MARVEL MOVIEVERSE PHASE 1

Unlike with the DC Comics movieverse, Marvel's is quite large, and growing. It all began with "Iron Man" and "Hulk" back in 2008, and has grown from there with everything centering around "The Avengers" installments or at least setting the stage for what happens there. The success of these films have opened the doors for other Marvel characters coming to life on the big screen. And with Marvel having reacquired the rights for basically everyone from their catalog (no X-Men yet, but they have a deal with SONY to use Spider-Man), we should expect to see more and more being added to this movieverse. Although some are only voice and motion captured performances (Groot, Thanos, etc), they have thus far met and surpassed expectations.

Since the list has grown so much since "Phase One", we'll make this a multi-phase situation. Here is Phase One of whom exist within Marvel's movieverse...

Iron Man/Tony Stark

(Robert Downey Jr.)

Similar to Hugh Jackman and Wolverine, RDJ and Iron Man/Tony Stark are the crowning jewel amongst a star studded line-up. And like Jackman, this causes the rumors of when will we see the last of Downey Jr. as Iron Man.

Virginia "Pepper" Pots

(Gwyneth Paltrow)

Pepper (Gwyneth) has added some depth to the character of Tony Stark, showing that he isn't just a billionaire playboy in an iron suit.

Iron Patriot/War Machine/James "Rhody" Rhodes

(Don Cheadle previously Terrence Howard)

An acting change that worked out for the better. Will be nice to see Rhodey apart of the cast in "The Avengers 2: Age Of Ultron".

J.A.R.V.I.S./Vision

(voiced by Paul Bettany)

Going from a voice of helpfulness, to a full blown android. It will be nice to see Paul Bettany upgrade from one to the other.

Happy Hogan

(John Favreau)

Happy was going to be left out, given the size of his role. But, having been in all three, and shows us that Tony Stark does have a human side given their friendship (although also an employee/employer relationship).

Hulk/Bruce Banner

(Mark Ruffalo previously Edward Norton)

Would be interesting to see how Norton honestly feels about walking away from the role. Fans were more than okay as Ruffalo seems to be a better fit. But, given the success of "The Avengers" and the likely boosted contract for Ruffalo, it would be interesting to see how he felt.

Betty Ross

(Liv Tyler)

Given that Hulk will likely only be making his appearance in "The Avengers" installments, where does Betty Ross fit into all of this? It would be nice to see Liv Tyler and Mark Ruffalo appear together, if only to connect "The Incredible Hulk" past the post-credit scene.

Thor

(Chris Hemsworth)

Similar to RDJ and Tony Stark, was there a better choice to play Thor than Chris Hemsworth? He has truly shown growth within this character, which he had little previous experience. No worries about changing to a female Thor here, as his hair is something women envy.

Dr. Jane Foster

(Natalie Portman)

With the choice of director (Eric Branagh) being what drew her to the role in "Thor" it has been nice to see Portman continue on with the character. A pretty good choice to be what/who connects Thor with Earth.

Odin

(Sir Anthony Hopkins)

Hemsworth may be thriving in the role of Thor, simply because of who he has been lucky enough to work with. It isn't Anthony Hopkins, it is Sir Anthony Hopkins. Who has taken a supporting role and made it as valuable as a lead.

Frigga

(Rene Russo)

To be the mother of Thor, and wife of Odin one must be both soft and strong. Basically, Rene Russo's "wheelhouse". A welcomed edition to the movieverse.

Volstagg

(Ray Stevenson)

Ray Stevenson is a true chameleon, and is always able to immerse himself in his roles. Volstagg was no exception. And is always welcome to battle alongside Thor any day. If he can step away from a meal to do so.

Hogun

(Tadanobu Asano)

A member of "The Warriors Three" Hogun, along with his brethren (and Sif) add another dimension to the character that is Thor.

Fandral

(Joshua Dallas)

Fandral adds a touch of sophistication to the group, "The Warriors Three". Joshua Dallas has been doing well protecting Asgard, fighting alongside Thor.

Sif

(Jaimie Alexander)

Of course to show that not only can ladies do what men do, they often can do it more efficiently. Jaimie Alexander has done well with the role so far, and could likely do more in future Thor films.

Heimdall

(Idris Elba)

There were apparently some issues over the changing of the characters skin color, but if there were any doubters after seeing Idris Elba portray Heimdall, they will always be a lost cause and should not be worried about.

