Marvel Rumours...
 

Hey, just received this in my inbox and thought you guys might be interested...

So it looks like a reboot of Captain America (the last version is hopefully forgotten to the mists of time). It also looks like the Avengers will be in play, it will be interesting to see how they tie that into the current Iron Man franchise (will they get Downey Jr. to play Iron Man?).

What do you think of Thor and Ant-Man (also Avengers)?

Thor and Ant-Man, seriously?

I mean, in the context of an Avengers film, sure. Thor is ultra-cool, but I'm not sure there's enough of a fanbase there. And Ant-Man? Of all the Avengers to spin off, they chose Ant-Man? Also known as the lamest superhero Marvel ever devised?

I'm a hair's breadth from giving up on the Spider-Man film franchise and have already given up on the X-Men film franchise. As far as I'm concerned that one is beyond saving without resorting to the sort of implausible plot lines that simply don't work outside of the books themselves. Spider-Man is going to run into Batman syndrome pretty soon due to the writers' penchant for killing off all of the villains (except for Spoiler: Sandman, who inexplicably became a misunderstood anti-hero instead of an overpowered street thug), but I'll give them one more film to turn it around before I write the franchise off completely, mostly because I really don't want them to fuck up Spider-Man. I didn't even see the Hulk film, but by all reports I didn't miss much.

Honestly, the folks at Marvel confuse me. They do something truly inspired (Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark) and then they turn around and stuff something else up entirely. X-Men 2 was the perfect lead-in to the Phoenix saga, which could've spanned two or three films in and of itself, but instead they made that piece of trash third film for no apparent reason and destroyed the possibility of any further X-Men films being made (or of anyone wanting to see them).

And now I find out that they're doing an Avengers film (awesome) followed by an Ant-Man film (lame).

It just doesn't make sense.

EDIT - I hope they model Thor after the Ultimate version. Because anarchist beer-swilling demigods/schizophrenics are just cooler.

Nothing to do with fanbase - how many comics does Iron Man sell? Not very many.

I think the only thing counting against Thor is that the best comic book adaptations have often been the origin stories and or characters with good original stories (i.e., Dark Phoenix saga, Gwen Stacy, etc) - Batman, Superman, Spiderman, X-Men and even Iron Man all share these characteristics. Not sure where Thor fits in in that context. The film writers have largely ripped off existing stories to adapt.

For my money, I see them dropping the ant-man thing altogether. He really is one of the lamest superheroes.

Interesting note about Marvel... Iron Man is the first film they've made on their own. All of the rest were big studio co-productions.

Ant man? I sure do hope they drop that. But Thor on the other hand? I have always been a big fan of Thor, he kicks some ass.

Here are some other films they are thinking of doing:

Is it really so expected that they would screw up like this with some lame movies? I am not going out on a limb here and remind everyone about Daredevil, Elektra, and Ghost Rider?


My personal notes:
I personally liked Hulk. I will agree with others and say that the Spider-man and X-Men series are ruined after their third installation. I would go so far to say that SM 1 damn near ruined it but, for me, Molina as Octavius was great and saved the second movie for me. When I saw this list, I geeked out at Punisher 2... but they don't have T. Jane playing Castle? //twitch//

Aww c'mon guys, you mean you don't think he's cute enough to make a movie of?

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/170/atomantup2.gif

(Yes, I know that's not Marvel's Antman/Giant Man/Goliath/Yellowjacket)

I personally always liked Vision. Maybe because he was an andriod and yet still bagged a hottie of a wife.

Augi, I'll trump your liking of Hulk by opening myself up for ridicule and abuse in saying that I thought Daredevil was not bad. Admittedly, I was not much of a Daredevil fan, but I was aware of his backstory, powers, etc.

But I totally agree that Ghost Rider was a complete waste and an embarrassment.

I forgot about Ghost Rider. Or maybe suppressed it.

Daredevil wasn't bad. It was hardly a masterpiece of filmmaking, but it also was far from the worst film of the recent Marvel crop.

Further reading has confirmed that Thor is following the 616 origin story. My tentative theory at this early stage is that unless they can get somebody really amazing to play Thor it's gonna suck. Even with a great actor the suckage potential is alarmingly high.

The world needs to get over the Wolverine fascination. C'mon now. He's not that cool.

Captain America has the potential to be really good or really not, depending on how they handle the cheese factor.

Why Black Panther, Deathlok or Doctor Strange deserve their own films, I do not know. Of the three I reckon Doctor Strange has the most potential.

I'd watch Black Panther, but only if he stuck it to white America. Cracka ass crackas.

Just remember that Daredevil, Elektra and Ghost Rider were developed by rights holders rather than Marvel itself. I am not sure it would make a difference but it should be noted that producers who've paid for the rights get to do what they want (look at Roger Corman's Fantastic Four, The Punisher and Captain America for examples of this).

Just so long as none of these films are made by Tim Burton I will be OK. Bring on people who respect the source material. Bring on the fanboy directors.

The suckage potential is through the roof! All the instruments are breaking! I don't know how they could contain so much suck in a single movie! So much suck in such a small movie... it... it's bordering on becoming a singularity of suck- a suck-hole with the potential to destroy all of Hollywood as we know it!
I... think I have gone too far...

Agreed. Nightcrawler is where it is at!

I didn't know about the first comment...
I have to agree with the second comment.

nah, I think you can fit a few more 'sucks' in that paragraph :)

FWIW - I haven't really thought much of any of the recent comic books made into films. First and foremost these films really have to stand on their own regardless of the source material. They are almost as bad as the computer games made into movies.

Could be worse, it could be Joel Schumacher. We've already had too many superhero movies with nippled up costumes.

