CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR v.3 Thread

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: April 26, 2016

Dragonlord’s Review of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (No Spoilers)

Bottom Line: Masterfully juggling the innumerable characters and storylines with magnificent action pieces and high personal stakes, the Russo Bros. once again delivers one of the best MCU films ever made.

In 2014, Directors Joe and Anthony Russo surprised the world with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Combining good storytelling, espionage drama and outstanding fight choreography, The Winter Soldier became everybody’s favorite top Marvel movie. The Russo Bros. are back with Captain America: Civil War and they prove that it was no fluke the first time around.

The script from Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely is so jam-packed and condensed (in a good way) but big props to the Russo Bros. for skillfully balancing all the storylines and numerous characters and narrating everything naturally. Clocking in at 147 minutes, Civil War is Marvel Studios’ longest (and darkest) movie to date but the film is so entertaining that you don’t wish for it to end.

Loosely based on Mark Millar’s popular comic book miniseries, Captain America: Civil War splinters the Avengers in half when the United Nations wants to regulate the team’s activities. Both sides are given ample opportunities to convey their reasoning and motivations, making the situation more ambiguous when both camps’ stances appear valid. To make matters worse, Bucky has been framed for a terrorist act which tests Steve Rogers’ loyalty to his childhood friend.

The beautifully weird thing about this film is that it’s both a solo Captain America movie and a pseudo-Avengers sequel. Under the expert hands of the Russos, Cap is once again portrayed as one of the coolest, badass superheroes ever while Tony Stark’s obnoxiousness and corny quips are drastically tone down. I would even go as far as to say that Tony is more likable here than all his previous film appearances except for Iron Man 1.

One of the best aspects about the film is how each supporting characters get a chance to shine. Bucky has several kickass fight scenes and riveting chase sequences. The Falcon is now considerably cooler with the various ways he utilizes his cybernetic wings and assorted weapons upgrade especially his drone, Redwing. We get to see the human side to the Vision as well as his density shifting abilities. The ever-lovable Scott Lang/Ant-Man steals the show in a big way.

Two popular characters also make their Marvel Studios debut – Black Panther and Spider-Man. Chadwick Boseman was pretty good as T’Challa but the Black Panther was just amazing in action. Tom Holland as Peter Parker was simply perfect, tentatively making him my favorite Spider-Man actor so far. His youth and joyful exuberance were infectious and served as a fantastic comic relief as well as an excellent contrast from the other grown-up characters. Spider-Man in action was just jaw-dropping spectacular. The new suit looks great as well. Welcome home, Spidey.

Though he isn’t anything like his comic book counterpart, Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) was a decent main villain. Though not very memorable, at least Zemo was portrayed in a serious manner unlike the pathetic Baron Von Strucker in Age of Ultron. Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), now fully transformed as Crossbones, was wonderful for the brief appearance he was in.

Overall, Captain America: Civil War raises the bar for comic book movies with its awesomely choreographed action, well-rounded characters, high personal and global stakes, and cohesive storytelling. Guaranteed to leave you smiling, the airport scene boasts the best superhero battle ever captured on screen yet. Stick around for two post-credits scenes.

Rating: 9/10









Link to previous thread:
Captain America: Civil War Official Thread 1.0
Captain America: Civil War Official Thread 2.0

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: May 8, 2016

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Opens to Mighty $179.1M in US, Hits $678.4M Globally

Marvel Studios and Disney's Captain America: Civil War launched to a mighty $179.1 million in North America, kicking off the summer box office in high style and scoring the fifth-best opening of all time, as well as the top launch of 2016 to date.

Overseas, where it began opening last weekend, Civil War took in another $220 million for a foreign total of $494 million and worldwide haul of $673 million after just 12 days in release. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Civil War is all but assured of becoming the first release of 2016 to jump the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.

The critically acclaimed superhero film continues Disney domination, between Lucasfilms'Star Wars: The Force Awakens (the movie opened in late December but stayed a huge player in the first part of the new year), The Jungle Book and Zootopia.

In terms of opening-weekend rankings, Civil War shot past Iron Man 3 ($174 millino) to rank No. 5 behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($248 million), Jurassic World ($208.8 million), The Avengers ($207.4 million) and Age of Ultron ($191.3 million), not accounting for inflation Put another way, Disney claims four the five top openings (Jurassic World was released by Universal).

Civil War is more Avengers-like in feel than the previous two standalone Captain America films, and it showed: Captain America: The Winter soldier debuted to $95 million, while Captain America: The First Avenger opened to $65.1 million.

Costing $250 million to make, Civil War is the 13th title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and cost $250 million. In addition to being embraced by critics — it currently shows 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a strong number for a popcorn movie — it also won over audiences, who gave it an A CinemaScore. And moviegoers under the age of 25 gave it an A+.

