New X-Men Movies will lead into an Apocalypse Rising Movie

Over a year ago, when director Bryan Singer first confirmed that the X-Men: First Classfollowup would be based on the much beloved ’90s Days of Future Past storyline from Marvel Comics, the reveal painted an interesting and exciting future for the franchise. The concept of time travel has yet to be explored in the superhero movie genre, and for the X-Men specifically, which has had many films over the last 13 years, it’s a way to bring back everyone and rewrite history, right some wrongs.

Time travel gives storytellers the ultimate plot device to alter continuity, change and bring back characters, etc., but it also lets the X-Men movies do bigger and better things – including introducing one of Marvel’s most dangerous villains in Apocalypse, for instance. Singer confirmed yesterday in an out-of-the-blue announcement on Twitter that another X-Men film is coming 2016 and that it would be all aboutApocalypse – it’s becoming increasingly clear that it will be more of a continuation of Days of Future Past than a standalone affair.

We know this partly because there were rumors this summer around Comic-Con time that Apocalypse would be introduced as the next big bad in Days of Future Past and when Bleeding Cool asked Bryan Singer directly about the villain, he danced around the question awkwardly. We now know why. He just couldn’t say so at the time but Apocalypse is coming and it’s a safe bet he’ll be introduced or teased in Days of Future Past. With so many characters being revealed in the fist X-Men: Days of Future Past trailer, Singer and co. must be holding some things back, right?

The second part of this we learned after Singer’s exciting tweet. Co-writer Simon Kinberg, the man who came up with the Days of Future Past movie idea with Matthew Vaughn (who was going to direct and is now producing), just signed a three-year deal with Fox which will essentially let him help write and produce Marvel stories that span multiple films. This involves both the X-Men and Fantastic Four universes, and their inevitable crossovers. Fun fact: Matthew Vaughn and Simon Kinberg are also producing Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four reboot.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Bleeding Cool also claims to have learned early in the year that Apocalypse was always in the cards as not only another sequel, but a direct continuation of the story which brings back everyone – some in reduced roles – while still introducing new characters. It would involve characters from the past and present much like Days of Future Past features both.

But there’s more and be warned, but now we’re entering epic spoilers territory…

 [Warning: There are major potential spoilers ahead regarding the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past]

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According to First Showing, who claim to have an insider in the know who they spoke to after the X-Men: Apocalypse announcement, Apocalypse is introduced at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past and director Bryan Singer already cast him, but it’s not what you think. Apocalypse will become a character already in the franchise. Here’s how.

In the film universe, Apocalypse will reportedly have the power to transfer his consciousness and abilities into other mutants and possesses a key character you already know. First Showing has seen a few pages of the script from a second source that seemingly verifies this information, but they don’t reveal some of the even bigger spoilers surrounding the epic conclusion of the film and major “unbelievable” teases of the future of the franchise.

You should know by now to keep your butt planted as the credits roll for a Marvel movie and you definitely need to stick around for this. The X-Men: Days of Future Pastpost-credits button will – according to FS - show young Magneto in the ’70s (Michael Fassbender) living in isolation out in a desert – likely because the world is after him for thinking he assassinated president John F. Kennedy - and while out of his hut grabbing water he sees an object come crashing down from the sky and into the ground nearby. Magneto investigates and an alien described as ”towering, terrifying, with a twisted metal face and dark pits for eyes” emerges and says:

“I have crossed rivers of time to find you.”

Magneto asks the being to identify itself and it responds:

“I am your future.”

Apocalypse then possesses Magneto, resulting in a massive explosion. Magneto, now possessed and realizing his upgraded god-like powers, smiles and then it cuts out. Do we have a time-travelling super-powerful Michael Fassbender as the primary antagonist of the past and present X-Men for X-Men: Apocalypse? Sounds like it.

While this revelation, if true, is of course a deviation from the comics, it could be drawing elements from the Ultimate X-Men comics where Apocalypse is introduced by using Mr. Sinister – another key X-Men villain - as a host. In that iteration of the universe and character, Cable takes Professor X into the future to train him to battle Apocalypse (makes a lot of sense to have that happen with James McAvoy). They come back and team up with the X-Men and – you guessed it – the Fantastic Four to fight Apocalypse. Even Jean Grey’s Phoenix Force (see: X-Men: The Last Stand) is involved.

