#zuri MCU

[hawkeyecaroldanvers]

*The 11 characters with the most screen time are included

[darling-im-wonderstruck]

i’ll keep your brittle heart warm.

synopsis : peter was always on your mind, you were always on his, perhaps that would make him a little bit of a distraction.

pairing : frat!peter parker x reader

wc : 1k

warnings : FLUFF FLUFF FLUFFF, uhmmm soft making out !!! other than that… i guess peter being an absolute idiot (a down bad idiot), but even if this is cliché as hell, it’s super cute and fluffy :)

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a/n : hi ! sorry the fic is a little late this week, but frat!peter has been on my mind constantly shehhsjsns <3 he’s leaning more towards the peter more than the frat butttt i wanted him to be a little softer for this one :) big big thank you to @strawberrystarcake for the help on the editing, and @toms-gf for giving me the idea (this one is for u hehe)

“parker, you joining us?” the familiar voice echoes from the other side of the room. peter winces, not at all because he was opposed to the idea, but he’d made plans with you.

“uh- i’ll catch up later? i have somewhere to be.” the boys, all spread out in various positions on the couch, smirked and ‘ooo’ed at the implications of that.

liam speaks first. “right, got plans with your girl?” peter nods.

“ooh, you’re so down bad, parker, it’s not even a joke anymore.” james, another one of his friends, gives him a soft shove.

maybe he was right.

peter had never planned for your arrangement to escalate into anything further than a fling, and though he had never been an expert when it came to matters of the heart, he knew that he was too far gone.

it wasn’t uncommon for him to find himself smiling at the thought of you. he was constantly lost in thought, and sometimes, it became difficult to snap him out of his dream-like state.

even when his mind wasn’t completely occupied by the thought of you, he found that you had been living rent free in a certain corner of his mind. he’d catch himself wondering about you or associating little things around him with you. 

he wasn’t all too familiar with this feeling, but it wasn’t unpleasant, just confusing to navigate.

he’s never felt this way before. his heart never fluttered at a subtle touch, he never felt like he was melting whenever someone walked into the room, he never felt his heartbeat race at mere eye contact.

but with you? you had him feeling everything all at once.

but, of course, he hasn’t told you this, any of this. but he had a gut feeling that you might feel the same way, and that was enough for him to allow himself to fall deeper, as irrational as it may be.

it was no longer ‘maybe he was right’, and peter knew. to put it simply, he was right.

“better get going, you don’t want your girl waiting on you,” trent blurts, interrupting peter’s train of thought.

“right. i’ll see you guys later?” peter says, the boys nod and wave him goodbye as he walks out the door.

“oh, love.” liam sighs dreamily as the rest of the boys snicker.

as soon as peter enters the library, he’s met with a sense of comforting familiarity. before anything had begun happening between the both of you, you two had spent a lot of your time in the halls of this library. whether it were nights filled with endless work, or simply wandering around in attempt to find books you could read together.

he knew exactly where to find you: a certain corner of the library that you claimed to be ‘warmer and cozier’ than anywhere else.

he spots you browsing the history section, your face scrunched up, clearly focused. he sees all your things, messily laid on top of a wooden table, the one you always use.

he smiles to himself before sneaking behind the bookshelf you were browsing, and just as you pull a book from the shelf, you catch a glint of brown eyes from the other side. you stay silent for a moment, before smiling at one another.

then you shove the book between you two, and the next thing peter hears are quick footsteps.

peter’s utterly confused, he didn’t notice the look of mischief written all over his face.

“baby?” he whisper shouts, scrambling around the area before catching a glimpse of your figure, running from one shelf to another.

then it hits him, you were messing with him.

his look of mischief matches yours once he realizes, he follows quickly behind you, and before you know it, you’re up against a bookshelf, inches away from peter.

“hi.” you send him a cheeky grin, one that he sends right back to you.

“you’re going to drive me crazy.” his eyes gaze softly at yours, before trailing down to your lips.

“i know.” you quip, before moving as fast as you can to try and run away once more.

“ab-up-up.” he tuts, catching you once more. his lips brush softly over yours, lingering for a moment, before he presses his lips against yours. one hand finds its way to your waist, he uses it to pull you closer towards him.

but you find yourself shoving him aside, “peter! this is why i came early!” you slowly make your way back to the table, peter trailing after you like a puppy.

“what do you mean?” it was as if you could hear the pout in his voice, so you don’t allow yourself to look back.

“you’re… very distracting.” you make sure your tone is soft, you didn’t mean it in a negative way and you wanted peter to know that.

“am not!” he takes your hand, turns you around, and suddenly, you’re inches away from him again.

“seriously!? look at what you’re doing!” this time, you couldn’t help but giggle.

“there it is.” he smiles softly, appearing pleased.

“there’s what?”

“that laugh i’ve been waiting to hear all day.” you’re pressed against one another, his warmth surrounded you. “permission to lean in, m’lady?” dork.

“permission granted.”

he leans in, your chest feels warm as your lips make contact. 

he cups your cheeks to pull you even closer, if possible, as if letting you go would be the end of him. your hands curl into his hair, you begin to feel goosebumps wherever his hands traveled; down your waist, approaching your thighs as he drew lazy patterns with his fingers.

you could never truly get over the way your lips pieced together perfectly, how it felt like his were caressing yours ever so softly.

whenever your lips part, he whispers soft words you can barely understand, like he’s taking it all in. he finds himself grinning into the kiss, which was apparently infectious, because so were you.

“told you! distraction.” 

“oh, shut up.” he says, before pulling you in once more.

taglist : (send me an ask to be added hehe !) @live-laugh-lovejoy @tomsholland2412 @parkerpeter24 @herpeanutzombie

a/n : tysm for reading :) pls reblog to support your writers !!! requests are open !

[mickimomo]

Storm Chapter 8 is up!

This is the link

5,800+ word on the plate. 🍛 Doing some world and lore building for the next few chapters and then we'll be going into the thick of it with Attoye and the impending war. 😃

Folks who asked to be tagged:

@serena1276 @dillie60 @freeformwritee @yucamortal @xblackreader

[ao3feed-sambucky]

Passing the camera to

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/26OdazY by 1snapehater The Avengers threw a welcome back party for Thor, and Peter out of boredom decides to interview every Avenger. Words: 2293, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Avengers One Shots! Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Multi Characters: Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Thor (Marvel), Carol Danvers, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, Zuri (Marvel), Vision (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff, Jane Foster (Marvel) Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Jane Foster/Thor, Peter Parker & Tony Stark & Stephen Strange, Bruce Banner & Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff/Vision Additional Tags: mcu - Freeform, Oneshot, Avengers - Freeform, Party in Avengers Tower (Marvel), Avenger party, there’s literally every avenger, (i excluded the guardians of galaxy i’m sorry) read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/26OdazY

[tobiasdrake]

T'Challa vs. Killmonger, challenge for the throne.

This fight is so brutal. Paying off all that work from before, we arrive at our Darkest Hour.

Appropriately, this fight has parallels with M'Baku's challenge earlier. The relentlessly aggressive fighting style of T'Challa's opponent. T'Challa being stabbed as a turning point. The use of the waterfall's edge for the end of the fight.

But the surface similarities only highlight the stark tonal differences in this fight. There is no mother's cry of "Show him who you are!" interrupting the fight, followed by a heroic second wind. Instead, a physical interruption comes from Zuri, and is swiftly followed by Killmonger killing him too.

There is no great crowd of onlookers here with no intent to challenge, but eager to celebrate the ceremony with song and dance. There are only the tribe leaders and T'Challa's family, watching in somber horror as their king is slain and their throne usurped.

It's honestly hard to watch. Killmonger by this point has a lot of competition in the Marvel bad guy category, but he steps into that spotlight and immediately distinguishes himself with how visceral this fight is. It's easily among the most grounded and down-to-earth fights in the MCU, and that layer of reality makes it all hit that much harder.

We're not watching a superhero battle. We're just seeing an experienced killer at work.

[sweetsmellosuccess]

Black Panther Live: Philadelphia Orchestra

Five thoughts on a fabulous Sunday afternoon with the orchestra at the Kimmel Center in downtown Philadelphia

The Kimmel Center is a wonderful place to hear the orchestra, but needs a larger movie screen. So much was wonderful about the experience of seeing Ryan Coogler’s 2018 film, which remains one of the high-water marks of the entire MCU, accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the world’s finest ensembles, along with world-renowned tama “living drum” master, Massamba Diop, that the one glaring downside  —  the Kimmel’s movie screen feels more than a tad small for the space its filling  — stood out. The acoustics are grand, the seats comfortable, the space itself inviting and spectacular, so the lone weak link in the production was the screen, dwarfed, as it was, by everything else around it. It certainly wasn’t a deal-breaker by any means, but one could easily see how much more impact a larger image might have on the whole enterprise. I understand it’s not something the Kimmel does on a very regular basis, but still well worth looking into. 

