The Marvel Universe Just Keeps Expanding
Nowadays it is nearly impossible to get away from anything related to superheroes in pop culture. They are in every other movie, a number of TV shows, and they're even starting to creep into music videos. And if there is a clear winner in the comic saturation, it is Marvel. Sure, there are some good non-Marvel characters (notably Batman and Superman), but the vast majority of colorful crime fighters come from the Marvel universe. While familiar folks like Iron Man and the X-Men continue to be popular, it doesn't even seem to matter who Marvel puts out there; he (or she) will immediately become a sensation.
Take Deadpool, for example. While familiar to devout fans, most people probably had never heard of him before the marketing blitz that started last year. And it comes as little surprise that the recent movie has done very well, both at the box office and with critics. You know something is a hit when even Betty White endorses it. Of course, as is the norm in Hollywood, a sequel has already been announced. But here's something interesting: Although it's a long shot, if Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were to get their way, Inquisitr notes that another Marvel character would be in the second film to battle Deadpool.
"I would love to see the Hulk against Deadpool, because it would be really fun to see Deadpool having to use his agility and his silliness and skills to overcome just brute force," Reese said.
Although fans would probably jump at the chance to see this match-up, it is doubtful because although both of them are Marvel characters, 20th Century Fox owns Deadpool while Marvel Studios own the rights to the Hulk. Reese is hopeful that something else could be worked out, though. "Maybe we can figure out another way to do that with another character in the X-Men universe," he added. "But I would love to see him square up against the Hulk. It would be hilarious."
While movies are fun places to see these Marvel superheroes, they are limited. Whatever characters filmmakers have decided to use, that's all you are going to see. Fortunately, to see much more of these folks in an assortment of combinations, you can turn to video games.
There are now tons of video games that let you play superheroes in a variety of settings. While Wolverine and Spider-Man aren't in any movies together as friends or enemies (not yet anyway), they are in several games. For instance, you can find them side by side on Betfair's platform, where the two exist as part of a Marvel-themed roulette offering. The experience is just like the classic casino game, except it's made more enticing through the use of superhero imagery and, in this case, the pairing of iconic characters.
But the best part of these video games? It's that you get to play as a ton of characters who don't appear in movies (yet, at least). For example, in the recently released LEGO Marvel's Avengers, you can take on the role of Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and Iron Spider. The game also lets you play as villains such as Sandman, Rhino, and Carnage. Plus, you get to control the action and team up with your buddies for several different adventures. Sounds more exciting than anything you would see in a movie, right?
It may not be long before all of entertainment has been Marvel-ized, but that might not be such a bad thing.
Take Deadpool, for example. While familiar to devout fans, most people probably had never heard of him before the marketing blitz that started last year. And it comes as little surprise that the recent movie has done very well, both at the box office and with critics. You know something is a hit when even Betty White endorses it. Of course, as is the norm in Hollywood, a sequel has already been announced. But here's something interesting: Although it's a long shot, if Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were to get their way, Inquisitr notes that another Marvel character would be in the second film to battle Deadpool.
"I would love to see the Hulk against Deadpool, because it would be really fun to see Deadpool having to use his agility and his silliness and skills to overcome just brute force," Reese said.
Although fans would probably jump at the chance to see this match-up, it is doubtful because although both of them are Marvel characters, 20th Century Fox owns Deadpool while Marvel Studios own the rights to the Hulk. Reese is hopeful that something else could be worked out, though. "Maybe we can figure out another way to do that with another character in the X-Men universe," he added. "But I would love to see him square up against the Hulk. It would be hilarious."
While movies are fun places to see these Marvel superheroes, they are limited. Whatever characters filmmakers have decided to use, that's all you are going to see. Fortunately, to see much more of these folks in an assortment of combinations, you can turn to video games.
There are now tons of video games that let you play superheroes in a variety of settings. While Wolverine and Spider-Man aren't in any movies together as friends or enemies (not yet anyway), they are in several games. For instance, you can find them side by side on Betfair's platform, where the two exist as part of a Marvel-themed roulette offering. The experience is just like the classic casino game, except it's made more enticing through the use of superhero imagery and, in this case, the pairing of iconic characters.
