THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE - PART 2

Hi there! Today we will be continuing our look at "THE MCU" and this time we'll be digging up some behind the scenes fun-facts about this extraordinary franchise!

Have you heard the news that THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY [who already owns MARVEL STUDIOS, LUCASFILM LIMITED, TOUCHSTONE PICTURES, DREAMWORKS PICTURES AND PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS] has just bought 20TH CENTURY FOX!

That's great news for MARVEL COMICS fans because it gives us a chance to see THE X-MEN, WOLVERINE, DEADPOOL, THE FANTASTIC FOUR, SILVER SURFER and other "X-MEN" related characters team up with "THE AVENGERS".

[The newly extended MARVEL STUDIOS family.]

However, do not expect any crossovers in the foreseeable future as MARVEL President and Executive Producer KEVIN FEIGE has made it very clear in an interview for THE PLAYLIST when he was asked if any FOX-MARVEL characters would appear in "THE MCU", FEIGE said:

"No, because any of that deal would take a while to get going and years from whenever and if ever it happens. So, certainly it won’t impact the five movies we’ve announced, and it probably wouldn’t impact anything for a handful of years after that. Because really, we’re not thinking about that. We’re thinking of delivering on what we promised. Any movie, especially for any characters we don’t have the rights to yet until someone tells us we do, would be even further after that."

But like "DOC BROWN" says at the end of "BACK TO THE FUTURE PART 3": "The future hasn't been written yet" which means we can always hope and pray that it will become a reality much, much sooner.

Did you know [and i'm sure you did] that many of the "MARVEL HEROES" have also appearred in films outside of "THE MCU"?

Here's a list of the films and T.V. shows that they have starred in:

Theatrical/Direct-To-VideoMovies:

1} CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 1944 MOVIE-SERIAL SERIES [MARVEL COMICS was known as TIMELY COMICS at the time.] [1944-15 Episodes]

[The theatrical movie poster for "CHAPTER 1: THE PURPLE DEATH".]

THE PUNISHER [1989 Direct-to-video film] [1989]

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE MOVIE [A 1990 - Direct-to-video film released in 1992!] [1990-92]

SPIDER-MAN: THE MOVIE [2002]

DAREDEVIL [2003]

 THE HULK [2003]

SPIDER-MAN 2 [2004]

THE PUNISHER [2004] [Remake]

ELEKTRA [DAREDEVIL spin-off movie about his supposably dead girlfriend.] [2005]

SPIDER-MAN 3 [2007]

 PUNISHER: WAR ZONE [2008]

 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [Reboot] [2012]

 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 [2014]

 Bonus title:

14} GEORGE LUCAS PRESENTS: HOWARD THE DUCK

[he doesn't have a major role in "THE MCU" but "HOWARD" does have a cameo appearance in a couple of scenes from "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY" and "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" so I thought i'd mention him right here.] [1986]

["LUCAS' HOWARD" and "THE MCU HOWARD" in an edited split-screen comparison shot.]

T.V. Shows:

1} SPIDEY SUPER STORIES [Segments from the hit educational T.V. series "THE ELECTRIC COMPANY"] [1974-77]

2} THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1977-79]

3} THE INCREDIBLE HULK [1977-82]

4} SPIDER-MAN: THE JAPANESE T.V. SERIES [a.k.a. "SUPAIDAMAN" - I hope I spelled that right.] [1978-79]

This 41 episode T.V. series also included a theatrical movie simply titled "SUPAIDAMAN" [Again I don't know if I spelled that right!] A.K.A. "SPIDER-MAN [THE 1978 JAPANESE FILM]".

T.V. MOVIES AND MOVIE-EPISODES:

1} SPIDER-MAN: THE PILOT EPISODE [For "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" T.V. series] [1977]

2} THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: SPIDER-MAN STRIKES BACK [A.K.A. the episodes "DEADLY DUST PARTS 1 AND 2"] [1978]

3} THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: THE DRAGON'S CHALLENGE [A.K.A. the episodes "THE CHINESE WEB PARTS 1 AND 2"] [1979]

4} THE INCREDIBLE HULK: THE PILOT EPISODE [1977]

5} THE RETURN OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK [A.K.A.] THE INCRIDIBLE HULK: DEATH IN THE FAMILY [this movie-episode was retitled for syndication.] [1977]

6} THE INCREDIBLE HULK: MARRIED [A.K.A.] THE BRIDE OF THE INCERDIBLE HULK [Season 2 episode 1] [Title changed for Home Video release] [1978]

7} THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS [Post-series guest-starring "THOR"] [1988]

8} THE TRIAL OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK [Post-series guest-starring "DAREDEVIL" and MARVEL COMICS supervillian "THE KINGPIN"] [1989]

9} THE DEATH OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK [Post-series and the overall series finale] [1990]

10} DR. STRANGE [1978]

11} CAPTAIN AMERICA [1979]

12} CAPTAIN AMERICA 2: DEATH TO SOON [1979]

13} NICK FURY: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. [1998]

Did you know that before MARVEL STUDIOS started their "CINEMATIC UNIVERSE" series, MARVEL wasn't even producing there own film projects? All pre-mcu movies before 2008 were licensed to other major Hollywood studios. The movie branch started in 1993 as MARVEL FILMS. The studio would make money off of merchandise inspired by the films that were released at the time!

[The MARVEL FILMS logo - though you probably already knew that! heh, heh.]

Did you that some "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY" characters origin stories are much darker in the comics?

