Tag: Guardians of the Galaxy

RUMOR: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s to Feature the High Evolutionary as its Main Villain

After many delays, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the next entry in the Guardians of the Galaxy film. James Gunn’s final romp into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s galaxy will feature our favorite ragtag team of space heroes. Even after all this time, it’s surprising how little we know about the actual project, but it turns out we might’ve gotten our first hint at the main antagonist.

KC Walsh, who is famous for his work on GWW and dropped the World War Hulk news, recently appeared on the Change My Mind podcast and seemingly revealed that the upcoming threequel will feature the High Revolutionary as its main antagonist. He highlights that he is “essentially the idea in the movie is that he’s gonna be the one who created Rocket,” which has been hinted at something that the film would explore. His full quote states that:

I did hear – this is a thing that’s been floating around – the villain of Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 is the High Evolutionary.
KC Walsh

Exploring Rocket’s origin sounds like a promising direction for the franchise, as he’s also been the emotional core of some of the stories. Of course, we don’t know how it continues the story out of Thor: Love and Thunder where they’ll be featured and if they continue their hunt for Gamora from a different timeline. We still have some time until it releases but it’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store for the Guardians.

Source: YouTube via The Direct

December 11, 2021
Kevin Feige Uncertain About Nova’s MCU Future

With the MCU expanding into so many new corners, numerous fan-favorite characters are making their live-action debuts. One character in particular that people are eager to see adapted is Nova. The character first appeared in 1976 and has served as both a protector of Earth and one of the galaxy’s greatest heroes.

The opening of Avengers: Infinity War seemingly set up a possible origin story for Richard Rider, with Thanos decimating Xandar off-screen it in pursuit of the Power Stone. During the press rounds for that film, Kevin Feige teased the “immediate potential” of the character, but over three years later, he’s still yet to be seen. In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Feige was asked if it was more likely we’d see the Human Rocket introduced in his own project or in another film. And as he often does, Feige didn’t give much of an answer:

It’s a good question, it’s a good question. We have plenty, you know it depends…we oftentimes…see Black Panther is a great example! We were always working a Black Panther standalone. The world of Wakanda, how to dive into that. Then the opportunity for him to appear first in Civil War came up. So it always varies.
Kevin Feige

Feige definitely seems to be hinting here that Nova could indeed appear in another project in a smaller, supporting role before eventually spinning off into his own project. With so much focus on Xandar in the Guardians of The Galaxy films, and Vol. 3 currently in production, it feels like it might be the best place for the character to debut.

SOURCE: Instagram

December 7, 2021
Meister Rolling Out a Limited Marvel Studios Watch Collection This Week
Through an officially licensed collaboration with Marvel Studios, Meister Watches is releasing an exclusive line of watches this week ahead of Black Friday. The 7 watches, inspired by Black Widow, Guardians of the Galaxy, WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, are each limited to 50-100 watches and will be available for order online at Meister’s Marvel shop.

Releasing Tuesday, the Falcon Ambassador MK4 and the Winter Soldier Ambassador MK4.
Soar high with our new Falcon Ambassador MK4. The new Falcon MK4 is equipped with a stealthy black case and matching black leather with contrasting red stitching. The black dial is accented with custom white arrows on the index, Falcon’s logo, and the functional chronographs with a red ring. Finish the mission with this limited MK4 now. Limited to only 100 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.
Never forget whose side you’re on with our new Winter Soldier Ambassador MK4. Deep blue steel case with black bezel set off Bucky’s best accessory. The black outer ring in the face of the watch has a grey middle and the black and blue chronograph rings with silver stars serve as hour markers. Bucky’s blue star logo completes the one-of-a-kind watch. Limited to only 100 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.

