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. 

 

My Blu-Ray Purge

The other day I did something I've thought about for a while now.  I went through my blu-ray collection and got rid of a few movies that I felt did not live up the high standards I think my collection should project.  Now, a few movies I kept because my wife enjoys them.  Some of which have now been separated from the main collection like The Hobbit films and the Twilight saga.

Some blu-rays I thought long and hard about whether to give them up or not.  In the end, I felt like I kept a few people may disagree with, but I don't think anyone would argue with what I sold off.  Here are 3 I Sold, and 3 I Saved.

SOLD

Green Lantern (2011)

Like the Star Wars prequel trilogy I think there are some good qualities in this film, but suffered due to bad directing.  I wasn't on board when Ryan Reynolds was first cast as Hal Jordan, but he eventually won me over.  I even enjoyed Blake Lively as Carol Ferris and Mark Strong as Sinestro, but this messy film could not be saved by the great casting and mythology.  The movie had one of the weakest villains with Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond and a poop cloud as Parallax.  Whenever I try and watch this film I get about half way through and turn it off.  Such a shame.  I hope WB goes a better job with their Green Lantern Corps movie, but my hopes are not high.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Speaking of great comic book villains turned into smoke monsters I give you the devourer of worlds; Galactus.  This is just one of many things wrong with this movie, from Jessica Alba's bleached hair to Mr. Fantastic break dancing.  Again, this film did have a few good things about it such as the Johnny/Ben banter and the Silver Surfer I felt was done pretty well.  But I also believe this movie was just more of a victim of it's time.  It came out the year before The Dark Knight and Iron Man was released, and a time before studios knew how to do these comic book properties right. 

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Ever heard the joke, "I thought The Avengers was Iron Man 3?"  If only.  Setting aside the whole Mandarin issue, this franchise hit a new low when War Machine was just a bystander and not the kick-ass soldier he is meant to be.  And did I mention Pepper got super powers?  The villain and plot of this film was so lame this ranks as my least favorite Marvel Studio film to date.  I'm seeing Ant-Man in a few hours, and I'm pretty sure it'll be better than this toy-selling vehicle. 

SAVED

The Punisher (2004)

Out of the three films starring Frank Castle this is still my favorite.  Some prefer War Zone, but it had too little of plot and character development for my enjoyment.  Sure this film has a few laughable moments that might not be intentional, but this is still the Punisher killing everyone involved in killing his family while still trying to come to grips with the tragedy himself.  Thomas Jane is a great actor and after the short film, Dirty Laundry, I think we'd all like to see Jane have another crack at playing Castle. "God's gonna sit this one out."  Classic dialogue!

Fantastic Four (2005)

Yes, the sequel to this film has very few redeemable qualities that make it watchable a second time, but this film I feel still stands up.  Aside from Sue Storm I think the cast is pretty solid; especially Chris Evans as the Human Torch and Julian McMahon has Dr. Doom.  It's a decent origin story with some laughs that I feel nailed the family dynamic between the four heroes.  Ben and Johnny are the kids,  Reed is the distracted dad, and Sue is the frustrated mom.  I'm hoping Fox's new interpretation(otherwise known as Ultimate FF) is a good one, but I feel like this film gets a bad rap from people who know nothing about Marvel's First Family.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

My 2nd least favorite Marvel Studio film, but my wife thinks Thor is hot. 'Nuff said.

Avengers Sequel Worth A 2nd Viewing

In my house, hanging on my wall, is a poster from the 2012 film, The Avengers.  I'm actually a much bigger X-Men fan, but I bought this poster for it's significant value.  Growing up as a reader of comic books I was looked at as a geek or spaz.  Superheroes were uncool during my childhood unless it was Batman, Ninja Turtles, or Power Rangers.  But as the years went on more movies based on comic books came out, and then The Avengers broke box office records and set the bar for shared cinematic universes that every movie studio is now trying to copy.  We comic book readers are no longer outcasts; we are trailblazers.

