Posted on 07/21/2013 11:32:29 AM PDT by Kip Russell
The Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con ended with writer-director Joss Whedon taking the stage at Hall H to announce the official title of Marvel's The Avengers 2, which is ... Avengers: Age of Ultron!
You may know that "Age of Ultron" is a relatively recent Marvel Comics storyline so it'll be interesting to see how much they cull from that for the big screen sequel to the 2012 blockbuster.
Here is the official title treatment courtesy of Marvel and Disney:
” a fairly obscure 1960’s British television show”
You’re tipping off your age. The Avengers was very popular here in the US.
Emphasis on "was". It still has a small following, granted...but what's the ratio of modern fans of The Avengers (Marvel Comics) to modern fans of The Avengers (tv series) in the US??
50 to 1? 100 to 1? More?
“...there was always something about Ultron that scared me.”
Me too. Most of the villains were just the bad guy of the week to me. Ultron, though...he was scary.
About the only other villain that got under my skin more than Ultron was an X-Man villain from the late 70s call Proteus. *That* one gave me nightmares as a kid.
Quite!
Quite!
The best crime fighting duo ever!
Better than a Dynamic Duo?
Surely not!
Very under-utilized character, and with good reason. Used properly, his powers could defeat, well...anyone.
LOL!
That was my first thought. BTW, Dame Diana celebrated her 75th birthday last week.
Okay, I must say that my fears for the future of our country are now greatly expanded. Comic books were read by a lot of kids when I was a child.
Now, there are adult fans of this nonsense? And they are making films for grownups that feature comic book characters?
Truly distressing.
Er...have you been to the movies lately? Here are the top grossing films of 2012:
1 Marvel's The Avengers (super heroes)
2 The Dark Knight Rises (super heroes)
3 The Hunger Games (science fiction)
4 Skyfall (super spy)
5 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 (vampires)
6 The Amazing Spider-Man (super heroes)
7 Brave (cartoon)
8 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (fantasy)
9 Ted (fantasy)
10 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (cartoon)
Notice a trend, there? Escapism sells.
Comic-Con: Why Superhero Movies are Here to Stay
http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/comic-con-why-superhero-movies-are-here-to-stay-1200565985/
For moviegoers who may not necessarily enjoy the superhero genre, Hollywood sent a very loud message at Comic-Con: Get used to them; they’re not going anywhere.
Studios stepped up their promotional efforts in a big way to tout their upcoming comic book movies on Saturday at the fanfest, with Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and Disney’s Marvel hyping films that feature Batman, Superman, the X-Men, Wolverine, Captain America, Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers. Sony got a jump on them on Friday with “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”
Each presentation was confidently produced with a polished message that generated rousing reactions — often deafening — with strong social media buzz immediately following. In the past, super hero films were among other titles presented by studios. This year, they were the main event, with thousands of fans camping out overnight to see the presentations.
One extra upside: With a captive crowd in attendance, other films presented also get a boost while the audience waits for their superheroes to take the stage.
Hollywood, of course, is looking to rally the more than 130,000 people who attend Comic-Con each year around their tentpoles that are proving to be the more reliable franchises on their release slates. Disney’s “Iron Man 3,” for example, generated more than $1.2 billion this summer — more than any installment in the series, while WB’s “Man of Steel” has earned $635 million.
Okay, I must say that my fears for the future of our country are now greatly expanded. Comic books were read by a lot of kids when I was a child.Now, there are adult fans of this nonsense? And they are making films for grownups that feature comic book characters? Truly distressing.
Mrs. Peel...we’re needed.
The only thing distressing is that you napped through the last 30 years. Comics have included “grown up” entertainment for a very long time. It’s just another story telling medium now, capable of being just as juvenile or grown up as the storyteller chooses. Thinking the medium must be for children is like thinking TV must be for children because you grew up watching Howdy Doody.
...have you been to the movies lately?
&&&
Nope. It is only about every 5 years or so that a movie comes out that the husband and I consider worth our time and attention. The last film we saw in a theater was “The King’s Speech”.
If Hollywood continues to produce this kind of dreck, we will continue to stay away.
Well, there are stories that are plausible featuring characters with depth that an adult can relate to. Believe me, I loved watching “Superman” on TV when I was a child, but, as an adult, I do not relate to a character who is “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”.
I guess I cannot relate, either, to the level of infantilism in GenX.
Well, I am sorry that my nap distressed you, but I don’t see how it is relevant.
There are numerous trends that have permeated the culture in the last 30 years, and there are quite a few of them that distress me, as well.
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