Captain America/Steve Rogers

(Chris Evans)

At first it was hard to believe that the Human Torch was going to be Captain America. Although different companies, different movies, it was difficult to digest. That was until "Captain America: The First Avenger" debuted. Chris Evans has made us forget about the past, and eager to see the future.

Bucky/Winter Soldier/Sgt. James Barnes

(Sebastian Stan)

It was almost expected to see Bucky become Winter Soldier given he "dies" in "Captain America: The First Avenger". But, expectations were matched and slightly surpassed by Sebastian in "Captain America: Winter Soldier". Will always be a good guy to us.

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

(Scarlett Johansson)

Even if you didn't like Scarlett before, it is hard to argue she hasn't exceeded expectations for her role as Black Widow. Acting yes, as it is what she does. The fight scenes involving her? Did not expect that, and love when she unloads on people.


Click the following links for Phase 2 Phase 3

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IS DEADPOOL ABOUT TO OPEN DOORS FOR OTHERS?

In trying to keep with the traditional tone of the character from the comic books, the currently being filmed movie Deadpool is reportedly going to have a R rating.  Which hasn't been the norm with comic book movies, but then most of the characters we've seen thus far don't need any "adult content". Things like language, blood, and violence (and lost of it). These are the things Deadpool is based on, but he isn't alone.

Sure, there aren't many other characters in the Marvel collection that require all three of those, but there are those who require two out of three. Some of the characters have had the R rating before, however, it was with a film company that wasn't Marvel Studios (or Disney Marvel Entertainment). Meaning, the story(ies) and overall quality wasn't there, not like we've seen thus far with Marvel owned and produced movies. Where is all of this going? Simple. If Deadpool is successful, will it entice Marvel Studios to begin to produce R rated movies with the characters they own? Deadpool isn't owned by Marvel, the rights belong to FOX (with the other X-Men and related characters). But, money speaks louder than anything in this industry. If Deadpool draws big numbers, it would show that the rating didn't hinder it, and possibly helped it. So, the question is a valid one. For some it is loaded with hope so that they have a chance to see their favorite characters staying true to form on film. Marvel has been looking to acquire the movie rights to characters every chance that they get. This was the reason why other companies have quickly produced or begun the process with the characters that they own (ie Fantastic 4, Spider-Man, etc). For those unaware, companies have x amount of time to do something with the characters that they own, or else the rights are up for grabs.
How this happened? Marvel was broke in the 90's and had not intentions at the time to produce movies, so they sold the rights to others. Things clearly turned around for the company, and is deep in the movie industry, so now are trying to buy them all back. Which would've been easier, however everyone is aware of the possible value in a comic book film.

Here is a list of characters who could use an R rating regardless of where they are made, even though Marvel has bought back most of them, and is looking to get them all under one roof...

Blade

Marvel now has Blade and others back in the fold. Now what to do with them? Blade has proven before the R rating can work, add better quality all around production who knows how big things could get. With some of the other characters on this list, there is even some cross-over appeal. Perhaps a separate "movieverse" for them would help. Blade could be the centerpiece of it all, given previous success.

Carnage

Sure he is a Spider-Man villain, and we should wait for him to simply appear in a SONY owned film (even though Marvel is "borrowing" rights to Spidey). However, this isn't a typical bad guy from Spider-Man's rogues gallery. He's a crazy, mass murderer that makes Venom look PG in comparison. So, either a solo or collective bad guy film, or a R-Rating for a Spider-Man film is needed for this character to stay close to home.

Ghost Rider

Marvel reaquired the rights, and could produce a PG-13 rated version and still do better. Jokes aside, similar to Blade, R-Rating with all around better production (even more so in this case. NO CAGE for starters) and this character will regain some respect on the big screen. And actually, could be the character to "join" this darker movieverse with that of the Avengers movieverse as he "works" in either light.

Wolverine

Yes, Wolvie can do his thing with a lower rating, and has shown that with more writing/acting focused films both on his own or with the X-Men. But, blood, guts and occasional dismemberment would make for quite the flick. And yes, a Wolverine/Deadpool movie would be insane, but would also need that R-Rating. FOX or Marvel, it would be nice to see. (Both are FOX by the way).