The film has aged powerfully, if not steeped in the tragic. There is much to love about Coogler’s film  —  so many scenes one could look forward to with anticipatory glee  — but every scene, even the goofy camaraderie between T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his kid sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright)  —  becomes shaded in somber tones due to Boseman’s tragic death back in 2020. It’s difficult to watch the film, even as joyful an expression of multiculturalism as it is, and not feel the weight of that loss (very much well-covered in the film’s sequel, Wakanda Forever, in which the loss of Boseman permeates every moment). All leading roles are designed to be central to a film’s focus, but Boseman’s generous warmth and decency powers the entire operation in such a way that you can’t imagine anyone else in the role (as evidenced in the sequel’s difficulty in trying to fill the Panther’s be-clawed boots). As good as Coogler’s film is  —  and, in the writing and storytelling, specifically, it’s among the very best of the MCU  —  it doesn’t work half as well without Boseman’s presence. I spent much of the film’s first act with tears welling in my eyes. He remains a tremendous loss. 

Andy Serkis’ Ulysses Klaue is a fabulous villain, but Killmonger remains king. If the MCU indeed has a #villainproblem, Panther managed to offer not one great baddie, but two, and for totally different reasons. It’s easy to hate Klaue  —  a gregarious mercenary, filled with evil bonhomie and ruthless skullduggery (helpful that Serkis himself appears to be having such a blast in the role), who makes his nefarious living stealing precious items and selling them to the highest bidder, the world be damned  —  but Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is a whole other story. Ruthless, brutal, and terrifyingly focused, he is, as Martin Freeman’s character Agent Ross informs us, doing things exactly as he’s been trained to by the U.S. military black ops division. Killmonger’s point, that after centuries of suffering, it’s time for the racial hierarchy to be upended with black people on top, actually makes perfect sense, in any sort of just world, even if his methodology is aggressively savage. He’s such a compelling character, in fact, with pride, menace, and swag veritably dripping off of Jordan’s skin, it’s pretty clear Coogler, along with co-writer Joe Robert Cole, had to tip the morality scales a wee bit with Killmonger (having him threaten an innocent gardener, burn the sacred flowers to the ground so there can’t be any more panthers, and gut Forest Whitaker’s Zuri in cold blood, all while sneering contempt for the ancient ways of the Wakandans), in order to make the audience actually want him to lose at the end. To balance that balance, the screenwriters see fit to give him a hero’s sort of death, defiant, significant, and on his own terms. A lot of other actors would have withered against the powerhouse charisma of Jordan, but Boseman is well up to the task, which creates a spectacular dynamic between the two dedicated actors. 

Having the live orchestra, along with Massamba Diop, adds an element to the excellent soundtrack. Honestly, I’m not normally one who terribly much notices a film’s score  —  at least, at first listen  —  unless it’s dramatically amazing or frustratingly distracting, even one as solid as Ludwig Göransson’s work for Panther, but having it performed as a separate entity, in harmony with the film, but not directly of it, sets it off from the screen just enough to allow iit hit with that much more force, enhancing the entire experience. On top of that, with the master showman Diop front and center of the orchestra, set off in his own booth, facing the audience, and leaping to his feet at key orchestral moments, it sort of bridges the gap between film and theater. It’s a spectacle that crackles with energy. 

Seeing the film with a packed house of rabid devotees was a singular experience. The crowd was amped for this event, and I mean, they were loud, hype, and effusive. They cheered when the orchestra sat down, they cheered when the first violinist took the stage, they cheered when conductor Damon Gupton swung out, and they cheered wildly when Gupton introduced Diop, who came out in a shimmering orange robe/pants ensemble. They kept cheering throughout the film  —  when Okoye (Danai Gurira) answers as to whether she would cut down even her beloved (Daniel Kaluuya) in defense of her country by hissing “Without question!” the audience erupted in thunderous approval  —  and they kept a deep, respectful silence during Killmonger’s death scene. You didn’t hear any chattering. You didn’t see people checking their texts, or basketball scores. Everyone was there in respectful reverence to the film, which made for a glorious communal experience. This is why having an 85” flatscreen still can’t compare to watching a huge film in an enormous setting, amongst a throng of equally devoted true believers. There’s simply nothing else like it. 

[phantom-le6]

Ramble of the month November 2023: 90’s MCU phase 4 – The Secret Wars, the Defenders and putting French and Saunders in a comic book film

As we come into the first of our last two monthly rambles for 2023, I’ve decided to go back to unveiling more of my alternate superhero film franchises.  I could go for more topical issues, but those will likely stress me out if I go too in-depth on them, and by sheer happenstance, episodes I’m presently reviewing from the last season of Star Trek: Voyager will cover these a bit.  So, that being the case, I figure I might as well close out 2024 by going for subjects I can enjoy talking about instead of anything winding me up.

By now, I’m sure anyone reading these rambles on a regular basis will know the drill, but for any new readers, let’s recap.  At the moment, I’m showcasing two hypothetical superhero film universes.  One is a DC film universe where Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins was the launch point instead of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, the other is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that begins from 1992 instead of 2008.  The change in time period means Marvel would have all their film rights still to hand (those weren’t sold until 1995), and a lot of casting and story choices would change because the source material would be different.  To complete the re-cap, let’s check out the titles of films in the first three phases and do a quick plot summary.

Phase 1:

1992: Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man

1993: Thor, Spider-Man, Ant-Man & The Wasp

1994: Captain America: Fantastic Four 2, Iron Man 2

1995: X-Men, Avengers, Daredevil

Phase 2:

1996: Spider-Man 2, Thor: Land of Enchantment, Silver Surfer

1997: Hulk vs Wolverine, Fantastic Four: Doomsday, Iron Man 3

1998: Captain America: Society of Serpents, Daredevil 2, X-Men 2

1999: Avengers 2, Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange

Phase 3:

2000: Fantastic Four: World War III, Thor: Ragnarök, Daredevil 3

2001: Hulk: Rise of the Leader, X-Men: Fall of the Mutants, Avengers: Under Siege

2002: Doctor Strange 2, The Captain, Spider-Man 4

2003: Captain Britain, Fantastic Four: Enter the Negative Zone, Ghost Rider

Phase 1, as most could probably surmise, is very much about establishing the MCU and its characters.  The Fantastic Four are done first to mirror their points of distinction from other superhero groups that hold true in the comics, with the Avengers and X-Men coming later on.  Phase 2 then expands and develops those characters and brings about an early mantle change, with Tony Stark going down the route of alcoholism as in the comics and Rhodey having to become Iron Man, again as in the comics.  We also see the death of Gwen Stacy, having built up to Norman Osborn becoming the Green Goblin in the films instead of rushing that arc in one film.  Phase 3 then brings out a lot more of the third-film-loss trope we know from the real MCU.  At the same time, we also get a lot of new characters introduced, bringing us to the slate for Phase 4.

Phase 4:

2004: Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Secret Wars: Part I

2005: Excalibur, Defenders, Ghost Rider 2

2006: X-Factor, Secret Wars: Part II, Heroes For Hire

2007: Namor the Submariner, Doctor Strange 3, Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin

With this phase, you can see we’re really trying a lot more new titles compared to past phases.  This is because much of the cast of the MCU to date is tied up in the events of the two Secret Wars films, thereby leaving a lot of room for other characters and teams to be given the spotlight.  How does this all pan out in practice?  Well, let’s start looking at the films of phase 4, beginning with Black Panther…

Black Panther (2004) Directed by Tim Story

T'Challa/Black Panther = Chadwick Boseman

Shuri = Tatyana Ali

Ramonda = Alfre Woodard

T'Chaka = Courtney B. Vance

W'Kabi = Chiwetel Ejiofor

Okoye = Nia Long

Zuri = Joseph Marcell

Ulysses Klaue/Klaw = Andy Serkis

M'Baku = Idris Elba

As those who read my August ramble will know, my alternative MCU introduces the Black Panther via the Fantastic Four film World War III, in homage to the comics version of the character having the same debut.  However, just as the real MCU version went on to a solo film after getting his cinematic debut, so too does this version of T’Challa.  I’ve kept Chadwick Boseman in the main role as he could still play an adult King T’Challa back in 2004.  The same can’t be said for Letitia Wright with Shuri, and some other roles would also need shifting around, hence the case above.  The only other actor from the real MCU to retain their casting is Andy Serkis as Klaw.  As for the plot, it’s strictly T’Challa versus Klaw for him murdering T’Challa’s father years earlier, so there’s less focus on challenge rites in this film.

I’ve also retained the real MCU’s depiction of M’Baku as a voice of dissent to T’Challa’s rule, but with the full intention of taking him full villain at a later point.  As for why no Killmonger, I wanted to build up to him and not use up all of T’Challa’s most notable foes in one film.  For direction, I felt it was important that it still be a Black person in the director’s chair, so from the directors active at this time, I picked Tim Story, the man who directed Fox’s Fantastic Four films.  The first of those wasn’t too bad, and with a better studio to work with, I bet Story could do a good job on a property like Black Panther.

Captain Marvel (2004) Directed by Roland Emmerich

Mar-Vell/Captain Marvel = Jude Law

Yon-Rogg = Colin Salmon

Carol Danvers/Ms Marvel = Melissa Joan Hart

Ronan The Accuser = Ray Stevenson

Zarek = Avery Brooks

Talos = Dominic West

Emperor Dorek VII = Ray Winstone

Empress R'klll = Teri Hatcher

Now for the comic book neophytes wondering why Carol Danvers isn’t Captain Marvel, this is one of those plot-points that is only supported by a more recent selection of Marvel’s comic-book lore.  The original Captain Marvel within Marvel’s source material was the Kree character named Mar-Vell, who was gender-flipped and played by Annette Benning in the 2019 Captain Marvel film, leaving Jude Law to play the villainous Kree Yon-Rogg.  Carol Danvers was first turned into Ms Marvel following events in the original Captain Marvel comics, only to cease using the title after loosing her original powers to the mutant known as Rogue.  Following adventures with the X-Men, Carol Danvers gained new powers and joined a group of space pirates called the Starjammers as Binary.  Later, she came back to Earth and went back to her old Ms Marvel codename, then her old Air Force callsign of Warbird, before finally becoming Captain Marvel.

