Stan Lee (1922-2018)

Like many, we at The Watchers are incredibly saddened by the passing of comic book supremo, Stan Lee, who passed away yesterday (12th November) at the age of 95. 

Born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28th 1922, his parents were Romanian Jewish immigrants. After graduating from high school in 1939, he became an assistant at Timely Comics, a pulp fiction company, filling the artists' inkwells, proofreading and erasing the pencil lines. Two years later, he made his comic-book debut with an all-text Captain America story- written under the pseudonym 'Stan Lee' (he planned to keep his given name for more literary work). In late 1941, Lee was installed as interim editor at Timely, following Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's departure. He was just under 19 years of age. From 1942-1945, Lee served in the US Army and served as a member of the Signal Corps before being transferred to the Training Film Division. He was one of only nine men to be given the military classification of 'playwright'. 

Stan Lee during his military service in World War II

After returning from military service, Lee continued as editor for Timely (which became known as Atlas Comics by the mid-1950s) but soon became frustrated with the restrictions of the comic book form and was churning out whatever was needed to satisy the readership- be that crime, horror, westerns. As he approached 40, Lee was on the brink of quitting comics and turning his attention to writing novels. Besides, DC Comics were stealing a march on the comic-book scene with the Justice League of America and Atlas didn't have anything to compare. His wife Joan told him to 'write one comic you are proud of' before finishing with comics. 

This comic would eventually become The Fantastic Four, which he co-created with Jack Kirby, and which published its first issue in 1961. The dysfunctional family unit became a massive success and the first foundation of what would be known as Marvel Comics was laid. In 1962, Lee co-created Ant-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor with Kirby and one of his most famous characters, Spider-Man, with Steve Ditko. Iron Man, Doctor Strange, the Wasp, the X-Men, Daredevil and the Avengers would soon follow. Over the years, he would create or co-create many other Marvel characters, including Groot, the Inhumans, Iron Fist, Black Panther, Falcon, Black Widow, and Nick Fury.

Throughout the 1960s, Lee would utilise a system that (although used by other comic-book studies) would come to be known as the 'Marvel method': the story would be brainstormed between the writer and the artist, a brief synopsis (rather than a full script) would be produced by the writer, the artist would draw the panels- working out the page-by-page storytelling- then pass the completed panels back for the writer to do the word balloons and captions. This system helped Lee maintain his workload and meet the deadlines, but could also give rise to claims that Lee took more credit than was due for the work; Lee had a particularly acrimonious time with the estate of Jack Kirby over such claims (a claim that was settled for an undisclosed sum 20 years after Kirby's death, with the terms of the settlement never made public). 

In his comics, Lee would include a credit panel to properly acknowledge the inkers and letterers of the strip as well as the writer and artist. He'd also write the Bullpen Bulletins page and a 'Stan's Soapbox' where he'd discuss issues in his familiar, chatty style. Lee made his characters relatable- they had day-to-day issues, they weren't some on-high flawless creatures. Some looked like villains. Others were different, outcasts, freaks. He also used the comic books to discuss real-life issues, such as the Vietnam War and the Red Scare, with one comic historian noting that 'from 1962 to 1965, there were more communists [in Marvel Comics] than on the subscription list of Pravda'! DC didn't involve themselves with such things. In one 'Stan's Soapbox', he writes about the evils of bigotry and racism and how 'if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance'. 

One of the controversial panels in The Amazing Spider-Man #97

In 1971, Lee played no small part in the reformation of the Comics Code, which was created in 1954 by the Comics Code Authority (CCA) and acted as a de facto censor for comic books. If a comic-book didn't adhere to the Code, it was not authorised to use the Comics Code seal on the cover. This would cause publishers issues. When the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare asked Lee to write a story about the dangers of drugs, Lee did just that: a three-issue storyline within The Amazing Spider-Man comics where Harry Osborn would nearly die from an overdose. The CCA promptly refused to authorise the use of the seal (no matter that the presentation of drugs was shown distinctly as a negative). Luckily, Marvel essentially decided to publish and be damned, and those three issues went out without the seal: rather than there be any wholly negative problems, Marvel were praised for its social consciousness and the CCA eventually loosened the Code. 

In 1972, Lee stopped writing comic books- he was writing the copy for all of Marvel's covers- and stepped down as editor. He took up the role of publisher within Marvel (a role he would hold until 1996). His final issues of The Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four came out in July and August respectively. He would occasionally write with various projects, such as a 1982 Silver Surfer one-shot with John Byrne, and the first issue of The Savage She-Hulk with John Buscema. 

