In a random Marvel mood today so I decided to give to anyone that reads this a few of my ideas about the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what future films should come out between now and 2018. Please bare in mind that these are just my personal ideas. Nothing here is fixed or confirmed; they are literally just random ideas I came up with and I would do if I were in Kevin Feige's position. Obviously I'm not so you got nothing to worry about.
Phase 2 of Marvel includes the movies Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron. I'm going to assume that what happens in all of these movies before the second Avengers is that all the characters safely make their way through their movies and have to team up with their Avengers colleagues again.
So Avengers: Age of Ultron. We know for sure that the villain will of course be Ultron. However his origin story is yet to be confirmed and Ant Man is not in the movie, which is crucial to Ultron's creation in the comic books. My theory is that Ultron will be the responsibility of the Avengers. I have a theory that Tony Stark (Iron Man) will create Ultron by pouring in his own artificial intelligence (Jarvis).
As for the heroes involved, I would like to see the original 6 plus Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver. As for the plot, I would like to see a final battle with the Avengers all fighting Ultron across the globe. Also, Joss Whedon is known for killing off characters we love. So I would expect a few deaths in this movie. If I were to pick and chose, I would predict that Ultron will kill Black Widow and Hawkeye. I also predict that the Avengers will stop Ultron but at a huge cost. After all the death and destruction caused, the people and the Government would surely want the Avengers to disband.
I have a theory this will happen. However I also believe that future films will involve Nick Fury secretly recruiting other Marvel heroes into his team for the next Avengers movie, which should come out in 2018.
And what of the Hulk? I would like Marvel to use inspiration from one of the best Hulk storyline's ever written (Planet Hulk) to tie this character in to future instalments. Whedon confirmed that the Avengers: Age of Ultron will take the character to "dark places". Does that hint towards the Planet Hulk storyline?
Spoiler alert! The Planet Hulk storyline begins where the Marvel version of the Illuminati (perhaps the people Nick Fury was talking to over the 4 televisions in Avengers Assemble?) believe that the Hulk is too dangerous to live on the earth. Why could that be? Could it be because in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Hulk is permanently transformed? Anyway, he is shipped off into space and then assembles an army on a far off planet to come back to Earth and take revenge on those who betrayed him (The Illuminati, SHIELD, The Avengers etc.). That storyline is called World War Hulk.
I would love that to happen but perhaps not in that exact way! I will talk more of the Hulk later..
Ant Man is scheduled for a November 6th 2015 release date. It will tell his origin story. I would like not only an origin story but also Ultron to be involved. Perhaps he has been locked away in a maximum security prison threatening to escape? If he were to, that would further devastate a planet affected heavily by the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Therefore, Ant Man can not let that happen. He could stop Ultron and then be secretly recruited by Nick Fury at the end. As for who could play Hank Pym and Ant Man, Adrien Brody, Simon Pegg and Benedict Cumberbatch have all been mentioned. Personally, I've no clue who they will cast!
Also, will Wasp be involved? I hope she is in the movie but in a War Machine/Falcon kind of way (they're a hero, but not in the Avengers as there would be too many people!).
So that's Ant Man. Then I think 3 movies will come out before the Avengers 3.
The first, hopefully in a Summer 2016 slot, Black Panther. One of the most over-looked characters in Marvel comic books, Black Panther would be perfect for his own solo movie plus involvement in an Avengers movie. The movie has been rumoured before and I hope that it does happen. This will be another origin story. As for the role of the Black Panther I would have loved Idris Elba in the role. But because he plays a character in Thor: The Dark World, he is unable to. The favourite for the part is Chadwick Boseman: I could see that working! As for the villain, no idea. I would chose one that would sufficiently test Black Panther's resolve and allow him to impress Nick Fury before being recruited into the Avengers.
The next movie I would put in either late Summer 2016 or November 2016, is a Doctor Strange movie. Who wouldn't mind seeing that? Yet again, I would have this as another stand alone movie before the character is recruited into the Avengers. Johnny Depp for the role, absolutely! I wouldn't know what villain to cast in the movie though. The 3 movies I've discussed mainly produce more characters to the cinematic universe and add freshness to the story. They may seem slightly irrelevant to the whole cinematic universe, but it would do what Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America did, it will give us a good introduction to the characters.
Also notice how I have not mentioned a third Thor or Captain America film. I think 3 Avengers movie plus 2 stand alone movies are enough for those characters as I would rather see new characters come in. The addition of the 3 characters above means the Avengers increase to a total of 8: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlett Witch, Ant Man, Black Panther and Doctor Strange. War Machine and Falcon not involved, Hawkeye and Black Widow dead. Also, there has been some talk of Vin Diesel playing Vision. Don't really want that, no offence!
Now for the 4th and final movie that would be put in before the Avengers 3. I would schedule it for a Summer 2017 release, as it's a big movie. I would call it Guardians of the Galaxy: Planet Hulk. This may seem far-fetched and not loyal to the source material I know, but hey? Iron Man 3 butchered The Mandarin and the Avengers: Age of Ultron will not involve Ant Man, who is crucial to Ultron's origin!
The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) is set to introduce us to a much larger cinematic universe. It is also introducing us to a very important character in Thanos, the Avenger's adversary. Can they amalgamate Hulk into this? Yes they could! Hulk could land on a planet where the Guardians of the Galaxy are in that present moment. Hulk, angered and confused, could stumble across Thanos, who offers him the chance of turning back to Bruce Banner for good.
The plot could involve Thanos using the Hulk in a Marvel civil war movie way! He could take on the guardians in the pursuit of the six infinity gems. The gems are crucial as they are needed to power the infinity gauntlet, which is essentially a device which grants omnipotence to it's wielder. It gives him/her control over time, space, power, soul, mind and reality. Thanos would require this in an effort to destroy the Avengers as well as use it to control the mind of the Incredible Hulk.
Then we have the Avengers 3(2018) , or as I would call it, The Avengers: The Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos comes to earth and uses the Infinity Gauntlet to terrorise the earth as well as to control the Hulk and make him kill his former Avengers teammates.
This would be sooooo cool to watch! This would be my ultimate fantasy!
As for the movie's ending, Thanos and the Hulk would be stopped at great cost! The Hulk could be reluctantly killed by the Avengers. But what of Thanos?
As cheesy as this sounds, I would like the people of Earth to stop him. You know just regular people. This would make the Avengers believe that the Earth is in safe hands with it's people and they would agree to formally disband for good as Earth no longer needs Superheroes to defend itself. Plus, stopping Thanos would send out a huge message to the rest of the galaxy, would it not? Come to Earth, you get defeated!
Then, who knows? Marvel would have to use their universe for other purposes if they followed my route! Obviously they won't, but this is the way I would like it to go and also involves/ doesn't involve characters I would like/not like to see on the big screen.
Those are my thoughts on the Marvel Universe for phases 2 and 3. They don't involve X Men or the Fantastic Four as Fox own the rights to those and they would not meet on screen. The same can be said for Spiderman and Sony.
What do you think will happen from now until 2018in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Comment below and let me know.
As always, thanks for reading,
Matt
