MARVEL MADNESS #8: SPIDER-MAN UPDATES, GUARDIANS 2 Script & Tease, CIVIL WAR Stuff, AND MORE

This Marvel Madness we have a lot in store this week. From Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Civil War, and Ant-Man to TV news updates and rumours galore. Here is all things Marvel this week!

SPIDER-MAN NEWS

Sony Pictures and Marvel have reportedly trimmed down their lists for the director and lead actor of the next Spider-Man movie.

According to Deadline, Ender’s Game star Asa Butterfield and The Impossible’s Tom Holland are the frontrunners to portray Peter Parker. That said, Matt Lintz of the upcoming Pixels and Red Band Society actor Charlie Rowe are still in the running, after Judah Lewis (seen in this fall’s Demolition); Charlie Plummer (Boardwalk Empire) whom purportedly screen-tested for the highly sought-after role over the weekend.

As for who is helming the Spider-Man reboot, Sony and Marvel have apparently focused in on St. Vincent director Ted Melfi and Warm Bodies director Jonathan Levine. John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein, who are behind the upcoming reboot of Vacation, are also still being tossed around as contenders with Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect), and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre).

Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and Sony producer Amy Pascal will reportedly make the final call, with Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman also having say over Spider-Man’s director and star.

The new Spider-Man is expected to show up in Captain America: Civil War, with a standalone movie following in 2017.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY NEWS

James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy 2, has taken to his Facebook page to announce that the first draft for the GotG sequel has been completed in full but does not want to spoil anything just yet. The announcement prompted a question from a fan about the subtitle confirming an appearance by the Hulk.

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Phew. After 48 days straight without a day off, the the first draft of #GotG2 is done. I’m sorry to all my friends and family who I have ignored.
Posted by James Gunn on Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Here are some bullet points from his Facebook Q&A:

He spent the last 48 days turning his 70-page scriptment (“the majority of a script, with every beat and even a lot of dialogue”) into a screenplay. The higher ups at Marvel and Disney have read the scriptment, but only Gunn and his assistant have read the full screenplay.

Like he did with the first movie, Gunn has chosen all of the music for Awesome Mix Vol. 2.

Additionally, “every song is in the script, just as I did on the first movie.” Keep in mind that these songs might not make it to the final film. Last December, Gunn provided the uncut tracklist for the Awesome Mix Vol. 1, and I assume there will be an uncut soundtrack for Guardians 2 as well.

Hulk is not appearing in this movie.

Gunn did a lot of research by reading the comics, but “but it’s all to fill out and make better the essential story that I came up with while making the first movie.” Translation: don’t expect a straight adaptation of a Guardians of the Galaxy storyline from the comics.

Unsurprisingly, the main cast will return along with a few others from the first movie (presumably Yondu and Nebula).

Chris Pratt hasn’t been briefed on future plans to unite the Guardians of the Galaxy with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When asked about the upcoming sequel, and the impending threat of Thanos, IGN asked Pratt about when the Guardians will team-up with the Avengers and other earth-based heroes.

“That’s speculation. I haven’t heard that. No, no one’s ever discussed it with me,” he said. Pratt went on to express interest in what the Guardians should do next:

“I think like the universe itself it’s best to expand outward. I don’t personally – and it’s not up to me, I’ll do whatever they want me to do – I don’t want to see the Guardians defend Cleveland, Ohio. We’re cosmic man. I want to be in space.”

Jurassic World’s Chris Pratt will soon be stepping back into his most famous role to date, that of Guardians of the Galaxy’s Star-Lord.  Speaking to Digital Spy, Pratt talked about his initial reaction to learning details about the sequel and what he hopes to contribute to the film’s second outing.

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
On the potential of contributing to the sequel’s soundtrack, Chris Pratt revealed that’s something he’s spoken to James Gunn about. “We’ve talked a little. I know some of the songs that are going to be on Awesome Mix Vol 2.  All I can tell you because – obviously, I’m not allowed to say anything, nor would I want to beacuse it would be like telling a kid what’s under the tree before Christmas morning; I would encourage people not to poke holes in the paper and peek, allow yourself the ‘Christmas morning’.  What I will say is that [Gunn’s] pitch and his ideas legitmately put tears in my eyes.  It is so good, it’s so good.  I can not wait to get started on it and I can not wait for people to see what he’s going to pull off with this second movie.  It’s so big and so good.   From what I understand, Marvel [heard Gunn’s pitch] and they said nothing.   [It] was that perfect.  There was no micromanaging of the idea. They just love it so much they didn’t have any notes for it.   It’s going to be remarkable. “

TV NEWS

Fans will see even more of Luke Mitchell as Lincoln Campbell in “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Season 3 as the star joins the regular series cast!

First introduced last season as a member of the Inhuman tribe led by Agent Skye’s mother, Jiaying, Lincoln possesses the ability to generate and wield electricity.

“Luke proved a valuable addition to our cast in Season 2, and after seeing him light up the screen with his charisma we knew we had to have him back for more,” said Executive Producer/Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb. “Our writers have come up with big plans for the character of Lincoln in our next season, and we can’t wait for fans to see everything we have in store.”

Before joining “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Mitchell played the character of John Young in “The Tomorrow People” in addition to roles on “Home and Away,” “H2O: Just Add Water,” and “Neighbours” in his native Australia. He will also appear in the upcoming independent film “7 Minutes,” which will be released in June 2015.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” returns for an exciting third season, Tuesdays this fall on ABC.

Disney XD has ordered two new action-packed seasons of the popular animated series on the Marvel programming block – continuing the adventures of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with “Marvel’s Avengers: Ultron Revolution” and introducing a new band of villains in “Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6.” Produced by Marvel Television, both series deliver the biggest, most explosive seasons yet with some of Marvel’s most aspirational super heroes facing off against some of the greatest threats in the Marvel Universe. Both of the new seasons are currently in production and slated to premiere in 2016 on Marvel on Disney XD.

In season three of “Marvel’s Avengers: Ultron Revolution,” the Avengers are not only shocked by the return of a vengeful Ultron, but they also encounter new threats like Baron Zemo, the Masters of Evil, the Inhumans, and the futuristic Kang the Conqueror. It’s only with the help of heroes like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man and Ms. Marvel that they have a chance of surviving an all-out Marvel super hero Civil War.

