Captain America: Civil War Teams Possibly Revealed

Next year will bring us the third Captain America movie, with it taking the premise of the 2007 Marvel Comics storyline of Civil War.  In that comic event two teams, lead by Cap and Iron Man, fight over superhero registration. 

With Marvel Studios not having the rights to all the characters or not yet introducing others, this will obviously be a different take on the story.  Rumors are now emerging as far as who will be on Team Cap and who's on Team Iron Man. 

Team Captain America 

So we have Cap, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Ant-Man, Winter Soldier, and Hawkeye. Falcon isn't a surprise here, as well as Ant-Man who was "kind of" recruited by Falcon.  And one of the post-credits scene from Ant-Man shows Cap and Falcon have tracked down Winter Soldier, and it seems they'll have him won over at some point in Civil War. 

Team Iron Man

And siding with Iron Man is Black Widow, Vision, Spider-Man, and War Machine. Also rumored is that Captain America has a spy on Iron Man's team, the smart money is on it being Black Widow or War Machine. Black Panther is said to remain neutral for most of the movie but will eventually get pulled in and pick a side. 

Captain America:Civil War releases May 6, 2016

-Lando McFly

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We Have Our New Spider-Man!

Marvel and Sony have cast their new Spider-Man and it's Tom Holland. They also announced the director for the new solo Spidey movie, Jon Watts. Watts has directed some independent movies including Cop Car with Kevin Bacon in the lead. 

Tom Holland

Holland will first appear as the Web Head next year in Captain America: Civil War before his own movie in 2017. 

-Lando McFly

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The Weekly Pull Review - Secret Wars #1

The Weekly Pull Review - Secret Wars #1

The Marvel Comics event of the year is finally upon us as Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s 8-issue Secret Wars event officially launched the beginning of the end for the Marvel Universe this week. This massive saga is a HUGE payoff to those, like me, who have collected Hickman’s work through Avengers (Vol. 5) and New Avengers (Vol. 3) totalling a whopping 77 issues, which together weaved an intricate story of how Earth’s Mightiest Heroes failed to not only protect their world, but the entire multiverse.

Although the premise seems daunting for those who aren’t up to speed, IGN has put together a fantastic recap of the events that have led up to Secret Wars, which you can find here. Take note that Hickman’s work isn’t for the faint of heart and tells a much darker and complex tale for such a mainstream title, clearly aimed at an older and more mature demographic.  

The Secret Wars event begins right where the Avengers finale concludes, with the final two worlds in the Marvel multiverse facing the incursion and imminent destruction. Earth-616, better known as the Prime continuity, and Earth-1610, the Ultimate Universe. As the worlds collide, beloved heroes fall in battle, lives are lost to scientific miscalculations and a Battleworld is formed, which will forever change the landscape of the Marvel Universe.

Worlds Collide

The scope and significance of this story also marks a historical event for Marvel Comics, as this is the first time in franchise history that the publisher has rebooted. With the exception of it's Star Wars titles, every Marvel book will see its final issue during the event, replaced by Secret Wars tie-in titles that will follow the incursion survivors. Very little is known at this point regarding how the Marvel Universe will unfold after the event reaches its conclusion. Some signs point toward a jump in time, while others suggest that some tie-in stories will evolve into mainstream ongoing titles.

Secret Wars is the must-read event of the year, and comes highly recommended by the NGP team. This is one of the boldest and most well-written story events to ever come from the House of Ideas and if every issue is as strong as the debut, we're in for a treat.

4/5 Toast Rating

This is the big leagues, and everything we know about the current Marvel Universe will never be the same.    

Questions or Comments? Sound off below, or find me on Twitter as @ArchangelEZE and for more exciting news and reviews, follow NGP on Facebook!  

Until next time True Believers,

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Captain America: Civil War Begins Production, Full Cast Revealed

Production on Captain America: Civil War  has begun in Atlanta.  The full cast list has been unveiled, and it seems to have more Avengers than Age of Ultron did. 

Here's the official synopsis for Civil War;

The cast includes Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Sebastion Stan (Winter Soldier), Scarlet Johansson (Black Widow), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Paul Bettany (Vision), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Emily VanCamp (Agent 33), Frank Grillo (Crossbones), William Hurt (General Ross), Daniel Bruhl (Baron Zemo), and Martin Freeman (who's role is still unknown).  A handful of these are worth noting ...

