Ghost Rider: A Rambling Open Letter to Marvel Studios and Nicolas Cage

     So as a long, long, LONG time fan of Ghost Rider, and after watching Netflix's Daredevil Season 2, then seeing Hellfire appear on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and today's Norman Reedus news clinched it- I decided I needed to dig out this old draft from 2012 and touch it up with some new information, thoughts, and sources.

The single best shot in both Ghost Rider films.

RECENT NEWS

     Today Norman Reedus, of The Walking Dead and Boondock Saints fame, has expressed interest in playing the Ghost Rider, in either film or tv (ie Netflix).  Though, I have seen plenty of people pulling for Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam as well, which would be equally awesome.

     To start with a point of reason, the way Marvel has handled their portrayal of Frank "The Punisher" Castle in the Daredevil series is a brilliant way to begin.  I've complained time and time again about this flubbed ways the films had been handled in the past and they finally are getting things right now that Marvel has the film rights back.  Although Marvel (via Disney's Chairman Bob Iger) has already stated they will not be making R rated movies, that doesn't mean other avenues are off limits.  Which would rule out the Scorsese quality Punisher film I've dreamed of for years, BUT- the Daredevil series is pushing those limits so the possibility of something close is still a potential especially since they announced he's getting his own series now.  His prortrayal is pretty damn close to what I've been wanting so far.  It's brutal, it's violent, and it's extremely well depicted in the show.  Though I must note that I definitely do not believe that every Marvel property deserves the mature R rating or treatment.  Far from it, an R rated Avengers would be absurd while the grittier titles could benefit from it.

     Since re-obtaining the cinematic rights to Daredevil, Punisher, Blade, and Ghost Rider Marvel has set a good tone with the first two properties.  I'd really like to see what can be done about the second two.  I've written a small bit about Blade, and the never-aging Wesley Snipes has said he's been in discussions about the future of the character, but the Ghost Rider is the one I am truly hoping to see again.  In addition, they're opening the doorway to the other realms with Doctor Strange this fall- a wonderful opportunity for our favorite Spirit of Vengeance to hit the streets again.  I mean "there's been talk of Ghost Rider being added to Netflix."  That is a good start seeing how they've been handling Hell's Kitchen so well, and opening the doorway to the astral planes will presumably happen with Doctor Strange hitting theaters this fall.

MY THOUGHTS

     If Ghost Rider is to appear on tv or screen again, he would unquestionably need to be handled more seriously than his past movies.  What I mean by that is that they need to ditch the comic book idiocy of the Nicholas Cage films.  Both films had a couple scenes that were handled well, but they quickly devolved into campy garbage.  Some people blame Cage, but in reality, he's a tremendous actor in films like Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas, and Joe.  What he needs is a good director and a much better writer.  I'll discuss Cage a bit more below this section.

     To me directors like Bill Paxton (with Frailty) or Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist) could do some damn amazing work and I'd cite films like John Carpenter's The Thing, the Alfredson directed Let the Right One In, Ridley Scott's first Alien, and The Exorsist as references for well handled horror material that should serve as inspiration.  

     What I personally believe is that he needs to be handled in the same vein as traditional monster movies combined with a psychological horror movie's depth.  The Rider shouldn't even be shown for the first 70% of the role.  There should only be hints of him and the aftermath of his presence.  He'd leave a gruesome wake in his path- he's someone that'd make the Punisher tremble in fear.  

     In the early parts of the story, there'd be things like dead bodies, maybe some mystical iconagraphy, and the like.  Slowly building to larger things like human sacrifices and alters to the devil, but not from the Rider, but by those he's slain.  

     Tons of imagery pointing to something more than human killing off tough as nails villainous people.  Things like bootprints burnt into the floor, trails of fire and ash, chain links embedded in the walls, scorch marks from the chains, bodies and parts strewn about, and a few petrified bodies of those especially vile and guilty criminals.  He's a force of supernatural destruction that cannot be stopped and should be treated as such.  Think of it using the Jaws effect- simply avoiding showing the full beast until later in the story, and rely on inducing dread through glimpses and hints at the real nature that continually evades our sight.  

     Ghost Rider should be a slow and plodding individual.  Never in a hurry, like the unstoppable killers of old movies- creating the imposing threat that no matter how fast or how far you go- he will find you.

Nicolas Cage

     Back to the Nic Cage casting.  He's been in plenty of films that are good and plenty that are terrible.  I mean he was even great in the absolutely preposterous Drive Angry, which is somehow a much better Ghost Rider film than the actual Ghost Rider films he was in. 

     Regardless, Cage said in an interview with Collider that there could be a third installment (before the rights reverted to Marvel), "It’s possible, but it won’t be with me."  But then went on to say, "I don’t want to say never…anything’s possible.  But I doubt, highly, that I would be in a third installment of that."  So I would actually be curious to see if his interest in the role would be renewed now that Marvel holds the reigns.  When I say renewed, I don't necessarily mean as Johnny Blaze either.  While it would be cool, he could always be the new Blaze's father as a cameo or some such thing.  If, on some off chance he did reprise the role, he could be a small part with the major Rider being Daniel Ketch for a change of pace.

     But, Marvel will probably go with someone completely different and Reedus has a decent chance here, following in fellow Walking Dead star Jon Bernthal's footsteps as he went on to play a damn amazing Punisher.

