15 years of Iron Man

Marvel Studios' Iron Man celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and director Jon Favreau (The Mandalorian) discuss the film that began Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).



Read the synopsis:

"In 2008, Marvel Studios released Iron Man, a film that would cement the future of the studio and leave a lasting impact on film and popular culture. Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Iron Man was a critical and commercial success, helping to launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe."

During an era of middling superhero fare in the noughties, the genre became a multi-billion dollar industry unto itself in the wake of Iron Man's unprecedented success when Disney bought Marvel Comics.

Whilst I missed the first movie in cinemas, it was my inaugural rental from LOVEFiLM (now Amazon Prime). Robert Downey Jr. was charismatic in the lead role of Tony Stark. The movie was a much-needed tonic for my dad and me in the wake of my mum's death in 2007. And we've enjoyed watching the MCU movies together ever since.

Iron Man 3 was arguably the franchise's best instalment! Director Shane Black (The Predator) flipped the tin man on his head in the wake of Avengers Assemble and gave cinemagoers a memorable blockbuster ride with a twist.

Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier remains my all-time favourite MCU movie to date. The upcoming Secret Invasion series on Disney+ channels the paranoia of that standout movie directed by the Russo brothers.

Fast forward to 2023. Phase 5 began with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Since the conclusion of The Infinity Saga, the MCU has struggled to maintain momentum. However, there have been highlights with WandaVision, Loki and Hawkeye and the Special Presentations' Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+.

What are your favourite MCU memories on the 15th anniversary? Let me know in the comments below.

The Return of the Rocketeer on Disney+

On Monday, I was discussing my hopes for a spin-off series for The Rocketeer on Disney+ with LiveForFilms' (LFF) Phil Edwards. 30 years after the original movie rocketed into cinemas, Disney's purportedly working on a live-action sequel for Disney+ according to Deadline! How's that for a coincidence?

The original movie, directed by Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger) and starring Billy Campbell as the titular Rocketeer, was a rollicking, rollercoaster ride in the matinee style of Indiana Jones and boasted a spectacular soundtrack by the late Hollywood film composer James Horner (Aliens). Years later, The Rocketeer would serve as a template for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) beginning with Jon Favreau's Iron Man.

The Rocketeer's roots are firmly founded in the Saturday morning serial King of the Rocket Men. Andrew Lewin, blogger and collaborator, heroically donned a jet pack in search of skybound adventure battling Nazis when news of a reboot captured the imagination of fans (myself included) in 2016.

The Rocketeer, starring Billy Campbell and teenage crush Jennifer Connelly (Labyrinth), is streaming now on Disney+.

Are you excited for The Return of the Rocketeer on Disney+ and what are your memories of the fan-favourite original? Let me know in the comments below.

See you at the Marvel movies!

I've been a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since its humble beginnings with Iron Man, which I watched with my dad back in 2008.

Marvel Studios has shared an emotive message spanning its movies past, present and future...



"The world may change and evolve. But the one thing that will never change, we’re all part of one big family."

"I love being with people,” the late Stan Lee can be heard saying in the voiceover. “It’s the most incredible thing in the world.” It's given further resonance during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and cinema closures.

Whilst this meant Black Widow has been delayed for over a year, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier have entertained true believers (myself included) on Disney+.

Phase 4 movies include:

Black Widow -- July 9, 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings -- September 3, 2021
Eternals -- November 5, 2021
Spider-Man: No Way Home -- December 17, 2021
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness -- March 25, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder -- May 6, 2022
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever -- July 8, 2022
The Marvels -- November 11, 2022
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania -- February 17, 2023
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 -- May 5, 2023
Fantastic Four is teased

On the day cinemas reopen, as much as I miss seeing movies on the big screen with family and friends, it will be sometime before I set foot inside a multiplex for the first time since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. However, Black Widow will be in cinemas and available exclusively on Disney+ with Premier Access on 9th July. Excelsior!

What are you looking forward to most? Let me know in the comments below.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man swings back to the MCU

Fellow true believers rejoice! Disney and Sony have confirmed Spider-Man will remain a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), despite seemingly going their separate ways to the dismay of fans (myself included) a few months ago, allowing Tom Holland to reprise the role in Phase 4.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said: "I am thrilled that Spidey's journey in the MCU will continue, and I and all of us at Marvel Studios are very excited that we get to keep working on it."

