I'm Alex Sigsworth. In medias res
My name is Captain Marvel… I am an Earthling and an Avenger. But today I stand as one with the settlers of Torfa, who claim this planet and its resources as they were freely given in the aftermath of the Behemoth disaster… They are a peaceful people, but I am a woman of war. If you move against them, you move against me. I am willing to die here today, for this cause. I have made my choice… Now you make yours.
In 2017, Omega Underground reported that Captain Marvel was to film in New Orleans. This was later confirmed by Marvel News. Now, Omega Underground are further reporting that the New Orleans shoot is to begin on 26th June.
Captain Marvel first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 by Stan Lee. Captain Marvel is scheduled for release on 8th March, starring Academy Award winner Brie Larson (Room).
“Ant-Man and the Wasp, teaming up.”
Marvel has revealed the cover of The art of Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp. The latest in the “Art of… ” series, The art of Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp features full pages of colour concept art, production design and behind the scenes images from the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The art of Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp is written by Eleni Roussos with a cover by Andy Park and is published 3rd July 2018.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is released 6th July 2018, directed by Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Michael Douglas as Henry Pym and Evangeline Lilly as Hope Dyne.
“I was partners with Hank on a project called Goliath.”
In the most recent Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer, William Foster (Laurence Fishburne) explains that he was part of a project called “Goliath”. This was likely a reference to Foster’s comics counterpart who was also called by that name when he gained the ability to change his size at will. However, Redditer waddafaquer has posted a clip of Iron Man 2 (2010) in which Anthony Stark references Project Goliath, along with P.E.G.A.S.U.S. and Exodus:
Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. was the facility featured in Marvel Avengers Assemble (2012) researching new energy forms and sources. “Exodus” still seems to be a throwaway reference, but the leading fan theory is that it refers to the project that led to the origin of Captain Marvel. It might not seem very likely, but Iron Man 2 did after all feature a very subtle reference to Wakanda, thus also planting the seeds for Black Panther (2018). It would seem that Iron Man 2 turned out to be even more pivotal to the world building of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than we originally thought at the time… perhaps Laurence Fishburne is intended to lead a Goliath film for Phase 4?
In 2002, Tobey Maguire debuted as Spider-Man in the character’s first live-action film. In 2003, he sustained an injury on the set of Seabiscuit that created doubts as to whether he’d be able to do Spider-Man 2. Director Sam Raimi decided that, in the event of Maguire being unable to return, the new Spider-Man should be Jake Gyllenhaal. Before Gyllenhaal decided whether he wanted to do it, Maguire recovered and went on to complete the trilogy. During this time, Gyllenhaal won an Academy Award for his supporting portrayal of Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain.
In 2017, Spider-Man was rebooted in Spider-Man: Homecoming, starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man and former Batman star Michael Keaton as Vulture.
At the same time, Batman was now being portrayed by Ben Affleck in Justice League, and rumours were beginning to abound that he was to be replaced by Gyllenhaal.
Gyllenhaal confirmed that he had been in talks to star in a standalone Batman film but had passed.
Deadline‘s Mike Fleming is now reporting that Gyllenhaal is in talks to be cast in the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel as antagonist Mysterio. The Mysterio name has been taken by four characters, though it’s not known which identity is planned for use. The character’s most iconic storyline was the mini-series Spider-Man: Mysterio Manifesto (2001) by Tom DeFalco, which featured Spider-Man teaming up with Daredevil (currently portrayed on Netflix by Charlie Cox). But since comic book film adaptations prefer to lift a variety of plot elements from numerous different stories instead of directly adapting one of them – and since Marvel’s Netflix shows have never been acknowledged in, or influenced any of, Marvel’s films – we probably shouldn’t expect to see Daredevil involved. That mini-series did, however, include Vulture, who – according to Variety‘s Justin Kroll – will be returning. So who knows?
Either way, if Gyllenhaal decides that he’s interested, and the current plan isn’t changed, then perhaps he’d prefer for his experience in the superhero genre to be as supporting characters or villains instead of leading heroes.