The Punisher

Not only does The Punisher need better production and most notably writing, he really needs the R-Rating. This is a character that shoots first, shoot some more, if anyone survives ask a question, and then shoot them. Although not wanting a direct ripoff, Punisher could be the Captain America of this world given his military background and approach to things. Oh, and Marvel bought his rights back as well.

There are others of course, but best to start with your top dogs to set the stage for a darker, R-Rated movieverse. Use them to even introduce characters who may need the rating, but companies are unsure if the fans are there.


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MARVEL WINNING ON BIG SCREEN? MAYBE. WHO CARES THOUGH?

There tends to be three-sides. DC Comics fans, Marvel Comics fans, and then those who like both equally. And that is for comic books, movies, television shows, and video games. Marvel fans have been boasting and claiming victory due to the success of the Avengers and how many of the comic book genre films are from Marvel. They aren't wrong, but we are here to talk about how it doesn't really matter. Television shows are better than movies. It takes a moment to stop and really think about this. And then not all will see it this way.

Sure, there are a few things about films on the big screen that we rarely, if ever, see on the small screen. Bigger budgets, bigger explosions, and usually a stronger story. And of course there are downsides to television shows. Ratings can be a real pain because if they are low, a show is in trouble and could get cancelled. Key word is "could". With television, there is room to grow and/or improve. There is a chance to make corrections on the fly and finish the season strong. Most could look to Marvel's own in, "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.". The series started slightly weak, with even Marvel fans were asking "wtf". But, they turned things around and closed out the season with a really good run. With movies, the final cut is the final cut. If the film bombs, and has horrible reviews, it is less likely that there will be a follow-up film. Even a quick reboot isn't guaranteed to happen. Look at some of Marvel's early attempts on the big screen. Films like "Daredevil" and "Ghost Rider" didn't fare well at all. "Daredevil" is now about to rebooted, and "Ghost Rider" managed a sequel somehow, but failed again. DC Comics may have put out less films post-2000 (things were different before that with Marvel being barely existed and were poorly done in regards to movies), but they have less failures.
Another way that television is better than movies, is the wait time. Longest wait time in television is the "summer break". a few months of reruns before returning for weekly shows. Movies? Looking at a minimum 2 year wait time in between films. Sure there are exceptions, but not many. And although things are getting better, even today sequels and follow-ups tend to pale in comparison to its predecessor. That is a long time to wait for disappointment. Same thing could be said about TV shows, but again, able to improve on things most times.
Going with the wait time, is also the star power. Of course you will see bigger names in a movie. They get paid more in most cases. However, with films there is only a small amount of time to get both the story across and get characters into it. With comic book movies especially, there are countless characters everyone wants to see make an appearance, and even if there is say five characters that fit, it is another x-amount of time between films and even less space for new characters to appear in the next one. With television, you have an entire season with numerous shows to not only tell one larger story or a collection of smaller stories, but also more room for characters to appear. Example would be villains, with 1 or 2 in one film, then 1-2 more in the next, etc To show 5-10 villains would take 5 films and roughly ten years time. Not the case on TV, as even if they focused on a villain or two for an entire season, they can showcase the same amount of them in half the time than with movies. And not even guaranteed to get the star to reappear (ie. Bruce Banner is two different people in the "Avengers" movieverse...damn you yet thank you, Edward Norton).
Now I am sure someone is thinking about the "Phases" for building up "Avengers". But remember to stop and think about what that style is slightly imitating. Television. In a basic sense of course with each film being an episode leading up to a massive season finale. That being said, now we have "Arrow" and "The Flash" about to take things to another level on the small screen. Cross-overs between the two could make for some pure awesomeness.
Lastly, television is generally more affordable than the movies. Almost everyone has a television (almost), but not everyone goes to the movies. Especially in the age we live in where it is all digital and despite laws, easily accessible...for free.
Was hard writing this really, as I love both film and television. Perhaps it is just the DC Comics fan within that had to make a point about who is really "winning" this supposed battle between DC Comics and Marvel (I do like Marvel, just a preference for the originals right now). And even though I enjoyed "Green Lantern" it was really DC's only flop, and others being more top quality, are they really "losing"? Definitely owning the small screen with "Arrow" and new shows "The Flash", "Gotham", and "Constantine". If we add quality video games to the mix, DC Comics is beating Marvel two out of three formats. So, you can have your movies, Marvel....and keep up the good work as they are great to watch.

