Good evening! Avengers: Endgame made over a billion dollars worldwide on its opening weekend. How did that happen? Well, it's the final chapter of the Infinity War saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chapter one was the first Iron Man film and Endgame was the grand finale. But we're still going to see more Marvel movies. Supposedly, Marvel Studios has a five year plan that was already established before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. What are we going to see during the next several years? Are the Avengers finished? Who are going to be the main characters in the new story arc? Are we going to see the X-Men or Fantastic Four in the near future? I'll give you several theories. Beware because this post is going to have spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. Watch the movie first before reading this post.
At first, I assumed the X-Men and Fantastic Four would be a significant part of the next Marvel chapter. In fact, I wondered if Age of Apocalypse or a Doctor Doom storyline would be the next big plan. Then I found out about the five year plan that existed before the Disney/Fox merger. Darn it! Marvel hasn't released many details yet, but the master plan won't include the X-Men or Fantastic Four because they didn't own the characters yet. However, they could make changes at some point. We should definitely expect certain films in the future. Spider-Man: Far From Home is coming out in early July. This Spider-Man movie should be fun because it has elemental creatures and Mysterio. He was one of my favorite villains from the comics and he's being played by Jake Gyllenhaal. I believe we're also getting Black Panther 2, Doctor Strange 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Overall, I don't know what to expect from a second Black Panther movie. Although, it would not surprise me if Lupita N'yongo doesn't reprise her role as Nakia. She's a busy actress in high demand and I doubt Marvel will fit in her schedule. But we'll see. Regarding the second Doctor Strange film, I assume Baron Mordo will be the main antagonist. He was a supporting character who turned heel at the end of the first movie. Mordo is also Doctor Strange's arch nemesis in the comics. Anything could happen in the third Guardians of the Galaxy film. It would seem like Thor is joining the team. Endgame also implies they'll be searching for a version of Gamora who came from the year 2014. The second Guardians movie had a brief teaser for Adam Warlock and I would like to see the character make an appearance. He could be a great addition to the Guardians and possibly the Avengers. Among other developments, we're supposed to get a Black Widow movie. That doesn't make a lot of sense because she died in Avengers: Endgame. Perhaps, Marvel will make a prequel. Great. What purpose could a Black Widow prequel serve? I couldn't tell you. But Marvel Studios works in mysterious and brilliant ways, so it will probably make sense at the time. We're also getting two brand new franchises in the MCU. The Eternals is going to be a film within the next few years. Basically, the Eternals are long living and powerful beings who were worshipped as deities throughout history. Most of them were worshipped as Greek gods, among other beings. The Eternals should also have a major cosmic element, kind of like Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel. We're also getting a solo movie for Shang-Chi, the master of kung-fu. This character is probably part of a plan to diversify the MCU. Recently, Black Panther and Captain Marvel created some changes and Shang-Chi will probably fit in pretty well. Actually, I'm looking forward to his movie because it will be different and new. I'm a little more worried about The Eternals because it could be weird and confusing. Marvel has big plans for the Disney+ streaming service as well. I heard rumors about a television series with Hawkeye. Most likely, he'll train a replacement for his mantel. His replacement in the comic books was a young lady named Kate Bishop. The tv series might use Bishop, but I wouldn't be surprised if Hawkeye's teenage daughter becomes his successor. I'm not a fan of Loki, but he's getting a tv series too. That part appeared to be explained in Avengers: Endgame. A past version of Loki ran away with the tesseract. I'm sure that will be the main plot for his upcoming miniseries. Falcon and the Winter Soldier are also sharing a tv show. We know Captain America passes his shield to Falcon in the conclusion of Endgame. The tv show will probably chronicle his transition of becoming the new Captain America. I wouldn't be surprised if the Winter Soldier also becomes Captain America. Both of them portrayed Captain America in the comics at various times. The Winter Soldier became friends with Shuri at the end of Black Panther and Wakanda has tons of vibranium. Shuri could make a new shield for him. It's also possible for the Winter Soldier to become the White Wolf. That part was teased a little bit at the end of Black Panther. For those of you who don't know the White Wolf character, he's kind of similar to Black Panther in terms of strength, speed, and