Now while I can’t say precisely when Carol became CM in the comics, I do know it’s sometime in the 2010’s, so a 2004 film won’t support her being the first Captain Marvel.  Instead, this film goes back to the early comics and makes Mar-Vell the original title-holder, telling a fairly simple first contact story with Carol as the audience POV character.  Rather than go for any obvious film actress of this time period, I decided it would be cool to see Melissa Joan Hart take on the role of Carol Danvers opposite Jude Law.  We then have a mix of great actors, including Trek alumni in the form of Avery Brooks (DS9’s Captain Sisko).  As we’re going down a first contact route without any Trek overtones, I opted for Independence Day’s Roland Emmerich to helm this one.

Secret Wars Part I (2004) Directed by Steven Spielberg

Steve Rogers/Captain America = Brad Pitt

Thor = Dolph Lundgren

Janet Van Dyne/Wasp = Catherine Zeta Jones

Clint Barton/Hawkeye = Kevin Costner

Vision = Casper Van Dien

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff = Kate Beckinsale

Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff = Robert Sean Leonard

James Rhodes/Iron Man II = Samuel L Jackson

Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk = Lucy Lawless

Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic = Tom Hanks

Johnny Storm/Human Torch = David Spade

Ben Grimm/Thing = Bryan Cranston

Crystal = Dina Meyer

Storm/Ororo Monroe = Halle Berry

Polaris/Lorna Dane = Jeri Ryan

Havok/Alex Summers = Kevin Bacon

Wolverine/Logan = Tom Cruise

Peter Rasputin/Colossus = Henry Cavill

Remi LeBeau/Gambit = Zachary Levi

Peter Parker/Spider-Man = Wil Weaton

Beyonder = Ian McShane

Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom = Goran Višnjić

Wizard/Bentley Whitford = Alan Rukk

Trapster/Pete Petruski = Eddie Jemison

Sandman/Flint Marko = Dwayne Johnson

Titania/Mary MacPherson = Amy Christine Dumas

Electro/Max Dillon = Eddie Cahill

Lizard/Dr Curt Connors = Dylan Baker

Magneto = Ian McKellan

Calisto = Carrie-Anne Moss

Sunder = Kevin Nash

Sabretooth = Tyler Mane

Pyro = Hugh Jackman

Mentallo/Marvin Flumm = Brad Dourif

So, what is Secret Wars?  Well, there’s been at least three instances of stories with this title in Marvel’s history, at least going by the comics.  The original was a mini-series in the mid-1980’s, where a being known as the Beyonder created a planet called Battleworld from pieces of other planets (including a suburb of Denver, Colorado for reasons I can’t totally fathom).  He then transported a selection of Marvel’s heroes and villains to Battleworld and offered to grant whichever side won whatever they desired.  Despite a brief usurpation of the Beyonder’s powers by Doom, the heroes apparently won and returned home.  The second story was Secret Wars II, in which the Beyonder went to Earth and assumed human form in an effort to further his understanding of life in our universe.  Frustrated by what he learned, the Beyonder almost destroyed reality.

More recently, around 2015, there was a new Secret Wars which was similar to the first mini-series, but involved some kind of multiversal crossover, the apparent idea being to amalgamate some of Marvel’s other comic book continuities like the Ultimates comics with the main Marvel comics continuity.  For this film and its sequel, I’d be looking to do an adaptation of the original, but with greater emphasis on the war aspect.  In this case, the Beyonder pulls off the same creation of Battleworld, but like the adaptation of the story in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, he gives the super-villains a little head-start to better challenge the heroes.

Now the bulk of the cast for this film is carried over from past MCU films in my alternative continuity, but there are a few new characters in the mix.  In particular, Colossus and Gambit make their first MCU appearances, having both joined Storm’s band of X-Men since the events of Fall of the Mutants in the last phase, with Colossus being a returning former student whereas Gambit is a total newcomer.  I chose Cavill for Colossus because he can look the part and is capable of doing other accents than his own, while Zachary Levi gets the role of Gambit due to being a native of Louisiana, not to mention he once played Fandrall the Dashing in Thor: The Dark World.  As such, I can easily see Levi modifying his hair and accent just slightly to pull off a perfect Gambit.

On the villain side, the Frightful Four, Lizard, Electro and Mentallo are all new additions, the last character being part of Magneto’s Brotherhood for this film.  Indeed, as Magneto ends up among the heroes to start with, Mentallo and Calisto set up a mutant-ruled fiefdom on Battleworld in this film, and for Magneto, the question asked of his character is whether he’ll tear it down or try to take it over.  As the films will also be taking the war part more seriously, don’t expect the heroes to all walk ok by the end.  This is also why Steven Spielberg gets to direct; who better than the director of Saving Private Ryan to handle superheroes having to get into a war?

Excalibur (2005): Directed by Christopher Nolan

Brian Braddock Jr./Captain Britain = Jamie Bamber

Betsy Braddock/Psylocke = Lena Headey

Meggan = Sienna Miller

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler = Daniel Brühl

Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat = Selma Blair

Banshee/Sean Cassidy = Liam Neeson

Courtney Ross = Rosamund Pike

DI Dai Thomas = Mark Lewis Jones

Detective Kate Fraser = Kate Winslet

Dr Moira Mactaggert = Olivia Williams

Mojo = Jim Carrey

Major Domo = Hugh Laurie

Spiral = Eva Green

Gatecrasher = Dawn French

Yap (voice-acting) = Jennifer Saunders

Scatterbrain = Clémence Poésy

Thug = Donal Logue

Ferro = Jason Isaacs

China Doll = Miranda Richardson

Longshot = Ben Foster

Alison Blaire/Dazzler = Julia Styles

Having given Captain Britain a solo film and scattered the X-Men in the last phase, the timing would then be right in this phase to bring about the British off-shoot of the X-Men that is Excalibur.  As this MCU has yet to uncork any time-travel for its films, we substitute Rachel Summers of the original Excalibur comics for Brian Braddock’s twin sister Psylocke in the film version.  At the same time, while Banshee does appear in the film, he’s taken out early and is then kept to the side-lines.

However, the plot still tries to echo the original Excalibur graphic novel; the interdimensional tyrant Mojo is hunting someone, and uses Gatecrasher and her group, known as Technet, to grab them.  With Rachel Summers not being used, Mojoverse native and rebel hero Longshot is instead the target, along with his mutant girlfriend Dazzler.  When the hunt spills over to Britain, Captain Britain, his sister and his girlfriend team up with Nightcrawler and Shadowcat of the X-Men on an inter-dimensional rescue mission, and thus Excalibur is born.

Casting-wise, everyone down as far as Detective Kate Fraser is reprising from past films.  From Dr Moira MacTaggart on down, the cast is new to this film.  Much like with Captain Britain’s solo film, I’d want a lot of British talent to be involved, which accounts for most of the casting choices.  However, since a lot of the characters come from another dimension, there can be more flexibility regarding accents.  This accounts for why the likes of Jim Carrey, Donal Logue, Ben Foster and Julia Styles enter into the film.  I also cast French and Saunders here, though in a somewhat atypical fashion.  Here, Dawn French would likely be in either a mo-cap suit or heavy make-up to play Gatecrasher, whereas Jennifer Saunders would be voicing a small talking creature named Yap, who is usually clinging to Gatecrasher’s shoulder.  Add in the likes of Hugh Laurie and Miranda Richardson, both alumni of the Blackadder sit-coms, and we have some real British comedy gold in the line-up.

Direction-wise, it’s back to Christopher Nolan to keep the film British behind the scenes as well as in front of camera.

Defenders (2005) Directed by Sam Raimi

Dr Stephen Strange = Johnny Depp

Namor McKenzie/The Submariner = Christian Bale

Bruce Banner/Hulk = John Cusack

Silver Surfer = David Wenham

Valkyrie = Diane Kruger

Kyle Richmond/Nighthawk = Josh Duhamel

Patsy Walker/Hellcat = Mena Suvari

Wong = Will Yun Lee

Clea = Keira Knightley

Yandroth = Sullivan Stapleton

The original Defenders comics revolved around a superhero “non-team” that would unite when the need arose, but lacked a standing headquarters, charter, etc. like the Avengers had.  This made the group something of a haven for the outsiders who formed it, namely Doctor Strange, Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk, with the Silver Surfer becoming an honourary founding member later on.  The team also gained a few more dedicated members in the forms of the Asgardian Valkyrie, wealthy industrialist Kyle Richmond, and superhero fan girl turned superhero Hellcat.  This film basically shows the Defenders forming against Doctor Strange’s one-time foe Yandroth, in part because Yandroth unleashes some chaos while many other heroes are missing due to the events of Secret Wars.