Box Office: 'Captain America: Civil War' Opens to Mighty $179.1M in U.S., Hits $673M Globally
_______________________________





Update: April 26, 2016

First Reviews for CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% Approval Rating (39 out of 40 critics like it)

Empire Magazine - Matching its blockbuster scale and spectacle with the smarts of a great, grown-up thriller, Captain America: Civil War is Marvel Studios' finest film yet. 5/5

CinemaBlend.com - Bringing together tremendous character dynamics; bold structure; an emotional narrative; and spell-binding, fun action sequences, it's everything a blockbuster should be. 5/5

IGN Movies - Featuring what's arguably the best ever screen depiction of Spider-Man as well as a cool new hero in Black Panther, Captain America: Civil War can't quite recapture the emotional and cerebral strengths of its predecessor. 7.8/10

Total Film - If there's a risk of the Marvel 'formula' becoming stale, there isn't any evidence of that here. Civil War isn't just a damn-near-perfect popcorn crowd-pleaser; it doesn't offer any easy answers for its combatants, or the world going forward. 5/5

Forbes - 'Captain America: Civil War' Is Great Fun, Even As It Alternates Between Shameless Fan Service Bits And Subversive Narrative Choices. 6/10

The Young Folks - This movie is so toothless that you'll probably pay for your ticket in a paper cup on the side of the road... it's so concerned with keeping everything in line for future movies that it ultimately takes no risks... C

Uproxx - This is the best Marvel movie so far. This is not hyperbole. I have my doubts they can make anything better. This is as close as things come to “superhero movie perfection.” 9/10

HeyUGuys - In the best Comic Book film since The Dark Knight, the Russo Brothers along with Captain America and Iron Man completely knock it out of the park. 5/5

The Playlist - Striking and consistently engaging, the Russos deftly craft compelling blockbuster entertainment out of a moral and emotional conflict, and that’s more impressive than any overblown display of loud and vulgar power. A-

USA Today - Tear away the powers, abilities and egos, though, and the third Captain America movie is at its core a deep exploration of friendship and family and what sacrifices should be made to hold onto both. 3.5/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: April 28, 2016

JOHN WICK Directors Worked on Several Action Scenes in CIVIL WAR

The Russo Brothers seem to have a huge hit on their hands with the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, but they also aren't afraid to ask for help every now and again.

That's what happened when they enlisted the services of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, the directors of the much loved John Wick. In an interview with Collider, the duo spoke about the process of getting them on board.

"They did us a huge favor. They're friends of ours, and obviously, they're now off enjoying very successful directing careers, and just as friends we called them and asked them if they'd help us execute some of the action sequences."

"Along with Spiro Razatos, who is generally regarded as the top guy along with Chad and David, so we literally had an all-star team of second unit directors working on this movie with us, because we cared so much about the action, the quality of the action, and we knew we had to work really hard to up our game from Winter Solider, so we wanted to bring in the best people in the business to help us do that."

John Wick Directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch Worked On Action Scenes In Captain America: Civil War
_______________________________





Update: March 10, 2016

First Look at Spider-Man in New CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Trailer

Possibly the best kept secret since Han Solo's fate in Star Wars: The Force Awakens has finally been revealed - the look of Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War.

After months of playing with the internet and fans everywhere, Marvel Studios finally unveiled the webhead in the latest trailer for Captain America: Civil War.

This is the very first time fans have seen any bit of Tom Holland's portrayal of Peter Parker. Not a single piece of promo art, merchandise, or footage has featured a slight look at Marvel's Spider-Man.

In February of last year, Sony and Marvel struck a deal which would allow Spider-Man to appear in Captain America: Civil War, which, at the time, had barely begun production in Georgia. Tom Holland was not-so-quickly cast in the role and it was announced that following his first appearance in Civil War, we would get a standalone Spider-Man film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in July of 2017.

First Look at Spider-Man in New CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Trailer

Comments: The new Spidey suit is not bad, but I still prefer the suit used in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Loved TASM2 suit's design, color and texture. The first appearance of Spider-Man holding Captain America's shield is iconic because with that one shot, it signifies he is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
_______________________________





Update: March 10, 2016

Spectacular 2nd Trailer for CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Meet the new Spider-Man. Tom Holland's version of Marvel's iconic wall-crawler makes an amazing debut — some might even say spectacular — at the climax of the latest trailer for Captain America: Civil War, and he's already chosen a side: he's standing with Team Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) against the forces led by Captain America (Chris Evans) over whether or not the superheroes of the world need oversight.

The new trailer gives more context about what's behind the internal conflict. Fights we glimpse include the Scarlet Witch taking on the Vision, Hawkeye teaming up with Ant-Man to fight Iron Man, and Cap actually taking on a genuine villain — Crossbones, AKA Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Brock Rumlow, played by Frank Grillo.

But all of that fades into the background after that final scene, with Spider-Man swinging into action on Iron Man's command, looking just like his comic book incarnation. "Hey, everyone," indeed. Directed by the Russo brothers, the movie will be released May 5.



Spider-Man Debuts in New 'Captain America: Civil War' Trailer

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: March 7, 2016

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Will Be Marvel Studios' Longest Movie to Date

With more than 10 superheroes lining up for a fight, fans wondered just how big Captain America: Civil War was going to be. Now they have their answer — a running time of 2 hours and 27 minutes, Disney confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

At 147 minutes, Civil War will be the longest Marvel movie to date, coming in four minutes longer than the previous title holder, 2012's Marvel's The Avengers. Apparently, Marvel movies featuring teams of superheroes run long; last year's Avengers: Age of Ultron ran 141 minutes, with all other Marvel releases save 2014's Captan America: The Winter Soldier (136 minutes) clocking in around the two-hour mark.

For those looking for specifics, continuing down from longest to shortest, the remaining Marvel movies are: Iron Man 3 (130 minutes), Iron Man (126 minutes), Iron Man 2 (125 minutes),Captain America: The First Avenger (124 minutes), Guardians of the Galaxy (122 minutes), Ant-Man (117 minutes), Thor (114 minutes) and, matching each other for joint last place, The Incredible Hulk and Thor: The Dark World (112 minutes).

