Luke Cage Delayed Marvel’s Iron Fist

The Netflix/Marvel series have been incredibly successful in the last few years, adding a new dimension to the Marvel Universe. In 13 episode runs, the characters are given room to breathe and develop, and the launch of the series every six months or so is considered to be a big event. Fans were delighted when it was announced that four solo shows – Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist – would be made in the run up to The Defenders, which would feature all four heroes. However, while Murdoch, Jones and Cage hit the screens fairly quickly, Iron Fist‘s Danny Rand seemed to be nowhere in sight. Some fans even thought they might not even get the series at all.

Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Coker is taking the blame for that one. In a recent interview with Complex, he explained that originally it was all going to be taken quite slowly and Iron Fist was scheduled to come before Cage, however the momentum built up by Daredevil and Jessica Jones meant they decided to jump in and make them quicker. Luke Cage’s popularity in Jessica Jones made him the obvious choice choice for the next new show. Coker said, “Marvel went from, ‘We’re gonna take our time’ to ‘Let’s flip it and do Luke Cage first. We’ve got this great concept and this guy is leaping off the screen, let’s follow the momentum.’”

Don’t worry Rand fans, you won’t have to wait too long! Game of Thrones star Finn Jones was recently cast as the leading man in the Iron Fist series, and it’s due to land next year. The trailer was shared at San Diego Comic Con, and if you missed it, here it is:

Luke Cage launches on Netflix TOMORROW!!! (30th September) Hooray!!

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Samuel L. Jackson Says S.H.I.E.L.D Will Return To The MCU

It has been over two years now since the release of ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ saw S.H.I.E.L.D fall at the hands of Hydra, forever branded as a terrorist organisation. Well maybe not quite forever.

In an interview with ComingSoon.net for ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ Nick Fury himself, Samuel L. Jackson, weighed in on Shield’s place in the franchise and whether there is ever a way it could come back.

“Yeah! For sure, definitely. Why wouldn’t there be? There’s some way of fixing what they created, and hopefully somebody has that going on or Nick Fury is out there — wherever he is, probably hanging out with Jules and walking the world — figuring out what happened and how it got to that particular place. Maybe they’ll find out that all that was part of a ruse to get to something else also. That would be great. They’ll bring me back somehow, some way, for some reason. I mean, they didn’t have me around to referee the kids when they didn’t go to their rooms and got in this big old fight. We’ll see what happens.”

Seems pretty likely then. This also lines up with ongoing events in ‘Agents of Shield’, as the latest episode saw Coulson and the new Director attempting to secure Shield’s place in the world as a legitimate organisation again. In any case, I’m sure we’ll find out once ‘Infinity War’ rolls around.

 

Iron Fist Writer Joins Runaways Team

It was recently announced that US streaming service Hulu will be making a series of Marvel’s Runaways. The comics, which ran from 2003-2009, features a group of super-powered teenagers who discover their parents are part of an evil crime organisation, known as “The Pride”. Even though it finished seven years ago, it has remained a fan favourite, and it’s ensemble cast lends itself very well to a TV adaptation.

It had already been released that the showrunners would be Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl) and executively produced by Marvel TV stalwarts Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory. Yesterday, Iron Fist writer Tamara Becher announced that she too has joined the team bringing Runaways to the screen.

New gig, day one. pic.twitter.com/o9qZyn8jPY

— Tamara Becher (@trbecher) September 26, 2016

Beacher is no stranger to teen ensemble casts, as she formally wrote for Joss Whedon‘s classic Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. She has just finished work on the Netflix/Marvel series Iron Fist, due for release next year, and she obviously impressed the comic moguls, as they’ve snapped her up quickly for this new project.

It’s not the first time Marvel has collaborated with someone other than Netflix to produce a TV series; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is on ABC. The difference here is that Hulu is another streaming service, rather than a comer coal network, making it a direct competitor with Netflix. At present, it’s unclear whether the Runaways series will link in to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, like Daredevil, Jessica Jones and AoS have, or whether it will be standalone.

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‘Marvel, after careful consideration I’ve decided to endorse your film’ – Sam Neill To Cameo In Thor Ragnarok

Sam Neill has confirmed that he will cameo in the upcoming Marvel  film Thor Ragnarok. In an interview with ShortList, he revealed ‘I’m not really allowed to say this and I can’t tell you what it is…I did a couple of days on Thor just before I came over here.’ Sam Neill is most famous for playing paleontologist Alan Grant in Jurassic Park…and he isn’t the only Jurassic Park actor set to star in the movie. Jeff Goldblum will also appear as The Grandmaster, a character who is part of the Marvel supervillain group known as the Elders of the Universe; he first appeared in The Avengers #69. The Grandmaster won’t be the first Elder of the Universe to make an appearance in the MCU. Benico del Toro played The Collector in Guardians of the Galaxy, a being who owns an ever-growing collection of various interstellar species, relics and fauna.