Releasing Wednesday, the Wanda Ambassador Ultra Slim and the Vision Ambassador MK4.
Enhance your WandaVision with our newest Ambassador Ultra Slim. Equipped with a black case constructed of 316 NASA grade stainless steel, the genuine red leather band matches the red sunray dial face. The dial features a custom white luminescent index with the Avengers logo in silver. Only 100 of these timepieces have been produced and each is individually numbered on the back case.
Synchronize your synthezoid with our new Vision Ambassador MK4. The blue steel case and matching band and face are contrasted with gold hexagon bolts, crown and pushers, and maroon index. Gold hands on the functional chronographs, Vision’s V logo and the Soul stone are details that tie-in the Avengers outfit. Limited to only 100 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.

Now releasing Thursday, the Black Widow Ambassador Ultra Slim.
Go deep undercover with our newest Black Widow Ambassador Ultra Slim timepiece, featuring a stealthy all-black case with matching interchangeable steel band or black leather band. The custom hour index with red and white lining, red functional chronograph, and Black Widow symbol all pay homage to the female Avenger. Limited to only 50 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.

Releasing Thursday, the Star-Lord Ambassador MK4 and the Gamora Ambassador Ultra Slim (not pictured).
Defend the galaxy in style with our newest Star-Lord Ambassador MK4. Matching Star-Lord’s fit, the case is Gunmetal with a burgundy leather band. The two-tone face, burgundy outer layer with gold center carry on the theme as does the red index with Star-Lord’s logo. Limited to only 100 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.

Stand your ground like a true warrior with our newest Gamora Ambassador Ultra Slim. constructed of 316 NASA grade black stainless steel. Multi-layer green sunray dial face complemented by glowing luminescent index. Gamora logo completes the warriors ultra slim. Limited to only 100 pieces.

The 7 new watches join Meister’s already impressive collection of Marvel products, including their line of Eternals timepieces which are now on sale.

Meister’s Black Friday releases kick off tomorrow. With each watch being limited, make sure you make your way to the site early to ensure you get the one on your list!
November 21, 2021
Sylvester Stallone Shares First Look at Upgraded ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Costume

Update: Stallone has since deleted the Instagram post.

Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone is becoming something of a frequent collaborator with director James Gunn. The actor recently starred as the voice of King Shark in Gunn’s soft reboot of the Suicide Squad franchise, and now he’s excitedly sharing first looks from the set of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It was revealed not that long ago by Stallone himself that the former Tango & Cash star would be reprising his role as Stakar Ogord for the film, a character he originated in the second film of the Guardians series. Now, the actor has provided fans with a look at his new costume:

While it could just be a trick of the lighting, it would seem as though Stallone’s new outfit is brighter in color than his previous attire. His character, Ogord, was introduced in Vol. 2 as a leading member of the Ravagers and an old crew mate of Michael Rooker‘s Yondu. He was last seen reforming his old team in one of the movie’s many post-credits scenes, which consisted of big names like Ving Rhames, Miley Cyrus, and Shang-Chi‘s Michelle Yeoh. In the comics, Ogord is a powerful member of the Guardians known as Starhawk. He possesses numerous amazing abilities, such as flight, energy manipulation, and precognition. It remains to be seen if any of this will make it to the MCU’s live-action take on Stakar, or if the complicated hero will fall into the group of cosmic beings slightly de-powered for the sake of the Guardians story.

Source: Instagram

November 15, 2021
Sylvester Stallone Confirms Return With Set Video from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we met Sylvester Stallone’s Stakar Ogord. He’s a loose adaptation of the comic character Starhawk, who originally was from the 31st century and a member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy. In the MCU, he’s one of the leaders of the Ravagers and the one who exiled Yondu for his actions working for Ego. They did give him a heartfelt farewell tribute at the end of the film, but it left us with the question of whether they might make a return.

Luckily, we got our first rumor of his return back in July which might build upon the brief post-credits sequence of the older generation of Ravagers working together once again. It’s unclear what role he might have in James Gunn’s third and possibly final entry of the franchise, but it’s great to get a confirmation that he’s indeed in the film.

