, anyone who has watched anything in the Whedonverse knows he likes to work with the same actors.
Honorable Mention: Matter Eater Lad. I just can’t get enough of that guy.
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| How Andy really escaped from Shawshank |