But the best part of these video games? It's that you get to play as a ton of characters who don't appear in movies (yet, at least). For example, in the recently released LEGO Marvel's Avengers, you can take on the role of Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and Iron Spider. The game also lets you play as villains such as Sandman, Rhino, and Carnage. Plus, you get to control the action and team up with your buddies for several different adventures. Sounds more exciting than anything you would see in a movie, right?
It may not be long before all of entertainment has been Marvel-ized, but that might not be such a bad thing.
Superhero Spotlight | Deadpool
Hey nerds and nerdettes! February has been a fun month for superheroes! The Deadpool movie has set records and quite possibly new standards with the way we could see comicbook movies in the future. So, with that, I figured it was time to give Deadpool the spotlight and really learn just who exactly Deadpool is and how he has changed over the years.
Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, made his first appearance in The New Mutants #98 in February of 1991 created by artist/writer Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza. In his first appearance, Deadpool is hired by Tolliver to attack Cable and the New Mutants. After subsequently appearing in X-Force as a recurring character, Deadpool began showing his ugly face in a number of different Marvel Comics such as The Avengers, Daredevil and Heroes for Hire. In 1993, the character received his own miniseries, titled The Circle Chase, written by Fabian Nicieza and penciled by Joe Madureira. It was a relative success and Deadpool starred in a second self-titled miniseries written in 1994. In 1997, Deadpool was given his own ongoing title. It became an action comedy parody of the cosmic drama, antihero-heavy comics of the time. The series firmly established his supporting cast, including his prisoner/den mother Blind Al and his best friend Weasel. The series gained a cult popularity for its foul mouthed, unorthadox main character, Deadpool became less of a villain but the element of his moral ambiguity remained. He has professed to be Canadian but the original story had him joining the Weapon X program after being kicked out of the United States Army Special Forces.
Deadpool's primary power is an accelerated healing factor. Artificially endowed by the Weapon X program, this enables him to regenerate any destroyed tissue at a superhuman rate, as well as making him immune to diseases. Deadpool's healing factor is strong enough that he has previously survived complete incineration and decapitation more than once. Although his head normally has to be reunited with his body to heal the wound, he was able to regrow his head after having it pulverized by the Hulk. Deadpool's brain cells are similarly affected, with dying neurons being rejuvenated at a super accelerated rate. This allows Deadpool to recover from any head wounds, and it renders him nearly invulnerable to psychic and telepathic powers, although this ability is inconsistent. It has been revealed that at the time that his healing ability was given to him, Deadpool suffered from some form of cancer. After the healing factor was given to him, it made his normal cells as well as his cancerous cells unable to die, giving him a heavily scarred appearance beneath his suit. His body is also very resistant to most drugs and toxins, due to his enhanced cell regeneration. This means that he can't even out and get drunk! He can be affected by certain drugs such as tranquilizers but it has to be in very large doses. Deadpool is aware that he is a fictional comic book character. He commonly breaks the fourth wall, which is done by few other characters in the Marvel Universe, and this is used to humorous effect. He often has conversations with his two internal monologues, which are shown as caption boxes in his panels; in Deadpool #28 it is revealed that the villain Doctor Bong, a foe of Howard the Duck, is the logical voice appearing in yellow captions, and in Deadpool Annual #1 (2014) it is revealed that Madcap, a foe of Captain America, is the psychotic voice appearing in white captions with a typewriter serif. He is a highly trained assassin and mercenary, adept in multiple forms of martial arts, and an expert swordsman and marksman. Over the years, Deadpool has owned a number of personal teleportation devices. Also, during Deadpool's first ongoing comic, he possesses a device which projected holographic disguises, allowing him to go undercover or conceal his appearance. He also has a magic satchel containing all of his unlimited weaponry and ammo. Deadpool is multilingual, with the ability to speak fluently in German, Spanish, ASL and Japanese, in addition to his native English.
Needless to say, Deadpool could possibly be one of the most fun characters in the Marvel Universe and has finally been given justice on the big screen. Were you a fan of Deadpool before the movie? Did you go see the movie and what did you think?