     I guess we'll all have to wait and see.  And we'll all be hoping that we won't have any more abominable versions of the Ghost Rider, on screen or in comics as the more recent Robbie Reyes series was quite disappointing.  I can only assume that with the way Marvel's been using the Netflix characters, adding Ghost Rider as a character or series would be a tremendous addition in creating a new type of anti-hero show, creating another whole level of meaning with dark and gritty.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Ghost Rider: Vengeance is Coming

     So after Hellfire appeared on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it was only a matter of time for the Spirit of Vengeance to make an appearance.  I had been wondering about it myself, and thought it would be leaning more towards the darker and more mature aimed Netflix Marvel audiences, but- yes, Marvel revealed at SDCC today that Ghost Rider will be coming to the show for season 4.

Vengeance comes this fall to Marvel's @AgentsofSHIELD.https://t.co/dh23qUsLpP

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) July 23, 2016

    While I am excited for the character to make his appearance two things bother me.  First, it's not on the darker and more mature themed Netflix roster.  Their shows have handled the grimmer and grittier material- notably the Punisher story through Daredevil season 2.  Whereas the ABC shows Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have been handled with less trustworthy hands- resulting in less appealing shows overall.  Don't get me wrong, I really liked Agent Carter, but the show devolved quite rapidly from a show about a powerful female character into a romantic drama.  They lost sight of what made her so special in the Captain America films, and thus lost their way in the show.  So hearing that Ghost Rider is coming to the more limited-in-scope Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm very hesitant to immediately support it.

      Secondly, it's neither stuntman Johnny Blaze, nor badass biker Danny Ketch- it'll be the more modern Marvel NOW incarnation of Robbie Reyes and his '69 Dodge Charger.  That in itself isn't bad.  Back in 2013 I wrote about this, it's a great idea- it's just after reading the series I wasn't impressed.  I think Marvel could've done a much better story with his character.  And the heavily robotic design wasn't too great either.  I was thinking it would've been more like the highly under-appreciated film The Wraith.  So, for now I'll be crossing my fingers that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can make the Ghost Rider someone worth liking again.

Just revealed at the #MarvelSDCC booth: Ghost Rider's wheels, coming this fall to #AgentsOfSHIELD! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/O2GkKirq1a

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) July 22, 2016

    On the good side of things, he'll be played by Gabriel Luna.  I've personally seen him in the movie Bernie, and the downright amazing show True Detective.  In both cases he did quite well, so I think he'll pull it off well.  He'll be an older and more mature version of Robbie Reyes, he hopefully won't be playing the part of the Spirit of Teen-Angst, so that's a good start.

    In better news about this, Marvel's Executive Producer and Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb has said:

"Season 4 will unquestionably be the series’ biggest, most ambitious story yet, and it all begins with the introduction of one of our greatest legacy characters in Ghost Rider. When the Spirit of Vengeance rides into S.H.I.E.L.D., it’ll change everything."(CBR)

     Loeb has been a consistently good voice in comics for a very long time, so I will take his word for it and return to see how they handle Ghost Rider on the show.  It also makes sense to link the show to the astral planes and supernatural with Doctor Strange hitting theaters November 4th.  It's simply plain, old-fashioned, good marketing.

     While I'm not too thrilled that Ghost Rider's re-emergence is on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as opposed to the much grittier Netflix shows such as Daredevil or Jessica Jones, but they've officially snagged me again as an "on-and-off" fan.  When the show started I was very unimpressed with how poorly it was handled.  I was urged by people to give it another try, and I returned and Agents did indeed get better, and then it swiftly grew unappealing again.  I hope they can maintain the momentum and keep things interesting with one of my all time favorite characters finally coming to television.

     For now, Marvel has regained my viewership and lured me in for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4.  Now  if they could only recapture the magic that made Agent Carter so amazing, they'd snag me for good.  Please let this turn out awesome.

     Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to ABC on Sept. 20 at 10pm.

     Sources [ Marvel Twitter 1 ] [ 2 ] [ ComicBookResources ] 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Ghost Rider: "Vengeance Comes" Teaser

     The newest teaser for season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been released, featuring the coming vengeance of the Ghost Rider.  It doesn't give us a whole lot to go on for story, but does show us the darker more violent tone the new 10pm time slot would suggest.

     I've got an on-again-off-again relationship with the show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and I'm really torn here about their use of Ghost Rider.  I thought the first 6 episodes of the first season was garbage, but then returned and it got better towards the end of the season.  Then it got terrible once more, and slowly made more headway to become interesting again...  ...only to fall into another awful bout of poor writing and directing.
     Once Ghost Rider was announced they recaptured my attention.  Very skeptical attention.

     When a character that is a demon-possessed machine of vengeance is being added to the show, I'm a bit worried that Agents will turn him into something reminiscent of one of the CW's teen-angst filled heroes.  I've written about how I thought he'd be better off in an R-rated Netflix series, though the teaser holds some decent tones to alleviate my fears.  It has a couple shots right out of Stephen King's Christine, and a dash of the extremely underrated Charlie Sheen movie The Wraith (which is a much better Ghost Rider film than the actual Ghost Rider films).

     The choice of Robbie Reyes does make a bit more sense for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and even though I thought his initial comic book appearance was less-than-spectacular, the idea behind him was great.  He is an interesting new take on the character, and might even get better as the creators say they'll be doing their own version of him.  Hopefully the writers of the show can do better with him than his comic series did.  There's a lot of potential here, don't screw it up Marvel.  They neutered Agent Coulson by taking all his wit-filled secretive badassery away.  Seriously, go back and re-watch Iron Man and Thor and see how much better he is in those roles.  The same thing happened to Agent Carter.  Her television show lost the magic of what made her special by relegating things to petty romantic dramas.

     To be fair, this teaser looks much better than most of the 3rd season, so I remain hesitantly optimistic.  I just wish he was more grimy and dirty looking- like a real mechanic.  Oil stained hands, jacket scuffed to hell, and so on.  He looks too damn clean.
     And they need to fix the skull.  As of now it looks pretty bad.  They really, really should fix it.

     Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns Sept. 20th, @ 10pm ET on ABC.

     For more Ghost Rider related [ posts ]

All New Ghost Rider on the Way

     Coming this March it looks like a new Spirit of Vengeance is arriving in the Marvel Universe. 

     Eighteen year old high school student and lover of engines Robbie Reyes becomes the new vessel for the spirit when the villain Mr. Hyde shows up in L.A. selling a questionable new drug.  The series will be written by Filipe Smith and the art will be by Tradd Moore.

     Here's a small snippet from the Official Marvel News page:

Marvel.com: There's a new Spirit of Vengeance scorching up the streets. Who is this new Ghost Rider, and what sets them apart?

Felipe Smith: Our protagonist is Robbie Reyes, a quiet 18-year-old East Angelino with a short fuse, a passion for electronic music and a nearly unhealthy infatuation with absolutely anything powered by an engine.

His vehicle of choice, the automobile, very clearly sets him apart visually.

In comparison to his vengeance-seeking predecessors, he's very young and inexperienced in most aspects of life; but as the product of a harsh inner city upbringing, Robbie's street smarts, overall distrust for most people, and clear contempt for his violent surroundings make him the perfect host for a Spirit of Vengeance.

Once we get to know him, we also realize that he's a sweet, well-meaning person, something that may not sit well with the Spirit possessing him.

     I actually like the new take on Ghost Rider- an almost rebellious teen in a burning car.  What I don't appreciate so far is the look of the Rider.  He's too robotic.  Not even in the good Ghost Rider 2099 way either.  Reyes' skull appears a bit too clunky with it's harsh edging in the preliminary picture above.
     Regardless, I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

     I was always hoping they'd let a real horror writer take on the Ghost Rider.  So we still have to wait on that.  Maybe get a new movie with someone like Sam Rockwell to play Danny Ketch in a truly dark film.  Marvel needs to stop pulling punches.  They did the same thing with The Punisher and both Wolverine films. 
     Get down and dirty - we want the grit and noir, not some neon Hollywood crap.

Source [ Marvel ]

Marvel Heroes 2015: All New, All Different Costumes Coming This Week

     Coinciding with Marvel comics' "All New, All Different" (and All Women) relaunches this week, Marvel Heroes 2015, easily the best free-to-play MMO game around, is getting a wave of new costumes.  This is great thing, as the game needs more everything!

     There will be a new Scarlet Witch, Thor, Captain Marvel, and X-23 costumes, as well as a Spider-Gwen Team-up, which is slated to arrive as an Enhanced Costume for Spider-Man next month.  That means essentially a reworking of an old character with new animations, a new voiceover (by Ashley Johnson of The Last of Us), and so on.
    All of these All New, All Different items will be hitting the game this Friday.

     Personally, I've been waiting for Spider-Gwen for quite a while and have avoided using Spider-Man so I could save the character for use when her Enhanced Costume arrives.  And I'll also be picking up the new Thor costume, and possibly the new Captain Marvel as well.  My Earth X Thor will be swapped out for a time to make room for the new suit.

     In other MH2015 news, Blade has shown up in the forums for discussion (I hope he has a bleed/health steal build), and I'm really disappointed that the Trail of Tears Ghost Rider Enhanced Costume will not be making it out this year.  But I can wait, there's plenty of characters to play as.  Seriously, there's currently 51 playable characters with Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde being the newest.

     Gazillion Employee @Lord gave us a nice little quote here:

"Unfortunately, we will not have Ghost Rider on a Horse this year.

I would check out any upcoming comic-con's for other possible Ghost Rider news though."

     So, while it makes me sad that one of my favorite characters won't be getting what could easily be one of the best MH2015 costumes ever, there is that wonderful little tease about potential news coming up.  Even better that the possibility the news might occur in the next few days at New York Comic Con has me very pumped.

     If you haven't given this game a try, and are either a video game fan, or a Marvel fan, Marvel Heroes 2015 is well worth the time.

     [ Marvel Heroes 2015 ]

     Source [ IGN ]

The Punisher: Tom Hardy Wants to Play Frank Castle

     Just a month ago, I blogged about a long-time thought I'd been wondering about with Marvel rebooting The Punisher.  Since Marvel Studios has re-obtained the rights from Lionsgate, it's about time they started making films for more than just the kids market.  Marvel could use a cinematic version, or R-rated television show, more akin to the darker Marvel Max comics, or the Marvel Knights series'.  In the post I linked above, Steven DeKnight, Daredevil's showrunner, had expressed a wish to get just this sort of thing going.

     Coincidentally, just last weekend I was discussing Tom Hardy in the role of Frank Castle himself.  Then I see Collider posted this wonderful bit of an interview with Mr. Hardy:

Collider: I heard Warner Bros. has a few more superhero movies, maybe one or two that they’re developing [Laughs].

HARDY: I want The Punisher… I want The Punisher, or Splinter Cell, I want something…I don’t know what I want.

You as Punisher could be very interesting.

HARDY: I’m not big enough to be The Punisher, I’m 5’9” [Laughs].

But I actually think that adds to the character.

HARDY: Frank Castle, I would love it. Is that him, isn’t it?

Yeah. It’s Frank Castle.

     This could be a great thing for Marvel.  I've been wanting a Scorsese level mob movie with the Punisher for years.  It would need to be well thought out, and well put together- not just a bunch of crap thrown together and some guns.  I mean, I would definitely want to see some other stuff like a full-on psychological horror version of Ghost Rider, or a television series delving into the darkness of Moon Knight's troubled mind and his interactions with the Egyptian Deity Khonshu, but the Punisher would be a tremendous way to start things.

