Tag: avengers 2

Marvel Needs Joss Whedon to Stay Relevant

Jun. 21 News, TV & Movies Comments Off on Marvel Needs Joss Whedon to Stay Relevant

Have you noticed how often Joss Whedon is in the spotlight these days? Do you notice that entertainment sites and entertainment shows have been revolving so many of their reports around him, or at least quoting him whenever possible? There is a reason for that.

Joss Whedon

Joss Whedon

Robert Downey Jr. Rumors

Most of the news sources which were running the now-over Robert Downey Jr. rumors were quoting Joss Whedon. They would ask the director/producer about how the actor might not come back or about how he might be asking for more money for his costars or about how he might have tension with this star or that. Great pains were taken to keep Joss Whedon relevant.

Much Ado About Something

Did you know that Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing debuts this weekend? The movie has been done for well over a year, but is just hitting theaters now. Why would they want to have the movie hit this weekend in theaters? Could it be to take a small bite out of Man of Steel and get entertainment shows, reporters, and bloggers talking about Joss Whedon when they would have been talking about Man of Steel? If you have been following Much Ado About Nothing, you already know that Clark Gregg plays an important role in the movie. This leads to my next point.

Agents of Marvel

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. begins to air within a matter of months. Marvel is banking everything on the show because it could cause the company to have a strong foothold in primetime. By keeping Joss Whedon in the limelight, Marvel can manipulate them into mentioning the upcoming show. With Clark Gregg being in Much Ado About Nothing, the entertainment company gains another chance at a push in the media.

Joss Whedon – Superstar! (To the tune of Jesus Christ Superstar)

When we talk about the Marvel movies, our minds automatically point out the superstars involved. Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson were major stars before the Phase 1 movies, but Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evens, Chris Hemsworth, Clark Gregg, and Jeremy Renner have all become bigger stars as well. Marvel needs as many huge names attached to the project and by lifting Joss Whedon to a higher level, they gain another star on the Avengers project and on S.H.I.E.L.D. They need him to stay “in the papers” to continue to have his star shine brighter.

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Don’t Believe the Robert Downey Jr. Rumor Hype

Jun. 21 News, TV & Movies Comments Off on Don’t Believe the Robert Downey Jr. Rumor Hype

I am sure that you know by now that the geek world is ecstatic with the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would be back as Iron Man for Avengers 2 and Avengers 3. There were rumors about people wanting to back out of the project if Robert Downey Jr. was not involved, disputes over pay, and whispers about cast members who did not get along. I have a strong feeling that the hype was planned.

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3

The Timing of the Hype

Note that all of the rumors about Robert Downey Jr. and his future as Iron man happened in the space between the release of Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel. This took some of the attention away from the new DC Comics movie and placed it on Marvel. In business, it is a smart move to get people talking about your product during times when they should be talking about your competitor’s. Corporations have planners who try to decide when the best time is to steal thunder from competitors.

The Timing of the Announcement

Also take note about the timing of the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. is back online for Avengers 2 and Avengers 3. It was just days after Man of Steel raked money in at the box office and as the movie was prepping to make another strong weekend run. Yet another time for Marvel to steel thunder from DC Comics.

Controversy Adds Character

Now that we have some controversy surrounding Robert Downey Jr., he gains a little more character away from his character. You might see him as someone who is fighting for the other actors in the Marvel franchises. You might see him as someone who can put aside differences for a project (or for money). You might see him as someone who everyone wants to work with. Either way, he gains more distinction in the role than just being the person who is in the roll. Don’t believe the spoon-fed hype.

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Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in Avengers 2: Don’t Believe the Hype

May. 02 News, TV & Movies no comments

Entertainment Weekly is “confirming” that Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch have been written into the Avengers 2 script. Since the report uses “sources” which have gone unnamed, we should not take this report as fact…yet. If you are a regular reader, you know I shy away from rumors. When a rumor is being reported as fact, I can’t keep my mouth shut.

Don't believe the hype yet about Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in Avengers 2...yet.

Don’t believe the hype yet about Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in Avengers 2…yet.