God of Geeks, Joss Whedon, has returned to direct a sequel to his 2012 hit, but when you make a colossal movie like The Avengers it's an even bigger task to make a follow-up than can hold up.  I knew I had to see this film twice before I could accurately say if it was better than the original.

This time around Earth's Mightiest Heroes take on Ultron; the artificial intelligence Tony Stark created in hopes of being the Avengers substitute police force for the world.  After becoming self-aware Ultron, voiced by James Spader, realizes that the only way humanity can be saved is by sacrificing the billions of weak humans on the planet first.  Aiding him is the genetically modified Maximoff twins, Wanda and Pietro, who are brought in to shake up the Avengers confidence in each other.  The team must find a way to break their hexes if they're going to save the world from extinction.

I will admit, during the first viewing of this film I found it a little lackluster.  It wasn't until the end of the film when the Avengers, along with their new comrades, started fighting that I got really excited.  That scene was like a big Marvel crossover event come to life.  But before that, I kept thinking how Ultron wasn't the maniacal menace he is in the comics, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch weren't as fleshed out as I hoped, and there was too much set-up for future films.

Before my second viewing of the film I realized something.  No matter what, I would never think this film was better than The Avengers.  The first film was a cinematic monument in film history.  In it, I saw the Avengers come together for the first time on screen, something I never thought I'd see, and it was awesome.  And nothing will ever compare to it.

With that in mind, I watch the Avengers: Age of Ultron a second time and tried to appreciate it for what it was, and no compare it to the previous film, or ask if it could beat Captain America: The Winter Soldier as my favorite Marvel Studio film.  This is not the comic book Ultron. He was made by Tony Stark, not Hank Pym, which means those quirky and egotistical bits of Stark's personality fit into this Ultron.  The Maximoff's weren't as well rounded as I hoped, and their Russian accents still weren't good the second time around, but in a film with lots of characters they served their purpose; especially Quicksilver.  X-Men: Days of Future Past brought a phenomenal Quicksilver to life, so the only logical thing to do was make MCU's Quicksilver a sacrificial lamp that hopefully will serve as a stepping stone for Wanda's character evolution.  

The Avengers seemed to be more comfortable with each other in this film as well, which made the combat banter that much better.  The actors have also been together for a while now so their chemistry showed on screen and was quite entertaining.  Every time Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr had a conversation it seemed like it was set-up for Captain America: Civil War and Thor leaving just after the team had suffered a major defeat seemed odd, but then we would not have gotten more knowledge about the infinity stones for the next Avengers film, and Vision's importance would have been nullified.  And I loved how Vision was presented in this film; great job Paul Bettany!  So while I'm still not sure about the way Whedon and company went about setting up future films to come I couldn't have thought of a better way to do it, so I'll let it slide.

I hear talks about how this movie didn't have depth to it, but let's look at The Avengers people.  We've all put that film on a pedestal, but yet it doesn't come close to The Godfather or Schindler's List as far as Best Picture worthy.  Sequels to beloved films are always judged to harshly in my opinion. 

My final gripe about Avengers: Age of Ultron was stripped away after a conversation with my wife.  I was baffled that they didn't explain why Tony Stark become Iron Man again after quitting in Iron Man 3(and as I type this I realize I have not read the Age of Ultron prelude comic that may explain it).  But my wife said to me, "I never saw Iron Man 3 so I never knew he quit."  And that is the beauty of the MCU.  If a person just wants to watch The Avengers films, or Captain America films, they won't be lost.  Someone can watch The Avengers then Avengers: Age of Ultron right after and just be fine.  Sure if you watched the four films in between you get more out of it, but it's not a necessity.  What happens in the Thor films has no affect on what happens in the Iron Man films; you can enjoy them both separately.

While I am sad to see Whedon leaves this franchise I think it's for the best given his recent public comments.  I believe there are a lot of deleted scenes that have more character development, and I can't wait to see them on the blu-ray, or maybe a 4-hour directors cut.  The Russo Brothers, who did such a terrific job on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, are now taking over with Infinity War parts I & II, as well as the next Captain America film.  My only hope is they make Captain America: Civil War the mature film Winter Soldier was and then continue to make the Avengers films the kind of movies the whole family can enjoy like Guardians of the Galaxy and Iron Man 3(which was my least favorite Marvel film so far). 