This movie will mark the introduction for Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther. It will also be the first time Paul Rudd will be seen along side the rest of the Avengers after Ant-Man releases later this year. William Hurt will return as General "Thunderbolt" Ross, his only other appearance was 2008's The Incredible Hulk. And lastly, Civil War will introduce Daniel Bruhl as Baron Zemo. 

With a cast this massive, Its surprising this isn't considered an Avengers movie. Rumor still suggests Spider-Man will make an appearance once he's cast, but no news on that for the time being.  And with Hawkeye and Ant-Man finally in the same movie, maybe we'll get this classic scene ....

-Lando McFly

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Martin Freeman Cast In Captain America 3!

As of today Martin Freeman, star of The Hobbit, is cast in Captain America: Civil War.  No word on who he'll be playing yet. So speculate away!

The Captain America sequel is about to begin production and will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The Russo brothers helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and will also be directing Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 & 2. 

Will Freeman have a Sherlock reunion with Benedict Cumberbatch, who's playing Doctor Strange in his own movie? Or a Hobbit reunion with Andy Serkis, who you saw as Ulysses Klaw in Avengers: Age of Ultron? Neither are confirmed for Civil War, but time will tell. 

-Lando McFly

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Avengers: What's Next?

So, if you're like a lot of people, you saw Avengers: Age of Ultron this weekend. But maybe now you're curious about what's next for the team and what that mid-credits scene means exactly. Needless to say, spoilers will be plenty going further if you haven't seen the movie.

THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING.

Still with me? Okay, let's get to it.

Thanos and the Infinty Gauntlet!

If you stayed around through the credits, about midway there was a quick scene with Thanos ( voiced by Josh Brolin ).  He puts on what's known as the "Infinity Gauntlet" and says "Fine, I'll do it myself". 

Seems to be the Marvel films' "big bad" is about to get his hands dirty. He was teased in a mid credits scene in the first Avengers movie, showing he was responsible for providing Loki with an army and that sceptor (or glow stick of destiny as Iron Man called it).  Thanos also made a brief appearance in last year's Guardians of the Galaxy, tasking that movie's villain (Ronan) with finding an orb, which ended up holding one of the Infinity Gems. Not familiar with the Infinity Gems? Let me help you with that...

These gems all fit into the Infinity Gauntlet, giving the bearer of the glove essentially limitless power. As you can see on the picture above, two gems are unaccounted for in the Marvel movies. We're sure to see these introduced in next year's Doctor Strange, 2017's Thor: Ragnorak, or Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 in 2018. 

So there's a quick rundown of the Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos. Until more details are officially announced or revealed in future movies, anything more would be strictly speculation. 

Now onto the new line up of the Avengers at the end of the movie and next year's Captain America: Civil War. 

New Avengers and Civil War!

The final scene before the credits rolled showed a new team going forward. Captain America and Black Widow will need some help with 4 Avengers bowing out at the end of the movie. Tony Stark takes a leave of absence, Hawkeye takes off to be a dad, Thor returns to Asgard, and Hulk goes into hiding.  So now we got a new line up. 

Heading up the team is Captain America, with Black Widow seeming to serve as his right hand woman. War Machine (from the Iron Man movies) and Falcon (introduced in last year's Captain America: Civil War) finally get promoted to the big leagues. As well as Scarlet Witch and Vision who both made their debut in Age of Ultron. 

Who knows how long this line up will remain. Next year, heroes will be facing off against one another in Captain America: Civil War. And we'll be introduced to several other Avengers in the next few years; Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man, and some guy named Spider-Man. Also, don't rule out veteran Avengers like Iron Man or Hawkeye getting called back into the ring at any time. 

Avengers Potpourri 

A few random notes to close this out ...

Did you catch Sam "Falcon" Wilson's mention of a "missing person case"? No doubt a nod to Cap and Falcon looking for Bucky/Winter Soldier. Marvel hasn't forgotten about him, and he's confirmed to be in Civil War next year. 

And we can't finish without mention of Pietro "Quicksilver" Maximoff. We hardly knew thee. 

