Avengers 2 was confirmed by Disney CEO Bob Iger during a conference call to report quarterly earnings according to The Hollywood Reporter. With a global box office of $700 + million in two weeks for the Avengers I bet that was a happy call.
Iger confirmed a third Iron Man, a second Thor film are scheduled for 2013. A Captain America sequel is in the works for 2014. No timeline was given for an Avengers sequel.
The CEO added there are plans for Avengers inspired attractions at Disney theme parks.
By Editor
How about an Iron Man flight simulator or Stark Tower ride?
With a $200.3 million dollar opening it’s hard to imagine (and if you’re coming to comic book site) that you didn’t see The Avengers on the big screen.
Let’s talk about that ending and have some fun geek-speculation! J
Just in case you didn’t see Earth’s Mightiest Movie here’s a WARNING!!!
SPOILER AHEAD
SERIOUSLY
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE POST CREDIT SCENE/ENDING OF THE AVENGERS DON’T SCROLL DOWN ANY MORE
FOR REAL
OK HERE IT IS…
I have to admit I was shocked to see the mystery villain appear every so briefly but sporting a sinister grin. The Chitauri leader is seeing talking to a menacing figure saying the humans are not to be underestimated and to face them would be “to court death itself.”
Avengers Annual #7 courtesy Marvel.com
The figure turns. Thanos is revealed! I think I exclaimed “oh s…!” My non-comic book reading friend said “who is that supposed to be?”
Thanos is the Mad God of Titan and he’s obsessed with death. In the Marvel Universe Death is an entity and he courts her. Thanos debuted in the pages of Iron Man but you need a lot more than the Avengers if you take on this cosmic monster.
Thanos was born on Titan, a moon of Saturn. He’s a member of the Eternals (a God-like but human looking race ) but was born with a Deviant (their monstrous looking cousins) gene so in a way Thanos is a cosmic mutant.
Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange, The Silver Surfer and many more heroes banded together in The Infinity Gauntlet when Thanos wiped out half the universe as an offering to Mistress Death. The gauntlet holds 5 gems of power. The artifact was seen briefly in Odin’s vault in Thor.
Infinity Gauntlet #4 courtesy Marvel.com
Adam Warlock and Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) are key players in any Thanos storyline so can we expect them to appear in upcoming sequels to Thor, Iron Man and Captain America?
Warlock is an artificial warrior created by the Enclave, a team of scientists, and fought Thor. Warlock became a hero, member of Guardians of the Galaxy and the Infinity Watch.
Mar-Vell is a Kree warrior who turned against his alien empire and became a champion of Earth and an Avenger. Thanos was at Mar-Vell’s side as he died of cancer in the classic The Death of Captain Marvel, Marvel’s first graphic novel.
But what about Silver Surfer last seen in Fox’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer? Not sure about the rights to this character but Norrin Radd is a key player in a battle against Thanos.
After the amazing portrayal of the Hulk in The Avengers I can see the same process turn an actor like in the cosmic big bad guy. Thor displayed the Infinity gauntlet in Odin’s vault so expect more cosmic seeds for a cosmic showdown with the Mad God planted in the sequel.
If you’d like to read more about the Mad God here’s his bio link on Marvel.com. A huge credit goes to the legendary Jim Starlin, who revitalized Thanos, Adam Warlock and wrote the classic Avengers Annual #7, The Death of Captain Marvel and The Infinity Gauntlet. Starlin’s contributions to the Marvel Universe are majestic and maybe the most appropriate word – COSMIC!
If you’re familiar with Thanos who do you think should play him? Do you like the idea of a cosmic size Avengers sequel?
What a strange trippy week in Seattle for heroes and villains in comics and in reality.
Let’s start with comics – Peter David and Leonard Kirk’s excellent X-Factor #235 saw the mutant detectives go undercover in Seattle’s real life super hero movement – we really have one! Shatterstar and Madrox go undercover to join the X-Ceptionals (an Emerald City based group of wannabe costumed heroes) after other would be heroes are sliced and diced by a mystery attacker. The tone twists from comic to tragic with clever dialogue and expressive art.
Let’s get back to reality – Citizen Heroes and The Collectibles co-sponsored the Avengers Assemble film series at SIFF Cinema. Citizen Heroes is a documentary of the real super hero movement in the Pacific Northwest. Director Matt Harrison – my interview with him here – and local masked crimefighters helped introduced the Marvel solo movies this week. The biggest star of this phenomenon is Seattle’s Phoenix Jones of the Rain City Super Hero Movement.
courtesy Rex Velvet?
Jones has apparently inspired “an enemy.” This week a challenge was declared in this video by a man calling himself Rex Velvet who claims to be Seattle’s greatest super villain. Velvet delivered this video to the Comics Blend Facebook page.
And I got the meet some of The Collectibles this week – think Avengers meets The Office. Here’s my interview with the Seattle stars of this comedy web series.
A very strange week of coincidences in Seattle indeed.
Phoenix Jones and members of the Rain City Super Hero Movement patrol the streets of Seattle and have generated nationwide attention. Seattle Filmmaker Matt Harrison has been following the adventures of the headline making crimefighters for his documentary Citizen Heroes. Phoenix may be in the spotlight but Harrison learned the Real Life Superhero Movement has been in action for years in the Pacific Northwest.
What inspires someone to dress up to fight crime? Members of the local movement aren’t billionaires with childhood trauma or affected by radiation. Harrison reveals what he’s learned about the local people behind the masks.
Citizen Heroes and The Collectibles web series are co-presenting the Avengers Assemble film series this week at SIFF Cinema. Harrison and costumed heroes of the movement are introducing Marvel movies. Those cinematic heroes are joining forces on the big screen in The Avengers. I asked Harrison about the next steps on his journey to bring Seattle’s heroes to the movies.