Feige will be dividing his time between Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm where he's producing Star Wars movies, post The Rise of Skywalker, with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

Under Feige's stewardship, Holland's Peter Parker has been a refreshing take on the beloved teen superhero appearing alongside the Avengers, and in Spider-Man: Homecoming and sequel Far From Home. Holland and Robert Downey Jr.'s (Iron Man) relationship as pupil and mentor respectively has provided some of the funniest and most poignant moments in the MCU.

Are you delighted Spidey will continue to be an integral part of the MCU? Let me know in the comments below.

The Force is strong with Disney+

When Disney+ launches on 12th November, US-based Star Wars fans have much to look forward to. The original, prequel and sequel trilogies (not including The Last Jedi) will be available from day-one alongside the first live-action series The Mandalorian, executive produced by Jon Favreau.

However, due to existing distribution deals, Disney+ will, initially, be lighter on Marvel content. Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel, Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man and Iron Man 3 will be available with Avengers: Endgame premiering in December.

Fellow true believers will be looking further ahead to exclusive series Loki, Hawkeye, Falcon & Winter Soldier, WandaVision, What If...? and much more.

In the wake of Disney buying Twentieth Century Fox film and television assets, every season of The Simpsons will be available. It's also worth noting Seth MacFarlane's The Orville has been moved to Hulu.

Disney will offer a bundle package of its three streaming services - Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99 a month starting on 12th November, CEO Bob Iger announced today. This is a serious mission statement and undercuts many of its competitors including Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO.

"Disney+ marketing is going to start to hit in later this month, later in August.... you will see marketing, both in traditional and non-traditional directions, basically digital and analog," Iger said. "And of course, all the touchpoints that the company has, whether it's people staying at our hotels, people who have our co-branded credit card, people who are members of D23, annual pass holders."

Will you be subscribing to Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is an epilogue to Endgame

Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame now that the Russo brothers have declared the lifting of an unofficial ban!

Marvel Studios has released a new trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home and it confirms not only Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) grief in the wake of Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) death in Avengers: Endgame but also the multiverse. The multiverse will introduce the Fantastic Four and the X-Men in Phase 4 or later.



When Spider-Man finally appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in Captain America: Civil War, his overused origin story was, mercifully, skipped and Iron Man became his mentor and felt responsible for the web-slinger's demise in Infinity War. And I'd wager Spider-Man is going to lead the New Avengers given Captain America's (Chris Evans) decision to travel back in time with the Infinity Stones and live out his life with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) which the Cap had more than earned.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) introduces Peter Parker to a Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) from another Earth. Mysterio is a villain who captured my childhood imagination. Are we seeing misdirection at play?

Fan service writ large in Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Infinity War left our heroes and true believers (myself included) beaten and heartbroken in the wake of Thanos' (Josh Brolin) snap. It was The Empire Strikes Back of the franchise and things will be forever changed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Mild spoilers ahoy, folks! Please avoid reading any further, if you don't want to know anything about the sequel to Infinity War.

In an era of 24/7 digital discourse, I miraculously managed (in part due to a self-imposed social media blackout and the goodwill of fellow fans) to avoid all spoilers and arrived at a sold-out screening that rivalled the comic-con atmosphere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and last year's Infinity War.

The Russo brothers open Avengers: Endgame with a subversive salvo that sees the main villain seemingly victorious after destroying the Infinity Stones to prevent the surviving Avengers led by Captain America (Chris Evans), now joined by Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) fresh from rescuing Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) who were adrift in deep space aboard Rocket's (Bradley Cooper) starship, from snapping things back.

However, Thanos is seriously injured and weakened from using the Infinity Gauntlet a second time and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), riven with guilt, takes Thanos' advice from Infinity War and beheads him before wandering into the wilderness. How can our beleaguered band of heroes, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reverse the irreversible?

Ultimately, Endgame delivers fan service (in the best way) on a grand scale I've dreamed about since poring over the pages of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars in the mid-eighties. A greatest hits compilation riffing on Back to the Future Part II, celebrating the ambitious scope of the MCU (spanning 22 interconnected movies, beginning humbly with director Jon Favreau's Iron Man in 2008), but at its core are the universal themes of friendship, family and what unites us.