In season four of “Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6,” a confident Spider-Man feels like the ultimate hero after fighting alongside The Avengers and leading a team of heroes at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. However, when the wall-crawler discovers that his greatest enemies – Doctor Octopus, Hydra and the all-new Sinister 6 – are working together to destroy him and S.H.I.E.L.D., he teams up with a special new team of Spiders including Miles Morales, Agent Venom, Iron Spider and the mysterious new Scarlet Spider. Spider-Man and his new friends will need to use all of their power to overcome their greatest challenge yet.

“We’re delighted that Disney XD is partnering with the world-class Marvel team to bring our viewers new installments featuring the Avengers and Spider-Man, some of the world’s most iconic and engaging comic book characters,” said Marc Buhaj, Senior Vice President, Programming and General Manager, Disney XD. “In these new animated seasons we are looking forward to even higher stakes, bigger threats and the trademark quality storytelling that Marvel is famous for.”

“These series have been the heart and soul of Marvel Animation for several seasons and, thanks to Marc and his top-notch crew at Disney XD, we’re thrilled to bring our fans more episodes of what they’ve been clamoring for,” said Stephen Wacker, Vice President, Current Series, Marvel Animation Studios. “It’s a testament to the hard work and creative effort of our production and writing teams that Marvel’s animation slate continues to roll onwards and upwards.”

The “Marvel’s Avengers: Ultron Revolution” voice cast includes Adrian Pasdar (“Heroes”) as Iron Man, Fred Tatasciore (“Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness”) as Hulk, Roger Craig Smith (“Wreck-It Ralph”) as Captain America, Travis Willingham (“Shelf Life”) as Thor, Troy Baker (“Ultimate Spider-Man”) as Hawkeye, Laura Bailey (“The Super Hero Squad Show”) as Black Widow and Bumper Robinson (“The Game”) as Falcon. Jeff Allen serves as Supervising Director and Eugene Son and Dani Wolff serve as Co-Story Editors on the series.

“Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6” stars Drake Bell (“Drake & Josh”) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chi McBride (“Hawaii Five-0”) as Nick Fury, Steven Weber (“Wings”) as Norman Osborn, Greg Cipes (“Teen Titans,” “Ben 10”) as Danny Rand, Ogie Banks (“Fatherhood”) as Luke Cage, Misty Lee (“Batman: Arkham City”) as Aunt May, and recurring guest star Stan Lee (“Spider-Man”) as Stan the Janitor. Alex Soto serves as Supervising Director while Kevin Burke and Doc Wyatt serve as Co-Story Editors.

Alan Fine (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Iron Man,” “Thor”), Dan Buckley (“Marvel’s Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.”), Joe Quesada (“Marvel’s Daredevil”), and Jeph Loeb (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) will serve as executive producers on “Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6” and “Marvel’s Avengers: Ultron Revolution,” while Stan Lee (“Spider-Man”), Eric Radomski (“Spawn”), Cort Lane (“The Super Hero Squad Show”) and Stephen Wacker (“Marvel’s Avengers Assemble”) will serve as co-executive producers for both series.

CIVIL WAR NEWS

Even though filming just recently kicked off for Captain America: Civil War, it appears that directors Anthony & Joe Russo have already filmed the most important scene in the movie. Yes, earlier this week at the Dallas Comic Con, Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee confirmed that he has already filmed his cameo for Captain America: Civil War.

While Lee isn’t able to reveal details of his cameos until after the movie gets released in theaters, Lee said, “I just finished my cameo in the new Captain America movie the day before yesterday in Atlanta.” Lee also quipped, “They should stop calling them cameos and start calling them supporting roles.”

Although Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce that Hayley Atwell will be making her fifth cinematic appearance as Peggy Carter in Captain America: Civil War, the English actress recently took to Twitter to reveal a series of photos with the cast and crew on the set in Atlanta, Georgia. There is already a pretty big spoiler online regarding how the S.H.I.E.L.D. co-founder might be portrayed in the highly-anticipated Marvel threequel, but could we be seeing much more of her?

Meanwhile, Just Jared has provided some recent candid photos of actor Sebastian Stan while he was in New York City today, evidently taking a break from filming Captain America: Civil War. Obviously, he’s not in costume, but the actor does appear to be retaining Bucky Barnes’ long hair and grungy appearance that we saw him with at the end of The Winter Soldier.

Robert Downey Jr. shared a new photo with his followers on Instagram, indicating that he was arriving in Georgia for Captain America: Civil War filming. While Downey Jr. was spotted on the Civil War set earlier this month, he was in his civilian clothes and wasn’t photographed participating in the filming.
However, with his Instagram photo, Downey Jr. wrote, “We work weekends ..for your viewing pleasure… #marvel #civilwar #pickyourside.” When the Civil War comic book was released in 2006, Marvel promoted it with the “Whose Side Are You On?” marketing campaign as they encouraged fans to pick between Captain America and Iron Man. It certainly sounds like he’s indicating that he’s going to be filming some scenes this weekend. 

A photo posted by Robert Downey, Jr. (@robertdowneyjr) on

May 30, 2015 at 1:23pm PDT

Speaking of Iron Man! Tony Stark is going to have to suit up to fight Captain America in Civil War next year, and it looks like he’ll be doing so in style! In the latest piece of leaked promo art for the movie, we get to see what some fans believe is the “Bleeding Edge” armour, and it definitely looks quite a bit different to the version seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

A couple of weeks ago, word got out that Marvel was “courting” Ava DuVernay to direct “Black Panther”. We Are Wakanda reports that this is true. According to them she was actually in Atlanta during the filming of the Nigeria scenes for “Captain America: Civil War” and met with Marvel during that time. WAW have been told they’ve been discussing how to make Wakanda look and feel “authentic” and that all she has to do at this point is accept the job!

The plan appears to be to have a director for “Black Panther” involved as they shoot Wakanda scenes for “Civil War”, which is supposed to start within the next few weeks! So it may not be announced immediately but expect the job to be filled very soon!