Also in the Ultimate universe, the time-travelling mutant known as Cable is actually an older Wolverine who’s spent much of his life battling Apocalypse. We still don’t know if Cable is going to be introduced, but with time travel stories and X-Force on the way, it’d be strange not to introduce him, since fellow time travelers Bishop (Omar Sy) is going to play a role in Days of Future Past. We’ve tossed around theories on the site here several times on how Hugh Jackman could play Cable as well as Wolverine should the creatives choose that route instead of making Cable the son of under-utilized X-Men team leader Cyclops.

We now wonder if the 2015 reboot of Fantastic Four will also tie into X-Men: Apocalypse (the timing is right) and how X-Force will factor in. Will Fox essentially run two separate timeline/dimensions side-by-side with many of the actors playing different versions of the characters in each? Will we see some fan-favorite mutants become the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Could the alternate timeline device Fox is employing be the answer to the potential ultimate multi-studio crossover years and years down the road? One step at a time.

Excuse me, but Do you have a moment to hear the word of Sauron?

Excuse me, but Do you have a moment to hear the word of Sauron?

5 games that can get you 100+ hours of game play

These days you get less and less for your money, sadly that seems to also be the case with games. Most current releases retail at extortionately high prices whilst only delivering 8-10 hours of gaming, that’s not exactly bang for your buck. Thankfully there are some quality titles out there that can supply you with literally hundreds of hours of gaming, if you like to get value for money out of your gaming habits (let’s be honest, who doesn’t) then read on.


1. Fallout 3

Fallout 3 is arguably the most successful game in the Fallout franchise and for good reason. The main storyline only plays a small part in the gameplay (roughly 6-10 hours or so) however the sheer volume of other quest lines to follow, the hundreds of NPC’s you’ll meet and the vast size of the open-world will have you exploring for hundreds of hours. Alongside the plethora of quests you can also try to locate all the unique ‘Bobble heads’ and the rare weapons to squeeze out some extra hours. 

If all that isn’t enough then trophy hunters will be pleased to hear that to max out the Gamerscore/Trophies for Fallout 3 you’re required to reach the maximum level of 30, 3 separate times on each of the different karma levels. Even then it’s not finished, as accompanying the main game are five downloadable content (DLC) expansions to the game. They work to extend the main storyline and level cap, open up an entire new map and deliver extra weaponry and armor. With all the DLC installed it could probably take weeks to fully complete, if you pick this game up be prepared to say some fond farewells to your social life. 

2. Minecraft 

This game has taken the world by storm; originally a simple block placing game where you build structures to defend yourself from nocturnal monsters, Minecraft has grown into so much more. It began as only available for PC but it now reaches users on Mac and Xbox 360, bringing thousands of minds together to create some truly unique and innovative structures. It’s this creativity that’s where you’ll lose the hours playing this one. 100 hours will seem like a second during the reconstruction of the Minecraft Death Star or BeetleJuice rollercoaster ride (YouTube them, seriously) and any other thing you could imagine. Think Lego only cheaper, with monsters and less damaging to your feet. 

 

3. Pokémon 

Pokémon is (or should be) a key member of any and every gamer’s collection, having been around for many generations the games have touched millions of lives. As it happens they’re also great time consumers. The main story of the game can take literal days to complete, whilst training and collecting every little pocket monster will take a fair few weeks. Earlier games such as Red and Blue are limited to the 151 original Pokémon but if we travel forward in time to Pokémon X and Y you’ll probably be looking at nearer 800 that’ll require collecting and then training to level 100. All that catching, training, exploring of expansive regions and battling will easily rack up your game time to the 100 hour mark and most likely way beyond. 

4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 

Now hang on, stick with us on this one. It’s sadly common knowledge that the more recent installments in the Call of Duty (COD) franchise are more of an excuse to print money than an excellent progression in the FPS genre. Although the campaigns are generally lackluster and short lived, days upon days of gaming can be clocked up the black hole that is COD Multiplayer. Level up, unlock new weapons and attachments, level up some more and gain more. It’s basic, simple and crazily addictive and will easily eat away the days. When you max out the levels and think you’ve conquered the game you can then prestige, basically resetting everything back to 0. You’re able to prestige a whopping ten times meaning you’ll be playing until they release another COD for you to master. 