Only the top four Defenders, plus Wong and Clea, are retained from past films in this MCU.  The rest of the cast are new additions, but really, it’s combining the likes of Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, John Cusack and David Wenham into the core of the team that’s the real excitement.  Mind you, the rest of the cast are all well-known and highly skilled actors as well.  Direction-wise, I figured that since Strange and Yandroth are both on the mystic horror side of the Marvel world, a horror director of note like Sam Raimi would be good.

Ghost Rider 2 (2005) Directed by Tim Burton

Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider = Connor Trinneer

Roxanne Simpson = Jessica Alba

Mephistopheles = Jeffery Combs

Orb/Drake Shannon = Michael Rooker

Blackout/Ray Carrigan = Johnny Whitworth

Karen Stirling = Jamie Alexander

Cynthia Randolph = Kirsten Dunst

Senator Stirling = Tim Robbins

Mark Crane = Nicholas Cage

Closing out 2005’s portion of this alternate MCU is a sequel for Johnny Blaze’s iteration of Ghost Rider, with Tim Burton back at the helm for obvious reasons.  Only the top three roles are retained from film 1, while the rest is fresh casting.  Story-wise, it’s a bit of a mash-up of a few different elements from the original Ghost Rider run into a single narrative.  Following the events of film 1, Blaze is living a bit of a drifter’s existence as he tries to deal with the demon spirit within him always taking over.  His girlfriend Roxanne is searching for him, and her scenes in the film are basically a kind of “will-she-won’t-she” break from the A-plot.

Said A-Plot is that a small town is being terrorised by a cult that has claimed the life of the son of a prominent senator.  When Blaze arrives, it isn’t long before his flaming alter ego is up to his fiery skull in their business, resulting in cult leader Mark Crane making a deal with Mephistopheles to imbue two of his henchmen with demonic powers.  Also caught in the mix are the senator’s daughter and a visiting reporter, each of whom is attracted to Johnny and reacts differently when he becomes the Ghost Rider.

X-Factor (2006) Directed by LeVar Burton

Cyclops/Scott Summers = Patrick Swayze

Jean Grey = Milla Jovovich

Warren Worthington III/Death/Archangel = Neil Patrick Harris

Beast/Hank McCoy = Alec Baldwin

Robert Drake/Iceman = Michael Weatherley

Angelica Jones = Lindsey Lohan

Xi'an Coy Manh = Katie Leung

Julio Richter = Alfonso Herrera

En Sabar Nur/Apocalypse = Faran Tahir

Plague/Pestilence = Gates McFadden

Caliban/Death = Joe Pantoliano

Autumn Rolfson/Famine = Bryce Dallas Howard

War = Joel Kinnaman

Raven Darkholme/Mystique = Connie Nielsen

As 2006 begins, we get another X-Men off-shoot, this time focusing on the original X-Men as the comics reckon things becoming X-Factor.  The team is given some very different origins this time round, but it’s still the classic team membership fans of the original X-Factor comics know.  In the film, Warren has lost his wings following injuries sustained in the events of the X-Men: Fall of the Mutants film.  Consequently, he is duped into becoming part of the Horsemen of Apocalypse as the mutant known as Apocalypse rises to attack humanity.  The rest of the X-Men alumni (Cyclops, Jean, Iceman and Beast) band together with encouragement from a government operative who is really the mutant shape-shifter Mystique, plus a trio of X-students currently in the team’s charge.

After the five mutants of X-Factor, we get mostly new characters to this MCU and thus a lot of new faces.  In terms of character selection, that’s mostly about trying to honour the comics when it comes to the Horsemen, since only the 90’s animated series has ever done so with these villains.  The whole original idea of the Horsemen was to evoke their biblical counter-parts, so anything not doing that isn’t doing the job right, at least not for the team’s original incarnation.  Plague and Caliban, as former members of the Morlocks, are reprised roles from X-Men: Fall of the Mutants, while Famine and War come into the film new.  As for working in Mystique, that’s someone we’ll certainly see in future films.  Direction-wise, I like calling on Trek alumni to direct given some of the thematic overlaps between X-lore and Trek, hence my selection of Levar Burton.

Secret Wars Part II (2006) Directed by Steven Spielberg

Steve Rogers/Captain America = Brad Pitt

Thor = Dolph Lundgren

Janet Van Dyne/Wasp = Catherine Zeta Jones

Clint Barton/Hawkeye = Kevin Costner

Vision = Casper Van Dien

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff = Kate Beckinsale

James Rhodes/Iron Man II = Samuel L Jackson

Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk = Lucy Lawless

Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic = Tom Hanks

Johnny Storm/Human Torch = David Spade

Ben Grimm/Thing = Bryan Cranston

Crystal = Dina Meyer

Storm/Ororo Monroe = Halle Berry

Polaris/Lorna Dane = Jeri Ryan

Wolverine/Logan = Tom Cruise

Peter Rasputin/Colossus = Henry Cavill

Remi LeBeau/Gambit = Zachary Levi

Peter Parker/Spider-Man = Wil Weaton

Beyonder = Ian McShane

Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom = Goran Višnjić

Wizard/Bentley Whitford = Alan Rukk

Sandman/Flint Marko = Dwayne Johnson

Titania/Mary MacPherson = Amy Christine Dumas

Electro/Max Dillon = Eddie Cahill

Lizard/Dr Curt Connors = Dylan Baker

Magneto = Ian McKellan

Calisto = Carrie-Anne Moss

Sabretooth = Tyler Mane

Pyro = Hugh Jackman

Mentallo/Marvin Flumm = Brad Dourif

Zsaji = Eva Mendes

By the time Spielberg brings us part 2 of Secret Wars, we’ve lost Quicksilver, ideals are getting blurred and our heroes are struggling, which isn’t helped by Doom managing to usurp the powers of the Beyonder.  When this brings an unexpected peace to Battleworld, the heroes face the question of whether or not they should try and challenge Doom, assuming they can.  The film will also honour the original comics by making it the origin of the Venom symbiote, something no adaptation has ever done.  The one other change is the incorporation of the alien one-shot character Zsaji from the original Secret Wars, though in keeping with taking the war more seriously, she has a stronger role than just being a random healer and would-be love interest to Johnny Storm or Colossus.

Heroes For Hire (2006) Directed by Paul McGuigan

Luke Cage = Tyrese Gibson

Danny Rand/Iron Fist = Neil Jackson

Shang Chi = Garrett Wang

Misty Knight = Rosario Dawson

Colleen Wing = Olivia Munn

Jessica Jones = Christina Ricci

Willis Stryker = Bokeem Woodbine

Harold Meachum = Bill Pullman

Davos/Steel Serpent = Kevin Durand

Batroc = Georges St-Pierre

Scimitar = Jason Mamoa

Clay Quartermain = Patrick Wilson

Daisy Dugan = Hayley Atwell

Zebidiah Killgrave/Purple Man = Tom McCamus

Most of the characters Marvel and Netflix put in the Defenders streaming show would originally have been members of, or been acquainted with, the little-known Heroes for Hire group, primarily formed in the comics by Luke Cage, Iron First and Misty Knight.  This film works in a few more street-level members, including Shang-Chi, Colleen Wing and Jessica Jones.  The team consists of various for-hire vigilantes and volunteers who are trying to keep the streets of New York safe following the apparent retirement of Daredevil.  When an enclave of organised criminals attempts to eliminate them, SHIELD agents Quartermain and Dugan reach out to unite the heroes into a team.

This is a new film and new cast, with some roles leaping readily to mind while others have taken a bit more thought to select.  Again, I’ve gone for at least one Trek alumni by picking Garrett Wang of Voyager fame to play Shang-Chi, and I’ve also looked to sci-fi series Mutant X for another bit of casting.  Tom McCamus, who played Mason Eckhart in that show, takes up the role of Killgrave for this film, though the character appears only in flashbacks, as I feel that’s sufficient for the film’s plot to showcase where Jessica is mentally and emotionally as the team comes together.  Direction-wise, I picked Paul McGuigan based on the work he did on the film Lucky Number Slevin.

Namor The Submariner (2007) Directed by Gore Verbinski

Namor McKenzie/The Submariner = Christian Bale

General Krang = Tim Curry

Lady Dorma = Katie Holmes

Vashti = Naseeruddin Shah

Attuma = Danny Hutson

Llyra = Rachel Leigh Cook

Dr Walter Newell/Stingray = Rider Strong

Kicking off the 2007 films that conclude this MCU’s phase four is a solo entry for Namor the Sub-Mariner, who like Black Panther got his introduction via Fantastic Four: World War III in recognition of his first Marvel appearance (the character previously having existed under the company’s pre-1960’s name of Timely Comics).  Having also appeared in the Defenders film earlier in this phase, this solo film has Namor return to Atlantis to find his throne under threat by a coup, involving the Nemurian Llyra and a traitor from within his imperial court.  The film includes at least two other characters who have betrayed or openly opposed Namor in the comics to keep fans guessing and work in a little defiance of expectation.  The film also works in another undersea superhero in the form of Stingray to give audiences a POV character for delving into Namor’s world.

Namor, Krang and Lady Dorma are reprised roles for this film, while the rest of the cast is new.  For direction, I decided to look into the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise for directors with experience of filming anything at sea with fantastical elements, and based on this chose Gore Verbinski as he directed the entire original trilogy of that franchise.