Fun fact: Many of the extras in the Nigeria scenes were extras in “Selma”!

WAW also report that Damion Poiter is one of Crossbone’s henchman and is most definitely not Black Panther’s stunt double. Poiter previously played Thanos in The Avengers’ mid-credits scene.

Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain. Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, and Martin Freeman, Captain America: Civil War is set for release on May 6, 2016.

ANT-MAN NEWSAnt-Man embraces his insectoid allies in brand-new photos from Marvel’s “Ant-Man”! Check out the new photos below and see “Ant-Man” when it comes to theaters July 17.

Suit designers Sammy Sheldon and Ivo Coveney have been on board Ant-Man since Edgar Wright was attached to direct, and it’s revealed in the latest issue of Empire Magazine that they were still working on the suit during shooting. Why exactly does Scott Lang need to wear that helmet though? “When you shrink, the molecules in the air are too big for your lungs,” Sheldon explains. “He has to be fully contained or he’d die.” That means we can probably count out seeing a tiny Paul Rudd running around the place then as the shrinking action will clearly be restricted to when he’s in the suit. As a result, it’s probably best to forget this scene being recreated in the MCU! There’s still no word on whether or not Pym Particles are going to make it into Ant-Man, but the magazine notes that “mysterious chemicals” are sent around Scott’s body via tubing. “We had a long discussion about the two cables going into his helmet,” Coveney reveals. “They’re a massive weakness – Yellowjacket could just rip them off and he’s dead. But, in the end, it just looks cooler with them on.” On this subject, Sheldon adds: “The fact that he’s shrinking is enough to get away with anything else, really!” We’ve heard a lot about why Edgar Wright decided not to direct Ant-Man,  but the latest issue of Empire Magazine sheds some more light on why he decided to part ways with Marvel Studios. For example, they point out that Wright’s version of the script would have seen Scott Lang take on the villainous “Nano Warrior”, but the basic premise – Lang being guided by Hank Pym in a mentor like role – was still there. There have also been reports that Wright’s script didn’t take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that apparently wasn’t the case as as it featured appearances from established cameos and he had even written an after-credits scene for Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Some of the changes made along the way included Nano Warrior being renamed Yellowjacket, a car chase being scrapped, and a number of characters being cut (some of which we heard about during pre-production).  However, it was definitely Dave Callaham (The Expendables) and Eric Pearson’s (Agent Carter) changes which led to Wright’s departure as we’ve heard a number of times already.“Was it a strange situation? Absolutely,” says new Ant-Man director Peyton Reed. “One of my concerns upfront was, ‘Someone else has developed this movie for a really long time. Can I come in and make it my own?’ And that has absolutely been the case. For one thing Marvel have let me explore the dark side of Hank Pym, this tortured, guilt-ridden guy. I love that this is a mentor/pupil story, but with a [frick]ed up pupil and a really [frick]ed up mentor.” Reed even reveals that he spoke to Wright via email after accepting the job, so it definitely sounds like there’s no bad blood between the two filmmakers. “We both acknowledged the general werdness of the situation. It’s all very odd, but it’s been really nice to communiate with him.” It’s star Evangeline Lilly (who describes Hope Van Dyne as “kind of a bitch…a very had woman on a journey towards becoming a decent person”) who reveals perhaps the most interesting details about the changes made to the screenplay by Paul Rudd and Adam McKay though. “I met with Paul in a little restaurant in New York City, and he talked me through how the movie was changing. I think the most defining difference between the two scripts was that Edgar’s didn’t take itself as seriously. It was fun and silly and brilliant irreverent – a romp from beginning to end, in classic English fashion. Whereas where we’ve gotten to is so much more American. There’s tons of levity, but just as much emotion.” Whether that’s a good or bad thing remains to be seen!Finally, the magazine mentions that Anthony Mackie’s Falcon might make an appearance alongside other Avengers, to which Reed would only say: “That’s classified information. That’s buried. It’s possible.”

As part of an initiative to get girls nationwide to take part in the “Ant-Man Micro-Tech Challenge” to win tickets to the premiere of Ant-Man, Marvel has released a Hope Van Dyne centric featurette which sees Evangeline Lilly talk more about her role in the movie.

Disney, Marvel Studios, Dolby Laboratories, Visa Signature and Raspberry Pi® are proud to unite to sponsor a nationwide MARVEL’S ANT-MAN MICRO-TECH CHALLENGE in conjunction with the July 17 release of Marvel’s “Ant-Man”! Learn more by watching the video above. Building on the success of the Ultimate Mentor Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy: Guardians of Good, Marvel is launching, ANT-MAN MICRO-TECH CHALLENGE with Raspberry Pi. The challenge invites girls nationwide, ages 14 – 18, in grades 9-12, to design and build a DIY project using at least one readily available micro-technology component, which can enable tinkerers, makers, builders and future Imagineers to execute big ideas with a board that fits in their pocket and costs less than a video game. The projects can be utilitarian, artistic or just plain fun.  After completing a project, applicants will be asked to submit a short video demonstrating the project and explaining how it will inspire other girls to pursue interests in science, technology, engineering, or math.  The five winners will each receive: Two round-trip tickets to Southern California, including hotel accommodations, from June 28 through June 30, 2015, to be on the red carpet at the World Premiere of Marvel’s “Ant-Man” at the Dolby Theatre® in Dolby Atmos® on June 29, 2015; attend a special “The Evolution of Technology” workshop on June 30 at The Disneyland® Resort where they will meet Walt Disney Imagineers who will introduce them to the broader scope of technology and how innovation is inspired during a behind-the-scenes tour of The Disneyland® Resort; and receive a tour of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.  Upon completion of the challenge, a STEM-based girls program in each winner’s hometown will be selected to receive “re-create” instructions for each project. Each winner will have the opportunity to lead a workshop in building her project with the girls in the selected program in her community. By sharing their work, the winners will accomplish big things from small beginnings by inspiring other young girls to follow their interests in computing, technology, and engineering.  Entries will be accepted from May 21, 2015 through June 11, 2015. For application forms, eligibility requirements, official contest rules and more information about MARVEL’S ANT-MAN MICRO-TECH CHALLENGE, please visit www.Ant-ManChallenge.comTo cap off the Ant-Man news here is our first tv spot with a “little” more footage!
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. Marvel’s “Ant-Man” stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.Peyton Reed directs Marvel’s “Ant-Man” with Kevin Feige producing and Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Edgar Wright and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. The story is by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and the screenplay is by Adam McKay & Paul Rudd. Marvel’s “Ant-Man” delivers a high-stakes, tension-filled adventure on July 17, 2015.

