So this is the first post I've done in almost two months. It's not that I haven't tried to write, but I felt the ideas I had wouldn't have produced good write-ups, so I'll give the rapid version of what I would have wrote about: "Sin City 2" sucked, "Original Sin" had a lackluster ending in Marvel's onslaught of comic events, and Marvel may be rebooting after their new "Secret Wars" event next year. I do plan to do a review for the "Superman: Doomed" storyline soon though. But right now, I definitely have something to write about.
On Monday, in a piece of news that once again broke the internet, it was announced that Robert Downey Jr. would reprise his role of Tony Stark/Iron Man in 2016's "Captain America 3", and that that film would begin the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of the "Civil War" event. For those who aren't familiar, "Civil War" dealt with the passage of the Superhuman Registration Act, which would require all superhuman to register their identity and powers with the government or face the consequences. This split the superhero community down the middle, with the Pro-Reg side lead by Iron Man and the Anti-Reg side lead by Captain America. Now that battle will be brought to the big screen. While a lot of people thought "Civil War" would be the basis for Cap 3, I thought "You guys are crazy. That's way too big a story for a solo movie." But with RDJ on board, that quickly shut me up, aside from the thought "Shit just got real."
Like "The Winter Soldier", this film will definitely change the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet again, stated to have effects that would stretch as far as Avengers 4. Exactly how though? Well, let me throw out my ideas, category by category.
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Before we get to "Civil War" though, we still have the "Age of Ultron" film. Now this film will obviously have the most build-up to Cap 3, and while there could be many events in the film that would lead to the idea of the Superhuman Registration Act, perhaps the biggest impact of the film will be what happens to Tony Stark. As we've seen Tony in past movies, he's not one to answer to authority, whether it be the government or SHIELD. So something must happen that causes Tony to take the government's side, but what? The best theory I have is that Tony's best friend, James Rhodes, AKA Rhodey, AKA War Machine, AKA Iron Patriot, will die in the film at the hands of Ultron. Considering the scope of this film and that this is a Joss Whedon movie after all, someone is sure to die. Storywise, Tony is the one who activates Ultron, which would make him responsible for Rhodey's death. You have to imagine the impact that would have on him. It would inspire him to do better than before, which is why he would support something like the Registration Act.
But besides Cap and Tony, there may be another character who would have a starring role.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
The rumors of Spider-Man's inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have gone as far back as 2012. There were apparently plans to include the OsCorp building in "Avengers", but they fell through due to missed post-production deadlines. But since then, that is why I have since considered "The Amazing Spider-Man" series an unofficial part of the MCU. It's not that far a stretch when you think about it. Nothing about either universe contradicts the other. Hell, you know all those construction cranes in the climax of "Amazing Spider-Man"? Maybe they're reconstructing after the Chitauri invasion in "Avengers." It just makes more sense for Spidey to be in a world of heroes rather than be the only one and all supervillains just happen to show up in New York. It definitely shows that unlike Fox, Marvel and Sony are on friendlier terms over their property. If you look at some of the promotion for "Amazing Spider-Man 2" this year, it had merchandise on the shelves, including toys and school supplies, Marvel promoted the film on their Facebook page, and even included a movie skin for their "Avengers Alliance" game. Besides that, when you look at the opening credits for both "Amazing" films, the Marvel logo has a box around it like the other Marvel Studios films. Unlike those films though, "X-Men: Days of Future Past" had no merchandise, no promotion whatsoever from Marvel, and the Marvel logo in the opening credits was the same logo used since 2002. That said, it's possible Marvel may have more say in the "Amazing Spider-Man" series than we think. I wouldn't have even minded if the universes didn't crossover, but as of recent events, Spider-Man could use an Avengers-bump.
