Warner Bros.' DC Films: Quick Thoughts About Comics Looking Towards R-Rated Films

     After ignoring what fans have been bitching about for years, the box office numbers of Fox's Deadpool film, and last weekend's Logan raking in huge numbers, have made some studios rethink the ratings on their own films.  Deadpool had over $130 million just for the opening weekend.
     The Wrap reports that an Insider at Warner Bros.' DC Films recently said that, "With the right character(s)" they would definitely make an R-rated film.  A "100% yes," they would consider making a more adult oriented movie.

     Granted there have been previous R-rated superhero films such as Blade, Kickass, and Watchmen, but I worry that the studio goal is to simply make money, without putting in the effort to understand why Deadpool and Logan are doing so damn well at the box office.
     DC Comics in film has generally been handled very poorly.  Zack Snyder doesn't seem to grasp what makes these iconic characters important and lasting, and the result can be clearly seen in the vast difference between the abominable Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Christopher Nolan's tremendous Batman: The Dark Knight.  Would making BvS: Dawn of Justice an R-rated film give it the boost it needed?  Not really, as the extended version showed.  It was a better version than the theatrical cut, but it still fell short of what is should've been.  They need to learn character insight before a rating will make a difference.  Deadpool nailed the character, and Logan got it almost 100% right- it made a giant leap forward and I think the first 2/3 is amazing and then it falters a bit.  What is important with Logan is they learned that they need to make a good film first, then add the R, as I'd been complaining about for years.  It's why X-Men: Apocalypse was garbage, they didn't make a good story.

     Not every comic book movie needs the grittier reboot.  The rating doesn't matter if the writers and directors don't "get it."  Look at how shitty the first two Wolverine films were.  As the Insider mentions, with the right character an R rating could do very well.  Ben Affleck's Batman in the right hands could be an R rated masterpiece.  Think of Casino or Goodfellas with the Batman- a hardcore crime story filled with the mob focused villains, and maybe a very serious take on the Riddler.  It could be absolutely astounding, but I doubt it would work with Snyder a the helm.  He lacks the fundamental knowledge of the underlying significance of these characters.  We need a Scorsese leading the project, something handled by people that understand more than a simple good looking shot.  They have to know what makes the stories and characters matter, and in the end it needs to come down to substance over spectacle.

     Source [ The Wrap ]

Logan: Trailer 2: Quick Thoughts and X-23 in Action

     The second trailer for Hugh Jackman's last Wolverine film has arrived, and Logan is looking good.

     The new direction the series is taking appears to be a welcome departure from the pure action of the other films and moving towards a traditional old western type feel.  I have to say I like the girl they cast as Laura "X-23" Kinney.  She seems to have the role down well, although some of the flips and jumps in scenes look like ridiculous wire-work (same for Logan himself).

     All in all, this should be a better movie than the last few, hopefully better than X-Men: Apocalypse as well.  I mean there's a few odd looking shots that definitely don't look "right" (as I said the absurd flips/jumps always look "wrong or off"), but other than that the story appears to be cut down to the essentials which bodes quite well for how poorly it's been handled in the past.

     Another thing I'd like to wonder about is Professor X.  I have a sneaky suspicion that he's "Sixth Sense-d" himself into the mind of Logan.  Or what if he's got Dementia or Alzheimer's- think of how dangerous someone with telepathy would be on that scale.  There's the potential for him to inadvertently kill, mind wipe, or cause mass hallucinations to everyone around him.  That could be a truly staggering story if handled properly.  I won't cross my fingers on that one though.

     Logan Arrives in Theaters on March 3.

Marvel Future Fight: Thoughts on Netmarble, Kabam, and the Possibility of Mutants

      A couple days ago news broke of Korean game giant Netmarble is purchasing a majority of Canadian Kabam's assets- with it's extremely lucrative licensed ties to Marvel, Universal, and Warner Bros.  Though, the thing I'm particularly interested in here is how the Marvel games will be effected.

     It's estimated that 95% of Kabam's income (over 450 million since Dec. 2014) came from the IAP heavy Contest of Champions, a game I found to be decent but HIGHLY repetitive, so this might be a huge hit in their production budgets.  On the opposite end of this Netmarble's far superior game Marvel Future Fight might not make as much money (couldn't find comparative figures for this) it's a much better game in so many ways.  It's a much more action RPG type game with loads of multiplayer additions and things to do. Contest is a basic 2D fighter. 
     My intrigue with this business deal comes from the fact that Contest of Champions has a one singular thing I see as better than Future Fight- the mutant populace.

     It is doubtful that well be getting mutants any time soon in Future Fight, but this does offer a slight ray of hope for our x-gene friends of the X-Men universe.  It's also a bit concerning that Marvel is pushing the comics from the mutants more towards Inhuman, meaning we have even less of a chance at seeing the popular mutants arrive any time soon.  I mean look at the crap Marvel did with Squirrel Girl, a long-time mutant, was altered to be now a non-mutant, meaning Fox can't cash in on the very profitable film rights while Marvel now can make tons of money off her popularity.  Marvel tends not to like to share.  But I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that we may still someday see characters like Colossus, Storm, or Wolverine in Future Fight.