RUMOURS



Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man screenplay was subject to a number of rewrites both before and after his departure from the movie, and Latino-Review is reporting that various tweaks were still being made as shooting continued (which is perfectly normal, especially with Marvel Studios based on what we’ve heard in the past). Here’s where things get really exciting/interesting though. Those changes apparently included the first Spider-Man mentions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Spider-Man already exists by the time Ant-Man takes place, and the site says that, “We’ve heard an unconfirmed rumor there is “lots of” talk of/references to Spider-Man and OsCorp in the current version of Ant-Man.” They go on to mention that Darren Cross is attempting to sell the Yellowjacket technology to various corporations, so it’s likely there that OsCorp will come into play.

Charlize Theron(Mad Max: Fury Road) and Angelina Jolie (Unbroken) have reportedly bonded since they were introduced to each other via their significant others: Sean Penn and Brad Pitt. Their friendship is going so well that there is talk of them teaming up on a Marvel film together.
“Marvel has been courting Angie to direct the project and Charlize is a clear fan favourite for the starring role,” a source told US OK! magazine (via Washington Post). “If Charlize were to get the part, Angie would almost certainly sign on to work with her.”
Theron has earned plenty of praise for her kick-butt performance as ‘Furiousa’ in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Many have suggested her for the role of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, an ex-Air Force pilot that acquires cosmic super powers.
Captain Marvel is scheduled to open in theaters November 2, 2018. The script is being written by Nicole Perlman and Megan LeFauve.

Ever since Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) was cast in Captain America: Civil War, a number of rumors have circulated about what his mysterious role may be, with Everett Ross, an American regent of Wakanda, being one of the more popular fan choices.
Well, it’s time to throw another possible option into the ring as Latino-Review is reporting that Freeman might actually be playing a character by the name of Edward Chase, the yet-to-be introduced Prime Minister of England in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is expected to make his debut following the massive destruction caused by Captain America’s brutal battle with Crossbones, a fight which is expected to leave heavy casualties, including several British soldiers. Freeman’s character will be one of the figureheads on the pro-registration side in the movie and will be upping the pressure on Cap’s New Avengers in order to keep them in check.
Latino-Review also adds that the Prime Minister may have had a brief mention in Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron. During the scene right before Ultron and the twins pay Andy Serkis’ Ulysses Klaw a visit, Klaw is seen on the phone with someone. This someone, whom Klaw does call the “Minister,” is hypothetically Freeman’s character Edward Chase. Why is he calling Klaw? Well, why else would you call Klaw? To illegally acquire vibranium and subsequently use it to make weapons that the U.K. can use to combat the rising number of superheroes in the world.
Their phone discussion, or the fact that Chase is familiar with Klaw, will come into play during a conversation between Chase and Daniel Brühl’s Baron Zemo, who is unsurprisingly the true villain of the picture. And in case it wasn’t obvious, yes, Freeman’s character is more villain than good samaritan. LR also speculates that with Chase and the Black Panther making appearances, Serkis could potentially make a cameo in the Marvel epic as well.

Take this one with a huge grain of salt, as a new rumor from the MCU Exchange states that not only will we get another hulkster in the MCU but it may very be the Red Hulk, as William Hurt will be reprising his role as General Thunderbolt Ross from 2008’s Incredible Hulk and he’ll also be transforming into Red Hulk.  Additionally, the rumor states that Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is indeed involved in Civil War and that there will be an epic throwdown between Hulk and Red Hulk that will rival the Avengers: Age of Ultron battle between Hulk and Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armor.

Again, we’re cautioning a heavy dose of skepticism on this report until there’s more information from additional sources. 
Ant-Man will be in theaters July 17, 2015; Captain America: Civil War – May 6, 2016; Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man reboot – July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Black Panther – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – November 2, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019.

So there you go that wraps up another edition of Marvel Madness. As always be sure to check back next week for another Marvel Madness!
PEACE!!

MARVEL MADNESS #6: Matthew McConaughey Has Been Talked To, Pratt’s Contract, Psylocke’s Hair, And More!

This week’s Marvel Madness is chocked full of Matthew McConaughey, Chris Pratt’s movie contract, Daredevil, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2, the colour of Psylocke’s hair, and much much more!

Following his breakout roles in Mud, Magic Mike, Dallas Buyers Club, and “True Detective,” actor Matthew McConaughey has been more in-demand than ever before and apparently Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. wanted him in their respective cinematic universes. Speaking with Variety, McConaughey was asked if he’d ever consider being in a superhero movie and revealed that he has been courted by both studios before.

“I’ve read some Marvel and DC scripts and I’ve talked about working with them on some scripts, none of which I’ll share with with you what they are — or were. Yeah, I’ve circled some of those. Nothing has been right for me yet. But I’m sure open to it.”

McConaughey was then asked what would convince him to be a part of one, saying:

“It’s very simple for me. I look at the script. Is the opportunity exciting? Is the money that comes with it exciting? Sure. Is it the possibility of going, ‘Hey you can get on a train and it can be a franchise and you could do 3, 4, 5, and have a great time as some kind of superhero or anti-hero.’ But I would also look at something like that and say, ‘Hey, in success that means you are on the train for a while.’ Contractually, you’re going to return to the character over and over. It’s something I asked myself is it something I’d want to return to. Would I be excited to go back and put the shoes on the character again? Going and doing the press tour with that group of people again? I always ask myself those questions again. It starts with the story and character.”

When Marvel Studios began building their cinematic universe they have the foresight to lock up their future movie stars to multiple films, removing the possible contractual potholes that could appear down the road. Now that Guardians of the Galaxy has grossed a gazillion dollars fans of the MCU are interested in knowing how many films its star Chris Pratt is obligated to do. GQ got some answers.

