The Marvelous Ms Marvel

 Let me start off by saying the only comic book I've read Ms Marvel in was the pages of Champions when she was teamed up with Miles Morales and a young Cyclops from the past who was in the present (whole 'nother story there). When I saw the preview for this Disney+ series I thought it looked cute, but not really up my alley. But I wanted to check it out just so I could have an opinion on it.  By the time Kamala and Bruno get to Avengers Con I was hooked.  The series is cute, and innocent, and small-scale.  And that's perfect!

The end of the Infinity Saga in the MCU left a lot of us guessing what was to come next.  How does Marvel move on after achieving cinematic history?  Something that all other studios have tried to copy and have all failed?  I think the most obvious answer is they couldn't.  After three Phases, Marvel Studios had set itself a high bar, one that, like the original Star Wars trilogy, was never going to be reached in the eyes of their fans. Kevin Feige has never been one to play to the crowd.  He has his ideas, and his plans, and sticks to them (for the most part). One thing we've seen out of Phase 4 is risks in different kinds of storytelling. Eternals, Loki, What If, and The Multiverse of Madness are all examples of Marvel trying to experiment and make different kinds of movies and shows.  And when that happens, it doesn't work for everyone.

Ms Marvel to me is the MCU's attempt at not only something a little bit different, but also scaling back. Much like Spider-Man: Homecoming. By the final episode Kamala is really just trying to save the neighborhood. Iman Vellani lights up the series as a young Pakistani girl from Jersey who idealizes Captain Marvel.  Her innocence is something we all can relate too, regardless of ethnicity.  And the style of this series mirrors Kamal's personality with the texting and music.

What really brings this show to the top half of MCU projects is Kamala's supporting cast.  Her parents are a complete delight, along with her brother.  Her friends are there to support her, but they have their own lives to live like school admissions and mosque elections.  And of course, Kamala seems to be juggling several boys, and out of the three potential suitors she seems to lean towards the worst one for her. I'm fine with Bruno or Kareem. Her entourage enriches this series. If you can take a superhero story, but take out the superhero portion, and you're still left with good characters in a good story, then that is a good superhero story. This series was about a young girl learning about her family history, finding confidence, and learning to trust the ones she loves.

Now, as far as faults go, it's the same one a lot of MCU projects have, the villain.  From the moment Najma and her minions showed up asking about the bangle, I knew she was a bad guy (or girl). But it seems in her final moment she sacrificed herself to save the world her son lived in and gave him a form of protection at the same time.  At least that's the way I saw it. Maybe we'll get more clarification later.  Meanwhile, the DODC was hunting Kamala and Kamran, led by a very typical, uninteresting villain, Agent Deer. Deer had no depth, but it didn't help that we were focused on Najma most of the time as the antagonist and then switched the primary focus in the last episode to Agent Deer.

Watching this series has now made me more excited for The Marvels. Especially after that post-credit scene. To keep it short, my theory is that in the film we will be following Carol Danvers on an adventure and then she is magically transported to a bedroom filled with poster of her.  How that is connected to Kamala and her bangle, I'm willing to just wait and see.

Did he say 'mutation'?  Of course, it is the line every fanboy is talking about.  It's been years since Disney bought 20th Century Fox and regained the rights to make X-Men films.  And since then, we've all be wondering when Marvel's Mighty Mutants will make their debut in the MCU.  We still don't know exactly how, but this line, with some classic musical notes played after, is confirmation that mutants are coming, and Ms Marvel is indeed one of them, or at least connected.  In the comics, Kamala is an Inhuman, but thanks to the god-awful ABC series that name has been tarnished.  And given that Kamala's powers are different than the comics anyway, let's all just say it's a multiverse and move on.  Because nothing in the MCU is exactly the same as in the Marvel comics.  And that's ok to me, just as long and it's good storytelling. Though to be honest, I have issue with Sharon Carter's MCU treatment, but, instead, let's wrap this up.

Ms Marvel turned out to be the spunk the MCU Disney+ shows needed.  I think some Disney+ series are being handcuffed by the 6-episode format, but showrunner Bisha K. Ali did a great job with the task she was given.  This series from the first episode made us fall in love with Kamala, her family, and her whole world. And in classic superhero fashion, her mom made her suit. Now I just want Kamala to team-up with Kate Bishop and Peter Parker. I think those local heroes could have some fun adventures.

