Planet Hulk Is Coming To The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sort Of

By

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January 25, 2016

Fans of Bruce Banner and the Hulk are patiently waiting for a Planet Hulk film and due to film rights with Universal this solo film has been put on hold, but Marvel Studios might have just found a loophole.

There are spoilers after the break, do not continue to read if you don’t want to be spoiled!

The loophole is Thor: Ragnarok where Thor and Hulk go on an adventure across the nine realms to save the universe. Mark Ruffalo recently likened the third Thor film to Midnight Run with Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin.

The big question is how do Thor and Hulk meet up to begin their adventure?

According to sources at Geek.com they have the answer. Nothing is official, Taika Waititi and his team are still in the midst of finalizing the script, so take this plot concept with a grain of salt.

After Thor catches on to Hela and Loki’s (still mysterious) plot that is going down in Asgard, Hela destroys Mjolnir, and banishes Thor from Asgard. Loki and Hela’s plan involves the major arc of the Marvel Universe, and just when it looks like Thor is about to put a stop to it, he gets banished — but not to any old planet. He ends up on a gladiatorial world where his head is shaved, and he’s forced to fight for his life.

Thor knows that he has to get to some MacGuffin weapon object to defeat Hela and Loki and he has to get off the planet. Thor runs through all of his alien opponents in gladiatorial combat, even without his trademark hammer. Finally, Thor has to face the current champion of the arena, and wouldn’t you know who that ends up being? The Hulk.

When we reconnect with Hulk in ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ he’s managed to avoid reverting to the Banner state since we last saw him in the Quinjet in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’ Hulk in Hulk form is almost unkillable, so he survived the trip to the gladiator planet. His “Banner” is starting to seep through into the Hulk persona, and because of the Hulk-Banner melding, Hulk remembers Thor and his relationship to him. That’s what starts the two on a Midnight Run to the MacGuffin that Thor desperately needs.

Not sure how long this film would be, but this concept has a chance to make Thor: Ragnarok an epic movie.

What do you think? Do you want to see Planet Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok?

Thor: Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi, Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle are working on the script, and the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, and Anthony Hopkins.

Thor: Ragnarok will destroy the universe on November 3, 2017.

Source: Geek.com

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See How Awkward ‘Deadpool’ Can Get In New Trailer

By

Matthew Sardo

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January 25, 2016

A new 43-second clip from Deadpool was released Monday morning, and viewers get a glimpse of how far the humor will go in this film. Also, you get to see Ryan Reynolds in only a Christmas sweater. How cute!

Based upon Marvel Comics’ most original anti-hero, Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, he hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

The film is directed by Tim Miller and stars Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Ed Skrein, Gina Carano, and Brianna Hildebrand.

Deadpool is set to be released on February 12.

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Kalimur Delivers Another Promising Project With Redemption

By

Sam Casale

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January 25, 2016

Kalimur is a Connecticut based Alternative Rock Band that came into to public eye a few years ago with the release of their first LP, Ghost We Used to Know. I was able to conduct an interview with them a while back (the link to that interview can be found here). The main point that they made about this new album is that it is more emotional and a it darker than their previous work. I am here to say that they definitely delivered on their promise. Redemption primarily deals with themes of hardship and overcoming difficulties in one’s life. Lyrically, I think this is some of their best work yet. Never before has the band been so poetic. Though there are instances in this album where the songs have sounded similar to other projects, each individual song is unique in it’s own right and this ultimately is what makes this album a great project. My only real complaint about this album was how some of the songs ended in an odd and sometimes abrupt fashion. Though this was a minor and passable detail, it kind of set a tone that remained consistent in the album. Though this differentiate songs from one another, it impaired the overall flow and transitions on this album. However, this ultimately was not enough to impair my listening experience. Though this album does not exactly push the boundaries of Alternative Rock, it still ultimately proves to be a solid effort. Looking back, I honestly found this album to be really enjoyable and I am truly excited to see how this affects the band’s overall success. These guys truly deserve all the success that they get and I am proud to have been able to speak with them. I wish you guys the best of luck.

You can buy Redemption off Itunes, Spotify, or from the band’s website, http://www.kalimurband.com/.

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WWE Royal Rumble: 5 Most Exciting Moments From The Rumble!

By

EJ Moreno

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January 24, 2016

WWE Royal Rumble: What Were The Most Exciting Moments Of The 2016 Royal Rumble?

