San Diego Comic Con 2013 was this past weekend, and as one of the largest comic book conventions of the year, plenty of superhero/genre film information was revealed. Above is an off-screen video of Marvel Studios’ full 40-minute panel (minus actual film footage) detailing the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including some huge, huge news. Of course, 40 minutes is a very long time, so I’ll break down all of the important points for all of you below.
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Based off of the new footage reactions, it seems that the Captain America sequel will be structured as a spy thriller that will stick close to the “Winter Soldier” story arc from the Captain America comic that involves him being reunited with his old partner and best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebsatian Stan). When I say “old,” I mean back from the 50s; Barnes was brought back from the dead and brainwashed as an assassin whom Captain America will have to face. It also appears that Scarlett Johansson’s character, Black Widow, will also have an expanded role in the film, as well as the introduction of Falcon (Anthony Mackie), a fellow SHIELD agent with the ability to fly. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is scheduled for an April 2014 release.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy just began shooting last week, but the cast was able to fly out to San Diego for the panel to share some information on their characters. Despite the short shoot thus far, some footage was shared with the crowd. Also revealed were the exact characters everybody was playing (Benicio del Toro as The Collector!) and the official concept art of the Guardians in-character. However, what wasn’t revealed is who’ll be providing the voices for Groot and Rocket Raccoon. In due time, as there’s still a year left before Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters August 2014.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
However, the biggest reveal was Joss Whedon’s announcement that the Avengers sequel will officially be titled Avengers: Age of Ultron. Despite its nomenclature, the film’s plot won’t be related to the recent Marvel Comics story arc involving Ultron taking over the world, multiple timelines, and major characters dying. Instead, Whedon and company will take the resources necessary to craft a plot that fits the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A part of this involves removing Hank Pym/Ant Man as Ultron’s creator (Whedon has outright stated that Pym won’t be in the film, despite a stand-alone Ant Man film in development with Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) directing); instead, it’s being speculated that Iron Man might be Ultron’s creator, which definitely fits. For those unaware, Ultron was created as an artificial intelligence that would be able to adapt to any virus or security concerns… including humanity. Avengers: Age of Ultron is scheduled for a Summer 2015 release.
[via i09]