Thor: Love & Thunder Brings Down The Hammer

 I remember when it was announced that Marvel Comics was turning Thor into a girl.  They were bringing in a female Thor, or Lady Thor, as she would be nicknamed.  I had never been a Thor reader, but it bugs me how DC and Marvel change up characters who have been around for decades just to try and plead new readers to pick up a book.  But, when it was released, I decided to check out this Lady Thor so that I could have an honest opinion on it.  I'm not sure I actually read too many Thor comics to that point, but since then, I haven't stopped reading Thor!  The Mighty Thor was an amazing run by writer Jason Aaron and turned Jane Foster into a tragic hero we were all cheering for.

Taika Waititi's first run on Odinson was Thor: Ragnorak and it took the character in a completely different direction in the MCU.  And I did not like it.  To be fair, I also disliked the previous Thor film. However, the first film in the character's franchise I still think is one of the MCU's best.  To me, Thor is galactic Shakespeare. He has a troublesome brother, a merry band of friends, and his dad can be a dick.  Thor: Ragnorak was a film that felt more like Flash Gordon than Shakespeare.  That's why I say, to me, it's an entertaining movie, but not a god Thor movie. I believe Taika Waititi is a good filmmaker.  I just don't think his style fits with what Thor is.

When it was announced Waititi was coming back for Love & Thunder I was disappointed because of my feelings on Ragnorak.  And when it was announced that they were bringing back Natalie Portman to play Mighty Thor I was excited for the storyline to be told, but kept my expectations in check, again, because of Ragnorak.  I mean for Christ's sake Waititi killed the Warrior's Three, which were part of the greatness of that first Thor movie!

In this Phase 4 film, Thor is bumming around with the Guardians of the Galaxy when trouble arises in the form of Gorr the God Butcher.  I know this character in the comics, but I'm not too familiar with him.  He is waging a war on all Gods because of their vanity and has set his sights on Thor Odinson. He kidnaps the children of New Asgard, including Heimdall's son.  Remember when Multiverse of Madness said Dr Strange and Mordo were mortal enemies, but last we saw Mordo in the MCU he and Strange where cool? Heimdall's son appearing in this film is kinda like that. Christian Bale as Gorr is great.  He's an actor who knows the assignment.  He knows what kind of movie he is in, so his performance can seem a bit extravagant, but he pulls it in enough to where it works. I'm not sure I'd put him as a top MCU villain, but he's up there.

Another actor I loved in this film was Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie.  She was a highlight of Ragnorak for me, and again in this film.  Like Bale, she knows who her character is, and how not to make it too big or goofy.  She is badass, and that makes her hot as hell!  Waititi himself returns to voice Thor's best friend, Korg, and while for a moment there I thought they were actually going to kill him for dramatic effect, they couldn't be without the film's comedic sidekick. Plus, Korg was the one telling the story. 

Ever since we found out Chris Hemsworth has great comedic timing the MCU has treated Thor as a dumb jock.  My favorite outing as Hemsworth playing the character is actually Infinity War. He had bits of comedy, but still had the serious attitude overall.  That's the perfect blend for me.  This film had moments of seriousness, and when it did, I thought they actually worked great.  Jane revealing to Thor she has cancer, and the trio be captured by Gorr were some of my favorite scenes.  And then, you take a great actor like Russell Crowe and make him a joke called Zeus in a scene whose sole purpose was to show off Chris Hemsworth's bod.  There is one scene like this in every Thor movie. My wife doesn't seem to mind. But don't even get me started on hammer jealousy.

Like I said before, the Jane becoming Thor storyline is great in the comics, and with an Oscar winner like Natalie Portman, it could've been great.  But I honestly didn't think they leaned into it enough. This is cancer, but I never felt the gravitas of her disease till the end.  Waititi just wanted to tell a romantic space comedy, I get it.  To me, a film like Love & Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway is a great example of a romantic comedy that can have a serious situation blend beautifully. And I know Taika Waititi has the chops to tell a story with that kind of balance.  I've seen JoJo Rabbit. I just felt like because it was MCU, and a Waititi Thor film, this movie never had a chance of really digging into Jane's emotional despair, and why she wielded Mjonir.  