Captain America: Civil War is likely to need the expanded length; in addition to pitting two teams of superheroes against each other and tying up the Winter Soldier plot left dangling in the previous Cap movie, the feature will also introduce two new players to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

While it may be the longest Marvel movie to date, it's far from the longest superhero movie released. This month's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice runs 151 minutes, while 2012's The Dark Knight Rises ran an impressive 165 minutes.

'Captain America: Civil War' Will Be the Longest Marvel Studios Film to Date

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: February 22, 2016

Martin Freeman's Role in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Revealed

Amid the many casting calls for Captain America: Civil War there was one auxiliary announcement that caught the eye. Martin Freeman. What could the man best known as Bilbo, Dr. Watson and The Office’s Tim Canterbury be up to in the MCU? Well, the answer is found in the new issue of Empire. Say hello to Everett Ross.

This exclusive still shows Freeman’s Ross and Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter – Steve Rogers' former neighbour – in action. Note the German SWAT team backing them up. Co-director Joe Russo is promising that the return to Germany will bring Chris Evans’ Rogers “full circle”, sending him back to where it all began in a way that will no doubt be emotionally challenging for Cap. As if tackling Tony Stark and his team won’t be tough enough.

A stalwart in the Marvel comic books, Everett Ross is traditionally the US government’s man in Wakanda. It’s a role that obviously brings Freeman into Black Panther’s (Chadwick Boseman) world and makes Freeman a safe bet to be get a broader role in the standalone Black Panther movie. In Civil War he’s part of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre.

Martin Freeman’s Captain America: Civil War character revealed

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: January 28, 2016

Former Captain America Frontrunner John Krasinski Wants to Play a Marvel Villain

When Marvel was searching for someone to play Captain America, the studio whittled down their choices to two actors: Chris Evans and John Krasinski. They eventually locked down a reluctant Evans to a 6-picture deal and the rest is history.

Does Krasinski, the former star of The Office, still have interest in working with Marvel after his close call with Captain America? "I'll take a Marvel movie, any time! I love watching them so I'd love to be a part of it," Krasinski told Digital Spy while promoting 13 Hours. "The Captain America thing was hilarious... I had so much fun doing it and got to wear the suit and screen-test and sign my life away that I wouldn't tell anyone."

Krasinski has no hard feelings about losing to Evans. In fact, he would like to play a villain in the MCU, and most of all, fight Evans' Captain America. "Chris is a good friend and very good at what he does, so I was so happy to see him do it," he said. "Maybe now I need to play a villain and fight Chris. That's what we need to do."

Former Captain America Frontrunner John Krasinski Wants to Play a Marvel Villain

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: January 3, 2016

Joss Whedon Says He Is No Longer Involved with the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Joss Whedon is done with Marvel movies for the foreseeable future. The filmmaker said during a recent Q&A at Oxford Union that he no longer has any involvement of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a property he had previously worked for as "showrunner."

"I've gone off the reservation for a while. It was five years that I was working on either Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D.," Whedon said. "That was an enormous gift they gave me; they handed me several hundreds of millions of dollars and said 'do what you do,' which is very rare and I was very lucky. At the same time, it's important for me not just to have my own thing and do something smaller, but also to create a new challenge for myself because I will start to repeat myself."

Pressed for clarification on how "off the reservation" he was, Whedon spelled out, "No, you know, I was their sort of consigliere for a while...but I sort of had my finger in all of the films in the second phase but then I just had to concentrate only on Ultron and sort of know that when it was done, I was just going to stop, so I made a completely clean break."

"Ultron has been the most complicated response I've gotten," Whedon said on the criticisms for Age of Ultron. "The way I deal with it is becoming fetal for about eight months [audience laughter]. I f**king have no spine or self-identity or anything, and it's horrifying. It sucks... But I'll be okay... Later..."



Joss Whedon Clarifies That He Has No More Involvement In Marvel Cinematic Universe

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: December 28, 2015

20th Century Fox Loses Taskmaster Movie Rights Back to Marvel Studios

The live action rights to Marvel Comics villain Taskmaster have reverted back to Marvel Studios, sources tell ComicBook.com. The issue arose recently when Deadpool director Tim Miller made a comment about which other characters he’d like to see Wade Wilson battle on screen. Here’s the quote one more time.

“I’d love to see Deadpool fight Batman - no, I’m just kidding, that’s not even in the Marvel family! I’d love to see Deadpool go up against Taskmaster who’s another Marvel total fuckin’ badass. But if I was to stay inside the Fox family, I would like to see him fight X-23, the female Wolverine. The female clone of Wolverine.”

Heroic Hollywood picked up on how Miller’s statement about staying “inside the Fox family” with X-23 implies that Taskmaster is not a part of that family. It’s an interesting implication because at one point Fox did have the rights to Taskmaster, and tried to develop a live action project for him that never quite got off the ground. As HH pointed out, this would seem to unofficially imply that Taskmaster’s rights are no longer with Fox.

ComicBook.com's sources confirms that this is true, and that the Taskmaster rights reverted to Marvel Studios at the same time as the rights to Daredevil.

It was previously speculated that Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Grant Ward may eventually become the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Taskmaster, but recent events in that show seem to suggest that’s not the case. Could he be used a villain for the Defenders on Netflix instead? Seems like it would be a good fit.

Live-Action Taskmaster Rights Appear To Have Reverted To Marvel Studios

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: November 25, 2015

The Sokovia Accords is the MCU's Version of the Superhuman Registration Act

The Sokovia Accords are the MCU's version of the Superhuman Registration Act that powered Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's Civil War comic back in 2006. "We're using the essence of what Civil War was about," says co-director Joe Russo. "The comic book isn't applicable to the storytelling that we've structured up to this point, but the concept of registration, the notion that heroes need to be either monitored or controlled because their power can be scary, is applicable."