Guardians of the Galaxy was the making of Pratt, but however effortless it may have seemed on-screen, the movie’s deft combination of action and comedy, sincerity and levity, didn’t come easily.

“[Guardians director] James Gunn had a hard time working with me for about the first half of the movie,” Pratt explains. “He’ll say—and I wouldn’t want to be quoted [sounding like I was] saying this about myself—I’m a much more cerebral person than you may expect. You may see this guy who’s sort of like goofy and funny and doesn’t give two shits, but really I’m thinking a lot, in my head below the surface.” Too much, in fact, so that sometimes Pratt would lose track of the natural instincts Gunn had liked. “It’s a little bit like a Venus flytrap,” says Pratt. “If you stick your finger in and it closes, it takes like a week to open back up. So he had a hard time working with me because he’d tell me something, or I’d do something, and the next thing you know he couldn’t get me back to where I started originally.”

“I think that he had gotten a lot of success over the past few years being the funny sidekick,” says Gunn, “which means that he always has to juggle to entertain everybody. And the truth is, Chris didn’t trust himself to just be Chris Pratt—and how desirable that is to an audience.”

“I thought I was bad,” Pratt concurs. “I thought I was doing bad acting. I would just think: My bullshit meter’s going off. This screams inauthentic to me.” Pratt says that Gunn had little patience with this. “He’s like, ‘Who gives a shit what you think? I don’t fucking care!’ “

He’d literally say that?

“Yes! He’d be, ‘It’s not your fucking movie, dude, it’s mine! Trust me and shut the fuck up and do what the fuck I tell you, and scream it!’ He’s like, ‘More! Louder!’ I would get pissy because as an actor, you sometimes hate that direction: Louder, faster. But it’s true—sometimes you have to be louder, speak more clearly, let the words do the work, and just get out of the way.”

“I think being the center of focus on the actual movie set,” says Gunn, “and having to learn this balance, which I think he had never learned before, of both allowing himself to be the center of attention while simultaneously realizing in what areas he is completely unimportant—that’s what being a movie star is, and it’s a very difficult balance for someone to learn.”

They say the suit makes the man, and with a hero whose look has become as iconic as Daredevil’s, that applies ten-fold.

With the Netflix Original Series “Marvel’s Daredevil,” the creators behind the series had to reimagine Matt Murdock’s classic suit to fit in with the grounded, street-level tone of the series.  In order to accomplish this, they looked to the team of designers and costume artists at Marvel Studios—headed up by Ryan Meinerding—to take a crack at some of the visuals and designs for the series.

“Joe Quesada got in touch and asked if I could help out,” recalls Meinerding. “Our whole team actually did designs, [including] Rodney Fuentebella, Andy Park, Jackson Sze, Josh Nizzi, and Anthony Francisco. I think we all did a round of designs as fast as we could, and they settled on one of mine. Beyond that, we did our normal process of modeling the head and the cowl [in] 3D with Josh Herman, and then I was involved throughout the costume creation process.”

Marvel CCO–and one of the series’ Executive Producers–Joe Quesada, known for an immensely influential run as the artist on Daredevil’s comic series, also had a hand in the series’ designs.

“The starting point is always story,” explains Quesada. “We had to come up with a logical reason as to how someone with Matt Murdock’s means and ability to actually make a costume could make that dramatic of a leap from the vigilante costume to the super hero [suit]. Once that logic was in play, which was the Melvin Potter of it all, we had to build to that point. I think if we had gone to that red costume too soon, it would have caused a lot of viewers to bump on the material, because it was so grounded in the real world.”

The “Melvin Potter of it all” refers to the character who, in the series, actually helps Matt build his final Daredevil suit. Having a character like Potter, a mechanic, actually develop and build the costume in the series gave the team a basis to work off of.

“The tone that was really communicated was the sense of realism that they were going for,” relates Meinerding. “I think the way that [manifested itself in] the costume was through the armor and making it feel a little bit more padded than you traditionally think of Daredevil being. When we do these designs, there’s a concept of grounded and a concept of reality. The grounded nature that they brought to the vigilante costume was the simplicity and effectiveness, because you’re trying to conceal your identity but also [have to be] mobile enough to fight.
“When you do a super hero costume in that world, it’s hard to be as real as you need to be, because you’re making it heightened. So you try and find the touchstones for that with armoring pieces that you would want armored, like your shins and your forearms for blocking and hitting as well as having things be riveted on. The overall layout of that costume is really that it’s meant to look like a Kevlar vest with stuff underneath it. That’s what we were going for.”

Quesada commends Meinerding’s work, commenting on many of those “touchstones” added to the design.

“One of my favorite parts of the costume is that if you look very, very closely at some of the way the armature is attached to the costume, you can actually see rivets,” Quesada elaborates. “There was something about that particular element that I told Ryan, we should lean into that a little bit because that is so quintessentially New York and how the city itself is constructed. And Melvin Potter, being who a guy who’s working on engines [and] a bunch of different things, rivets seem like something he would use. Ryan also did some great stuff with respect to the placement of blacks against the red, the way that the darker portions of the mask are constructed to really give the full feeling of when comic artists draw that mask and rim light it in red while leaving the center portions black.”

Daredevil’s cowl remains one of the most defining characteristics of his look, lending him the nickname of Hornhead, so that in particular had to come out just right.

“The horns are iconic, and we had to be careful as to how we handled them,” remarks Quesada. “I think what Ryan did is absolutely spectacular, when you really look at the structure of the helmet and the horns, because those can be done in a way where they actually look silly. He created an architectural design, an angular design for the horns, that just feels natural to the cowl.”

As Quesada hinted, bringing that cowl to life wasn’t as simple as slapping a couple of horns on and calling it a day.