Daredevil Season 2 Trailor
Just when Matt thinks he is bringing order back to the city, new forces are rising in Hell's Kitchen. Now the Man Without Fear must take on a new adversary in Frank Castle and face an old flame - Elektra Natchios.
Bigger problems emerge when Frank Castle, a man looking for vengeance, is reborn as The Punisher, a man who takes justice into his own hands in Matt's neighborhood. Meanwhile, Matt must balance his duty to his community as a lawyer and his dangerous life as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, facing a life-altering choice that forces him to truly understand what it means to be a hero.
-Netflix YouTube Channel
Wizard World St. Louis | Elizabeth Henstridge
Team Nerd Life was excited to see the addition of Elizabeth Henstridge added to the guest list of this years Wizard World!
Having grown up on a farm in England’s northern city of Sheffield, Elizabeth became the black sheep of the family when she chose to pursue acting in lieu of a “proper job.” She studied at Birmingham University followed by East 15 Acting School, London and soon thereafter moved to Los Angeles. Within 6 weeks of arriving, she booked a leading role in J.J. Abrams and Mark Schwahn’s CW pilot Shelter. Her first year culminated with filming the feature Reach Me with Sylvester Stallone, and being offered the role of Agent Jemma Simmons in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Groot's Origin Explained!
Marvel's Ant-Man: Recap
Wait... Wrong movie. Let me try this again!
Marvel somehow does it again! How do you make an ant farm fun, exciting and comedic? Sprinkle in some Paul Rudd, T.I. and ants of course. No but seriously Marvel did another great job of creating another family friendly superhero comedy/action movie. If it's not broken don't fix it right? Some SPOILERS will follow.
Marvel has undoubtedly done it again with Ant-Man. Paul Rudd, who is already a fan favorite, was the perfect actor for their portrayal of Ant-Man.
You follow Scott Lang, played by Rudd, as he gets out of prison trying to get his life back on track to be there for his daughter. Lang, not able to stay away from his old habits finds himself cracking a vault that was supposed to be filled with cash but the only thing inside is what he thinks is a motorcycle outfit and helmet.
The home he breaks into is Dr. Pym's, the suit he finds? You guessed it, Ant-Man!
Lang begins to learn how to use the suit thanks to the tutelage of Dr. Pym the original Ant-Man! This learning curve is classic Marvel cinema because during this time there are many comedy filled scenes. This lighter way of Super Hero movie making has been Marvel's bread and butter and it fits in perfectly here.
Corey Stoll plays our villain Darren Cross, better known as Yellowjacket. Thanks to his recent surge in popularity, like Rudd, Stoll was seemingly the perfect candidate for this Darren Cross portrayal.
If you haven't made it to the theaters yet to see it whats wrong with you? No seriously? I'm assuming you're reading this because you're a fan of the Marvel Universe. Go Now! But seriously go and see it. Take your kiddos if you have any and enjoy. Marvel has a knack at turning some quirky super heroes into beloved super heroes. Take Guardians of the Galaxy for example. Anyways go see it you won't be disappointed!
Looking for that big time movie experience with that small town feel? Check out Stacey and her crew at Warrenton 8 Cinema!
Deadpool Trailer Finally Dropped!
Fantastic Four Trailer
Wizard World St. Louis 2015 Cosplay Contest
Hosted by:
Mo Lightning - https://twitter.com/molightning
Victor Dandridge - https://twitter.com/VantageInhouse
Special Guest Judges:
Jason David Frank - https://twitter.com/jdfffn
Alexa Heart - https://twitter.com/alexaheart_
Aaron Rabe - https://www.facebook.com/aaronrabejacksparrow
Music provided by:
Dj A-Flex
Marvel's Daredevil Series Review & Spoilers
Witness Vision in New Marvel's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Poster
From Marvel.com
Vision comes into focus in a brand-new poster for Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron"! Check out the poster below and purchase tickets now to see "Avengers: Age of Ultron" when it arrives in theaters on May 1.