Sony had a plan, with the third Amazing Spider-Man film set for 2016, and the fourth in 2018. But then "Amazing Spider-Man 2" came out and got crapped on by critics and fanboys who are still hung up on the series being rebooted in the first place. Now everything's in disarray. The third film has been postponed to 2018, with rumors that Sony may even try a "soft reboot". I'll just say that if they reboot again, I am done with this franchise until the rights go back to Marvel. But I'm sure that Sony knows that another reboot is practically a death sentence. Sony needs to look at Fox for inspiration. They learned from their mistakes with the X-Men franchise, and now "Days of Future Past" is the highest grossing and second best reviewed comic book film of the year. What Sony needs to do is focus on the third film, but it wouldn't hurt to have some help.
As I've said, there have been constant rumors of Sony and Marvel making a deal to share Spider-Man, some even believing that the delay for "Amazing Spider-Man 3" could be due to working out a way to incorporate Spider-Man into "Avengers 3". It worked well for the Hulk. True, Hulk hasn't had a new movie since, but it's still being talked about. Spider-Man in the MCU could get more people interested in his solo films again. Besides, tell me you can't see Andrew Garfield interacting with RDJ and Chris Evans. The rumor made rounds again last week, but to a greater extant, even getting the attention of non-comic book news outlets like Entertainment Weekly. Now this week was the announcement of the MCU's "Civil War". If the film version is like the comic version, Spider-Man may be caught in the middle. It's possible that the deal is already in place, but just hasn't been announced yet. To add fuel to this fire, Marvel also announced they would be releasing a new "Civil War" miniseries next summer, retelling the story to get fans ready for the film version. But when you look at the teaser image (which is posted above), you see Stark and Cap pulling Spider-Man in a tug of war. Now when you think about it, if Marvel's retelling the story for MCU fans, why would they include Spider-Man in the initial announcement when his film rights are with another studio? Just sayin.'
Like in the comics, Spider-Man could serve as the audience's guide to the story, as he's conflicted as to whose side to be on. To connect this films, Stark could use Spider-Man as the prime example of unchecked superhuman activity, citing the damage caused from his battles with Lizard, Electro, and Rhino, as well as civilian deaths like Gwen and her father. But rather than condemn Spider-Man, Stark would be offering him a chance to do better. He knows Spider-Man has strong public support, so he wants to get more people on his side by recruiting the hero of the city. Now would they go as far as Peter revealing his identity to the public? Probably not. However, this would bring Spider-Man into the fold and he could be involved in future film and be seen working with multiple heroes. Not to mention there's the possibility of the Iron Spider suit.
Whether or not Spidey will become part of the MCU is still up in the air, but let's be honest, everyone, Marvel, Sony, the fans, they all win if he does. So for the rest of this write-up, for all intents and purposes, let's say that Spider-Man IS part of the MCU.
THUNDERBOLTS
One of the controversial moves made by Tony and Pro-Reg side was the use of supervillains to capture heroes avoiding the Act, which is one of the reasons Spider-Man switched sides in the comics. While the villain list in the MCU is short, there's still the chance we could see the debut of the Thunderbolts, a team of villains who wished to redeem themselves (or some who didn't have a choice to be there). Considering that DC is planning a Suicide Squad film and Sony is doing the same for the Sinister Six in the Spider-Man franchise, a Thunderbolts film wouldn't be out of the question considering the new surge of villain team movies. During and after the Civil War, Norman Osborn was the leader of the team. Now while Sony's plans for the Sinister Six aren't real clear at the moment, whether it be for their own movie or fighting Spider-Man in the third film, if Sony and Marvel can work things out, it's possible they could do something similar. At this point, Norman Osborn is dead in the "Amazing" series (if we ignore the leaked image of his frozen decapitated head in the Special Projects room), so if someone was to fill the role, why not his son, Harry, who is already the Green Goblin? Say in some film in the future, Spider-Man succeeds in defeating the Six, and afterwards, Harry is approached to lead the new team. This would also work out into another plot detail that I will get to later.
