The Russo's to direct Avengers: The Infinity War

Captain America: The Winter Soldier directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, have officially been hired to direct Avengers: The Infinity War - Part 1 and Part 2. This isn't much of a surprise as they also were selected to direct Captain America: Civil War. Also in talks for The Infinity War are screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The pair has written scripts for all three Captain America films along with Thor: The Dark World and ABC's Agent Carter.
The Infinity War is going to be the biggest production yet as both parts will shoot back to back in 2016 and 2017. Part 1 is set for a 2018 release while Part 2 is set for 2019. 

A random sidenote, but this also confirms that Joss Whedon is indeed finished with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He previously stated that Avengers: Age of Ultron would most likely be his last Marvel film and that seems to be true. He wants to move on and start doing some more original projects. Sad day.

Summary of last week's Marvel announcements

I was on vacation last week so I am playing a bit of catch-up with everything that I missed. By far the biggest event that I missed out on was Kevin Feige's Marvel event which announced the full size of phase three and gave a lot of casting news and also hinted at Marvel's direction with certain existing characters.

Starting off, let's look at this massive schedule they gave us...

Captain America: Civil War (May 6, 2016)
Doctor Strange (November 4, 2016)
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (May 5, 2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (July 28, 2017)
Black Panther (November 3, 2017)
Avengers: Infinity War - Part I (May 4, 2018)
Captain Marvel (July 6, 2018)
Inhumans (November 2, 2018)
Avengers: Infinity War - Part II (May 3, 2019)

In addition to this schedule there was confirmation that all films will be released in 3D. The title of Captain America also confirms the Civil War rumor that was floating around, so we will see Robert Downey Jr. in that film. It is also possible that he could appear in Thor: Ragnarok seeing that there is no Iron Man 4 on the list.

Speaking of casting, there were announcements regarding Black Panther along with Doctor Strange. The surprise introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was definitely Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther. You might recognize Boseman from the James Brown biopic, Get On Up, and the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42. He has reportedly signed a five film contract with Marvel and will appear as early as Captain America: Civil War before appearing in his solo film in 2017. Black Panther, otherwise known as T'Challa, is the leader of the panther tribe in the African nation of Wakanda. He later joins The Avengers.
Regarding Doctor Strange, we did finally receive word of an actor who has entered final negotiations to star in the lead role. So much for people wishing it would be Jared Leto because Benedict Cumberbatch has secured the role. Cumberbatch has seen a big surge in work in the past couple of years and I personally am worried that he is becoming a little overused, especially for a big franchise like this, but I don't think he will do badly. His voice alone is a great fit for the character. Prior to his involvement, Joaquin Phoenix had secured the role but negotiations fell through and he walked away from the project. The inside rumors were that Phoenix was not comfortable with the amount of backlash that came with the role such as press tours, talk shows, multi-film commitments, etc..

Moving onto the announcement of Thor: Ragnarok, this does tie into Robert Downey Jr.'s extended involvement with this film franchise aside from solo Iron Man films. The story of Ragnarok apparently takes place right after Avengers: Age of Ultron where Tony Stark creates a cyborg clone of Thor to aid his pro-Superhero Registration Act team in the Civil War. This also could tie into the characters to be introduced in Ant-Man as Stark works with Hank Pym in order to properly clone Thor. There was also confirmation by Kevin Feige that the lineup of The Avengers will change after Age of Ultron, so it's possible that Chris Hemsworth's Thor will go missing or will be killed in the 2015 Avengers sequel causing Ragnarok to be created.
However, there is another possibility with Thor: Ragnarok. According to some sources, there are guesses that the Ragnarok subtitle could be referencing the "Norse End of Days" where Asgard is destroyed and submerged into water. It is also worth mentioning that insiders are saying Thor will not appear in Avengers: Infinity War - Part I or Part II, so the possibility of Marvel retiring Thor from the MCU is plausible.
In addition to all of this Thor news, we did not receive any information on if the actors exclusive to those films will be returning. I am of course referring to Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Jaimie Alexander, and so on. I would assume Natalie Portman's contract wasn't just for two films but you never know. I would personally like to see Jane Foster in a bigger role as the universe expands but that could just be wishful thinking at this point.