“One of the most interesting things about Daredevil, that I hadn’t fully appreciated before I started working on the character, is that I think that head is one of the most difficult heads to design for a live action context,” confesses Meinerding. “Because if you have a mask like Captain America’s, it’s difficult in it’s own ways, but you still have the actor’s eyes coming through. So you get performance, you get a sense of who they are, of their expression, of what they’re doing. [As a result] the bottom half of the face matches the top half, in terms of expression. With Daredevil, because half of his face has to be covered and has its own expression and the actor’s face is going to be doing something else, it’s actually a very difficult challenge to come up with something up top that’s not going to bump with something down below.”

In the end, one more element had to fall in place before Daredevil’s final suit could fully harken to the iconic look from the comics.

“The billy clubs, designed by Andy Park, were also very important,” stresses Quesada. “There was a discussion early in the process, because Charlie Cox [and his stunt double] Chris Brewster are both right handed, of having the billy clubs holster on the right leg. But Daredevil wears those billy clubs on the left hand side. So while it would have been easier to place the holster on the right we all felt that we had to keep to the classic profile and keep them on the left. It made life a bit more difficult for Charlie and Chris, but they caught on pretty quickly. No matter how you sliced it, they were going to have to holster the billy clubs without looking because lets face it, DD would have no need to look.

“Ultimately I think the silhouette is always what’s really important. Does it look heroic? Does it look like our character? If he stands on the parapet of a roof and turns his head and we see those devil horns, is it Daredevil? I think that’s where Ryan succeeded and exceeded all of our expectations. It’s Daredevil.”

Kicking off Marvel’s 2017 plans, the second year of “Phase 3″ of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first year the studio will have three theatrical releases, will be the sequel to surprise hit Guardians of the Galaxy. Writer and director James Gunn was confirmed to helm GOTG 2 before its predecessor even opened in theaters and he’s already working hard developing the followup.

Over the weekend, Gunn held another live Q&A session via Twitter’s Periscope livestreaming app, and spoke quite a lot about Guardians of the Galaxy 2.  In responding to questions, he explains that he’s been rushing to get the sequel’s script done and has already completed a draft, only now finally taking a breather. He’s aiming to complete it before heading to Columbia next month to shoot his next film, The Belco Experiment, which he is writing and producing.

As we reported in early April, Gunn was very quick to submit a lengthy 70-page story treatment to Marvel’s creative committee, not long after pitching a story for the sequel which Gunn claims is “risky” for Marvel in how different and original it is compared to the comics. The “story about fathers,” as Gunn labels it already has at least one draft of the script done which he’s revising and tweaking. Production begins next February so there’s still a long while before concrete details begin leaking out from him and Marvel Studios.

What we do know from this latest Q&A is that one new main character will be joining the team in GOTG 2 and from our talks with Gunn during the Guardians of the Galaxy press junket, he made it clear that he wants at least two female members on the team in the next film. He also hinted that someone familiar may join the team. If it’s not an Avenger (which Gunn has also hinted at in the past) an easy guess would be Yondu (Michael Rooker) who in the comics is a future member of the team and who we know has a major part in the sequel as well, returning alongside his right-hand man, Kraglin (played by James Gunn’s brother, Sean Gunn).

When asked about casting newcomers for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Gunn revealed that the process has already sort of begun. He’s already talking with someone about playing the character he has in mind, a new Guardian, as he labels it. We don’t yet know who that is, but in terms of the core Guardians of the Galaxy roster, we’re guessing based on Gunn’s words since the first movie came out, that there will be two additions to the team: someone we’ve met and someone we haven’t who he’s talking to now – even if it’s informal talks at this point.

Star Wars creator George Lucas thinks that a new Howard The Duck movie could be a hit—so long as Marvel Studios rendered the titular fowl  in computer generated imaging.

“Someday, I hope, Marvel will make a new version of Howard the Duck, and you’ll see it could be a good movie,” Lucas told Wired Magazine. “A digital duck will make that thing work.”

This comment may prompt an eye-roll or two from those familiar with Lucas’ career. Though celebrated as the creator of Star Wars, Lucas has been equally criticized for his over-reliance on CGI effects in the Star Wars prequels, and for stuffing CGI effects into his classic Star Wars trilogy for the “Special Editions” released in 2004.

Interestingly, Lucas served as executive producer on Marvel’s 1986 Howard The Duck movie. Though nary a pixel was to be found, the film is still generally regarded as one of Marvel’s worst. But now that Marvel Studios has brought the character (in full CGI) into their cinematic universe through Guardians of the Galaxy, perhaps Lucas will get his wish.

Phil Lord spoke briefly to The Hippojuice Podcast (via /Film) about the upcoming animated Spider-Man film he and Chris Miller have in early development at Sony Pictures, although it doesn’t sound like there are any solid details to share quite yet.

NON-MCU STUFF!

X-Men: Apocalypse hair designer Felix Lariviere has confirmed, via Twitter, that Psylocke will have purple hair in X-Men: Apocalypse.

In the comics, Psylocke is a British woman and natural blonde. She dyed her hair purple during her early pursuit of a modelling career. Even after Betsy was forced to body swap with the Asian assassin Revanche, she continues to be drawn with purplish hair (black with a purple shine, at its subtlest).

Olivia Munn will play Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse. I’m sure fans will be eager to see the results of her purple dye job.

The X-Men: Days of Future Past – Rogue Cut Blu-ray release will feature a sneak peek at the upcoming Fantastic Four movie.

The Fantastic Four preview is part of the over 90 minutes of never before seen special features promised to be included with the release, in addition to the Rogue Cut itself. The Rogue Cut Blu-ray also includes the theatrical version of Days of Future Past.

The Rogue Cut will add 17 minutes to the theatrical cut of X-Men: Days of Future Past, including a restored action sequence featuring Rogue (Anna Paquin) breaking out of a Sentinel controlled prison camp.

Other special features included on the Rogue Cut Blu-ray are:

Audio Commentary by Bryan Singer and John Ottman for the Rogue Cut
Audio Commentary by Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg for the theatrical cut.
Mutant vs Machine
X-Men: Unguarded
Gallery
Second Screen App

X-Men: Days of Future Past – Rogue Cut will be released July 14.

And that’s all folks! Hope you have been now inundated with all things Marvel for awhile, BUT be sure to check back next week for more!

PEACE!!

