Good day to you ladies and gents of the internet, I’m here again to share with you an interesting discussion via my podcast, Film Focus. On episode 76, Drew from Drew’s Movie Reviews not only returns to the podcast but takes over hosting duties as we dive back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his topic; The State of the MCU. Since Avengers: Endgame is on the horizon, Drew and I thought it would be fun and interesting to discuss the superhero films from Marvel Studios in a little more detail discussing everything from the best and worst villains to our Top 5 best and worst films to the minimum amount of films you need to see before Endgame comes out.
So join us on a fun-filled discussion and of course know that this is spoiler-heavy, so if you’re not caught up on all of the films it’s best to catch up and then come back.
Also, two things to keep in mind:
This is a spoiler-heavy discussion, and while we don’t cover every film in detail, if you’re not up to date with all of the MCU films then it is best that you skip this or get caught up and come back.
This a fairly long episode at an hour and 47 minutes, but it is definitely a good listen as there was a lot of fun, humour and different perspectives on several of the films.
Check out the episode below:
So what did you think of our discussion? Agree or disagree? I really want to hear your thoughts on this film so drop your thoughts in the comments below and if you have some spare time subscribe to my podcast, Film Focus on Soundcloud and iTunes. Until the next time peeps, laters! 😀
Good day to you ladies and gents of the internet, I’m back again to give you part 2 of my Pros and Cons of Marvel Cinematic Universe via my podcast, Film Focus.
Now if you haven’t listened to Part 1, better go back and check that one out because it was pretty good. In the last episode, Drew from Drew’s Movie Reviews and I talked about the pros and in this episode, we discuss the cons, from the use of villains to music to the complications of having a shared universe of films, we cover a fair amount and I hope you enjoy.
P.S. There were a number of mistakes made here and there and some information I forgot to cover while in the episode, but I just wanted to let you know in advance. Forgiveness, please.
Check out the episode below:
So what did you think of our discussion? I really want to hear your thoughts on this film so drop your thoughts in the comments below and if you have some spare time subscribe to my podcast, Film Focus on Soundcloud and iTunes. Until the next time, laters! 😀
Good day to you ladies and gents of the internet, I’ve finally returned with another topic of conversation that I hope you will enjoy. So with Captain Marvel fast approaching I thought it would be fun to look back at the Marvel Cinematic Universe and discuss the pros and cons via my podcast, Film Focus.
So this is a subject I’ve been wanting to cover for almost three years now, it was just a case of finding the right timing with when it comes to the ongoing Marvel films and getting out of work to record it. Thankfully I’m not alone, returning guest and good homie, Drew from Drew’s Movie Reviews is along for the ride to help me and I must say he did a fabulous job. 🙂 Now since the recording ended up being a little longer and in-depth than I expected this subject ended up becoming a two-parter. So in this episode, we cover the pros of the MCU from the characters to action scenes to characters and humour, we cover a lot and hopefully, you’ll enjoy listening to our discussion.
Also, two things to keep in mind:
This is a spoiler-heavy discussion, and while we don’t cover every minute detail, if you’re not up to date with all of the MCU films then it is best that you skip this to avoid spoilers.
There are a few mistakes made here and there when it came to naming pronunciations and some other verbal mistakes, so apologies in advance.
Check out the episode below:
So what did you think of our discussion? I really want to hear your thoughts on this film so drop your thoughts in the comments below and if you have some spare time subscribe to my podcast, Film Focus on Soundcloud and iTunes. Be sure to drop by again real soon for part 2, laters! 😀
Good day to you ladies and gents, today I am writing a blog post that I hoped I wouldn’t have to write any time soon, but alas, Stan Lee, a legend in the world of comics and entertainment and beloved nerd and creator for many fans across the world unfortunately died yesterday and even now it feels so surreal. So today I just wanted to share my thoughts on what he meant to me and share my respects.
So every once in a while in life, there emerges an individual who goes on to become someone special and Stan’s one of those individuals. To have such an interesting life journey and career from being in the army to writing comic books and then having what you created reach so many people, and have those properties be taken on by new writers and artists for decades to come, and then, of course, have those creations get adapted into various animated and live-action TV shows and films… All that from one guy and his collaborators. It is truly incredible.