     In fact, I've been putting together a long post about Ghost Rider.  Maybe I should think a bit more on The Punisher and truly dig in to what makes him so great of an anti-hero...

     Source [ Collider ]

Disney Infinity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds NEW Pics & Release Date

     Yesterday Amazon had listed for pre-order both the Nick and Judy Zootopia figures with a date of March 1st, and they also had the Marvel Battlegrounds playset and power disc pack listed as March 15th.  The downside is all their new Disney Infinity 3.0 listings have been taken down.

     The playset listing's info:

Evil forces scheme for world conquest as they pit Marvel’s greatest Super Heroes against each other! It’s an all out brawl in Marvel Battlegrounds! • Engage in 4-player combat and battle in 12 levels across 8 epic new arenas! • Customize your game with up to 6 Round Marvel Power Discs per match • Select Super Heroes and Villains from your ENTIRE collection of Marvel characters in Disney Infinity • Smash through floors, walls and tear down the environment as you battle to defeat your opponents • 28 characters to collect and more to come! Use Captain America’s shield to attack from a distance and increase the power of close quarters combat.

     In addition some of the mock-ups for the single figures have begun surfacing.  There's Black Panther, Ant-Man, VIsion, and Symbiote suit Spider-Man (for single release, as the only other ways to play him were with the costume disc or the Vita pack exclusive).  We've known about these from the leak back in October, so it really isn't news.  What is cool, however, is the tight lid they've kept about who the 2nd character for the playset will be.  So far there's only Captain America's new costume The First Avenger.  I hope it'll be Winter Soldier or Scarlet Witch.

     The, the power disc set for Marvel comes with what appears to be the Winter Casket from the Thor film, a symbol of the Nova core, a Darkhawk laser, and what I think is really cool- Ghost Rider's motorcycle.  So we'll have his chain whip and bike, but actual Ghost Rider figure?  Perhaps he'll be an unannounced surprise. 

     On a side note, art for Baloo from the Jungle Book has also been released and can be seen at this link [ Infinity Inq. Twitter ].  This new figure makes me wonder if the previously mentioned unannounced playset with be for the Jungle Book as a film tie-in of sorts.

     Source [ Infinity Inquirer ]

Deadpool Film Only Waiting on Studio Greenlight

     All the right elements are ready and waiting for the studios to greenlight a proper R-rated Deadpool film we fans are clamoring for- we know Director Tim Miller is listed, Ryan Reynolds has said many times he is on board, and there has been an oft mention "great script" by the writing duo of Paul Wernick and Rhett Rheese (Zombieland).

     Here is the statement by Mr. Miller:

“We will never give up! Deadpool is still alive and we’re just waiting for the studio to embrace what an amazingly f**cking awesome film this would be.”

“Ryan is ready, I am ready, the fans are more than ready. We just need that elusive green light”

     The problem I think that is happening is the studios are hesitant of putting out an R-rated film.  How can you do proper justice to a highly effective killer that uses humor as well as guns and swords?  The same complaints I've addressed many other times about the Marvel movies- they NEED to stop pulling punches and start making films for adults as well as kids.  They need that extra level of freedom to create an experience worthy of the characters.
     Films about anti-heroes that kill require an extra edge, the violence can be a useful tool.  The Wolverine suffered from it, the Ghost Rider movies were abominable, and Deadpool's last venture into film (X-Men: Origins) was hampered by the rating system, among other things...
     *cough cough*   ...terrible script...   *cough*

     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.

     Deadpool is a character that knows he's a comic character in a movie.  He's a crazy person and if they handle it properly, like the recent Deadpool: The Video Game (which I believed they handled quite well), they could open whole new worlds of movie chances.  He's crass, violent, and immature- but has access to the mental faculties of a ridiculous dreamlike reality that he envisions the world as.  Marvel needs to tap this, Deadpool's unique 4th wall breaking perspective of the himself, the universe, and everything else in between.
     Think of it- they could throw in cheap cartoon segments, or daydream states made of claymation and it would work because the character would accept it.  With Deapool, almost anything goes.  He is an opportunity to allow a method of ludicrous storytelling and entertainment few other characters could even come close to offering.

     It's about damn time to start looking towards the future Marvel.  Start taking risks.

Marvel Future Fight: Misty Knight & Shang Chi Update: Thoughts

     I was actually surprised when I logged in last night to get my daily play time in on the always amazing mobile game Marvel Future Fight only to find that there's already a new update so soon after the Gwenpool and The New Avengers one a month ago.

     This new update gives us two new characters, Misty Knight and Shang Chi, as well as 4 more costumes- one of which I was almost hopeful for- Ghost Rider.  Unfortunately, it's his Inhumans: Attilan Rising suit with a flair for the Prohibition era, although it has a car as his summon which is kind of cool.  That, however, makes me wonder why they wouldn't just go with either the much cooler looking comic version of Robbie Reyes (to go with his appearance on the new season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) or go with the really badass looking Trail of Tears costume with the fiery horse.  I've been waiting on the Trail of Tears one for Marvel Heroes 2016 for years to go with my cosmic prestiged Ghostie.  Or a Ghost Rider 2099 costume with some kind of cool digitized flame effects.  When will we get that in either game?!?

     In addition there's new Black Cat, Moon Knight, and Daredevil costumes.  Sadly, I'm not too impressed with them.  They're all pretty decent, I just don't care for them.
     We also get some more tier two abilities, some new 6* skills, and the new Shadowland mode.