Stan in Mallrats with Jason Lee

In the 1980s, Lee moved to Los Angeles to focus on developing Marvel's film and TV projects. He was the narrator for both The Incredible Hulk (1982-1983) and Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends (1981-1983). In 1995, he appeared as a heightened version of himself in Kevin Smith's Mallrats. In 1998, Lee embarked on a new internet-based superhero production and marketing studio called Stan Lee Media. Sadly, this venture was shortlived when one of his investors was found to be illegally manipulating stock prices and was sent to prison. Lee himself filed for bankruptcy, although he was never implicated in any wrongdoing. 

In 2000, superhero movies were starting to be made with some money and some thought behind them, thanks largely to the original X-Men movie (starring Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and Hugh Jackman). As the X-Men's co-creator, Lee had a small cameo as a hot dog vendor. It's very much a blink-and-you-might-miss-it moment but was a fun Easter egg for fans. This wasn't the first superhero movie cameo Lee made, however: he was the jury foreman in The Trial Of The Incredible Hulk (1989). 

As more and more Marvel movies were being made, so Lee kept on being offered cameos- playing everything from a mailman to a beauty pageant judge, an Army general to a strip-club DJ. One of my particular favourites is in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) where he's a school librarian blithely unaware of the carnage happening behind him as Spider-Man and the Lizard have a massive scrap. His cameos soon became an integral part to a Marvel movie and fans reacted with glee at each one-liner or look. To many, a Marvel movie without a Stan Lee cameo won't feel quite the same. 

Stan's cameo in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Lee continued to work in various mediums- writing graphic novels, attending conventions, meeting fans, writing several manga titles, appearing in films and TV shows, although increasing ill health sometimes meant he had to cancel convention appearances. In 2008, he was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts for his services to comic books, and was awarded the Producers Guild of America's Vanguard Award in 2012. His wife Joan, to whom he had been married for nearly 70 years and the person he credited as his muse and inspiration, passed away in 2017. She appeared with him for his cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse. He is survived by his daughter J.C. Lee. 

Stan and Joan Lee in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

It's difficult to think of someone who has had such an impact on popular culture as Stan Lee. He helped to bring comic books from niche to mainstream, and his legacy of dozens of iconic characters will endure. Lee once wrote 'entertainment is one of the most important things in people's lives. Without it they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you're able to entertain people, you're doing a good thing.' And you did entertain people. Thank you for everything. 

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. 

Excelsior, true believer. 

Rhys, Tez & Matt
The Watchers

Review: Thor: Ragnarok (UK Cert 12A)

The God of Thunder is back in his third solo film, this one directed by Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows, Hunt For The Wilderpeople)

When Hela, the Goddess of Death, rises and takes over Asgard, Thor finds himself on the distant planet of Sakaar. Imprisoned and forced to fight in a gladiatorial arena, Thor must find his way back to Asgard to face Hela and prevent the end of days- Ragnarok- from happening...

Tonally, it's very different from the other Thor films- indeed, tonally different to most other MCU films if I'm honest. Whilst the original had an almost Shakespearean feel to it (thanks to director Kenneth Branagh), and the second had a Game Of Thrones aesthetic (thanks to director Alan Taylor), Thor: Ragnarok is a synth-soaked, buddy-comedy, end-of-the-world extravaganza. 

Moreover, it's funny. Like, properly laugh-out-loud funny. The other Thor films have suffered a little from being a bit too strait-laced, a bit po-faced- which seems ridiculous when you're dealing with an outlandish story of gods and monsters. Here, the humour comes thick and fast- but not at the expense of anything else. There's a fine balance between this humour and the more dramatic elements and the incredibly well choreographed fight scenes. 

Chris Hemsworth is as good as ever as Thor; he's got that cocky but charming act down to a tee. Tom Hiddleston is similarly at home in Loki- again, a charming but utterly dangerous being. As always, their fractious relationship- part sibling rivalry, part best buds- forms a cornerstone of the film. Anthony Hopkins really earns his 'and' credit, with a total of about five minutes on screen- but he's superb when he is. Idris Elba gets more to do as Heimdall this time round- removed from his role as gatekeeper for the Bifrost, he acts as a resistance leader trying to save the Asgardians from Hela's undead army. 