It's an affecting and poignant tale, worthy of comparison with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, possessed of an emotional resonance that will continue to reverberate long after the end credits have finished.

Where do the Avengers go from here? Who knows. Well, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige probably does with live-action series featuring Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision for Disney+. But one thing is clear.

Make Mine Marvel. 'Nuff said!

Infinity Saga ends in emotional Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is released in cinemas this week and early reactions to yesterday's world premiere suggest Marvel Studios has yet another epic blockbuster on its gauntleted hands mere weeks after the release of Captain Marvel!



The follow-up to last year's all-conquering Infinity War is the conclusion to the decade-spanning Inifity Saga that began with director Jon Favreau's Iron Man in 2008. Those lucky few invited to the premiere have heaped superlative praise on the Russo brothers' latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) opus:

"There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the credits rolled for #AvengersEndgame."

— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) April 23, 2019

"Imagine the best possible version of #AvengersEndgame and somehow the film still surpasses all expectations. I cried 5-6 times. It’s the most emotional, most epic, MCU film. A tribute to ten years of this universe and holy shit the great fan service in this movie. Soooo good."

— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm)

I couldn't be more stoked for Avengers: Endgame! So much so, I'll be going offline from Thursday to avoid spoilers ahead of seeing it next Monday at Vue.

Marvel Studios' new featurettes for Avengers: Endgame

Marvel Studios has revealed a running time of 182 minutes for Avengers: Endgame and released two new featurettes.

In the making of Avengers: Endgame, the Russo brothers discuss the advantages of using IMAX cameras for the climactic conclusion of the decade-spanning Infinity Saga.



Marvel Studios has also released a "We Lost" featurette with Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow). This evokes all the feels for Marvel fans (myself included).



Avengers: Endgame is in cinemas 25th April.

Avengers: Endgame trailer teases the past and future

As Captain Marvel dominates the box office, Marvel Studios has released a new trailer for Avengers: Endgame. It's a character study that gives nothing away in the Russo brothers' follow-up to Avengers: Infinity War.



An emotive look back at the legacy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as a decade-long saga draws to a close. Is that the voice of Peggy Carter? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Avengers: Endgame is in cinemas 25th April.

Is Tony Stark dead in Spider-Man: Far From Home?

Marvel Studios dropped a teaser trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home on Tuesday and fans are already speculating whether or not the upcoming sequel confirms Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Endgame.



Whilst fans know Spider-Man was a victim of Thanos' infamous snap in Avengers: Infinity War, there's no telling when the sequel to Homecoming is set. That aside. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the villainous Mysterio in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Iron Man writers to reboot Masters of the Universe

Sony Pictures and Mattel Films have tapped Men In Black's Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, who co-wrote Iron Man for Marvel Studios, to reboot the Masters of the Universe franchise on the big screen with brothers Adam and Aaron Nee directing.

Mattel's toy line, which I've written about previously, was a monster hit in the eighties and spawned an animated series, a live-action film starring Dolph Lundgren as the heroic He-Man and Frank Langella as his nemesis, Skeletor, and a reimagined animated series early this century. Subsequently, DC Comics has published an expanding series of Masters of the Universe crossovers with beloved DC Universe characters.

Masters of the Universe continues to be popular among avid collectors (myself included) and a cinematic reboot has been in development (on and off) for years. David S.Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy) most recently wrote a draft screenplay and is executive producer.

Special look at Captain Marvel

Avengers: Endgame concludes an epic storyline, beginning in Iron Man over a decade ago, and sees Captain Marvel play a pivotal role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) will be seen first in her own movie this March.

"Based on the Marvel comic character first appearing in 1968, the story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, “Captain Marvel” is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."

Marvel Studios has released a special look at the upcoming MCU instalment.



Captain Marvel will be in cinemas 8th March.

Announcement and trailer for Avengers: Endgame

Marvel Studios has followed up a new trailer for Captain Marvel with a title announcement and trailer for Avengers: Endgame, the Russo brothers' highly-anticipated sequel to Avengers: Infinity War.