In regards to the credit scenes, my ears perked up with the mention of Hercules earlier in the film.  In the mid-credit scene we saw Zeus alive and tell his son, Hercules, to go and rain vengeance on those who no longer respect the Gods. Whether that will be in a fifth Thor film, or another MCU film, I don't know.  But I was more surprised by the actor playing Hercules; Ted Lasso alumni Brett Goldstein.  He's not who I pictured would play the demi-god, and I've never seen the actor in anything except the Apple+ series.  But because of Roy Kent, and the fact that Marvel usually does a great job of casting, I'm willing to go on a little faith that Goldstein can play Marvel's Hercules.

The post-credit scene sees Jane in the Viking heaven of Valhalla. There, she is greeted by Idris Elba's Heimdall that explains she gets to live in Valhalla due to her heroic sacrifice. Now, in the comics, Jane dies as Mighty Thor saving the universe.  And as her reward, she is given a second life, as a Valkyrie.  I don't think that will happen.  I think much like how Harrison Ford was convinced to do The Force Awakens because he was promised a fitting end, this was Jane Foster's swan song. Portman was known to have wanted out of The Dark World when filming began. Which is why we haven't seen Portman in the MCU since.  I think Waititi wanted to do the Mighty Thor storyline, and convinced Portman to come back by giving her a gracious ending.  I'm not 100% on that theory, but I would be willing to bet $100 Portman is done in the MCU.

Thor: Love & Thunder dived deeper into the comedic zaniness we saw in Thor: Ragnorak. And to me that tone is fine for a group like Guardians of the Galaxy, but not Thor.  This is a romantic comedy that didn't seem that romantic or comedic to me.  The parts I did respond to most were the serious ones, but there weren't enough of them to make me give this film a thumbs up. However, I do want to see this film at least once more, because it is littered with easter eggs, including a statue of Utau the Watcher. The film ends with Thor and his new daughter (who is Hemsworth's daughter in real life), but by that point I just didn't care.  As the credits started to roll, I was jammin to the bitchin soundtrack, but I don't care if I see Thor the space jock in the MCU ever again.  But I'm sure we will, and I'll still give it a fair look, just like Lady Thor.

Sweet Child of Love and Thunder: A Thor Trailer

I enjoy Taika Waititi as a film maker.  I really like JoJo Rabbit and What We Do In The Shadows.  He brought that same style to Thor: Ragnorak.  And as a Thor movie, I didn't enjoy it much.  I thought it wasn't what Thor should be.  As a film I found it fun, but as a Thor film I thought it lacked gravitas.  Sure Thor's father, friends, and planet was destroyed.  But you never felt the weight of it because their were too many dumb jokes.  Please don't get me started on how fast the Warriors Three went down.   I was torn when Taika was going to be directing another Thor film. I was excited though when they said they were adapting The Mighty Thor.

I had never been a Thor reader, but when "Lady Thor" was released, I wanted to give it a fair shot before truly criticizing it.  What I discovered was a great title being written by Jason Aaron and I've kept up with Thor comics ever since.  The first trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder has arrived and it's everything I thought it would be.  Thor cracks jokes because Taika turned him pretty much into a stereotypical jock, he has a funny moment with Star-Lord, and a popular song was playing in the background. But we also got more than that.

When we left Thor in Avengers: Endgame he was having a crisis of faith, riding off with the Guardians of the Galaxy to try and find his true path.  From this trailer it looks like he's still on that journey.  He's getting back into shape using chains from something big and dead, and it looks like he refuses to follow the Guardians into battle. "My superheroing days are over," he says.  But who will be the God of Thunder?  Bring back Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor!  For those who don't know the comics, I kind of don't want to spoil it, but let's just say Jane Foster wielding Mjolnir is epic storytelling, and if Waititi can tap just a little of that into this film we could get some great drama.  

I was surprised Natalie Portman came back.  I thought she was done with franchise films after her experiences on Star Wars and Thor films.  The whole trailer I was watching with curiosity if they were going to show her, but of course they waited till the end.  I also can't wait to see her behind-the-scenes training videos.  She looks jacked!

