Everything We Know About: Avengers: Age of Ultron

When The Avengers came out in 2012 it was a resounding success. Grossing over  $1 billion at the box office becoming the third biggest film ever behind Titanic and Avatar. As well as a commercial success it also received incredible reviews and is currently rated  8.2 on IMDB. So with this incredible success it was not a surprise when Disney announced a sequel was to be released on 2015. So without further ado here is everything we know about next years anticipated sequel. WARNING SPOILERS FOR PHASE 2 BELOW

The Director

After directing the first Avengers Joss Whedon will again be back to direct the sequel. In August 2012 after the first film was released it was revealed that Whedon had signed a three year deal with Marvel Studios which not only saw him write and direct The Avengers sequel but also saw him as a guide for Phase 2 which films included Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. Whedon has been working on the Avengers script for a while now and the film will include these people...

The Avengers

Age of Ultron sees all the heroes from the last film return. This includes Tony Stark/Iron Man, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Thor, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Nick Fury. The Phase 2 films we've seen so far have definitely affected he Marvel Cinematic Universe and the heroes themselves. After Captain America: The Winter Soldier saw the end of S.H.I.E.L.D the Avengers will have to find themselves a new base of operations, which will most likely be the Stark Tower from the last Avengers film. Nick Fury may not be very involved in this film, as he is currently undercover trying to take down the remaining HYDRA cells. Thor is now living on Earth after his adventures in Thor:The Dark World, Black Widow's past is now out in the open and after Iron Man 3 Tony Stark had surgery to remove his Arc Reactor which powered his suits and also destroyed all of the suits made. Currently we are not sure on the status of either Hulk or Hawkeye, however Whedon has promised that these two characters will play a big part in Age of Ultron and their whereabouts between the two Avengers will be fleshed out.

As well as these returning heroes there will be a number of new additions to the superhero team. Firstly we have the double act of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who were briefly seen in the Winter Soldier's after-credits scene. These two are most widely known in the comic universe for being the son and daughter of the villainous Magneto but due to the rights of the 'Mutants' belonging to Fox will probably ignore this in the film instead being called 'Miracles'. Quicksilver will be played by Aaron Taylor- Johnson and Scarlet Witch will be played by Elizabeth Olsen. Next we have the Vision who will be played by Paul Bettany who already has a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the voice of Tony Stark's computer system JARVIS. The Vision is an android used against the Avengers created by the title villain Ultron, however ultimately sides with the Avengers. Due to the link between JARVIS and the Vision there has been speculation that the Vision may be a modified version of the computer. There has also been speculation that Iron Man and Captain America's respective sidekicks War Machine/Iron Patriot and Falcon could join the team.

The Villain

The main villain of the film will be a super intelligent, near indestructible, and evil robot by the name of Ultron. After the mid-credits scene of the Avengers it was assumed Thanos would be the next foe the team face, however Whedon opted for another one of the Avengers most formidable opponents. Played by James Spader Ultron possesses a number of powers that will certainly cause Earth's Mightiest Heroes some problems. These include superhuman levels of strength, speed, durability, and reflexes as well as the ability to fly at incredible speeds. This paired with his great intellect will certainly make him a tough opponent to beat. Ultron's origins in the comics come from him being a failed experiment of Ant-Man. However Whedon has confirmed that this will not be the case with the movie version of Ultron with many speculating he will instead be a failed experiment of Tony Stark.

Release Date 

There are not many plot details about the Avengers: Age of Ultron so far and we don't know if characters such as Thanos, Dr Strange or even the Guardians of the Galaxy who have been rumoured to appear in the film will star, however we will found out on 24th April 2015.

Top 7 Videogames that would make good movies

7. The Legend of Zelda

If you haven't already seen my article The Legend of Zelda was pitched as an animated film with CGI visuals in 2007, an offer which Nintendo swiftly declined. Although the pitch shown was definitely in need of some improvements I believe that Imagi Studios had a basis for a good film. I believe Zelda would definitely not benefit from a live action adaptation on the silver screen as I feel animation would probably fit the feel of the game better and create Hyrule in the colourful environment with been accustomed to in the Zelda games.




6. Bioshock

 A game as atmospheric and terrifying as the original Bioshock deserves to be turned into a horror film. Rapture is just dying to get the big screen treatment, and the feeling of being in an underwater city all on your own apart from terrifying monters and hulking Big Daddy's will surely get even the most fearless movie goers slightly scared. Although the film was meant to be in the making Ken Levine recently said that the project was dead. I think this is a big mistake as Bioshock could make a very easy translation on to the big screen




5. Deus Ex

A film of a Deus Ex film could become the new Blade Runner of the generation. The film should be based on recent prequel Human Revolution. The game stars Adam Jensen a security chief at mega coporation for augmentations and people have gone mad for body improving cyborg parts. Jensen is blown to pieces by a bomb and forced to become one of these cyborgs. After the attack he begins an investigation of what went down that night and uncovers a global conspiracy.