Marvel’s Response to Avengers 2 Rumor

Kevin Feige, the final decision maker over at Marvel Studios has stated that “I’m not confirming or denying. The draft could change six months from now.” Essentially, he is telling everyone to take this rumor about Avengers 2 with a grain of salt.

The Colossus Example

Remember back to 1999 when we heard that Colossus was going to be in X-Men in 2000. All we got was a brief cameo of a teenager drawing sketches in the courtyard. In 2002, we heard that Daniel Cudmore had been cast as Colossus and would play a major role in the following year’s X2. He was onscreen briefly and many viewers missed his cameo during the action. Even if they are written into the script, we should not believe they will make more than a brief appearance in Avengers 2 until we are officially told otherwise.

May Never Make it In

Do you remember Tobey Maguire’s cameo in Life of Pi? Do you remember Uma Thurman playing Blake Lively’s mother in Savages? Do you remember Angela Bassett playing the spy boss in Mr. & Mrs. Smith? All of these actors were cast in roles which never made it past the editing room. Even if someone is cast as Quicksilver and someone as the Scarlet Witch, we should not believe anything until we see the previews for Avengers 2.

Feige’s Statement

Feige pointed out that the script for Avengers 2 might change before shooting. There are many movies which change script mid-shooting. In fact, if you listen to some of the commentaries about Mr. & Mrs. Smith, you would know that the script changed so many times during shooting that many people wondered if the movie would be finished. The same could hold true for Avengers 2.

Rumors Rumor Rumors

Remember that what we are hearing is simply rumors right now about Avengers 2 and about Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Always question an article which states something as “fact” from “unnamed sources” and then follows up with a statement saying that the person in the know cannot confirm or deny and that things might change. I would love to see Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in Avengers 2, but I am not going to hold my breath.

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Hulk Rumors: I Don’t Want Another Hulk Movie…Ever

Mar. 07 TV & Movies no comments

If you are hoping for another Hulk movie, today is a bad day for you. Bleeding Cool is reporting that Mark Ruffalo has tweeted that fans should not expect to see him as the Hulk again until “Avengers 2.” Rumors have floated around for weeks about a potential Planet Hulk or World War Hulk movie.  I am happy those Hulk rumors are being put to rest because I don’t want another Hulk movie.

The Hulk

The Hulk

Finding the Balance

Quite frankly, I don’t think there should ever be another Hulk movie because it is almost impossible to make a strong movie around the character. To do so, the creators of a Hulk movie have to find a perfect balance between showing the Hulk and Dr. Banner. The original TV show found a successful timing formula in only showing Ol’ Greenie for about ten minutes an episode. With the Marvel movie market, that would equate to about 25 minutes of the Hulk in a two hour movie. Fans would not go for it.

The Boredom Factor of a Hulk Movie

In “The Avengers,” Whedon found a great 50/50 balance for the Hulk and Banner, but that might be too much smashing over two hours of his own movie. Even though I am a fan of the Hulk, I found myself bored during the first two modern-day attempts at a Hulk movie because you can only watch a creature smash stuff for so long before you want to walk away. That is probably why the levels were so short in the Rampage arcade game. I paid money to be bored by too much smashing and I am not about to do it again.

Supporting Characters

The Hulk is better as a supporting character in “The Avengers 2” or in another Marvel movie. Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man can all headline their own movies but would you really want to see a Black Widow movie? Ok, I would as long as Marvel broke their own rules and gave us a Scarlett Johansson nude scene – but that ain’t gonna happen. Hawkeye could have a decent movie but Marvel movie creators don’t apparently care about the character since they have refused to develop him so far. I digress.

The Hulk is a strong secondary character to bring out when major muscle is needed. Remember, the original show “The Incredible Hulk” was more of an exploration into the Banner character than the Hulk. Leave it that way. Let Ruffalo continue to be play the supporting character everyone is going to talk about. Too bad, though, that we won’t see him until “The Avengers 2.” He would have had great cameo potential. Just please, Marvel, don’t make any of us ever sit through another Hulk movie again.

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