Originally published on For Your Excitement. 20 March 2014.
An upcoming episode of Arrow will preview more of The Flash’s new cast. Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow and Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon will appear in Arrow’s episode 19, “The Man Under the Hood.”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Arrow executive producer Mark Guggenheim commented on the decision to introduce the characters prior to the premiere of the spinoff. “It allows us to further flush out The Flash universe in Arrow. We get to see their dynamic.”
While the circumstances of Caitlin and Cisco’s visit to Starling City remain unknown, we do have a few details about the characters themselves. Both work for S.T.A.R. labs, she as a bioengineering expert and he as a mechanical engineering genius. In the comics, Caitlin eventually becomes the villain Killer Frost but Cisco becomes Vibe, a hero who joins the Justice League of America.
Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, who head up The Flash’s writing team, will pen the Arrow episode in which Panabaker and Valdes appear. The full pilot for the series about the Scarlett Speedster will air in October. “The Man Under the Hood” will air in April.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 20 March 2014.
Way back when Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered we met a troubled, frustrated guy named Mike Petersen. Sixteen episodes later, Mike has made quite a transformation. Into Deathlok.
The new images released by ABC show Petersen’s (J. August Richards) Deathlok costume in full.
Petersen was first introduced as a part of the Centipede super solider program. He later switched sides and effectively joined up with Agent Coulson’s team before being blackmailed into handing Coulson over to the baddies. In a last act of heroism, Petersen tried to save the agent but was caught in an explosion, kidnapped by The Clairvoyant and converted into Deathlok via a robotic leg and an eye implant.
Personally, I’m thrilled that S.H.I.E.L.D. has kept Richards coming back as Petersen. I was disappointed to see him exit at the end of the pilot and this is a great role for the actor who is best known for his other Whedonverse character, Charles Gunn on Angel.
As for the state of the Deathlok costume, comic book fans may be dismayed to see a distinct lay of tech with IO9 saying, “He looks like an evil bounty hunter from a cheap sci-fi show from the ’70s.” Comics Alliance adds, “his costume looks a little bit like some leftover wardrobe from the Dune movie or a really fancied up seatbelt buckle,” but also points out, and I agree, that the costume is a step closer to the comics’ undead cyborg. Let’s remember that Petersen still has three of his four original limbs at this point. There’s plenty of time for the evolution to full cyborg, complete with a menacing red eye, later.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Deathlok episode will air April 1 on ABC. In addition to Richards’ return, the episode brings back Agents John Garrett (Bill Paxton), Antoine Triplett (B.J. Britt), Victoria Hand (Safron Burrows), Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernández) and Felix Blake (Titus Welliver).
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 19 March 2014.
Greetings Agents and Marvel fans! In lieu of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. tonight we got to enjoyAssembling a Universe. This mini documentary tracked the progression of Marvel Studios from its inception in 2006 to its present day status as a geek and box office juggernaut. If you missed this featurette, shame on you. Check out the recap here but then go see this awesome timeline of Marvel’s rise to cinematic greatness for yourself.
Clark Gregg described Marvel’s films best saying, “These are all chapters in a giant pop culture mythology, and I love that.” Let’s take a look at some of those chapters (minor spoilers ahead!):
Big Independent Studio: Back in 2006, the still-new Marvel Studios decided to try to create its own cinematic universe. They chose heroes Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk as their starting points. Though Hulk was well known, Iron Man was almost immediately lampooned by the media and critics as a second-rate character. At the time, bigger Marvel names like Spider-Man and the X-Men were tied up with other studios. After struggling to find a writer for the Iron Manfilm, Jon Favreau finally stepped up with a passion for the project. He cast Robert Downey Jr. because he saw the film as though it were any other independent movie and he wanted the best actors possible. Downey Jr.’s casting came as a surprise to many but also solidified Marvel’s intent: to make great movies with exceptional stories, characters and actors. The studio even reached out to let fans know, via a Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury cameo, that Iron Man was the start of an Avengers universe.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 17 March 2014.
Where to start Oncers? Tonight we added a new branch to the far too crowded Once Upon a Time family tree. We also learned that last week’s preview for this episode completely spoiled us for the not-so-big “flying monkeys are people” reveal. But most importantly, in my incredibly biased opinion, we find out the fate of someone near and dear to my Rumbelle heart. Get out your torches; it’s time for a “Witch Hunt.”