4. Halo

There have been many rumours that a big screen adaptation for the sci-fi FPS is in the making and at one point seemed it was happening with Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson on board to produce the film. However nothing materialised, and this is a big mistake as the Halo franchise has a massive reputation, even among non-gamers, and is highly epic and cinematic therefore an easy translation on screen



3. Red Dead Redemption

With Westerns like True Grit and Django Unchained proving that the Western genre isn't dead this may be the time for Rockstar's open world cowboy themed shooter to make the jump to the big screen. And seeming as the Academy is a fan of the Westerns this may not be just a good videogame adaptation it may be oscar worthy. It's got everything, a bounty hunter story, the story of a family man. It's a tale of redemption. Hollywood needs to make this movie right now.




2. Metal Gear Solid

I touched on a the idea of a Metal Gear Solid film in my Top 8 Movies They Should Be Making feature, but I will talk about it a bit more in depth here. With characters like James Bond, and Bourne doing fantastically in the box office may be Solid Snake should be the next to step on to the big screen. Christian Bale would be the perfect man to play Snake. It could also very easily be translated on to the big screen as the game is more cutscenes then it is playing the game


1. Mass Effect

This sci-fi epic videogame series could become the next big trilogy. The game features highly cinematic epic battles against all kinds of different alien species, the story is absolutely brilliant, the characters are loveable and is guaranteed to make a lot of cash at the box office and that's what Hollywood wants. Oh and if they don't like the final ending they can always make a director's cut.

Top 10 Videogames that need sequels

10. Mafia

Mafia 2 I believe has one of the best game storylines ever. If rumours are true that 2K are working on a Mafia 3 for the next generation of consoles then I will be very excited. Mafia 2 was definitely not a perfect game, a sequel would hopefully improve the gunplay to rival that of GTA V's and make it more of an open world. Sure you could drive around Empire Bay but there wasn't really anything to do there. Therefore to remedy this they could include races or something to provide a distraction.

9. Bully

Rockstar's highly controversial open world action adventure set in a boarding school is highly deserving of a sequel. The first in the series had a fantastic story and was highly fun. Rockstar have constantly stated they are working on the game however no official announcements have been made on the game. The sequel would probably feature a different protagonist and maybe a different school. Thankfully reports of a trademark registered by Rockstar for Bully 2, hopefully means a next generation sequel.





8. The Last of Us

The Last of Us when released this year gained amazing critical and commercial success. After selling an astounding 3 million copies you have to figure that a sequel is on the cards for the post apocalyptic masterpiece. The sequel will probably not include Joel or Ellie as I believe that their story is finished. The sequel could however explore the parts of America that were not included in the game such as San Francisco or Chicago.



7. Far Cry

The last instalment of the series Far Cry 3 was one of my personal games of the year in 2012. With beautiful graphics, immensely fun gameplay and interesting characters its one of the great open world titles of the generation. I am highly hopeful a sequel will be made as the game done very well commercially. The game should continue to feature a tropical setting as it suits the game much better than the African setting of Far Cry 2




6. Mass Effect

The Mass Effect universe is full of historic battles and events just waiting to be explored. A new game in the Mass Effect series is inevitable due to the success of the series. The next game could take place after the events of the trilogy however there are many events before the trilogy that could evolve into full games. These include the Krogan Rebellions or the Quarian-Geth wars.




5. Dishonored

Another gem of 2012 Dishonored is another game fully deserving of a sequel. Although Dunwall was a brilliant world to explore hopefully a sequel would be set somewhere else in the Dishonored universe. The next game in the series would hopefully put even more ways to kill your targets, and introduce some new powers for our new superpowered assassin blessed by The Outsider.




4. Deus Ex Human Revolution

Released in 2011 the prequel to the Deus Ex series received massive critical acclaim for its immersive world, choice of gameplay and great storyline. In a sequel to Human Revolution I would hope to see the return of Adam Jensen as I believe there are many other adventures the head of security of an augmentation company could go on. The sequel should hopefully fix the boss battles of HR and let us explore other cities of this rich universe on a next gen machine.



