Goofy Gadgets - Merida and Maleficent Join Disney Infinity 2.0

We already knew that Marvel's greatest heroes would be assembling in Disney Infinity 2.0.  But now we know that they will be joined by Princess Merida and the star of the number one movie in America, Maleficent in the Toy Box.

Are you excited?

Here are my first thoughts.  I like seeing toys themed to them in the Toy Box mode.  But I wish they were included in Play Sets.  Really that is what I want more of after the huge hit the Lone Ranger set was in my home.  Sets are fun for me! 

Is Merida and Hawkeye going to have the same power sets?  She seems to be showing off some martial arts and using her bow in a Hawkeye like fashion?  Can you buy Merida and have her join the Avengers?  Maybe she is the Kate version of Hawkeye?

I am honestly more excited about Marvel.  But I think everyone could have guessed that one!

Between Books - Infinity Gauntlet

Do we really have to wait until 2015 for The Avengers 2? Yes I know we have Iron Man 3, Thor 2: The Dark World, and Captain America 2: Winter Soldier to pass the years. But I really do not want to wait until 2015 to resolve Thanos and his plans for earth. I want to know what is going on now. So, I created my own shortcut and I read Infinity Gauntlet, collecting the Marvel mini-series from 1991. Though this series is not the introduction of the villain Thanos, it does tie into another potential plot element, the Infinity Gauntlet. The stone in Loki’s spear in The Avengers is the Soul Gem, which allows the user to control others. And in Thor the Infinity Gauntlet is seen in Odin’s vault. I have a hard time believing that they would not have left us a trail to this story without looking to adapt it in the future within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In 1991's Infinity Gauntlet, written by Jim Starlin and illustrated by George Perez and Ron Lim, Thanos acquires the Infinity Gauntlet formed of the entire set of Infinity Gems in order to fulfill his beloved’s desires. The full gauntlet makes Thanos more powerful than a Marvel universe God. He hopes to impress Death by killing half of the universe, in the blink of an eye! Earth’s heroes unite under the leadership of hero Adam Warlock, who is very familiar with the Soul Gem (he lived in it), to battle Thanos and attempt to save the universe from chaos and death. The following are speculative thoughts from the story that could have impact on a future Avengers 2, if it was actually adapted for the next movie:

• The Stones: We have already been introduced to the Soul Gem, but there are actually six infinity gems. The full set is The Soul, The Mind, Power, Time, Reality and Space. When combined together in the Infinity Gauntlet, they give the holder unlimited Godlike power. Basically, the Gauntlet makes Thanos the badest baddy that the Avengers would fight yet.

• Star Wars, Nothing But Star Wars: This is a cosmic tale. Seriously, it’s out of this world. Yes, there is a fair amount of action that occurs on little old earth. But the final battle occurs in space. So take Tony Stark flying into space at the end of The Avengers and add Thor and other heroes zooming through space with him. And then add in that part of the confrontation with Thanos includes a delegation of cosmic entities like Entirety, Love and Hate, the Watcher, Galactus, Kronos, and others. If they follow this cosmic setting, the budget for the film would have to be huge. Cleveland was able to sit in for New York in The Avengers, but it would require a lot of special effects to frame this story on the big screen in the same way as the comic. Or some things like the cosmic entities may not be able to be seen on screen. I do see the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving this direction with concept art from Iron Man 3, spoiler, showing Tony within a deep space version of the armor.

• Where’s Waldo: The good news about the Infinity Gauntlet storyline is that Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk all have fairly big roles with Black Widow also in action. Now this Thor is not the Marvel Cinematic Universe Thor with a storyline that if he is separated from his hammer for a set timeframe he transforms into a regular human who is not Donald Blake. This plot point is small enough I am guessing that Joss Whedon would simply ignore it. But Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye is problematic. For almost the entire story Hawkeye is gone, and somewhere where he should never return from. I am fairly certain regardless of the number of heroes they add that the Disney executives would like to keep Renner with a significant role in a future Avengers film. I think it’s the law that Renner has to have a role in every action franchise, or at least it feels that way!