"The Accords are the world jointly trying to govern the Avengers moving forward," continues Joe Russo. "It has to do with the effects of Ultron and Sokovia [the small city that Ultron tried to drop on the Earth from a great height at the end of Age Of Ultron], and New York City [roundly trashed at the end of The Avengers], and Washington D.C. [nearly devastated by falling helicarriers at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier]. Examining the third acts of all the Marvel movies, we're saying, if you could point to the collateral damage in all those incidents, could you use that against the Avengers to control them?"

In the comic book, Cap's opposition to the idea of registration led him to go rogue. In the movie, he chooses a similar path, but for different reasons. For very personal reasons. "The challenge was, we're doing the story of Civil War," says co-director Anthony Russo. "Which everybody knows is nominally about superhero registration. And in a lot of ways that can be a political issue, and we didn't want the conflict of the movie to solely exist on that level. We wanted to figure out very personal reasons why everyone's relationship to this idea of registration is going to become complicated. That's what the relationship between Steve and Bucky allowed us to do, to get very personal in terms of why people would lean one way or the other."

Russo Brothers Confirm Sokovia Accords are MCU's Superhuman Registration Act

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: September 4, 2015

Chris Evans Wants to Extend Marvel Contract After AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

When Collider recently sat down with Chris Evans in anticipation of his directorial debut Before We Go (in theaters and VOD September 4th), the actor confirmed that while his current Marvel contract only runs through Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1 and Part 2, he's more than happy to extend his stay:

'Listen, if Marvel wants me they got me. I've never had such a relationship where you have such - I mean look at my resume, I'm used to being on set being like, 'Ah is this movie gonna be terrible.' Marvel just can't stop making great movies, they do it in their sleep. It's wonderful directors and producers and actors and scripts, and it's like a playground as an actor.'

'It's so mind-boggling that I was so tentative in the beginning to jump onboard. What an asshole I would be if I hadn't done this. I mean can you imagine? Kicking myself...I'd never forgive myself!'

So while Evans' current contract runs out at the end of the sure-to-be-huge Infinity War saga, directed by his Winter Soldier and Civil War helmers Joe and Anthony Russo, he's certainly game to stick around for as long as Marvel will have him. It's entirely possible that Feige's plan - now out from under the purview of the notoriously stingy Ike Perlmutter - includes a changing of the guards as far as Captain America is concerned, so there's no guarantee Evans will stick around.

Chris Evans on Extending His Marvel Contract: "If They Want Me, They Got Me"

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: September 3, 2015

Kevin Feige Almost Quit Marvel Studios Due to CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Budget

In the end, and somewhat ironically, it was the upcoming Captain America: Civil War that helped catalyze a long-brewing civil war inside Marvel itself that ended with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige breaking free from his longtime boss, Marvel Entertainment CEO Isaac 'Ike' Perlmutter.

Feige and his highly successful film division will now report to Disney Studios chief Alan Horn instead of Perlmutter, the New York-based executive who oversees the Disney-owned company. Multiple sources say that Feige's years of frustration came to a head in part over the making of Captain America: Civil War, which recently completed filming in Georgia. Others say it was a move whose time finally had come because the film division slowly has gravitated toward Disney and now will based on the Burbank studio lot.

Sources say the budget on Civil War ballooned accordingly, which didn't sit well with the famously frugal Perlmutter. 'New York wanted to scale it down,' says one insider.

'New York' in this case wasn't just Perlmutter, 72. It was also Marvel's so-called "creative committee," a group of execs from Marvel's various divisions including publishing as well as Alan Fine, Perlmutter's right-hand man. The collective has been around since nearly the inception of Marvel Studios in the mid-2000s, offering critiques of creative choices as well as input on business decisions. Insiders say that with Feige breaking free of Perlmutter and the New York side of the company, the committee will not be disbanded but its influence over the Marvel movies will be nominal at best.

'New York had a big say for a long time but hasn't Kevin earned the right to some autonomy? He's made the company billions. Why is he reporting to a 72-year-old man who doesn't make movies' asks one insider.

Sources say Feige, 42, contemplated leaving Marvel - certainly he might be the industry's single most employable executive - before Disney CEO Bob Iger approved a reorganization that sees Feige reporting to Horn.

Marvel's Civil War: Why Kevin Feige Demanded Emancipation from CEO Ike Perlmutter

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: September 3, 2015

Original Script for CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Included the HULK

Whether the Hulk will appear in Captain America: Civil War has been a topic of much speculation since Avengers: Age of Ultron hit theaters. With Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) off the grid again, even the Avengers do'nt seem to know where he is. Marvel Studios wants to keep it that way, it seems. While on the press tour for his new film Spotlight, Ruffalo told Italian website Bad Taste that the Hulk was cut from Civil War.

'The reason is too great to be revealed in this movie (Civil War),' Ruffalo tells BadTaste.it. 'I was in the script but then they removed my character. They don't want to reveal where is he and why. I don't even know if Hulk will be back soon.'

So it looks like Hulk has been benched. While Ruffalo may not know when Hulk will show up next, it's most likely we'll see him in Avengers: Infinity War at the latest. Civil War seems like it will already be crazy crowded as it is, and trying to factor in what's going on with the Hulk feels like a distraction. Captain America: Civil War opens May 6, 2016.

