Daredevil Spoiler Analysis - Cape and Cowl Cast #7
We Return to Hell's Kitchen
By Alex Burns
Alex and Steve discuss Marvel's Daredevil Season 2, have Netflix managed to deliver in their second outing in Hell's Kitchen? We also address some of the fallout in the fan community since the release of Batman v Superman. Original air-date April 2nd.
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Join Alex and Steve as they dive into the Apocalypse! Will this new X-Men movie make the grade?
Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.” X-Men: Apocalypse stars James McAvoy as Charles Xaver, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Lucas Till as Havok and newcomers Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Ben Hardy as Angel, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Olivia Munn as Psylocke and Lana Condor as Jubilee. Oscar Isaac is starring as the film’s big bad; Apocalypse.
C&C Op-Ed: 'Civil War' Analysing the Opposing Superhero Teams
Are you Team Cap or Team Iron Man?
By Steven Carter
2016 is set to be a huge year in comic book films and Captain America: Civil War promises to deliver some serious comic book action as Captain America and Iron Man face off! Today we will be taking a closer look at Marvel’s newest feature film and fill in some background for you guys in the build up to this event. The movie pits two teams of Avengers against one another and if you're confused as to why these heroes would exchange fisticuffs hopefully we can shed some light on that. Lets take a look and find out why these heroes are drawing a line in the sand and siding with either Captain America or Iron Man.
Team Cap
Steve Rogers aka Captain America:
Steve Rogers is at odds with the government in this movie over a decision for all superheroes to register under their control. After all the destruction and global danger in both the Avengers movies it seems our heroes now have to curb their individual pursuits of justice for an UN agreed operation. After the events of 'The Winter Soldier' it's not hard to see why Cap isn't down with this new idea. Steve Rogers has been the ultimate soldier throughout the years, laying his life on the line for the good of his country and the betterment of the world, things aren't as clean cut anymore though and Steve's eyes have been opened to the kind of corruption that comes with great power. It's this new found distrust that leads to Rogers opposing the registration act.
Sam Wilson aka Falcon:
It’s no surprise that Sam is sticking to his bff in this film. We find out with his cameo in Age of Ultron that he has been working on tracing Bucky Barnes after his trail went cold at the end of the last Cap film. We also see him become one of the new Avengers and go toe-to-toe with Ant Man after foiling an infiltration attempt.
James Buchanan Barnes aka Bucky:
Poor old Bucky. Believed dead in the first Cap film, turns out to have been brainwashed into becoming a deadly black ops assassin for the second film and rumour has it, he may be the cause of the rift between Cap and Iron Man in the third outing! Things haven't been going well for the sidekick and that trend looks set to continue. If you stayed to watch the scene after the credits in Ant Man, you will know Cap and Falcon finally catch up to Bucky and have him in their custody. They decide not to notify Stark. Instead they contact Ant Man, presumably because of his contacts with Hank Pym.
Scott Lang aka Ant Man:
Scott’s views on Tony Stark and Shield will already be tarnished due to his mentors Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne. It's hard to break them first impressions! Civil war looks to be set roughly around the same time as the events of Ant-Man. (Again we refer to the post credits scene after Ant Man) Falcon had just recommended his services to Cap when they were holding Bucky captive and were deliberating their next move.
Sharon Carter aka Agent 13:
Unfortunately this character was rather under used in “The Winter Soldier” but we did see enough to understand that she was assigned to protect Rogers when he was between missions. Black Widow even tried to set him up with her. In the comics, Sharon is a love interest of Steve Rogers and by the time Civil War rolled around, they had already got together. Could we see their relationship progress during the events of this film? Another thing to note from the comics is that Sharon plays a critical part in the death of Captain America during the fallout of Civil War! We are expecting big things from Sharon in this film...