James Gunn Talks GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is still two years away, but writer and director James Gunn is keeping fans updated via his various social media accounts. After recently revealing that he’s turned in the treatment to Marvel and will meet with them on Friday in order to start working on the screenplay next week, Gunn added that he’s currently 70 pages in and called his pitch to Marvel Studios the best experience he’s had with one to date. It’s still unclear what the sequel will focus on.

He also confirmed that Karen Gillan’s Nebula will make a return, adding that they may have this time found a way to avoid shaving the head of the former Doctor Who star (which you have to imagine will make her more willing to reprise the role). Interestingly, Gunn also told fans that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will begin production next February and will shoot at Pinewood Atlanta Studios. The first movie was shot in London and featured a lot of British actors and extras. Both Ant-Man and Captain America: Civil War are being shot in Atlanta, so this does make sense.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is set to be released on May 5th, 2017.

Source: James Gunn(Periscope)

James Gunn Gives GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 Story Update

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn decided to test out Twitter’s new social live-streaming video app, Periscope, by holding an impromptu fan question and action session.

There’s no way to replay a Periscope stream after its complete, but ScreenRant recorded some of the highlights from the stream, including the fact that Gunn has turned in a story treatment for Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

“I turned in my treatment. I’m going in to meet about it Friday and we will start working on the screenplay next week,” Gunn shared in the video, later adding that the script is already 70 pages along.

Other tidbits revealed during his live Q&A:

  • Hardest part of Guardians of the Galaxy was setting up and designing the characters – making the sequel that much more easier having the core characters already realized.
  • “Ronan is a bad guy, we killed him. Not everything is going to happen in the movies the same as the comics.”
  • Fans will get to know the Guardians in a “deeper way” in the sequel.
  • Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be in 3D (obviously).
  • “We don’t do motion capture for Rocket and Groot,” in response to a question about Vin Diesel doing mocap for the sequel. They just reference images at times.
  • Might have figured out a way for Karen Gillan to play Nebula in the sequel without having to shave her head.
  • GOTG 1 & 2 writing process: Plots out whole story and then writes it after.
  • There’s little improv on set but there’s some during rehearsals which Gunn then adds to the script.

Non-Guardians Marvel tidbits:

  • Would like to use drones to shoot in an upcoming movie.
  • “lept for joy” at Spider-Man joining MCU.
  • Favorite current comics: Silver Surfer, Wolverines, Secret Avengers
  • Really dug the trailer for Fantastic Four and has already seen Avengers 2 and “liked it.”

Non-Marvel:

  • Would never direct an X-Men film
  • Fave supervillain: Heath Ledger’s Joker

The Avengers: Age of Ultron releases in theaters on May 1 2015, followed by Ant-Man on July 17 2015, Captain America: Civil War on May 6 2016, Doctor Strange on November 4 2016, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on May 5 2017, Spider-Man on July 28, 2017, Thor: Ragnarok on November 3 2017, Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1 on May 4 2018, Black Panther on July 6 2018, Captain Marvel on November 2 2018, Avengers: Infinity War – Part 2 on May 3 2019 and Inhumans on July 12, 2019.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 Will Be Filming In Atlanta; No Captain Marvel Or Symbiotes

Today, during James Gunn’s impromptu question and answer session, that he conducted on his facebook page, he revealed a location where filming of the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel will take place.

One person asked James Gunn, will he be coming back to DragonCon? That’s a popular multi-genre convention held each year in Atlanta Georgia. Gunn replied, “Maybe. I’m gonna try. Because we’re filming in Atlanta, I hope it works out for my schedule.”

More than likely that means Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will film at the new Pinewood Atlanta Studios. Marvel’s Ant-Man was the first film to use the facilities. It has five soundstages and is located on 288 acres. The first Guardians of the Galaxy filmed in the UK at Shepperton Studios and Longcross Studios.

Gunn was also bombarded with people asking him if Captain Marvel was going to be in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 possible. He replied with this tweet, “Still wondering if Captain Marvel will appear in #GoTG2″ Getting this a lot this morning. As I said months ago, no, sorry.”

Another rumor that is supposedly circulating is that Symbiotes could appear in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, but Gunn snuffed that rumor out too. It is probably being mentioned as a possibility because of “The Planet of the Symbiotes” story arc in the Guardians of the Galaxy comic books. Comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis kicked off that storyline in November of last year and it has gone over incredibly well.

This should also be mentioned, in the past you could strike down such a rumor with ease because Sony has the rights to Venom which more than likely includes anything symbiote-related. BUT, Sony and Marvel recently struck a deal that will allow for their characters to crossover, so it is possible. In my opinion, it would be a clever way to plant the seeds of Venom for Marvel’s new Spider-Man.

Marvel’s “Captain Marvel” will arrive in theaters July 6, 2018. Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 will arrive in theaters May 5, 2017.

Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 Idea Was "Risky"

Don’t start going through old back issues of Guardians of the Galaxy hoping to uncover some details about James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy 2. In a new interview, the writer/director confirmed the story is totally new and original, and will introduce new characters that are important to both the world of the Guardians as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. Plus, in the most exciting bit, when Marvel first heard Gunn’s idea, they said “Whoa, that’s risky.”

Gunn was recently on Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend (thanks to FilmDrunk) and said the following about Guardians of the Galaxy 2:

It’s not really based on anything. The story for Guardians 2 is an original story that I came up with that I started working on actually while I was shooting Guardians 1, and it’ll answer some of the questions that were put forth in the first movie about Peter Quill’s father and who he is and what’s going on with that. We’ll get to know some of the characters a little bit more and then we’re going to meet a couple of new characters who will be very important to Guardians movies and probably important to the Marvel Universe as a whole.

It’s different than what’s in the comic books. Peter Quill’s father is somebody different in the comics. So then when the movie came out, we got green-lit on the sequel right away. I went in and I sat down with those guys and I’m like, ‘Okay, here’s what I think the sequel should be.’ And they were like, ‘Oh, whoa. That’s risky, but okay.’ Now I’m going to turn over the story in a few short weeks and we’ll find out how well it works.