The rest if the trailer brought up some questions with cameos.  Who is the blue haired lady Thor was kissing?  Is that Russell Crowe as Zeus?  And Valkryie looks so board in what appears to be some kind of diplomatic meeting.  Christian Bale does play the villain of this film as Gorr the God Butcher. My guess is Thor will find some kind of peace with Zeus, but it will be short lived when Gorr comes to butcher some Gods. As for Valkryie, I was watching Spider-Man: No Way Home the other day and noticed a news headline on a TV that said, "Political Turmoil Continues In New Asgard."  Maybe Valkryie isn't liking being the king?

From the trailer it feels like Star-Lord and the Guardians are going to be in more of this film that I thought, which is fine by me because Star-Lord is my favorite MCU character next to Steve Rogers.  It also appears Thor will be hanging out with Korg (voiced by Taika Waititi) a lot.  I just want another quotable line like "piss of ghosts!"  I'm going into this film with hope and optimism.  I like Waititi, I like Mighty Thor, and like Guardians of the Galaxy.  This trailer rocked, now let's see if the film rolls. 

 

Did Hawkeye Hit It's Mark(et Audience)?

 "The city is flying and we're fighting an army of giant robots. And I have a bow and arrow. Nothing makes sense." -Clint Barton

Clinton Barton is just a regular guy, and that's what I like about him.  That's what I like about Black Widow, and for the most part, that's what I like about Steve Rogers.  They aren't gods, monsters, or high-tech billionaire/genius/philanthropists. And sure, that might not make them the coolest characters, but to me it makes them the underdogs. So, when the idea of a Hawkeye series came up, I was interested.  Especially given the dual life he's lived.  He's a loving father and husband, but he's also spent his life murdering people, and in recent years went on a crazed, grief-driven, killing spree. What does a life like that do to a person?  These are some of the questions I thought made a Hawkeye series seem intriguing. And then it all got highjacked by cameos.

Hawkeye is set two years after Avengers: Endgame. Which means it's 2025.  Not sure how, or if, they will ever sink up with real-world time.  Anyway, Clint is spending time with his kids in New York when his past comes back to haunt him, and someone is seen wearing his old Ronin suit.  Clint finds Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld, in the suit and bad guys are after her because of it.  Now Clint has to clear up the Ronin mess, make sure Kate is safe, fight off the Track-Suit Mafia, avoid Kingpin, and try to convince Yelena her sister's death wasn't his fault.  And also make it home for Christmas with his family.

Some people were disappointed with the first few episodes focusing on Kate Bishop more than Clint Barton.  But anyone who didn't think this show was really going to be about the passing of the Hawkeye mantle to the next generation had their expectations a skewed.  One thing I love about the series is you see Clint's emotional and physical state.  His body is beginning to show his age and all the battles he's been through.  He's losing his hearing and he's constantly sore.  Plus, he is still feeling guilt over Natasha's death.  This comes to a head in the finale as he faces off against Yelena, who is looking to blame him for Black Widow's death.  But in the end, they both had an epiphany that Natasha made her own choice, and they both know she was strong enough to not be stopped after her decision was made. 

SIDE NOTE: The Black Widow post-credit scene had Valentina Fontaine hiring Yelena to kill Hawkeye. We now know Kate's mom was the buyer.  Valentina has also recruited John Walker to her side.  Is she making a new Avengers team or a personal hit squad?

Kate's story is one of privilege.  Sure, she lost her dad when she was young, but her brattiness in the beginning of the series threw some people off.  I didn't really like her to begin with, but by the end I didn't hate her. Hailee Steinfeld is a good enough actress you can't totally hate her.  I still would not be keen on her getting her own series or film, but put her in an ensemble film, or a Yelena team-up, and I think she'd be great.  Just make sure you add Jack into the mix too.  I did find her mother, played by Vera Famiga, a little too straight forward.  Sure, we all knew she was a bad guy the whole time, but I was hoping for a little more depth to her by the end. 

The other future hero this series sets up is Maya Lopez, known in the comics as Echo.  I thought as a supporting part the character and the actress were great.  But the idea that Marvel and Disney might give the character her own show seems a bit off-putting. I don't think Maya is strong enough as a character to carry her own series.  Like Kate, I would love to see her in future MCU projects, but her own solo outing would not get me counting down the days will it debuts. I'd rather see a Yelena and Kate buddy comedy, with Jack as their boss/confidant. 