agility. Either characters would be logical transitions for the Winter Soldier. Scarlet Witch and Vision are going to be in a show titled WandaVision. Yes, that's the real name of the series. Good grief. I don't know what to expect from this show because Vision is still dead at the end of the last Avengers film. The MCU has time travel now and that could play an important role to revive Vision. Also, Scarlet Witch is a mutant who can warp reality. Perhaps, she'll use her powers to bring him back. I guess it's also possible for someone like Bruce Banner or Shuri to repair him somehow, but that 's a real long shot. Overall, Disney+ will become an important median for the MCU. What about Captain Marvel? A sequel hasn't been confirmed yet, but I'm sure it will happen. After all, the first Captain Marvel movie made a billion dollars and counting at the box office. Her character has a lot of room for growth and I'm sure she'll play a vital role in the next stage of the MCU. It will probably be a while before we see more Avengers movies. But it will happen eventually and she might be the protagonist of the future Avengers installments. Captain Marvel could open the doorway for another spinoff. Endgame teases the idea of a team that's entirely comprised of female superheroes. Captain Marvel is a strong feminist figure in both the films and comic books, so a movie or tv series with female superheroes sounds quite logical. It would make a lot of money, although I would expect to hear about controversy. That's pretty much how it works with feminism in pop culture. I have a theory about Captain Marvel. At some point, she might lose her powers temporarily. This happened in the comics when Rogue drained the life out of her. It's why Rogue has super strength, the ability to fly, and beams that shoot out of her hands in the X-Men comics and cartoon series. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happens in a future movie. But Captain Marvel will ultimately get her powers back. I just think it will be a story arch for one film. Unfortunately, Captain Marvel is a difficult character to use because she's so powerful. Who can possibly fight her? That's why she was only in the beginning and end of the last Avengers film. It's a tight rope to walk, but I'm sure Marvel Studios will find a solution. The MCU is also introducing a lot of young people. Maybe we'll get a team of Avengers with teenagers. Spider-Man is still in high school. Now Ant-Man's daughter is a teenager. Hawkeye's daughter is learning some skills from her dad. Shuri is a genius, but she's young too. When they introduce the X-Men, I'm sure many of them will be young as well. I don't know if a youth driven project is part of the master plan, but it would make sense. I don't remember any references to Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, or the Punisher in Endgame. That might be a bad sign for the Netflix shows that were cancelled. Are we going to see these characters in the MCU or future television shows? I'm not sure, but the original cast was amazing, except for the guy who played Iron Fist. Hopefully, they'll revive these characters on Hulu or Disney+. Keep in mind, Disney owns the majority of Hulu too. No more Daredevil, Jessica Jones, or Punisher? That would be a very sad world in my opinion. Are we ever going to see the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool in the MCU? We're definitely going to see the X-Men and Fantastic Four some day. They're huge IPs and a reboot of the X-Men will make a ton of money. In fact, we'll probably see some X-Men characters in the movies and others on the streaming service. The X-Men universe is huge and they'll probably split up branches of the characters. The Fantastic Four is Marvel's first family. Did you notice that family was an important theme in the last Avengers movie? I'm sure it will be very important in the next round of Marvel films. We saw the Iron Man family, the Ant-Man family, the Black Panther family, the Hawkeye family, and the Guardians of the Galaxy are a family too. It would make perfect sense to add the Fantastic Four and their arch nemesis, Dr. Doom, at some point. Deadpool will probably remain at 20th Century Fox. They still operate as a studio and Deadpool is simply too vulgar for the MCU. A PG-13 version of Deadpool will not work. Later, we'll probably see the Silver Surfer and Namor the Submariner too. But that probably won't happen for several years. I won't be surprised if we see the Fantastic Four before the X-Men. Their setup will be easier and less of a problem for continuity. It's really hard to explain the absence of mutants. Apparently, mutants have lived among us for generations and nobody ever said anything. I don't know how Marvel is going to handle it, but they're figure out something. That's the end of my spoilers, news, and theories. Stay tuned for more developments as time goes on. What do you think is going to happen in the MCU? Leave a comment with your own theories. Next week, I'm going to post my full review of Avengers: Endgame and probably Detective Pikachu as well. If you haven't seen Endgame yet, I'm hoping you'll have a chance soon. Purchasing