So after seeing this film twice now I see that it is a good movie that has something everyone can enjoy so long as you stop trying to compare it to the first film.  Lightening only strikes once kids, unless you're carrying a hammer.  I loved seeing the new characters added to the MCU, Hawkeye getting his due, and the new Avengers team assemble at the end.  Yes, I said the "A" word.  Because it now bugs me that Cap didn't get too.

RATING:  B 

   

MCU's Civil War: Drawing the Battle Lines

Last week Marvel Studios invited quite a few members of the press to a secret announcement.  Many speculated what it could be; from the casting of Dr. Strange to Spider-Man joining the MCU(Marvel Cinematic Universe).  President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, surprised everyone when he presented the studios films for the next five years that included Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, two more Avengers films, and a Black Panther film starring Chad Boseman from 42 and Get On Up.  One of the bigger announcements came as little surprise given recent rumors, but a giant delight, as Feige read the title of the next Captain America film; Captain America: Civil War.

Based on the 2006 mini series, we'll see Captain America and Iron Man face-off against each other on opposite sides of the Superhero Registration Act.  Feige says that MCU's Civil War will be more about who the heroes report to rather than their identities since this world knows who Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner are.  Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans appeared on stage with Boseman to sell the upcoming rivalry.  This leads some to believe that Black Panther may play a key role in Civil War.  Perhaps a Switzerland type who chooses to stay neutral? 

Missing however from the original Civil War story line will be Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and may other heroes Marvel Studios does not have the rights too, or have yet to introduce.  But both Cap and Iron Man still need soldiers to support them.  So given the current Avengers/MCU characters I've got my team predictions.

TEAM STARK:  Iron Man, Hawkeye, Thor, War Machine, Ant-Man, and Maria Hill

In the comic book mini series Tony gets the inside scoop before the Act goes into effect and tries to soften the fallout.  Stark feels that super beings should be trained properly and report to someone.  His team would be a posse that is used to following orders.  War Machine and Maria Hill have ties to Tony so I'm sure they've got his back.  Meanwhile, Thor is a demi-god, and knows how power can be abused.  Therefore I feel like he'd side with Stark on supervising those who have power.  

Not much is known about how Ant-Man will fit into the MCU, but given he sided with Tony in the comics I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he'd be on Team Iron Man when the battle lines are drawn.

TEAM ROGERS:  Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Falcon, Nick Fury, and Agent 13  

I was on Team Captain America while reading the comics so I'm a bit bias; but I like this team.  Each person on Cap's team has been burned by the government before so they'd be a bit suspicious of the Superhero Registration Act.  Natasha really started to believe and trust in Steve in their last film, which included their team-up with Falcon.  Nick Fury also got burned by his friend and boss so he's all about questioning "the man" now.  And Agent 13?  Well, anyone who knows Sharon's story knows her chips wouldn't fall anywhere else.  

The Hulk was probably the hardest to choose a side for.  He and Tony are science buddies so I can see that bond.  However, Bruce knows what it's like having his government hunt and try to contain him.  I think he'd be against being put in a "cage".  I also think these teams give for some great match-ups.  

Iron Man vs Captain America(leader vs leader)

Hawkeye vs Black Widow(good friends/partners face-off)

Thor vs Hulk(they really never finished their fight in Avengers)

War Machine vs Falcon(black best friend battle royale)

Nick Fury vs Ant-Man(the man(s) with a plan)

Maria Hill vs Agent 13(S.H.I.E.L.D. agent cat fight, MEEOOWW)

Like my teams?  Disagree with them?  Let me know! 

Comic News Round-Up: July 20(Otherwise known as 2 Weeks till Guardians of the Galaxy)

Before I let another week ago by  with missing my blog entry I decided to do a quick one about some recent comic book and comic related news.  I know I've been slacking a little on my blogging lately, but I've come to the point where I feel like I'm just blowing hot air on this site, and I would love to possibly start a podcast if anyone is interested in joining me.  Or if you like the idea of me just doing a weekly round-up on comic related news via this blog let me know that too.  I'm just trying to get as many readers as I can, even if it's just my Facebook friends.  Here are some comic related news you might not have heard of, and what I think.