The WWE Road to Wrestlemania has been officially kicked off as the 2016 edition of the Royal Rumble comes to a close. In the wake of all the mayhem from the evening, we are left with new champions and shocking debuts! From the WWE debut of AJ Styles to COO Triple H winning the biggest match of the evening, there was no lack of memorable moments!

*Honorable Mention: Welcome Back Sandow!*

-The Intellectual Savior of The Masses got the first pop of the night. When “Hallelujah” filled the Amway Arena, the Orlando crowd welcomed Damien Sandow with open arms. As he teamed with Darren Young in the pre-show match in a losing effort, it was great to see the always hilarious Damien Sandow get the recognition he deserves. Hope to see more of Sizzle A.K.A Sandow!

5. A Destructive Opener

–Tables. Barricades. Michael Cole’s Glasses. Dean Ambrose & his opponent Kevin Owens left nothing unbroken. From the moment the bell sounded, the two brawlers opened the Rumble with multiple “This Is Awesome” and “Holy Shit” chants from the crowd during their non-stop battle for the Intercontinental Championship. In the end, it was Kevin Owens who couldn’t make it to his feet before the ten count allowing Dean Ambrose to walk away with the win & a sore body.

4. Francesca 2 Brings The New Day A Victory!

-After a proper mourning for the beloved trombone of The New Day, Xavier Woods debuted a brand new trombone during their entrance because the power of positivity or whatever. After 150 days of dirty title defenses, The New Day once again retained the tag titles over The Usos. The ever so sneaky Xavier Woods played a major part in the outcome as usual but maybe it was the new trombone ‘Francesca 2‘ who brought the tag champs their luck this evening.

3. The 2-Time United States Champion: Kalisto!

-‘The Lucha Dragon‘ Kalisto reclaimed the US Championship from Alberto Del Rio in a hard-fought but slightly sloppy match at the Royal Rumble. While Sin Cara has been injured, Kalisto has found a place of his own as a singles competitor. He quickly started a feud with Del Rio and the two Mexican Superstars have traded the US belt over the past few weeks. After his most recent title win, let’s hope Kalisto can keep the belt for longer than one day and prove himself as a true star within the WWE.

2. Sasha Banks Is Next In Line For Diva’s Title

-“A Bold Statement With A Bank Statement“. Sasha Banks made it known that she is coming for Charlotte’s Divas title after she attacked Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair following their match. Charlotte retained against Becky with assistance from her father Ric Flair and while she thought Sasha was coming down to the ring to celebrate her victory, ‘The Boss‘ had another idea. Hitting her finisher “The Bank Statement“, Sasha Banks then lifted the title over her head telling the champion that it’s her time to shine.

1.A: “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles Arrives In The WWE

-After being hyped and teased for weeks now, AJ Styles officially debuted as a member of the WWE roster by drawing Number 3 in this year’s Royal Rumble. If you had access to wrestling websites, you had some sort of idea that Styles would possibly show up at the event but it’s still no less of a shock seeing the international wrestler finally make his way to WWE. “The Phenomenal One” lasted about 28 minutes in the Rumble before getting thrown over by Kevin Owens. With the crowd loving everything Styles did, the newest WWE Superstar has an entire universe in the palm of his hands.

1.B: Sami Zayn Re-Debuts On The Main Roster

-Sami Zayn arrived in the Rumble with a score to settle as he made a B-Line for his arch-enemy Kevin Owens. After spending months on the shelf, Zayn recently returned to NXT and has now re-debuted on the main roster by entering at Number 20. Before he was eliminated by Braun Strowman during a Wyatt Family attack, Sami Zayn got the chance to take Kevin Owens out of the match. Will this be the early sign of an instant classic between Zayn & Owens at Wrestlemania?

1.C: Triple H Is The WWE World Heavyweight Champion!

-After all the dust settled, the returning HHH walked out of the Rumble as the champion by winning the “One Vs. All” 2016 Royal Rumble. The final 2 men in the match were surprisingly Dean Ambrose & Triple H after HHH eliminated Roman Reigns to guarantee a new champion would be crowned. In a Rumble match filled with Wyatt domination & Lesnar suplexing everyone, the 30th entrant Triple H ultimately reclaimed the nickname “The King of Kings” by eliminating 4 men with Ambrose being the final nail in the coffin. This will surely lead to a Reigns vs HHH main event at Mania but as for right now, the landscape of WWE has been changed dramatically…unless you look at a storyline from 1999.

