Cautiously optimistic?

[trinityvixen]

First picture of the title character from Marvel's Thor, aka next year's possible May Movie.

I find it hilarious that they've made Thor look as much like Kenneth Branaugh (who is directing it, which never fails to amuse me) as possible. The armor could be better, but the attitude is decent. I've heard rumors about the plot that would explain this sad/mad/bad-ass attitude, and I approve thus far. I also approve of relative-unknown hottie Chris Hemsworth (he played George Kirk in the Star Trek reboot) because you know what the eventual Avengers movies need? More hotties. Between him, Chris Evans as the Cap, and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, they could cast cave trolls in the other roles, and I'd still be happy. Still not sure which other characters they can put into the Avengers, though. They're sorta poo-poo-ing the Hulk (and Ed Norton is definitely out by all accounts), Spider-Man is property of Sony in perpetuity (they're rebooting the franchise already to hold onto the rights!), and since Fox is still making movies about Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, don't expect to see him any time soon. Those are, like, the central Avengers, and even the next most familiar that I can think of--Spider-Woman, Beast, She-Hulk--are all no-gos because, duh, they're derivatives of those same problematic Avengers.

But, still, it doesn't matter if the Avengers is three dudes. Those three dudes? Hot.



(I'd like to rebutt the one poster to that link who's like "Marvel's first caped hero onscreen!?!oneoneone!!" We all may wish to forget how X-Men fell into the toilet, but Storm had a cape. Yes, it was a cape, even if it was attached to her wrists, it was a cape.)

Comments

[oblvndrgn.livejournal.com]

A) That article linked to something I had not before seen, Tim Gunn discussing costumes (http://www.toplessrobot.com/2010/04/tim_gunn_fashion_critic_to_the_superheroes_part_ii.php). Awesome.

B) I think you can get away with using Spider-Woman, she shares a name but not an identity with Peter, but she's boring anyway unless you're bringing in the whole SHIELD vs HYDRA thing. If they are, of course, then she's the obvious choice.

C) If they're doing classic Avengers and need a woman, Wasp is good. Of course then you have to bring in Pym which they might not want to do.

D) If it's more modern Avengers then you have to use Ms Marvel and probably Luke Cage shows up as well.

E) Is it okay that everything I know about Marvel pretty much comes from Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1&2 and the X-Men/Spider-man cartoons?

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

B) I think you can get away with using Spider-Woman, she shares a name but not an identity with Peter, but she's boring anyway unless you're bringing in the whole SHIELD vs HYDRA thing. If they are, of course, then she's the obvious choice.

Unless Sony was incredibly stupid about securing the rights to Spider-Man, they will have secured the film rights to all non-parody Spider-folk. They don't have to specifically say "We get Spider-Woman, too, bitches!" They just have to have secured the rights such that any studio besides Sony putting forward a character that reasonably causes confusion--"Wait, Spider-Woman...is she, like, related to Spider-Man?"--would lead to a lawsuit, even if the studio doing it is Marvel Studios which owns the property. There are different film rights, and Sony has them and has renewed them properly. If Marvel tried to put in a Spider-person, Sony could then turn around sue because Marvel was trying to spoil their property with audiences. Thus far, not a winnable strategy (such things have either stayed on the threat level or been settled out of court), but a potentially costly one considering how many Avengers movies Marvel might want to make.

Ms. Marvel would be a good one! And, no, knowing stuff from the cartoons is fine. Trust me, it's more consistent than the comics...

[droidguy1119.livejournal.com]

Marvel does in fact have the rights to Spider-Woman. There has been talk recently of making a bunch of smaller, cheaper movies with secondary heroes, and I'm positive Spider-Woman was floated.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Then it's a moot point and they can use the character. Generally speaking, I'm correct that studios buy up the rights to all characters reasonably affiliated with the main character--this is the reason that Seigel and Schuster own, like, Lois Lane etc if not Superman. In this case, it's an oversight on Sony's part, but Marvel's in the clear. I just assumed that Sony wouldn't be so stupid.

[droidguy1119.livejournal.com]

Given all the long-haul planning and effort that Marvel is putting into this, maybe it's more like foresight on their part. I bet even if DC does some massive overhauling on their end, they'll never nail the whole synergy thing half as well as Marvel when it comes to movies.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Oh, you're probably right about DC. You'd think that the close relationship between DC and the WB would make it easier, but the two main franchises that would contribute to a JLA movie are so disparate in their film approaches--Batman Begins is nothing like Superman Returns--that it's hard to see where they would have a middle ground. It will be most interesting to see where Green Lantern goes...