3. Batman Arkham 3

I am aware of the release of Batman Arkham Origins later this year however what I'm talking about is a sequel to 2011's Batman Arkham City made by Rockstar. I have a feeling they let Warner Bros. make Origins as they are working on a big next generation project starring the bats that may include a fully open world Gotham in which you can drive the batmobile around. Hopefully the main villain willl be Hush after his pretty creepy cameo in Arkham City, will feature more than one protagonist , SPOILER and explain if the Joker truly died or not SPOILER.



2. Uncharted

Although you could argue that Naughty Dog should go onto a different project after the the successful Uncharted trilogy as they did with Jak and Daxter however I feel as if this would be a wrong move. A sequel to Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is definitely needed for the PS4. First of all the Playstation 4 is in massive need for a big blockbuster exclusive and although Uncharted 3 was a brilliant game there was no real closure on Drake's story, that what I am hoping a fourth entry would do.




1. Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption is by far the best western game ever. The game has sold over 13 million copies which means surely a sequel is on the way. The game could act as a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, with the main character again being John Marston when he is riding with his gang. This could be an interesting idea as it has been said that Marston and his gang used to rob banks therefore they could use the many protagonists feature GTA V is using and incorporate it into a wild west bank robbery style prequel

Games of the Generation: Mass Effect 2

As we get closer to the release of the next generation of gaming consoles the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One I will be looking back at the games that stood out for me during this generation of gaming consoles. This week I will be looking back at the sci-fi epic third person shooter sequel Mass Effect 2.

Although the Mass Effect trilogy consists of three absolutely brilliant games, I believe that Mass Effect 2 is the best of them. Despite Mass Effect 3 being an absolutely brilliant game it lacked the more personal story of ME2 and its brilliant finale. Right from the get-go Mass Effect hooks you in with a stunning opening that shocks you and the story continues to do this through the rest of the game. Recruiting my squad for the end suicide mission is one of my best experiences in gaming and gaining there trust and loyalty is even better.

Of course what makes the Mass Effect games so unique is the ability to make choices that may impact you later on in the game or in sequels. Seeing your choices impact is one of the games strong points makes it easier to immerse yourself into the universe.

The gameplay is also dramatically improved from its predecessor making it much easier to get in and out of cover and use your squadmates abilities much smoother. This game is very much worth your money as if you stop to play all the missions as well as exceptional DLC such as 'Lair of the Shadow Broker' or 'Arrival there is plenty of playtime to be had here. If you haven't already go play through this brilliant trilogy with the full trilogy available on one for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
Buy Mass Effect Trilogy for each platform using this link (UK)

My Favourite Characters: The Joker (The Dark Knight)

Every week I will be posting a feature detailing some of my favourite fictional characters from film, T.V and videogames. This I will be talking about the Batman villain the Joker from The Dark Knight played by the late Heath Ledger.

There have been many portrayals of the classic Batman villain in the years since his creation, whether it be through films, videogames or T.V, however none has done it as good as Heath Ledger's portrayal in the Christopher Nolan directed sequel The Dark Knight. Not only does Ledger manage to bring the clown into a realistic universe with ease, he manages to steal the show from Batman and secondary villain Two-Face.

Joker doesn't care about money he just wants anarchy and chaos or as Alfred says 'some men just want to watch the world burn'. Although you can argue Jack Nicholson's Joker is more psychotic his character was going for laughs, whereas Ledger's portrayal is very creepy and really gets under your skin. It's a testament to Ledger's great talent that he managed to pull off this character amazingly and it looks like all those weeks studying the Joker and acting like him even off set really pulled off and it is very sad that a man of such talent died so early. Ledger's amazing acting was clearly and rightly recognised and won many awards for his portrayal of The Joker including a BAFTA for best actor in a supporting role and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Top 10 New Worlds Kingdom Hearts 3 Should Have

With the upcoming release of Kingdom Hearts 3 one of the most debated topics is what Disney themed worlds will be included in the Square Enix developed title. In this list I will be counting down the top 10 new Worlds I believe Square Enix should include in the highly anticipated sequel.

10. Treasure Planet

Treasure Planet is one of the most underrated Disney animations. The film is based on the pirate tale Treasure Island but twists the tale a bit by setting the film in space. The heartless would fit brilliantly into this film and there could be a minigame with pirate battles in space as Sora travels from planet to planet.





9.Wreck-it Ralph

Wreck-it Ralph is also a perfect fit for the Kingdom Hearts series, its a film about videogames. Although I am not expecting them to include all the videogame character cameos they had in the film it would be fun to fight with Ralph in Sugar Rush and Hero's Duty. Also if you haven't noticed Sora does have a small cameo in Wreck it Ralph which means the studios have already collaborated together. The heartless again could be integrated seamlessly into the game with the Cy-Bugs being a good enemy in the game and they also look very similar to the heartless.