• Missing in Action: This is a big big Marvel story. It is literally cosmic and the role of heroes featured is massive. However, there are a ton of heroes who cannot be part of the story due to obligations to other studios. These missing heroes included Spider-Man, Wolverine, Professor X, and the Fantastic Four. And some characters I wonder if they have viable as they served as supporting characters on the non-Disney films. These include the Silver Surfer and Doctor Doom who have a pretty big role in this epic. I am guessing that currently these two are wrapped up with other studios and will be written out unless Disney pays a fee to access their characters.

• Introducing: There are several characters that could be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is a very “magical” story, where it is made equal to science. Therefore Doctor Strange plays a large role in the original story, so Avengers 2 if following this story at all could be an introduction to this character. I think this is likely since Kevin Fiege has announced that Doctor Strange will be part of Wave Three after Avengers 2. Another character who could have a role is Ant Man, who’s film is also considered part of Wave Three. Though I have to admit this original Avenger is not really one of my favorite characters.

• Leader of the Pack: What to do with Adam Warlock. He serves as the strategic leader in the conformation against Thanos. But to be honest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe he could only ever be a supporting character. And would they allow someone other than Nick Fury serve as the core leader? I do not think so. I expect that Fury might take over some of Warlock’s role if this storyline was made into Avengers 2.

• Stan’s Soapbox: No entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be complete without the Stan Lee cameo. And this story is ready for Stan’s arrival. One frame shows that the Hulk is visiting “Smilin’ Stan’s Bar & Grill. On this alone, I would green light this story for the core of Avengers 2.

Again, this is all nothing more than speculation and none of these guesses could come to fruition. But with two years to go, Infinity Gauntlet is an enjoyable book to visit and start building assumptions on a future movie. Let's be honest, this story could not become a feature film without major rewrites.  Even if none of these guesses come true, the story itself is an enjoyable superhero adventure sure to entertain fans of the Avenger Initiative.

Comic Corner - Secret Avengers #1

Marvel and Disney have an interesting situation on their hands. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is widely popular, and in 2008, Samuel L. Jackson began to firmly establish himself as Nick Fury in Iron Man. Anyone who has only been exposed to this second level Marvel character, on the big screen, can only visualize Fury as Jackson. So for those who explore comics because they enjoyed the Avenger Initiative may be surprised when the stumble upon Fury in print. Yes, Nick Fury in the Ultimate Universe is stylized to look like Jackson, but in the mainline Marvel Universe, Earth 616, super spy Nick Fury is a gruff Caucasian man. In this universe Fury is more along the lines of Clint Eastwood than Samuel L. Jackson. And though this is a comic universe where things can be changed with a brush stroke and a few lines of story, his ethnicity is a little harder to change since Fury has been Caucasian since 1963. So how does one reconcile Marvel history with the expectations of those who have only seen the movies? I believe Marvel thinks they have found their solution in Secret Avengers.

With issue 1 in February 2013, Secret Avengers caught my attention for two reasons. First, it advertised that Agent Phil Coulson was featured. I am a big Coulson fan! Second, it would feature an African-American Nick Fury. The full cast of the title includes S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, Hawkeye and Black Widow. With 4 members of The Avengers cast, this title is clearly reaching out to fans of the movies. And then adding an African-American Nick Fury completes the attempt to bring movie audiences to a print title. And honestly, though Avengers is in the title, this really is a S.H.I.E.L.D. book. But I personally feel the title choice was to help readers coming from the Cinematic Universe, as they are not yet familiar with Avenger ID cards, an Avengers mansion or self-governing superheroes not backed by S.H.I.E.L.D. But the Avengers label is likely needed to help lead new readers to the concept that this title is related to the movie franchise. Another link to the movies is Hawkeye’s costume, which is far from his traditional over the top purple costume.