[mithras03.livejournal.com]

So the person whose blog you linked to entitled the post "The First Picture from Thor Looks Verily Awesome" and then said "Verily, like "very." Get it? Ugh. My apologies for the wretched pun..." So, does this person not know that verily is an actual word? or am I not getting the pun...

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I think the pun is that instead of one word, they substituted another for it. He's using "verily" instead of "very," which is a pun because of the substitution being ye-olde-Englishe, which is the language that ancient Norse translates into in comics.

[mithras03.livejournal.com]

Ok then, but isn't he therefore using it incorrectly? Like, it should say, "The First Picture from Thor Looks Awesome, Verily" right? (I know, I know, not the thing to concentrate on when so many other posts are about Thor and the Avengers and whatnot....)

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

No, because that's not where you'd use "very"? I'm not sure either, really.

[mithras03.livejournal.com]

Fair enough, but who says "very awesome" anyway? Like, "The First Picture from Thor Looks Very Awesome"? That just sounds lame...

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Well, according to Stephen King, one needs to avoid adverbs in general, very most of all. So you'd be right about that.

[droidguy1119.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure "verily" roughly translates to "true". As in:

"It's hot out today."
"Ay, verily."

But what do I know.

[avram]

Ok then, but isn't he therefore using it incorrectly?

Yes. That's presumably what he means by "wretched pun".

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

I also approve of relative-unknown hottie Chris Hemsworth ... because you know what the eventual Avengers movies need? More hotties.

This is why everyone loves ya D. :)

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I still remember with incredulity unceasing how Entertainment Weekly reviewed X-Men Origins: Wolverine as being a dudes-only movie. Their concession to girlfriends, whom they assumed would have to be draaaaaagged along, was that the character of Silverfox would appeal to them. You know what appeals to women? HUGH JACKMAN GOING OVER A WATERFALL. NEKKID. (And I don't even like the Jackman that way!) Ryan Reynolds is topless. Liev Schreiber smiles. GAMBIT!!!!oneone!!! I mean, I get that we're not supposed to acknowledge that women have sex drives, but SHEESH. The film is entirely populated with hot dudes. Women aren't THAT sexless. Nobody is.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

The pic does look good--looks like they're going to follow some of the Ultimate version, as they've done with Iron Man and Spider-Man (and to a lesser degree Hulk), which is also good. Does the rumored plot involve Thor being a possible nutter? If so, that's exactly where they got it from.

My concern with Hemsworth is stature. Still, he's apparently 6'3", so he might be able to pull off "I am a towering THUNDER GOD!!!"

Branaugh directing still worries me. Too much like Ang Lee on the Hulk.

If they're going original Avengers/Ultimates, the line-up is: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-man/Giant-man, Wasp, Hulk. Ultimates added Hawkeye and Black Widow as back-ups.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

They actually don't mention Thor being crazy, but one has to wonder from that picture, right? I don't know if they're doing the Ultimate story line, since I don't know it, but hints have been along the more techno-mystical than mythological last I heard. I mean, Odin is in it, too, so it has to be somewhat mythological. But they're trying to skirt that as lightly as possible given that the Avengers won't be at all mythologically-related.

As moonlightalice put it to me, re: Branaugh: "I love that Kenneth Branagh as a director basically creates Kenneth Branagh Mary Sues. Thor looks just like him." I'm worried, too, in other words, though it's possible he could bring some real fun to it if he steps away from the pretentious directing schtick.

Ooh, Black Widow and, as mentioned above, Ms. Marvel would really help the Avengers not be a total sausage-fest. Much as I enjoys me some pretty, having a woman involved would be nice.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

Ms. Marvel doesn't work if they're trying to maintain any sort of continuity. Black Widow does but it partially depends upon what she does in Iron Man. Scarlet Witch was an Avenger at one point. So was She-Hulk. Tigra, Moondragon, Yellowjacket, Mockingbird--lots of female Avengers to choose from. But Wasp was the only female founding member.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why Ms. Marvel can't work. They've not introduced her, and clearly they can take and rearrange whoever they like. It's not like Rogue even ever took her powers in the movies thus far. As for Scarlet Witch, I just have to wonder if any mutants can be in the movies at all while Fox has the rights to the X-Men...