     I have to say that after playing Misty Knight, she's absolutely fun as hell and has already taken a place in my main team.  I like the fact she's got a great look and freeze powers (sort of) complete with the nice bonus of boosting Lady Loki's ice powers with her mastery ability.
     While I don't have Shang Chi yet, his powers look wonderful on the screen in the testing area.  He appears to be a good alternative to the other fast combat characters.
   
     Overall, I'm always pleased with new updates and the surprises new characters bring, and we're still waiting for Doctor Strange from over a year ago.  Not even kidding, check the date on that link.  Anyways, just getting Misty Knight has made me downright giddy.  Once again I have to say Marvel Future Fight is without a doubt the best mobile Marvel comics game, and they keep proving time and again that they will remain that way for a long time to come.

     For the full update notes [ Marvel Future Fight ]

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.

Inhumans: Jeph Loeb on Their Possible Future on TV (and a Possible Lead to the Fantastic Four)

INHUMANS PAST

     Back in 2015 Marvel announced the Inhumans were slated to get a feature film, which could've been amazing under MCU head Kevin Feige, and then there was a rumor that Vin Diesel would be possibly tapped to play Black Bolt, which would've been awful.
     Then in 2016, it was announced they'd be making the move to television instead, which had potential, until it was made known it would be on ABC and not Netflix- leaving me less than pleased again.  Things took a much worse turn as Scott Buck was then given the role of showrunner because his track record is essentially a death sentence for a show- see what he did to Dexter or the fan response to his mishandling of Iron Fist- and even the talented casting choices couldn't save the Inhumans.

     The great disappointment was made certain after the release of the first trailer.  It looked horrendous.  The CGI looked cheap, the story appeared to take the unbelievably amazing Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee Marvel Knights series and reduce it to the worst possible version, and the character designs were atrocious (outside of Black Bolt himself).  It wasn't a too great of a surprise as the show had been rushed, and the double-team of ABC and Scott Buck together didn't leave viewers with much hope that it would turn out even mediocre- because as their history has shown through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, they take great characters and neuter them.
     As I wrote then:

     I've made it well known that I think Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is crap, it's quite terrible.  Even with all the headway the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider has been making, the show is still not nearly as great as it should be.  It gets 2 steps ahead and makes 5 steps back.  They need better writers and better directors.  Seriously, the showrunners have lost the magic of what made Agent Coulson so appealing in the movies.  The same can be said about Agent Carter.  They need to go back and study what made these characters special in the movies and focus on replicating it on television. 

     Skye/Daisy/Quake gained some powers and went from hacking-as-a-semi-superpower to master combatant.  It's absolutely preposterous.  Fitz and Simmons are in the same boat- everybody is now an action star, leaving no differentiation between characters.  That's very poor story telling. 

     And that's exactly why I'm very worried about the Inhumans being handled by a team that relegates their characters to daytime soap opera status.  We want things at least to have the quality the Netflix shows have.  The interpersonal relationship drama and angst is far too abused in S.H.I.E.L.D., maybe they need to focus on small tasks and awesome Mission Impossible type subterfuge as opposed to all the damn overused world threatening crap.  For Inhumans, they should simply adapt the 12 issue Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee run.  Keep it simple and meaningful.  A tightly knit story with a huge payoff.

     Since I wrote this Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has gotten much better, but still suffers from these issues, but it IS progressing into a much better show.  Then, when the inevitable cancellation came for the doomed Inhumans back in December, my immediate thought was, "The #AgentsofSHIELD show should just pick up the #Inhumans on their show- it's a better show anyway."  Because despite its flaws, Agents is getting significantly better and has made huge leaps forward from where it began.  I've tweeted enough praise for the potential in the show, and heavy criticism against it, in hopes we could see them again in a much better way, so the following news makes me quite hopeful.

INHUMANS FUTURE

     During a Reddit AMA for the release of Cloak & Dagger Marvel's Head of Television Jeph Loeb answered a bunch of questions and gave out some great teasers for what is to come.  He stated numerous times when asked about show crossovers that there is a good possibility, for fans to "wait and see", and to "stay tuned" for news.

Then most applicably to this particular situation comes from these gems:

thatguy9234: 
Will the actors in Inhumans be brought back if their characters are revived in either Marvel TV or the MCU? I personally liked the casting choices made for the show. 

JephLoeb:
Hope so. Great cast and for what's it worth, still think is a fun show.

     Another great tease from this one, which includes some good New Warriors info:

Dennisw0w:
Thank you for this AMA, it's very nice of you. I have a few questions I'd love to get answered.
1. Do you think we could expect see the royal family again even though there's no more Inhumans? Perhaps in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6?
2. Any progress with finding New Warriors a home?
3. Are there any exciting crossovers planned between shows or movies? No need to be specific. 

Jeph Loeb:
Well Dennis...
1. Wait and see
2. We're working on it.
3. Answered before.

     And lastly, this one:

blackbutterfree:
Dear /u/JephLoeb despite “Inhumans”… unique reception, Anson as Black Bolt, Serinda as Medusa and Iwan as Maximus are universally praised by fans as the best parts about that show. Could we ever see any of them reprising their roles in other MCU tv shows? Preferably a short arc on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

JephLoeb:
Hope so. We love these characters and the actors are the best!

     So the Inhumans may have a televised redemption after the ill-fated show.  The actors can be given a chance to shine, and better writers and directors can make fans of these wonderful characters in their new home.
     I, for one, am greatly looking forward to them being given a proper treatment and hope they appear on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. now that their creative team has been hitting their stride.

     Source [ Reddit AMA with Jeph Loeb ] [ ComicBookResources ]

A FANTASTIC POTENTIAL

     Now, for the Fantastic Four teaser- which obviously cannot happen until the rights that Fox currently owns, go back to Marvel via the huge deal that's been in progress for months.  I would like to say this is some crazily in depth analysis and ingenious sleuthing regardless if it is true or not.

