Imagine Joaquin Phoenix as Doctor Strange instead of Benedict Cumberbatch. What about Jared Leto? Those scenarios could have been a reality, the British actor recently revealed during an interview with Empire magazine.
Cumberbatch thought scheduling conflicts would prevent him from taking the titular role in the upcoming Marvel movie.
The Sherlock star committed three months to a stage production of Hamlet in London. This was at the same time production was set to begin on Doctor Strange. Oops.
Marvel began looking at other actors to fill the role.
However, director Scott Derrickson was determined to have Cumberbatch play the Sorcerer Supreme. He convinced the studio to delay production in order to accommodate the actor’s schedule. So Doctor Strange’s release was changed from summer 2016 to fall.
The decision surprised Cumberbatch but also motivated him:
“I really did think I had to kiss it goodbye. If you can’t jump on board when the ride’s going past, that’s usually it. So the hugest compliment they paid me way to come back to me. It motivated me to try to fulfill their faith in me.”
Cumberbatch plays Dr. Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon who loses the use of his hands after a car crash. He goes in search of a cure, discovering The Ancient One and other worlds.
Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mads Mikkelsen also star.
Doctor Strange will be released in theaters on November 4, 2016.
Clash Of Champions Continues To Shape A Very Interesting Post-Draft Landscape For WWE.
The first PPV from the RAW brand after the WWE draft had some major hype. Not only were they bringing back the name of a classic WCW PPV but ‘Clash Of Champions’ also had an intriguing main event. This more focused approach WWE has taken allows for some more compelling story-telling. I’m impressed to see how well the build for Clash Of Champions was compared to previous PPVs.
Honorable ‘OMG’ Moment:
-This No Contest finish to Sheamus vs. Cesaro seems very transparent as a means to extend this rivalry. Already wrestling in a “Best Of 7” series, why make it 8?
5. The New Day Are Raw Tag Team Champs For 400 Days
-Somehow the group who talk about “Booty-O’s” and make nerdy jokes has held the tag titles for 400 days. What can I say about The New Day that already hasn’t? It’s mind-blowing to see these amazing guys get this well-deserved recognition.
4. T.J. Perkins & Brian Kendrick Feud?! YES!
-Brian Kendrick got this match by winning a fatal-four way this past Monday. The build towards Kendrick challenging T.J. Perkins for the new Cruiserweight title was weak. Looks like that will change as these two get to expand their feud.
3. Cesaro Is An Insane Man
-Not only did this Cesaro pull out a 6-1-9 during his match with Sheamus but he also nearly killed himself with this dive. Similar to the dive Lita did years ago, it was cringe-worthy to see Ceasro crumble like this.
2. Roman Reigns Wins The United States Championship
-Looks like someone is out of the dog house. Roman Reigns & Rusev put on a hard-hitting match that got a bored crowd hot near the end. Reigns is still somewhat fresh off his suspension so a clean title win like this is truly “OMG” worthy.
1. Kevin Owens Retains The Universal Title
-Can’t believe that Kevin Owens headlined a WWE PPV. The man was amazing before he grabbed the title but since becoming the second Universal champion, Owens has became even better. This title win only further cements how amazing he is. After an stellar match with Seth Rollins, where does Kevin Owens go from here?
What was the biggest “OMG” moment from Clash Of Champions?
A new clip for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been released online via Television Promos. Check it out below.
This episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. features Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes, Briana Venskus as Agent Piper, Adrian Quinonez as Ignacio, Jen Kuo Sung as Chen, Lilli Birdsell as Lucy, Danonohue as Frederick, Ward Roberts as Hugo, and Usman Ally as Vincent. Jason O’Mara is directing.