The trailer is accompanied with the message: “For those who have been here since the beginning. For those who have joined along the way. For the best fans in the Universe. This trailer is for you...“



Avengers: Endgame is the climactic conclusion to a decade-spanning story. If rumours are to be believed, it'll see time travel, the multiverse ushering in Deadpool and the X-Men, and the journey's end of beloved heroes as they attempt to undo Thanos' snap. The next instalment will be in cinemas April 2019.

Marvel's superhero Stan Lee passed away. 'Nuff said.

Earlier this year Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko passed away. Yesterday, fellow Spider-Man co-creator and arguably the 'face' of Marvel, Stan Lee, died at the age of 95.

I don't recall the first time I saw the Spider-Man animated series, but it was enough of an influence on my nascent imagination that, much to my late mum's horror, aged 3 I climbed out of a bedroom window and onto a glass conservatory to channel Peter Parker.



Lee leaves behind an enduring legacy of superheroes. From Ant-Man to Thor. However, most importantly an ideology predicated on selflessness and a celebration of life in all its rich diversity.

In my teens, I sought solace in the flawed X-Men. They became a metaphor for disability, something I was struggling with in the wake of a life-changing childhood trauma and PTSD, and I wanted to be Cyclops. How I envied actor James Marsden in director Bryan Singer's X-Men that foreshadowed the triumphant Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) about to enter Phase 4.



Whilst I never got to meet 'The Man' himself, I was humbled earlier this year when his official website linked to this very blog. So much so, I thought I was seeing things and it was wishful thinking on the part of this lifelong Marvelite. Beyond poignant and with heartfelt thanks from this true believer!

Lee was a master marketer and nothing exemplifies this more than his countless cameos in Marvel films and television series. He wrapped cameos for Captain Marvel, Avengers 4 and Spider-Man: Far From Home, and most recently appeared in DC Comics' Teen Titans Go! Back in 1995, Stan Lee talked to Conan about his 50 years in comic books.



It's impossible to overstate Lee's influence on popular culture, and he'll always be the George Lucas of superhero storytelling for many fans (myself included).

Excelsior! RIP Stan Lee.

How did Stan Lee impact your life? Let me know in the comments below.

Avengers beat Batman at the UK box office

This will come as no surprise to fans (myself included) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The Russo brothers' Avengers: Infinity War has become the biggest superhero movie in UK cinema history, less than a month after release, taking £60m at the box office, toppling Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, as fans flock to multiplexes to see beloved superheroes, scattered across the galaxy, battle Thanos (Josh Brolin) face-to-face.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is in cinemas next this July with Captain Marvel leading the charge early next year ahead of Avengers 4 in May 2019.

You can read my review of Avengers: Infinity War here. It does contain mild spoilers. So, please don't read unless you've already seen the movie. It's best enjoyed sans spoilers. Honestly.

To Infinity War and Beyond...

Where to begin? The best cinema screening since Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

A group of undergraduates created a mini comic con atmosphere filled with fellow fans of Star Wars, DC Universe and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). We laughed, cheered and cried as the Russo brothers took us on a galaxy-spanning tour and broke our collective hearts in the process.

With its paranoia and character-driven conflict, the Russo brothers' Captain America: The Winter Soldier quickly claimed the top spot as my favourite MCU instalment. This was followed by Captain America: Civil War, which was a dry run for the first part of their emotionally shattering Avengers opus.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the MCU, the Russo brothers take the Avengers to the nth degree and beyond in Avengers: Infinity War.



Infinity War begins in deep space with a distress call echoing the Kobayashi Maru training exercise depicted in the opening scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and immediately ups the ante by eclipsing both Joss Whedon's The Avengers, known as Avengers Assemble in the UK, and Avengers: Age of Ultron with a richly mythological movie that conjures fond memories of reading Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars in the mid-eighties and collecting Mattel's tie-in action figures. The seminal 12-issue limited series chronicled Marvel's superheroes and villains as they battled each other for the amusement of the Beyonder.

Infinity War takes its inspiration from the acclaimed comic series Infinity Gauntlet. However, this Thanos, played with surprising pathos by Josh Brolin, believes he's on a noble quest to eradicate half of all life, due to dwindling resources, with the snap of his fingers...