As the story opens in Secret Avengers #1, Hawkeye is being taken captive in a foreign land, on a mission that Hawkeye has no knowledge of, in an undisclosed location. This leads to a series of flashbacks where Coulson recruits Hawkeye and Black Widow to serve as Black Ops agents for S.H.I.E.L.D. The duo is introduced to their new field commander, an African-American Nick Fury dressed in a Captain America inspired uniform. The team hits the ground attempting to capture a dealer in black magic before his skills can be used to strike a vital title in the United States. Throughout the book we learn there are secrets upon secrets ranging from why Hawkeye and Black Widow took this assignment to what S.H.I.E.L.D.’s full motivation for using these former Avengers. The story provides hints to action that could happen in future issues and the secrets that can be revealed but the main story is fully resolved in this introductory issue.

Secret Avengers is part of the Marvel NOW! reboot, restructure, reset, or whatever "re" word you want to use. Basically this is a good opportunity to reconcile the print and the cinematic world. And since other changes are occurring, now is the time to bring an African-American Nick Fury into Marvel mainstream with the least disruption. I do understand that Nick Fury is already modeled after Jackson in the Ultimate universe, but I can see how cinema fans want their preferred Fury in the main universe and not a secondary, though exciting, Marvel storyline. At the same time, they also make it clear that this Fury is not the same one that has been around since 1963, a move which should satisfy long-term fans.

Baby Variant Cover - Pointing Out this Team is Low on Powers

Of course it is Fury and Coulson that I laid down my money for. This young and new Nick Fury is modeled after Jackson. He also is a character with unclear motives, much like the movie version. The biggest difference is this Fury is fighting and leading in the field while the Jackson version is largely directing from the bridge of the Helicarrier. I do have a lot of questions about this Fury. It appears that I can find answers to some of these questions in a title called Battle Scars which concluded before Secret Avengers. That series also introduces Coulson to the Marvel mainline universe. I have to admit that I did really enjoy Hawkeye’s reaction to this new Nick Fury! Hawkeye and Fury discuss if the name Nick Fury and James Bond are actually code names for agents and not specific people. It kind of cracks me up to watch a Marvel character attempt to reconcile Bond canon which is far from as complicated as Marvel fictional history. I must admit that I have not warmed up to this version of Coulson. I have seen an animated version of Coulson in Ultimate Spider-Man which is part comic relief straight man and part action hero. This Coulson in this single issue is, well, a used car salesman. I feel like the Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a straight up guy. This guy on the other hand feels a little slimy as he plays let’s make a deal.

The graphics are, in my opinion, solid in this issue. They really help set the stage for a tale that it more spy story than superhero epic. The settings are dark and filled with the back alley type settings you would expect from a black ops team. Sadly, unless the images are super cutting edge, I really do not take full notice of them until they are distracting from the story.

From the business side, I can see why Marvel and Disney both want Secret Avengers. In this title, Marvel brings the movies and Marvel tradition together in a way that could bring new readers to print, paper or digital. I found Secret Avengers #1 a solid endeavor. But with limited money, and new Dole Whip shirts to buy, I will probably wait to borrow the collected trades of this series instead of following it month to month.

Mousey Movie Review - The Avengers

I have been waiting years for the fulfillment of a promise.  In Iron Man Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury told us he was looking to get the Avengers together.  Now Marvel and Disney have paid off on this promise, and most fans will not be disappointed.  If you like action films, if you enjoy things going boom, and if you love superheroes, The Avengers is probably going to be a hit for you.  Here are my initial thoughts about the film after a very early morning viewing (as spoiler free as possible):

·         Laugh-o-Gram:  I underestimated how funny this movie was going to be.  Quick quips, puns, and fun dialogue are traditional comic book tools.  And we have seen some humor in the past films.  But in The Avengers the fun lines are ramped.  I really should have expected this because Joss Whedon wrote the story and screenplay.  Overall my experience with his work is limited.  But the one franchise of his that I love is Firefly which shares this type of witty dialogue.  I quote Firefly lines all the time!   I cannot really tell you all of the lines that clicked with the audience because I missed some payoffs because everyone was drowning out the audio laughing.  I do think Whedon gave the best lines to Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man who continues to shine in this role.   