Of course, the big question in this six-episode series was the debate of whether Vicent D'Onofrio as Kingpin would show up.  So much so that it took up a lot of the talk for Hawkeye.  My friend JR swore he was going to show up, but I was skeptical due to the complications of bringing in the Netflix actors over to the true MCU.  But after Kevin Feige told the world Charlie Cox is the MCU's Daredevil I figured D'Onofrio was coming.  But only 24 hours later and my fears are coming true.  Speaking with EW, D'Onofrio says that this Kingpin is the same one from Netflix and that "The Blip" is the reason for the differences.  Not sure that's why he wears Hawaiian shirts now, or why he had so much trouble taking on a young girl in her twenties.  Chatter is spreading that this Kingpin pales in comparison to his Netflix performance, and that's why I thought Marvel should have just recast when bringing in Kingpin and Daredevil.  A new actor would not get as scrutinized for being the next person in line to play a version of Kingpin.  Also, people would not be disappointed as a rated R Netflix character transitioned into a PG-13 MCU world. 

The highlights of the series for me included the quiet moments between Clint and Kate.  Like the phone call with his son, the shot not taken, and what is the sacrifice to be a hero. I loved any scene between Kate and Yelena and was intrigued with the Lauren Barton mystery.  Most of the series Clint wanted to get the watch from the Avenger's compound auction (shouldn't someone be worried that Avengers stuff is being sold on the black market?) and we come to find out why it was so important.  Laura Barton was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent! And the back of the watch hints that she was Agent 19. In the comics, Agent 19 is Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Mockingbird, and girlfriend to Hawkeye.  Now, this is kind of a kick-to-the-balls to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans because in the series Mockingbird is played by Friday Night Lights alumni Adrianne Palicki. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts! I feel like this puts an end to the debate on whether Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is truly part of the MCU.  Looks like it's not, and Phil Coulson is still dead.  Bummer. How this new information might affect the MCU going forward (or looking back) we'll just have to wait and see.

Hawkeye was meant as a holiday spoof with classic Christmas carols playing throughout, a bit more goofy than other MCU series, and what I thought was a Home Alone moment when Clint and Kate are gearing up to take on the bad guys.  I find the series enjoyable, but not great.  I think it took care of its two main characters well and gave us a lot of holiday fun.  Is it the best of MCU series? No.  Is this series for everyone?  No.  But I like to think of it as Die Hard meets Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.  Except we can call it Arrows, Pizza Dogs, and Track Suits.

Spider-Man: No Way Home SPOILERS Review

I've never been a big Spider-Man fan.  My fondest memories of the web slinger is the 1990's Saturday morning cartoon.  My brother and I would settle in for TV watching that included Spider-Man, Batman, and X-Men.  My brother Patrick however is a HUGE Spider-Man fan.  Everything I know about Spider-Man comes from me reading his comic book collection when he wasn't home.  Like most big brothers, he didn't like me getting into his things.  As a whole I like the Tobey Maguire trilogy, but never really warmed up to the Andrew Garfield films.  I have, however, enjoyed Tom Holland's portrayal of Peter Parker.  So heading into his third film I was curious what was going to happen in No Way Home, and who was going to show up.  The correct answer for both of those questions was EVERYTHING!

This film picks up right where Far From Home ended.  Peter's identity is exposed to the whole world, and those closest to him are being hurt because of it.  Peter turns to Doctor Stephen Strange to help him make the world forget he is Spider-Man.  But when the spell goes wrong it brings in everyone from the multiverse who knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man, which included villains (and heroes) from all the Spider-Man films Sony has released in the last 20 years. It all comes down to a climactic battle at the Statue of Liberty with three Spidermen versus the Sinister Five.  Yes, FIVE.  When they were all captured my first thought was, "there has to be one more to make it the Sinister Six."  But there wasn't.

First off, my problem with this film is the same reasons I, and many other, geeked out so hard while watching it.  It's filled with cameos from all the previous Spider-Man films; and then some.  It had great references and the money shot of all three Spidermen, in costume, ready to battle. But, earlier I hopped on YouTube to rewatch the Matt Murdock scene.  I remember freaking out when he appeared and I just kept thinking, "Charlie Cox's Daredevil is in the MCU." And in the 80 seconds or so he was in the film I didn't process any dialogue or anything else in that scene.  I was in a daze and missed everything else being said.  I just kept wondering when the next cameo was coming instead of focusing on this Peter's emotional journey.