It seems odd for Marvel to kill off such a classic Avenger in the same movie he's introduced in. But perhaps they felt they needed to tell audiences that Avengers CAN DIE. No doubt Avengers director Joss Whedon will get a lot of flack for Pietro's early demise. But the truth is, Marvel wouldn't allow it if they weren't OK it, or maybe they even suggested it. And if you're one for speculating...could Quicksilver be resurrected via the Infinity Gauntlet? Or through any other means? It would be a very "comic book" thing to do.  

Until next time, True Believers ....

-Lando McFly

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Marvel Collector Corps - Box 1 : Avengers

Marvel Collector Corps - Box 1 : Avengers

The Marvel Collector Corps has finally launched, and we here at New Geek Protocol have our hands on the very first box featuring none other than Earth’s Mightiest, the Avengers! Back in February, we broke the news that Marvel and Funko had teamed up to bring us, the fans, 100% completely exclusive collectibles t-shirts and accessories valued at over $50 through a bi-monthly shipping service and they did not disappoint!

When my box arrived, there was no hiding the excitement for what was in store. A Golden Age Captain America graded the top of the box with Avengers and Marvel markings screaming around the outer edges. The inside flap contained great moments in Marvel Comics history, which features the likes of The Incredible Hulk, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Black Widow and more!

Upon opening the top flap, the first two pieces of swag greeted me in the form of a Marvel Collector’s Corps Ultron patch and Captain America pin.

Lifting the inner flap where the patch and pin were positioned, the Exclusive Hulkbuster Pop! Vinyl figure was displayed, and this thing is HUGE. Standing at a whopping 6” (compared to the standard 3 ¾” figured) this beauty is sure to be a “must have” for any Iron Man fan!

Nestled to the right-hand side of the Hulkbuster, was an Avengers : Age of Ultron Dorbz Vinyl figure featuring the iconic villain himself!

With the vinyl figures (gently!) removed from the box, an exclusive Variant Edition of Guardians Team-Up #1 was tucked underneath …

Alongside One of Four unique Avengers vs. Ultron T-shirts to round out the box! My randomly selected shirt featured Thor, but Captain America, Iron Man and Hulk variations have also been received by other Corps members!

Overall, I’m quite pleased with the items that arrived in the Marvel Collector Corps Launch Box, and I’m excited to see what’s in store for June when Ant-Man takes the reigns as the theme for Box 2! To sign-up for the Marvel Collector Corps, visit www.collectorcorps.com today!

Questions or Comments? Sound off below, or find me on Twitter as @ArchangelEZE and for more exciting news and reviews, follow NGP on Facebook!  

Until next time True Believers,

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Daredevil Back For A Second Season!

Daredevil has been officially renewed for a second season! Originally, Marvel had only planned single seasons for the their Netflix shows before the Defenders team up miniseries. With Daredevil being such a huge success, it's no surprise they've altered their plan. The second season will debut next year exclusive to Netflix, obviously. 

Later this year will see the introduction of Jessica Jones in her own series as well as Luke Cage and Iron Fist later on down the line. 

The second season will have new show runners, Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez. Both were writers and heavily involved for Daredevil's first season.

This story is just breaking. Stay tuned for more details. 

-Lando McFly

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Ms. Marvel Miniseries!

Rumor has it that Marvel and ABC are developing a Ms. Marvel miniseries to air next year while Agents of Shield is on its winter hiatus. 

The show would be produced by John Ridley, who currently produces the show American Crime. He also won a Best Screenplay Oscar for 12 Years A Slave. 

The current Ms. Marvel  (Kamala Khan) is Marvel's first Muslim character to headline her own comic series. Her abilities include shapeshifting and a healing factor. 

Nothing has been confirmed, but stay tuned for any updates! 

-Lando McFly

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How Much Wolverine Do We Need? Apparently A Lot.

Earlier today,  The Wolverine director James Mangold responded to a tweet asking when Wolverine 3 will begin production. Based on the already announced release date for 2017, it's not a huge surprise when Mangold said they'll begin in early 2016.  

Already reported for the next Wolverine film, is that it will bring back Patrick Stewart as Professor X.  Nothing else has been revealed about the movie, including plot. Hugh Jackman is also slated to be in next year's X-Men: Apocalypse, as well as being rumored for cameos in the Deadpool and Gambit movies. 