Continuing on with what we aren't seeing, or potentially aren't seeing, Marvel has also said that they have no immediate plans for solo films for Black Widow and Hulk. All of us who were hoping for the Planet Hulk arc or another solo Hulk can sit down and keep wishing. Kevin Feige stated that there was a possibility for a solo Black Widow film but that he was never fully on board with it and that the Hulk might happen but nothing is in the works as of right now. He feels the character was successfully rebooted in The Avengers with Mark Ruffalo and that it can be left at that. He wants to focus on bringing us new characters and begin expanding the universe. 
Many thought Black Widow was Marvel's chance to showcase a female driven superhero film, but they are doing that with Captain Marvel in 2018. It's still up in the air on whether she will appear in either of the Infinity War films, or have a cameo in Civil War, but we will be receiving the film either way. The Captain Marvel we are getting is Carol Danvers, a NASA director who is turned into a Kree-Human hybrid after encountering Mar-Vell (a Kree warrior). Her powers include super strength, super speed, invulnerability, and the ability to fire energy blasts from her hands. (A sidenote to remember was the introduction we had to the Kree in Guardians of the Galaxy) There is no casting announced for Captain Marvel, but I am sure it will be a coveted and much sought after role, especially with the direct competition with Warner Bros/DC's Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot.

In addition to these announcements, we did once again receive confirmation on the release of Inhumans and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Guardians will see James Gunn return to write and direct once more as Inhumans currently has no director attached and no cast.

Saved the best for last... let's talk about The Infinity War. Marvel has decided to compete with the division of Justice League into two parts by dividing the third Avengers film into two parts with two films in between. We got our first tease of Thanos in the mid-credits scene of The Avengers film and finally got our first full look at him in Guardians of the Galaxy. We might see more glimpses of him as more infinity stones are revealed, but the major reveal of Thanos will indeed come with these two Infinity War films. We already have Josh Brolin cast as the villain.
The Infinity Gauntlet is the culmination of all of these little trinkets we have seen introduced bit by bit; the Tesseract, the Aether, and the Orb. There are six infinity stones total so we still have three to go, but with five films coming before Part I and another two in between, there is plenty of time for Thanos to obtain all six stones. In his quest to obtain them he does murder a lot of Marvel heroes, so the idea of Thor disappearing might just become a reality. We also must keep in mind the rumor surrounding the Winter Soldier arc where Bucky takes over for Captain Rogers.
Personally, I hope these two films act as a massive team up with all of these characters. Seeing Guardians of the Galaxy fighting alongside The Avengers would probably make me giggle in my seat. I think all of this being set up is very exciting.

Idris Elba spoils Age of Ultron cameos

It was recently revealed, and more like spoiled, by actor Idris Elba regarding cameos that will be in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Elba confirmed that he will be appearing in the sequel as Heimdall, the gatekeeper of Asgard. He has already appeared in both Thor and Thor: The Dark World and it seems that his presence is needed once more.

In addition to his cameo, he also revealed that he will also be sharing a scene with... wait for it... Tom Hiddleston. Yes, that means we will once again see Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given how The Dark World ended and with the announcement of a third film, Thor: Ragnarok, it does kind of make sense to include Loki once more.

Jared Leto rumored to play Doctor Strange

Add another actor to the rumor pit!

Recent Oscar winner Jared Leto is apparently being considered for the role of Doctor Strange in the upcoming movie to be directed by Scott Derrickson. If you are unfamiliar, this character has his hands mangled in an accident and begins learning mystical art to heal his injuries. He eventually becomes a Sorcerer Supreme to protect our world from magical threats. That is why rumors initially circulated that he would have a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy and/or The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Back to the point, Jared Leto would be a very interesting choice for this role. Stephen Strange is often compared to Tony Stark when it comes to arrogance and I don't really think Leto has that kind of self absorption in him. However, he is by no means a bad actor. He won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club that was well deserved and he delivered rather good performances in Panic Room, Requiem for a Dream, and Mr. Nobody as well as a nice support in American Psycho.
He has also been known to really submerge himself in his roles (similar to the so-called Heath Ledger effect). He starved himself down 28lbs for the role of Harry Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream, he gained 62lbs for the role of Mark David Chapman in Chapter 27, and he dropped 30lbs and shaved his eyebrows for the role of Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. 

However, with Leto kind of disappearing from Hollywood since his Oscar win and now focusing on 30 Seconds to Mars there is a possibility that he won't accept this if it is offered. It is no secret that committing to Marvel takes up a lot of time and most likely involves multiple movies and a long contract. So far in his career Leto hasn't appeared in one sequel or continuation of a film he already starred in. Truth be told his filmography only contains 22 films over the span of 19 years.
But even with all that, I don't think I would be upset if Leto was cast. I like him and I don't think I have ever been disappointed with anything I have seen him in. Just prepare to probably have 30 Seconds to Mars playing during the credits.