But, despite two other Spidey's in the film, the heart of it was still Tom Holland's Spider-Man.  It was his hopefulness of not giving up on the villains.  Trying to not just send them back to their deaths, but to try and help them.  The end of the film ended with Peter making everyone forget not Spider-man, but Peter Parker; even his friends.  The last scene with Peter and MJ killed me Peter was about to tell MJ who he was till he noticed the bandage above her eye and believed the best way to keep her safe was for him not to be in her life. This reminds me of a comic book storyline called Brand New Day.  After Civil War everyone knew who Spider-Man was, and this led to Aunt May being shot.  So, Peter made a deal with Mephisto (yes, that Mephisto) that he would save May's life if Peter would give up is life with Mary Jane. Thus, causing everyone to forget he was Spider-Man, never meeting or marrying MJ, and him living the bachelor life with his buddy Harry Osborn in their New York apartment. That's what the end of the film felt like to me; that it's a brand-new day for Spider-Man.  Peter has his own New York apartment, struggling to get by, and most important; sewing his own costume.  This is the basics of who Spider-Man is to me, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Speaking of what's next, the mid-credit scene saw Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock getting the 411 on the MCU.  The bartender explaining it all is Ted Lasso's Cristo Fernandez. Football is life!!  Anyway, Eddie then gets zapped back to his reality thanks to Peter and the events of the film but leaves behind a piece of the symbiote.  And every comic book fan's immediate thought was not only "Black Costume Saga" but also, "Is the MCU gonna do their own Venom?"  Now, I'm still confused how Eddie ended up in the MCU.  We assume it's from the Strange spell, so then why would he get zapped to the MCU if he had no idea who Peter Parker was?  This feeds into the fan theory that Venom's hive mind with other symbiotes includes the one from Spider-Man 3, and Venom, not Eddie, knew Peter was Spider-Man, and why Eddie came to the MCU, and then returned to the Sonyverse. 

I believe No Way Home is love letter to everyone who has been watching Spider-Man films for the last 20 yrs.  It remembers the past but set up so much for the future of the character, and also raises so many questions like; did they bring Tom Hardy's Venom over just to leave the symbiote piece behind?  Does Zendaya's MJ ever get back with Peter or is this the actresses' way out of the franchise?  And what's up with Morbius?  We know he's in the same universe as Venom, but that Spider-Man mural is in the background in the trailer and so is Michael Keaton.  Also, Keaton's Vulture no longer knows who Spider-Man is according to the rules.  If Jon Watts and crew got a non-loving Spider-Man guy like me to get excited about the possibilities, I can't wait to see what he does with Fantastic Four!

Spider-Man: No Way ALL The Rumors Are True

Well folks, it finally arrived.  After days of anticipation we finally got to see it; my mother-in-law's new fancy bed.  But while I was putting that together, people in L.A. were gathering into a theater to be the first ones to get a look at the newest trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Sony promised a special surprise for those in attendance.  And I guess the appearance of Tom Holland is the surprise they got.  But those of us at home were hoping to see appearances from different webslingers last night.

Not since Avengers: Endgame has so many rumors and theories been swirling around a single film.  From Daredevil to Professor Charles Xavier I've heard every Marvel character might make a cameo in Jon Watt's third installment in the MCU's Spider-Man "Home movies." Cue laugh track. 

But with this film bringing in all the villains from previous Spidey movies people expect to see the Spider-Men that go with them; Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Recently, film pundit, John Campea posted some pictures online he thought were fake, but was soon contacted by Sony to take them down because they "could be real" as the Sony rep told him.  But it was too late.  People saw, saved, and shared those pictures all around showing Holland with Garfield and Maguire on a set much like the one we see in the new trailer when Peter is about to face off again Electro, Sandman, and Lizard.  People are speculating Marvel pulled one of their trailer magic tricks and erased two Peter Parker's from that shot for the trailer(look online for the Lizard getting punched by air).

So what take-aways do I have from this newest Spider-Man trailer?  Well I'm about 99.9% sure Maguire and Garfield are in the film.  I think Spider-Man is about to jump over to his own Sony-controlled film universe.  And I think Peter will suffer a tragedy.