The Hulk Was Cut From Captain America: Civil War Because Marvel Is Saving Him

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: August 31, 2015

Kevin Feige Breaks From Marvel CEO, Now Reports Directly to Disney CEO

After what one source describes as "several years of frustration," Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has pulled off a reorganization of the vaunted film company that has him reporting to Disney studio chief Alan Horn as opposed to the infamously micromanaging Marvel Entertainment CEO Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter.

Feige, the architect of Marvel's transition from a flailing comic book company into a film powerhouse that was sold to Disney for $4 billion in 2009, is said to have vented his unhappiness to Horn and Disney CEO Bob Iger earlier this summer. The reorganization was put into effect last week, according to sources.

The revamp is a blow to New York-based Perlmutter, a low-profile billionaire who has contributed to Marvel's reputation in Hollywood for frugality and secrecy (as THR reported in a 2014 feature, he attended the premiere of Iron Man in a disguise to go undetected and once complained that journalists at a press junket were allowed two sodas instead of one). Jeph Loeb, head of Marvel Television, continues to report to Perlmutter, who will maintain oversight of Marvel's TV group, publishing, animation and other New York-based operations.

Perlmutter, 72, is said to have accepted Feige's insistence on the film group breaking free. But the move illustrates the power that Feige has amassed within the Disney empire, having overseen a slate of films since 2009 that has grossed more than $7 billion while rival Warner Bros. has struggled to turn its DC superheroes into a comparable cinematic universe. Disney has plotted out Marvel films until at least 2019.

One insider says Feige has earned the opportunity to break free from Perlmutter, who is not only controlling, but also obsessed with thrift. "Everybody knows Ike is difficult," says one source close to the company. "This has been a long time coming. Kevin has grown his entire career under Ike and now it just makes sense."

Marvel Shake-Up: Film Chief Kevin Feige Breaks Free of Ike Perlmutter (Exclusive)

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: June 23, 2015

It's Official: Tom Holland is Cast as the New SPIDER-MAN! Will Appear First in CIVIL WAR

Sony has found its newest web-slinger. Tom Holland will star as the Marvel superhero, a character who has been played in recent years by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Jon Watts is set to direct the upcoming Spider-Man; he also directed the coming-of-age thriller Cop Car, which premiered at Sundance this year.

With Holland in the lead, the franchise is now ready to reboot for a new series of Sony films, the first of which will arrive in theaters July 28, 2017 but not before Spider-Man first appears in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Civil War.

The decision comes after stealth test-screening in Atlanta on May 30 that saw Holland and Asa Butterfield (Ender's Game) test, along with Judah Lewis (Demolition), Matthew Lintz (Pixels), Charlie Plummer (Boardwalk Empire) and Charlie Rowe (Red Band Society).

Those tests - with Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige, former Sony head and now a Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal and Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo present - were the culmination of a worldwide search in which the producers looked at over 1,500 boys from around the globe.

Sources say the decision came down to Holland and Rowe, with the producers favoring the older of the actors, and the duo were asked to retest. Holland turned 19 years old in June. Still, the studios were very meticulous in their decision-making.

Marvel and Sony made it a point to recast Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, as a teenager, since the new series will be set entirely in high school. Watts, meanwhile, beat out director contenders such as Jonathan Levine and the team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein. Sources say it was Feige who made the ultimate call regarding the new director.

Variety adds that Spider-Man is only expected to have a cameo in Captain America: Civil War, so there wasn't a rush to make a decision since the actor would only be shooting for about a week.

Tom Holland Officially Cast as the New Spider-Man; Jon Watts to Direct 2017 Film

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: June 22, 2015

Breakdown of HULK Distribution Rights and Why Marvel is Hesitant to Make a HULK Movie

Back in April, Mark Ruffalo revealed that Universal owns the distribution rights to a solo Hulk movie. "As far as a Hulk movie, a standalone Hulk movie, Marvel doesn't really have the rights to that yet," said Ruffalo. "That's still Universal's property, so there's that issue. That's a big impediment to moving forward with that. Now I don't think that's insurmountable, by the way, but I don't know where it's going from here for me."

A Forbes article expands on Ruffalo's statement. Marvel owns the film production rights to the Hulk. They have since 2005, after Universal's character license lapsed since a follow-up to Ang Lee's 2003 film Hulk had not yet entered into production. In the first quarter of 2006, then-Marvel Entertainment chairman Morton Handel announced in an earnings report that the rights to Hulk and Iron Man had reverted to Marvel; later that year, the studio also regained film rights to Captain America and Thor.

Now the complication: Universal still retains distribution rights to the Hulk, along with the right of first refusal. In other words, Marvel can make their movies without any interference from Universal, but Universal decides whether or not they want to act as distributor. That being said, if Universal opts not to distribute, Disney would then immediately be able to scoop up the distribution rights. So, for Universal: Nothing to do with production; distribution rights are dependent on exercising that option.

Marvel's Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor were all distributed by Paramount. Marvel's deal with Sony as it pertains to using Spider-Man, Marvel can use the character for team-ups while Sony can continue to produce and distribute their own Spidey-centric films. So it's obvious that Marvel Studios is willing and able to make arrangements with other Hollywood power players.

So if a Hulk movie is possible, why isn't it probable? As Forbes sums up, there are three reasons:

1.) Previous Hulk films have not been, relative to other Marvel films, as critically or financially successful for the studio and thus pose a greater risk for developing another standalone feature. Coupled with the extremely high cost in special effects if you were going to make a film in which Banner is The Hulk for most of the movie, make it a dicey investment.