Ant-Man vacancy saga continues. Who will direct?

There are two conflicting sides to this bit of news today.

Initially there were reports that director Rawson Thurber was offered the director's spot for Ant-Man and quickly turned it down. There was no reasoning given and it made him the second director in a week to turn it down after director Adam McKay passed on it.
However, Jeremy Smith from AICN (Ain't it Cool News) has come out saying Thurber was never even offered the job and people need to change their stories.

Either way, Ant-Man is proving to be very difficult and with the production start date coming up fast there is no doubt that Marvel is probably scrambling at this point. My guess will be we will see either a very familiar face or someone we don't even know. With that said, I won't be surprised if we see a familiar name like Gore Verbinski or Brett Ratner. I won't like it but it won't be surprising.

Personally, I think the only other director I would like to give this one a go would be Matthew Vaughn. Between X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass I think he would be a great fit for Ant-Man, but it probably won't happen. He's currently on as a producer for Fox's Fantastic Four reboot and will be doing press for Kingsman: The Secret Service later this year. Another one I would love to see get a chance (think about it) is Spike Jonze. Other good possibilities would be Gareth Evans, Rupert Wyatt, McG, or Jeff Wadlow.

Any directors you would like to see get a chance with Ant-Man or is this movie doomed before it even gets rolling?

Scott Derrickson to direct Doctor Strange

Marvel pretty much just confirmed a Doctor Strange movie as director Scott Derrickson is in negotiations to direct the film.

Derrickson's filmography includes The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, and the new release Deliver Us From Evil. Seeing this filmography it is a bit of a surprising choice. Not to mention the studio seems to be iffy on wildcards (example being Edgar Wright's departure from Ant-Man).
There is no one currently set for the lead role but rumors have previously swirled around Viggo Mortensen and Johnny Depp. No details about a potential release date have been revealed, either.

Guardians of the Galaxy will tie into The Avengers 3

Curiosity is rising regarding Marvel's next release, Guardians of the Galaxy, in terms of how it will tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Director James Gunn recently spoke on the subject and said it will tie into the third Avengers installment.

Captain America once again served as a prequel to The Avengers with The Winter Soldier going right into The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Speculation about how Guardians of the Galaxy will tie into everything has been elaborated on a bit by director James Gunn.
Gunn made perhaps the biggest statement by confirming that Thanos will be appearing in GOTG via motion capture. Thanos is described to be the "head of the snake." Many assume the villain would appear in the second Avengers film, but he was passed over for Ultron and now it seems that reason was so he could appear in Guardians of the Galaxy.
In addition to this, the Infinity Stones have been teased in the existing Marvel films. In the comics, Thanos collects the stones to power The Infinity Gauntlet which gives him ultimate and unlimited power. So far the "stones" we have seen are the Tesseract and the Aether. From what we have seen from Guardians of the Galaxy so far, the orb sought after by Star-Lord might be serving as another piece of the Gauntlet. I also wouldn't count another piece appearing in Ant-Man.

The one thing we need to remember regarding this movie is it is a precursor and introduction to Marvel Phase Three which is moving away from the main heroes we have been dealing with since Iron Man's debut back in 2008. We are dealing with different villains, different heroes, and different stories. I am sure there will be some things from Phase Two that will carry into Phase Three, but for now this is what we have and it is mighty exciting.

[Updated] Paul Rudd in talks for Ant-Man

So it appears the rumors were true. Paul Rudd is apparently in very early talks to play Ant-Man in the upcoming Marvel film. Hank Pym (aka, Ant-Man) is being brought to us by Edgar Wright on July 31, 2015.

It was originally rumored that Simon Pegg was being considered for the role, but those were shot down after word got out that Wright was leaning towards Rudd for the lead role. Rudd's direct competition was Joseph Gordon-Levitt who just signed on to direct and star in an adaptation of Sandman. It is assumed that Hank Pym will be dealing with the backlash of The Avengers: Age of Ultron seeing that the sequel opens just three months prior to Ant-Man. There are no plot details as of now and no villain set, but it has been said that the main villain from Age of Ultron will not play a part in Ant-Man.
In the comic world, Pym was a founder of The Avengers along with his girlfriend, Janet Van Dyne (aka, Wasp). In the cinematic universe it appears he will be joining the party a little late as we already have Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, and Hulk in the group. However, I wouldn't be surprised if they add in a Pym cameo seeing that Ultron is his own creation. Either that or Ultron will ultimately be saved until The Avengers 3.