So, who else is wondering when Fox will stop using Wolverine as a crutch? He's been the main character of 4 X-Men movies as well as 2 solo Wolverine movies. If Fox really wants to expand their X-Men cinematic universe to rival Marvel's Avengers, shouldn't they expand their focus beyond Hugh Jackman?

Sure, we are getting Deadpool and Gambit movies, but it took A LOT of fan support and outcry to get those. And maybe those films will be big enough hits to convince Fox to broaden their focus. But nothing is certain when it comes to Hollywood.  Perhaps with films starring Ryan Reynolds ( Deadpool ) and Channing Tatum ( Gambit ) Fox can be convinced to take more chances.

Fox holds the rights to a plethora of fascinating characters.  They just need to get some creative talent and some smart casting to make some cinematic magic. Let's not forget, before 2008 Iron Man was hardly a household name. And we all know how that has changed.

- Lando McFly

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Avengers : Age of Ultron - Trailer 3

Avengers : Age of Ultron - Trailer 3

At long last, Marvel has dropped the third trailer for Avengers : Age of Ultron!

After a push from the @Avengers Twitter account this morning, the fans have answered the call, and the new trailer has arrived. Enjoy fellow Marvelites! Earth's Mightiest are only a few month away! 'Nuff Said.

Questions or Comments? Sound off below, and for more exciting news and reviews, follow NGP on Facebook and Twitter!


- Lando McFly & ArchangelEZE

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Spidey's New Director?

News is breaking that Marvel and Sony have found their writer/director for the new Spider-Man franchise in Drew Goddard.  Goddard had been developing a Sinister Six movie for Sony before the new deal with Marvel was made to work together. 

Drew Goddard directed and co-wrote ( with Joss Whedon ! ) 2012's Cabin in the Woods. He also has writing credits for several projects including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, World War Z and Cloverfield. He was set to be a producer and show runner for Marvel and Netflix's Daredevil series before being stolen by Sony for a Sinister Six film. 

Also reported is that this new Spidey franchise will carry the title "Spectacular Spider-Man", and there ( thankfully! ) will not be another origin story.  Peter Parker will also find himself back in high school, and could face the Sinister Six in the first movie already. 

Lastly, part of this breaking story is that the new Spider-Man movie will include Iron Man.  Tony Stark would be putting Peter Parker through an "audition" of sorts to join the Avengers. Is this the big announcement Robert Downey Jr was teasing last week and it's leaking out a little early? Perhaps so, stay tuned. 

-Lando McFly

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Meet Your New Avengers

With Avengers: Age of Ultron, we're getting introduced to three new team members ( I'm not counting Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch's scene at the end of the last Captain America movie as their proper introduction ).  Let's take some time to learn about our new friends. 

First up is The Vision ( THE ANDROID AVENGER ).  His first appearance was in October 1968 in Avengers # 57.  His abilities include mass and density control, flight, solar energy projection, super human strength, and self repair / regeneration.   Paul Bettany will be portraying Vision, he also voiced Tony Stark's AI "butler" Jarvis in four Marvel movies so far. 

The Vision was created by Ultron, who ( in the comics ) was built by Hank "Ant-Man" Pym. In the movies, Marvel has Ultron built by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.  In the comics, the Avengers are able to bring The Vision to their side after briefly working for Ultron. 

Next, we have Scarlet Witch. Marvel Studios are altering her ( and Quicksilver's ) origin since they don't have all the cinematic rights. Scarlet Witch ( aka Wanda Maximoff ) first appeared in X-Men # 4 in March 1964. She is the daughter of Magneto, though Marvel Studios are not allowed to make any mention of this relationship. 

Her abilities include probability manipulation, reality warping, and chaos magic. She is the twin sister of Quicksilver ( we'll get to him in a minute ),   and the both of them will come into their powers through other means than being mutants as they are in the comics. 

Lastly, we have Quicksilver ( Pietro Maximoff ).  You might be familiar with the character after Evan Peters stole the show as Quicksilver in last year's X-Men: Days of Future Past. Marvel Studios have chosen Aaron Taylor Johnson for their speedster. 

Quicksilver and his superhuman speed first debuted in X-Men # 4, just like his sister.  And just like his sister, he had a cameo during the credits of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. 

These are just the three new Avengers we're getting introduced to in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Over the next few years we'll also be getting Ant-Man ( this year yet! ), Captain Marvel, Black Panther and the Inhumans. It's an exciting time to be a Marvel fan. 