Doctor Strange 3 (2007) Directed by Sam Raimi

Dr Stephen Strange = Johnny Depp

Wong = Will Yun Lee

Clea = Keira Knightley

Jericho Drumm/Brother Voodoo = Doug E. Doug

Valkyrie = Diane Kruger

Baron Karl Mordo = Michael Dorn

Dormammu = Bernard Hill

Umar = Ruth Wilson

Dweller-In-Darkness = Colin Firth

In this third and final solo film for Doctor Strange, our title hero tries to help his fellow Defender Valkyrie acclimate to life on Earth, and is also visited by fellow sorcerer Brother Voodoo.  The time he devotes to his guests puts a strain on his romantic relationship with Clea, but when Baron Mordo returns with the backing of Dormammu once more, battle takes precedence.  However, the battle is not all it seems, as Dormammu’s sister Umar and the mysterious Dweller-In-Darkness are lurking in the shadows.  By the film’s end, someone will have to be sacrificed to keep Earth safe from a grave mystic peril.

A lot of the casting is retained from prior films, but Brother Voodoo, Umar and DID are all new roles.  Ruth Wilson and Colin Firth are both chosen for the gravitas their villain roles need, while Doug E. Doug is my choice for Brother Voodoo based on the more serious moments he had at times when playing Sanka in Cool Runnings.  For direction, I think it’s a good idea to stick with Sam Raimi on this one to keep things consistent with the Defenders film that precedes this one.

Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin (2007) Directed by Jon Favreau

Tony Stark/Iron Man = Tom Selleck

James Rhodes/Iron Man II/War Machine = Samuel L. Jackson

Justin Hammer = Christopher Lee

Bethany Cabe = Julia Roberts

The Mandarin/Xin Xhang = Chow Yun-Fat

Arthur Parks/Living Laser = Josh Dallas

Whitney Frost/Madame Masque = Alice Eve

Boris Bullski/Titanium Man = Alan Tudyk

Douglas Scott/Razorfist = Joe Manganiello

Kathy Dare = Cameron Diaz

So, let’s recap what we’ve had by way of Iron Man lore in this alternate MCU.  The first two IM films are directed by Steven Spielberg with Tom Selleck playing Iron Man, dealing with similar story arcs to the first two films of the real MCU, prior to forming the Avengers in a team-up film under director Andrew Davis.  IM3 then shows Stark fall victim to his alcoholism and Samuel L Jackson’s Rhodey taking up the Iron Man mantle, with Sam Raimi directing.  After that, Rhodey’s Iron Man features in a second Avengers film under Davis and the Secret Wars two-parter with Spielberg.  Here, we get the director of the real MCU’s first two Iron Man movies on hand to guide a film showcasing the comeback trail of Tony Stark and James Rhodes becoming War Machine, all to face Iron Man’s arch-foe the Mandarin.

For this film, a lot of things are different.  First, while the Mandarin has his proper ten rings from the comics, he is still developed beyond a stereotype, being presented as a Chinese businessman first and foremost who is using alien tech rings to try and conquer what his corporate efforts cannot.  He avoids some of his comic counterpart’s more flamboyant attire, but nonetheless has a fondness for China’s dynastic era and opposes its modern-day government.  Second, we’re done with Happy and Pepper, and while Bethany Cabe is retained from IM3, we also include the insane stalker girlfriend Kathy Dare for the purpose of misdirecting the fans.  After all, if we’re not doing it with the Mandarin, we might as well do it somewhere.

And that concludes our look into phase 4 of our alternate MCU.  Next month, we’ll check phase 4 of the alternate DC movie universe.  Until then, ta-ta for now.

[egotheplanet]

[evilkitten3]

mcu text posts 14/???

[klawsofwakandablog]

Who’s your favorite character from the Black Panther movie?

[myminorityfeelsminor]

Zuri & Ramonda Drabble Request

“The preparations have all been made.” Odusanya murmurs reverently and the Queen Mother simply nods. The River Tribe attendant is the last to report and soon the secluded space empties till it is only the Queen and Bast’ high priest Zuri remaining. The Queen is seated at a table for two, elevated so one could look over the beautiful fauna and sculptures that litered the area. The location is a private garden within the king’s wing that is connected to the capital’s main administrative building. It’s been the base of operations for the Queen this week. 

Zuri hadn’t been part of most of the preparation but nevertheless he had accompanied the Queen to each event. His presence was a silent blessing from Bast Temple and her venerated priesthood. His heart aches to think of all that has occurred in the last week. No one had expected for things to happen this way, certainly if they had any inkling, T’Chaka would have never stepped foot outside of Wakanda. 

In less than 12 hours prince T’Challa would be returning home and his coronation would commence. Preparations had been underway for days, non-stop following the king’s death. None of it would have been possible if not for Ramonda’s leadership, it certainly wouldn’t be happening so quickly if the elder’s council had their way. For the first few days it had seemed like things might devolve into messy in-fighting. Different sides certainly argued on whether a new king was needed so soon. They already had a black panther after all, prince T’Challa was only an heir—too young some claimed. Yet somehow Queen had managed to gather not just the late king’s faction but several others to her camp. Enough to agree to a challenge day and the swift coronation of the next king. 

Zuri has no doubt those she’d managed to agree with her were imagining their own champion or favored candidate in the role of king. Such hopes were quickly dashed one by one in the days leading up to the coronation. By hook or crook, rumor or impressive action—Wakanda’s Queen Mother reminded each tribe to whom they owed their wellbeing and continued grace to. It didn’t hurt that her most challenging opponent had no champion to offer up. River Tribe’s princess hadn’t responded to her summons and without a present champion… River Tribe bared it’s neck to Panther Tribe’s matriarch. As did the rest, some more grudgingly than others.

“None of the other temples will be attending.” Ramonda tells him a few minutes into their companionable silence.

“Did you expect them to?” Zuri turns mismatched eyes to the queen and away from a very loud pheasant in the nearby undergrowth. 

“No. But it is still concerning.” Ramonda doesn’t sound as bothered as her words suggest.

“Not many attended T’Chaka’s coronation. They have not had an easy time in recent years either.” Zuri isn’t exactly speaking in defense of the other religious sects, rather he’s reminding the Queen of some of the actions that preceded the lukewarm reception to T’Challa’s ascension. The Bast priesthood for example has held a significant pull on most religious laws and moors. They weren’t always accommodating of their brothers and sisters in faith.

The Queen nods and lifts the half empty glass to her left. “Do you think a reminder is necessary?”  

Her question causes Zuri’s heartbeat to skip a beat. “What sort of reminder, my Queen?” 

“My husband, Wakanda’s King, passed away this month. Certain people were seen to be flouting the observations laid out by Bast Temple for the mourning period. Besides the disrespect to our late kumkani… it is an affront to Panther Tribe. It shouldn’t be left unpunished.” 

Zuri swallows slowly. “Of course.” 

[darling-im-wonderstruck]

sweet dreams.

synopsis : it was yet another sleepless night for you— peter, of course, wasn't going to allow that.

pairing : bf!peter parker x reader

wc : 502

warnings : nothing worth warning <3 unless you’re against tooth rotting fluff !!!!! it’s all FLUFF FLUFF FLUFFF !! a comfort fic for my night owls out there who refuse to sleep (mutuals… go to bed)

‎‎ ୨ masterlist | request | navigation ୧

a/n : hi ! sooo this is a rewrite of an old one, i feel like this is an improvement so i’m pretty proud of that !!! <3 hope you guys enjoy this lil fic, it’ll bring you sm joy, i promise !!!! comments, asks, reblogs, are greatly all appreciated :)

brring! brring! brring!

a smile forms on your face as you look at your phone to see the caller id: ‘lovebug’ alongside a plethora of heart emojis. you always loved hearing from him, no matter the context, and of course you would never complain. only question was, why exactly was he calling you at 3 a.m. in the morning? 

“pete?” you answer, turning on your camera. your hair is an absolute mess, but you hardly care at this point. besides, it was peter you were talking to, he thought you were beautiful no matter how you looked.

“hi gorgeous.” just as expected. he’s predictable like that.

“my hair’s a mess, pete.” you chuckle, trying to fix it as much as you possibly could.

“i think it makes you look cute.” he’s grinning sweetly, only to see you roll your eyes in response.

“whaaaat? it’s true!”

“yeah, right.” you respond, the sarcasm clear in your voice.

“i’m serious.” his tone deepens, though it’s paired with an odd look— one that you assume was supposed to be an intimidating scowl, but it just made him look utterly adorable.

“you’re the cute one.” his grin only widens at your compliment.

“thanks, but i already know that.” he flips his (imaginary) hair, making you giggle. he can’t help but do the same once he hears you.

“anyways, why’d you call?” you ask.

“well, i swung past your window on the way home from patrol and i noticed that you weren’t asleep yet,” he pouts. oh. “i wanted to tell you to go to bed, you know you need it.”

“technically, i’m already in bed,” you quip, lying down to prove a point. he could only roll his eyes in response.

“i meant sleep, missy.” his voice was slightly stern, mimicking a mother’s voice.

“no, thank you.” you grin cheekily, though you talk in the same tone as he did, he sighs in disappointment.

“please!” he’s pleading now, using your known weakness, his ‘puppy eyes’. clearly, that wasn’t fair.

“i’m busy though!” no you weren’t, you were simply watching tv all night, or at least you were planning to.

“lovie, you’ve gotta get your beauty sleep.” he’s serious this time. you just looked at him and pouted, you did not want to sleep, despite the fact that your eyelids were beginning to feel heavier by the second.