     This entire next section comes from a brilliant Reddit User named KingInvalid96:

But my burning question to you has to do with my absolute favorite portion of the MCU- Marvel's Agents of S.h.i.e.l.d. I've got a fan theory that the show is actually an epic prologue to several iconic storylines in the marvel universe including Ghost Rider, Secret Invasion, SWORD, and most notably, The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom.

This idea was planted in my mind after a reoccurring use of the word “Doom” by one specific character, or rather a set of characters that would eventually become one character. That which I’m referring to is Will, Ward, and Hive. These characters share an interesting proclivity towards the word “Doom” both in their dialogue and in their interactions, sometimes even quite literally saying “I’m Doom”. (SPOILERS)

1.) Season 3 Episode 5 (4722 Hours): Jemma, stuck on Maveth with Will, proclaims [“I’ll be the voice of Hope, you’ll be the voice of Doom.”](https://imgur.com/n7Pi10ehttps://imgur.com/n7Pi10e).

2.) Season 3 Episode 18 (The Singularity): Hive, before being stabbed by Jemma, quite literally says [“I’m Doom, you’re hope- remember?”](https://imgur.com/VR9FFmG)

3.) Season 4 Episode 19 (All the Madame’s Men): Framework Tripp is talking about whether Ophelia is building some sort of “doomsday device” and Framework Ward, uncharacteristically whines [“Can we not use that word to describe it? It’s not helping me think.”](https://imgur.com/hcH9RCf)

Now this would mean nothing if you assumed Hive's offscreen death meant he was actually dead. But with Graviton being dead in space where the Hive parasite can be drawn to it, I haven't lost faith. Especially considering [Robin's 8-in-1 person drawing shown on Enoch's fridge](https://imgur.com/LNCp0kE). General "My body is a steel trap" Talbot could house

1. Doctor Hall
2. Ian Quinn
3. Green Confederacy Alien (Skrull?)
4. Carl Creel
5. Will "Im Doom" Daniels
6. Grant Ward
7. Alveus Hive
8. Quake ???

I definitely believe they could all come together... like [pieces solving a puzzle](https://imgur.com/AndICKa). But it's been pointed out that the connection here is reliant on common words and basic math. So I thought about the parallels between the show and the F4 themselves:

• The Fear Dimension/Negative Zone
• Alien Energy/Cosmic Radiation
• Discovery of the Inhumans
• The Shield Academy/Empire State University
• The Fantastic Fitzsimmons literally becoming the First Family in the MCU in ep. 100
• Deke saying everyone in shield changed their names (what're the odds Fitsimmons choose Reed and Sue?)
• Fitz/Reed designing a spaceship
• Enoch's accumulation of wealth + reputation for Frozen Fitz/the Future Foundation

I could go on, considering I'm absolutely enamored with the idea that you guys are already planning something similar. But I won't continue to bore you with my fan theories and instead ask a very simple question:

Am I crazy, or are you guys producing Agents of Shield to be the epic prologue to something more? Can you elaborate or hint towards the future of the show now that it's been renewed for Season 6?

JephLoeb:
You're not crazy. But that's all I can say!

      Wow, that's a hell of a fan theory, and honestly, I'm quite impressed.  I had hoped for years that Fox (or Marvel if they got the cinematic rights back) would make a Fantastic Four film as a straight up period piece set in the 1960s, complete with the Galactus plotline and the four thwarting him and making a device that eliminates the memory of it from everyone on Earth- and thus preserving the Marvel Cinematic Universes timelines.

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 ]

Marvel Future Fight: Gwenpool is Coming!

     Marvel Future Fight has been giving us a lot of great content and expansions over the last year and now fan-favorite character Gwenpool has been officially announced.

     For those who are unfamiliar with who this strange Deadpool-esque lady is:

     "Gwen Poole was a comic book fan who was one day mysteriously transported into the Marvel Universe that she had only read about in her own world. Under the impression that the Marvel Universe is all make-believe, she's taken on her own Super Hero identity to kick butt and have fun -- with zero consequences!"

     No release date has been released yet, but Netmarble has been pretty good about getting the characters out relatively quickly after they've been announced.  I think the only time this hasn't been true is with Doctor Strange, because he's been shown in a few of their videos and he's still not out.  I mean he and Enchantress had been datamined almost a year ago.  He'll probably be held until right before his film hits theaters in November.

     Now, I'm just waiting for a cool new Ghost Rider costume.  Like the amazing flaming horse rider from Trail of Tears, or his 2099 costume.  Since he'll be arriving on Agents of .S.H.I.E.L.D. this fall, maybe we'll even get the Robbie Reyes version.  The car he uses might be a tough addition for this mobile game though.

     Related posts [ Future Fight ]

     Source [ Future Fight's Official Site ]

Blade: Snipes & Marvel Considering a Return of the Daywalker

     Fans of the Blade series have been waiting since 2004's Blade: Trinity to hear news like this.  Huffpost Live's host Zerlina Maxwell interviewed Wesley Snipes to discuss his new NBC show The Player, and of course, the topic of Blade and his recent Marvel talks came up.

     "There's always a possibility, you know. It's in Marvel's hands. They're controlling the pace and the flow with that. Conversations have been good. They see the value in it. We see the value in it," Snipes said. "I'm still in shape enough and fit enough to handle the role. We'll see how it goes. I don't really know what's going to happen to it yet."