View this post on Instagram

It’s interesting that they are filming all his expressions to duplicate. In a way, it seems that it’s part of the routine at this point but they might also be considering aging the actor down for flashback sequences. They seemed to hint at the long history the Ravagers shared and might want to explore that in the final entry. Yondu getting a short cameo in a flashback would make for an interesting way to bring Michael Rooker back for a final entry of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy directed by James Gunn. Plus, they might hint at the franchise’s future as well.

Source: Instagram

November 12, 2021
Jim Starlin Hopes Pip the Troll Returns in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

Some time has passed and Jim Starlin, the creator of Thanos, finally had a chance to discuss another of his popular characters, Pip the Troll. At the end of Eternals, we meet the character for the first time voiced by Patton Oswalt as he drunkenly introduces Harry Styles‘ Starfox. It was a surprise little cameo that caught many by surprise and the legendary comic creator revealed that he hopes the character makes his return in the upcoming third Guardians of the Galaxy film.

There’s no telling with the movies and anything I say is just speculation. I assume that there’s maybe some kind of link up with Guardians 3, because it seems like Warlock’s going to be in there, seeing that they made a big thing about casting an actor on it.
Jim Starlin

While his actual next appearance is uncertain, it does make sense to see him return in the third Guardians film. The character has close ties to Adam Warlock, who was also created by Starlin. He acted like a comic foil to add some levity to the story. After fleeing the Universal Church of Truth, he ends up meeting the golden man, who he’d join on various adventures to face the leader of the church, Magus.

We know that Will Poulter will return for the third and potentially final entry of James Gunn‘s space odyssey. So, Pip’s connection to the character would make it a fitting next appearance. Yet, it’s uncertain what it means for the other Eternals that were out in space to find others of their kind. It seemed like Starfox took over Warlock’s role from the comics, or they might even twist the relationship in new ways. Here’s hoping we get a hint in the near future.

Source: ComicBook.com

November 10, 2021
Jim Starlin Envisions Adam Warlock as “Clint Eastwood in Space”

Jim Starlin didn’t create Adam Warlock but he is as associated with the cosmic weirdo as much as anyone. Starlin gave Warlock a starring role in 1991’s Infinity Gauntlet event and kick off a renaissance for the character who had been absent from Marvel Comics for over a decade. From there, Warlock went on a wonderful journey that saw him face off against different versions of himself, lead the Infinity Watch, team up with the Silver Surfer, become linked at the hip with Thanos and, eventually, join the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Needless to say, Starlin knows the character as well as anyone. With James Gunn recently revealing Warlock would be among the new characters joining the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Starlin sat down with Comicbook.com’s Adam Barnhardt and gave some ideas on how he’d like to see him adapted in the MCU, starting with him having a whole lot less to say than Thanos:

I imagine him dark. He’s like the cosmic Batman. I would keep his dialogue down to a minimum, make him Clint Eastwood in space, or something like that.

The dark, brooding Batman and Eastwood’s Man With No Name (likely the version of Eastwood Starlin is referencing here) are an interesting point of comparison for a character who has been known to be a bit loquacious, but also fit with Warlock’s more mysterious nature. Starlin’s comments also make one think about how a Clint Eastwood Batman film might be the greatest thing we never saw.

Two of Starlin’s creations, Pip the Troll and Starfox, recently made their debuts in Eternals and it sound like he’d like to see them meet up with Warlock on screen as members of the Infinity Watch:

It sounds like they’re going to start off with him probably as a villainous type of character, an antagonist, let’s say, inside the Guardians movie. But we’ll see where they go from there. They’re putting Pip up, bringing Eros in, who knows what they’re going to do. They might bring back the Infinity gems and start the Infinity Watch.

It’s great to see Starlin, whose most famous creation, Thanos, played a major role in the MCU’s past, have a handful of characters who are looking like they’ll play a part in the MCU’s future. Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter, will debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when it hits theaters on May 5, 2023.