2.) The Hulk seems to work better as a wildcard member of a team rather than the central character shouldering the entire movie; in short: he's a supporting character.

3.) Reimagining the Hulk as anything more than a rage monster has not impressed audiences in past films.

Who Owns the Hulk? A Breakdown of Movie Production and Distribution Rights

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: June 3, 2015

Samuel L. Jackson Not in CIVIL WAR, Wants to Extend Marvel Contract

Samuel L. Jackson will not be appearing as Nick Fury in Captain America: Civil War, the actor has revealed. Jackson's name was conspicuously absent from the lengthy cast list that was revealed when Marvel Studios' next film went into production. Now Jackson has confirmed that he is sitting out of the next Cap film, in a statement to Collider:

"It's an amazing amount of fun. I finally met [comics writer] Mark [Millar], last year, when I was doing Kingsman, 'cause he was on set one day, and I finally got a chance to thank him for making Nick Fury black and changing the whole dynamic. It's really great to be the connective tissue between so many different characters in so many different films, that brings those guys together."

"But I'm not in Captain America 3. I can't figure that out, but I'm not. I guess I'm still out there, trying to figure out what happened to S.H.I.E.L.D. and who these other people are."

That said, Jackson isn't quite ready to exit the Marvel universe just yet. He revealed that he's currently in the process of negotiating a contract extension: "Of course [I'm interested in returning]! I'm looking for a contract extension right now, yeah. I'm looking to re-up."

Samuel L. Jackson Not in Captain America: Civil War, Wants to Extended Marvel Deal

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: February 23, 2015

Dragonlord Exclusive: First Footage from CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR!

Dragonlord Exclusive: I have just obtain the very first footage from the Marvel Studios' highly-anticipated Captain America: Civil War. I've also uncovered major details on the plot and the characters involved in this epic showdown. There have been reports in the past that Marvel was rebooting Spider-Man and Peter Parker was going back to high school. Recently, there were rumors that it would be Miles Morales that would take up the mantle of the Web-Slinger.

I'm here to report that they are all wrong! Marvel went with another direction. In the new reboot, Spider-Man is now a super-villain! Yes, you heard me right. Spidey is now a bad guy. This new Spider-Man is the most ruthless and vicious villain in Marvel Studios' history. The very first scene he appears in, Spidey orders the death of a woman by slicing her face off with a boat propeller!

Take a look at the footage below and I'll give you a breakdown on some of the important details. At the 6:20 mark, you can see how they introduced Spidey's camouflage suit from the Civil War comics. At 2:49, Tony Stark makes his first appearance and in what appears to be a homage to the classic "Demon in a Bottle" comic book storyline. Brilliant how Marvel seamlessly incorporates all these plot elements into one film.



During the 3:54 mark, Doctor Doom shows up and displays his formidable powers. At 4:24, Spidey kills a woman taking a bath. What a bastard. This wouldn't be a Civil War if there weren't other superheroes involved and at 4:59 Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil shows up! Nerdgasm. At 5:39, Marvel unexpectedly rips off the "rushing or dragging" scene straight from Whiplash. You're better than this, Marvel. At 5:50, Spidey devices an elaborate death trap to one of his enemies.

In a surprising plot twist, Doctor Doom is actually on the side of the good guys as evident at the 7:25 mark. At 7:46, Spidey kills two people in a shower. Cameo appearance by Kurt Russell at 8:11 mark. Around the 8:40 mark, Spidey makes love to the redheaded Mary Jane Watson, who is also a villain.

Marvel boldly reveals the "Spider Clone Saga" storyline in the movie during the 9:43 mark. Spoiler alert, Mary Jane dies at the 11:50 mark. During the post-credits scene, we are treated to the iconic Spider-Man unmasked scene. So there you have it. I don't know about you but this looks to be another Marvel hit, probably going to gross $800 million domestically. No wonder the Batman v Superman movie moved its release date to avoid Captain America: Civil War.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: February 9, 2015

It's Official: SPIDER-MAN Will Join Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Spider-Man is getting a mighty Marvel makeover. Sony Pictures, which has been the steward of the franchise since 1999, is partnering up with Disney-owned Marvel Studios to bring a new version of the Spider-Man character to life. Latino Review was the first to report this a few weeks ago.

As part of the revamp, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film. The companies are not revealing details but that movie is likely to be Captain America: Civil War; the character was a major player in the comics storyline. Andrew Garfield is not expected to reprise the character.

Once the character is re-launched, Sony will then release a new Spider-Man movie on July 28, 2017. Marvel's Kevin Feige will join Amy Pascal as a producer on the new movie. The duo will "collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger," according to the companies. Ari Arad and Matt Tolmach, who were producers on the previous movie, will now executive produce.

There is also talk of looking ways to integrate characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the Marvel movies are known, into future Spider-Man films. The move is a major team-up for two rival studios. Spider-Man has been Sony's most lucrative franchise, but the most recent installment, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, disappointed. Disney's Marvel has had unprecedented success with its hero films.

Sony, however, will retain the final creative control and continue to finance, distribute, own the new movies.

To make room for Spider-Man, Marvel has pushed back a number of its films. Thor: Ragnarok has been moved to Nov. 3, 2017 from its July 28, 2017 date. Black Panther will now open July 6, 2018, moving from Nov. 3, 2017. Captain Marvel moved to Nov. 2, 2018 from July 6, 2018, while Inhumans is slotted for July 12, 2019, from its original Nov. 2, 2018 date.

