Andrew Wheeler
Marvel Phase 3: Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Inhumans And Infinity War Movies Confirmed
Finally. At a special live event at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California, on Tuesday, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige outlined plans for the third phase of the studio's output, with dates confirmed for a Black Panther movie in 2017, starring Chadwick Boseman; Captain Marvel and Inhumans movies in 2018, and a two-part Avengers: Infinity War movie spanning 2018 and 2019.
The studio also confirmed and shuffled some of its other releases, slotting Doctor Strange, the unnamed Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, and the third Thor movie -- now titled Thor: Ragnarok -- into its calendar; and it unveiled the title for the third Captain America movie; Civil War.
If this is all a bit much to take in, go get a cup of tea and come back in a minute.
Literally One Billion Things You Missed In The ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’ Trailer
DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT TRAILER? We did. We saw it more than you. We saw it until our eyes blinked. We saw the heck out of that trailer. We love comic book super movies better than anyone! Who are you dressing as for Halloween? Ultron? LOSER. We're dressing up as a destroyed city or a screaming civilian running through the street, because we GET IT and you DON'T.
But you're cool too I guess, so we're going to tell you a few secrets about the Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser trailer. We paused every frame of that trailer (or there were gifs on Tumblr maybe) and now we know every hidden Easter egg, every clever surprise, every cameo that Marvel doesn't want you to see! (Unless they're hoping you'll go see the movie, in which case maybe this is all just marketing and we're playing their game? Holy cheese, I think I just stepped through the looking glass here. Look away you guys! IT'S A TRAP!)
‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron Trailer’ Offers Shirtless Wet Thor, Pinocchio, Spader, Usual Civic Chaos
The first trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron was supposed to air on ABC on Tuesday during Agents of SHIELD, no doubt to give that show's flagging ratings a boost in its altogether better second year. But even the best laid plans of the rigorous pleasure-engineers at Disney/Marvel can't compete with all the weaknesses of humanity, with its strange impetuous need to leak trivialities into the ether like they were Watergate tapes. Which is why Mickey Mouse is going to replace us all with obedient machines programmed only to smile.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Recap, Episode 5: ‘A Hen In The Wolf House’
The fifth episode of Agents of SHIELD's second season is in a sense the episode some fans have been waiting for since the show began; it's the first episode to ever introduce a fully fledged comic book superhero into the cinematic universe. If you've somehow avoided spoilers until now, I'll avoid saying more until we're safely inside the recap.
That big event aside, 'A Hen In The Wolf House' by director Holly Dale and writer Brent Fletcher, is an oddly uneven episode. It's so preoccupied with the show's big mysteries that it lacks the focus that has made this season so much stronger than last. But it still has some great moments, as we'll uncover in our SHLEID recap.
Supermovies: This Is What The Next Few Years Of Your Life Looks Like [Infographic]
The Warner Bros. announcement on Wednesday of ten upcoming movies based on DC Comics properties neatly fills in a calendar of dates that the studio previously provided -- and help flesh out an extraordinary timetable of DC and Marvel superhero movies over the next six years from Warner Bros, Marvel Studios, Fox, and Sony Columbia.
ComicsAlliance's own graphics maestro Dylan Todd put together a timeline that reveals what those six years look like, including 29 confirmed release dates between now and the end of 2020, with several dates and titles still to be announced. For anyone who remembers the days when just one Spider-Man movie seemed an impossible dream, it's an astonishing representation of how comic book superheroes now dominate popular entertainment.
Warner Bros Announces Justice League, Wonder Woman, Aquaman Movies & More
At a presentation to investors on Wednesday morning, Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara unveiled his studio's blockbuster movie slate for the next few years through to 2020, finally confirming the titles for an ambitious number of movies based on DC Comics superhero properties.