Having voiced J.A.R.V.I.S. in four films, Paul Bettany steps in front of the camera to portray the mysterious Vision! See Vision come to life when "Avengers: Age of Ultron" hits theaters on May 1. Check out the brand-new poster below!
More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/news/movies/24410/witness_vision_in_new_marvels_avengers_age_of_ultron_poster#ixzz3Wq8pT6pw
Life-size Hulkbuster and Hulk Statues Face Off in Hong Kong
From ComicBookResources.com
Sure, we already spotlighted some of the life-size statues from Hot Toys’ “Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron Exhibition,” but on the eve of the tour’s first stop in Hong Kong, the company has revealed a peek at the incredible Hulkbuster vs. Hulk.
Measuring about 13 feet tall, the display — it’s outside Hysan Place in Causeway Bay — features not only the aforementioned life-size statues, but also the expected debris, and, yes, even smoke effects.
The exhibition kicks off Friday in Hong Kong before heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Taipei, Taiwan; Jakarta, Indonesia; Vivo City, Singapore; Quezon City, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; and finally Tokyo.
Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Review
It begins in the year 2420, the new incarnation of Ultron has destroyed the Earth's mightiest heroes. He reigns supreme over not just Earth, but the entire Universe. Doctor Doom has brought together several members of The Avengers from the past to assemble and battle the threat of Ultron. In the future ruled by Ultron, the remaining humans have been turned into drones captured by Ultron himself. The ones that remain are on the run from the menace. Doctor Doom brings together The Avengers to take Ultron out in a series of multiple front attacks.
The story here is pretty straightforward. Ultron has taken over the world and it's time for The Avengers to defeat the terror known as Ultron. These facts don't take away from the story at all, though of course The Avengers are quite suspicious when Doctor Doom assembles them. Vision is the voice of reason here as he knows that this Doom is not the original Doom.
The story progresses quickly and we are shown a future Captain America with a present day Vision and Black Widow being pulled from their time. The inevitable confrontation between The Avengers and Doom is a quite enjoyable read, particularly for the fans of The Avengers. The opening moments of the battles between The Avengers and Ultron's army are certainly entertaining.
The artwork is pretty standard fare in this issue. Ultron is portrayed as menacing and the flooded, future version of New York City is well done. The flooding of New York City is due to the effects of Global Warming. Facial emotions are portrayed in a way that you can easily determine the desired emotion. The action sequences are done well and you don't have to guess what is happening. In one panel, you see Ultron standing over fallen heroes and you may notice that RoboCop has been vanquished as well. The Bio-Slaves are absolutely terrifying looking and Ultron's Avengers look impressive. I was particularly impressed by the Bio-Slaves in this issue.
With the release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel is doing everything they can to get the general public ready and psyched for the movie. And of course, they are getting us fans even more excited for the release. With Ultron Forever and Rage of Ultron both out this week, and a little less than a month before the movie, they are going to milk this for all it's worth. Can you blame them? I mean I would.
If you're looking for something to pick up for a quick read, this will be it. The action is fun and the artwork is good. It's not going to make anyone's top issue of the year list, but it's well worth the price and time just for the fun of it.
pick up your avengers ultron forever now!
Ryan Reynolds Addresses The Deadpool Rating
JACKMAN TURNS ON WOLVERINE STATUS; DECLARES "ONE LAST TIME"
From ComicBookResources.com
The past year has brought very strange days for fans of Hugh Jackman's performance as Wolverine. Depending on what project he's working on, what new developments arrive in Marvel movies or what way the wind is blowing, the star of seven X-Men films has been somewhat unpredictable as to where he stands with his future in the franchise.
Most recently, Jackman professed that he would play the character "until he dies" despite earlier claims that he was considering retirement. Then he went out and spoke highly of both the potential for Wolvie to crossover with the Avengers or to make a cameo in Ryan Reynolds' upcoming "Deadpool."
But this weekend on his Instagram account, the actor seemingly took a step back from that recent run of optimism, sharing the following image and message:
What exactly "One last time" means is unclear. It seems to indicate a fare thee well to the character, although the confirmed third "Wolverine" solo film isn't set to start filming until 2016. Could this mean he will appear in the currently underway "Deadpool"? Or "X-Men: Apocalypse"? Or is it all just a viral tease for some other movie news?