Clint Barton aka Hawkeye:
Eh? Thought he was retiring! After finding out in AoU that he has a wife and 3 kids and hoped he would be able to spend more time with them, what gives? Then again, Tony Stark appeared to “retire” at the end of Iron Man 3. Barton’s motivation for donning his new purple getup is rather unclear. All we can tell is that Cap’s group of rebels largely consist of ex S.H.I.E.L.D members so maybe his loyalty lies there. Either that or if he joined Stark’s side, the numbers will be imbalanced or the film makers just really want to see him fight Black Widow again…
Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch:
Once again, a bit of an unknown as to who's side she will be on but we're fairly confident she will side with Cap. Going by her initial hatred of Stark as seen in AoU, it would seem silly for her to side with Iron Man. Plus she will be the team’s big gun so seeing her stand up to the Vision would be an excellent spectacle. Comic book history sees Vision and Maximoff romantically linked and even get married at one point so hopefully we will see the beginnings of this in the film. Heck. Some American states allow humans to marry inanimate objects so marrying an android couldn't be out of the question, could it?
Team Iron Man
Tony Stark aka Iron Man
Tony Stark has changed a lot since we first saw him suit up in the original Iron Man movie, once an advocate for unabashed freedom with a devil may care attitude, he's now a seriously stressed out super genius who just can't stop trying to save the world. Stark was affected heavily by the events of the first Avengers film and we see he's still suffering with PTSD from that battle in New York in later movies, factor in the nightmare of his creation, Ultron, nearly ending life as we know it and it's fair to say that Tony Stark is a little less carefree these days. So when the government comes along with this registration pitch Tony views it as an opportunity to unify and strengthen, after all, you never know what planetary threat is around the corner.
Col. James Rhodes aka War Machine:
Like Falcon, Stark's bff was in no question going to side with Iron Man. SInce day one Rhodes has always championed Stark and even while working with the US government he never caved in on his man. Rhodes and Stark have been through way too much together to call it quits now. We saw him join the new Avengers along with the Vision under Captain America's leadership though, so it will be interesting to see why this alliance breaks down so quickly.
The Vision:
The team’s big gun after Iron Man himself. The comic book version had sided with Captain America in Civil War, but being as this movie version used to be Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, (yes that is what J.A.R.V.I.S stood for!) the tie seems obvious. It will be interesting how and why he takes sides being as he claimed he was only on the side of life. Kicking the arses of his fellow colleagues seems a bit of a contradiction to this statement.
Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow:
By far the most interesting character placement amongst the two teams. You'd think Black Widow would be a sure thing for Team Cap but not so! Rumour has it that she may be acting as a double agent and could be in deep cover on behalf of Cap or even Nick Fury still. We saw her last as second in command of the New Avengers so if she has sided with Stark for real what would make her turn on Cap? Thats if she even HAS even turned on him!? She is quite literally a riddle wrapped in an enigma!
T’Challa aka Black Panther:
Not much is known about Black Panther yet, this is the first time we will see him after his homeland of Wakanda was featured briefly in the last Avengers film. What will his motivation be to get himself involved in this conflict? Did the Hulk vs Hulkbuster fight leave more collateral damage than we thought? Was the construction site that Stark dropped the Hulk through owned by the Wakandan Prince? Who knows! It will be interesting to see what kind of role he plays and what abilities he will bring to team Stark.
Peter Parker aka Spiderman:
The prodigal son returns! Finally we get to see what Marvel Studio’s take on this beloved hero. Again, the studio is keeping its cards close to the chest here, only rumours and speculation surround the character. You may remember the mystery twitter account that teased what appeared to be a home made spidey suit. Reports later suggested that Stark makes him a new and improved suit that looks closer to the costume we all know and love. Personally, I hope we see a version of the Iron Spider costume. In the comics, this suit did have the ability to change its appearance so we may possibly see several variants on display! We do know that he will be 15 again and will have only been friendly neighbourhood-ing for around a year or so.
So there you have it, what are your thoughts on the teams? Whatever side you choose you can bet Marvel won't cop out and we will get a true victor by the time the credits roll. Mark your calenders 'Captain America: Civil War is set for release May 6th 2016, make sure to stay locked here at Cape and Cowl and we'll keep you updated on everything Marvel.