[UPDATE] Marvel has confirmed that Paul Rudd will play Ant-Man. The studio says this deal has been finalized for quite sometime, it just hadn't been officially released. They also cited that Rudd has been their frontrunner since Wright's film was approved.
After letting this sink in a bit, I don't think Paul Rudd will do a bad job. Similar to the other heroes they have a decent mixture of comedy and seriousness and Paul Rudd is great at balancing both. Welcome aboard, Paul.

Is Simon Pegg our Ant-Man?

There have been some names thrown out for the role of Ant-Man but so far no one has been cast or even seriously mentioned. Now we have some rumor that Simon Pegg, the frequent collaborator with director Edgar Wright, is being considered for the role.

Apparently Pegg paid a visit to Marvel Studios and posted some photos via Twitter. If you recall, Vin Diesel recently did something similar and shortly after it was announced that he was in talks for the role of Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, Pegg being at Marvel isn't confirmation of anything but it is some sort of proof that the wheels may be turning for Ant-Man casting.

Guardians of the Galaxy villains revealed

So the internet says.

According to the rumors flying around the roles for Benicio del Toro, Lee Pace, and Karen Gillan in Guardians of the Galaxy. Apparently del Toro will be playing The Collector, Pace will play Ronan the Accuser, and Gillan is responsible for Nebula.

Here are some basics for each character:

The Collector is one of the elders of the universe. Otherwise known as Taneleer Tivan, he is extremely powerful with the true form of a powerful alien. After his wife relinquished her immortality he began collecting various items, most very valuable and rare, to maintain his sanity. Eventually, he obtained the power of prophecy and became a threat to Thanos. He created a museum of artifacts to protect them from Thanos including holding one of six gems from The Infinity Gauntlet. The Collector later came to Earth and enslaved Thor, captured Wasp and members of The Avengers, and eventually compelled Iron Man to serve him as a pawn. He possesses the power to manipulate cosmic energy and has a vast knowledge of the galaxy and alien worlds and species.

Ronan the Accuser made his first appearance alongside Fantastic Four. He originated on the Kree Empire and quickly rose to a high ranking military member in the Accuser Corps. Ronan was then sent to Earth to investigate the defeat of a robotic Sentry by Fantastic Four and is defeated by the team as well. He then tries to overthrow the powers than be in the Kree Empire and is mentally defeated and goes on to destroy a duplicate of the Silver Surfer. He possesses superhuman strength, endurance, speed, and reflexes. All powers are enhanced by an exoskeleton armor. 

Nebula is an alien supervillain and probably the baddest of the three announced for Guardians of the Galaxy. She is often described as a brutal mercenary Nebula seized control of the spaceship Sanctuary II which was under the command of Thanos. She believed Thanos to be dead and also claimed he was her kin, so she created a team of pirates which consisted of Skunge, Kehl, Gunthar, and Levan. She approached Captain Marvel to join her mercenary gang and later attacked The Avengers. She ran into trouble after Thanos was resurrected and he reclaimed the Sanctuary II and nearly killed Nebula. Using the Infinity Gems he transformed her into a mindless zombie and physically turned her grotesque. Thanos then claimed the Infinity Gauntlet and boasted Nebula claiming she was his greatest creation. Nebula later was able to claim the Gauntlet from Thanos and used its power to restore herself and banish Thanos and attempt to conquer the universe for herself. Thanos struck a deal with a group of heroes to defeat Nebula. The group consisted of Doctor Strange, Adam Warlock, The Silver Surfer, Thor, Hulk, Firelord, Doctor Doom, and Drax the Destroyer. Nebula was captured by Starfox and returned to Titan for trial where she was later imprisoned. Her powers include gifts in intellect and strategy and is a very skilled combatant in both armed and unarmed situations.


Now with all that said, it's pretty safe to assume these villains won't stop at Guardians of the Galaxy. At least not all of them. I would love to bet that Nebula will extend past The Avengers 2 and will go well into Phase Three. I wouldn't put much stock into The Collector and Ronan the Accuser as of right now because when you look at who these characters are, Nebula is by far the baddest and most dangerous. She is also the most intertwined with Thanos who has already been announced. This Cinematic Universe is getting pretty big.
I also think, despite them being made by different studios, this would be the opportunity to reference the new Fantastic Four. Seeing that Ronan the Accuser mainly dealt with them and Thanos uses both Doctor Doom and The Silver Surfer to defeat Nebula it's kind of a no brainer. 

Guardians of the Galaxy is set to premiere on August 1, 2014 and is being directed by James Gunn. Cast members already secured are Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), John C. Reilly (Rhomann Dey), and Michael Rooker (Yondu).