Stan Lee is a man who has fascinated me since childhood, and as I’ve gotten older and learnt more about him through research, written and video interviews and so on, I’ve only appreciated him more and more. I’ve always loved hearing the stories about how he created some of his most notable characters like the Fantastic Four or Spider-Man or the X-Men, how he had the knowledge and guts to tell stories about flawed/troubled individuals that made them relatable to the readers. It just shows that this guy was on the ball and perceptive.
But beyond the wonderful characters, stories and worlds he’s given us over the years, he had such a wonderful personality. Stan Lee always looked like he was having the time of his life in a lot of his old photos working at Marvel, he’s always smiling, and through articles and interviews he’s always come across as a sweet, cool and kind man who had time to pass on his knowledge and had great stories to tell. The guy was fantastic and every time I saw him in an interview he’d always make me smile and laugh because he was also quite funny.
But I think where a lot of people have gotten to know Stan from in recent times is through his cameo work in the Marvel Studios films. Now Stan is no stranger to being part of the properties he’s created. He’s narrated for TV shows and video games, made numerous appearances in live-action films going back to the first X-Men film from 2001, he’s made appearances in the cartoons and has been a playable character in games like Amazing Spider-Man 2 or Lego Marvel Superheroes. He’s been all over the place and I’ve always seen him pop up as it always brought joy to my soul.
And now I would like to share some of my favourites that aren’t from the MCU and probably aren’t as well known.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
This Stan Lee appearance will always hold a special place in my heart. It was probably the first time I sort of got an idea of who Stan was as a kid. I remember being maybe 8, 9 or 10 years old when I first saw this episode and I thought it was hella cool that Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man, made an appearance in the 90’s cartoon show. And every time I saw it since it made me so happy. It is a short yet wonderful moment filled with fun, reflection and humour, and seeing Stan get left on the roof without any way to get down and hoping the Fantastic Four would give him a lift, priceless.
Spectacular Spider-Man
This is a small and probably insignificant cameo for most, but I remember watching Spectacular Spider-Man’s second season and just loving this cameo. Here Stan’s just a guy who states the stuff he hates and I think we can relate to that. But it is the line “Are we being punked? I hate that.” Haha. I’ve always loved it.
Spider-Man 3
This one has always stuck out for a number of people and I’d be inclined to agree, it is such a simple yet beautiful bit of dialogue that perfectly sums up Stan’s positivity and then work that Peter had done up to that point. And it is probably the highlight of that entire film really.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I almost forgot about this cameo until I saw it on my YouTube search. I remember watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. during season 1 and thought this was the greatest cameo just because it came out of nowhere and made me laugh so hard. It wasn’t enough that Simmons was giving Coulson a hard time with this fictional story that everyone on the train cart was paying attention to, but for Stan to step in, sympathise with her and then scold Coulson so hard was an incredible moment in time that I’ll never forget. 😛
But of course there are the Stan Lee cameos from the MCU and there are many to pick from, and while a lot of them were just minor appearances, some of them were quite funny and significant. So here are some my favourites:
Thor: When he tried to pull Mjolnir out of the ground with his truck and failed.
Avengers: “Superheroes in New York? Gimme a break.” Love that line.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2: Seeing him hanging out with the Watchers was one of the best nerdiest things I’ve ever seen. 😀
Spider-Man: Homecoming: When Spider-Man gets scolded by a bunch of people and Stan shouts at him from a window, great moment! 😀
Avengers: Infinity War: “What’s the matter with you kids? You never seen a spaceship before?” I frigging loved that line, such a casual thing for an old bus drive to say. 😀 😛
Here’s an epic compilation to check out below:
Anyway, to conclude, Stan Lee, all I can say is thank you for everything that you’ve given me and many fans young and old throughout the many decades that you were with us. And like many I’d like to thank you and Ditko for Spider-Man, he’s one of my favourite characters in fiction and I’ve learnt so much from him and have loved all the heroes, villains and stories that you’ve given Spidey over the years and my life wouldn’t be the same without that character. And also it was an honour to be in your presence in for a moment in time, but meeting you in 2014 was one of my life goals that I never thought I’d get to do and it was one of the best experiences of my life that I will cherish forever.