     Source [ Wall Street Journal ] via [ Venture Beat ]

Wolverine 3: Logan: First Trailer & Thoughts

     Following hot on the heels of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 teaser we get the first trailer for the 3rd Wolverine film.  It already looks to be far better than the last two movies, though to be fair the second film's trailers made it look much better than it really was.

     It's got mutants dying off or being hunted, Professor Xavier is somehow still alive long after he should've died (maybe there's some 6th Sense stuff going on?), and the introduction of Laura "X23" Kinney.  There's even a quick shot of what looks VERY much like her claws at the 1:29 mark.

     I'm a little more hopeful for this film than the last two.  It seems they're focusing on a smaller story and keeping it intimate.  I just wish they would've filmed it all to look as gritty as this first black and white image of Logan they released yesterday.  Can you imagine a Wolverine film shot like that?  Just that kind of visual would've set it apart as something extremely harrowing, presenting Logan's last film as something special.  But, as it is, I'll have to wait and see how the story goes before I start tearing it apart.

     [ UPDATE: The Red Band trailer looks better than the standard one above.  There's a few extra shots, and some violent deeds that already push the boundaries of what's been done in the series. ]

     Logan hits theaters March 3rd, 2017.

X-Men: Apocalypse: Psylocke "Power Piece" Video & Thoughts

     With each new TV Spot and Featurette, I am actually getting more and more worried about the state of X-Men: Apocalypse.  I mentioned it previously, a couple times really, but it's becoming more evident that the film is looking less than spectacular.  Bryan Singer has never been a top tier director, and it seems like he's repeating the problems from X-Men 1 and 2.

     Psylocke's fight scenes from the first trailer looked kind of bland and poorly shot, and her newest "Power Piece" video actually makes things even worse.  Seriously, it looks like something off of daytime soap operas instead of the level of quality we'd expect from a major motion picture.  The shots look too campy and cheesey- most notably the one on top of the Blackbird jet and her slide down the building.  The shots visually look wrong.  The motion is off, and her hair isn't whipping nearly enough.  This looks like something from the Heroes tv show from 10 years ago, and not even from the good season one.
     Mind you this comes from a huge Psylocke fan.  In fact, I would appreciate seeing her in either her newer X-Force suit, or in the Lady Mandarin armor.  Those could be absolutely badass on film.  I mean, Munn hasn't been the greatest actress, but I've seen her in a few more roles recently and have an improved opinion of her potential.  I'm just worried about Bryan Singer's handling of things here.

     The same goes for Angel/Archangel's wings.  The look is wrong and it pulls the viewer out of a suspension of disbelief because it appears unnatural.  Each time Angel/Archangel flies it looks "off" and it's super distracting.  Same exact thing with the Quicksilver running scene from the trailers- his arms aren't pumping and it looks really strange- think about the last time you saw someone run- their arms are ALWAYS pumping- it's a physical occurrence that happens.  How wrong would a video appear if you saw a car driving, but the wheels weren't actually turning?  Just staying in place while the vehicle moves forwards.  It would look incorrect and it registers in a person's mind as such.
     Because of these things, this film looks cheap.  And to compound this issue, there's no atmosphere.  Nothing to really fill out the world and it makes the movie feel empty.  All Marvel's films have the look of a full world, with people, and things reacting in the background creating a visual depth.  Even if the battle scenes from the trailers are in a destroyed place, where's the bodies?  Where's all the cars and trees?

     This might turn out to be far less grand of a movie than X-Men: Days of Future Past, and I really wish they'd let someone else take the reigns.  Same thing I've been saying about the Wolverine franchise.  Give it to the creators that can handle it properly, like FOX did with Deadpool.  With the right material and the right cast it turned out unbelievably well.  Think of what Brad Bird might be able to do with the X-Men.  His Incredibles was great, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol were both amazingly well done.

     I mean, really, it could still turn out to be a great film, it's just my expectations are being lowered from these little things.  Fox has just been getting back on track with the X-Men films and this might be a step backwards, so here's me crossing my fingers that it'll be much better than I am currently anticipating.

     X-Men: Apocalypse hits theaters May 27th.

Wolverine 3: Old Man Logan... and Possibly X23

     It isn't a huge surprise to know that after Deadpool's recent box office destruction, that both the fast-tracked X-Force film and Wolverine sequel are potentially getting R ratings.  What is only slightly surprising, however, is the fact that the female Wolverine clone Laura "X-23" Kinney may have a role in the film.

     Personally, it just makes sense- keeping the Wolverine legacy going with a female in the lead is tantamount to a cinematic gold mine, and I've already mentioned in another post that I think they'll use her in the upcoming X-Force film, so it would make sense to begin her journey from her current namesake's last movie.  Just because Hugh Jackman's last film will be Wolverine 3, doesn't mean that Fox wants to let the franchise character go.

     I mean, I have a very strong feeling Marvel's "Phase 4" will be doing the same thing- eliminating the current generation and usurping their roles with younger people.  So we'll probably be seeing the diversity checklist that the Avengers has become as the next set of heroes and villains.  It could be quite good, but then again, it could also turn out horribly.  I'm crossing my fingers for the former.
     The X-Men are kind of already doing it with the original X-Men team and the First Class teams, then we'll be seeing X-Force and The New Mutants, so it's already kind of in the process.