What was the most exciting moment of the evening for you? Did WWE’s first Live Event of 2016 meet all the hype or did the expectations get thrown over the top rope quicker than Jack Swagger?

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Which Side Are You On? #Batman or #Superman

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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January 24, 2016

On more than one occasion, Director Zack Snyder has used social media to promote his latest movie Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.Sunday, the director, took to Twitter announcing that it was time to pick sides in this epic showdown. “Who will win?” is the question of the day, and he’s asking fans to tweet at him with #Superman or #Batman. There’s no indication of when the campaign will end or whether it will result in a new release of promotional material, but it wouldn’t be surprising. Either way, it gave him a chance to show off Twitter’s new Batman V Superman emoji.

#Batman #Superman #WhoWillWin?https://t.co/n1shHdZ8NN

— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) January 24, 2016

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, violent vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting the world in greater danger.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice will hit theaters on March 25.

The film stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Ray Fisher as Cyborg with Callan Mulvey, Holly Hunter as Senator Finch and Tao Okamoto as Mercy Graves. Justice League is to follow directed by Zack Snyder as well.

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Review: ‘The X-Files’ Hits Its Stride In Episode Two

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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January 24, 2016

The best way to describe the first 42-minutes of The X-Files revival would be an appetizer.

The first episode was an enjoyable experience and like most appetizers can be a necessary element to enjoying your dining experience. The second episode of The X-Files revival certainly transitions the audience from what’s necessary to what is extraordinary. The second episode entitled “Founders Mutation” jumps right into what makes the X-Files so entertaining. As always with “The X-Files,” there is a complete change of tone from episode to episode. The mythology-heavy premiere gives way to “Founder’s Mutation,” an intriguing and frequently gory puzzle written and directed by James Wong, one of Carter’s original team.When a scientist suddenly commits suicide, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate what unseen force may have driven him to it. What they uncover are a laboratory where extreme genetic experimentation has been going on for decades, breeding subjects who possess unexpected and dangerous powers and who harbor deep resentments.

After watching Monday night’s episode, many will question the reasoning behind waiting before jumping into the intriguing and the unexplained that made The X-Files such a favorite show for so many reasons. The audience can’t discount that fourteen years is a long layoff and the series creator Chris Carter had to know that it would take that first episode to lay the groundwork for the remaining five episodes.

A good sign for X-Files fans had to be when they realized that Chris Carter was able to bring back so many people from his original X-Files team. James Wong, who was with Chris Carter from the series inception and gained notoriety for writing the highly popular “Musings Of A Cigarette Smoking Man, ” pens an episode that reminds all of what we loved most about The X-Files, the unexplained. Wong’s talent is that he writes in a way that allows you to empathize with characters on the screen (no matter the circumstances). Wong has proven his talent over the years while penning episodes for American Horror Story, The Event, and 21 Jump Street.

In the second episode, the theme of Government mistrust is once again on display. This time, we are lead to believe that Department of Defense is behind these experiments in genetics that turn ordinary Boys and Girls into special children. Doug Savant plays Dr. Augusts Goldman, who is at the epicenter for all these genetic tests. Mulder and Scully have to figure out is he acting on his free will or is the government underwriting his twisted brand science.

The highlight of the second episode had to be the on-screen chemistry between Mulder and Scully. As I alluded to in the review of episode one, Mulder and Scully had plausible chemistry for two people who hadn’t worked together for fourteen years. In the second episode, Mulder and Scully hit their stride and were reminiscent of the FBI agents that everyone glued to their TV sets years ago. Remember, that even though this is a six-episode “event,” we still have to build towards the things that we want to transpire.

Chris Carter and his whole X-Files team had to feel the pressure going into this six-episode X-Files revival. Breathing life into a series that has been off the air for fourteen years is difficult and to compound matters, dealing with the enormous expectations X-Files fans is no small task. Well, new/old X-Files fans will be delighted to see that after Monday night, that X-Files is starting to hit its stride.