     Going further, she asked him about the possibility of crossing over with the Avengers:

     "That would be interesting. I mean, I know it's in the comic book. It would be interesting to see where they would place him and where he really would fit in," he said. "He's got to bite somebody. I don't know who he's going to bite."

     It is an awesome thing that they are considering his return to the character, and many of us would love to see it done.  Obviously Snipes would want a crossover with the Avengers for monetary gain and popularity, but Blade feels like he's from a different world.  The same divide as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist have.  The Defenders are on a smaller scale, working in the shadows of the Marvel universe.

     So, personally, I believe it would be much better done as a darker toned TV show.  It would fit in with the underworld vibe of Daredevil, especially considering we'll now be seeing the Punisher in the next season.  

     Blade has a heavy horror story feel, and a television show would give it the proper time to develop an atmosphere to really hit home with his character.  Taking into consideration the fact that a Doctor Strange film in the works is a good sign, as he is more of an occultic background and should contain the realms and potential to work Blade back into the Marvel's shared cinematic and televised universe. 

     Snipes returning as the Daywalker would be amazing so hopefully they take this project up.  I'd like to see a return of Ghost Rider as well, which I still have a lengthy post in the works for.  It keeps getting put off, but maybe I can crank it out and edit it for the weekend.

     Source [ Huffington Post ]

Marvel Future Fight: NEW Now Update Teaser Hint 3 & Thoughts

     With the new Marvel Future Fight update nearing, the official website Mobirum has been giving us nice clues to try and puzzle out as to what we'll be getting.  Yesterday, I posted the clues and what they meant, and today we get a new one.

     The new message:

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Yet another code has come in, and we are unsure as to why Future_ME@mobirum.com is sending emails with images, and honestly, I was kind of concerned about opening them (after all, that seems like a fake email, and even if it was legit, we could've had some strange paradoxes and what not). After opening the file however, I was relieved that it was just an image of a random group of characters. 

I would Frame it if there was any quality involved in the image, but for now, I'll just leave it here so everyone can see it! 

     I like that they are going with a varied set of hints.  First the ASCII, then the simple cypher, and now an image.  The first two messages translated to, "3 New Characters,." and "ALL NEW THREE CHARACTERS ARE FEMALE."  This picture shows characters with the first letters of their names coming down to, NOW MARVEL.

     A clear indication that the 3 new female characters will be from the newer Marvel Now material.  Marvel does like to push things that tie in to their current content. I had previously guessed quite a few from that list with Spider-Woman, Kate Bishop, Medusa, Crystal, America Chavez, Monica Rambeau, Moon Girl (with a summon-able Devil Dinosaur).  Although I had forgotten about Hellcat, and she'd be pretty cool, or Riri Williams.  I also hadn't considered Mary Jane Watson from the Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows series.  But, honestly, that's a horrible costume design and do we really need yet another Spider-character?

     As much as I think we could do without another Captain America or Iron Man clone, chances are pretty high we'll be getting Miss America and Riri's Iron Man, but the 3rd go go any direction.  I wouldn't mind a Kate Bishop and I really, REALLY would like to see Moon Girl (& Devil Dinosaur) - especially because Netmarble has been pushing the summons like crazy lately.  Plus if they made it so she became Devil Dinosaur, it'd be the first time a non-human was playable.  Which could eventually lead to a playable Lockjaw to go with Black Bolt.

     In addition, I'm really hoping we get a plethora of new costumes as well.  Some characters haven't had a singe new costume yet, and others have a ton.  Some of the choices of costumes seem a bit strange as well, like the Attilan Rising Ghost Rider instead of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Robbie Reyes one seems like a huge miss.

     For related posts [ Marvel Future Fight ]

     Source [ Mobirum ]

Marvel's Inhumans: Thoughts on the Move from Film to TV (and in Video Games)

FILM/TELEVISION

     Just over a year ago, I expressed my extreme distaste for the rumor that Vin Diesel might play the role of Black Bolt in a film of Marvel's Inhumans.  Thankfully, in April of this year the film had been pushed back from its original July 12, 2019 release, and then completely cut from Marvel's film schedule.  Which is the good news.

" . . . "  - Black Bolt.

     The bad news, however, is that instead of getting a movie quality film featuring the royal Inhuman family, we'll be getting another ABC series.  The first 2 episodes will be shot on IMAX film and aired in IMAX theaters in early September 2017, prior to airing on ABC.
     I've made it well known that I think Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is crap, it's quite terrible.  Even with all the headway the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider has been making, the show is still not nearly as great as it should be.  It gets 2 steps ahead and makes 5 steps back.  They need better writers and better directors.  Seriously, the showrunners have lost the magic of what made Agent Coulson so appealing in the movies.  The same can be said about Agent Carter.  They need to go back and study what made these characters special in the movies and focus on replicating it on television.
     Skye/Daisy/Quake gained some powers and went from hacking-as-a-semi-superpower to master combatant.  It's absolutely preposterous.  Fitz and Simmons are in the same boat- everybody is now an action star, leaving no differentiation between characters.  That's very poor story telling.
     And that's exactly why I'm very worried about the Inhumans being handled by a team that relegates their characters to daytime soap opera status.  We want things at least to have the quality the Netflix shows have.  The interpersonal relationship drama and angst is far too abused in S.H.I.E.L.D., maybe they need to focus on small tasks and awesome Mission Impossible type subterfuge as opposed to all the damn overused world threatening crap.  For Inhumans, they should simply adapt the 12 issue Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee run.  Keep it simple and meaningful.   A tightly knit story with a huge payoff.

     As for Diesel in the main role- thank goodness at least Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn doesn't believe he'll do it.  Which is great.  He has all the emotive facial acting talent of a slab of beef.  They would be much better off hiring someone like Jason Isaacs, or Christopher Meloni.  Or both and have one of them play Blackagar Boltagon's brother Maximus.  Get talent that can give extremely expressive performances without needing words.