“hm, okay, i’ll make you a deal.” that piqued your interest.

“okay, tell me.” you lean closer to your phone, peter notices that he’s got your full attention.

“maybe i could swing over for a sleepover?” he suggests, the smile on his face never leaving, “we could cuddle? i know you love those.” that was a well known fact between the two of you, it was also peter’s way to get you to fall asleep, a method that never fails.

“hm,” you mulled over the offer, but peter knew what you’d say, “okay, deal.” you say dryly in an attempt to mask your excitement.

“alright, beautiful, be there in ten.”

a/n : hope you loved it <3 thank you for reading !!! please leave feedback, comments, and reblogs 🥰

taglist : (okay so, i’m tagging my old taglist in hopes to see if you’re still interested ! i was previously @/darling-im-moonstruck so yeah !) @cagethemunson, @tfatwsparker, @jaydannyyy, @hallecarey1, @live-laugh-lovejoy, @parkerpeter24, @saturnpeter, @poemsforparker, @hllandvibbes, @herpeanutzombie

[mickimomo]

Storm Chapter 9 is up!

This is the Link

Oni and Ultron shenanigans.

7,500+ words. 🍲 Enjoy. I think we’ll be back to Attoye shenanigans by the next chapter.

Folks who asked to be tagged:

@serena1276 @dillie60 @freeformwritee @yucamortal

[ao3feed-sambucky]

Passing the camera to

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/9bETjtF by 1snapehater The Avengers threw a welcome back party for Thor, and Peter out of boredom decides to interview every Avenger. Words: 2293, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Avengers One Shots! Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Multi Characters: Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Thor (Marvel), Carol Danvers, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, Zuri (Marvel), Vision (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff, Jane Foster (Marvel) Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Jane Foster/Thor, Peter Parker & Tony Stark & Stephen Strange, Bruce Banner & Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff/Vision Additional Tags: mcu - Freeform, Oneshot, Avengers - Freeform, Party in Avengers Tower (Marvel), Avenger party, there’s literally every avenger, (i excluded the guardians of galaxy i’m sorry) read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/9bETjtF

[ithappensoffstage]

Black Panther (2018) dir. Ryan Coogler

[phantom-le6]

Ramble of the month August 2023: 90’s MCU Phase 3 (2000-2003)

Back in May I posted my ideas for phase 2 of my hypothetical 90’s-based Marvel Cinematic Universe, having outlined phase 1 last year.  Following some recent frustrations with some superhero fan groups I recently joined on Facebook, I’ve decided to go back to this alternate film universe just as a way of talking about my superhero special interest without jumping through a bunch of idiot rules monitored by some truly moronic bots.  When AI can’t grasp concepts that are simple to an autistic mind like mine, you have to wonder why we’re trying to advance it when it’s clearly going to just adopt human stupidity over human intelligence anyway.

So, first let’s recap the key differences between the 90’s MCU and the one we know.  First, Marvel sold film rights to its characters in 1995 to avoid bankruptcy, and many of these were used by other film studios.  As a result, a 90’s MCU would have a wider range of characters to use if it started pre-1995 (mine starts in 1992).  In addition, there are differences between the source material created by the 1990’s and the source material used by the real MCU.  The Ultimates continuity didn’t exist until at least the year 2000, so there was no source material to justify a Black man playing Nick Fury.  Also, no Winter Soldier, no present-day Guardians of the Galaxy, no Civil War and so on.  My hypothetical MCU takes all this into account where the 90’s MCU memes of the internet do not.

Second, let’s recap the first and second phases of my 90’s MCU that were covered in the previous rambles;

Phase 1:

1992: Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man

1993: Thor, Spider-Man, Ant-Man & The Wasp

1994: Captain America: Fantastic Four 2, Iron Man 2

1995: X-Men, Avengers, Daredevil

Phase 2:

1996: Spider-Man 2, Thor: Land of Enchantment, Silver Surfer

1997: Hulk vs Wolverine, Fantastic Four: Doomsday, Iron Man 3

1998: Captain America: Society of Serpents, Daredevil 2, X-Men 2

1999: Avenger 2, Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange

The first phase is about introducing the initial characters and setting up for the creation of the Avengers late in the phase.  Phase 2 is more about expansion, continuing to develop the existing characters while adding some new ones and starting off the general MCU rule of loss experienced in a third film; the F4 lost their original headquarters and Ben a chance at living a normal, human life, Tony Stark has lost his sobriety and the Iron Man mantle and Spider-Man has lost Gwen Stacy.  Phase 3 will follow all of this up with more losses for others, plus more development of existing characters and addition of new ones.  Unlike the real MCU, however, these early phases are not about building up for Infinity War, but rather for an adaptation of the original Secret Wars story of the 1980’s.  So, here’s a quick overview of my 90’s MCU phase 3 slate;

Phase 3:

2000: Fantastic Four: World War III, Thor: Ragnarök, Daredevil 3

2001: Hulk: Rise of the Leader, X-Men: Fall of the Mutants, Avengers: Under Siege

2002: Doctor Strange 2, The Captain, Spider-Man 4

2003: Captain Britain, Fantastic Four: Enter the Negative Zone, Ghost Rider

As you can see, phase 3 is similarly sequel-heavy to phase 2, but includes two new heroes, of which one (Ghost Rider) is set to have multiple solo films while the other is kind of a one-off ahead of involvement in an ensemble film in phase 4.  Now let’s look at each of the phase 3 films in turn;

Fantastic Four: World War III (2000) Directed by Steven Spielberg

Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic = Tom Hanks

Susan Storm (Richards)/Invisible Woman = Meg Ryan

Johnny Storm/Human Torch = David Spade

Ben Grimm/Thing = Bryan Cranston

Alicia Masters = Heather Graham

Namor McKenzie/The Submariner = Christian Bale

General Krang = Tim Curry

Lady Dorma = Katie Holmes

T'Challa/Black Panther = Chadwick Boseman

Shuri = Tatyana Ali

Ramonda = Alfre Woodard

T'Chaka = Courtney B. Vance

W'Kabi = Chiwetel Ejiofor

Okoye = Nia Long

Zuri = Joseph Marcell

Black Bolt = Pierce Brosnan

Medusa = Elizabeth Hurley

Crystal = Dina Meyer

Gorgon = J.G. Hertzler

Karnak = Alexander Siddig

Triton = Orlando Bloom

Maximus = Willem Dafoe

Falcona = Amy Yasbeck

Leonus = Karl Urban

Timberius = Adam Baldwin

This fourth film in the Fantastic Four franchise is an attempt to honour the fact that the F4 reintroduced Namor the Sub-Mariner and introduced Black Panther and the Inhumans all through their comic.  The basic plot is that Atlantis is attacked by what appears to be Wakanda, resulting in Namor staging a retaliatory assault on the Wakandan embassy in New York.  T’Challa is visiting said embassy, having recently assumed the Wakandan throne, and a massive battle ensues, with the F4 being first on the scene.  What initially follows is the F4 trying to end and then investigate the conflict.  Eventually, the team finds some of the attackers are part of the hidden race known as the Inhumans, and go to find their hidden city, with T’Challa and Namor now acting as their allies.

It turns out the Inhumans are being manipulated by the villainous Maximus, and events go fairly close to comics from there, ending with the seemingly permanent separation of Johnny Storm and his Inhuman love interest Crystal.  While the F4 and Alicia Masters are castings retained from previous three films, all the other characters are new to this film.  I’ve also retained Spielberg as director from film 3, as I feel his work on both Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan lends itself to the idea of a film about the F4 trying to stop a third world war from breaking out.

Thor: Ragnarök (2000) Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Thor = Dolph Lundgren

Loki = Gary Oldman

Odin = Anthony Hopkins

Frega = Glenn Close

Fandrall = Cary Elwes

Hogun = Tony Leung

Volstagg = Thomas Haden Church

Sif = Demi Moore

Heimdall = Keith David

Balder = Sean Bean

Jane Foster = Courtney Cox

Amora the Enchantress = Charlize Theron

Skurge the Executioner = Jean Claude Van Dame

Hercules = Arnold Schwarzenegger

Surtur = Clancy Brown

Hela = Cate Blanchett

Karnilla = Angelina Jolie

This is our third Asgardian visit, and unlike the main MCU, I’ve kept Ken Branagh directing the Thor films in this hypothetical run to avoid the tonal inconsistencies that have plagued the Thor films of the real MCU.  I’ve also decided that while this MCU will have the same title on its third Thor film, we’re not going anywhere near the pseudo-Planet Hulk plot.  Instead, the film begins with Loki, Amora and Skurge attacking Earth with the aid of some Asgardian trolls.  Thor and Hercules are aided by a visiting Balder and Sif, and Balder is badly wounded.  Thor enlists the aid of Balder’s admirer Karnilla to heal him, but her spell inadvertently triggers the release of Surtur, threatening the coming of Ragnarök.

Thor then leads an expedition to the realm of Hela, who in this MCU retains her position from the comics and original Norse lore as Loki’s daughter, not his and Thor’s sister.  In Hela’s domain lies the means to defeat Surtur, but Hela demands a soul, and ultimately Thor has to agree to remain in place of the artefact.  This puts an end to Thor solo films for a while, and also creates an interesting spin on the third-film-losses rule of the MCU.  In this case, Thor loses his “life” and his freedom in order to save his homeland, and also loses his romance with Jane Foster.