Source: Comicbook.com

November 10, 2021
REVIEW: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Rocks

Square-Enix’s subsidiary Eidos Montreal has tackled another sector of the Marvel universe in their adaptation of the Guardians of the Galaxy. When the first trailers dropped, it seemed like they took the original film franchise that started in 2014 and added a new rock-focused paint job. There was some skepticism with the focus on Star-Lord being the only playable character, Yet, as more trailers were released it offered a glimpse into what may be a fun new interpretation of these beloved characters and may offer one of gaming’s most unique world designs. Does it live up to its expectations or falter under the weight of expectation?

The story starts simply with our group of Guardians trying to nab a decent bounty and make a quick buck. Yet, they end up getting caught for their infiltrating an unrestricted area and have to pay off a fine for the Nova Corps. As you can guess, it’s never that simple and things start to unravel from thereon. There’s a curious plot point that stands out as it humanizes the struggle Quill goes through in the story, as well as adds a layer to make it a surprisingly personal story as events unfold. This core narrative is one of the most exciting aspects of the game, as you follow these characters from one planet to another as everything just seems to unravel. We get a chance to explore a very different kind of Marvel galaxy with some familiar characters.

We have to keep in mind, Guardians of the Galaxy is an intellectual property that was completely unknown to non-comic readers until James Gunn redefined our understanding of them. Nowadays, they are a household name and you can see that some elements are inescapable when adapting these characters. Peter Quill and Drax share a lot of traits with their cinematic counterparts, especially the former with his love for music. Yet, they took an interesting angle by sticking to the 80s-inspired music but giving him a stronger rock-centric interest. That especially comes to the forefront with the fictional band Star-Lord, which is the new origin of his code name.

Drax is a good example of how they took the base personality of these characters from the films but added additional layers. He still takes things quite literally but is given a much more grounded personality this time around. He gets some of the most emotional scenes in the game, as we explore his relationship with his wife and daughter, or rather how he handles the tragedy. Every member of this group connects the overarching challenges to their core worries. Rocket has a fear that is rooted in his origin while Gamora has some baggage we slowly learn about throughout the story. Personally, though, Rocket is a standout character, who purposefully rubs you the wrong way before slowly we get to know the character better and why he behaves the way he does.

Of course, a game is more than just its core narrative. As the trailers promised, you only control Star-ord directly but can command your team throughout the battle scenarios. Every member is specialized in something and you’ll need to make use of each member to survive most encounters. That doesn’t mean Star-Lord is weak, as he uses his Elemental Guns that include different abilities. You’ll unlock most of them throughout the game, which is activated through a specific moment in Peter’s journey. At times, it does become a lot to keep an eye on and memorize throughout a fight. I’ve more than often accidentally activated the Huddle mechanic due to how easy it is to activate.

Speaking of, every game has some kind of special move that gives you bonuses or ways to take down enemies more efficiently. In Guardians of the Galaxy, it is called a huddle, where you call in your teammates, analyze their current mood and pick a fitting answer to motivate them. If you fail to do so, only Star-Lord will get a bonus. It’s an interesting idea that fits into the “leader” role of the character, but it’s kind of a pacing breaker. Everyone huddles up, they talk quite a bit, you choose an answer that you have to listen to the audio cue before you enter battle again. While an interesting idea, it’s also not satisfying outside of maybe getting back some special abilities and stat boosts. Also, I once got stuck in it and they just kept staring into my soul without a button prompt which was a fun experience.

I’ve experienced quite a few bugs while playing on the PlayStation 5. Some in-game models would pop out and into existence. Enemies would get stuck in place, or textures would take some time before they popped in. I even had the game suddenly crash on me in the middle of a fight, but it was only once in my entire playthrough. They’re far from a dealbreaker but were a bit noticeable. I also have to point out that there’s a great mechanic where you collect items and your crewmates share stories with you. For some reason, Drax was following me around and when I started a conversation with Gamora, he was stuck between us. It might be one of the funniest bugs I ever had, especially cause Drax not caring about personal space is in character for him.