·         Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.:  We have been introduced over the years to agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. including Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Black Widow and Clint Barton/Hawkeye.  These agents have also been support but never the stars.  In a film with heavy hitters like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk the characters that get the most development are these agents along with the newest member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill.  With the big guys we have seen them developed in their own films, so it honestly fells like these are the characters who should be built out further.  Honestly, these are the characters you will probably look forward to the most in the future.    

·         Reality Check:  So villain wise this is probably the most ambitious of the non-human villains to date, therefore a ton more of CGI.  Yet I still felt like these alien invaders fit within our world and were believable.  I think an element that works to help establish reality are heroes with basic earthly weapons.  Having Black Widow and Hawkeye with guns and bows sprinkled throughout scenes with CGI villains and heroes helps to ground the image in our world.   

·         Fearless:  The Avengers breaks the expected conventions.  So be prepared for a ride.  In The Incredibles we get an education on some of these clichés, like monologuing for example.  In The Avengers the story breaks these clichés.  Characters do the things that you would want to do in the real world.  If this was a horror movie, somebody on the screen would say “hey don’t be foolish and walk into the woods unless you want to die first.”  And the story takes risks.  I had done a really good job avoiding spoilers and I am glad I did because within the first 15 minutes something I had not expected had happened and changed what I thought of the story rolling out in front of me.          

As a side note, The Avengers is not really a Mousey Movie except for links to the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  But I will not be pointing fingers.  There is a lot happening in this film and I would not ask for them to force in hidden Mickeys just to impress a Disney fan!  No, I will take The Avengers as it is a popular and growing Disney franchise that we will love for years to come.  I am sure many of you will be assembling with your fellow avengers at a theater near you, maybe even for a second or third time. 

Mousey Movies - The Avengers Primer

With John Carter behind us we move onto Disney’s guaranteed blockbuster, The Avengers.  Disney you say, why yes, yes it is.  Though we find Marvel characters and rides in Universal Studios Orlando, Disney owns the Marvel universe.  If you question whether or not the Avengers or Marvel is part of the Disney family, prepare yourself for an Avengers monorail wrap much like we saw with Tron Legacy.  Disney may not be able to host Iron Man or Captain America meet and greets in the parks due to the Universal contract, but the Marvel presence is soon to be evident in our favorite vacation spots.  Bob Iger at the 2012 Annual Meeting stated that there are plans to introduce Marvel characters into the theme parks.    

Captain America is Ready to Meet You, But Not at Walt Disney World!

As a kid who grew up reading The X-Men, The Amazing Spiderman, and the occasional Avengers I have been excited about what I have informally referred to as the “Avengers Project” for over five years.  And after Disney bought Marvel after the project kicked off, my interest went straight through the roof. 

Development of The Avengers actually started in 2005, years before Disney purchased Marvel Comics.  So in many ways, Disney inherited a string of blockbusters.  The concept was to release several Marvel hero movies and then have then all wrap together into one movie that included the stars of the previous films.  The connective tissue was a initially minor character, Nick Fury.  Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson in the Avenger movies, is the longtime director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division) a government agency working to ensure the overall security of the United States.  S.H.I.E.L.D. would appear first in 2008’s Iron Man in Agent Coulson, brilliantly played by Clark Gregg, but Fury would not appear until a short interaction with Tony Stark after the credits!  Though the role of Nick Fury was expanded in some future offerings, especially Iron Man 2, Fury has largely been a secondary plot point which guided viewers forward to this year’s The Avengers.  The following are quick summaries of the movies to date leading to The Avengers including which major characters key to the plot of The Avengers are introduced, as we know it to date:

Iron Man (2008) 

·        The audience is introduced to billionaire playboy and arms manufacturer Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr.  Kidnapped in a foreign land the genius Stark develops the Iron Man suit of armor.  Stark struggles with balancing his own personal failings with becoming a public superhero and fights to save his technology and company from falling into the hands of his business partner and mentor turned bad.

·         S.H.I.E.L.D. comes out of the shadows to discuss with Tony the implications of his technically advanced suit of armor.  Agent Phil Coulson is charged with investigating the Iron Man technology.  The unintimating Coulson proves to be more than a man in a suit but an ally in Stark’s struggle to control his invention.

