Wednesday Comics: Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3

Okay, I don't have time to blog about this, but I couldn't let this simply pass by.

Phase One began with Iron Man and went through to the first Avengers.  Phase Two With Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel Phase Two ends (actually it ends with Ant-Man, but I'm splitting hairs).

So what do we have in store next?

Marvel Answered that on Tuesday with its announcement of its Phase Three slate: 9 movies in 5 years.

I don't think that it's a coincidence that this happens so soon after DC announced it's ambitious movie slate.  Marvel does have the advantage as already being a marketable cinematic brand.  DC is still finding its audience.

But here is the breakdown (text via aintitcool.com):

·        5/6/16 –     CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

·        11/4/16 –   DOCTOR STRANGE 

·        5/5/17 –     GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 (previously dated 7/28/17)

·        7/28/17 –   THOR: RAGNAROK

·        11/3/17 –   BLACK PANTHER

·        5/4/18 –     AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR PART I

·        7/6/18 –     CAPTAIN MARVEL

·        11/2/18 –   INHUMANS

·        5/3/19 –     AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR PART II

Some thoughts:

-We've known about the Captain America: Civil War movie for a little while now, but this makes it official.  Still not a fan of the idea, but we'll see how it plays out.

-There has been a lot of buzz over Doctor Strange the last few days.  A few weeks ago rumors were spreading that Ewan McGregor was zeroing in on the role.  Now its reported that fan favorite Benedict Cumberbatch is the frontrunner.  I think either would be good, but Cumberbatch would be (pardon the pun) stranger.

-Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was originally slated for the end of summer, but since it was the highest grossing movie this year so far, they made it their May tentpole.

-I dig the idea of the 3rd Thor being a Ragnorak story.  "Ragnarok" for those unfamiliar, is the Norse myth about the end of the world.  This has the potential to be epic and tragic..

-Marvel has been getting a lot of flack for not including more movies about women and minorities.  At least this has been the focus of the stories regarding Black Panther and Captain Marvel.  I personally don't care as long as they are good stories.  And you have some very new insights into the Marvel universe.  I find Black Panther particularly interesting because he is a hero who is also a king.

-I'm not crazy about an Inhumans movie.  These characters never really connected with me in the comics and I am surprised that Marvel is pushing them, although I heard it was their answer to the problem of no mutants in the their movies.  But I was surprised at how good Guardians of the Galaxy was, so who knows?

-Like Justice League, Mockingjay, Breaking Dawn, and Deathly Hallows, Avengers: Infinity War is being broken up into 2 parts.  After seeing the box office returns the above movies (though still waiting on Justice League), I can't blame them.  And it if it leads to more epic stories, all the better.

-What about after Phase Three?  With the introduction of the infinity stones, anything is possible, even a reboot.  But by 2019 Robert Downey Jr. will be 54.  The other main actors will age.  What will happen to our beloved Phase One actors?  I know that it is not uncommon to recast characters, even in the current Marvel Universe (I'm looking at you, Hulk).  But I would hate the idea of saying goodbye to these founding fathers of Marvel Movies.

Thoughts?