SUPERMAN IS NOW THE ATOM:  Brandon Routh, the actor who played Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns has just been cast to play Ray Palmer in the upcoming third season of Arrow.  In the DC Universe Palmer is the superhero known as The Atom, a scientist who can change his body size to shrink down to the size of an atom.  Routh hasn't had any big roles since appearing as the Man of Steel, and Superman Returns was not well received (even though I liked it).  I've seen him in the Kevin Smith film, Zach and Miri Make A Porno, and he also played a villain on the TV series Chuck.
I'm excited for this news!  I liked Routh as Superman and his '"Return" to the DCU makes it seem like he's being given a second chance to please fan boys.  Palmer is supposed to take over Queen Industries in the next Arrow season.  It's not said whether we'll see him become The Atom but the expansion of the DC TV Universe has got me excited.

THE ARROW'S COUSIN IS FIRESTORM:  Speaking of expanding the DCTV characters, it was announced that Robbie Amell has been cast to play Firestorm in the upcoming Arrow spin-off series, The Flash.  If Robbie's last name sounds familiar it's because he is the cousin of Stephen Amell, the actor who plays Oliver Queen on Arrow.  Talk about keeping it in the family.
I'm not too familiar with Amell's previous work since I never watched The Tomorrow People or Revenge.  I'm sure Firestorm, a.k.a. Ronnie Raymond, will be a bit different than the standard comic book look; since his head is on fire in the comics.  Either way the casting of Amell and Routh adds two more Justice League members to the DCTV club. Arrow has already introduced Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Flash, and Speedy/Red Arrow.
But don't count on Clark Kent or Bruce Wayner popping in.  Warner Bros has already said they won't, which is fine of me.  I'd much rather see Hal Jordan or another lesser-known hero show up to have a similar 'Justice League' episode like Smallville did in it's sixth season.  I love how the DCTV Universe is shaping up.  I think it's looking way better than the Cinematic Universe.

THOR IS A GIRL:  Marvel seems to be getting a jump on the Comic-Con spoilers a week early as they came out with several big pieces of news this week.  One I will mention down below.  Another is Entertainment Weekly's Avengers: Age of Ultron exclusive.  Finally, Marvel as announced that after their Original Sin storyline Thor will become a woman.  Apparently something happens that makes Thor unworthy to bear the mighty hammer.  A woman then takes the reigns as the God(dess) of Thunder.
I've read comics my whole life and I know a publicity stunt when I see one.  I know they're trying to bring in more female readers and sell more comics, but eventually everything goes back to the status quo.  The initial issue will sell a few more hundred comics, but readers will die off and then they will bring the original Thor back just about the same time the new Avengers film comes out, which stars a male Thor.  I've never been a Thor reader, and if the idea is good I'm all for it, just as long as it doesn't change what they're doing in the movies.

CAPTAIN AMERICA IS A BLACK MAN:  The other piece of Marvel news last week is that Cap is hanging up his shield...again, and letting someone else don the Captain America name....again.  Last time, when everyone thought Steve Rogers was dead, his former sidekick Bucky Barnes took over as Captain America.  I'm glad Bucky isn't taking a step back to play the part again because as much as I loved 'Bucky Cap' I'm loving where they are taking Winter Soldier in the Marvel U.
This time Cap's longtime partner, Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon, will be throwing the legendary shield.  Apparently Steve becomes an old man and looses his super-human powers, causing Sam to take over the American symbol.  This of course is another publicity stunt that will be over by next summer.  Marvel wants to sell comics.  So they come up with this idea of shaking things up, but then everything will return to the status quo when Steve Rogers appears in a movie as Captain America.  Because you can't sell more comic books to the little boy who wants to buy a Captain America comic book, if it's not the Captain America he saw at the theater.  Trust me. Just ask Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, and.....Captain America.  Did anybody ever even notice the Human Torch died?