Such is Brolin's charisma, you may find yourself unwittingly rooting for the big bad as he crushes beloved heroes with seemingly no way of returning. This is the fantastical universe of Marvel and as such me thinks there'll be timey-wimey shenanigans in the second part, which was filmed back-to-back, due in cinemas next year. It paves the way for the multiverse - a strength of archrival DC Comics - as a means to introduce Captain Marvel, and the X-Men and Fantastic Four once Disney's acquired Twentieth Century Fox's television and film assets. However, none of this detracts from a palpable sense of loss and the haunting cliffhanger.



Longtime fans will reap the infinite (I went there. Sorry not sorry.) rewards of their dedication to the increasingly episodic series built over a decade, whereas more casual cinemagoers may miss many Easter Eggs. But, there's enough blockbuster bombast, merging the Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings franchises, to entertain and let's not overlook the interplay between Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

Alan Silvestri's soundtrack score is one of his best since the first Avengers movie and expands on familiar themes replete with a self-referential nod to Predator during the scenes set in Wakanda.

Over the past ten years, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has deftly stewarded a disruptive shared cinematic universe beginning with Iron Man and culminating in the Russo brothers' epic Infinity War. I rarely bestow arbitrary ratings. However, the 10th anniversary instalment garners 10/10. ‘Nuff Said!

What did you think of Avengers: Infinity War? Let me know in the comments below.

Lucasfilm congratulates Marvel Studios

Lucasfilm congratulated Disney stablemate Marvel Studios on Avengers: Infinity War's record-breaking opening weekend at the box office.

In the image, a lightsaber is handed over to Iron Man with the accompanying handwritten message from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy:

“From a galaxy far, far away… to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes… CONGRATULATIONS on the biggest opening weekend in history! From Kathy and everyone at Lucasfilm!”

The message of congratulations continues a classy time-honoured tradition. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg would send creative congratulatory notes whenever one passed the other at the box office.

Iron Man was released a decade ago and ushered in the disruptive Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) culminating in Avengers: Infinity War.

I didn't see the opening chapter of Phase 1 until subscribing to LOVEFiLM (now part of Amazon Prime). I sat down with my dad and we really didn't expect much, as I pressed play on the PS3 remote, given the state (for the most part) of superhero movies of the time. Robert Downey Jr. instantly impressed as Tony Stark and we've seen (almost) every MCU movie since.

Make Mine Marvel!

What are your MCU memories on the 10th anniversary? Let me know in the comments below.

Wakanda reunion in Avengers: Infinity War TV Spot

Avengers: Infinity War is in cinemas this April and marks the tenth anniversary of the release of Iron Man, which kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2008.

The latest 60-second TV Spot takes Black Panther, fresh from topping Titanic at the US box office in his own movie, back to Wakanda.



Disney is planning a marketing blitzkrieg to dwarf last year's Spider-Man: Homecoming. Purportedly the budget is $150 million dollars in advertising for the Russo brothers latest instalment that sees the Avengers team-up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to fight Thanos.

Avengers: Infinity War is released in UK cinemas on 26th April and US cinemas on 27th April.

Jon Favreau to write live-action Star Wars series

Actor-director Jon Favreau, who kick-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) a decade ago with Iron Man, is executive producer and writer for Lucasfilm's upcoming Star Wars live-action series.

“I couldn’t be more excited about Jon coming on board to produce and write for the new direct-to-consumer platform,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the Star Wars universe. This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base.”

Favreau is thrilled to be returning to the Star Wars galaxy: “If you told me at 11 years old that I would be getting to tell stories in the Star Wars universe, I wouldn’t have believed you. I can’t wait to embark upon this exciting adventure.”

There has been a backlash, in the wake of the announcement, citing a lack of diversity. However, Favreau is an exciting choice and has been previously linked to the Star Wars sequel trilogy and spin-off movies. This is the guy who gave us Elf and an award-winning live-action adaptation of Disney's The Jungle Book.

The upcoming live-action series will be available exclusively on DisneyLife late 2019. Disney's streaming service was soft-launched in the UK in 2015 and is now available in Ireland before being rolled out internationally.

Favreau appears next in Solo: A Star Wars Story this May.