C&C Op-Ed - Why Marvel Needs to Make a Sentry Movie
Meet an Unlikely Hero
By Steven Carter
As the marvel movie universe has continued to go from strength to strength, we are starting to see new and interesting developments. Heroes are becoming more diverse as Marvel start to delve deeper into their rather colossal barrel of characters. With Phase 3 about to get underway next year, we will be treated to the first Black superhero lead as well as the first female superhero lead. After the dust has settled, what could we hope to see in phase 4? (Assuming there is a phase 4!)
I would like to put forward the argument for the Sentry. His story during the events of the New Avengers right through to the Siege storyline was by far the most engaging. Robert “Bob” Reynolds appeared onto our comic book pages seemingly out of nowhere back in 2000. Bits of his “origin” were slowly being fed to the viewer in the classic Kirby style suggesting he was around during the golden age of comics and mysteriously, was forgotten by the whole super community up until his “re-discovery”.
The Sentry was described as possessing the power of a million exploding suns. You would have to turn to the likes of Hulk, Thor, even Galactus himself to match the power threshold that the Golden Avenger can wield. It is later revealed that the Sentry is able to manipulate matter on a molecular level similar to the skills of Molecule Man only Sentry is nowhere near as experienced.
Ever since the creation of Spider-Man however, Marvel do love to create flawed characters. And they don't come much more flawed than the Sentry. Bob Reynolds has the mother of all split personalities. The Sentry’s arch enemy was known as the Void. Every good deed that the Sentry performed, the Void would do something equally as evil. We later find out that the Sentry and the Void are one and the same. The Serum that granted Robert his powers had damaged his psyche so much, he had formed an alter alter ego! This discovery brought the Sentry into a whole new light. This is a person who wields near limitless power who is teetering on the edge of insanity. How would the rest of the superhero community deal with someone like this?
Does this person even deserve to be a hero? Did he undergo a procedure like Captain America? Was he born with this power? Alas no. Before Robert’s transformation into the Sentry, he was a middle aged, overweight, and a drug addict. It was revealed in a late issue of the siege event that he had actually broken into someone known only as “the Professor’s” laboratory in the hope it contained meth. He found a flask containing an unknown substance. In his infinite wisdom, he drank it. The resulting reaction destroyed the building. The Professor discovered him the following day and was forced to make more for Reynolds. It’s this revelation that makes the Sentry a really engaging character. He received no training, it isn’t known whether he suffered any tragic loss in his family, he certainly didn’t get any lessons in humility, he was just a junkie looking for a high and stumbled upon a means to receiving god-like power.
Whenever you read stories with the likes of Spider-man or Batman, they undergo such pain, torment and suffering all in the name of justice. It must take an incredible amount of mental strength to put the mask back on and fight through another day. Robert doesn’t seem to possess this ability as much. Iron Man was able to evade the sentry by simply overloading him with distress calls and disasters happening around the globe. It was too much for him to bare. Robert often comes across as naïve during his superhero antics. He was easily convinced to join up with Norman Osborne and his Dark Avengers and during team ups, he once apologised to Ms Marvel for damaging a building and getting thrown into a blimp.
Whether Marvel show Sentry off in their Marvel Knights franchise or include him in the bigger MCU, he would be a great addition and is bound to be popular with the wider audiences who aren’t as familiar with the comics.
C&C Insights - 10 Things We Learned from the New 'Suicide Squad' Trailer
A Closer Look at DC's Upcoming Movie
By Alex Burns
After the reveal of David Ayer's 'Suicide Squad' debut trailer we decided to rewatch it a bunch of times and share our thoughts with you all! So let's begin!
Don't mess with Amanda Waller
We get our first look at Viola Davis' Amanda Waller and she comes across every bit as powerful and merciless as you'd expect. The comic book character is a ruthless woman who is out to protect the interest of the human race by whatever means necessary. Waller chows down with two army general types who are clearly answering to her,she tucks into a seriously rare looking steak and brags about locking up Harley Quinn and co. Davis looks to be a commanding presence in the picture and as she casually reveals her super secret prison and plans for an anti- Avengers type team, you've got to wonder just what exactly is her endgame?