The Seattle Super Hero Movement is popping up in a real comic book this week. By happenstance or circumstance? In this week’s X-Factor # 235 Seattle super heroes are under attack. The mutant detectives of X-Factor Investigations are on the case in Seattle. I asked Harrison his reaction to this week’s Seattle centric storyline.
Since Citizen Heroes is co-presenting the Avengers Assemble film series I has to asked the director to pick his favorite Avengers and reveal his expectations for the big movie.
Director Matt Harrison, Knight Owl and Sky Man are scheduled to present more Avengers solo movies this week at SIFF Cinema. To learn more about Harrison’s project here’s the Citizen Heroes link.
James Bond. Doctor Who. Two of Britain’s incredible contributions to my geeky life. While the two characters will never meet on-screen Skyfall director Sam Mendes compares the secret agent to the Time Lord. The Director was part of a recent press conference in Turkey and told Collider.
“That’s why I mentioned the word in the press conference, “regeneration” rather than “evolving,” because I feel it is like, you know, we have Doctor Who…there’s a geek answer…we have Doctor Who and I was brought up on the idea of Doctor Who, who at the end of his final episode, he dissolves and a new actor pops up and he regenerates and it’s a whole other character: sometimes it’s an old man, sometimes it’s a young man, but he just changes. I’ve always loved that idea.”
Mendes goes on to discuss Daniel Craig’s performance as 007 and compares other action film franchises.
“I think that what’s interesting is you have an actor who is capable of playing the consequences of his actions as well as fulfilling those actions with great elan and cool and that is always more interesting. That’s not to say that what I’m looking at or what I want to look at is a kind of navel-gazing depressive [laughs] because that’s not what Bond will ever be. He’s a doer, not a thinker. And I think you have to understand that. I also think he doesn’t walk amongst us. He’s not Bourne , he doesn’t walk the streets. He’s a lone wolf. You have to keep him separate for most of the movie. It’s a very particular area he has to exist in.
But, there’s a reason why the most interesting, to my mind, franchises now are The Dark Knight and Bourne because there are characters at the center who are, to some degree, in conflict about what they do and are pushed right to the edge. That is one of the wonderful things about what’s happened to these movies recently is that audiences have embraced movies that go darker and more personal. Having said that, they all have the thrills and spills you expect, as well. It’s about a balance.
The Seattle Super Hero movement has inspired a villainous challenger! The media received this YouTube video and invite on Facebook from a mysterious Rex Velvet. You’ve got style Rex but justice will prevail in the Emerald City!
Not sure if I should thank or credit Rex Velvet?
I will thank Rocket Launch Productions.
By Editor
(I think this video is made in good fun and not meant to insult the Rain City Superhero Movement.)
Robert Downey Jr is suiting up for Iron Man 3 and I’m sure he’d be back for an Avengers 2 but how many times would the star play Tony Stark. What would Marvel do if Downey quits.
According to BadAssDigest.com Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige compares Iron Man to 007 – you can recast.
“I think Bond is a good example. Let’s put it this way: I hope Downey makes a lot of movies for us as Stark. If and when he doesn’t, and I’m still here making these movies, we don’t take him to Afghanistan and have him wounded again. I think we James Bond it.”
For more of Devin’s interview with Feige here’s the link to – I love this site name- BadAssDigest.com.
Downey Jr responded to MTV News about the potential of being recast and the co-stars lining up for Iron Man 3. Here’s Downey in his own words.
This Geek’s Opinion: I love James Bond. I love Iron Man. I freaking love Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark – it was perfect casting and I can’t imagine another actor in the role just like Jackman owns Wolverine. I would hope there are enough Marvel characters to develop and give Iron Man a break. But you have to have a little faith in Feige, he’s got a track record that’s hard to argue with.
The New Mutants graphic novel cover courtesy Marvel.com
Updated! I promise I had this draft long before I saw this recent story teasing a possible New Mutants movie. Here’s the Collider link so you can read it for yourself. Basically when pressed Fox’s Tom Rothman is smartly coy in his response. You can be the judge.
Original story:
It’s time Fox show some love for the New Mutants era for the sequel to X-Men: First Class. Cannonball aka Sam Guthrie would be a perfect addition to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
The film series has mixed and matches X-Men from various eras. First Class included everyone from original X-Man Beast and Angel Salvadore from the Grant Morrison New X-Men run. Time for the
Jack Quade played the Tribute ironically named Marvel in The Hunger Games and now that I’ve seen more photos of him I keep picturing him as the poor miner kid from Kentucky who blasts his way into the Xavier school.
The New Mutants graphic novel by Chris Claremont would be a great source of inspiration for the sequel script. X-Men books and films have always demonstrated diversity. Having Danielle Moonstar (Mirage) or Xian Coy Manh (Karma) in the next film would continue that tradition. Dani is a Native American had the power to create illusions of her enemies’ fears or wishes and co-lead the team with Sam. Karma is of Vietnamese descent and has the power to possess minds. In recent years Xian or Shan came out as a lesbian.
Sam and his sister Paige (aka Husk) are currently teaching at the Jean Grey School under headmaster Wolverine. Dani and Karma are on a New Mutants team based in San Francisco.
By Editor
This Geek’s Updated Opinion: Of course I’ll go see any X-Men related movie but with the X-Men: First Class franchise firmly set in the past would it make sense to have another X franchise set in the present? No disrespect to the New Mutants fans, creators or characters but I don’t think they can hold up on their own as a film franchise. I would be curious how Fox would pull it off. Professor X founded the New Mutants but Magneto served as their instructor and eventually the Cable turned the team into X-Force. As I stated above I would love to see Sam, Dani or Karma in an X-Men: First Class sequel or rebooted present day X-Men film.