What you need to know:
Regina and Robin, sitting in a tree…:In Regina’s castle, the Wicked Witch sends one of her monkey minions to get the Queen. He swoops upon the Storybrooke company and nearly snatches up Robin Hood’s adorable son. Regina saves the kid and makes the flying monkey into a cuddly stuffed animal for the boy. Belle rightly surmises that the person occupying Regina’s castle must be from Oz, hence the flying monkeys and green smoke. “The bookworm’s right,” Regina replies. She goes into the tunnels that run underneath her castle, which aren’t protected by the spell. Robin decides to join her as thanks for saving his son and also because he loves her! Alright, maybe not yet but very soon Oncers. They arrive to find Regina’s blood-magic-sealed door is open.
The usual suspect: The Queen, who is devastated by Henry’s amnesia, privately informs Emma that she didn’t cast this new curse. However, at a town hall meeting later, everyone gangs up on Regina and Emma joins with the mob mentality. The Queen (like me) is ticked about this because oh my gosh haven’t they suspected her enough?! So she creates an earthquake and vanishes. Soon after, Emma meets her in her office and we learn this was a “clever” plan to fool everyone into thinking Emma wasn’t looking at all of them as suspects. Hey maybe she should talk to the random new girl no one remembers from the Enchanted Forest! Zelena is just in Granny’s chatting up Mary Margaret about her baby.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 14 March 2014.
In what is clearly an attempt to make Games of Thrones fans hate and love them even more, the producers of the HBO show have revealed they know how the series ends. Showrunners DB Weiss and David Benioff told Vanity Fair that they sat down with A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin to talk about the series conclusion.
“Last year we went out to Santa Fe for a week to sit down with [George] and just talk through where things are going, because we don’t know if we are going to catch up and where exactly that would be,” Benioff said. “If you know the ending, then you can lay the groundwork for it. And so we want to know how everything ends. We want to be able to set things up. So we just sat down with him and literally went through every character.”
Just the thought of this knowledge is enough to make most fans drool with envy. The TV series, just like the books, continues to leave many questions tantalizingly unanswered, such as the ultimate fate of the Starks, Jon Snow’s heritage, and which king or queen will take the Iron Throne.
The sit down with the HBO producers was certainly necessary as Game of Thrones rapidly closes in on catching up with Martin’s books. When the show returns for its fourth season, it will complete the adaptation of Martin’s third book in the series. This leaves two other currently completed books to pull from until the author, notorious for his slow writing, finishes more.
“It’s a little complicated, because we have the five books, but then we don’t have anything beyond that, because he’s still working,” Benioff admitted. “It’s sort of an unusual position in terms of adaptation because, you know, we’re catching up. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. And we’ve talked to George. The lucky part is that George works with us and he’s a producer on the show.”
The author still has The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring to finish writing in the seven book series so he couldn’t tell Weiss and Benioff everything just yet. “I can give them the broad strokes of what I intend to write, but the details aren’t there yet,” Martin said. “I’m hopeful that I cannot let them catch up with me.”
Whenever Martin does finish those last two books, it will mean the end of the TV series will be drawing near as well. Weiss stated the show will not “just keep on going because it can.” Rather he and Benioff recognize that the series has a natural end and they have to respect that. Speaking with the wisdom so many other producers lack, he said, “I think the desire to milk more out of it is what would eventually kill it, if we gave in to that.”
Game of Thrones returns to HBO on Sunday, April 6.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 14 March 2014.
Proving that they really just don’t care about whatever DC is doing, Marvel has decided to keep their Captain America 3 release date despite DC planning to release their Batman/Superman film on the same day. Fanboys and girls, get ready for a throw down on May 6, 2016.
In January, DC issued a clear challenge to the Disney-owned Marvel when they moved up their Man of Steel sequel from July to May. Marvel had already staked out May 6 for an untitled film, and this week we learned that film is Captain America 3, which means it’s time for DC to rethink their strategy.
The truth is Marvel has been hammering DC in the cinematic world. With Avengers 2 underway and Captain America: The Winter Soldier due out on April 4, Marvel is on a definite high. DC, on the other hand, is putting together some mash-up movie with Ben Affleck taking over Batman’s cape and cowl and Henry Cavill returning as Superman.
As Scott Mendelson at Forbes notes, “Warner Bros. has little choice but to pick a new release date. It has officially lost this game of chicken and will lose any showdown with Captain America 3 by default…Batman/Superman must unequivocally succeed in order for Warner Bros. to do whatever Justice League plans they have up their sleeve.”
Interestingly, The Hollywood Reporter, which first broke the Captain America 3 news, cites industry experts who believe it is highly unlikely the two superhero films will actually open the same weekend. Really what this means is, we’re all waiting to see who blinks first: Marvel or DC?
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 14 March 2014.
Adrian Pasdar is bringing Major Glenn Talbot and his glorious moustache to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The studio recently announced the addition of Pasdar as a new thorn in the side of Agent Coulson and his team.