Mark Ruffalo is great as Banner/Hulk and brings an extra dimension to the role. He's been Hulk for two years (since he skipped off at the end of Avengers: Age Of Ultron) and has found himself on Sakaar as the Grandmaster's champion. There's a great deal of confusion when he turns back into Banner and is afraid of the change, that he'll lose himself if he Hulks out again. He has great rapport with Chris Hemsworth, which forms part of the buddy-comedy strand. Benedict Cumberbatch's brief appearance as Doctor Strange may not be strictly needed, but it's fun to see them interact (especially after the hidden scene at the end of Doctor Strange) 

Of the new members of the cast, no complaints at all. Cate Blanchett is utterly superb as Hela; I honestly can't imagine any other actress doing the role as well as she does. From her very first entrance into the film- and what an entrance it is- she commands the screen every time she's on it. While the MCU tends to have a bit of an issue with its villains (in that they're either not very good or not drawn out well), Hela is a rounded and very credible threat. Once again, Blanchett shows that's she's one of the best actresses working in Hollywood today. 

Tessa Thompson (Creed) is great as Valkyrie, a drunken scavenger when we first meet her (as she captures and brings Thor to the Grandmaster) but is revealed to be the last of the great warrior women race- previously decimated by Hela. Her relationship with Thor is great; luckily, they eschew any obviously romantic overtures for something more like friendship. 

Jeff Goldblum is just magnificent as the Grandmaster, the ruler of Sakaar. A mercurial, kooky, but ruthless leader, he pits creatures against one another in his Contest of Champions. Again, I can't really imagine anyone else in the role. Karl Urban is great as Skurge, a rough Asgardian warrior with a Cockney accent who takes Heimdall's role as gatekeeper of the Bifrost and becomes a conflicted ally of Hela's. Finally, director Waititi also voices Korg, a blue alien rock being that Thor meets on Sakaar and becomes friends with and who is seriously one of the best characters in the film.    

Thor: Ragnarok was excellent. Whilst the film is 130 miuntes long, it never once felt like it. Fun, bright, brilliant. Simply put, another triumph for Marvel. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

Comic-Book Movie Round-up: December 2014

So, there's been quite a bit of comic book movie news recently, with massive announcements from both Warner Bros and Marvel Studios over their respective slates for the next five years. There's also been some great casting news announced. 

THE DC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

2015 will still be dominated by Marvel Studios with both Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Ant-Man (and the first of the new Fantastic Four films) but, from 2016, Warner Bros and DC Entertainment throw their hat into the ring with the start of their cinematic universe, opening with the utter doozy of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and then moving on to Suicide Squad.

Casting was announced this week for Suicide Squad, which is to be written and directed by David Ayer (End Of Watch, Fury).

Will Smith will play Deadshot, whilst recent Oscar-winner Jared Leto will play The Joker and The Wolf Of Wall Street's Margot Robbie will play Harley Quinn. Tom Hardy will play Rick Flagg whilst A Good Day To Die Hard's Jai Courtney is Captain Boomerang. Finally, model Cara Delevingne  will play Enchantress. There's also a rumour that Jesse Eisenberg may make an appearance, reprising his role as Lex Luthor from Batman V Superman. 

Fans may notice that there's one piece of casting that has yet to be announced, and that's of the Suicide Squad's head honcho, Amanda Waller. Whilst no casting has been announced, it's been reported that Oprah Winfrey, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis are all under consideration.

In 2017, there'll be a standalone Wonder Woman movie, presumably with Gal Gadot reprising her role. Michelle MacLaren (who has done sterling TV work on episodes of Game Of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad) will direct and the screenplay will be written by Jason Fuchs. 

Also in late 2017, there'll be the first part of a Justice League movie to be directed by Zack Snyder (Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman). Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot and Amy Adams are already signed on to reprise their roles of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Lois Lane. The second part will hit screens in 2019.

In 2018, The Flash will make his big-screen debut played by Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower), as will Aquaman with Game Of Thrones' Jason Momoa in the lead role. No doubt Miller and Momoa will also appear in the Justice League movies. 

In 2019, along with the second part of the Justice League movie, Shazam will hit the screens. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has already announced he will be playing Black Adam but no other casting has been confirmed as yet.

Finally in 2020, a Cyborg movie (starring Ray Fisher as Victor Stone, who will also appear in other movies) and a reboot of Green Lantern completes DC's ambitious slate. Considering that the 2011 Green Lantern movie is generally considered to be a bit of a turkey (losing millions at the box office), it's no surprise they've decided to leave the reboot until last. 

Plans have also been announced for standalone Batman and Superman movies but these have not formed part of this plan as yet.

THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

I did a quick blog when the Marvel slate for 2016-2019 was announced but there have been a few new bits of information since (most notably a major piece of casting)

Captain America 3 was slated for May 2016 (US date), and was originally opening on the same day as Batman V Superman. Were Marvel afraid? Nope. Their date remained unchanged and now it's clear why: the third Captain America film will adapt the highly esteemed Civil War storyline.

Essentially, Civil War pits Cap against Tony Stark over a government bill aimed at forcing superheroes to register themselves and reveal their identities. Cap is against it, Stark is for. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans will reprise their roles, and this will also be the debut for Chadwick Boseman who was announced as playing Black Panther. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely will also return from Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Also in 2016, Marvel takes a dip into the more supernatural side of things with Doctor Strange. It was confirmed this week that Benedict Cumberbatch would take the role of the Sorceror Supreme after weeks of speculation. Scott Derrickson (The Day The Earth Stood Still, Sinister) will direct with a script being rewritten by Jon Spaihts.

2017 is going to be a bumper year for Marvel with no less than 3 movies expected for release (at the moment). First of these is Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, which should see the original cast reteam under returning director James Gunn. Next up is Thor: Ragnarok, which will see Asgard under threat from the end of all things. At the moment, Chris Hemsworth will be returning and (it is expected) Tom Hiddleston. Less certain would be Natalie Portman or Anthony Hopkins' involvement, but as no story details have emerged so far, it's difficult to say. Marvel finish the year off with the standalone film for Black Panther.

In 2018, cinemas will get the first part of Avengers: Infinity War which is a very exciting prospect. Josh Brolin is expected to reprise his role as Thanos, as the plot focuses on Thanos' use of the Infinity Stones to terrorise the universe. Summer 2018 will see Marvel's first female-led superhero movie with Captain Marvel, which has been confirmed as being Carol Danvers. There's been a longstanding rumour that Katee Sackhoff is linked with the role but this is just idle gossip at the moment (although I think she'd be kickass). 2018 tounds off with Inhumans.

2019 sees the release of the second part of Avengers: Infinity War. Nothing else has been announced after that. 

20TH CENTURY FOX

Whilst Marvel and DC are the big hitters, Fox have a decent slate of superhero movies due out with reboots of one property and a few sequels to others.

2015 sees the release of the rebooted Fantastic Four, with Miles Teller (Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic), Kate Mara (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Michael B. Jordan (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch) and Jamie Bell (Ben Grimm/The Thing) in the lead roles. British actor Toby Kebbell will take the role of Dr. Doom, and Chronicle director Josh Trank will oversee the project.

In early 2016, the Deadpool spin-off will be released, with Ryan Reynolds appearing to be close to reprising his role from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (he's been dropping a few less-than-subtle hints on social media this week). Tim Miller will make his directorial debut.

Also in 2016, X-Men: Apocalypse will hit the screens with Bryan Singer back in the director's chair. The action moves to the 1980s and rumour has it that it will tie up the First Class trilogy. Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) has been cast as Apocalypse. 

Early 2017 currenly sees the sequel to The Wolverine. The only information available so far is that James Mangold, who directed The Wolverine, is attached to direct and that Hugh Jackman will star. No clue on plot or other casting as yet.

Summer 2017 will also see The Fantastic Four 2. The four main cast are expected to return, but that's all we know so far. Josh Trank's involvement is uncertain due to his commitments for a standalone Star Wars film.

There's an untitled X-Men movie rumoured for 2018, and Channing Tatum has seemingly been confirmed as playing Gambit (in an interview with producer Laura Shulde Donner), but whether Gambit will appear in this one or maybe even appear in X-Men: Apocalypse is uncertain. 

SONY AND SPIDEY

Currently, Sony have four comic book projects slated- Sinister Six, Venom, a female-led Spider-Man spin-off and The Amazing Spider-Man 3. However, given the fact that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn't exactly set the box office alight, it looks as if plans may be altered slightly. 

Currently, Drew Goddard's Sinister Six movie is still slated for late 2016 although there's been zip in the way of either casting or even which of the Spidey supervillains will make up the Sinister Six. 

As for the female led Spider-Man movie, the best bet would be Black Cat (as the character was hinted at in The Amazing Spider-Man 2) but there are absolutely no details about this project, apart from the concept and a vague release date of 2017. Similarly, the Venom project hasn't progressed either- again, a vague release date of 2017 is the only thing to say, but rumours are that the project has been canned and the character may appear in the Sinister Six instead.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is provisionally down for release in 2018, having been moved back from 2016 (thus removing a previously-earmarked Amazing Spider-Man 4). However, there are rumours of yet another reboot in the works or even Sony entering talks with Marvel to allow Spider-Man to join The Avengers (which would be awesome but a logistical nightmare, one would imagine). 