     What genuinely surprises me a little is they aren't going the Daken route with this awesome segment about Wolverine wondering about his life as a failed father and then his tragic need to end the cycle he unintentionally created.  Back in 2013 I wrote:

     If they took the child he never knew he had.  The kid would be an absolute monster- enjoying all the killing and abusing his powers.  Following Wolverine around and wreaking havoc on anyone he comes in contact with.  In the end Wolverine would be forced to kill him.  If it was handled correctly the impact of the story could be immense.  A small intimate scale of personal, character driven plot.  Subtle, yet powerful.  Uncanny X-Force 34 did it very well with Daken imagining the ways life could've been different with a father around as he is dying at his father's hands. 

     While doubt the film will follow this path, I do think this tale could still work in part, but have X-23 helping Logan with the task of taking on the role of mentor or father figure.  It could be a tremendously moving story if handled correctly.  But, I am a bit worried that James Mangold is directing again, and it's being penned by relatively unknown David James Kelley

     I've ranted about it over, and over, and over, and OVER again- Fox needs to pull off the kiddie gloves.  Learn from the fan response to Deadpool.  Give us what we should've had years ago- a Wolverine story full of depth, blood, and gore.  Look at the best of his stories- Weapon X by the incomperable Barry Windsor-Smith, the Wolverine run by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, or even the Old Man Logan series- they all deal with the inescapable nature of Logan's path as a killer.  If X23 is to join, make this every bit as emotionally impactful as the Daken scenes from Uncanny X-Force.

     During a FOX Marvel Comic Con panel last year (starting at 18:40) Hugh Jackman said, "When we haven't always got it right, you've told us," to the fans- well, this is the chance to fix that mistake.  It's about damn time to get this right.  Wolverine's motto has always been, "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice..."  Maybe it's finally time to show us this aspect of the character and truly unsheathe his claws with the famous berserker rage he is known for.  Push the limits of the character, make us believe that Wolverine really is the best there is.

     Wolverine 3 is set to hit theaters March 3rd, 2017.

Deadpool: Movie Review, The Review's Review & Thoughts

Pre-Review:

     Deadpool is the turning point for superhero movies.  After the abominable X-Men Origins: Wolverine film I was genuinely surprised that anyone would bother to make a Deadpool film test footage.  Well, it happened, it then leaked, and it garnered insane amounts of fan backing.  It looked like the people that made the test footage knew the character.  The studio finally greenlit it and things progressed.  To make things even better, the marketing campaign for the film took the film to new heights.  It is absolutely brilliant in the way it's been handled.

Review:

     Overall, the film itself is pure genius.  It is not perfect by any means.  It drags on for a while, gets really flashback overloaded, and really pushes the bounds of comedy and superhero violence, but it was spot on for the character.  It was perfect for the fans of the series.  We fans have finally gotten exactly the kind of film we've been asking for after all these years!  Just as the Deadpool game was such a perfectly tailored game for fans, the movie is made specially for the fans.  Note, they did alter some of the history, and tried hilariously to make it fit into current film canon and continuity, but it's done in a way the both makes sense here, and fits for the film.
     They've utilized so many things that make Deadpool so unique, such as his blatant 4th wall breaking, that it is truly unbelievable.  Ryan Reynolds is the only person that could've pulled this off.  In fact pretty much everyone in the movie is cast so well.  And I must say, in my opinion, it holds the best Hugh Jackman cameo of any of the X-Men related films to date!  Plus we now have a Colossus that we want to see so much more of.
   
Post Review:

     Now that the film has been released and is killing it at the box office, Deadpool has shown the studios that my long time complaint that superhero movies need to grow up, has finally been proven to work.  The kiddie gloves can now come off, and we can potentially get a Wolverine worthy of being the "best there is."  Maybe we can see a Ghost Rider by some real horror creators.  I don't mean all comic movies need to be R rated, some however, need this extra grit and violence.

     Deadpool has already gotten a sequel greenlit and on track for a 2018 release, X-Force is on the way, a Legion series, and I've heard rumors (and we've seen Negasonic Teenage Warhead's suit) of a New Mutants series.

     Since Deadpool has done so well, I'll paste this chunk I wrote on 11.05.2013:

     Fox, why can't you get a Wolverine done by a decent writer and director?  Where's the team that can compete with Nolan's on The Dark Knight level?  I've written enough on the subject of handling this character so poorly plenty of times.  About teen angsty Logan mopery, bemoaning his past, and the need for real grit in the series.  If Marvel wants to create a series worthy of a man who is the best hunter/killer they need to really hunker down and focus.  We do NOT need another one-note-Wolverine film.  He needs to grow as a character, and that still hasn't happened in the X-Men film franchise.  Fans are sick of watching him cry into his beer.

     This is something we've needed for a long time.  A movie that proves we need superhero films for more than just kids.  Deadpool is showing studios that we want dark and gritty anti-heroes, not just Avengers goodie-goodie types.  More mature heroes and villains are an avenue that needs to be pursued cinematically.

Review of this Review:

     This review really got away from me and is pretty bad.  Sorry about that.  So, I'd recommend you just go see the film for yourself and make some judgements.  In the end, if you are a fan of Deadpool, action, lewd humor, and absurd violence, and yes, even a surprisingly good love story- go see Deadpool, you'll probably enjoy it.