“In light of the Sokovia Accords, and with Hydra obliterated, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been legitimized again and no longer needs to operate in the shadows. Since the world presumes that Coulson is dead, the organization needed a new Director (Jason O’Mara) to be the face of the organization. Coulson finds himself back in the role as an agent and teamed with Mack (Henry Simmons), and together they are tasked with tracking down and confirming the presence of Enhanced people, aka Inhumans. They have been trying to track down and capture Daisy (Chloe Bennet), aka Quake, who has gone rogue in an attempt to atone for sins from the past. But with the world believing that Daisy is a dangerous outlaw who has taken down banks and bridges, the new Director has no qualms about taking her down for good. Agent May (Ming-Na Wen) is tasked with training specialist strike teams, and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) have taken a big step forward in their relationship. But with Simmons’ new promotion as Special Advisor to the Director in Science and Technology, Fitz, as well as her former team members, finds it hard to confide in or trust her since she’s now the Director’s confidant.
Robbie Reyes (Gabriel Luna) will roar into the lives of Agent Coulson and the team as a junkyard mechanic who can turn on a dime into the terrifying Ghost Rider. Will Robbie be a friend or foe to S.H.I.E.L.D. – as well as the world, itself? Meanwhile, Fitz discovers that socially awkward genius and friend Dr. Radcliffe (John Hannah) has started putting the finishing touches on a new, secret invention.”
New episodes of S.H.I.E.L.D. air every Tuesday at 10 P.M. on ABC.
During the build up to Captain America: Civil War, many fans speculated as to which character would be killed; to some, their pick was Steve Rogers himself. This previously possible scenario would’ve followed the comic, which made it a popular choice. In a recent Q & A with directors Joe and Anthony Russo, coming to us via Hitfix, the brothers revealed that killing Cap was once a possibility.
Anthony Russo:“We never talked about killing Cap in this one, right? No.”
Joe Russo: “We did for a beat. We talk about everything.”
Anthony Russo:“I think the thing to remember is, we do talk about every possible scenario over and over and over again for months and months and months. We talked about it. But it never made its way into a realistic outline.”
Joe then went on to talk about their choice to not kill a character at the end of the film.
“We talked about lots of potential characters dying at the end of the movie. And we thought that it would undercut what is really the rich tension of the movie, which is this is Kramer vs Kramer. It’s about a divorce. If somebody dies, it would create empathy, which would change and allow for repair, and we didn’t want to do that.”
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was also at the Q & A, and he briefly talked about the goal of Civil War heading into Infinity War, as well as the differences between the original comic story and its film adaptation.
“Well, the ending was always more about fracturing the team completely before getting into Infinity War.”
“In the amazing comic book story, which certainly the conceit of this movie is based on and some of the specifics — during their big battle, which has a hundred times as many characters, a character dies. And we talked about that for a while. And, ultimately, we thought what happened to Rhodey would be enough of a downer.”
There are a select few titles from the 1980’s that fall under what might be classified as “guilty pleasures”. They’re a bit campy, but with enough charm to provide an entertaining distraction from the outside world. For no other show is this more true than Macgyver. Starring Richard Dean Anderson as a charismatic leading man able to paperclip his way out of anything, this show offered seven seasons of creative yet bizarre entertainment.
In their infinite wisdom, CBS has attempted to remake the series with a modern day setting. However, like most remakes of 80’s nostalgia, this show never stood a chance. With the rise in popularity of TV crime dramas, which started in party due to the very show it’s trying to emulate, the show struggles to stand out as anything out of the ordinary.
This new version sees the role of the man armed with a Swiss army knife taken over by Lucas Till (X-Men: Apocalypse). In the opening scene, we find our hero attempting to retrieve a weapon from a dangerous villain. While it appears he successfully accomplished his mission, he is startled at his rendezvous point by an armed henchman (played by Vinnie Jones). Despite cooperating, the henchman kills his girlfriend, and leaves Macgyver for dead.
This is where the show runs into its first stumbling block. Immediately it is trying to make the audience care for Macgyver through visual storytelling that lacks any real emotional weight. The audience does not know enough about either Macgyver, his girlfriend, or their relationship to truly care about the ramifications of what is unfolding on screen. It lacks the sensation of any real consequence, which undermines its placement in the show.
