…Moving on to the Marvel Cinematic Universe now and this week has brought us a batch of official images from Marvel Studios’ first release of 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 [see here], while director James Gunn spoke about the decision to feature Baby Groot in the sequel, stating that it was a creative decision, as opposed to a ploy on Marvel’s part in order to shift more merchandise [read his comments on the matter here]. Nevertheless, we will undoubtedly be seeing a flood of Baby Groot merchandise, and NECA has wasted little time in unveiling its life-size foam figure of the young sapling [see here], while Hasbro has released promo images for its Marvel Legends figures for Star-Lord, Drax and Yondu [see here]…
…With Avengers: Infinity War gearing up to go into production early in the New Year, directors Anthony and Joe Russo have shared a video from pre-production showing a 3D printer constructing a mysterious prop. No idea what it could be, but if you want to hazard a guess, you can find the video here…
…With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on its winter break until January, Marvel has released its six-episode spinoff digital series Slingshot, which focusses on the character of Elena ‘Yo-Yo’ Rodriguez (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) and features guest appearances from Coulson (Clark Gregg), Daisy (Chloe Bennet), May (Ming-Na Wen), Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) and Mack (Henry Simmons). You can watch the series here…
…Marvel has another TV series launching this February as Legion premieres on FX, and this week has seen the release of several pieces of key art for the X-Men show featuring actress Aubrey Plaza; take a look here…
…Disney XD is airing a couple of festive-themed episodes of Guardians of the Galaxy and Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6 today; be sure to check out clips from ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and ‘The Moon Knight Before Christmas’…
…Marvel and Funko have released their third and final animated short, Chimichangas, which features a brawl between Deadpool and Venom; check it out here…
…That leads us on nicely to the Merc with a Mouth, and this week saw Deadpool picking up two Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor in the Musical or Comedy categories, while Ryan Reynolds reflected on the success of the movie, comparing it to his previous superhero outing Green Lantern: “Deadpool always knew what it was. With Green Lantern, I don’t think anyone ever figured out exactly what it was. That isn’t to say the hundreds of men and women didn’t work their fingers to the bone to make it as good as possible. It also fell victim to the process in Hollywood which is like poster first, release date second, script last. At the time, it was a huge opportunity for me so I was excited to try and take part in it. I did however write a letter to Fox right before I had to decide whether or not I was gonna do Green Lantern. I asked one last time sort of like the groom standing at the alter, ‘Will you please be my wife?’ and they said they couldn’t pull the trigger on Deadpool. For too many reasons too boring to illustrate, it just didn’t work…”
…Reynolds has also revealed that he’d like to convince Hugh Jackman to postpone his X-Men retirement following March’s Logan in order to team up with his for a Deadpool/Wolverine movie: “I want Deapdool and Wolverine in a movie together. What we’re gonna have to do is convince Hugh. If anything, I’m going to need to do what I can to get my internet friends back on board to help rally another cause down the line. Hugh Jackman is one of the best human beings. Part of the reason I want to do a Deadpool/Wolverine movie is not just because I think the two would light the screen on fire but I genuinely love the guy…”
…Exciting news for fans of Disney-Pixar’s The Incredibles, as Samuel L. Jackson has revealed on social media that he’s begun his recording sessions for Brad Bird’s The Incredibles 2, which will see him reprising the role of Lucius Best/Frozone. We’ve still got a while to wait for the movie though, as it is currently slated for release on June 15th 2018…
…We’ve got a couple of superhero-themed op-eds on Flickering Myth this week; be sure to check out Anghus Houvouras’ ‘Can R-rated Adaptations Save the Non-Marvel Studios Comic Book Movie?‘ and Henry Bevan’s ‘Can Superhero Movies Be More Than Superhero Movies?‘…
…And finally, if you’re looking to win yourself some extra cash this Christmas, why not head on over to the Red Flush Online Casino, which has plenty of different options for people looking to play superhero games and slots. The Red Flush Online Casino has games based on Game of Thrones, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, Bridesmaids, Tomb Raider, Battlestar Galactica and more, as well as online video poker, roulette, craps, and everything else you’d expect to find. Happy Gaming!
Gary Collinson is a writer and lecturer from the North East of England. He is the editor-in-chief of FlickeringMyth.com and the author of Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.
Originally published December 17, 2016. Updated November 30, 2022.