Official: Sony Pictures Brings Marvel Studios Into The Amazing World Of Spider-Man
____________________________________





Update: February 10, 2015

New Details on the Sony/Marvel SPIDER-MAN Deal Revealed

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed new details on the Sony/Marvel Spider-Man deal. Instead of Sony selling the superhero back to Marvel, it made a move no one expected: opting to lease the rights to the web-slinger to its rival for a single film.

Marvel has been trying for years to wrest the Spider-Man rights back from Sony, offering billions, sources say. But Sony, franchise-starved as it is, eschewed the quick cash to keep its $4 billion franchise in house.

Sources say no money changed hands between the two studios in the deal and is instead seen as a quid pro quo transaction. Sony benefits from the free exposure of a younger, rebooted Spider-Man in a film from red-hot Marvel, while Marvel gets its hands on the most prized superhero in its lucrative universe. Also, since Marvel controls the merchandising rights to Spider-Man, the effect this move will have on sales could be worth more than any cut they would have seen. Variety says Sony will get more than 60% of the ticket sales.

Though Spider-Man will first appear in an unnamed Marvel movie, Sony and producer Amy Pascal will have more influence over the actor cast in the iconic role because Sony retains final approval. The studio is currently looking for an actor much younger than 31-year-old Andrew Garfield as well as a writer for its reboot.

Director Marc Webb will not be back to complete a third Spider-Man. Amazing producers Matt Tolmach and Avi Arad have been downgraded to executive producers, with no real say in the creative direction of the franchise.

One knowledgeable source sees the move as a first step to Marvel re-acquiring the rights to Spider-Man down the road, while another believes Disney is positioning itself to acquire Sony should it ever become available.

Details of the Sony/Marvel Spider-Man Deal Revealed; Looking to Cast Younger Actor

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: October 13, 2014

Robert Downey Jr.'s CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 Deal Angered Marvel CEO

Robert Downey Jr. will suit as Iron Man at least one more time and is joining Captain America 3. But the deal for Downey to return as Iron Man almost didn't happen. Originally, Marvel wanted to hire Downey for a small role, which would have required just three weeks of work. But Downey wanted Stark to have a more substantial role in the film's plot, which would give him more screen time and naturally a bigger payday. This angered Marvel Entertainment chief Ike Perlmutter, who ordered the screenwriters to write Iron Man out of the script entirely, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

Even though the deal appeared dead, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Downey's reps at CAA continued talks in hopes of working out their issues. Feige was bent on executing his grand vision for extending the life of the Marvel characters over many years.

The executive needed his boss to see the big picture, considering the introduction of the Civil War story is seen as a way to drive the plots of sequels and new franchises for the next seven years, given the dramatic possibilities it offers for future films. The fallout from the government and Stark's actions would factor into a new Avengers 4 film and beyond that will assemble new characters being introduced like Ant-Man and Doctor Strange, among others, in their own movies.

Downey, who earned $50 million for The Avengers alone, will collect around $40 million plus backend participation for Captain America 3, said sources, and will get an additional payout if Captain America 3 outperforms Captain America: The Winter Soldier's $714 million worldwide haul. Since the actor did not appear in the first two Captain America films, the thinking is that if the third installment surpasses the last movie, its success could be attributed to Downey.

It's also worth noting that Evans is clearly a bigger star now, evidenced by the fact that Captain America: The Winter Soldier grossed nearly twice as much as The First Avenger's $371 million in 2011.

Marvel still could have worked around Downey if need be. With the studio having already reworked plots from the comicbooks to fit its bigscreen agenda, it's certainly feasible that Stark could have been turned into a different character to butt heads with Captain America - the Incredible Hulk's Bruce Banner, for example. Another option could have been dropping the Civil War plot entirely, which would have required major rewrites.

Robert Downey Jr. Joins Captain America 3; Film Kicks Off Civil War Storyline (Exclusive)
________________________________





Update: October 13, 2014

Robert Downey Jr. Joins CAPTAIN AMERICA 3; Will Incorporate CIVIL WAR Story

Robert Downey Jr. is on the verge of signing on to Captain America 3, a move that would bring the Civil War storyline from Marvel's comicbooks to the bigscreen and trigger the start of a new phase of movies from Marvel Studios. The actor is in final negotiations to play billionaire Tony Stark in the third installment, which is slated to begin production in the Spring for a May 6, 2016 release. Downey is already set to suit up as Iron Man for next year's The Avengers: Age of Ultron and The Avengers 3.

The deal is significant for the Marvel cinematic universe considering the plot will pit Stark against Captain America's alter-ego Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, as they feud over the Superhero Registration Act, which forces anyone with superhuman abilities to reveal their identities to the U.S. government and agree to act as a police force for the authorities.

Stark supports the program, but Rogers does not, saying it threatens civil liberties, causing sides to be taken and Rogers, among others, to go on the run to avoid arrest. The moral question and battle with his Avengers teammate essentially makes Stark a villain of sorts in Captain America 3, providing Downey with a meaty role he could play out into future Marvel films, including a fourth Avengers.

Marvel on Monday announced plans to reboot the Civil War comicbook miniseries in 2015, which will help introduce the story to new readers leading up to Captain America 3. The first crossover over Marvel's biggest characters, including Spider-Man, was published in 2006.