Last night, the Eurovision Song Contest was upon us once again. So all aboard for the 2018 edition from 2017 year’s winner, Portugal. And as usual, I was attending a Eurovision party, and so spent the night tweeting about it.
But first, here’s the Belarusian song that won my vote last year:
In the end, United Kingdom’s Storm scored 24th with 48 points. Placing 1st was Israel’s Toy with 529 points.
So it turns out that the song Europe most wanted to hear this year was about imitating a chicken, truly proving that people don’t care about the political options. But Eurovision is whatever we want it to be, so that’s no bad thing. Even if the response to it was basically the same as Homer Simpson watching Man Getting hit by Football:
“I don’t associate with movements, I’m not an ‘ism’, I think for myself. The moment when someone attaches you to a philosophy or a movement, then they assign all the baggage and all the rest of the philosophy that goes with it to you, and when you want to have a conversation, they will assert that they already know everything important there is to know about you because of that association, and that’s not the way to have a conversation.”
Neil Tyson, “Neil deGrasse Tyson: Atheist or Agnostic?”
The problem with people is that they’re only human. -Bill Watterson
via Asking Big Questions #007: “What is a Real Gamer”? — The Well-Red Mage
The Well-Red Mage has asked another big question: what is a real gamer? Of course, every gamer is a “real” gamer, because otherwise they wouldn’t be a gamer (semantics). So in order to define “real gamer”, we must define what a “gamer” is and then analyse the reasons for the word “real” to be prefixed to it.
Obviously, the word gamer literally describes somebody who plays games. That, we know. But that literal definition is also broad. I do play games, in that I like to be working my way through at least one when I’m not doing anything else, in the same way that some people do with novels. But I’m not consistent or regular, I don’t mentally allocate slots in my life for gaming, I just game “whenever”. Of course, that means that gaming is my first choice of entertainment when I have free time, but that still comes with varying degrees of frequency. Does that make me a gamer? Or does it actually make me someone who just plays games? That kind of lack of clarity is why I don’t bother with unnecessary labels. Words should clearly identify their subjects, and words like “gamer” are opinions, descriptions applied to a person by, at best themselves and at worst by somebody else. It’s a way for people to define their reality, which becomes dangerous when other people compose their definition. When members of a subculture identify themselves with a subjective term, there’s no way for them to technically be incorrect when applying that term to the other members. Gaming is often about competition and point-scoring, so it’s not surprising – it’s perhaps even inevitable – that gaming culture becomes about personal point-scoring.
That’s why I’ve never called myself a “gamer”, because it’s either an unneccessary description of myself that’s too ambiguous to mean anything or a way of pointlessly allowing other people to define my reality. My self-styled “gamer” friends are intelligent people (they’d have to be), so I never need to worry about that kind of personal reality defining from them, which means that they’d recognise me as a gamer if that’s what I decided to call myself. But as someone who’s worried about personal reality defining, I’m also wary of confusing my own intelligent friends’ well-informed opinions of being fact, because then that creates exactly the kind of echo-chamber problems that leads to people personally defining their reality in the first place. This problem with the mentality of “real gamers” doesn’t begin and end in gamer (sub)culture. It’s part of a wider crisis in society: the world’s problems can only be solved if we all agree on what those problems are, how they’re caused and what the solution is, and that requires an agreed objectivity. Without that objectivity, society lacks a common goal, and the sinister application of subjective nouns like “gamer” on a sub-cultural level is exactly what diminishes that objectivity and brings the world closer toward a new stone age of tribalism.
Kim at Later Levels has been hosting her seasonal gamers blog party. While socialising there, I revealed my plans for this coming summer, including how I’ll be relaunching my blog and YouTube channel and my thoughts on that. Let’s just say it’s inspired by TWRM Radio, something that the Well-Red Mage has been working on.
I’m also pleased to announce that, as a result of publicising myself there, I’ve gained my 100th follower: the Hyperactive Coffee Mage, AKA Ryan Cheddi. Everyone go check out his blog, Games With Coffee.
Alas, I am not gone. I am merely taking a hiatus. But I shall be back in the summer… hopefully.
– the Purple Prose Mage