From this point on, the show turns into a checklist of cliched action tropes. Without spoiling exactly what happens, suffice it to say, the show struggles to find a creative way to establish its concept. That isn’t to say it’s not entertaining. Till and his cast mates perform admirably with their characters, and the writing has moments of ingenuity. However, it struggles to stand out as anything creative or worthwhile. It seems more like an attempt to copy C.S.I., N.C.I.S., or any number of crime procedurals that have aired in the last decade, rather than a fresh idea.
The biggest shame of all is that they took a creative character piece and turned it into a paint-by-numbers ensemble drama without any charm or personality. While it does a respectable job entertaining its audience, it is unlikely to emerge as anything memorable.
Three new TV Spots for Marvel’s Doctor Strange have been released online via Comicbook.com on Youtube. You can watch them down below.
“From Marvel comes DOCTOR STRANGE, the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing, and hope, in an unlikely place – a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange – armed with newly acquired magical powers – is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence. Join Strange on his dangerous, mystifying, and totally mind-bending journey.”
Doctor Strange features Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme, Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo.
With Kira’s dad on the loss, he decides his only opinion is to use the arrow to create a new Stand User. What does he create? A man who has the ability to fire a super powerful gun? Someone who has the ability to create a beetle which is so powerful it can rip people apart? Or perhaps even a being has the ability to destroy everything with a void he wraps around himself to become a destructive wrecking ball of death. No, he finds a boy who enjoys playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. Oh Jojo, you so crazy.
Yes the newest Stand user is named Ken Oyanagi and with his Stand, Boy Man Man (It’s Boys II Men. Come on translation team. Are you really worried about a lawsuit?). Ken uses his stand, to play people in Janken (Rock, Paper, Scissors) and if he beats them enough times he gets their powers. It should be known the animation team found a way to make it the most extreme game of Janken in the history of existence. Leave it to anime to make a mundane game like Janken into something over the top and awesome.
The episode also shows Yukako hanging out with Josuke and Okuyasu without Koichi around. It’s always good to see when a guy’s girlfriend is able to hang with his friends and become part of the group when he’s not around. Especially when they were previously a villain who kidnapped said friend.
The real question is how long will Kira’s dad keep making more Stand users There is still 13 more episodes to the season so there is a good chance there will still be a few of them coming out of nowhere to help Kira and his crazy ideals. Not like he needs any help though.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Several Marvel Comics characters have family issues, and Tony Stark is no exception to that rule. Right now, the big question is “Who’s your daddy?”
The new International Iron Man series reveals Iron Man’s real parents were not Howard and Maria Stark. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, this is bound to take Tony in a new direction.
In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Bendis says the aim is to really explore Tony’s character and what makes him tick. With the discovery of his real parents, this will prove to be quite an adventure.
“We have this character Tony Stark, who has over the course of the last two years become the crown jewel of the Disney-Marvel empire,” he says. “People couldn’t be more interested in Tony, and we have all this opportunity to find out where Tony fits into all of it.”
International Iron Man #7 reveals Tony Stark’s biological mom and dad were two S.H.I.E.L.D agents. As previously shown, Amanda Armstrong fell in love with a fellow operative named Jude. Soon afterwards, she became pregnant.
What’s more, Jude served as a HYDRA double agent. Desperate to save his family, he leaked info- only for Amanda to fatally stab him. What a way to die- at the hands of your lover.
Now, that’s really got to hurt.
Unwilling to deal with these events, Amanda left S.H.I.E.L.D and put little Tony up for adoption. From there, Howard and Maria came in to raise the boy as their own. At Amanda’s request, they kept the boy’s name of Anthony.
Thank goodness the MCU still has Howard and Maria as Tony’s parents, because this plot twist would be very difficult to pull off.
International Iron Man #7 is now on sale.
At least the MCU movies are different from the comics.
