Marvel's 'Phase 2': Part 2: Other Projects

(This is Part 2 of a look into Marvel's upcoming plans to expand their Cinematic Universe. If you haven't read Part 1 yet, I suggest you read that first. Also, like before, this is just based on what has been given so far.)



We've taken care of the next few films for Marvel's lead members of The Avengers, so the question now is what else does Marvel have planned up their sleeves? After all, now that Marvel has confirmed that 'Avengers 2' is in the works and that Joss Whedon will return to write and direct the film, fans are certainly anticipating to see what new characters will be introduced into this cinematic universe that Marvel has created. The following entry will mainly revolve around the two films that Marvel has confirmed recently to be in the works. However, there are certainly many more characters who might join the team for the sequel. Who could those heroes be? Let's not waste any more time and get the ball rolling...



At this year's San Diego Comic Con, Marvel revealed some of their plans for upcoming movies now that Avengers has come and gone with a bang (over 1 billion, to be exact). First, they showed off footage from 'Iron Man 3' and then they revealed the titles for the then-unnamed sequels to Thor and Captain America with 'The Dark World' and 'The Winter Soldier', respectively. But those weren't the only films that Marvel showed off at the event as they also revealed two other movies that were confirmed to be in production. One of these films was a solo film that had already been in the works for a long time while the other film will be about a superhero team that most people might not even know about.





The solo project was 'Ant-Man', a project that has been in development since about 2007. The film will be directed by Edgar Wright and the script will be written by both Wright and his partner Joe Cornish. According to Wright, this new film will include some humorous moments, but it will not be a comedy or a spoof, something Wright has been generally known for having directed 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Hot Fuzz', and 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'. This new movie will feature two incarnations of the character. The first will be the original 'Ant-Man' Henry Pym, who will be Ant-Man during the 1960's. The present version of Ant-Man will be the character Scott Lang, who will take up the mantle of Pym as Ant-Man. Wright has had to alter his script a couple of times in order to fit the chronology of Marvel's universe. Wright has directed test footage at this point and reports say that he will be directing the post-credits scene for 'Iron Man 3' which will feature Ant-Man. At this point, there is no confirmed release date for Edgar Wright's 'Ant-Man'.



The other film that Marvel announced, though, has a confirmed date of August 1, 2014. The characters in question are members of another Marvel superhero team, the Guardians of the Galaxy. This team of intergalactic superheroes first got its start in 1969, but the new film will be based around the 2008 version of the team. It has also been reported that this film will serve as the introduction for the character of Thanos, AKA the big-grinning purple alien from the end credits of 'The Avengers'. So far, there's been no confirmation as to the director of this project but it is likely Marvel will hire someone soon.





Like with the other big name Marvel films that are coming out in the future, we have yet to see any footage from either of these two movies to have any opinion on how they will turn out. In terms of Ant-Man, I'm certainly behind having a director like Edgar Wright helm the project. Wright has certainly proven that he's a talented director and as shown by his filmography he can do some really creative things behind the camera. But the Guardians movie is a different story. I'll be honest, when this project was first confirmed, I had no idea who the **** these guys where and I'm certain a lot of you don't know either. That's not a good sign for a new film when not a lot of people probably don't know a single thing about the characters in it. Plus, is this really the best place to introduce Thanos? I'd much rather wait until 'Avengers 2' if you ask me.



But enough of those two films. There's still the issue of what other characters Marvel might introduce into the team... Well, not being a huge comic book reader, I can't really give my opinion on what characters could join the team. That's more suited for people who have read the comics. All in all, I'm just a guy who's pumped to see what's next for our heroes and I'm eagerly awaiting 'Iron Man 3', 'Thor: The Dark World', 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' and of course, 'Avengers 2'. Sure, I'll even include 'Ant-Man' at this point. Joss Whedon certainly proved that he could deliver an awesome superhero movie with the first Avengers, so I have full faith in him that he can deliver again with the sequel. So that's about all I have to say about this. This has been a look at what Marvel has planned for their Universe now that they have successfully made it all come together. Thanks for reading.