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Transcending and Embracing

Figured best write an article or list on here instead of joining the masses and make Bitstrips all day long (don't usually follow the herd, but come on, comic style statuses, etc?? If your not using the app, it's likely because your making your own comic at the moment. Only acceptable excuse aha joking).

For years in terms of comic book/superhero movies, there was Superman and then there was Batman. There were some others, Captain America, The Punisher, etc., but those 2 were the best known if anything. Enter the 2000's and the floodgates opened. However, we were still left with actors and actresses who either didn't give 100% or bailed after one installment out of fear of type-casting. We have had some greats, and things worked out pretty well, but a lot of that is due to those who are clearly comic book fans and/or people who not just performed well in their roles but seemed to have fully embraced them.

Some of these are very obvious, however they still deserve props for it. There are some however that may surprise you, and at first surprised me when they popped into my head, but seemed to make sense once I thought about it more. And yes, some get extra points for being main characters in multiple genres (all of which are in the nerd world).

Hugh Jackman

Somewhat "The Face" of the comic book/superhero movie explosion. That's a matter of opinion yes, but he was the most notable character in the initial film that was followed by numerous movies. And to make things even better, Hugh Jackman fully embraces the character and admits to the role being what "made" him. Love or hate any installment in the X-Men/Wolverine franchise, hard to knock Jackman for his portrayal in any of them. Even his dedication on the physical aspect of the role deserves recognition.

Tom Hiddleston

Hard to mention Jackman without mentioning Tom Hiddleston, or you may know him by his Asgardian name, Loki. Talented is an understatement, and likely his reason for embracing the role and not fearing type casting. If it hasn't been said before, I am saying it now, as a DC Comics fan, I would love to see Hiddleston as The Riddler. Any role really, but The Riddler would be my top choice.

Patrick Stewart

I remember even as a kid in the early 90's he was top choice to play Prof. X if there was ever a movie. And although he will also forever be Captain Jean Luc Picard, and with James McAvoy receiving the torch so to speak, Stewart will always be Prof. Charles Xavier as well.

Sir Ian McKellen

Magneto. Gandalf. And they don't give the "Sir" title to just anybody. Just saying.

Hugo Weaving

If based on role selection, it would be safe to at least assume Hugo is a fellow nerd. In the Matrix trilogy, he was Neo's top nemesis in Agent Smith. In the Lord Of The Rings saga he is Elrond. V in V For Vendetta. And he was Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger. And like Hiddleston, I want him in my DC Universe. Top of my head, perfect Mr. Freeze. Even just to ensure that role is done well at some point.

Chris Evans

Like them or not, Chris Evans was the Human Torch in the initial Fantastic 4 franchise. Nick a "Mover" (telekinetic) in the movie Push. And more than redeems himself as Captain America both in solo and group ventures a la The Avengers.

 Nicholas Cage

I did say that there would be some shockers. Whether it was a title character Ghost Rider or in a co-starring role as Big Daddy in Kick-Ass, love him or hate him, Nic makes the list for being a fan and at least attempting to bring us our comic book characters to the big screen. Obvious fan, even if he takes it a bit far (see pic).

Robert Downey Jr.

"I am Iron Man." is a Tony Stark quote, but one that if Downey Jr were to use in real life, it would be kind of hard to argue. Of a series of decent to stellar performances, the Iron Man franchise is the crowning jewel in the "Ya, I messed up before, but sit back and have socks blown off" comeback tour for RDJ. Plus, he's Sherlock Holmes and you're not aha

Ben Affleck

Whether you embraced it, or you went Bat-crap crazy against it, or even if you took a complete wait and see approach, the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman in the upcoming Superman Vs Batman (or Man Of Steel 2) has garnered attention from all corners of the globe, and that ladies and gentlemen is a good thing. And if he nails it, there will be a lack of words for how beneficial this will be to the industry. If it fails, then at least Marvel will benefit aha Stay tuned for a positive review of 2003's Daredevil, a role Affleck was also the lead.

Of course there are many more, like Halle Berry having been Catwoman (opinion aside) and Storm, or directors like Bryan Singer, Kevin Smith, Zach Snyder the list goes on really. There are those who, I wouldn't want back in the mix (looking at you Norton), but that's a list for another day.

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