There’s been a dramatic shift within the comic book industry these past three months. Marvel’s stranglehold in the sales has weakened to DC’s newest relaunch, “Rebirth.” The relaunch is a return to form for the company’s most famous superheroes and other IPs. So far, the initiative has been a huge success as reflected in both the sales and the recent marketshare. But, how did this happen? DC is usually considered the Pepsi to Marvel’s Coke in most facets, including comics. While their current dominance might be temporary, it’s hard to ignore their recent decisions to attract buyers. So, without further adieu, here are five reasons why Rebirth is a success.
*Note: All the pictures you see are just there for aesthetic purposes and are merely recommendations of books I like in the Rebirth line. There will be a more official list later.
5. It actually wasn’t a reboot.
Like just about every comic fan, when I heard the words “rebirth,” I thought reboot. It wouldn’t be the first time the company has done one, and most fans are pretty polarized about The New 52, and what consequences it brought. So, there was a lot of skepticism toward what this event. However, to everyone’s surprise, the poorly named initiative was not a reboot. Instead, I would consider it something different, a jumping on point for new and old readers to familiarize themselves with everything DC. Rebirth is respecting pretty much all of the DC continuity that’s ever been published. We’ll go back to some of the books and why they work, but overall it created an accessibility the company was lacking these pass few years.
4. A tried and true formula.
One of the main focuses on Rebirth was getting to the core of these characters. Why we love them, why we feel for them, and why we want to read more adventures about them. The focus on each book is on the title character, and what they represent: Batman is the detective, Superman saves the day, Wonder Woman is searching for the truth, etc. The New 52 was plagued with overarching conspiracies, confusing premises, and a focus on deconstructing the character rather than building on them. Some (like Monkeys Fighting Robots contributor Gary Maloney) may argue that some of the stories can be cliche and by the numbers. However, I argue that one must create a status quo before it can be destroyed and played with. Also, as a side note, I personally haven’t found a single comic in Rebirth to be downright awful. There are plenty that aren’t great, and some that aren’t very good, but nothing terrible.
3. The price and quality of each book.
Whether the comic is twice-monthly or monthly, all DC Rebirth titles (with the exception of one so far) are $2.99. We’ve come a LONG way from the days of comics being less than two bucks, but the 2.99 pricing certainly allows more affordability for customers. While the twice-monthly shipping does raise a concern that you’re actually spending $5.98 a month on a series, the $2.99 per book is an easier investment for single issue. It gives fans a chance to try out a book, and make a decision on sticking with the series. All the titles are printed on a quality paper, have the same amount of story pages, and are bounded well. The staples aren’t obnoxiously sticking out in the middle of the issue. Plus, as a fan, I actually prefer twice-monthly, because I can follow the stories easier.
2. Returnability on all titles.
A lot of comic books collect dust when they aren’t sold. Often retailers can’t return them, so they’ll find ways to get rid of them through sales and what not. DC has been offering returnability for a lot of their issues. This is great for stores, because it allows them to decipher which comics are worth keeping, and which ones aren’t for their customers. DC will buy the comics that aren’t selling back and this creates a stronger dialogue between retailer and company. When both entities are working together in harmony, this creates a happier experience for all parties involved.
1. DC Rebirth #1 was fantastic for new and old readers.
Regardless of the story’s quality, which was a damn good story by the way, DC Rebirth #1 was a great comic for any level of DC fan. Whether they’ve been reading the company’s work all their lives, they’re fans of the movies and shows, or they’re just casual fans of the character, everyone could read this. It brilliantly explained the DC Universe, it raised good questions that made fans want to know more, and it was accessible. For $2.99 fans got an 80 page comic that contained zero ads. That will always be a more favorable option for readers. And I personally believe that Rebirth has been a great step for the company. The comics have been fun and affordable, the company is making smarter choices, and it’s exciting to see where they go next. Hopefully, DC keeps this momentum going, because right now they are on fire.