X-Men: Apocalypse: Super Bowl TV Spot & Thoughts

     Super Bowl 50 has featured commercials for pretty much everything, and X-Men: Apocalypse was no different.  Getting a new TV spot instead of a full new trailer, it shows off a little new footage and that's about it.  Well, aside from a whole lot of destruction, that is.

     X-Men: Apocalypse still looks really good, but I'm a bit worried for all the preposterous shots like the Storm and Psylocke ones (Archangel in a previous trailer also) look like television show shots with the way they are filmed.  It appears amateurish, so unless it is from a dream sequence- one of Jean Grey's visions- I'll be very displeased.  The Quicksilver scene looks off as well, maybe it's because his arms don't seem to be moving while he's running.
     The film is still shaping up to look pretty damn good, but once again, why does the whole world have to be at stake?  Days of Future Past was great because it had mutant-kind in the cross-hair, not the doom of the planet.  They were trying to change the mind of one person- President Nixon- into altering the path of history.  It's getting to be truly bothersome that Hollywood thinks the stakes always have to be maximum.  I even complained a ton of times about the poor way Fox has handled the Wolverine films.  Seriously, give him a dark, R-rated film and show us that "He's the best there is."  We want a Weapon X by Darren Aronofsky (just literally adapt Barry Windsor-Smith's Weapon X comic run- short and sweet), or a crime-noir Wolverine in Madripoor by Martin Scorsese (who I'd really like to see a Punisher film from!).

     If Deadpool can be an indicator, these types of films can grow up and still be great.  I don't mean Wolverine or X-Men need to be bloody as hell, as action and violence can be implied through proper editing and made to work even better than just shooting for gore-porn that many action films tend towards, but they do need to get tougher.  We're sick of seeing Wolverine cry into his beard and pine after Jean Grey, lose the angst Logan.  We want to see a Black Ops Wolverine take charge and show us why he really is the only right choice for grim and gritty anti-hero fans everywhere.

     X-Men: Apocalypse hits theaters May 27th.

Deadpool Movie: Colossus GIF

     Since I can't write much tonight and it's been a few days since my last post, and because I've returned to my favorite Marvel Heroes 2015 game character, Colossus, I decided to make a small GIF of him from the trailer for the highly anticipated Deadpool film, in which Fox actually appears to have listened to what the fans want to see.

     Not only are they nailing Deadpool's character, it seems they've gotten most of them spot-on, from Colossus to Weasel and so on.  Even the entire marketing campaign is genius- the Valentine's Day poster that makes it look like a romantic dramedy, the absurd and hilarious emoticon billboards that a bunch of people apparently didn't get at first, and the wonderful trailers are all perfectly tailored to this character.  Fox is finally getting it right.

     Now we have to see if they can help Hugh Jackman's last Wolverine film be one worth seeing, I've bitched here on numerous occasions that they need to lose the kiddie gloves, and prove that he is the "best at what he does."  And it isn't angst-ridden moping, it's bloody wetwork that no one else can do.  We want to see that, and Deadpool is the starting point for these films to finally grow up and reach a bigger and better demographic.

     Deadpool hits theaters February 12th.

X-Force: Possible Film Line-up and Thoughts

     Following a post of Greg Semkow's X-Force conceptual art, there's been much speculation of the potential future feature film.  It seems on deck to be fast-tracked due to the immense popularity of Deadpool's marketing, and the image features the "team's line up from the script" which was written by the writer/director of Kickass 2, Jeff Wadlow.

     Right off the bat we have mainstays Cable and Domino, along with Warpath, Cannonball lrocketing around in the back, and an unknown female on the left.  I've seen a lot of rumors that it could be Feral, Wolfsbane, or Boom-Boom, but I'm thinking either Psylocke or X-23 are far more likely.  X-23 especially because Hugh Jackman is leaving the character of Wolverine, and that would leave a large opening for a human slaughter machine that is their legacy.  I mean seriously, an assassin of the Wolverine bloodline capacity (well, technically a female clone in X-23's case) would be perfect for the black ops wetwork dealings that X-Force is known for.

    I'm not too intrigued by the art as it is, but it is just conceptual.  Cable should be older and far more grizzled, and as I've mentioned before I think Stephen Lang would be perfect for the role.  Warpath already has been in X-Men: Days of Future Past (Booboo Stewart), and if the unnamed woman is Psylocke, she too is already cast (Olivia Munn) for the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse.  There's plenty of options

     Over the last couple years we've been getting things trickled out, after Days of Future Past, the idea was to focus on X-Force, but apparently that was put on hold because the Deadpool test footage was so well received.  That is good because we know that X-Force creator Rob Liefeld had already read the script and said it was, "Beyond impressive."  He also confirmed that BOTH Cable and Deadpool were in it.  It makes sense to capitalize on Deadpool's popularity despite him not appearing in the artwork above.

     Since Wadlow had stated the team would have 5 members, and that he was a fan of Wolverine, Colossus, Deadpool, Domino and Psylocke, I have to wonder how the art has a mostly different team.  Unless the members come and go depending on the mission?  Or there could be casualties.  There's also always the possibility for cameos galore.