A few years back Marvel and Sony Pictures broke a new deal after their old one in sharing live-action rights to Spider-Man had expired.  After it looked like Tom Holland's Spider-Man was gone from the MCU the two companies said they had renewed for 2 more movies; 1 Spider-Man film and 1 MCU film that Spider-Man would appear in.  I, like some, believed this was the two studios way of writing Spider-Man out of the MCU and into his own Sony universe with Venom, Morbius, Kraven, all of his own supporting characters. With the Multiverse going awry it would make sense that Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is the other MCU film Tom Holland will be in, and then have "no way" to get back to the MCU after Strange cleans up the Multiverse.  I for one have enjoyed Spider-Man interacting with the other Marvel characters, and while I believe he can lead his own cinematic universe I'd much rather see him stay in MCU.  But I think Sony is done letting Marvel Studios play with their most valuable toy.  Even if Marvel did re-polish it after Sony mistreated and dragged it through the mud.......Moving on.

The first trailer gave us Doctor Octopus and a hint of Green Goblin.  We also knew Jamie Foxx would be reprising his role as Electro. In this newest trailer we got confirmation of Sandman and Lizard with Doctor Strange saying "They all die fighting Spider-Man; It's their fate."  Now, I plan on re-watching all the live-action Spider-Man films before seeing No Way Home, but Sandman didn't die.  From my memory, all the others died at the end of their subsequent films, but Thomas Hayden Church turned a corner at the end of Spider-Man 3 and became dust in the wind.  Plus, we are missing two live-action Spidey villains; Venom and Harry Osborn's Green Goblin.  The end credit scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage hints that "a Venom" might make a cameo in this film, and Willem DaFoe wasn't the only Green Goblin in the trailer. One shot showed a Goblin looking different. My guess is it's Harry from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but some say it may be Ned's possible Hobgoblin turn like in the comic books.  But I'm more curious about Ned's letter jacket?  What sports or activities is he in to get one of those?  I also don't believe Molina's Doctor Ock will be a true foil in this film.  He also turned over a new leaf at the end of Spider-Man 2 and was about to die a semi-hero.

The trailer ends with a classic love interest fall and Peter diving to save her.  Maguire saved his girl.  Garfield killed his.  How do you think Holland is gonna shake out?  "This is all my fault. I can't save everyone," is what Peter says in the trailer.  Also falling in the trailer is a giant shield.  Looks like New York is making some Captain America memorial?  And the last line of the trailer is Strange saying, "They're starting to come through, and I can't stop 'em." Which I believe is a tip of the hat of what the good Doctor will have to fix in his own sequel film. Let's also not forget Peter had another new suit, a black one, that looks magical, because, we gotta sell some toys!  

I'm at that point in my life as a geeky film fan where I walk in trying to check all the rumors and head Canon before going in.  I'm not the biggest Spider-Man fan, but I do enjoy the character, and I look forward to see what Marvel and Sony have in store for us.  But, I'm wearing my Daredevil shirt just in case Charlie Cox shows up and I scream, "Yes!"

Eternals: A Better Justice League(SPOILERS!!)

X-Men. Daredevil. Captain America.  These are Marvel characters I keep up, and read, on a monthly basis. Like a lover of any form of media I can't consume it all.  But, when a new film is announced based on a comic book I don't know very well, I at least seek it out to try.  Guardians of the Galaxy was a title I knew, but never read.  But when Marvel Studios decided to make a film about these obscure characters in Phase 2 of their plans I went and read a few issues; and I loved it!  Shang-Chi and Eternals fell into the other category.  I knew of the characters, and their basic origins, but when I went to dive into their worlds I was disenchanted by what I read, which in turn didn't get me excited for either of their upcoming films.  

I sat down to watch Eternals not really knowing what to expect.  I knew the reigning defending Best Director, Chloe Zhao, was the film's director, but to be honest I turned off Nomadland an hour in because I thought it was boring.  I also knew that the Critic Score for Eternals was the lowest score ever given to a Marvel Studio film, and hanged just on the other side of "Fresh".  As the film progressed I became more and more intrigued with these Gods trying to act human.  And after the film was done, my friend and I agreed, this was a better Justice League film than anything we got from Warner Bros.