I mean honestly, that just sounds awesome. The “Gunn-ness,” if we can coin a phrase, of Guardians of the Galaxy is a huge percentage of why that movie is so fantastic. The ’60s and ’70s music, the humor and the visually striking action were all him. Not to mention the colors, the casting, I mean pretty much everything. So if he has a “risky” idea for the next movie, bring it on. That’s what Marvel does best. Blow up what they have, then build it back up again.

Source: FilmDrunk

Groot May Be Dead, Ronan Not In Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, But Nathan Fillion Might Be

James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy, answered some questions on Facebook recently, and gave us a preview of what could happen in the futurefor some characters!

For one thing, Gunn reiterated a point that he has made in the past about how fans shouldn’t assume that baby Groot is actually Groot. Gunn wrote, “Well, who says baby Groot is Groot and not Groot’s son. He might be dead.”

Gunn also clarified the final fate of Nebula in the film. Gunn wrote, “Sometimes people are confused what happens to Nebula. She looks down for something to fall on, allows herself to fall on a Ravager craft, and takes out the Goth Ravager inside and flies away, leaving everyone to deal with this s*** themselves, because she’s stopped caring. She will be back.”

In the prison scanning scene, Lylla is mentioned as one of Rocket’s associates on his profile. Gunn offered, “You’ll have to wait and see on Lylla. But I will say I think a raccoon being sexually attracted to an otter is similar to a human being sexually attracted to a possum. I think it’s very important that Rocket is the only thing like him, which is the source of his sadness and loneliness.” Gunn added, “An otter girlfriend could get really cartoony really.”

As far as if Lee Pace might return as Ronan, Gun indicated that perhaps someday he might be back. However, Gunn also added that Ronan would not be in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Gunn also clarified that the character Gladiator would not be in Guardians of the Galaxy films. Even though Gunn would love to use the character, he revealed that Marvel Studios doesn’t own him. While Gunn didn’t specify who owned him, Gladiator first appeared in X-Men, so we’re betting the rights reside with Twentieth Century Fox.

In the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, Nathan Fillion had a brief cameo. In regards to if Fillion would be in the sequel, Gunn wrote, “I would love to put Nathan in GotG2 if it could work out. He’s one of my very good friends and we love working together.”

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is set to be released in movie theaters on May 5, 2017.

Source: ComicBook.com

AVENGERS/GUARDIANS: Guardians Of The Galaxy Does Not Exist As A Prequel To Avengers 3 And 4 According To James Gunn


During a lengthy podcast interview, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has again reiterated that the film is its own entity distinct from the Avengers franchise and shouldn’t be viewed as just another step toward Infinity War.

Asked about the potential for a team-up between the Guardians and the Avengers, Gunn started by joking that his answer would be the only part of the interview anyone listens to, now that it’s been asked.

“The last thing I said was something about how the Guardians, we really are mostly focused on creating the Guardians as their own separate universe, creating the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe. It isn’t all about leading towards Avengers,” Gunn said. “We’re not subservient to The Avengers. Whether or not at some point, some Guardians and some Avengers meet up and meet somewhere in the world, whether it’s two years from now, three years from now, four years from now, fifteen years from now…I’m not going to say. But Guardians of the Galaxy does not exist as a prequel to Avengers 3 and 4. They have their own thing that they’re involved in. They have their own mythos that they’re involved in. They have their own stories that are equally important.”

This echoes what Gunn had previously said about the fact that the film isn’t designed to “set up” Infinity War in spite of both franchises featuring Thanos.

Now I would have to agree with Gunn as GOTG has still a lot of work to introduce us the audience to the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I would also bring up the point that it is highly likely that the Guardians will team up in some fashion with Avengers in “Avengers; Infinity War” because it would entail having Thanos as the main if not only villain in both parts of the sequels so that would entail also the Guardians coming to Earth to help out the Avengers, to fight against Thanos side-by-side on the battlefield. Have Hulk and Drax, Rocket and Iron Man, Starlord with Cap, Gamora with Black Widow, Thor and Hawkeye with Groot, plus a bunch of other awesome characters and so fourth, you know just a simple thought to dream about!

Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 Won’t Lead Up To Avengers : Infinity War

Like no filmic entity before it, corporate synergy is the name of the game at Marvel Studios, which is why many assumed that the inclusion of Guardians of the Galaxy footage during their big Avengers: Infinity War unveiling in October indicated that Star-Lord and co. were on their way to playing a major role in the conflict against Thanos. Not necessarily so, says James Gunn, who told MTV that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will not pave the way for the encroaching battle over the Infinity Gauntlet.
“I don’t feel beholden to that stuff at all,” Gunn said. “I think it’s really about the Guardians and what they are doing. We’re not subservient to the Avengers. ‘Guardians 2’ is not a movie that’s made to move toward ‘Infinity War.’ It’s something that’s made to move toward future cosmic movies, so I don’t feel that that is something that affects me that much.”
Prior to the release of Guardians in August, Gunn told Sky Movies that he and Marvel had “talked about all sorts of possibilities for a crossover,” and that he knew “what the basic plan is… it could always change at any minute.”
“That could or could not include a couple of Avengers and a couple of Guardians meeting up, or all of the Avengers and all of the Guardians,” he added during the July interview. “But, we do inhabit the same universe and they’re pretty big personalities that are likely to, at some point or another, run into each other.”
After the first film crossed the three-quarters-of-a-billion-dollars line at the worldwide box office, it’s possible Gunn and Marvel feel like the characters are capable of pulling their own weight and don’t need to be tied in so snugly with Tony Stark and his fabulous freak brothers. While an Avengers crossover with both the Guardians and Nova Corps feels inevitable, especially as the cosmic aspects of the MCU spill over, it looks like the second galactic entry will be a standalone adventure. Whether there will be ties to 2018’s Captain Marvel and Inhumans is another story altogether…
To be written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will once again feature Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper as unlikely heroes who must team up in order to defeat a cosmic force of epic proportions. It will be released on May 5, 2017/ April 28 2017
The first Guardians of the Galaxy will be available on Blu-ray on December 9. Avengers: Infinity War Part I will be released on May 4, 2018/ April 27 2018, with Part II arriving one year later on May 3, 2019/ April 26 2019