Whilst Thor Ragnarok is proving to be a Jurassic Park reunion, don’t expect to see Sam Neill in Jurassic World 2, if his theory about Mr Grant is anything to go by.  When asked about a possible return to Jurassic Park, he offered his own narrative reason for why we may not see Alan Grant again: “I think the problem is that no one knows where Alan Grant is anymore. He’s retired from paleontology. He’s sick to death of dinosaurs and running. He’s not quite as fleet of foot as he was, and he’s now retired to Dayton, Ohio, and has a very successful accountancy business… I think that’s what’s happened to Alan. Either that or he’s dead,”

According to Sam Neill, “Someone found his hat. His hat was floating on the Hudson river, but that was the last ever heard of him,”. He also makes a good point about the aftermath of Alan’s traumatic experiences on Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna: “How do you recover from all of that stuff? I don’t think therapists are trained to deal with post-dino stuff. No. I don’t think you get over it. Accountancy would be one way,”

Hopefully there’s still a chance that we’ll get to see Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic World 2 – because who wouldn’t want to see Chris Pratt and Jeff Goldblum in the same film? It’s a shame we’re likely not getting a full Jurassic Park reunion anytime soon though.

Thor Ragnarok will be in cinemas 27th October 2017, whilst Jurassic World 2 will be released on 7th June 2018.

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D SN4 EP01- ‘The Ghost’

Ghost rider made his fiery debut in a spectacular episode that flipped the status-quo yet again.

Photo Credit: Marvel/ABC

Agents of Shield is back, and it’s back with a vengeance. After what felt like a very intimate Season 3, very much focused on threats the Agents had created for themselves, the opening episode for Season 4 makes its position known straight away. It’s going to be bigger, better and bolder.

The new direction the show is going in, is in no small part thanks to its later timeslot. Sure we all panicked when that move was initially announced, worrying it spelled doom for the show (it still could), but just from one episode you can tell the show has benefitted greatly from it. The brilliant opening scene said it all. The use of flames to shroud Ghost Rider’s initial appearance in mystery made him extremely menacing, a feeling amplified as blood spattered about the scene. This was just the first instance of the merits of the new timeslot. Increased gore, so long as it isn’t gratuitous, adds to the sense of gritty realism the show has been perfecting throughout its run. Somehow, the past has seen a multitude of melting and disintegrating bodies, as well as a character’s head being peeled open, but blood has been weirdly absent. I don’t know the specifics of what can be shown when on TV, but it’s nice to see the show lose some restraints.

What was most surprising about this episode was just how much it disturbed the status quo…again. We’ve seen this happen time and again, but the one constant was that the team was (usually) all together. Not now though. The team has splintered as a result of the meddling new Director, who’s no doubt going to be a thorn in our sides all season, and as such the relationships carefully crafted over 3 seasons are fracturing, secrecy and mistrust poisoning them. This is most clear with Simmons’ new position as ‘Scientific Advisor to the Director’. Though she says she’s trying to remain in control of things, her close position to a man clearly intent on keeping the old group apart makes her hard to trust. Neither May nor Fitz trust her with pretty big secrets, whilst I’m certain Coulson would’ve told Fitz about Daisy had Simmons not been with him. It’s a situation that will no doubt cause drama throughout the season, and it’s exciting because it’s not really something the show has done before. Coulson never had to deal with procedure so much with Nick Fury as his best friend, so to have someone so close to him instigating rules he doesn’t necessarily agree with will be a big issue for him.

The show did a lot of world building this episode, introducing us to several new characters, whilst providing tantalising updates on existing ones. After a full episode focusing on them last season, The Watchdogs sort of fizzled away until Hive used them as Guinea Pigs. Now it seems they’re controlling half the criminal underworld, possibly in line to be the season’s next big bad. I say possibly because there are several contenders for that position. Ghost Rider is clearly going to be a target for Shield, but probably the most exciting reveal to come from the episode was that SHIELD is going all in on the supernatural this season, with what looks to be an actual ghost. It’s still unclear exactly what she makes people do, but given she’s now on the loose, and the fact that May has been affected by her means it likely won’t be long before we find out.