The announcement confirms that we will finally see a long-awaited Wonder Woman movie in 2017. Gal Gadot will reprise the role after 2016's Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. The announcement also includes the expected Justice League movie -- and a sequel -- the previously announced Suicide Squad movie, and pictures starring Justice League members Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Cyborg. This means DC now has one superhero movie in the works with a female lead, and three with non-white leads.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Recap, Episode 3: ‘Making Friends And Influencing People’
We live in thrilling times, friend; a miraculous age where Agents of SHIELD isn't awful and I don't dread recapping it. Yes, the show continues its second season renaissance with an episode that uses the characters, the villains, and the SHIELD versus HYDRA dynamic to good effect.
'Making Friends And Influencing People', directed by Bobby Roth and written by Monica Owusu-Breen, reveals what Agent Simmons has been doing this whole time when she hasn't been Tyler Durden-ing Fitz. She's been working for HYDRA! OMG! Plus, the return of a nearly-villain from season one.
Best Comic Book Covers Ever (This Month): September 2014
A great comic book cover is an advertisement, a work of art, a statement, and an invitation. A great comic book cover is a glimpse of another world through a canvas no bigger than a window pane. In Best Comic Book Covers Ever (This Month), we look back over some of the most eye-catching, original and exceptional covers of the past month.
September's covers include masterclass composition from Genndy Tarkakovsky and Noelle Stevenson, some beautiful uses of light, color, and contrast, and some very different portraits of gods, old and new.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Recap, Episode 2: ‘Heavy Is The Head’
Last week, Agents of SHIELD came back strong, and not, "oh, it's better than it was" strong, but "oh, it might actually be good" strong, with the new ragtag outsider premise making for much more interesting dynamic -- and the use of the Absorbing Man pushing all the right nerd buttons.
This week's episode, 'Heavy Is The Head', directed by Jesse Bochco and written by Paul Zbyszewski, picks up where last week's ended -- but can it keep up the pace, the energy, and the quality? Has Agents of SHIELD ever had two good episodes in a row? Could this be that blessed day? Find out, thanks to our ComicsAlliance-exclusive S.H.L.E.I.D. recap system.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Recap, Episode 1: ‘Shadows’
Hello, friends. How was your summer? Good, I hope. But all that is behind us now; it's time to get back to work. Deflate the beach balls; put away the flip-flops; unpack the waterproof poncho. Agents of SHIELD is back, and I'm back to recap it. (Inexplicably, I was not fired for my recaps last season. I was actually promoted. Sorry, everyone.)
Long-time readers will recall that my major objection to Marvel's Agents of SHIELD is that it just didn't make enough use of its Marvel Universe playground. It didn't need Chris Evans pouting beautifully in every episode; it just needed to exploit the assets it had. Season one never did; yet everything I've heard about season two makes me want to give the show another chance. Because, like Doctor Doom, I'm very smart but I never learn.
Where Are Superhero Comics’ Big Name Bisexual Characters?
It's Celebrate Bisexuality Day today, also called Bisexual Visibility Day -- a day to celebrate and promote recognition of those who are sexually attracted to people of more than one gender. The day exists because people with non-monosexual queer identities face unusual challenges in being recognized by both mainstream and queer cultures, yet visibility helps break down barriers and encourage acceptance.
In superhero comics, the problem of bisexual invisibility is as ingrained as anywhere; the medium struggles to acknowledge the existence of anything that didn't exist in The Honeymooners or The Andy Griffith Show, unless it's a space god, a shapeshifter, or a parasitic psychic monster. Having a character say, "I'm bisexual" is apparently more implausible than any of those things. There are signs that the industry is changing in this regard -- but slowly, and rather half-heartedly.
Supergirl TV Show Leaps To Series In A Single Bound At CBS – What Does It Mean?
Last week there was talk that a Supergirl TV show was in development from Arrow and Flash executive producer Greg Berlanti. This week CBS has jumped straight to a series order for the show, meaning Supergirl is just about guaranteed to make it to air (or else the network pay a hefty kill fee) -- and we can all start wildly speculating about who they'll cast as the lead and which version of the character will make it to the screen.