Robert Downey Jr. will return for The Avengers 2 & 3

There has been much rumor and speculation around Robert Downey Jr.'s future as Iron Man. People were saying Iron Man 3 was the last time we would see Downey as Tony Stark, others said he had already signed on for more movies, few said that Iron Man was gone for good, etc..

We now have confirmation that Downey will indeed reprise the role of Tony Stark for The Avengers 2 and The Avengers 3. Now keep in mind that this is a 2-picture deal and it does not include a commitment to a fourth Iron Man movie. This also pretty much guarantees that Tony Stark will not make an appearance in any other Phase Two or Phase Three movies no matter how small the part. Not unless separate contracts are signed.
Seeing that Robert Downey Jr. has made it public that he doesn't want his career to be centered around Iron Man and that he thinks he would like to retire from the character at 50, I think it's safe to say The Avengers 3 will be the last time we have Downey as Tony Stark. If Marvel continues with these characters past Phase Three he will no doubt be absent.

How will the Hulk fit into Marvel Phase Two and Three?

While it appeared that the only way we may continue seeing Bruce Banner (aka, the Hulk) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was through small parts and/or cameos it seems that we were wrong. Or could still be wrong.

Rumor has it that Marvel is working on a separate storyline for the Hulk that will send him far away and will take place in another stand-alone Hulk movie. Kevin Feige pretty much confirmed that another Hulk movie won't take place until after The Avengers 2 which would automatically put it in Phase Three. The only real confirmation for Phase Three so far is Edgar Wright's Ant-Man which was originally supposed to wrap up Phase Two.
However, with the introduction of Doctor Strange there are a couple Hulk arcs that are possible for not only a stand-alone Hulk movie but as a potential lead into both The Avengers 3 and the stand-alone Doctor Strange movie. Those arcs being, of course, "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk." Some good points highlighted via Latino Review give a possible outline for the future of Dr. Banner.

Let's start with Planet Hulk:
1. Don't expect to see the Hulk until The Avengers 2, but he might show up in a Phase Two post-credit scene to set up a potential stand-alone Hulk movie.

2. After being deemed incredibly dangerous, Hulk is banished from Earth and shipped off into space by Marvel's version of the Illuminati which includes Tony Stark (aka, Iron Man) and Doctor Strange.

3. After Hulk is shipped off is where the Planet Hulk arc comes into play. He is sent into space where he is held captive on the planet Sakaar and forced to participate in gladiator games. Hulk eventually becomes a hero and leads a rebellion against the Red King.

Now here comes the potential entrance of World War Hulk:
1. After the rebellion the Hulk has a pretty decent amount of loyal followers which is basically an army and at this point, the Hulk is pissed off more than usual. The thought is that Hulk will return to Earth with his army to begin the "World War Hulk" arc.

2. In "World War Hulk", he basically returns and he and his army fight just about every hero and heroic team on Earth. Eventually the teams and heroes are pitted against each other in gladiator style combat which is similar to what he was forced into on Sakaar.


Now this is fully possible due to the fact that Mark Ruffalo signed a 6-movie deal with Marvel which began with The Avengers. He still technically has five more appearances to make. I have no doubt he will be in both The Avengers 2 and The Avengers 3, but that leaves 3 more movies he has to appear in and I highly doubt they will just be after-credit cameos.

Yet another thing that makes this possible, which is my personal theory, is the fact that World War Hulk includes Fantastic Four and X-Men. Seeing that we will be getting a new Fantastic Four in 2014 and we already have the ball rolling on X-Men with the release of X-Men: First Class and X-Men Days of Future Past for next year... it is completely possible that The Avengers 3 could center around the Hulk with this "World War Hulk" scenario. It would be a great way to bring every Marvel hero into play at the same time without overloading. I think that would be awesome, by the way.

Ant-Man confirmed for Marvel Phase 3; Doctor Strange included

Kevin Feige, Marvel's President of Production, has confirmed some early details regarding Marvel Phase Three which will begin after The Avengers 2 in 2015. The first major detail being confirmation of Edgar Wright's Ant-Man project. Feige stated in an interview with MTV that Ant-Man will launch Phase Three on November 6th, 2015.
Also mentioned was the long awaited inclusion of Doctor Strange. There was no real confirmation of exactly where Doctor Strange is going to pop up first, but Feige hinted toward Guardians of the Galaxy so it's possible he may have his first cameo there. He also could show up in The Avengers 2. At this point anything is possible.


And before getting too excited about this news don't forget we still have Phase Two which kicks off this May with Iron Man 3. Following Iron Man we have Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Avengers 2.