Eternals is about a group of superpowered beings who land on Earth thousands of years ago.  Their escapades are passed down through time to become myths.  They live among the humans, and find out their mission on this planet, and their own existence, is not what they thought. Now they must stop the world they love from being destroyed by the birth of a new god.  One of them can fly and has heat vision. One is super fast.  One is a warrior woman.  One is good with technology.  They didn't have a fish guy though. 

I'll admit the film starts slow with setting up the characters and their origins, and honestly I was finding some of the performances stoic.  But as the film progressed so did their relationships, and when the world was in peril you saw what each of them was fighting for.  Gemma Chan and James Madden led this ensemble as Sersi and Icarus.  Two beings whose love stretches across hundreds of generations.  And this I felt was the crutch of the film.  Cersi loved the humans, which was represented by her relationship with the other Stark brother, Dane Whitman(more on him later).  And as the strongest Eternal(allegedly), Icarus knew what their true purpose was and was willing to carry it out to the end.  But like Sersi, who clung to her connection to the humans, it was Icarus's connection to Sersi that did not allow him to stop her from saving the world.

SIDE NOTE:  Why was the love scene in the film?  I mean I get it, we know they probably bumped uglies, but in a Marvel film we've never seen sex; only insinuated it after or before.  I felt like Icarus and Sersi's sunset kiss was good enough to show the audience their feelings for one another.  We didn't need 10 seconds of them naked on the dirt from the shoulders up.  And since I came to the theater with two 8 year-olds, I felt it was unnecessary.  

The rest of the cast did a find job in sharing their characters with us.  Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo gave us some comic relief; along with his assistant Karun.  We felt the sorrow of Sprite as she longed to look older, and wondered why she was made to look young. Thena sought revenge on the Deviant who killed the person who never gave up on her.  And Phastos had a family, and tried to live a good life, to try and make penance for the sins of his past. Each one, I could feel their point of view, even Druig, who I felt like may become the villain of the film after the first hour.  

Marvel isn't really known for strong villains, but in this film I felt like it didn't matter.  We believe at first the Deviants are the villains; killing the Eternals and stealing their powers.  But once the bigger picture is revealed it seems like the Deviants no longer matter, and there are bigger fish to fry.  Thena still gets her revenge in the end, and I understood the Deviant's role.  They're the Manhunters to the Eternal's Green Lanterns.(look it up).  So, the so-called "weak villain" troupe didn't bother me.

As it seems with every MCU film these days, the mid-credit scene sets up the film's possible sequel, while the post-credit scene sets-up what is to come in the greater MCU.  In the mid-credit scene Thena and the other voyaging Eternals learn the fate of their comrades courtesy of Pip and Eros.  In the comics, Eros is technically an Eternal along with his brother; Thanos.  So as much as I hate to admit it, this does give us the possibility of a Thanos resurrection. 

Meanwhile, in the post-credit scene, we go back to Dane Whitman("later" is now) who is about to touch a magic sword when a voice behind him warns him of the consequences.  It was at this point that the two people next to me turned my way and asked what that was all about.  I get that a lot after Marvel post-credit scenes. And although I knew Kit Harrington is becoming the Black Knight, I don't know much about the future Avenger.  And as Chloe Zhao confirmed, the voice warning Dane of his actions was Mahershala Ali, who is set to playing Blade the vampire hunter in future MCU plans.  So after a little research on the Black Knight I find out that his Marvel origins are based in medieval magic, as his sword, the Ebony Sword, was forged by Merlin and he is a descendant of Sir Percival; a knight of Arthur's Round Table.  But the sword is said to corrupt those who wield it, including Dane's uncle.  So where does a vampire hunter fall into it?  I have no f#$king clue.  

Despite what some may say, I found Eternals to be a deeper film than most we have seen out of the MCU, and it's relationships and tipping of the cosmic scales is what I found most entertaining.  With most films I can usually see why people don't like them(ask my wife about The Last Jedi).  Films are art, and art is all subjective.  But with Eternals I don't see what all the bad press is about.  This is the first film in years I'm going to try and see again in theaters.  And while my intrigue won't be enough for me to give the comics another shot, you can be sure I am gonna find out more about the Black Knight.