RIP Stan Lee and thanks for everything. Excelsior!
You when you wake up go online and hope to read something good, but end up seeing something totally unexpected that blows your mind? Well that happened to me today when I went on superherohype and saw the major news relating to Spider-Man and the Marvel Studios film universe. Just read the original article below:
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios officially announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man! Under a new deal, a new Spider-Man (not Andrew Garfield) will first appear in a currently-unspecified Marvel film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 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.
“Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s great characters,” says Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, “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.
As a result of the new deal, Thor: Ragnarok will now arrive nearly four months later than planned, moving to November 3, 2017 (from July 28). Black Panther, which previously held that spot, gets delayed eight months, going from that original November 3 date to July 6, 2018. That, in turn, bumps Captain Marvel to November 2, 2018 and moves Inhumans all the way to July 12, 2019. The two-part Avengers: Infinity War, meanwhile, remains set for release May 4, 2018 and May 3, 2019.
Well fuck me! Fuck me sideways! I hate to use such profanity but believe me this kind of news that just requires a little swearing. This is good news. THIS IS FRIGGING GOOD NEWS! The heavens have opened up, there is a god and he has given us Marvel fans what we’ve always wanted. For YEARS people have wanted to see Spider-Man join the MCU especially after the way Marvel Phase One came together and gave us the likes of The Avengers. But since Sony owned the rights to Spidey and the producers seemed to stuck in their old ways to embrace the idea of change or collaboration, we thought we’d never get the chance to see the web head join the likes of the Avengers. However, I believe thanks to the misfortunes of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that required Sony to revise their approach to the character and the future of his film universe. Now Marvel and Sony have finally come together and have struck a deal for Spidey to join the cool gang of superhero films. Fans across the internet should rejoice because we’ve wanted this for SO long and we finally have one of the best Marvel characters in the shared universe he should have been in all along.
Now obviously because of this deal one can only assume that The Amazing Spider-Man film series and it’s story, characters and universe is done and dusted. I can see at least a few fans of those films being very angry and disappointed by this new deal. I know that there were fans of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s interpretations of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, some liked the more realistic take on the origin story, characters and web-slinging and the presentation. However there were problems that could not be ignored like retreading ground with the origin story, undeveloped villains, overcrowded storylines, tonal inconsistencies and dubstep music among some of the common issues. I do feel bad for the people who have been shafted after just two films, however it is Sony who has fucked them over in the first place so yeah I guess it is mainly the fans would will miss them most of all because they became invested in this world.
But now because of this deal, Marvel Studios have had to change a few things up by shifting a few of its film dates around for 2017 and with Thor 3,Black Panther,Captain Marvel and Inhumans all being pushed back a fair bit too. While I am gutted that I have to wait so long for even longer for these films especially when it comes to Black Panther at the same time Marvel Studios will be bringing us a NEW Spider-Man in 2017, sure it’ll be a while before that film gets released, but with someone like Kevin Feige behind it, I can’t help but feel absurdly happy and excited for the new version of Spidey. Now one has to wonder, since Andrew Garfield is out, who will replace him? And will there be another origin story or will we jump into the character being already established. Also will he be in Captain America: Civil War? I mean Spidey was an important part of the comic story and with this deal I find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t be showing up, that being said the film’s already well into development so they would have to squeeze him in pretty quickly.
Anyway that’s my quick thoughts on it, welcome back to the side of justice Spider-Man! Can’t wait to see you kick ass in the MCU. So what do you think of Spidey joining the MCU? Are you happy like me and many other fans across the world or are you sad to see your Amazing Spider-Man film universe fall apart? Please comment below and let me know. Laters!
Howdy ladies and gents, hope you’re all doing well. Today I’m going to be doing a bit of an analytical post which will hopefully get some discussions going on in the comments below and the subject matter is on the superhero Hawkeye and where his character could go in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now it is no secret that Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye in the MCU is the least utilized of the Avengers team and to some degree is the least liked as well (at least from what I’ve seen and read on numerous websites over the last 2 years). Since making his brief appearance in Thor in 2011, the following year he then went on to be in The Avengers, but was primarily a villain as he was under mind control by Loki for like 75% of the film and since then his character has yet to reappear. So it is safe to say he has been given the short end of the stick and I don’t think it was intentional by Marvel Studios, however, this is the case and it has made him look like a fairly irrelevant character, even Black Widow, who is just as human as he is, has gotten featured more dominantly than he has which makes him look even worse in comparison. Besides comic book fans, most people bash Hawkeye and talk ill of him anytime he is mentioned in the news online and that really sucks.