GAMES

     I've been playing Marvel Heroes for a couple years and we'll finally be getting Black Bolt in game soon.  It's super exciting and I hope they've got him done correctly.  I mean, he's super fun in Marvel Future Fight, so I can only imagine the larger game will have him slightly better.  Obviously a mobile game poses a lot more limitations than PC games, so they'll have more opportunity.
     I'm also hoping we'll eventually get his Earth X costume pictured below for both games.

     Source [ Marvel ]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Final Trailer & Quick Thoughts

     The final trailer for the highly anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has dropped, conveniently timed to coincide with the release of so many other films, notably Deadpool.  Regardless, the hype for this is getting pretty high.  Even I am super excited for this, although I still have plenty of reservations.

     The trailer definitely looks to be building us up for one hell of a final battle.  We'll probably get a Batman v Superman v Wonder Woman v Dungeon Troll Doomsday v ... and so on.  I mean we still haven't gotten footage of Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, or Green Lantern.  Though, to be fair, they'll probably be minor cameos at best- maybe even a just a small post credits sequence.

     I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this turns out to be much more well written than Man of Steel, which was good despite it's flaws.  It already looks better, but trailers aren't always indicative of substance- take Snyder's Sucker Punch.  It was a brilliant trailer and a downright horrendous film.  He tends to put style over substance.  Though, in this case David Goyer is helping with the writing...
     ...then again, while Goyer did write the Nolan Batman Dark Knight films, he also did Man of Steel and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and we all know how that last one turned out.

     Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters March 25th.

Disney Infinity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds Playset Release Information & Thoughts

     The announcement of the release date isn't new, as the March 15th leak had happened already, but what is surprising about the Disney Infinity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds playset is the fact it only comes with a single figure (Captain America: The First Avenger) instead of the customary 2 or 3.

     What bothers me even more is it's a character that many players already have, albeit with a new skin and potentially some new moves.  One more issue is the fact that there are currently NO female figures for the set.  Where's Scarlet Witch?  Where's Captain Marvel?  Where's Wasp?  This set definitely needs a few female figures to balance out the roster.

     I suppose the good news is that ANY of the Marvel Infinity figures will work with the game, not limiting it to just the 3.0 group which is small to begin with.  It's also been stated that many of the 2.0 Marvel characters have been "retooled" to be of better use in Battlegrounds.  It is also a plus that the price is cheaper at $29.99 than before.  To pad this pack out they are offering a pre-order bonus from "Participating Retailers" (currently only Best Buy and the Disney Store) of any one of your choice of a Disney Infinity Marvel 2.0 figure.

     In addition to the figures listed as being part of the Battlegrounds wave (Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Vision) and the recent Ultron and Hulkbuster Iron Man, Disney is offering the Marvel's Avengers Figure Pack (consisting of Iron Man, Black Widow, and Thor from the 2.0 Playset) for $29.99.  To me this is just an added slap to the face that instead of more new figures, they're once again offering old figures- at least the Captain America will be a little new.

     John Vignocchi put out a statement about the release:

Marvel Battlegrounds is a four-player, arcade-style brawler that allows you to battle with up to three friends locally. You get to play in 12 levels across eight all-new arenas, including Knowhere and Wakanda. You’ll also be able to battle as any playable Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition): Marvel Super Heroes figure, making Marvel Battlegrounds the Play Set with the largest selection of playable characters.

You guys know that the Disney Infinity team is always listening to your feedback, and we make changes along the way based on what we hear from the community. Your feedback has led to one significant change in our Play Set configuration. We heard from you that you want more choice in how you expand your Disney Infinity collections, especially with the Play Sets. With this in mind, the Marvel Battlegrounds Play Set Pack will come with the Play Set piece and one figure (Captain America – The First Avenger). Now it’s up to you to decide which other Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains you want to fight with in Marvel Battlegrounds from a selection of 25 characters and with more to join the roster soon!

     All right, not to sound too nit picky here, but there will be 26* total figures available for Marvel, and 28 if you count the Black suit Spider-Man (which is getting a single release after the PS Vita pack exclusive) and the new version of Cap as separate, so there's already more figures than they've mentioned.  So I want to know will there actually be more on the way that we've yet to see?  Especially because this round of Marvel figures is so sparse.  They always say there's some more to join coming, but what does that really mean?
     We want more individual figures, I mean if Battlegrounds is supposed to be such a game changer for Disney Infinity where's all the supporting figures like the Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, or Captain Marvel?  And no, we don't want more duplicates or repaints.  Because I'm sure someone will suggest a War Machine that'll be essentially Iron Man with a gun, unless he's drastically different, it could rightfully be a costume disc.
     When it comese down to it, I'm wondering when we'll start getting major Marvel characters like Luke Cage, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones.  Where's our the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Agent Carter?  When will we get Squirrel Girl or Ghost Rider now that we've got his chain and bike as power discs?  I can understand the IP rights feud keeping out the mutant population, but seriously, where's all the rest of the Marvel Universe.  If battlegrounds is going to be this big thing, show us by giving us a huge selection of NEW figures to go with it.
     I don't know if I want to wait until Disney Infinity 4.0 for a Doctor Strange.

     Source [ Infinity Inquirer ] [ Inf. Inq. 2 ]

*Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Cap, Loki, Falcon
Iron Fist, Nick Fury, Spider-Man, Nova, Venom, Green Goblin
Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Yondu, Ronan
Ultron, Hulkbuster
Ant-Man, Black Panther, Vision