The highlight of the episode though was the fight between Ghost Rider and Daisy. Before the two sussed one another out, there seemed to be a few sparks flying, specifically from Robbie, but this was soon eclipsed by the fight. The full reveal of Ghost Rider is something we’ve been waiting to see since he was announced. Many wider Marvel fans scoffed at the idea of Ghost Rider being one justice on a TV budget, but these are likely people who stopped watching close to the beginning when the VFX were still evolving with the show. Since then we’ve been subject to some real visual treats, such as the Hive reveal, and the aforementioned melting bodies. The visuals did an excellent job at conveying the pain behind Robbie’s transformation. His skin is burning right off, and the look in his eyes expertly signalled how painful the process was for him. With the transformation complete, it was impossible even for non-believers to scoff at what they had seen. Everything from the billowing flames to the movement of the skull was expert, and left me eager to see more. What’s nice is that he also posed a true danger to Daisy. Other than when she first received them, we’ve never really seen Daisy drained by her powers, so it being brought up here will likely factor into her return to Shield. However even with the injuries, Ghost Rider was presented as a truly formidable threat.

The look into Daisy’s psyche in general was good. There has been much speculation as to why she left Shield. It was clear it had something to do with Lincoln’s death, but to learn she severed all ties so that she had nothing else to lose was heart breaking. Shield is family to her, so for her to reach a point where she can no longer face them speaks to the effects of last season upon her. In fact, the effects of last season lingered throughout the episode. Not only the Sokovia Accords, but the deaths of Lincoln and Andrew have made such an impact, that the smartest guy on the team is risking everything to build an intelligence that is bound to go rogue. That being said, Shield does a brilliant job at subverting our expectations, so I’m confident that the Aida subplot won’t follow traditional AI story structure.

S.H.I.E.L.D Zephyr One Report Log_Events of Interest and Enquiry:

• The chemistry between Mack and Yo-Yo has always been fun, but it really stood out this episode. It felt like Yo-Yo has become much more free spirited, whilst Mack has returned to his roots as a stickler for the rules.

• The rapport between Fitz and Dr Radcliffe continues to be one of the strongest elements of the show.

• Speaking of Dr Radcliffe and Yo-Yo, I hope their significant presence within the premiere is an indication that they will be around a lot for this season.

• Agent Piper returned! No big ass gun this time, but hopefully we’ll see her more often as well.

• Loved hearing Aida say she’d be a Shield. Given how alive she is no doubt that will ignite debates of morality.

• Got a glimpse of the relationship between Robbie and his brother, but not enough on either of them yet really to justify what he’s doing. Which is fine, as at the moment the show is painting him to be more of a villain.

• Have I seen the hula girl ornament that was on Daisy’s dashboard before? It rings a bell but I’m just not sure.

Overall this was a fantastic premiere episode for ‘Agents of Shield’s’ 4^th season. Ghost Rider was the main concern going into this, but the visuals were stellar, making him a mix of awe inspiring and just plain formidable. After so long together it was somewhat jarring to see the team so splintered, but at the same time makes sense to push us and them into unfamiliar territory. It will be interesting to see how the team dynamics play out with this newfound level of secrecy amongst them all. With some unexpected surprises and tantalising teases displayed, you can bet that this season is gonna be on fire.

Agents of Shield Season 4: First ‘Sneak Peek’ Clip Released

Hot on the trail of releasing character portraits and promos, ABC has now released the first sneak peak at the Season 4 premiere of ‘Agents of Shield’. I swear they waited until I had finished my other piece before doing so, but it’s nonetheless exciting.

The clip sees Agent May pull back Coulson and Mack from field duty in order to deliver some bad news. It seems horribly mangled bodies have been popping up everywhere, and with Daisy now viewed as the outlaw Quake, all fingers are pointing in her direction. Whilst it’s most likely the work of Ghost Rider, May seems to have lost faith in Daisy’s capacity to do good and has no trouble believing it was her.

The scene worked to set up what will likely be some major storylines running through the season. Comments about the new Director seemed to be of the negative variety, whilst May’s new attitude towards Daisy will no doubt cause some strife later on. Offhand comments about the Watchdogs suggest they might have a part to play, and it looks like Daisy is hunting for Ghost Rider. Question is, will she ultimately come around to his way of thinking, or will she rejoin her friends at Shield?

‘Agents of Shield’ Season 4 premieres Tuesday, September 20th 10pm on ABC.

