A few things related to Marvel in the news recently.
1. Josh Whedon as confirmed director of The Avengers flick. Apparently, Marvel feels Whedon is the man for the job. I’m not sure that I have Marvel’s confidence. I know that Whedon has an extended resume with Marvel, and has scripted and produced various beloved TV shows (personally, I’m not a fan of Buffy, or the other stuff) but I think it’s a major gamble on the studio’s part. I mean this movie needs to tie in different genres and universes, and I’m worried that Whedon might be over his head. However, before you object with a lengthy list of Whedon’s credentials, I believe he’s only directed one full length movie. Is this a movie Marvel Studios is willing to gamble on? All of the current titles being filmed or developed (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man 2) are all leading up to this movie. I really hope this movie does well for Marvel, but I wonder if they maybe should have bought in someone more accredited as a director.
2. Ultimate Spidey cartoon for 2011. Well, this makes sense seeing from what I’ve read the Spiderman movie reboot will be roughly based on the Ultimate Spiderman stories. In the end, I couldn’t really care less, but I hope when they redo Spidey on the big screen they don’t bring back Kirsten Dunst. She was terrible, and no more emo Parker dance scenes, that was painful!
3. Chris Evans as Captain America. I like this casting choice. I think Evans has the acting chops to pull off Cap, and he was the only good part of those dreadful FF movies. How many things were lame about those movies? I shouldn’t start listing them or I’ll be here all night. Seriously though, good choice for Cap, and I’m excited to see how this movie will look. I’m a big fan of Cap, so don’t let me down Marvel Studios.
Well that ends this rant. Until they bring back Kirsten Dunst in a Spiderman movie, make mine Marvel!
Tags: Captain America, Chris Evans, Comic book movies, Josh Whedon, Kirsten Dunst, Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, The Avengers, Ultimate Spiderman
Mostly Marvel 
April 15, 2010 at 6:44 pm |
Agree, Agree, and Agree. And those emo Parker dance scenes are exactly why I refuse to admit this movie even exists. Way to screw up a movie with one of the coolest villains – Venom. You’re having Topher Grace play him? Really? That’s who you went with?! $*@(*@#)@*$
April 21, 2010 at 11:15 am |
Well, when you have a campy director, you get stuff like Disco-Spider. I like Raimi’s movies… up until SM3. Also, he said from the get go that Venom was his least favorite Spidey villain. I don’t mind Topher Grace, but he would have been better at Carnage.
April 15, 2010 at 7:47 pm |
yeah i should probably just pretend that movie doesn’t exist. Yeah i agree they ruined Venom, and pretty much everything about spidey. oh well maybe next time
April 15, 2010 at 8:09 pm |
I think an Avengers movie itself is a gamble. I would think the cost of having all those well known actors would be a pretty penny. If this movie does well I wonder if that will inspire DC to make a Justice League movie?
It hurts to mention Venom. He is by far my favorite Spidey villain and he didn’t get near as much screen time as Sandman. The SANDMAN!?! I need to stop, I feel the tears welling up now…
Rogue 2 – (as opposed to Rogue 1)
April 21, 2010 at 11:24 am |
Avengers, with that high profile cast, is a gamble. As for money, I think the deals that are in place cover multiple movies – like movie contracts from the old days of Hollywood. Also, the actors involved have a real passion for the characters. Chris Evans got the Cap gig just because he was excited about a Captain America movie, period. He saw the concept art and geeked out. Kenneth Branagh basically did a 4 hour one man show of Thor during a Marvel summit. From what I’ve seen and heard, there is more passion for the Marvel characters than any DC movie project.
I don’t think DC/WB will ever change their minds. Chris Nolan is the new DC Comics “shepherd” and he doesn’t want “his Batman” to co-exist with other superheroes.
April 15, 2010 at 9:24 pm |
hey R2 , as opposed to R1, i agree it will cost them alot, that’s why i dont get why they chose a rookie director to helm this monster project. Oh well i hope he does a great job, and all will be forgiven! hmm i dont seem to remember a venom, or sandman, or even a spidey 3…
April 21, 2010 at 11:37 am |
I don’t want to sound like a Whedon fanatic, I just wanted to point out that he is a pretty solid director with a lot – A LOT – of fan cred. Its a smart move to sign him, he will pull fans (Buffy and Angel) that normally wouldn’t check out an Avengers movie.
Actually before Buffy, he worked behind the scenes in Hollywood for a while – as a script doctor – working on stuff like Speed and Toy Story. The latest word is that his contract covers directing and rewriting Avengers, as well as rewriting Captain America: The First Avenger.
This isn’t Joss Whedon’s first involvement with a comic book movie. Joel Silver (producer, The Matrix) signed him to do Wonder Woman. But this was all for show, Silver just wanted to keep the property alive and draw interest with a name like Whedon. A year later Joss left the project and said as much. Silver had two scripts, wanted to combine the two and put Joss Whedon’s name on top to draw interest, even though the primary script would have been the weaker (cheaper) of the two. And thus died a chance of my wife’s favorite TV show from her childhood from ever becoming a movie.
April 19, 2010 at 9:44 pm |
Joss wheton has directed more super heros than anyone else (slayers, vampires, space captains…etc) He can do the blow ’em up fight scenes and tell a story.
I think he’ll do great.
April 20, 2010 at 1:34 am |
Well Cheesysnacks, I hope you’re right, for all of our sakes!
April 21, 2010 at 11:44 am |
The Fantastic Four movies…
When you announce a “tentpole” movie like FF is being directed by the same person that brought us Barbour Shop and Taxi, you should know you’ve got problems. Every time someone mentions the FF movies, I think about this Penny Arcade comic:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/1/24/
April 21, 2010 at 9:12 pm |
hahh nice link! The FF was doomed from the very start, Marvel should buy back the rights from Fox?.. and REBOOT, urgggg every franchise gets a reboot time. Next up: X:Men, followed closely by Spidey, ahead of Daredevil, followed closely by FF, What am I?, a race track announcer?