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WWE: 5 Ways Out Of Royal Rumble

By

Marcus Wood

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January 24, 2016

WWE’s Royal Rumble is tonight at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Traditionally, the winner of the 30-man Royal Rumble match is awarded a match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. However, as a culmination of his attempts to deprive WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns of the championship (for attacking his son-in-law Triple H and overall disrespecting the McMahon family), WWE owner/chairman/CEO Vince McMahon decided on the January 4, 2016 episode of Raw that Reigns would defend his title in the match.

Here are five potential winners of Royal Rumble 2016.

Roman Reigns

This seems the most likely option as Reigns continues his against the odds, march to the top. After the poisonous reaction to his win at the Rumble last year, Reigns has now found a level of acceptance with the wider fan base and that will give WWE will have the confidence to continue his mega-push towards another go at headlining Wrestlemania. Speaking of Wrestlemania things are starting to look like everything and the kitchen sink will be thrown at Reigns until someone gets the title off of Reigns and the final boss, whether it be Brock Lesnar, Triple H or TBC, will be faced at Wrestlemania. In addition the one vs all concept has been set-up as a way to for the evil Authority to bring Reigns down, if it actually works it makes it a bit tougher for the story to continue except for Reigns going after revenge and it would make zero sense for Reigns to get another title shot before Wrestlemania. The drawback with Reigns winning and walking out still the Champion is that feels predictable and that was one of the main factors that took down last years Rumble. Let’s face it does anyone really want to see Reigns go full Superman and go all the way from #1? There are a lot of ways for him to go out that don’t damage him, whether it involves a screw job or not.

Brock Lesnar

On the one hand Lesnar feels like an unlikely pick both to have another title reign anytime soon and because winning the Rumble would do little to enhance his status anymore as opposed to anyone else who could be made by it. On the other hand we’re heading into what could be the biggest Wrestlemania of all time and the WWE needs all the star power they can get going in and Lesnar as champion does that more than anyone else on the full time roster right now, being very over and crucially being something of a mainstream draw. It’s also a way of setting up Lesnar-Reigns 2, something that logically makes all the sense after their match last year was disrupted for the Rollins cash in. The angle could be that Lesnar has seemed to be the only man so far to really have the best of Reigns so it would be okay for the Authority to let Reigns have a title shot if it was against Lesnar, the downside to this theory is why let him have a shot at all, the sense being Lesnar go in as challenger.

Triple H

At one point the betting favourite to win, which is surprising given he’s not been formally announced as taking part. In the Authority vs Reigns story though it makes all the sense and it furthers the set-up to Triple H vs Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania. It also makes Triple H world champion which from a story point of view is something different and interesting and from a nostalgia point of view would be kind of cool. The downside here is it’s Triple H as World Champion in 2016 and the question would have to be asked if there wasn’t someone on the full time roster who could benefit from playing that part in the story (not sheamus). There would have to also be an almighty screw job for this to play out, whether it be Kane or whoever else helping Trips and after last years Kane and Big Show destroy the world it’s debatable whether that would be the best thing.

AJ Styles

This is where things get unlikely but very interesting. It’s become apparent it’s now a case of when not if AJ Styles makes his WWE debut and the timing of all this news makes a Royal Rumble debut a real possibility. While winning the top prize in such a big way on his first night with the company may seem out of the question, the fact Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows are coming in too may mean WWE are looking to bring in the Bullet Club or something similar. It then seems well set-up in the story-line to say the Bullet Club have been brought in by the Authority to get Roman Reigns back in line, by firstly taking the title from Reigns at the Rumble. Imagine these three new faces taking on the rest of the roster in such a big way on their debut then winning. Wishful thinking maybe but there’s surely an outside chance.

Bray Wyatt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_6vJXueecs

Up until the last Raw Bray Wyatt wouldn’t have even been on this list but leading your faction in a beatdown of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns will do that for a guy. This one has the same kind of reasoning as an AJ Styles in the sense that Bray Wyatt also has guys who will be helping him get the win and a group of guys who are all big men who should be making an impact in the Rumble match regardless. If it was done in this way it would help protect Reigns losing his title while any kind of win would be a massive boost for Bray, rehabilitating him after a year of constant losses. Realistically though it feels too much too sudden for Wyatt, a title win for him now would feel out of place and a total disruption to the main storyline. I’m not saying that couldn’t be a good thing but that’s not the way WWE are doing business right now.