Personally, I really like Renner’s version of Hawkeye. I think the guy is cool, his uniform (while lacking a mask or the glasses used in the promotional art), is pretty nice too, and his skills as an archer are pretty proficient and badass. I liked his first appearance in Thor and in Avengers as well. Now, while I’ve not read too many comics involving Hawkeye, but I have researched about him and seen him depicted in Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Avengers Assemble so I have gotten a pretty good idea of who he is and what he is capable of. I know that he’s supposed to have a bigger part in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but what happens beyond that? So with that in mind now I am going to suggest a few directions that the character could go in.
Put Him In Captain America 3
Now this is an option that has been mentioned/rumoured in the news recently, however, this would probably be the most logical place for Hawkeye’s character to go next. It makes more sense for Hawkeye to hang with Captain America than Tony Stark, Hulk or Thor for the following reasons:
Cap and Hawkeye have ties in the comics and I think it would be cool to explore their relationship on-screen a bit especially since he was as close to S.H.I.E.L.D. as Black Widow and Nick Fury were.
Captain America, even with his shield and super soldier serum, is still human, and so were his crew (Falcon and Black Widow) in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and look how much damage they caused. Now imagine if Hawkeye was added to that mix? Honestly, they would be a well-rounded group of heroes of the human variety doing some very good missions together both on and off of the battlefield.
Hawkeye belongs with people he’s worked with before and is able to relate to in terms of abilities and chemistry, and is definitely Cap and Black Widow of all of the Avengers.
On top of those points I believe it would be a good opportunity to show off not only more of Hawkeye’s abilities in hand-to-hand combat, but also give us a bit more of his personality and show why he belongs on the Avengers team. However, its still early days when it comes to Cap 3 and obviously you don’t want the next film to be overstuffed with too many characters, that being said Hawkeye almost made it into Winter Soldier, according to a recent interview with the Russo Brothers, so may he can make it into the next Cap adventure if Renner’s schedule permits it.
If Black Widow Gets Her Own Film, Let Him Join Her
There’s been a lot of talk about Black Widow getting her own film for a while now and after Winter Soldier it seems like fans are definitely down for a solo film featuring the only female Avenger. Even though Marvel Studios are hard at work crafting their vision of the MCU, I do think a Black Widow film is getting closer to becoming a reality and if that is the case I feel like it would be a missed opportunity if Hawkeye wasn’t included. I mean both of them are highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and held in high regard, but she’s clearly had more missions and screen time, and with this solo film it would be a slap in the face to Hawkeye if they didn’t include him in some capacity.
What they could do is give a role similar to what he did in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol where is in the thick of the action and has a big role, but isn’t the main star. And of course, since Black Widow and Hawkeye have history, this film would be the best place to explore that. The small moments with them together in The Avengers were some of my favourite moments like when they discussed Widow’s conversation with Loki or when they were fighting the Chitauri and briefly mentioned Budapest, that kind of stuff I would like to learn more about. Possibly have some flashbacks of their older missions or possibly when they first met, there are a lot of ways they could handle these two and it would be great for Hawkeye as he would be fleshed out a bit more while also complimenting Widow in the process.
Other Films In Phase 3 & Beyond
Now this is where I just start taking random stabs in the dark about where to place the character purely because, beyond Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Doctor Strange, Thor 3 and a potential Black Panther film, there are no solid confirmations of any other Marvel projects at the is point in time. So at this point I will just suggest two films where Hawkeye could appear and state my reasons for he would be there. Now that we know that the Doctor Strange film is happening, I feel like it would be nice to have someone from the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. around to help out if the enemy was one that humans could help out with, plus it would be a good way to usher in a character unfamiliar with things of the supernatural. Another option would be to stick him in the Black Panther film, why? Because again, even though a film of this nature should just be about the residents of Wakanda and their culture, what this film could do is introduce an enemy who was after the Vibranium and maybe Hawkeye could be sent by S.H.I.E.L.D. to help. He could be a supporting character and help strengthen the connection between heroes overseas.