It's true!,  they do have a tragic past. This [rather short] list includes:

1 "MANTIS"

There are number of different versions of "MANTIS'" origin story [And all of them are not very happy ones.] but the most popular version, Mantis is raised and trained by Kree priests until her mind is wiped and she must work as a prostitute in Vietnam before eventually joining the Avengers.

Other versions of Mantis’s backstory involve her exploding and having the fragments of herself killed off one by one. Moving on...

2 "GROOT"

Groot’s origin story, Groot used to be able to speak in full sentences without a problem.

However, Groot and the rest of his species, all suffer from a unique disorder which causes their vocal cords to tighten and harden over time until all they are able to say is three simple words: “I am Groot.” So much for a cute one-liner.

3 "TASERFACE

"TASERFACE" in the comics faces off with the original Guardians in the year 3000, and can be directly connected with another character from the MCU-- Tony Stark. "TASERFACE" belongs to the Stark race, which is a group of aliens that have constructed their society and way of life from Tony Stark’s litter, leftovers, and trashed technology that he shot into space thousands of years earlier. In other words, the cruelty of Taserface is an eventual result of Tony Stark’s casual disregard for littering.

And finally, the most disturbing one of all........

4 "ROCKET RACCOON"

According to this origin story, Rocket Raccoon was originally engineered by cruel scientists not just for the purpose of providing scientific data through harsh experiments, but to keep insane patients of a mental asylum company, along with other animal friends. Eventually Rocket escaped the asylum and began an alternate career of crime and debauchery.

Did you know that "CAPTAIN AMERICA'S" list in "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER" is different depending on which country your in?

Here's an example:

The U.S. version -

The U.K.-

[In case you guys can't read it, the very top of the list says "T.V. show - SHERLOCK right where I LOVE LUCY can be found in the U.S. version.]

Here's a couple more examples for you:

Aussies have AC/DC, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, and Steve Irwin added to the list, while Koreans get Ji Sung Park, Dance Dance Revolution, and Oldboy. French fans see the 1998 World Cup and The Fifth Element, among other things.

Did you know that "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY" Director JAMES GUNN 'S own brother, SEAN GUNN, plays two characters?

He plays the ravager "KRAGLIN" in "GOTG VOLS. 1 AND 2" does the motion capture work for fellow guardian "ROCKET RACCOON" in "GOTG VOLS. 1 AND 2" and "AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR".

[SEAN GUNN - in a motion-caption suit - as "ROCKET" with wwe superstar DAVE BATISTA as "DRAX" filming a scene.]

[ GUNN as "KRAGLIN" in another scene.]

Did you know that at first CHRIS EVANS did not want to play "CAPTAIN AMERICA"?

EVANS turned down the part three times due to his previous experience playing "THE HUMAN TORCH" in "THE FANTASTIC FOUR" franchise. EVANS eventually accepted the role after deciding to appear   in six films after he managed to overcome his concerns [MARVEL originally wanted evans to appear nine films].

[EVANS as both "THE HUMAN TORCH" and "CAPTAIN AMERICA".]

EVANS has also expressed interest in playing both roles in a possible  "CAPTAIN AMERICA/THE HUMAN TORCH" movie done as a crossover-style buddy comedy.

Here's what EVANS said in a twitter post:

"So who do I talk to about a Cap/Human Torch buddy comedy spinoff? I’m thinking Planes, Trains and Automobiles meets Parent Trap." 

Of course EVANS could have only been joking with us. But even if EVANS' comment was a joke it has gotten some support from "ANT-MAN" and "ANT-MAN AND THE WASP" Director PEYTON REED!

REED has offered to direct the film saying, in his own tweet: 

"Hey, @ChrisEvans: I'm in"

Yeah, so ummm... i'll let you guys decide if it's a joke or not.

["ANT-MAN" and "ANT-MAN AND THE WASP" Director PEYTON REED]

Did you know that "CAPTAIN AMERICA'S" ship being discovered was forshadowed in the infamous deleted "SUICIDE SCENE" from "THE INCREDIBLE HULK"?

[A shot from the deleted scene with a close-up of what looks like "CAP'S" shield in the lower-right corner.]

[A clearer look at the "CAPSICLE" is seen in this screen-shot.] 

Director LOUIS LETTERRIER removed the scene for a reason that is explained in this statement from LETTERRIER:

“There’s a point when "BRUCE BANNER" gives up on his quest for the cure and decides to kill himself. So he travels far North and reaches the Arctic Circle. You might have seen bits of it in some of the promos. The result was a very dark and strong scene, which Marvel, me and everyone else considered to be too hard to young audiences to take, so we’ve cut it. Having that said, when Bruce arrives at his destination he meets up with Captain America! At some point this week, we will make it available on the internet but I cannot tell you where or when and the material will definitely be on the DVD.”

[This comment was made back when "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" [2008] was released into theaters.]

Did you know that two of "BLACK PANTHER'S" Co-stars went to the same school?

LUPITA NYONG'O ["NAKIA"] and WINSTON DUKE ["M'BAKU"] were both students who attended YALE SCHOOL FOR DRAMA. Both actors also went and saw "MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS" together. They loved the movie they dreamed of starring in a film just like "THE AVENGERS" someday.

[NYONG'O as "NAKIA"]

[DUKE as "M'BAKU"]

There are hundreds of facts about "THE MCU" out there. That's too many for me to name so good luck finding them.

Until next time, see 'ya!