Daredevil 3 (2000) Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Matt Murdock/Daredevil = Christian Slater

Foggy Nelson = Jon Favreau

Karen Page = Denise Richards

Wilson Fisk/Kingpin = Bruce Willis

Bullseye = Colin Farrel

Elektra Natchios = Leonor Varela

Mary Walker/Typhoid Mary = Drew Barrymore

J. Jonah Jameson = J.K. Simmons

Joseph “Robbie” Robertson = Denzel Washington

Ben Urich = John Spencer

Turk Barrett = Gary Dourdan

Lt Nicholas Manoli = Paul Ben-Victor

Glorianna O'Breen = Tiffani Amber Thiessen

DA Blake Tower = Bradley Whitford

Yes, folks, this third (and final) Daredevil solo film would have Quentin Tarantino in the director’s chair.  This is because I’d be curious to see how Tarantino might do on a film like this.  In this case, it’s an amalgamation of the ‘Death of Elektra’ and ‘Born Again’ story arcs.  In effect, Karen Page has become a drug addict and trades Daredevil’s real identity, resulting in the Kingpin dismantling Matt Murdock’s life.  However, in this version, the release of that information also results in the death of Elektra, and that of Karen Page as well.  This leads to a major clash between Daredevil and his key adversaries, after which his life will never be the same again.  This is another example of third-film loses being enacted.  Many of the roles are reprised from the previous Daredevil films or incorporated from the Spider-Man films, with only the last three roles being new to this film.

Hulk: Rise of the Leader (2001) Directed by Sam Raimi

Bruce Banner/Hulk = John Cusack

Betty Ross = Jennifer Connelly

General Ross = Sam Elliott

Major Talbot = Steve Guttenberg

Rick Jones = Tobey Maguire

Emil Blonsky/Abomination = Sam Neill

Dr Leonard Samson/Doc Samson = David Duchovny

Sam Sterns/The Leader = John Shea

Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk = Lucy Lawless

Carl "Crusher" Creel/Absorbing Man = Michael Chiklis

Diana Davids/Ogress = Terry Farrell

Louis Lembert/Hotshot = Chris Evans

Jessica Harrison/Jailbait = Katrina Law

Here we have our third solo Hulk film, and this time his allies aren’t going to be from the world of the X-Men as in phase 2’s Hulk vs Wolverine.  Instead, this film brings the Hulk’s long-time foe the Leader into the fray, at the head of a group of gamma-powered villains.  Aiding the Hulk this time, we have his cousin Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk and gamma-powered psychiatrist Leonard “Doc” Samson.  In this film, Samson has helped Banner to develop some control over the Hulk, but thanks to the Leader’s actions, that is lost, along with the life of Betty Ross.

Having had Tim Burton direct the first two Hulk films in this MCU, direction is handed over to Sam Raimi on this instalment.  Now it occurs to me I haven’t specified how the Hulk would be realised in a pre-mo-cap era of the MCU.  Well, that’s down to a combination of animatronics/puppets akin to the early Jurassic Park films, combined with a bit of CGI and some careful editing.  That way, you can have an actor like John Cusack play Banner without needing a painted body-double, and that’s assuming Hulk films wouldn’t drive a development of mo-cap technology.

For the Leader, I picked John Shea based on his performance as Adam in the Mutant X TV series, as well as knowing that he played Lex Luthor in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.  Other new actors include Michael Chiklis (the Thing in the 2005-2007 Fox F4 films), Terry Farrell of Trek Fame, Katrina Law of Arrowverse and NCIS fame, and of course Chris Evans, the real MCU’s Captain America.  Lucy Lawless, in turn, takes on the role of She-Hulk while David “Mulder” Duchovny gets to play Doc Samson (assuming he's willing to build some muscle for this role).

X-Men: Fall of the Mutants (2001) Directed by Jonathan Frakes

Professor Charles Xavier = Patrick Stewart

Cyclops/Scott Summers = Patrick Swayze

Jean Grey = Milla Jovovich

Warren Worthington III/Angel = Neil Patrick Harris

Storm/Ororo Monroe = Halle Berry

Beast/Hank McCoy = Alec Baldwin

Banshee/Sean Cassidy = Liam Neeson

Polaris/Lorna Dane = Jeri Ryan

Havok/Alex Summers = Kevin Bacon

Robert Drake/Iceman = Michael Weatherley

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler = Daniel Brühl

Wolverine/Logan = Tom Cruise

Mariko Yashida = Shu Qi

Kitty Pryde = Selma Blair

Sam Guthrie = Paul Walker

Roberto Da Costa = Mario Lopez

Tabita Smith = Anna Faris

Senator Robert Kelly = Robert Hays

Henry Peter Gyrich = David Caruso

Senator Graydon Creed = Joshua Lucas

Cameron Hodge = Bruce Davison

Calisto = Carrie-Anne Moss

Sunder = Kevin Nash

Ape = Gotz Otto

Annalee = Rosemary Harris

Plague = Gates McFadden

Caliban = Joe Pantoliano

Healer = Brian Cox

Sally Blevins/Skids = Amy Smart

Magneto = Ian McKellan

Fabian Cortez = Jason Flemyng

Chrome = Victor Webster

Sabretooth = Tyler Mane

Pyro = Hugh Jackman

Title aside, X-Fans shouldn’t expect any kind of like-for-like adaptation of the X-titles crossover event of the same name.  Instead, this film is about the X-Men being split apart and not getting back together for a while.  After an opening clash with Magneto and his new followers, the Acolytes, the X-Men return home, only for the mansion to be attacked by an anti-mutant terror group lead by Cameron Hodge and secretly backed by Senator Graydon Creed.  In the confusion, the “original” X-Men pursue those members of the terror group that abduct Professor X and a few students, Nightcrawler and Banshee escape to Muir Island with Kitty Pryde and most of the other students, while Storm and Wolverine lead the remainder down to the Morlock tunnels.

The Muir Island evacuees aren’t much covered during the rest of the film, with the focus being on the attempt to free Xavier and a further battle in the tunnels that decimates the Morlocks, something Magneto then turns to his advantage by recruiting Morlock survivors to his Acolytes.  We also finally get Pyro done correctly as an Australian mutant, and hints are dropped regarding the use of the proper Horsemen of Apocalypse in phase 4.  Director-wise, I retain Jonathan Frakes from my version of X-Men 2 since I think Trek alumni would have a great sensitivity to the messages and themes inherent in X-Men lore.

Avengers: Under Siege (2001) Directed by Roland Emmerich

Steve Rogers/Captain America = Brad Pitt

Thor = Dolph Lundgren

Janet Van Dyne/Wasp = Catherine Zeta Jones

Hercules = Arnold Schwarzenegger

Clint Barton/Hawkeye = Kevin Costner

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow = Famke Jansen

Vision = Casper Van Dien

Sam Wilson/Falcon = Will Smith

T'Challa/Black Panther = Chadwick Boseman

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff = Kate Beckinsale

Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff = Robert Sean Leonard

Edwin Jarvis = Mark Rylance

Col. John Jameson = Daniel Gillies

Michael O'Brien = Tony Curran

Bill Foster = Laurence Fishburne

Fabian Stankowicz = Tom Sizemore

Heinrich Zemo = Til Schweiger

Helmut Zemo = Sylvester Groth 

Dr Karla Sofen/Moonstone = Peta Wilson

David Canon/Whirlwind = Colin Cunningham

Mark Scarlotti/Whiplash = Jason Lee

Donald Gill/Blizzard = Robert Duncan McNeil

Constrictor/Frank Schlicting = Stephen Dorff

For this film, I’m trying to see the Avengers story arc of the same name adapted to the big screen.  The basic plot is that Baron Heinrich Zemo, son of the original Barom Helmut Zemo, assembles a group of anti-Avengers villains known as the ‘Masters of Evil’ and lays siege to Avengers Mansion.  It then falls to a mix of escaped current Avengers and some past/reserve Avengers to save everyone else.  In a sense, it’s kind of the Avengers equivalent to something like White House Down, hence my selecting of that film’s director for this one.  The film is a mix of existing casting and new stuff, and I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on who falls into which category.

Instead, I’m just going to quickly answer the question I’m sure many of you will be asking; how can Thor be in this if he’s been trapped in Hela’s domain after his last solo film?  Simple, she sends him to aid the Masters of Evil, but a hex bolt from the Scarlet Witch frees him for the big fight at the end.

Doctor Strange 2 (2002) Directed by Tim Burton

Dr Stephen Strange = Johnny Depp

Wong = Will Yun Lee

Clea = Keira Knightley

Dr Nicodemus West = Alan Rickman

Dr Christine Palmer = Helena Bonham Carter

Nightmare = Jonathan Pryce

Our second Doctor Strange film is quite a stream-lined one compared to the first, as it involves Strange teaching his apprentice/love interest Clea for a bit and then having to wade into mystic conflict with the dream-demon known as Nightmare.  This film is very much about developing the Strange-Clea relationship while also serving up a bit of mystic superhero horror, hence Tim Burton remaining my choice to helm the film.  Except for Nightmare, all casting is carried over from our first Dr Strange film in this 90’s-based MCU.