tickets is really competitive. Thanks a lot of reading my blog and I'll see you guys next week. References -screenrant.com/marvel-phase-4-five-year-plan/ -https://www.ign.com/movies/spider-man-homecoming-sequel -www.cinemablend.com/news/2460165/black-panther-2-what-we-know-so-far -mentalfloss.com/article/.../benedict-cumberbatch-confirmed-doctor-strange-sequel -https://www.cinemablend.com/.../guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-what-we-know-so-far -https://www.denofgeek.com › Movies -https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/the-eternals-movie-angelina-jolie/ -https://www.wired.com/story/marvel-shang-chi-director/ -https://www.slashfilm.com/hawkeye-tv-series/ -https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a27342852/avengers-endgame-loki-tv-series/ -https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/marvel-falcon-winter-soldier-tv-trailer-cast-release/ -collider.com/vision-and-scarlet-witch-show-title-wandavision/ -https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/4/3/.../captain-marvel-box-office-one-billion -https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/disney-now-has-a-majority-control-of-hulu/
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The Department of Curiosities Book Launch Blog Tour All Hail The Gadgeteer? (A glimpse to the background of The Department of Curiosities) Welcome back! Some of you may remember Karen J. Carlisle from one of my steampunk interviews. She's a fabulous steampunk author, cosplayer, and a generally swell lady. Her upcoming novel is a steampunk adventure, titled The Department of Curiosities. I'm participating in her book launch tour before the Department is released to the public. A major part of the story features steampunk makers called gadgeteers and their various creations. Karen agreed to participate in a Q&A session that would cover this part of her novel. Check it out and have fun! Q: What is the basic premise of The Department of Curiosities? A: Miss Matilda Meriwether (she prefers ‘Tillie’) is a twenty-year old on a quest to clear her father’s name of treason. While acquiring the latest item in her quest, she encounters one of Queen Victoria’s secret departments. Tillie has to work out who she can trust as she uncovers uncomfortable truths, clandestine secret societies and discovers secrets - about the Department of Curiosities, the Queen and her past. Q: Would you mind giving a brief definition of a Gadgeteer? A: A Gadgeteer is a member of a group lobbying to repeal Queen Victoria’s Mechanical Permit Restriction Act, which requires anyone owning or using a mechanical (gadget) to have a Mechanical Ownership and Operation Permit. These are issued directly by the Queen, effectively restricting the use of mechanicals to the rich, or the well-connected. Some call them anarchists. Some call them opportunists. They’ve been implicated in smuggling mechanicals into Britain. Q: Do Gadgeteers serve a sociopolitical role in your novel? A: Gadgeteers are capitalists. They disagree with Queen Victoria’s established laws to control mechanicals - a potentially lucrative industry. They provide a catalyst to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of industrialisation for profit versus for the benefit of the people. They represent the interest of profiteers/capitalists and how far they will go for profit. In my alternate history, Queen Victoria has slowed industrialisation in Britain by restricting it. This leaves Europe (and the rest of the world) to move forward (with great opportunities for Australia). This is the opposite of our traditional history and will create various issues in later books. Q: What types of gadgets do these individuals create? A: The Gadgeteers, as a group, don’t actually create much themselves. They are more of a pro-mechanical(gadget)-money collective; organisation is too structured for them. There are individual engineers, scientists and creators within the Gadgeteers but, as a rule, the group is more geared toward promotion, accumulation and profit than creating mechanicals to make life easier or safer. Q: I heard the black market plays a role in this story. Will you fill in some details? A: The black market has been hinted at in my previous series. (SPOILER ALERT): . . In ‘From the Depths Below', a smuggling operation is discovered in Scotland. In Viola’s other adventures, there are hints of people either acquiring mechanicals or making their own. The black market is hinted at in The Department of Curiosities, and will be investigated in the next book of the series, Against the Empire. I mentioned Australia before… Australia is a long way from Britain, and ‘neutral’ as far as Europe and America are concerned. As a result, it has attracted scientists and inventors from all over the world. South Australia (being a free settled state) has become a ‘think tank’, known as the Conceptualisation Co-operative, or ‘The Co-operative’ for short. Many of these inventions may – or may not – make their way to British shores… But that would be telling. Tillie learns more about this in the next book. Q: How are Gadgeteers connected to the steampunk genre? A: Steampunk is two basic things: ‘steam’ and ‘punk.’ Steam: The Gadgeteers promote mechanicals (mostly steam powered, as electricity has been restricted throughout Britain and Europe – but that’s a whole other series!). Punk: Traditionally punk is railing against ‘the system’ or ‘the government’ or ‘the establishment’. We get it a lot in female characters pushing the boundaries of the Victorian Society’s restrictions on women, and other characters, such as LGBTIQA or people of colour. This is what I like about steam‘punk’, and where it taps into traditional SF themes. The Gadgeteers are against Queen Victoria’s establishment, but not necessarily for such humanitarian reasons. Q: Do Gadgeteers reflect issues or conflicts in our current time period? A: The Department of Curiosities is set in 1883, five years before my earlier series, The Adventures of Viola Stewart. By the final story in the AVS series, ‘The Illusioneer’, they are protesting in Europe, trying to gain support to push their cause into Britain. In The Department of Curiosities, they are just beginning to be noticed. As I mentioned above, The Gadgeteers want to change the system. They want money and (their own) power. Unfortunately, this is a common ethic in our current society. The Gadgeteers provide a way for me to explore how something that could be useful (mechanicals aiding people) can be twisted into something potentially malevolent. Greed is not necessarily good. And will our heroes oppose The Gadgeteers’ capitalism as a growing part of the ‘system’? Then there’s the steampunk staple – is technology inherently good or bad – or is it how it’s used. The Gadgeteers promise and promote mechanicals as helpful, but all good villains know they can be used for nefarious purposes! I’m a bit of a technophobe. I love it when my mechanicals work and make life easier… but you won’t find Alexa or Google Home in my home. I don’t trust it that much… Q: Why did you create this subclass of characters? A: The Gadgeteers is less a subclass of character, and more a collective of agitators with a common goal and dubious morals. They were created to show the shadowy and monetary side of technology. Q: What lessons can readers learn from Gadgeteers? A: Technology can be good or bad. It depends on how you use it. Commerce is not inherently evil, but capitalism and the pursuit of money for its own sake can become destructive and divisive. Q: Should we know anything else about this part of your book? A: Fun fact: My first ever recorded song was written about The Gadgeteers. Richard Ryall, of The Littmus Steampunk Band (Aussie steampunk band) had asked if I’d write some lyrics for him. The Gadgeteer was written after I’d finished writing ‘The Illusioneer’ and was writing notes about them for The Department of Curiosities series. You can hear a snippet on my webpage (and buy a copy there too!) Check out: https://karenjcarlisle.com/product/song-the-gadgeteer/ How capitalist is that? That's the end of our Q&A! I learned quite a bit from Karen and you probably did as well. It made me feel pretty excited for her new book. I'm going to leave some useful links and a nice bio. Leave a comment if you have anything to say about this Q&A. Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I'll see you guys next week.
Karen J. Carlisle Bio Karen J Carlisle is a writer and illustrator of speculative fiction – steampunk, Victorian mystery and fantasy. She graduated in 1986, from Queensland Institute of Technology, with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Optometry, and lives in Adelaide with her family and the ghost of her ancient Devon Rex cat. Karen first fell in love with science fiction when she saw Doctor Who,as a four-year old. This was reinforced when, at the age of twelve, she saw her first Star Destroyer. She started various other long-term affairs with fantasy fiction, (tabletop) role-playing, gardening, historical re-creation and steampunk – in that order. She has had articles published in Australian Realms Roleplaying Magazine and her short story, An Eye for Detail, was short-listed by the Australian Literature Review in their 2013 Murder/Mystery Short Story Competition. Her short stories have featured in the 2016 Adelaide Fringe exhibition, ‘A Trail of Tales’, and the ‘Where’s Holmes?’ and ‘Deadsteam’ anthologies. She writes full-time and can often be found plotting fantastical, piratical or airship adventures, and co-writing the occasional musical ditty. Karen has always loved dark chocolate and rarely refuses a cup of tea. She is not keen on the South Australian summers. www.karenjcarlisle.com Links The Department of Curiosities will be released 22nd May, 2019. If you want to follow the rest of The Department of Curiosities book launch blog tour, check out the links on my blog post: www.karenjcarlisle.com/DOC1bookblogtour You can sign up for my newsletter at: https://karenjcarlisle.com/sign-up-email-list/ Pre-orders are available on Smashwords: www.smashwords.com/books/view/934976 Follow me on:
Or support me on Patreon (for less than a cup of coffee a month and you get cool rewards!): https://www.patreon.com/KarenJCarlisle |
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