Agents of Shield Season 4: Character Portraits and New Promo

Only 4 days to go now until the Season 4 premiere of ‘Agents of Shield’ and the promotional push keeps moving forward. Today we were treated to a full cast photo, as well as official character portraits for all the main members of the cast, including John Hannah as Dr Radcliffe and Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Yo-Yo, hopefully hinting at larger roles for the two going forward.

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In addition to this a new promo has been released, giving us a few brief but awesome glimpses at the Ghost Rider’s ride, accompanied by a voiceover of him. Things are heating up now with the premiere just days away, so you all best get ready for vengeance to come.

‘Agents of Shield’ Season 4 premieres Tuesday, September 20th 10pm on ABC.

Agents of Shield Season 4: Extended Promo Released

After ABC released a short teaser for the upcoming Season 4 premiere of ‘Agents of Shield’ the other day, fans were screaming for more. Months of waiting and anticipation boiled down to a 15 second promo. Surely this couldn’t be all they had for us? As it turns out, no it wasn’t, however I think any hopes of a full season trailer have been dashed by this point. Instead, ABC opted to release a slightly longer promo for the episode.

Whilst it doesn’t show us much new footage, we do get glimpses of a few more of the main cast members. Much of the promotion so far for the premiere has singled out Daisy, Mack, May and Ghost Rider as being the principle players in the episode, however we saw snippets of Coulson, Fitz and Simmons within the extended promo, so you can be sure they’ll be there in some capacity too.

The most exciting part about the promo however was that we got to hear Robbie Reyes speak for the first time, uttering a rather ominous response to Daisy’s statement that he doesn’t get to decide who dies “I’m not the one who decides.”  It seems then that he views Ghost Rider as separate from himself, so it will be interesting to see if he gets any personality changes when he transforms, in addition to the whole skinless flaming body thing.

‘Agents of Shield’ Season 4 premieres Tuesday, September 20th 10pm on ABC.

Agents Of Shield Season 4: Official Poster Released

We are just one week away now from the Season 4 premiere of Marvel’s ‘Agent of Shield’ and the reveals keep on rolling in. The latest is the release of the official poster for Season 4.

The poster contains all the principal cast members, as well as the ominously fiery form of Ghost Rider hovering above them all. It’s not long now before we discover what havoc he will wreak for our Agents, and I for one am very excited to see it all play out.

In light of the Sokovia Accords, and with Hydra obliterated, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been legitimized again and no longer needs to operate in the shadows. Since the world presumes that Coulson is dead, the organization needed a new Director to be the face of the organization. Coulson finds himself back in the role as an agent and teamed with Mack, and together they are tasked with tracking down and confirming the presence of Enhanced people, aka Inhumans. They have been trying to track down and capture Daisy, aka Quake, who has gone rogue in an attempt to atone for sins from the past. But with the world believing that Daisy is a dangerous outlaw who has taken down banks and bridges, the new Director has no qualms about taking her down for good. Agent May is tasked with training specialist strike teams, and Fitz and Simmons have taken a big step forward in their relationship. But with Simmons’ new promotion as Special Advisor to the Director in Science and Technology, Fitz, as well as her former team members, finds it hard to confide in or trust her since she’s now the Director’s confidant.

 ‘Agents of Shield’ Season 4 premieres Tuesday, September 20th 10pm on ABC.

Agents of Shield Season 4: A Fiery First Look At Ghost Rider

The news is coming thick and fast now for ‘Agents of Shield’ Season 4, with the latest piece being our first proper look at Ghost Rider (Gabriel Luna), and it is AWESOME!

Yahoo TV has our first look at the hellraising antihero bringing the first instance of mysticism to the MCU. As well as the blazing body parts, Ghost Rider will be proud owner of a flaming 1969 Dodge Charger. In a world where traffic’s already a pain, driving a speeding inferno around the streets seems plain rude.

Ghost Rider is the most notable exclusive character to ever appear on the show. Whilst the likes of Nick Fury and Maria Hill have made appearances, the biggest character to be introduced exclusively to the show is likely Daisy Johnson, and she was around two and a half seasons before we actually knew who she was.

Still, if this doesn’t bring the new viewers the show is looking for then I don’t know what will. According to Chloe Bennett (Daisy Johnson) the show isn’t going to shy away from the unique issues Ghost Rider brings.

“If anyone’s familiar with the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider, they know that the show will have to deal with issues of vengeance, penance, the line between good and evil, and who deserves to die. These massive themes are being threaded throughout our season.”

With the later timeslot also being a factor, this could end up being one of the most exciting seasons of the show yet!

‘Agents of Shield’ Season 4 premieres Tuesday, September 20th 10pm on ABC.