Happy 2016!

Hello InterWeb-Slingers! It's been a decent amount of time since I've posted, I know, but some times life gets in the way. Anyway, I've got some things I would like to discuss.

First off, it is 2016 and this year is set up to be the BIGGEST year for super hero movies and media! I am very excited. 2015 ended on a strong high note with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I personally loved it and have a strong theory that I will post at another time. Onto 2016!

So the first offering of the new year was one of my most anticipated: DEADPOOL! And it did not disapoint! This movie was EXACTLY what I hoped it was going to be! Ryan Reynolds is perfectly cast as the Merc with the Mouth, the story is good, the action is great and the humor is perfect! I loved how the X-Men were incorporated into the movie and look forward to the sequel.

Now, the success of Deadpool is actually very important. It was Rated R, which was somewhat of a struggle to get, and was met with resistance all the way up to the release. Parents who don't understand comic book characters could not understand why a super hero movie needed to be R rated. Deadpool definitely needed to be R rated to work. This was a big deal, because if Fox studios (and hopefully other studios) saw that a Comic Book Movie could see box office success with an R rating, then maybe (finally) we would get more R rated films that actually depict comic characters like they are in the comics.  That is essentially what comic fans want out of all of these movies; true depictions of their favorite characters.

The biggest character and franchise to benefit from Deadpool's R rated success (besides Deadpool) is Wolverine. The 3rd installment of the franchise is due out in 2017 and really needs to be good. The last 2 movies have been pitiful attempts at showing the true awesomeness of Wolverine. And now the latest rumors seem to be leading in that direction.  I will believe it when I see it. Wolverine is a huge character and I don't necessarily believe Fox would limit their box office potential with an R rating. BUT, creatively speaking, Wolverine needs an R rating. We need a Wolverine movie with blood and gore! We need to see him ripping and tearing through a pile of bad guys, getting ripped apart himself and barely coming through the other side. THAT's what Wolverine is all about; his unrelenting belief that what he's doing is for the greater good, and no one else can do what he does because he is the best!  We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds.

Moving along, I just want to quickly mention some TV shows. I have heard really great things about Supergirl on CBS. I haven't actually watched any episodes after the pilot, but only because there are so many things to watch these days and I have to choose what to put off for awhile. I will get to it. Supergirl show runners recently released set photos of Supergirl and The Flash crossing over! Which means that they share a universe! This is awesome for a couple of reasons:

          1. The Flash is kiling it and is currently the best Super Hero Show on TV right now. It's fun, light hearted, easy to follow and features a lot of super powers in use. They've introduced Earth 2 and the multiverse of DC and have alluded to major heroes like Superman and Batman a few times as well as the possible formation of the Justice League. (More on this another time).
          2. Flash, Arrow and Supergirl now share a universe. The DCTV universe has grown exponentially, and judging on the success of the Flash and Supergirl, there is nothing but awesome potential for both shows. (I gave up on Arrow in Season 2, kept losing interest).
         3. The Multiverse itself offers so many possibilities including a crossover with the movie universe (Cavill and Affleck's Superman and Batman). To comic fans this could lead to a "Crisis on Infinite Earths" movie event. For non-readers, read it. it is bad ass. Also read Infinite Crisis. (Once again, more on these another time).

If you haven't seen The Flash or Supergirl yet, that's ok, you've got plenty of time. Supergirl will be entering the 2nd half of the first season and Flash is in the 2nd half of the 2nd season, with the first available of Netflix.

So what's next to look forward to? A whole hell of a lot. Next up is the possibly the most anticipated movie of all time; Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. There is a lot of speculation on whether or not this movie is going to be good, but no matter the quality this movie is historical. It will be the first time Batman and Superman share the big screen together. I'm so excited for this movie. I don't care if it's bad, I will watch this movie so many times.  BvS:DoJ hits theaters March 25, but I will be seeing an advanced screening on the 24th. Come back here for a my spoiler free review!

Also released on March 25th will be the 2nd Season of Marvel's DareDevil on Netflix. So what a weekend this is going to be! Season 2's trailer is worth a look as it introduces a couple of new characters that should make for some awesome tv. First off we have DareDevil in his suit, full time now and he meets one of my favorite comic characters: The Punisher. I can't wait to see what they do with Frank Castle.  The other character is also close to DD and she is just as deadly as the Punisher. Electra makes her debut this season; friend of foe though? We have to wait and see; although the trailer alludes to a past between Matt Murdock and Electra. Can't f'n wait!

So that's March, April brings another HUGE movie event. Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR! I've seen all of the trailers, and read all of the rumors and my speculation is that this movie is going to be awesome! Comic fanboys aren't convinced, because the movie differs from their beloved comic story line; however from what I can tell, it doesn't matter! The MCU is much different than the Comic Universe, and this new movie looks great!

Do you know what I'm most excited about though? It's not Cap vs. Iron Man believe it or not, but actually the new characters that we haven't met yet. Black Panther and SPIDER-MAN! I LOVE Spidey and I CANNOT wait to meet the MCU's version of the Wallcrawler. May 6th is the release date for this one.

We're not slowing down though. We've got a little breathing time between BvS:DoJ and Civil War, but after Civil War the next major release is 3 weeks later! X-Men: Apocalypse comes out on May 27th! Now, I haven't really been looking forward to this one much. I kind of liked the last X-Men movie, and First Class was pretty good, but I haven't really been that impressed with the X-Men franchise at all. However, the trailer that was shown during the Super Bowl has changed my mind. I am now pretty pumped to see this one, but I still have some reservations.

After X-Men, we've got some more breathing time before the next Comic Book Movie. But there are a couple blockbusters that people will be excited for including:TMNT 2: Out of the Shadows June 3rd, Warcraft June 10th, Independence Day: Resurgence June 24th, the Ghostbusters reboot (BOOOOOO!) July 15th, Star Trek Beyond July 22nd, and the new Bourne movie July 29th. If you see any of them, I hope you enjoy them. I'll be taking a break. Until August.

August 5th brings us the next installment of the DC extended universe; Suicide Squad. I am the least excited for this one, only because there is a lot of ego in this movie and also of stuff that has to happen for it to make sense. You have a group of bad guys that would ordinarily have their own movie to develop their backgrounds are thrown together into a team. It's an interesting concept, but untested on film. This could be a runaway hit as easily as it could be a total dud. It has potential though, and we're still months away with plenty of marketing opportunity; so I'm going to keep an open mind.

Second to last is another highly anticipated film and Marvel's 2nd release of the year; Dr. Strange starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the good doctor. This movie is being said to open up the MCU in ways never seen before. Basically meaning the introductin of parallel dimensions, as well as magic. Dr. Stephen Strange is Marvel's Sorceror Supreme and is a major player in the comic book universe. He, along with the Black Panther, are very powerful and will have major roles in the upcoming Avengers movies; Infinity War Part 1 & 2. More on Doctor Strange as we get closer to the release date.

Finally we come to December and the last of my most anticiapted movies. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a spinoff movie that tells the story of the rebel squad that steals the plans for the Death Star. Lots of potential for an awesome movie. For those that enjoyed the new blood in The Force Awakens, here is your opportunity to meet new characters in an already established universe. I am very excited for this. December 16th is the official release date.

That's all for now. I'll be back soon to expand on things I touched on earlier. Til then, read some good stuff, watch some good stuff and let me know what you think! Later.