Still, even with these bugs, they don’t take away from the beauty of this game. The environments and creature designs might be some of the best I’ve seen in a game. Instead of grounding the concepts, they went with the wildest, Lovecraftian-inspired designs you could imagine. Each planet has a very distinct visual style, such as one covered in ice with fire raining from the sky. Even Nova Corps. ships have elements that make them visually stand out in contrast to the diverse flora and fauna you meet in your adventure.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy surprised me in many ways. The story is exciting and has that feeling of adventure you expect from this kind of game. Some emotional moments anchor these characters in interesting ways that make them stand out from their cinematic counterparts. Add in a dash of visual creativity and fun combat, you have a recipe that lends itself to a brand new franchise. Here’s hoping we get to explore more aspects of space in future entries. Just like the incredible music selection and fictional Star-Lord band, the game just rocks even with its faults.

November 7, 2021
Will Poulter Hints at Adam Warlock’s Golden Skin in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 is set to begin principal photography. The cast and crew of James Gunn’s space outlaws are currently making their last preparations for productions. With Will Poulter having recently joined the cast as Adam Warlock, there are lots of questions about how he is going to be involved beyond emerging from the cocoon we saw in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 post-credit scene. Poulter was on The Jonathan Ross Show promoting his upcoming Hulu miniseries Dopesick, where host and Marvel fan, Jonathan Ross, was on hand to field a variety of questions about Poulter’s MCU character.

The actor was typically evasive as most are as part of their MCU contracts, he jokingly stated that that he is “feared for the safety of his family” because he’s “sworn to secrecy.” After confirming Marvel Studios and James Gunn won’t change the character’s name, Ross was giving him the grilling any Marvel fan would, particularly about whether Warlock will be the gold color of The Sovereign. The actor points out the gold sofa he is sitting on, stating “this is a lovely sofa is what I’ll say” perhaps indicating he will in fact have his traditional gold comic-book appearance. The actor also hinted that he is in the process of buffing up for the project.

Whether Warlock remains the superweapon against the Guardians that The Sovereign intends him to be or switches sides as he does in the comics, remains an open question. Also with a few years that have passed between the end of the second film and where we’ll catch up with the Guardians, it is curious to wonder whether we might see Warlock in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Wherever we see Adam Warlock turn up it will be interesting to see what route his story takes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Source: YouTube

November 5, 2021
Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V2

Earlier this year, we ran one hypothetical scenario for Marvel Studios 2023 release slate. A lot has changed since then (including the reshuffling of the film slate and a streaming series delay), so with Disney Plus Day coming up next week, we thought we’d shoot our shot at predicting how 2022 and 2023 might look. Here’s 2023, V2.

Whereas 2022 started off with a Star Wars series, it’s possible that the late-2021 reshuffling of Marvel Studios projects may have allowed for a perfect bit of Disney synergy.

This could allow the Disney+ Secret Invasion series to kick off the year and lead almost directly into The Marvels, a film with which it will share characters and, potentially, some plot points. If that’s the case, we could see an episode of Marvel Studios: Legends catch us up on Nick Fury and Talos on January 4th ahead of Secret Invasion’s 5-week run (prediction a 2-episode premiere here to keep things from overlapping).

Marvel Studios: Legends episodes for Kamala Khan, Monica Rambeau, and, of course, Carol Danvers are a good bet the week of the release of their team-up appearance in The Marvels. If Disney+ keeps pushing these summaries out, we could see them on February 15th.

The Marvels is starting to sound like another one of Marvel Studios’ highly ambitious team-up sequels, on par with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Thor: Ragnarok. Looking back, those films set not only their main characters but also the supporting cast on new journeys that lead to some amazing, redefining arcs. We could see that happening here when The Marvels drops into theaters on its new date, February 17th, 2023.

It can’t be all Marvel all the time. Season 3 of The Mandalorian would fit in nicely following The Marvels, meaning the next MCU project we could see would be episodes of Marvel Studios: Legends recapping the journeys of the Guardians. There would, by this time, be a LOT to do, so we could see the most loaded Legends day on May 3rd, 2023.