·         Nick Fury after the credits visits Stark on a recruiting visit to work with S.H.I.E.L.D.  

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

·         In this semi-sequel to the 2003 Hulk, Doctor Bruce Banner, played by Edward Norton, struggles with overcoming the Gamma radiation poisoning that turns the bookish scientist into the mindless and destructive Hulk.  Norton taking over the role from Eric Bana, plays a more cerebral Banner and is a character more familiar to fans of the 1970’s Bill Bixby The Incredible Hulk, than a smash everything brute. 

·         A cameo from Tony Stark after the credits notes that a team is being put together. 

·         Honestly this is the one Avengers movie that I have never watched more than once.  So I think many forgot its role in moving forward the Avengers story. 

·         Norton is replaced as Bruce Banner/Hulk by Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers.  In my opinion, Ruffalo’s appearance appears to be in the brainy Banner mold, not the hunkish and rock hard action hero.  

Iron Man 2 (2010)

·         Iron Man 2 was released after the Disney acquisition of Marvel and was promoted heavily by the Walt Disney Company as seen by the merchandise found in places like the Disney Store. 

·         Tony Stark returns and seriously loses his mojo as he faces death due to a heart defect.  He is also confronted by business rivals and a new villain that insists that Stark’s business and personal life should be his own.

·         Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, with the aid of Agent Coulson put Stark on a path to hopefully restore Tony’s groove.  Fury does question if Stark is able to cooperate with others and be material for the team he is assembling. 

·         Another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent The Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson is introduced.  The Black Widow is a martial arts and espionage expert assigned by Fury to keep a watchful eye on Stark and will return as a member of the Avengers.

·         Coulson is called away to a situation in New Mexico.  After the credits, Coulson calls back to report he has found something.  This scene leads us into the next Avengers themed movie. 

·         Many prefer the first Iron Man movie to the sequel but as a Disney fan this is my favorite due to its Mouseyness.  The parallels between Howard Stark, Tony’s father, and Walt Disney are impossible to miss. 

Thor (2011)

·         This film introduces another member of the Avengers team in the Norse god Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth.  Thor due to a poor decision making is thrown out of his home of Asgard by his father Odin.  Thor must find himself and his power again during a busy weekend in New Mexico.  As he finds himself, he struggles for control of Asgard and with his brother Loki, brilliantly portrayed by Tom Hiddleston. 

·         A post credits scene with Nick Fury hints that Loki will return.  The trailers for The Avengers confirm that Loki returns as a major villain.

·         It is revealed that the item Agent Coulson has found in New Mexico is Thor’s mystical hammer Mjolnir.  S.H.I.E.L.D. has a major presence in the story, guarding and investigating Mjolnir. 

·         Another Avenger is briefly introduced.  As Thor attempts to steal back Mjolnir from S.H.I.E.L.D. he is under the watchful eye of Clint Barton or Hawkeye played by Oscar nominated actor Jeremy Renner.  Hawkeye is a sharp shooter whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow.    

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

·         Captain America: The First Avenger is the last piece of The Avengers puzzle at it introduces World War II era hero Captain America played by Chris Evans.  Lightweight Steve Rogers fails in his attempts to be inducted into the Army to fight the Axis powers.  Noticed by a government scientist he is selected for a program that gives him superhuman strength.  Under the name Captain America he fights a faction of Nazi scientific elite called HYDRA under the command of the Red Skull. 

·         The ending of the movie, sorry for any possible spoilers, transitions to the modern day as Nick Fury introduces an unaged Steve Rogers to the modern world.  After the credits, Fury returns to ask Rogers about joining a team he is putting together.  

Setup your Netflix queue or visit your local Redbox because you have your homework to finish before May 4^th.  The Avengers, unlike one of my favorites of this year John Carter is sure to be a hit for Disney.  And as a Disney fan we are sure to be seeing much more from the Avengers team and these individual superheroes to come.  Follow-up movies from Marvel Studios have already been announced including an Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Nick Fury.   Superheroes are going to be supported by the House of Mouse for years to come!