Regardless, it doesn't seem that fans will know with 100% certainty when Jackman's Wolverine run will end until it happens.
FIRST LOOK AT RYAN REYNOLDS AS 'DEADPOOL'
From empireonline.com
Clearly more than a little enthusiastic about getting to portray what he hopes we’ll all embrace as a proper version of snark-tastic Marvel antihero Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds has been the new movie’s biggest champion, sharing insights into pre-production via social media. Today he brings a first look at the Merc with a Mouth in full gear and in action… Sorry… inaction… posing on a bearskin in front of a roaring fire. Por qué? Because he’s Deadpool, that’s por qué.
Deadpool, as you may already know, features former Special Forces warrior-turned-mercenary Wade Wilson, who undergoes a rogue experiment as part of the Weapon X plan that leaves him brutally scarred but also boasting Wolverine-like healing powers. Armed with his new abilities and his pitch-dark sense of humour, he hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life, while taking on other bad guys as he does so.
Effects man/second unit director-turned-big-chair-occupier Tim Miller is calling the shots for this one, working from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. He convinced 20th Century Fox and the world at large he was the man for the job via a test footage short (viewable below) that featured Reynolds providing the voice and some motion capture for Deadpool.
Production is now underway in Vancouver, with Ed Skrein T.J. Miller, Gina Carano and Morena Baccarin among the cast. Deadpool will wisecrack his way into cinemas on February 12 next year. Assuming you haven’t keeled over from all the sexy in that first image.
No More X-Men Films For These Actors
Here’s a quick run down of everything that’s going on in the world of comic book heroes!
For this and more go check out SourceFed.com
New Fantastic Four Poster!
Here is the new Fantastic Four poster! Ooo... Aaa...
Marvel Select: Cable
X-Force fans can finally rejoice this week. The new Marvel Select Cable from Diamond Select was released this week. Cable has already had a few figures made, but he's definitely been on the short end of the stick for figures, especially considering that he was incredibly popular during the 90s and has been featured in several runs during the last ten years.
So now that he has his own Select figure what is it like? It looks great. The detail that was put into Cable is spectacular. Cable's vest and the additional grenades are done well. Cable's techno-organic arm looks great. Cable's face has the familiar scowl and his techno-organic eye though unfortunately his eye isn't well defined. It's incredibly small which makes it disappointing because his eye tends to stand out in the comics. I feel like the eye does detract a bit from the overall awesomeness of the figure.
The articulation is a little disappointing as well but the vest is a problem. It's huge, which cuts down on his shoulder movement. Elbow to shoulder you have limited movement, however, from the elbows down, there are no movement problems at all. The loss of upper arm movement is a problem from a posing standpoint. The legs don't share the same issues as the arms. They're not held back by any limitations at all, in fact Cable can even do the splits should you feel the need to pose him like that.
Cable comes with five guns and one knife. He has three holsters to carry two guns and one knife, which is attached to his back. The weapons look great and Cable would be proud to have so many readily available at his disposal. They attach without too many issues once you figure out how to manipulate the hands and figures. The larger gun has an issue with how far it goes back. Once again the vest becomes an issue because the larger gun sort of runs into Cable's vest. However, the wrists are able to twist so you can sort of get around it.
I really want to love this figure because I'm a huge fan of Cable and I've been looking forward to this release for months. Don't get me wrong, I do like it...but I don't love it. The vest takes so much potential away from this figure. It reduces the amount of poses that the figure can do. It's far too bulky and restricts a large amount of movement that could be possible. Also, I really wish they had a better job with Cable's eyes. There just isn't enough detail in the eyes for my liking.
Still, I would recommend this figure to fans of Cable and X-Force. Despite the criticisms it really does look pretty awesome. Obviously you aren't going to get the detail that higher end action figures have, though I really wish that they had put in a little more effort in the painting of Cable's eye and in doing some testing with Cable's arms. Really these two issues are the only negatives of this figure.