Those are five possible ways things could finish when one man is left standing in the ring but there are thirty guys going in and really it’s about how the match gets to that finish as much as the result itself and that’s the beauty of the Royal Rumble. It’s one of the few events now where it generates excitement and interest every year regardless and I’d say that’s the best thing about the Royal Rumble.

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Review: Legends of Tomorrow ‘Pilot, Part 1’ – Promising Start

By

Elisabeth S. Contreras

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January 24, 2016

The new DC original show for The CW, Legends of Tomorrow, featuring a few side characters from both Arrow and The Flash, didn’t start out with a huge bang. But it gathered enough attention to keep viewers wanting more.

Time-traveling rogue, Rip Hunter, has to recruit a rag-tag team of heroes and villains to help prevent an apocalypse that could impact not only Earth, but all of time.

Legends of Tomorrow was created as a spin-off by Supergirl, Arrow and The Flash producers Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Arrow writer Mark Guggenheim. It mainly follows the origin of Hawkgirl and Hawkman’s storyline, along with the resurgence of Vandal Savage (played by Casper Crump), a villain who will only be defeated when he’s killed by one of them. In a distant future, Savage is about to destroy the world and Time Master Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) travels back in time with his Waverider to assemble a team and defeat him. He brings together the newly resurrected (White) Canary (Caity Lotz), Firestorm (Victor Garber and Franz Drameh), The Atom (Brandon Routh), Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell), Hawkgirl (Ciara Renée) and Hawkman (Falk Hentschel).

There are two elements that made the Legends of Tomorrow premiere a very fun show: the sci-fi aspect of time travel and how much it felt like a comic book. The fact that the show is going to be exploring the concept of traveling back and forth through time is a very fascinating idea, especially the way it was established from the beginning of this episode, where there were a few rules and consequences (of course, the risk of altering somebody’s timeline has to be taken into consideration every time they interact in a different period from theirs).

Also, the tone of this series appears to be quite lighthearted, more like an adventure with plenty of action and humor instead of gritty and dark themes. Despite its dramatic premise it doesn’t seem to take itself very seriously, meaning: it’s closer to The Flash than to Arrow in comparison.

In a nutshell, this first episode was straight to the point. Considering all the characters except Rip Hunter had already been introduced to us before, and although we also get to see all their abilities quickly recapped (in case new viewers tuned in, I imagine), this first part of the pilot served to set the main storyline as a whole.

We learned: 1. Who got to be part of the team and why. 2. What do each of them bring to the team’s potential success – something we might continue to discover as the plot unravels. 3. Everybody’s reasons as to why they accepted Hunter’s offer. 4. What’s the goal and how can they achieve it.

There were more than a few secrets revealed in the pilot, which I can’t generally consider a good thing (it’s what turned me against Supergirl in the first place), but the writers have a lot of great characters, actors and writers to work with to make the show more than entertaining. At least this was a solid start, which will hopefully lead to a great superhero sci-fi show.

I wish for them to develop the time traveling concept, also give us something more meaningful for us to care about than an unoriginal apocalypse and also give a lot more credit to the villain who, as of now, hasn’t made a significant impact and is probably the weakest point in the series. It’s still soon to tell anyway, so let’s keep watching… “for now”.

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Peter Parker Revealed In Set Photo Of ‘Captain America: Civil War’

By

Cade Onder

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January 23, 2016

Since around this time last year, we have been clamoring to know what Spider-Man/Peter Parker would look like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Once it was revealed he would make his debut appearance in Captain America: Civil War, people had to know what kind of role he would play in the film. In the Civil War comic series, his role is pretty big. He is caught in the middle of this, no pun intended, civil war and even takes his mask off in front of the entire world. It wouldn’t have as big of an impact if he did that in Captain America: Civil War because we haven’t really gotten to know this specific Peter Parker, and he isn’t as established in the universe, so everything surrounding the details of his character in this movie have been pretty much a mystery. But now we may have some hints as to where he stands in this new set photo with Tom Holland.

Captain America: Civil War Peter Parker set photo — The new wall-crawler and Louis D’Esposito aboard The Avenger’s Quinjet!

Marvel Studios co-President Louis D’Esposito has tweeted out a photo of him with the new web-swinger in what appears to be The Avenger’s Quinjet! I don’t know what to really make of this to be honest with you, one could say Peter Parker might be on Tony Stark’s side due to Tom Holland sitting in the Quinjet, but they’re most likely just posing for the picture. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get a picture taken of them sitting in the cock pit of The Avenger’s Quinjet? Either way, this gives us an idea of what Peter Parker will actually look like in the MCU! In my opinion, this is exactly what I think Peter should look like! It also looks like he might get involved in the action and take a blow or two to the head if that bruise on his eye is anything to go off of.