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

Ms. Marvel doesn't work because she gets her powers from Captain Marvel. A Kree soldier. They'd have to introduce the Kree and the Skrulls, set all that up, introduce Carol Danvers, and then have her get caught in that blast. Plus she's got a history with Logan, so if they're steering clear of Wolverine and the X-Men they'll want to avoid her.

I agree that Scarlet Witch is iffy. She-hulk might be their best bet, actually--that way they can reference the Hulk without using him directly, and have someone who's a bruiser but still a hot chick. Queen Latifah?

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

She-Hulk would have to be someone more muscle-y, like one of those American Gladiator folk. Could be interesting, especially as she's also an ass-kicking lawyer besides--something a team with Tony Stark in it could probably use.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

In the Ultimate version, She-Hulk is actually Betty Ross, Banner's ex. Not a lawyer but a tough-as-nails businesswoman who becomes She-Hulk as the only way to protect Bruce. Not saying they'd go that route, but it'd be interesting.

[oblvndrgn.livejournal.com]

I don't know what the continuity of the movies is. Ms Marvel's been an on/off Avenger for decades, she was on the New Avengers, she lead one incarnation of the team and she's going to be on the new version with Wolverine, the Thing, Spider-Man and Jessica Jones (I have no idea who that is). I figure she's a good bet because, hey, random woman. Wasp is a better character, maybe, but from a film perspective having a character who shrinks down is hard to fit in the frame during action sequences. A woman who can punch things really hard and shoot lasers is easy.

I just figure if they're staying around or after Civil War timing for the movies it's the right timing. Luke Cage is good, especially if Nick Fury Jackson isn't in the movie because then he can be the token black guy.

[avram]

I can't imagine them not using Nick Fury, since he's already been introduced as associated with "the Avengers initiative".

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

From a classic perspective, as mentioned previously, Hawkeye is a pretty good choice, depending on what they do with Cap in his movie, since he was introduced as basically a foil/work-in-progress for Cap.

If you have Hawkeye, then you can introduce Mockingbird.

Wasp, I think, is a must-have, as a founding member, so that's another woman, and she was the team leader for quite a while, so that works pretty well. If you have her, you probably also have Giant/Ant-man (or at least the option to bring him in).

Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are possibilities, but their close ties to the X-franchises probably rule them out for the moment.

Luke Cage is a possibility, but it would be a bit "token black guy" as the crux of his character is his years of determined avoidance of groups like the Avengers. In the comics, he only got involved with the Avengers for two reasons: so he could re-focus some of their publicity on street-level problems, and because he wanted to tell his daughter that her dad was an Avenger when she grew up.

I'm guessing that they'll go with Wasp and her husband to introduce Ultron as the big baddie. Not only are they good characters, but Ultron is the Avengers super-baddie, and has gotten a lot of play in the comics in the last few years.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I dunno if they want to introduce the uber-baddie in the first movie. Leaves something to be desired for a sequel, which is more important with a group whose badguys aren't as well know as, say, the JLA's.

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

True, but with the Hulk taken out and Cap showing up first in his own movie, the team origin is likely to be quite different from either the 616 or Ultimates version, and the other major villains are problematic for a variety of reasons.

Immortus - Time-travel. Bleh, the plot would be impossible to follow or just lame.
Kang the Conqueror - Same problem. So to speak.
Loki - probably going to be the Thor movie villain
Red Skull - probably going to be the Cap movie villain
Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil - ensembles of villains is a bad idea for an ensemble origin movie. Plus they'll have just done the Nazi thing with Red Skull
Arnim Zola - more likely to show up as a Red Skull flunky
The Supreme Intelligence - Have to introduce the Kree vs Skrull war, and I just don't think that's doable in the origin movie unless they introduce it several movies before

The best possibilities of the classic villains are really:

Ultron - invented by Giant Man, has tones of "man destroyed by his own creations", impossible to destroy so easy to bring back for sequels
Baron Strucker and Hydra - Nazis again, but we already know that S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to be playing a big part, and there's no better counterpoint to them than Hydra.

So actually, I'm amending my guess to Hydra for the first film, Ultron for the second.

[equustel.livejournal.com]

I am actually quite excited for Thor. Two of my favorite TV writers/producers drafted the script (Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz) so I've been following the production through them for awhile, and everything I've read has me optimistic. The combination of talent involved is so diverse.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I think it could be really fun, especially seeing how they bring Asgard down to Earth, as it were.