Conclusion
In the end, Hawkeye is a cool character and Jeremy Renner is a great actor and I believe he deserves more screen time to show off why his character is such a badass in the comics. Now keep in mind that all of these ideas are pre-Avengers 2 so some of these suggestions may come to fruition next year, but for now this is some of my hopes for the character that will hopefully come to pass.
So how do you feel about the character of Hawkeye? Do you like him or do you not care for him and are you down with the idea or do you feel like it is a waste of time? Comment below and let me know! 😀
Good day to you ladies and gentlemen, how are you all doing? Good I hope, anyways I’m here to deliver some Marvel news again, except this time it concerns their upcoming Netflix series that they will begin making later on this year. The following information comes from ComicBookMovie:
Many fans assumed that Marvel’s Netflix shows, consisting of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Defenders shows, will take place during the MCU, while others weren’t quite sure. Joe Quesada recently confirmed on the Fat Man On Batman podcast that they will. “There will be some interconnectivity, much like the movies,” revealed Quesada. “They will exist within the cinematic universe again, so this is all the same world as S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers.” He also talked more about introducing street-level characters and elaborates on how unique the characters are and how they are different than the other characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Although these are superhero stories, this is different now. This is the street level…this is the street level noir side of the Marvel Universe. Something that you haven’t really, really seen in any of our Marvel movies,” said Quesada. “And probably more ground level, than I think you’ve seen. This is not like us doing Batman, Dark Knight or any of that stuff. This is very Marvel doing street level superheroes.” He also says that they are starting to finish off their scripts to get the series started soon, and talk about how emotional some of them are. “The scripts are coming in. They are pretty fantastic. They’re really emotional. They’re very, very original. But at the same time, it is Daredevil. It is Matt Murdock. We will eventually, hopefully start casting really, really soon, but I’m very, very excited about it.” With filming expected to start soon, we will all look out for some set photos in the future which should reveal the costumes in the series. Quesada reveals that we should expect to see the Daredevil series take place in Hell’s Kitchen, which should hopefully excite many fans. “We’re shooting in New York. That’s the fantastic thing about it is that we’re shooting at home. We’re shooting where these characters belong,” said Quesada. “These stories take place in Hell’s Kitchen.” He described the Daredevil set briefly, saying that it “smells of dark alley, vomit, and piss.”
Well after that all I can say is thank god! Honestly I sort of knew and hoped that these new Netflix series’ would be part of the MCU, I mean the people at Marvel would be kind of silly not to include them, but just getting this reassurance from one the people involved just give me hope for the future and allows me to rest easy. I like how smaller, yet still significant Marvel characters like Daredevil and Iron Fist are finally getting the spotlight they deserve, while of course it is on the small screen and properly won’t get as much exposure as they would in a massive film, I feel like it’s still good that these characters are getting a chance to be all that they can be in these specialized TV shows and from the way Quesada talks about them it seems like he understands what makes them special and unique. I’m really liking the sound of “street level noir”, I’m getting series Batman: The Animated Series vibes from that and if it anything as good as that show it terms of its style, atmosphere and tone then we’re in for a good show. I’m curious to see how the character of Daredevil is handled, how much will his powers factor into play? Will be super, super-powered or be a little more grounded and realistic? And talking about realism, what kind of realism is this show gonna go for, will be in line with what we’ve seen in the MCU already or will it be even more realistic? I know I’m asking a lot of questions, but those are the things I think a lot of people want to know.
The only thing I’m concerned about is the tone. Since this isn’t directly tied to television or film, there are opportunities for these new filmmakers to take these comic book properties in very dark, adult and interesting places considering the source material they’re working with. I’m just wondering since it is set in the same universe as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and films like Avengers, will they be able to blend or will they be treated separately with the old passing reference and easter eggs lurking around? So many questions to ask and no way to know until the shows happen. I guess we’ll find out once Daredevil eventually shows up.
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