The famously mustachioed Talbot is Hulk-hater General Ross’ right hand man. Talbot frequently appears in the Hulk comics hunting the green rage monster and his Bruce Banner alter ego. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he won’t be engaging in his favorite pastime but he will remain, as Pasdar says, a “sanctimonious jerk.” The character is slated for one episode on the ABC show and Pasdar hinted there might be more.
“As willing as I am to jump when Jeph (Loeb, Marvel TV president) calls, there had to be a little bit more in it than just an episode for me,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t say much more but the mustache is in a locker and it’s being taken out and prepped as we speak for next week.”
Pasdar certainly knows a little something about supernatural powers. He played Nathan Petrelli on NBC’s Heroes and S.H.I.E.L.D. will hardly be Pasdar’s first outing with Marvel. He’s voiced Iron Man in several of the studio’s animated features.
His turn as Talbot on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air in April on ABC.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 14 March 2014.
Whovians, we may not have seen the last of the Eighth Doctor. In an interview with Yahoo, Paul McGann said he would love to return to Doctor Who.
“If the same thing were to happen again and Moffat were to say ‘Would you come back and do it and I’ll write it?’ Why wouldn’t I want to do it? If it’s going to be that quality, why wouldn’t you want to do it?”
McGann had often been overlooked for his turn as the Eighth Doctor. The actor only appeared in the role once, in 1996’s Doctor Who TV film, which failed at the time to launch a new series of the show. All of that changed, however, when McGann donned his Time Lord clothes in The Night of the Doctor, a short that led up to the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. That epic mini-episode reminded or clued Whovians in to McGann’s brilliant Doctor and left us wanting more.
As for whether we’ll get “more,” McGann says, “There’s always all kinds of rumors. Doctor Who is like a rumor mill, isn’t it? 'Yea, McGann is gonna do this, Matt is gonna do that, there’s going to be a spin-off, blah blah blah.'” He brushes these off, since it’s showrunner Steven Moffat who decides what direction the show takes. “And of course, now you’ve got a new Doctor in Peter Capaldi – I think it’s only fair that he gets a decent run on his own without any distractions so he gets his feet under the table.”
I must say though, McGann only fuels those rumors when he posts pictures of his Eighth Doctor self in the Eleventh Doctor’s TARDIS.
Doctor Who returns with Capaldi at the TARDIS controls later this year.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 14 March 2014.
Ah Wonderers, I am so glad to be among you! Thank you to Emmy Rivera for filling in for me while I was sick last week. And what an episode last week! Will’s now the Red Queen’s genie, Lizard’s dead (apparently), Cyrus and Alice are finally engaged and Jafar has maybe gotten more than he bargained for with the Jabberwocky. Let’s learn what “Dirty Little Secrets” everyone is hiding.
What you need to know:
Long ago in Agrabah: Cyrus cheats at a card game and his opponents get their revenge by setting his house on fire while his mother is inside. To save their badly burned mama, Cyrus convinces his two brothers to go with him to the Well of Wonders. They fill their canteens with water but are grabbed by an Inferi before they leave. Ok, it’s actually the Guardian of the Well but whatever. She tells them that their mother is already destined to die so the water won’t help. Cyrus, perhaps motivated mostly by guilt, convinces his brothers to take the water despite the “price” they may have to pay. They’re able to revive their mother, who turns out to be Amara, Jafar’s future mentor/lover/snake staff! She hardly has time to admire her satiny skin before the Guardian arrives, transforms her boys into genies and shoots their bottles off we know not where.
Well well: Distraught that Jafar has his brothers (and that he didn’t realize it before now) Cyrus decides he must go the Well of Wonders to break their genie curse. Then Jafar’s nefarious plan will fail anyway. As luck would have it, Wonderland has a Well of its own so Cyrus and Alice go well wishing. To get there they have to choose between two red doors in the forest, both guarded by a single, riddle-loving knight. Though she initially tries to annoy him into helping, Alice eventually deduces that the knight is a liar. By asking him if one door leads to the Well she’s able to find the right path, which Cyrus decides to take alone. He meets the Guardian of the Well once more and begs for his brothers’ release but this is only possible if the water they stole is returned. Cyrus is all confused because surely his mother is dead by now but nope! She’s alive somewhere and now he’s got to find her.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 12 March 2014.
The new posters for Disney’s Maleficent confirm what we already knew: Angelina Jolie looks perfect as the Sleeping Beauty villainess. Filling nearly the entire US and UK posters, Jolie is malevolently striking as the iconic baddie.
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| US Poster |
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 12 March 2014.
Hello Agents! In the words of our favorite genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, “It’s good to be back!” Thank you to the lovely Special Agent Emmy Rivera for filling in last week. With the mystery of Tahiti getting more complex and crazy by the episode, we get a very welcome visit from our favorite female Asgardian warrior. Let’s join her on the hunt for Lorelei and her “Yes Men.”