8. The Emperor's New Groove

The Emperor's New Groove is one of Disney's funniest films of recent memory. The colourful scenery would also translate amazingly onto the next generation of consoles. Also teaming up with Kuzco in his llama form of course sounds like a fun time.

7. Lilo and Stitch

With Stitch already having a small role in the previous main instalment Kingdom Hearts 2 this one seems like a certainty in the next generation sequel. Firstly having Stitch as a party member would be awesome and with the next gen visuals Hawaii would look amazing.






6. Robin Hood

Disney's Robin Hood is a perfect choice for the Kingdom Hearts series. Our hero would enter the tournament in which Robin Hood enters and  befriend the fox whilst on the run from the sheriff and the King. Through this world Sora learns of the danger of greed. This world could also introduce some third person shooting into the game with the bow and arrow modernising the game and refreshing it to make sure the game does not feel too dated.

5. Monsters Inc.

Since the previous main instalment Kingdom Hearts 2 came out Disney has gained a closer relationship with animation studio Pixar. Although there are a number of Pixar made films that would fit the bill (Up, Brave, Bugs Life and The Incredibles) I decided to leave them out so the list does not feel too one note. However I feel this film would be an incredible addition to the Kingdom Hearts universe as it is highly popular and would be an amazing world to explore.

4. Jungle Book

Seeming as it is one of Disney's most popular animations its quite surprising they have yet to adapt this for a main Kingdom Hearts instalment. However in PSP spin off 'Birth by Sleep' you can hack the game and look through an unfinished level of Jungle Book proving interest is there for an adaptation. It would be cool hanging with Baloo and the gang, however I would much prefer it if there was no The Little Mermaid style singing mingames.




3. Marvel

Although this may not seem as if it's Disney characters like Iron Man, Thor and Hulk do belong to the Disney brand. Although these are live action films as shown in previous Kingdom Hearts games with worlds such as Tron and Pirates of the Caribbean providing very fun worlds to explore. This would be a world where you could have several different party members and you get to choose which one you would like to fight with. The plot could use the storyline of The Avengers but instead add the heartless over the aliens.

2. Star Wars

Since the last Kingdom Hearts release Disney have also bought the Star Wars franchise which means it would be perfect if we could meet Luke and the gang in Kingdom Hearts 3 and how cool would it be to get a lightsaber keyblade. What better brings the message of the Kingdom Hearts series light vs dark than jedi vs sith. If Square Enix do not use this world it would be a very stupid move.



1. Toy Story

I can't think of a film more suited to the Kingdom Hearts universe. How fun does it sound to walk around Andy's room as a miniaturized toy version of Sora with Woody and Buzz and Sid's evil toys could be the enemies in the world. However it would be fun to travel around some of the other places in the Toy Story world such as Pizza Planet or Al's Toy Barn. Also previous coding for Kingdom Hearts 2 shows character models for both Buzz and Woody which clearly shows there is some interest there.


That is my Top 10 New Worlds I believe should be included in Kingdom Hearts 3, however there are countless Disney properties that could be included in the game. If there is a particular film or T.V show I may have missed out on this list leave a comment and I may add it to the list

Top 7 Most Unexpected T.V Deaths

SPOILER ALERT

7.  Omar Little (The Wire)

In five years of The Wire Omar was the only who seemed unkillable, he was the god of war on the mean streets of Baltimore. But when Omar did finally meet his maker his nature of death was much more surprising. Killed by teenage Kenard the man who was previously invincible was killed by a child.

6. Lori Grimes ( The Walking Dead)

Although she may have not been the most liked character on AMC's zombie apocalypse drama however little can argue that they didn't feel bad for Lori at her time of death. She selflessly sacrificed herself for her baby and felt bad for her son Carl when he was forced to stop her from turning. She was also one of the casts main members and had been in the show from the start, which made her sudden death all the more shocking.

5. Kenny ( South Park )

I know this addition seems a little unexpected as it is running joke on the hilarious animated comedy South Park that the character Kenny gets killed off in some way but always comes back the next episode. However in the episode 'Kenny Dies' creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker surprised fans by killing off Kenny permanently. Kenny remained dead for much of season six and it looked like it was going to stay that way. But in Season Six finale 'Red Sleigh Down' Kenny returned and has been a starring character ever since.