The Captain (2002) Directed by Tony Scott

Steve Rogers/Captain America/The Captain = Brad Pitt

Sam Wilson/Falcon = Will Smith

Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird = Rebecca Romijn-Stamos

Diamondback/Rachel Leighton = Neve Campbell

Clint Barton/Hawkeye = Kevin Costner

Jack Munroe/Nomad = Alessandro Nivola

John Walker/Captain America II = Aaron Eckhart

Lemar Hoskins/Battlestar = Michael Jai White

Johann Schmidt/Red Skull = Hugo Weaving

Brock Rumlow/Crossbones = Ron Perlman

Mother Midnight = Sela Ward

Dr Faustus = Brendan Gleeson

Henry Peter Gyrich = David Caruso

There are at least two notable occasions where Steve Rogers has given up his Captain America persona over multiple comic issues.  The first, in the 1970’s, led to him temporarily assuming the Nomad identity.  The second, in the 1980’s, led to the US government appointing a new Captain America while Rogers kept on fighting as the Captain.  This film is an adaptation of the latter arc; in this case, Rogers begins a romantic relationship with reforming snake-themed criminal Diamondback, which prompts NSA operative to investigate Rogers.  Trumped up charges based on circumstantial evidence then enables Gyrich to force Cap out of the uniform in favour of a new candidate.

At the same time, a neo-Nazi terror group is acting within the United States, and when the new Captain America refuses to look into it, Steve has to go back into action, aided by those closest to him, and this puts him at odds with his successor.  All this then leads to a clash with Cap’s resurrected arch-foe, the Red Skull.  Director-wise, I mainly know Tony Scott’s work from Beverly Hills Cop II and Unstoppable, but I know he also did Enemy of the State and one or two similar films at least, which would make him a good choice to do this particular Cap story.

Spider-Man 4 (2002) Directed by Martin Campbell

Peter Parker/Spider-Man = Wil Weaton

May Parker = Marg Helgenberger

Flash Thompson = Ben Affleck

J. Jonah Jameson = J.K. Simmons

Joseph "Robbie" Robertson = Denzel Washington

Betty Brant = Parker Posey

Ned Leeds = John Barrowman

Randy Robertson = Taye Diggs

Harry Osborn = Ryan Phillipe

Mary-Jane Watson = Alison Hannigan

Dr Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus = Alfred Molina

Herman Schultz/Shocker = Patrick Muldoon

Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino = Jake Busey

Mac Gargan/Scorpion = Brian Bloom

Sergei Kravenoff/Kraven the Hunter = Gerard Butler

Adrian Tombs/Vulture = Richard Dreyfuss

Ben Urich = John Spencer

Captain Jean DeWolff = Jessica Biel

Detective Stanley Carter = James Marsden

So far, we’ve had two Spider-Man films from John Hughes and a third from Frank Darabont in this alternate MCU.  For the fourth instalment, Martin Campbell of Goldeneye and Mask of Zorro fame is my choice to take the helm.  In this instance, we’re going into our first Spider-Man film post-Gwen Stacy, and in this one, new adversary Doctor Octopus assembles a group of old enemies from the previous films, creating the ever-classic Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Six match-up.  The film also brings in Jean DeWolff and Stanley Carter to set up for elements of the Venom story-arc to be adapted, and that being on the horizon hints in turn at the impending Secret Wars film adaptation.  In addition, I’ve brough Ben Urich over into the Spider-Man films to maintain the sense of shared continuity in terms of Daily Bugle reporters being in the lives of more than one hero of the MCU.

Captain Britain (2003) Directed by Christopher Nolan

Brian Braddock Jr./Captain Britain = Jamie Bamber

Betsy Braddock/Psylocke = Lena Headey

Mordred = Angus MacFadyen

Morgan Le Fey = Catherine McCormack

Dane Whitman/Black Knight = Ioan Gruffudd

Meggan = Sienna Miller

Courtney Ross = Rosamund Pike

DI Dai Thomas = Mark Lewis Jones

Detective Kate Fraser = Kate Winslet

Brian Braddock Sr. = Jeremy Irons

Elizabeth Braddock = Imelda Staunton

Jamie Braddock = Ewan McGregor

Merlin = Terence Stamp

Roma = Rachel Weisz

Much in the same way that Wonder Woman had a female-led production crew and Black Panther was similarly led by Black film makers, I honestly believe you could only ever get a great Captain Britain film if you put some great British talent into things.  As such, I had to go for a British director of great quality, and Christopher Nolan is certainly one of those.  Plot-wise, it’s very much about creating a more consistent version of what Captain Britain was over the years in first Marvel UK comics and then in the Excalibur off-shoot of the X-Men.  Brian Braddock is supposed to be the Champion of Britain, chosen and tried by Merlin, and while originally created with a lot of US superhero sensibilities by Chris Claremont, much of what he later became was due to a massive ret-con by Alan Moore.  However, the Merlin element and the hero being of Britain means a good origin film would probably feed some Arthurian legend in, and this is something also relevant to Avengers member the Black Knight.

As such, the plot of this film would establish the Black Knight as a modern-day hero who needs help against the returning evil of King Arthur’s illegitimate son Modred and his mother, Morgan Le Fey.  To that end, Merlin and his daughter Roma seek out Brian Braddock and cast him into the role of Captain Britain.  He and the Black Knight, further aided by Brian’s mutant twin sister Psylocke and the mutant shape-shifter Meggan, battle Mordred and Moran, as well as errant elder sibling Jamie Braddock.  Also included is Detective Inspector Dai Thomas, a Welsh-born Scotland Yard policeman who hates superheroes ever since his wife was killed when the pair visited the US.

In terms of casting, I’ve tried to honour the idea of Brian and Betsy being twins by aiming for actors that look similar and are of similar age, as I don’t think anyone makes any effort in this respect of fan-casting.  With Jamie Bamber being my choice for Brian, I then had little hesitation casting his old Hornblower co-star Ioan Gruffudd as Dane Whitman.  Everyone else has then been about just trying to get the best British actors that I think match the roles at hand.  Frankly, I hope that someone at Marvel sees this some day before they start on a Captain Britain project and take heed, because somehow, I suspect they might not and would mess things up somewhat, especially if they try to put Psylocke into their X-Men films with no ties to her twin.  Bad enough having that in the Fox X-Verse films due to film rights issues without the MCU repeating that error.

Fantastic Four: Enter The Negative Zone (2003) Directed by Ridley Scott

Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic = Tom Hanks

Susan Storm (Richards)/Invisible Woman = Meg Ryan

Johnny Storm/Human Torch = David Spade

Ben Grimm/Thing = Bryan Cranston

Alicia Masters = Heather Graham

Black Bolt = Pierce Brosnan

Medusa = Elizabeth Hurley

Crystal = Dina Meyer

Gorgon = J.G. Hertzler

Karnak = Alexander Siddig

Triton = Orlando Bloom

Maximus = Willem Dafoe

Annihilus = Eric Bana

Blastaar = Colm Feore

This is now our fifth Fantastic Four film, and it’s an adaptation of the first Sue Richards pregnancy storyline from the comics.  Sue is pregnant, but the cosmic radiation that has given her powers may interfere with the birth.  To ensure it won’t, Reed determines to find a remedy, and discovers one can be found in the parallel universe known as the Negative Zone.  At the same time, the Inhumans manage to free themselves from the confinement imposed on them by Maximus, and Crystal substitutes for Sue on the quest into the Negative Zone.  This quest, however, brings the team into the middle of an on-going war between the empires of Annihilus and Blastaar, and it becomes a battle of long odds to find their prize and escape before it’s too late to help Sue and the baby.

In light of the alien setting, I figured that Aliens director Ridley Scott would be a good choice to take over the direction, and we add Eric Bana and Colm Feore to the array of actors already cast in past films.

Ghost Rider (2003) Directed by Tim Burton

Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider = Connor Trinneer

Roxanne Simpson = Jessica Alba

Craig "Crash" Simpson = Jeff Bridges

Mona Simpson = Julianne Moore

Barton Blaze = Nick Nolte

Blackheart = Wes Bentley

Mephistopheles = Jeffery Combs

Much as I enjoyed the 2007 film version of Ghost Rider, I always felt it had its flaws, including a lead actor with the wrong hair colour and an over-simplified origin story.  This film, which is helmed by Tim Burton for relatively obvious reasons, seeks to fix those errors.  First, we have Connor Trinneer of Star Trek: Enterprise fame taking on the lead role.  Second, the film sticks to the idea of Johnny becoming the Ghost Rider because he wanted to honour a deathbed promise to his foster mother, hence why the family of Roxanne Simpson plays into the cast.  After the origin part plays out, the film then goes into the matter of Johnny having to tackle Blackheart for Mephistopheles, with Roxanne being as much ally as love interest in this version.

The only casting retained from the 2007 Ghost Rider film is Wes Bently playing Blackheart; everyone else is newly cast.  As for why I didn’t retain Eva Mendes as Roxanne, the source material had her as white, and I prefer to either create new characters or use existing ones for purposes of adding diversity.  Since Roxanne Simpson doesn’t fit either method, I’ve cast Jessica Alba in that role, and I’ll hopefully have more diversity to showcase in later phases of this alternate MCU. So, that’s everything outlined for phase 3 of our 90’s MCU for now.  Next month, I plan to outline phase 3 of my alternate DC film universe, and then with some luck I might be able to do something more topical/general interest after that.  Anyway, until the next ramble, ta-ta-for now.