     Personally, I really hope X-Force is a go, and that they follow the precedent Deadpool is setting in shooting for a more mature audience.  This is supposed to be the dark side of the X-Men, doing the dark works that shouldn't be out in the public.  It needs to be bloody, dark, and well-written.  I've complained time, and time, and time again about how they've played Wolverine as too angsty and not as badass as they should have been.  He's the best there is, and we want to see that on film.
     Here's a snippet from a post I did on 11.05.2013:

     "Fox, why can't you get a Wolverine done by a decent writer and director?  Where's the team that can compete with Nolan's on The Dark Knight level?  I've written enough on the subject of handling this character so poorly plenty of times.  About teen angsty Logan mopery, bemoaning his past, and the need for real grit in the series.  If Marvel (Edit: Fox) wants to create a series worthy of a man who is the best hunter/killer, they need to really hunker down and focus.  We do NOT need another one-note-Wolverine film.  He needs to grow as a character, and that still hasn't happened in the X-Men film franchise.  Fans are sick of watching him cry into his beer."

     We want the dark and grim.  It doesn't have to be the whole X-Men universe, but at least with the killers of the mutant world, it makes sense.  It's time to lose those kiddie gloves.

     Sources [ ComicBook ] [ ComicBookMovie ]

Deadpool: The Official Red Band Trailer Has Arrived!

     After yesterday's "trailer for a trailer" we new this was coming, and it is everything a fan could hope for.  Sure, it's essential exactly the trailer that was leaked from SD Comic Con, but this is in glorious HD!

     Ryan Reynolds is back to play the Merc with a Mouth in Deadpool, after his portrayal of the titular (hehe tit... ular...) character in that abomination of a film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but this time he's surrounded by blood, blades, and bad jokes.  And it is absolutely perfect.

     Deadpool will explode people's theater-going minds on Feb. 12th, 2016.

Wolverine: Hugh Jackman #OneLastTime

     The always amazing Hugh Jackman tweeted this image, I cropped it here, with the statement calling for fans to tell him what they'd like to see happen:

My last time putting on the claws. What do you want to see happen? 50 words or less. I'll read as many as I can. 

     While it is extremely doubtful Fox will do what many fans want and give us a film worthy of Logan's "The best there is..." quote, it is very nice that Jackman is doing this.  His work as Wolverine will be damn near impossible to match.  Despite being stuck with poor scripts for the previous Wolverine films he has truly molded and made the character his own over the years.

     I've written numerous posts about what they should do, and how it keeps getting fumbled, but I really, really hope Fox learns from the fan reactions to Deapool and does justice for the last run of Jackman's Wolverine.  A legend needs proper send off and the last two films were abominable.

     It's been hinted, most notably at the SD Comic Con, that the next movie will be a take on the great series Old Man Logan by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven.  If the film makers don't screw it up, there is a huge chance Wolverine could be handled properly for once.  This is a chance for Fox to give us a Wolverine to rival the Christopher Nolan Batman films.  Dark, gritty, and meaningful.

     They now have the perfect chance to learn from fan reactions to the Deadpool trailer, remove the kiddie gloves and give us something real.  "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice..."  Prove to us that Wolverine's catchphrase is from the life of a man that cannot escape the cycle of killing.  That sometimes, someone has to do the dirty work.

     The new Wolverine is set to be released March 3rd, 2017.

     Source [ Twitter ]

Hugh Jackman: Hints at Old Man Logan as His Last Wolverine Film

     Yesterday at 20th Century Fox's H Hall panel Hugh Jackman gave a giant tease of a quote, hinting towards a possibility for the next Wolverine film's story:

"I've got three words for you guys - Old Man Logan."

     I've heard it claimed that he said it jokingly, I mean he has been playing the character since 2000, being in 7 films over 15 years is quite a length of time.  We can't take this as official confirmation yet, but it does offer some good speculation talk.  The film adaptation of the 2008 Mark Millar and Steve McNiven comic book series would need some extreme tailoring because Marvel Studios owns the film rights to a lot of the characters.

     That being said, with the proper writing team, simply a story along the same lines as Old Man Logan could still be quite amazing.  But as I've said over, and over, and over, and OVER - Fox needs to make it R rated, and pull off the kiddie gloves.  Learn from the fan response to the Deadpool trailer.  Give us what we should've had years ago- a Wolverine story full of depth, blood, and gore.
     Look at the best of his stories- Weapon X by the incomperable Barry Windsor-Smith, the Wolverine run by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, or even the Old Man Logan series- they all deal with the inescapable nature of Logan's path as a killer.

     During the panel Jackman also says, "When we haven't always got it right, you've told us," to the fans- well, this is the chance to fix that mistake.  It's time to get this right.  Wolverine's motto is, "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice..."  Maybe it's finally time to show us this aspect of the character and truly unsheathe his claws with the famous berserker rage he is known for.  Push the limits on the character, make us believe that Wolverine really is the best there is.

     Regardless, Wolverine 3 is scheduled for release on March 3rd, 2017.

     To watch the whole panel [ Youtube ] the Jackman part starts at 18:40.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Brian Tee is the New Shredder

     After hearing the recent TMNT2 news about Tyler Perry being cast as Baxter Stockman my hopes were a bit down.  Especially since it followed on the heels of the announcement that Arrow's Stephen Amell was going to be playing fan-favorite Casey Jones.  Something about Perry just doesn't fit the role, he seems to be perpetually miscast except in his own Madea films.  He just hasn't shown himself to be a good actor.  Whereas Amell is alright, nothing special, but good enough to be a plausible cast.

