The Avengers: "Phase Two"

The Avengers first phase was a good one, and a very successful one. However, considering how most of the films outside of Iron Man 2, they were all the obligatory origin films that deal with a lot of the same stories that we already are familiar with in ways. The films were necessary in order to make film audiences care for the iconic characters, but now in future films they can focus on creating the best possible film by exploring the best story lines from the each characters rich history. It is an exciting time for any comic book fan as many would have never thought this would have ever happened. Even more so, the films are for sure in great hands. The entire Marvel Studios crew has done a great job in creating this gem. They have done a great job in casting, which I'll admit to questioning, but even more so they did a great job in bringing in skilled writers and directors. What I find especially impressive is how the actors have taken to their roles and embraced them. Robert Downey for sure has taken to the role the most, as it sometime seems like he has become Tony Stark in real life.

Iron Man 3 will start the second phase of the Avengers canon. It will be the final film in the Iron Man series and it is clear that the film will have Tony hit rock bottom. That does not mean that Tony will have a "demon in the bottle" plot line in this film. Destruction will hit his door step and he will have to pick himself up against a villain much stronger then anything he has faced. In the clip that was shown at Comic-Con, Tony's villa was destroyed by a military grade helicopter and it was then shown rolling down the hill. This sets up a personal journey for him, so he won't be looking for help from his new friends. He still has Rhodey though, but as I stated in my preview of Iron Man 3, Tony will be dealing with his nemesis from the comic books in Mandarin. Not only that, but he will have to deal with the Extremis virus thanks to Aldrich Killian. Interestingly enough, it has also been confirmed that Mark Ruffalo will appear in this film as Bruce Banner and his alter ego The Hulk. Sounds like Tony will have his hands full this time around. Iron Man 3 will be hitting theaters on May 3rd of 2013.

Thor will most definitely be spending some more time on Asgard in this film seeing as how he is bringing back Loki to atone for his crimes. More then that, he will also be bringing back the Cosmic Cube. It'll be interesting to see if Thanos has any kind of appearance in this film due to how he used Loki as a pawn in the Avengers film and also the Infinity Gauntlet is in the Odin Vault. Marvel Studios has already stated that Loki will not be the main villain in this film so I firmly believe that it will be Amora the Enchantress. Amora very frequently was Loki's pawn in the comics. Amora could also be paired with Skurge the Executioner giving Thor quite the threat this go around. It also seems that Thor will be getting closer to Sif this go around, further cementing the fact that he will be on Asgard more then Earth. What will be interesting to see is how big of a role Jane will play as she is the sole reason Thor has such respect for humanity. His relationship to her in the first film is what helped ground him as a hero, so without her in the mix as much, Thor could possibly become lost. Thor: The Dark World will be hitting theaters November 8th of 2014.

Steve Rogers will not only have to adjust to being in a completely different time period, but also in being a hero. More than that, he is a symbol of everything he fits for and all that is right in the world. Of all the Marvel heroes, he is easily the most tragic character of them all. He is a man out of time as Loki pointed out in The Avengers, but despite how lost he may feel he will always do what is right. Most likely, he will stay with S.H.I.E.L.D. and be the good little soldier up until tragedy hits home. The name of the film hints at who could be one of the villains, as Bucky Barnes indeed is not dead. Bucky's alter-ego is known as the Winter Soldier. In the comics, Bucky suffered brain damage with amnesia following a horrible tragedy. He was also fitted with a bionic arm that was frequently upgraded as technology was. In fact he was programmed as a Soviet assassin who in between missions was kept in a cryogenic stasis which kept him young. Eventually Winter Soldier kidnapped Sharon Carter, and Carter revealed to Captain America that the Soldier looked like his old buddy who was believed to be dead. After the two fought, the Captain told him "Remember who you are," which helped Bucky's memories resurface. However, with his old self back he became overcome with guilt for his endeavors as the Winter Soldier. I am sure that they will take this route in same way with the character for the film, but they will still have an over-arching big bad that helped control the Soldier throughout the film. M.O.D.O.K or Baron Zemo seem to be the most logical choices for that big bad, even Red Skull once again for that matter. Introducing M.O.D.O.K can be tricky but his affiliation to A.I.M could help the rest of the Marvel-verse grow. Captain America: The Winter Soldier will hit theaters April 4th of 2014.

It also has been confirmed that Captain America will be having his sidekick Falcon for the film. It has been rumored for a long time as Falcon was also a part of the Avengers team, but now it is a certainty as the role has been officially cast. Anthony Mackin (The Hurt Locker, The Adjustment Bureau) has been cast in the part of Sam Wilson, a.k.a The Falcon. Sam Wilson was a social worker turned costumed crime fighter who would later go on to become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

It is incredibly surprising to even be telling you that this will be an actual film in the Marvel-verse. By no means does that mean I think that it will be a bad film, as I think this is the film that will really bring up a lot of potentially great story lines for the future of the Marvel-verse as it can bring in a great set of villains. Thanos for one can certainly be one of them, as can the Kree Empire and the Skrulls. The Guardians of the Galaxy are a team of heroes across the universe that band together to ensure the safety of the galaxy instead of banding together only when they are faced with a tragedy, like the Avengers do. The team consists of Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer, Groot and Gamora. Star-Lord is essenitally the team leader as when he is in his suit he has super strength, flight, an elemental gun and to boot he is an exceptional marksman and fencer. Rocket Raccoon on the other hand is a master tactician and field commander, but he will most likely be the toughest character in the film to sell to an audience. Drax the Destroyer has a wide array of abilties, while been an exceptional fighter skilled in many different ways of combat. His most interesting ability is the fact that he can sense the location of Thanos. Groot is a giant tree monster that gains power and endurance by draining a tree, he also has the ability to control trees. Somehow, he is resistant to fire despite the fact that he is a giant walking and talking tree. Last but not least, there is Gamora. She was raised and trained by none other than Thanos to assassinate none other than Magus, who was the evil side of Adam Warlock, who would eventually become a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

The final reveal of the Comic-Con press conference was none other than writer-director Edgar Wright talking about his Ant-Man project. This film has been on the back burner for quite sometime due to the uncertainty that surrounds the character being able to carry a film. I myself have my reservations as to whether or not this character can have an entertaining film. However, with Wright in tow, it seems as if they would up the humor for the film. Many die hard comic book fans will most likely be slightly upset that now Ant-Man is being brought into the mold as he was actually one of the original founding members of the Avengers. With the introduction of him though, we still have the chance to Ultron come in to play for a possible Avengers film and for the Avengers to benefit from having another scientific genius in Henry Pym, Ant-Man.