To my mind, Joel Schumacher is in the same category as Tim Burton.

Every once in a while, X-Men 2 will be on TV or something, and I'll watch it all the way through and be simply awestruck at how well-crafted and perfect that movie was - I'll start to get excited about X-Men 3, and how much potential there is to make it so completely awesome, and then I think about what you just said and I seriously just feel like blowing my fucking brains out.......

X-Men 2 is probably in the top three for best comic book movies ever made - simply AWESOME movie, one of the best endings ever in a movie. The reactions of Wolverine and Cyclops to the Jean Grey deal transcend comic book hokiness and hit you personally - quite emotional. Just a good, solid movie. Why in the fuck did they have to completely ruin the damn series with 3????? Why Marvel, why?????

Also, do a Find and Replace with "X-Men 3" in the above paragraphs with Spiderman 3, and I feel the same way

What the fuck were they thinking???

Redjake, *someone* went on to do Superman Returns instead of X-Men 3. That's why it happened.

Superheros aside, I will hear none of anyone's mud about The Phantom of the Opera.

Damn *someone*. Damn them to hell.

Which Cap movie were you talking about, Charlie?
The 1970's/80's tv movies starring Reb Brown, or the 1990 movie starring Matt Salinger? Or was it another one, that I missed?

Granted, both versions were bad, but the Reb Brown ones have a special place in my childhood memories.
I used to run around my front yard flinging my vibranium/experimental iron alloy shield (garbage can lid) at everything, including my brother (beat me up afterwards) until I ruined that sucker.
My pop wouldn't let me play with the new one, which looked just like the convexed disc of Cap's shield, except for the handle on the outside.
I wanted to somehow weld the handle on the inside, but my pop wouldn't let me touch his welder, and I doubt it was the right type of welder for aluminum anyway.

Anyway, I hope to hell they do a good job on Cap and Thor, and I can't wait for IM's DVD release.

Thor would have to be a CGI character - can't see them finding a real actor (not a Brock Lesnar) big enough to do the job.

They could do a Beowulf with that one, especially if there is a lot of Asgardian stuff going on.

Fremen...I was thinking of the 90s movie.

Speaking of cheese, does anyone remember the live action Spiderman series from the 70s?

I thought the new Hulk movie looked like it will be pretty good. I like Edward Norton as Bruce, and they have the Abomination as the bad guy.

I don't give a crap what superhero they base a movie on as long as it's good. Some people think that comicbook canon-following is the most crucial part of a comic book movie but not me. Just PLEASE make the movie good and I don't care about the rest.

You mean the one that starred an almost 30 year old Peter Parker instead of a teenager?

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/250/hammondwf7.jpg

Never heard of it. ;)

I also don't remember that spiderman was a regular on the Electric Comany. :thumbsup:

I actually loved Ang Lee's Hulk. I think people were expecting the usual pound 'em up superhero flick, and instead, they got a quasi-Zen meditation on Man vs. Nature, fathers and sons, and the meaning of internally-generated identity. Which I liked very much, but I recognize that I am in the minority. I think Jack Kirby would've loved it, too. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to Ed Norton's take, too, though.

I think the Captain America and Avengers movies are great ideas! Can't wait to see 'em. Also Luke Cage and Dr. Strange!

What I'd also like to see:

Excalibur
Captain Britain
Alpha Flight (I liked them better than Omega Flight)
New Mutants/X-Force

I'm old fashioned, I know....

I hope to god they'll do Capt. America in a WWII setting and cinematography better be like Bands of Brothers/Saving private Ryan (minus the camera shaking). And they cast the villain in Casino Royale as the Red Skull. I can die a peaceful man if that happens.

I agree, but Gambit will be in origins and he is that cool.

Amen brother.

Damn straight. I wasn't a Thor fan at all until the Ultimates line.

An Avenger movie done right, would rock the socks. A Captain America movie could be pretty cool as well as long as--like you said--careful with the cheese factor.

The rest, I really don't see anything good to come of them.

70's Spider-Man and 70's Incredible Hulk were mainstays of my childhood.

Did'ya know that Nicholas Hammond was one of the kids in Sound of Music?
I think he was Gretl.

The new Incredible Hulk makes all sorts of references to the 70s TV series...

Spoiler: The origin story is closer to the TV series, with being strapped in a chair and the crosshairs on his face, a shot of Bill Bixby in the Courtship of Eddie's Father, Lou Ferigno as a security guard and even quoting the music from the series... there may have been others that I missed as well...

There was also an increasingly solid reference to the Avengers Spoiler: when Robert Downey Jr. appears in a cameo with a hint about forming the Avengers... not to mention the whole supersoldier project (ie Captain America)

I wanna Deadpool movie!

I think there really is a fine line here. I think some characters or superheros simply don't work in the big screen format. There is something totally hammy about seeing oversized creatures beating the crap out of each in the middle of a city but to read it in a comic book it feels totally normal!

Either you have to have the right director cast etc who really know that character and try best to keep it true to its roots or we're going to see a series of Marvel flops; Daredevil, Ghost Rider and the third installments of spiderman & xmen.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458525/
Second credit.

I thought I read somewhere hear on TFP they're considering Brad Pitt for the job . . .


:confused:

Is that for real?

Yeah. Taylor Kitsch is playing him. I can't wait to see it.

Unfortunately yeah. I hate Gambit.

Blasphemy!

I'm not pumped about him. I'm pumped about Taylor Kitsch playing Gambit. That will make it more then worth it.

Truth! Gambit sucks. Seriously would someone tell me what is so good about Gambit? His costume is lame, his power is meh, his name dumb and has zero to do with anything about him.

All that aside, he has charisma!