Robert Downey Jr. Joins Captain America 3; Film Kicks Off Civil War Storyline (Exclusive)

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: August 6, 2014

BATMAN V SUPERMAN Abandons Release Date to Avoid CAPTAIN AMERICA 3

The Marvel/DC release date showdown has come to an end, and it appears that Marvel has come away the victor. Marvel Studios staked out the May 6, 2016 weekend a while ago for an "Untitled Marvel Movie," but when Warner Bros. went looking for a new release date for its Man of Steel follow-up, it decided to plant its flag on May 6, 2016 as well with the thinking that Marvel would subsequently move. Except Marvel didn't move, it doubled down by announcing that Captain America 3 would be its May 2016 movie, which was certainly a big deal coming off the stellar opening weekend for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

And so now Warner Bros. has flinched, but instead of delving deeper into the summer, the studio will be trying to kickstart the blockbuster season incredibly early by setting the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice release date on March 25, 2016. If that wasn't enough, Warner Bros. has announced release dates for 9 untitled DC films and 2 "event films." With the move, Warners and DC are essentially declaring war on Marvel and Disney, which have been the most prolific suppliers of superhero titles.

The DC movies that are expected to fill this ambitious pipeline include Zack Snyder's Justice League movie, standalone spinoffs for Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman and Jason Momoa's Aquaman, as well as a Shazam/Black Adam movie starring Dwayne Johnson and a Sandman movie that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is producing and may star in. WB also laid claim to Nov. 16, 2018, and Nov. 20, 2020, likely for the second and third installments in J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts trilogy (the first film hits theaters in 2016).

Batman v Superman Moved Up to March 2016; WB Announces 9 Dates for DC Films
________________________________





Update: March 20, 2014

CAPTAIN AMERICA Cast Talks About BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN Showdown

During the London press conference for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the cast expressed their feelings about Captain America 3 sharing a release date with Batman vs. Superman. "When two cars are speeding at each other," said director Joe Russo, "one of them's got to veer out of the way at some point. Marvel, I think, announced that date originally. If you go back, historically, Marvel and, I think, Sony have been trading off on that May date for a long time and I think when Warner Bros. decided to move that film they moved it to the May date. So, I can see where Kevin [Feige] said, "Well, I'm not moving off that date, so... I don't think they'll be anything to up the ante other than that, hopefully, we make a great movie and everybody's very excited to see it."

Co-director Anthony Russo says, "The truth is anybody up here, all we can do is just focus on making the best movie we can make. When and how it gets released, there's other forces involved in that." Anthony Mackie, who plays The Falcon, was a bit more antagonistic, saying "In other words, 'punks step up to get beat down!'" Samuel L. Jackson added, "At Marvel, you have heroes. And then there's DC, where you have interesting bad guys."

Batman vs. Superman was originally scheduled to be released in 2015, but was pushed to May 6, 2016 due to a production delay. Marvel had already claimed that release date for a, then, unnamed film, now known to be Captain America 3. Captain America 3 and Batman vs. Superman are both scheduled for theatrical release on May 6, 2016.



Winter Soldier Cast Reacts to Batman/Superman Showdown
________________________________





Update: March 13, 2014

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 to Challenge BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN Head On

The mystery has been solved -- the untitled Marvel Studios tentpole that Warner Bros.' Batman-Superman movie will go up against on May 6, 2016, is Captain America 3, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. That's the plan, anyway, creating the biggest superhero box office showdown in history (Marvel Studios and parent company Disney staked out the date first). Shooting schedules and post-production could always impact the current blueprint, however. Also, Marvel and Disney have a second untitled movie set to open that summer on July 8, so there is wiggle room.

Marvel films have all but owned the first weekend of summer for the past decade to enormous success, so all of Hollywood was surprised when Warner Bros. announced in January that it would open Batman-Superman movie on May 6, 2016 as well. Batman-Superman stars Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill once again as Superman. It was originally supposed to hit theaters in summer 2015, but its release was pushed back nearly a year. There's no doubt but that Warners is hoping to replicate the blockbuster returns Marvel has enjoyed with its multi-hero Avengers universe.

This week, when promoting the upcoming sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige threw down the gauntlet, saying he had no plans to move off of the May 6 date. He still wouldn't reveal the identity of the film; however, insiders confirm it will indeed be Captain America 3. The world premiere of Winter Soldier is Thursday in Hollywood. Veteran box office observers doubt that the two films will ultimately open opposite each other.

Mystery Solved: 'Captain America 3' to Challenge 'Batman vs. Superman' Head On
________________________________





Update: January 28, 2014

Anthony and Joe Russo to Direct Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA 3

While Captain America: The Winter Soldier doesn't bow until April 4th, Marvel is apparently bullish on directors Joe and Anthony Russo. Although it's not confirmed and the film is not officially greenlit, a new report has the Russo brothers coming back for a third installment of the Captain America franchise within a franchise. Negotiations between the studio and the directors wouldn't take place until the early box office numbers from Captain America: The Winter Soldier roll in, but the production and recent test screenings have been so impressive that the studio expedited their deal-making process.

Since many of the actors, including Chris Evans, have multi-picture deals, you can expect the principal cast to return for the third installment. Kevin Feige would also return to produce. No writer is attached at the moment, nor is a release date scheduled, but the report says that Marvel and the Russos are busy crafting an outline for the next film. Marvel currently has two release dates in 2016 and one in 2017 for unspecified titles, so it's safe to assume that Captain America 3 will be one of them, likely 2017 if the three-year separation between films is any indication.

[Update 03/11/14: Kevin Feige and the Russo Brothers have confirmed that the filmmakers are set to return for Captain America 3.]

WINTER SOLDIER Directors Joe and Anthony Russo to Return for Captain America 3