Superpowers and the Supernatural
When Amanda Waller drops a reference to Superman in the trailers opening you really feel that the wider DC Universe is finally in play now! We've got the holy trinity of DC Comics appearing in Batman v Superman and with all the superpowers of Wonder Woman and Superman on display there you've got to wonder what we'll see in Suicide Squad. Cara Delivigne's Enchantress seems to be the most out and out powerful member of the team, her powers lean towards the supernatural though. We see her in a cave looking normal at first but then later she's surrounded by freaky looking ritual markings and neck deep in a grave of black. She may be the link to bringing out the magical side of the DC universe.
How did they get caught?
We get plenty of shots of the Squad in their cells with no hope of getting loose any time soon. Harley Quinn refers to Amanda Waller as the devil and it's clear they view this prison as hell. We have to wonder just how these guys got themselves caught, is Batman responsible for throwing these guys on the governments doorstep? maybe Superman rounded up this bad apples as a gesture of goodwill after he punched Zod through half of Metropolis. It looks like there may be an escape attempt by Harley Quinn as well as we see her scuffle with soldiers. If Waller is willing to release this uber-dangerous villains it begs the question, just what is so bad that the government needs these guys to stop it?
The Joker's Role
We see a bunch of shots of a gang unloading bullets all over the place in the trailer. This gang all wear kooky masks and is very typical of a supervillan motif and one even has an animated Batman mask, could they all be working for the Joker? We see a shot of Leto's Joker walking in full purple suit as well, the Joker may be loose and could he be the main villain of the film. So have the government had enough and finally just want a bullet in the clown princes head but need the Suicide Squad to take the blame?
Bad vs Evil
David Ayer referred to the film as "bad vs evil", that's an awesome spin to put on the movie and makes it clear that while the Suicide Squad are criminals there is a line between doing bad things and committing true acts of evil. We see Will Smith's Deadshot in full costume but also with a young girl which is bound to be his daughter, is this assassin for hire committing crimes just to provide a better life for his kid? It'll be this grey area of morality and ethics that will hopefully be explored in the film.
A new unknown enemy
What kind of threat needs the military and a collection of supervillains? We saw some set photos of some creepy alien looking soldiers a while back but it's still not been revealed just who the Suicide Squad will be required to take down. The deserted city street sequences look like the could be the films finale with a city wide battle going down.
Welcome to the Asylum
There's a few quick shots of what look to be patients in an insane asylum being surround by gunfire and scenes of a breakout, there is of course one seriously infamous asylum in the DCU, Arkham! We know that we'll see Margot Robbie as Harleen Quinzel and it looks as though they'll explore her employment at the asylum as well in one shot it looks as though she's being restrained and after all it is the place where she met the Joker...
Let's take a look back
There are a ton of potential flashback clips in the trailer, the movie will definitley address just how certain members of the Suicide Squad came to be. What will be interesting is how the film balances the past and present. There's also the excitment of seeing what other DC characters will show up in these sequences...
Batman Returns
Of course we'd seen a bunch of photos and videos of this sequence being filmed in Toronto a couple of months back but it was still great to see on the big screen! This comic book faithful scene shows Ben Affleck's Batman hitching a ride atop of the Joker's purple sports car. it's sure to be a flashback and with Harley Quinn in the passenger seat you can see how warped her relationship with the joker will be, she clearly loves the thrill of a crime and being chased by Batman is even more exciting.
Joker is back
Then we get the moneyshot, here is your new joker ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? We get the vicious threat of torture followed by one of the creepiest smiles ever committed to cinemas! It's too early to tell if Leto will be a success or not, he's got mighty big shoes to fill, but we're more than willing to give him the chance. If you're wondering who he's talking to, it's Margot Robbie pre-Harley Quinn as Harleen Quinzel. this scene looks set to take place in Arkham Asylum. The Joker may well be escaping and taking Harley Quinn with him after a few... changes...
So there you go, if there's anything else you noticed in the trailer let us know and keep it locked here at Cape and Cowl, 'Suicide Squad' is set for release August 5th 2016.