     Granted, as most of my thoughts are, I'll really wait to see them in action before being too judgemental, who knows- maybe Perry will knock it out of the park with this role.  I just always pictured someone like Deon Cole from Black-ish.  He has the both the look of someone that exudes intelligence, and also has a wonderful sense of comedic timing.

     Now, we get news that the Shredder himself has been recast, and it sounds awesome to me.  Brian Tee has gotten the role.  He's been in The Wolverine, a couple episodes of Grimm, and he was also in the decent, but very short-lived series Mortal Kombat: Legacy as Liu Kang.  From what little I've seen of him, he's already a much better actor than both Tyler Perry and Megan Fox combined.  This is the news that is keeping me following the film with higher hopes than the last one.

     Brian Tee is taking over the role from Tohoru Masamune who played him in the first new installment of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot.  I just hope Platinum Dunes producers like Michael Bay don't try and pull a TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze.  That was one horrendous movie and effectively crushed the hopes of any good TMNT films in its near future.

     In other good TMNT 2 related news Earth to Echo director David Green is on board, with script writers Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec returning.  Earth to Echo was very well directed, and although it was a very predictable movie, it was still quite well done.  I'm still not sold on the script writers, but I'll still give them another chance.

     Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is set to arrive in theaters June 3rd, 2016.

     Source [ Variety ]

The Punisher: A New TV Show Following Netflix's "Marvel's Daredevil"

     I recently read an article about Steven DeKnight wanting to get an R rated Punisher series, and I've wanted that for a long, long time.  In fact, I recalled starting a post about it so I went through my drafts folder and found some of this post saved on 05/31/13. (Note: I've updated and edited this to include recent events and thoughts)

     "I’ve been a huge fan of the Punisher comics for years,” says DeKnight, speaking exclusively to SciFiNow.”I’d love to see him get his due on a platform like this. Nothing would delight me more than to see the Punisher get his own show and maybe we could convince Marvel to go Hard-R rating. If any character deserves an R rating, it’s the Punisher."

     With Marvel launching its entire Daredevil series this Friday (April 10th) on Netflix, hopes are high that the future series' to follow, including Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist- all leading up to a combined Defenders series, will do well.  Marvel's already dominating the film market with Avengers raking in just over $623 million- it seems they are trying to branch out onto the smaller screen, and if the trailers are to believed, Daredevil should do pretty damn well.

     In the past we've had Ray Stevenson, Dolph Lundgren, and Thomas Jane play Frank Castle in the the previous Punisher films.  In all honesty, Lundgren's really wasn't that bad, I mean it was far better than David Hasselhoff's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is worth a watch.  Stevenson was all right, and I actually think Thomas Jane was very good, the scripts, however, were most definitely NOT.  The problem with these previous films is they are all handled wrong.  Old comics film properties tended to pull punches, just the same as they've been doing to the more recent Wolverine films- a complaint I can't stress enough.  If they want to do either Punisher or Wolverine right, they need a hard R rating, and the right team to make the story worth watching.
     I've written about the continual mishandling of Wolverine, how how to redeem Deadpool's film debut- [ EDIT: Ryan Reynolds is currently filming an R-rated Deadpool! That's one step in the right direction for the rest of the Mature Marvel U ], and also how the Punisher has been flubbed.  I bitch about these things because, as a fan, I want to see the best films of these characters- I don't want censored Disney-fied do gooders.  These people are killers, not hand slappers.  Marvel needs to take risks with the mature audience, many of their devoted, long-time readers aren't children and we want heavier content.

     I've said it plenty of times, Marvel- it's time to take the kiddie gloves off and make films for fans older than 12. Take the risks and make a movie worth watching. Make a movie worth talking about.

     I wrote this a long time ago and still stand by it- "If they want a good following they have to up their game and take risks.  If this movie gets made and does well, it could open up an entire new avenue of film opportunities for Marvel.  An actual horror version of Ghost Rider, a dark noir mob underworld Punisher, and a maybe even a Wolverine film that actually shows him being the best there is at what he does, and that is certainly not brooding over some long forgotten past and crying like his mutant power is being an emo teenager."  Many of us want to see Marvel tackle the dark and gritty stuff that these characters represent.  The Punisher and Wolverine are supposed to be the ultimate bad asses, show them that way.  These films need to grow the f*** up and show us why they are so great.  Look at how well Christopher Nolan handled The Dark Knight.  It is a very plausible thing to believe that Marvel can do it with their own works.
     Starting a new Punisher series could pave the way for this wave of films or shows.  We don't want another hackneyed origin story, we want to see a Scorsese level Punisher, with all the intellectual stimulation of Goodfellas or The Departed.  I want to see a Punisher show that can go toe-to-toe with Ben Affleck's direction of The Town, or even the highly under-appreciated The Black Donnellys.  We want crime, corruption, and violence.  We want dark and gritty and cerebral.  We want a Punisher worth our time.