Other studios have provisionally or fully set their rosters and publicised at least some of their films. Sony is the only one with a major comic-book franchise that hasn't. Make of that what you will. 



So, as you can see, there's a lot to go see in the next few years. Here's a handy calendar of what to expect when (please note, this may be schedule to change- let's face it, we are talking some longterm planning here!)


2015

April 24 (UK)/May 1 (US): Avengers: Age Of Ultron

July 17: Ant-Man

August 6 (UK)/August 7 (US): The Fantastic Four


2016

February 12: Deadpool

March 25: Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

April 29 (UK)/May 6 (US): Captain America: Civil War

May 19 (UK)/May 27 (US): X-Men: Apocalypse

August 5: Suicide Squad

November 6: Doctor Strange

November 11: Sinister Six


2017

March 2 (UK)/March 3 (US): The Wolverine sequel

April 28 (UK)/May 5 (US): Guardians Of The Galaxy 2

June 23: Wonder Woman

July 14: The Fantastic Four 2

July 28: Thor: Ragnarok

October 27 (UK)/November 2 (US): Black Panther

November 23: Justice League Part One


2018

March 23 - The Flash

April 27 (UK)/May 4 (US): Avengers: Infinity War Part One

July 6 - Captain Marvel

July 13 - untitled X-Men movie

July 27 - Aquaman

October 26 (UK)/November 2 (US): Inhumans


2019

April 5 - Shazam

April 26 (UK)/May 3 (US): Avengers: Infinity War Part Two

June 14 - Justice League Part Two


2020

April 3 - Cyborg

June 19 - Green Lantern


Busy time ahead!

Marvel Movies 2016-2019

Marvel Studios held a press conference today to announce their latest batch of movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Responding to DC's announcement last week of their upcoming movie roster, Marvel brought out some of the big guns and announced the properties from 2016-2019.

As we already know, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (which premiered a downright brilliant first trailer earlier this week) and Ant-Man are Marvel's properties for 2015.

But coming up in 2016 will be:

Captain America: Civil War

May 6, 2016 (US)

The Russo Brothers (who directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier) are back to direct

And if that isn't enough, later in the year comes:

Doctor Strange

November 7, 2016 (US)

Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism Of Emily Rose) has been confirmed as director.

There was no casting news on who will be playing the Sorcerer Supreme, despite several news reports over the last few days that Benedict Cumberbatch is firmly in the frame to star.

Moving in to 2017, which is gearing up to be a bumper Marvel year,

Guardians Of The Galaxy 2

May 5, 2017 (US)

James Gunn will come back to direct the sequel

Thor: Ragnarok

July 28, 2017 (US)

No director announced - but interestingly, Ragnarok means 'The End Of All Things'

Black Panther

November 3, 2017 (US)

No director has been announced - however, Chadwick Boseman (Draft Day, Get On Up) has been confirmed to play T'challa/Black Panther

It was confirmed that Black Panther will appear in Captain America: Civil War and will be seen in costume.

But there's still more! In 2018, you will see...

Captain Marvel

July 5, 2018 (US)

It was announced that this particular Captain Marvel will be Carol Danvers, making this Marvel's first female-led superhero movie.

Inhumans

November 2, 2018 (US)

No casting or director named for this project

But before all of that in 2018, we're in for an absolute doozy:

Avengers: Infinity War

Part One will hit cinemas May 4 2018 with Part Two in cinemas May 3 2019

Certainly some very intriguing and very exciting projects here!

Review: Thor: The Dark World (UK Cert 12A)

The eighth entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the second film in Phase 2, Thor: The Dark World sees the titular god of thunder (Chris Hemsworth) facing a threat from the Dark Elves- led by Malekith The Accursed (Christopher Eccleston)- who seek to destroy the Nine Realms by using an ancient weapon called the Aether at a time known as the Convergence, when all the realms are aligned. In London, Dr Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) starts to investigate strange anomalies with the laws of physics. It's only a matter of time before the separated lovers are reunited but the path of true love doesn't run smooth with the fate of the Nine Realms resting on Thor's shoulders and a very credible threat to Jane's safety. Add into this the machinations of the imprisoned Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and you have an absolute rip-roarer of a film which meets the level set by Thor and occasionally exceeds it.