What you need to know:
Skye is back: After receiving the injection of the uber secret T.A.H.I.T.I. serum, Skye is on the mend even if Simmons won’t let her out of the hospital bed yet. Ward drops by for some forced flirting and commends Skye’s stupidity in entering Quinn’s place alone. Her actions have alerted S.H.I.E.L.D. to Mike Peterson’s status as alive and owning a magical leg. Ward agrees to help Skye train harder so next time she won’t have to reply on a miracle drug to save her. In the lab, FitzSimmons is still baffled by Skye’s rapid healing and the drug that caused it.
Not Loki: While Coulson is off trying to track down Nick Fury, May briefs the team on some Asgardian activity S.H.I.E.L.D. wants them to investigate. Fitz, for one, is cool with this because Asgardians are their allies. Ward quips that Loki isn’t and for a brief moment I’m giddy with the thought that maybe Tom Hiddleston’s glorious villain will make a cameo. Alas, no. When the team reaches the site of the readings, the Bifrost opens and Lady Sif appears. And damn if she doesn’t look amazing! I do love Jaimie Alexander as Sif. She would’ve made a great Wonder Woman too.
The Lady Sif: Coulson is elected to speak with Sif, which he assures May he can handle because he’s “fine.” The Cavalry isn’t buying it though, saying “fine doesn’t look like this” and that she’s there for him. My heart sings with the Coul/May feels. SHIP IT AGENTS! Anyway, Sif fills the team in on Lorelei. The siren’s powers only work on men because “men have an inherent weakness we (women) do not share.” This makes Fitz and Ward stammer and shrug in disagreement while May looks on with pleasure.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 12 March 2014.
Patrick Wilson will most definitely be involved in Ant-Man. Screen Rant received confirmation from the actor at SXSW that he is playing an “important” role in the Marvel film, though he declined to elaborate beyond that.
Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas have already been cast as leads Scott Lang and an older Hank Pym, respectively. The web is buzzing that perhaps Wilson will be Darren Cross, CEO of a technology company who seeks the advice of surgeon Erica Sondheim. This would make particular sense because in the comics Lang also consults Dr. Sondheim and Cross later becomes a nemesis to Lang’s Ant-Man.
However, Screen Rant speculates that Wilson could instead be stepping in as a young iteration of Pym since the film is purported to include flashbacks.
Either role would work well for the handsome and charismatic Wilson. Hopefully we won’t have to wait until Ant-Man release on July 17, 2015 to find out.
Originally published on For Your Excitement. 10 March 2014.
Hello Oncers! Out of the cloud of sickness I have emerged to witness the glorious return of our beloved show and most importantly, to find out what happened to my Mr. Gold. It’s been a long few months but it’s finally time to add some magic back in our lives. Are you ready for some serious Captain Swan feels?
Previously on Once Upon a Time: Rumple sacrificed himself to kill Pan and save everyone else. Regina couldn’t stop the curse that was going to send all of Storybrooke back to the Enchanted Forest but she was able to give Emma and Henry new, happy memories. They drove off and, a year later, were living in New York. That’s when Hook showed up at their door, kissed Miss Swan in the hopes of restoring her memory and got kneed in the groin for his trouble.
Now that we’re up to speed, it’s all spoilers ahead! Time for a “New York Serenade.”
What you need to know:
Emma Swan, the girl every man wants: In her new reality, Emma’s Billy Bob Thorton lookalike boyfriend proposes after only 8 months. She (perhaps rightfully so) freaks. He says he’ll wait for her to be ready and Henry’s on board with him making their twosome a trio but Emma’s gut is saying otherwise. Well, her gut and a dashing pirate. Hook shows up at her date pre-proposal and gives her an address where she can find answers to the questions she has about her past. She tells him to get lost but takes the address.
There’s no place like home: The Storybrooke crew arrive back in the Enchanted Forest in a poof of purple clouds. Some are glad to be back but Snow and Regina are heartbroken at having to leave their children behind. Regina even tries to bury her heart in the forest but is convinced not to by Snow, who says she can find happiness again. When they’re attacked by a flying monkey, Regina fights back with fire (literally) before Robin Hood saves the day. And so the Regina/Robin ship has begun to sail…
Double potion, please: The address Hook provided is to Neal’s apartment, where Emma finds Henry’s camera and strap with his name on it. She confronts Hook about this and he offers her a potion that would restore her true memories. “Drink the thing the crazy guy just offered me? No thank you,” she replies. She turns him in to the cops but after seeing pictures of Storybrooke on the camera, posts his bail and takes the potion after all. Her memories return and Hook grins, saying, “Did you miss me?”
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