     I personally would like to see Thomas Jane return to the character, and I've long since thought that Terry Crews would make a wonderful Barracuda.  Maybe have a nice cameo by Dolph Lundgren as Tombstone, and possibly some crossover characters like Kingpin from Daredevil, or Bullseye if he shows up.  Jane has expressed a will to return to a character he knows quite well, and feels has been left unfinished as this excerpt from an MTV Interview he did way back in 2009:

"My interest has always been based more in reality than in superhero fiction, and with the original 'Punisher' I very much pushed them to try to make a movie that was more like 'Death Wish' or 'Taxi Driver' than 'Spider-Man,'" Jane told MTV News. "The strengths of 'The Punisher' that I did lie in the reality that we were able to bring to the character, and the weaknesses of 'The Punisher' I did were all based on people trying to make this a 'comic book movie'—with funny characters and goofball s--t that has no place in a 'Punisher' film."

Jane went on to say that he feels the "definitive Punisher film" has yet to be made, but would very much like to return to the character for that very reason. Clearly having given the subject some thought over the years, Jane described the perfect "Punisher" movie as a blend of tones found in the films of dramatic, tough-guy writer/directors like Walter Hill ("The Warriors") and Sam Peckinpah ("The Wild Bunch"), and a far cry from what he described as the "cartoon" version of the character.

"Everyone gets it backwards," he said. "The 'Punisher' comic is striving for a sense of reality. They’re not striving for a sense of 'comic book.' So in the film, you can actually take the reality element further—not the comic book element. You don’t want to strengthen the idea that it’s a comic book in film, because film gives you the chance to actually bring it one step closer to reality—and that's the direction that 'Punisher' wants to go in."

     Jane understands the character, now all we need is a proper writer and director team.  Marvel, it's in your hands, get this done.  I mean the last good Punisher we got was the fan film Dirty Laundry, so it's time to up your game Marvel.

[ EDIT: Apologies, as "Anonymous" notes below in the comments, Marvel studios didn't make the earlier Punisher films, although they now hold the rights which were previously held by Lionsgate.  Deadpool and Wovlerine are from Fox. This information is extra handy as I was working on small articles about both Blade and Ghost Rider, which have both been added to Marvel Studios' rights.  With Marvel Studios recent handling of properties, I don't doubt their ability to do these series' justice in the film or TV realms now. ]

     Sources [ SciFiNow ] [ MTV ] [ IndieWire ]

Will X-Men: Apocalypse and Wolverine 3 be Hugh Jackman's Last Wolverine Roles?

     Hugh Jackman, the Wolverine we've come to know in 7 films, has recently instagrammed this pic and quote.  It sounds a little sad, and it is understandable that he may leave the character after so many films.
     What makes me wonder is if he is really only playing Wolverine once more, then what of both X-Men: Apocalypse and the 3rd James Mangold Wolverine stand alone film?  Both movies have been already given release dates (May 27th, 2016 and March 3rd, 2017 respectively).  Plus we've heard his thoughts on wanting to have a cameo in Ryan Reynolds' upcoming Deadpool film.  So it sounds like he still likes playing the character, but perhaps contractual or age issues might be changing his mind.  There's been a lot of changes in Marvel's comics recently and perhaps they will be bleeding into the film universe sooner than expected.  What if it is health issues like his previous bouts with skin cancer?  Then again, maybe Wolverine 3 has been simply cancelled.  We'll have to wait and see.

WOLVERINE ...ONE LAST TIME. HJ

A photo posted by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman) on Mar 28, 2015 at 10:40am PDT

    This is a cryptic message indeed.

First Official Deadpool Pic of Ryan Reynolds in Costume

     In fitting with the best of Deadpool tradition, the first image of him is a hilarious tribute to an old Burt Reynolds picture...

With great power, comes great irresponsibility. #deadpool #officialsuit @deadpoolmovie pic.twitter.com/MPM89bYz1B
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 27, 2015

    So far so good.  Hopefully Marvel can deliver on this film and not pull punches like they've been doing to Wolverine's big screen adaptations.

[ EDIT: Apologies, Wolverine and Deadpool are Fox films, not Marvel Studios. Thank you "Anonymous" from the comments below! ]

Deadpool Movie Finally Confirmed by 20th Century Fox!!!

This is a confirmation notice!

     It has finally happened, according to The Hollywood Reporter and 20th Century Fox (via Twitter) that everyone's favorite crazy merc-with-a-mouth Deadpool is getting his own film as a spin-off from the X-men franchise.  Ryan Reynolds is set to reprise his role as Wade Wilson (Deadpool) from the abominable 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

     This is great news to see that his internet fandom has brought new life to this movie.  Especially since the leaked test footage hit the web months ago looked like they had nailed the character without pulling any strings to make it less than R rated.  Despite the footage being years old, Reynolds' interest hasn't waned- although deals have not been finalized- things are looking good.

     Deadpool is set to hit theaters on Feb. 12, 2016, and will be directed by Tim Miller.

Avengers NOW: Black Captain America, Woman Thor, and Marvel Comics' Diversity

     I wanted to chime in on Marvel Comics' recent marketing- unsurprisingly they are shaking up their entire Universe with Thor's powers being usurped by a woman, Captain America becoming black, and Iron Man going Superior.

     These aren't really issues- aside from the Dazzler one, and I'll get to that later- really, we could use some changes in the comics industry.  What I am unhappy about is how they're marketing it.  Any long time comics reader should know by now Marvel has a real problem with finding something that sells and flooding the market with it.  Spider-Man is selling well?  Looks like we need a Clone Saga.  The Hulk is popular?  Better make him come in multiple colors and in more people.  Thor gained popularity and then Fear Itself came along and added like 8 new hammers.  Deadpool is hot, let's make a team of them!  Wolverine is slated to die this fall, and guess what, there's 10 other characters that are nearly the same.
     Marvel takes something and does it so much it dilutes the characters.  This issue is compounded by the way they take books change them and then shift them right back to how they originally were.  Or just let them disappear- where'd our female Ghost Rider go?