4. Merle Dixon ( The Walking Dead )

What made the death so shocking is that Daryl had only just be re-introduced to his brother therefore it felt that it would be a while before either one of them was killed so the viewers would see more of what their relationship was like. However in the episode 'This Sorrowful Life' Merle was brutally shot by The Governor and Daryl was forced to kill his brother to end his misery.

3. Eddard Stark ( Game of Thrones )

This death may not be as shocking to those who had read George R.R Martins books however to those who hadn't Ned's death was quite a shocker. He was the guy who had been in all of the advertising and was the shows central character, but this did not stop Ned from his demise.

2. Mike Ermantraught ( Breaking Bad )

Although I should have seen this coming Mike's death in Breaking Bad still shocked me completely. But his death proves that Walter White is an unpredictable maniac, he killed Mike because he didn't say thank you. And who can blame him, Walt killed his boss and ruined his life and still wants a thank you. Also the fact that he went silently makes it all the more sadder

1. Robb Stark/Talisa Stark/Catelyn Stark ( Game of Thrones )

No explanation needed.

Top 8 Movies they should be making

8.  Spring Heeled Jack

Spring Heeled Jack would make the perfect horror movie. If you are unfamiliar with the character let me give you a brief description of the urban legend. Spring Heeled Jack is a creation of English folklore in the Victorian era he was noted for his startling jumps, which would make great jumpscares. Jack was described to have devilish features and look terrifying and frightful. He is also described to have large claws and fire ball like eyes. During his period of creation there were many books based on Jack and was very much in public interest. This may be reciprocated today if brought to the silver screen.




7. Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid is the highly popular and critically acclaimed stealth series from Hideo Kojima. I know that previous film videogame adaptations have not gone very well but that may be because gameplay is the main part of a videogame and this is not translated on to the silver screen. However with Metal Gear Solid the game is highly cinematic and has very long cutscenes and with the story being the main focus I believe this would do well on the big screen.

6. The Incredibles 2

Disney Pixars The Incredibles is one of the best movies made by the talented people at Pixar.  The film was funny, action packed and perfectly set up a sequel. It is also quite surprising that with Pixar insisting on doing a sequel to everyone of their films (Cars 2, Monsters University, Finding Dorey) they haven't made an Incredibles sequel. It would make big cash for Disney and may be as good if not better than the first one which would mean Pixar can get back on track after releases such as Brave and Cars 2.


5. Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs Crossover

You may not be aware that these two Quentin Tarantino directed classics are linked however there is one subtle link that could evolve into a full fledged film. You may have noticed that Mr Blonde played by Michael Madsen is called Vic Vega and John Travolta's character in Pulp Fiction is called Vincent Vega. Tarantino later confirmed that these two are in fact brothers. This is basically screaming for a film which would act as a prequel to these films exploring the adventures of these two brothers before they went there separate ways. However both the actors are too old now to make a believable prequel therefore some new actors must be found to play the roles, which may be problematic.

4. The Incredible Hulk standalone film

Some argue that in the recent Avengers film Mark Rufallo's Hulk was the best thing about it. Rufallo portrayed Hulk in a highly believable way adding subtle things like twitches that made the character seem alive. Although previous Hulk films have been underwhelming I believe that with the help of Rufallo I believe they can get it right this time. All you have to do is repeat scenes like this:

3. X-Men Origins: Deadpool

I'm not a fan of the X-Men films whatsoever and do not have that much of a knowledge of the comics either, however it there's anyone who deserves a movie in that universe it's this guy. I've been hearing countless reports on this film over the years and nothing has developed and I believe its time that they start making this film. With current public interest in the character at this moment in time I believe this is the perfect moment for the film to release. I think that the film should just erase the version seen in the underwhelming X-Men Origins: Wolverine and start afresh I'm sure people wouldn't mind.





2. Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

 Seeming it is the end of both the Twilight and Harry Potter film series Warner Bros. need another successful book series to make big bucks at the box office, just as the Hunger Games is doing. This I believe should be their next project. The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness is the highly popular book series by Michelle Paver. It tells the story of Torak a boy who can communicate with a wolf cub who has to stop the evil mages the Soul Eaters from destroying the whole of prehistoric Europe. This series has all the elements to make a box office hit.




1. Spider-Man/ X-Men/ Fantastic Four/ Avengers crossover

Despite The Avengers being a very good film you could not help but think how much better it would be with all the character of the Marvel universe such as the X-Men, The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. With the guaranteed money flowing in for Disney due to the overwhelming success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Monsters University and Star Wars Episode 7 surely bringing lots of cash they could use some of the billions to buy back these characters.