James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, originally supposed to be in theaters in May of 2020, will finally arrive on May 5th, 2023. Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter, is set to make his debut and, presumably, give the Guardians a hard time. However, we know that Gunn has said this film will be Rocket’s film and that it’s the final chapter in his telling of the story of this group, so Warlock will certainly not be the only new character we meet.

Following the final chapter of the OG Guardians of the MCU, it’s likely we’ll get a bit of a break from the MCU, maybe for something like the Lucasfilm Ahsoka series in May. Marvel Studios could get back in the game with a Marvel Studios: Legends episode on Maya Lopez (and maybe Wilson Fisk) on June 7th before her series debuts the next week.

We know almost nothing at this point about the solo Echo series other than it is described as a Hawkeye spinoff. There are rumors that both Hawkeyes and Kingpin will appear and that they are searching for Native American actors to, we think, play members of Echo’s family. This one has the feel of something that can be a pretty original spin on the character and it’s key that the focus is on Alaqua Cox’s Lopez. That said, don’t be surprised if some other familiar faces show up throughout the series.

By the time Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters, it’ll have been 5 years since Ant-Man and The Wasp was in theaters. A little catching up on Scott, Cassie, Hope, Janet, and Hank sounds good…oh yeah, and Kang. Expect a few Marvel Studios: Legends episodes to air the week the film hits theaters.

While Peyton Reed remains on board as the director, writer Jeff Loveness came on board AM&TW:Q to put a fresh spin on an existing draft. I’ve always heard this was going to be a much bigger film than either of the first two and having Jonathan Majors’ Kang involved certainly does nothing to dispel that rumor, though I am VERY curious what this one ends up being all about. We’ll all find out together July 28th, 2023.

Another year, another season of What If…?.

Riri Williams is set to make her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in July of 2022, so the events of her show will almost certainly be influenced by/spin out of the events of that film. An episode of Marvel Studios: Legends will help new fans catch up on her story and sort through the 3 suits she goes through in the Black Panther sequel.

Even though her series was announced in late 2020, it really does seem like it’ll be mid-to-late 2023 before we see our first episode of Ironheart. It won’t start filming until 2022 and will be part of a backlog of projects when it does. With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever being pushed to November 2022, it’s all but a sure thing we don’t see this follow-up series until 2023.

This whole feature is an exercise in making wild guesses but by the time we’re at this portion of the 2023 calendar, the guesses are even wilder. Since we’re going with Cap 4 as the final 2023 film, we’re going with an episode or more of Marvel Studios: Legends ahead of time to catch us up on whoever needs to be caught up on.

Captain America 4 is going here simply because, as of writing this, it’s the first movie scheduled to go into production in 2022 (currently set for a June start). Blade is set to go into production one month later, so it’s would be easy to imagine it could be here instead, but I went with the simplest explanation.

Should Armor Wars be the MCU series that rounds out 2023, some episodes of Marvel Studios: Legends will be a necessity to catch up on Rhodey and whomever else they pack in here.

By the time this series streams (hypothetically), it’ll be about 3 years since its surprise announcement at the 2020 Disney Plus Investor Day. Like Ironheart, Armor Wars is, in part, being pushed down the line as other projects get pushed down the line. In this case, we know that as of November 2021, the project was still in the EARLIEST days of development, so it’s reasonable to assume it won’t go into production until late 2022 so a late 2023 release date sounds right. It’s also intriguing that this film could have some themes in common with Captain America 4 (maybe they both deal, to some extent, with Sharon’s work as the Power Broker or with these heroes continuing to work through the legacies of their friends?) Either way, this show has a ton of potential to introduce some wild new characters to the MCU (CONTROLLER AND STILT-MAN!!) and it’s hard to think we still have 2 years to wait on it.

Why anyone would try to guess what’s going to happen in 2023 when we aren’t even sure what’s happening in 2022 yet is beyond us, but we did it anyway. Again, bookmark this bad boy so we can come back to it later for a laugh.

November 4, 2021