     Black Captain America
     This has happened before.  Honestly, and it was an awesome story and I wish they could've kept that going.  Isaiah Bradley in the Truth: Red, White, and Black series was a great character and had a descendant, Elijah Bradley (Patriot from the Young Avengers) and he could carry on the legacy.  I was actually hoping that might've been who J. August Richards was playing on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Any way, my problem is they are marketing it as the first black Cap, and that isn't true.
     Well, even though Steve Rogers is now forced to give up the suit, Sam "The Falcon" Wilson is a perfect choice to take up the mantle.  As Cap's long-time friend and ally it makes sense.  I just wish they could've worked in one of the Bradleys for the role.
     Does anyone else remember the black Hulk from the Ultimate Avengers?

     If (S)he be Worthy
     Of course, Thor has become unworthy of lifting the mighty Mjolnir and it falls on another to heft the hammer.  The role is now filled by a woman which, just like a black Captain America, has been done before.  Many times in fact, even by DC Comics' Wonder Woman.  The hammer has been wielded by many females, and Thor has even been a woman before.  As in Thor was changed into a woman- not that a worthy woman gained the powers through the hammer- during the very awesome Earth X series.  Thor was even a frog for a time.
     This is another case where it is perfectly fine that this is happening, and I am truly looking forward to a new Thor, a "strong woman" is a good thing.  It's just that this is also another case where I think Marvel is just doing things for marketing purposes.  Marketing a well-known male character being replaced by a strong female on The View is a brilliant strategy, but also caused a heck of an uproar.
     I think the problem stems from the perceived emasculation of Thor (which isn't how it works- whoever lifts the hammer gets the powers, simple as that.) with the implication that the new woman is "taking" his identity.  Of course, this may have been planned to create a huge wave of controversy to drive interest, but really- if this woman can lift Mjolnir, then SHE IS WORTHY and gets the powers of Thor, not becomes him- that's why she remains a female.  She might use the name Thor, but she is her own person, as there are pics of Thor with an axe in promo materials, so he is still around in his unworthy state.

     Diversity in the Marvel U:  Avengers NOW
     Soon Iron Man will be Superior Iron Man, what that implies is beyond me.  But as the 3rd person in the Avengers' main trifecta lead role to be altered I wonder what is in store for Marvel's chief heroes.  Heck, hopefully they won't even be human- that might be a nice twist.  (Maybe it's a version of Vision, which would tie in to my thoughts that Jarvis (film version) will become Vision (film) and bridge the universes)  This is probably a nice way of generating hype not only for comics, but for their films as well- Avengers: Age of Ultron and The Guardians of the Galaxy, which releases in 2 weeks.

     Overall I think the changes Marvel is initiating are good.  I just think they are marketing them in a way that is only meant to lure in new paying customers at the expense of irritating the long-term fan base.  It seems like they are picking a bunch of current issues like gender and race and using those as springboards into a cash pool- like a flow of publicity stunts with a diversity checklist.    At the least they are making an impact and getting new readers to come on board.
     The comics industry has been in dire need of large scale diversification for years and at least this is a start.  I remember when there was a large amount of homosexual stuff as the hot topic on TV and shortly afterwards there came a slew of characters "coming out."  Now it's just accepted and the norm in the comic book world.  Really, it just seems like there could be a better way to handle these things.  Perhaps they could put in the time and effort to create new and diverse characters instead of plugging them into established roles.  Stop pandering and make some new and diverse characters in a variety of races.  I want to see more characters like Sooraya "Dust" Qadir from X-men.  Or one of my personal favorite characters Maya "Echo" Lopez from Daredevil and more recently the New Avengers.

     Well, I suppose Marvel is at least trying to be inclusive and are developing things in a manner that reflects that even if it feels a bit like a sales gimmick.  The Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man is great, the new Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) is decent, and hopefully these new ones will last.  If they want diversity, then make these characters stick- for the long term.  If it's too temporary the importance might be lost.
     I'll definitely continue to be buying Thor and will start buying Captain America when this series begins, I can only hope that they'll be as good as the hype.  I just want to believe that this is more than trendy headline-grabbing and it will contain something more permanent, like high quality writing and lasting effects.

     PS:  When will we get a Doop animated film?  Doop is a damn green turd-creature, if that isn't diversity nothing is.  Or the Dan Slott She-Hulk show I want?!?  That would be something that would absolutely kill in the ratings department.

X-Men: Days of Future Past: Review and Thoughts (SPOILERS) (Guardians of the Galaxy Mention as well)

     ***OFFICIAL SPOILER WARNING***

     "I Don't Want Your Future"

     This is an apt quote, as the film resets the X-Men franchise with the exception of First Class.  Eliminating the horrendous Wolverine films, and the other X-men trilogy.  Thank goodness we've done away with X3, that movie was an abomination.  Good news!  The future of the X-Men movies has been fixed by the same means this film fixes the time line- through a little rewriting of history.