What do you think of this set photo? Let us know in the comments below! Captain America: Civil War debuts in theaters April 29th, 2016 in the United Kingdom and May 6th, 2016 in North America. The film will be directed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier directors, Joe and Anthony Russo and will star a plethora of stars including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, and Sebastian Stan amongst many others.

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WWE Royal Rumble 2016 Preview: Would You Like To Win A Title?

By

Mat Douglas

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January 23, 2016

Sunday night marks the 28th annual Royal Rumble, and while the Rumble match itself is the focus, the event is also known for having a robust and entertaining undercard. Every WWE title will be contested and the chances are pretty good that they can change hands.

The New Day vs. The Usos – WWE Tag Team Championship

WWE Royal Rumble The New Day — The New Day – WWE Tag Team Champions
photo: WWE

The current reigning and defending WWE Tag Team Champions defend their titles against the Slammy Award winning tag team of the year. The New Day took the WWE by storm this past year, and some of that ascent is owed to the absence of Jey Uso, one half of The Usos, who was sideline for about 7 months due to a shoulder injury. The Usos have returned at full speed and The New Day have held the titles since Summerslam last August. The New Day have a numbers advantage but The Usos have been taking them on in singles matches and coming away with wins.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto – WWE United States Championship

Del Rio Kalisto Royal Rumble — Alberto Del Rio vs Kalisto
photo: WWE

A feud that is all of a week old but has given fans two quality matches in less than 7 days, it got kick started on the January 18th edition of RAW when Kalisto upset Del Rio for the US Title. Del Rio would regain the US title this past Thursday on SmackDown. Both matches were fantastic, and considering the pedigrees of Kalisto and Del Rio, the quality of the matches should not be surprising to any fan. This is the rubber match and could be the best undercard match on the show depending on how much time they are given.

Charlotte w/Ric Flair vs Becky Lynch – WWE Divas Championship

The self-professed ‘Dirtiest Diva in the Game’ has her stiffest challenge yet since winning the Divas title against a game Becky Lynch. Formerly teammates, Charlotte’s success, along with the aide of her Hall Of Fame father Ric Flair, seem to have left Becky by the wayside, but a non title victory over Charlotte and some strategic goading have gotten Lynch a title match. Both are fantastic performers and this match could take its place among the other fantastic women’s contests that have been happening in NXT and WWE over the past few months.

Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens – Last Man Standing Match – WWE Intercontinental Championship

Kevin Owens Dean Ambrose WWE — Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens
photo: WWE

Quite possibly the show stealer of the Royal Rumble. Since his debut on the WWE roster in May 2015, Kevin Owens has seen a meteoric rise, but not without some setbacks. One of those being losing the IC Title to Dean Ambrose at TLC in December. Since then, Owens has been obsessed with reclaiming his title, and various clashes have left one or the other flat on his back and property damaged. The Lunatic Fringe will defend the IC Title against the Prize Fighter in a knock down, drag out Last Man Standing match at the Rumble. For our casual fans out there, a Last Man Standing Match is a no disqualification, no count out affair in which you must incapacitate your opponent to the point where they cannot answer a count of 10. Both of these performers excelled in these types of matches prior to their respective arrivals in the WWE. For fans who followed their earlier careers, this match will not be Kevin Owens vs Dean Ambrose, this will be Kevin Steen vs Jon Moxley.

30 Man Royal Rumble match – WWE World Heavyweight Championship

As noted in this column, the Royal Rumble match is a very unique event and is seen as the official kick off for WrestleMania season. This year is going to be more intriguing than most as the winner of the Royal Rumble match will become the new WWE Champion. This has only happened once before, in 1992, when the vacant WWE Title was put on the line and claimed by Ric Flair in his WWE debut. The current champion, Roman Reigns, is being put into the Rumble by Vince McMahon in an attempt to remove the title from him. Now the storyline seems to lead people to believe that Roman will retain, but considering the amount of talent in this year’s event, it might not be that predictable.

The 2016 Royal Rumble will air on Pay Per View and on the WWE Network, which is available on most streaming platforms.

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