AVENGERS 3
With all the talk of "Civil War", you probably forgot about that whole storyline involving Thanos and the Infinity Stones. It's all but certain we'll get that payoff in the third Avengers movie, which will most likely include a team-up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, hightailing it to Earth once they realize Thanos is heading there. But now, with the announcement of "Civil War", it appears "Avengers 3" will also serve as the opportunity for the Pro- and Anti-Reg sides to come together to stop this threat, similar to how in the comics they came together to fight the Skrulls in "Secret Invasion." This film also marks the end of Chris Evans' contract with Marvel, meaning it would be the last time he plays Captain America. I think we all know what that means: DEATH. But I think we all know that if Cap's gonna die, he's gonna go out in style, sacrificing himself to try and stop Thanos; then that will open up Bucky to take the mantle. However, if this film ends similar to how "Secret Invasion" did, it won't be a good guy who gets the job done.
PHASE FOUR: DARK REIGN
If Marvel's Phase Three will be "Civil War" with hero vs. hero, it would be interesting that the next place to go would be having the bad guys in charge. In the "Secret Invasion" storyline, it was Norman Osborn who got the killshot on the Skrull queen, with that image being broadcast across the world, and in turn saving it. That lead to him being named the new head of SHIELD, which he rechristened HAMMER. Now imagine in the movies that Harry is the one who somehow stops Thanos (don't ask how, just go with it). With Rogers dead and Stark disgraced for letting another alien invasion happen, the people would look to Harry Osborn as the man to keep them safe. Also keep in mind that Harry is apparently able to transform back and forth into his Goblin appearance, so he would still have a look people can trust. What would make this interesting is that Harry has always been underestimated, ignored, and stepped on. Now with the whole world in his hands, he would have something to prove. Something I think Harry would do to rub it in the face of the heroes would be to take Rhodes' Iron Patriot armor, becoming the hero the people want, saying he's paying tribute to both Rhodes and Rogers. And like his father in the comics, Harry could form a film version of the Cabal. Now while anything could happen between now and then, I think some good members to include would be Loki (he was manipulative of Norman in the comics), Red Skull (come on, you know he's out there somewhere), and Dr. Doom (when the Fantastic Four reboot next year bombs so hard and Fox sells the rights back to Marvel, this would be a good way to bring in Doom to the MCU). But of course, the Dark Reign would have to end, and the way it does could also be similar to the comics.
RAGNAROK AND SIEGE
While a third Thor film has not been officially announced, it's pretty clear that Marvel is building to one, with Loki posing as Odin and apparently planning for some kind of war. Many believe that the third Thor film would feature Ragnarok, which in Norse mythology is their version of the Apocalypse. While I am not that familiar with Thor comics, some research I have done shows that this is most likely to happen. However, sometime after Ragnarok, Thor is able to rebuild Asgard on Earth, just outside of Broxton, Oklahoma. The only thing I am unsure of is how these events could transpire in the MCU, but if anyone make it work, it's Marvel.
By the end of the Dark Reign storyline, Norman Osborn set his sights on Asgard, by Loki's request, seeing it as the last great threat to his power, which was the plot to the "Siege" event that ended with Osborn removed from his position and the heroes finally united and once again viewed positively by the public (not to mention the repeal of the Superhuman Registration Act).
It was by this point that Norman's Goblin side was starting to manifest again, with him even going so far as to wear Goblin warpaint under his Iron Patriot armor. Harry could go down that road as well, and just imagine him getting his armor off and looking like his Goblin self again. Besides that, "Siege" also saw Loki having a redemption moment, realizing his mistakes and sacrificing himself to save his home. This eventually lead to Loki being resurrected as a child.
With Phase Four dealing with the villains in power, it would make sense for "Avengers 4" to be based on "Siege", which could lead to a new "Heroic Age" like in the comics, which could be the basis of Phase Five.
That's as far as I've thought. Keep in mind this is all just fan speculation on my part. But what does anyone else think? Even if there are no Spider-Man characters involved, do you think I'm right about other things? Could we see the Thunderbolts? If not Harry, who could usher in a Dark Reign? Could Marvel get the FF license back in time to include Doom? Will Asgard fall and rise again? Sign off in the comments with your own thoughts.
All I know for certain is that some interesting things are sure to come from Marvel Studios, and it's really fun to speculate what they may be.