It's a film that's huge in scale, going from icy wastes to the opulent splendour of Asgard to a run-down factory in London- taking in vast desert worlds and, finally, absolutely wrecking Greenwich. Alan Taylor, no stranger to sprawling fantasy epics (having directed half a dozen episodes of Games Of Thrones), is a safe pair of hands in the director's chair. Whilst Kenneth Branagh brought an almost Shakespearean feel to the first Thor, Taylor brings the Game Of Thrones aesthetic to Thor: The Dark World, which is no bad thing.

Performance-wise (and this will come to no surprise to anyone who's seen either the first Thor or The Avengers), Tom Hiddleston steals the show. His performance as Loki is just superb- he's scheming, conniving, insidious and downright evil in places and yet is likeable and charismatic with it. But- with the possible exception of Natalie Portman (who looks like she's phoning it in on occasion)- the rest of the cast are strong. Chris Hemsworth seems right at home in the armour, giving a strong leading performance. Idris Elba gets more to do as the guardian Heimdall whilst Jaimie Alexander is great as warrior maiden Sif. Kat Dennings gets more of the comedy relief role as Darcy but she's good at it so it doesn't matter.

Christopher Eccleston is great as Malekith, but it does feel as if there's a lot of his story missing (or maybe left on the cutting-room floor). The focus of the film is definitely more on the romance between Thor and Jane, and the family politics of the ruling house of Asgard - the Dark Elves feel more like a plot device which is a shame because visually they look imposing and there are good actors beneath the prosthetics not having much to do.

Visually, it's absolutely sublime so massive kudos to the CGI teams and the visual effects teams for some utterly sterling work. It's also genuinely funny in places (there's a great sight gag involving a drinks can). There's a frankly genius Avengers-related cameo (which is done very cleverly indeed) and the first of the mid-credits scenes nicely links to one of the upcoming Marvel releases. They also have left a few plot strands open for a third Thor movie if they want to. And since there doesn't seem to be anything coincidental or unplanned in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I would say a third outing is a pretty safe bet.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

Comic Book Movie Round-Up #2: Thor: The Dark World

Our second comic book movie round-up is on the second movie from Marvel's Phase Two collection (the first being Iron Man 3). It is...

Thor: The Dark World

Director: Alan Taylor
Writer: Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely from a story by Don Payne
Provisional Release Date: October 30 2013 (UK); November 8 2013 (US)

What We Know: The title of the Thor sequel was announced at Comic-Con in July 2012

Disney and Marvel Studios released the full synopsis for the film in October 2012.

"Marvel's Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's Thor and Marvel's The Avengers, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos... but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all."

Who's In?: Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Kat Dennings (Darcy), Jaimie Alexander (Sif), Ray Stevenson (Volstagg), Idris Elba (Heimdall), Stellan Skarsgard (Dr Erik Selvig) and Rene Russo (Frigga) all reprise their roles from Thor.

New cast members include erstwhile Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston as Malekith The Accursed (leader of the Dark Elves) and Lost's Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays the dual role of Algrim The Strong who then becomes Kurse. Zachary Levi will play Fandrel, taking over the role from Joshua Dallas. Richard Brake and Clive Russell have also been cast.

Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids) has revealed he has recorded a single scene for the film.

Alice Krige, perhaps best known as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact, has been cast in a supporting role, with rumours she will be playing Alflyse, Queen of the Dark Elves.

It has been rumoured that Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) was to play Malekith but was unable to take the role due to commitments on the Hannibal TV show.

Alan Taylor took over as director after original director Patty Jenkins left the project over 'creative differences'.

Anything Else?: Back in September, it was reported that the Marvel character Doctor Strange would appear in the film as a colleague of Jane Foster. Joel Edgerton was lined up for the role, but no follow up reports have emerged. There are plans for a Doctor Strange movie afoot so we'll just have to see if he turns up.

It was reported back in October 2012 that Natalie Portman was 'coerced' into returning to do the film. It was stated by TG Daily that Portman had no wish to be involved once Patty Jenkins withdrew but Marvel Studios exercised their right. 

Filming began in September 2012, with battle scenes filmed in Surrey:

Chris Hemsworth with his stunt double

Christopher Eccleston as Malekith 

At the start of April 2013, Marvel Studios offered a preview of the Phase Two films which included concept art and stills from Thor: The Dark World:

Programme 4: Review Of 2011

Our fourth show- and the last of 2011- was a review of the year: the films we liked, the films we didn't like, what we missed and what we're looking forward to in 2012.

For the podcast version, click here (or here for iTunes).