-Lando McFly

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Robert Downey Jr Tweets A New Avengers Poster ... And A Big Tease

Robert Downey Jr tweeted a new poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron today. Its a character poster for Iron Man, which means we'll likely see more posters for the rest of the Avengers soon. 

Also in his tweet, Robert Downey Jr teases a big announcement for 8 days from now. What could be the big surprise? Announcing what will officially be his last movie as Tony Stark? Spider-Man casting? The possibilities are ours to over-speculate! 

-Lando McFly

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A New Avengers: Age of Ultron Poster Is Released! And It Confirms Some Cameos

Earlier today, Marvel released a new poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron. At the center are your favorite Avengers that have already been introduced, but there's more to enjoy here. On the far right you can see Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, and obscured by some glimmer is The Vision. 

But in the credits at the bottom, some rumored cameos are finally confirmed. Anthony Mackie ( Sam "Falcon" Wilson ), Hayley Atwell ( Agent Peggy Carter ), and Idris Elba ( Heimdall ) are all listed to be appearing in the movie. 

Avengers: Age of Ultron releases May 1

-Lando McFly

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A Tale of Two Web Heads

Marvel seems to be wasting no time casting it's new Spider-Man. Furthering the likelihood that he'll first appear in Captain America: Civil War, the next Marvel Studios film to go into production.

Rumored to be considered for the role are Logan Lerman ( the Percy Jackson films, Fury ) and Dylan O'Brien ( The Maze Runner, MTV's Teen Wolf ).  Lerman was reportedly up for the role for the last reboot but obviously lost out to Andrew Garfield. 

- Lando McFly

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The Weekly Pull : Marvel Fights Dirty

The Weekly Pull : Marvel Fights Dirty

It’s no secret that Marvel is struggling to regain their properties from major motion picture companies. The bulk of the characters are over at Disney (which we can all be thankful for), however Sony holds the rights to Spider-Man while Fox, with an iron grip, controls X-Men and the Fantastic Four. But what about Marvel’s very first superhero? Their first mutant? Who controls the Sub-Mariner? Who controls Namor?

Now, I know what most of you are thinking : “Who cares, it’s Namor.” and quite honestly, I’m inclined to side with the same logic. However, after the publication of January 2015’s Avengers #40, it has become abundantly clear that Marvel cares, and is willing to do just about anything to prove it.

Please note, from this point on, SPOILERS may be present if you aren’t up to speed on current Avengers story arcs. So if you wish to remain in the dark, this is your one and only warning.

Plain and simple, character rights are a fickle bitch. It’s extremely unlikely that any one studio “owns” the rights to something. For example, Sony only holds cinematic power over Spider-Man, where Marvel has full control over the character in print and television mediums. Unfortunately, each character in the Marvel U is bound by it’s own set of rules. Some of which expire, while others remain perpetual.

Before the massive success of Iron Man, Marvel's self produced, high risk Hail Mary to escape bankruptcy back in 2008, superheroes in cinema weren't the box office smash that they are today. A prime example is Director Ang Lee's 2003 take on the Hulk produced by Universal Studios. Although the film grossed $245 million worldwide (surpassing its 137 million budget), the film's reception was less than stellar. The mixed reviews ultimately prompted Universal to allow the cinematic rights for the Hulk to lapse, retreating back to Marvel, which allowed them to reboot the franchise with Edward Norton as The Incredible Hulk and include the character as a key member of the Avengers.

How does this all connect to Namor and Marvel's stance on the a Sub Mariner? Universal Studios still holds a portion of the rights to the Atlantean King, and in this day and age, they aren't so keen to make the same mistake twice. So, in rebuttal, Marvel has opted to play the strongest card they have and completely eliminate all marketing support with the launch of Secret Wars ...

The gloves are off, we're fighting dirty and it's pretty clear Marvel isn't screwing around anymore. Need further proof? With Fox's Fantastic Four reboot set to hit theaters this fall, Marvel has indefinitely canceled the series.

Do you have a comic, graphic novel, comic event or storyline you’re itching to read or learn more about? Sound off in the comments below, find me on Twitter or let us know on the New Geek Protocol Facebook page!

Until next time True Believers,

-ArchangelEZE

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