5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 

If Fallout 3’s post apocalyptic exploration isn’t your cup of tea then you might prefer its fantasy universe brother, Skyrim. This is the fifth installment in the hugely popular Elder Scrolls series, bringing danger, dragons and destiny to the franchise. You follow the trials and tribulations of The Dragonborn, an unlikely hero who can speak the old language of the dragons. Along the way you’ll fulfill more quests than you can shake a stick at, the metaphorical stick can also be used to defend yourself against the native creature you’ll come across whilst exploring the visually stunning array of environments. In total you’ll be easily spending 40-60 hours in Skyrim, a figure only increased when you add the available DLC and their extensive quest lines. In a recent update to the game you can also reset maxed skills (similar to prestige mode in COD) to 0, thus removing the previous level cap and making the game playable for as long as you can stomach it. 


What’s the most recent game to have claimed 100 hours of your life? Any games you’re aiming to hit the 100-hour mark in? Let us know in the comment section below! 

5 Comic Book Characters that should have a move

Although it seems like every comic book character under the sun has been turned into the latest feature motion picture, this is definitely not the case. Walk into any comic book store on a Wednesday afternoon, while fans are anxiously picking up their weekly haul of new issues, and you’ll probably hear about more than one of their favorite characters that absolutely must have their own movie.

Every fan has their own idea about which characters need to get their big moment on the silver screen next. Some of the more common ones, that really should've had their own movie by this point, are below.

5) Black Panther

Created by the two most prolific architects of the Marvel Universe (Stan Lee and Jack Kirby) in 1966, Black Panther is the first African superhero in mainstream American comics. In recent years, T’Challa has been portrayed as a rather enigmatic figure, extremely wise and serving as monarch to the nation of Wakanda. Beyond this, though, he has several powers granted to him by the panther god of his home land. Unlike other mantles, which are often chosen as a creation of the single hero, the Black Panther is a royal title, passed on within a family, though it still must be earned by the one who personifies it.

Ideally, a Black Panther movie would be able to include the character of Ororo Munroe, aka the X-Man Storm. She and T’Challa have a long history, and at one point in the comics Storm was even the wife of the Panther. The best of these scenarios would be the return of the X-Men to Marvel Studios. Beyond that, though, he's often been an important ally of the Avengers and could probably make for a very interesting supporting cast member in a near-future Marvel Studios film. Panther is currently one of the main characters in writer Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers comic book series, and his cautious yet forceful wisdom and regality definitely make him a unique character, which could likely lend itself to a very different kind of film.

4) Aquaman

Yeah, yeah. I can hear the fish jokes already. The fact of the matter, though, is that Aquaman’s very recently experienced a heavy and steady resurgence in the pop culture thanks to a couple of specific areas.

The first, most primary one is his current ongoing comic book series, written by DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Action Comics). When Aquaman #1 premiered as a part of the "New 52" publishing initiative in September 2011, it surprised a lot of people that had written the character off. Johns’ self-reflexive writing took the notion of Aquaman as a joke head on, and with stunning visuals by artist Ivan Reis, Aquaman outsold every single Marvel Comics title for six months, paving the way for a rebirth of sorts in hearts and minds everywhere as less of a joke, and more of a badass.

The second way Aquaman has started to shed his previously unflattering reputation recently was due to his appearance as a no-nonsense fighter in the DC/NetherRealm Studios video game Injustice: Gods Among Us. At international gaming tournaments where Injustice is featured, Aquaman is a common choice for championship players due to his sheer brutality. The story mode also emphasized what makes him a formidable character: a cold demeanor and a complete willingness to shove his trident in his enemies’ faces.

With the kinds of visuals that can be pulled off with a film like this, and the mythology that the unknowns of the deep can bring out, I know I’m not alone when I say that Warner Bros. should definitely give the King of the Seven Seas a shot. Check out the character trailer for Aquaman from Injustice below, just for a taste of what might be.

3) Wonder Woman

In a lot of ways, this argument speaks for itself, but I’ll still give it a shot. With a distinct lack of female superheroes on the silver screen, the most obvious choice is the most timeless example. As part of DC’s “Trinity” of heroes along with Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman doesn’t seem to get her fair share of the limelight, which is a shame. A feature film would likely go a long way in beefing up her status in the public consciousness, and rarely is there a character that is more deserving of it.

While she's enjoyed success on the small screen in both the Lynda Carter series from the 1970s, as well as her appearances in the DC Animated Universe of the early 2000s, Wonder Woman is a constant source of award-winning stories in the source material, from writers like Gail Simone (Batgirl, Birds of Prey), Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets, Joker) and Greg Rucka (Lazarus, Gotham Central). Her 2009 solo animated film, partially written by Gail Simone, was well-received critically, but didn't cultivate a great deal of commercial success. I'm mostly convinced that it's because Warner Bros. isn't being loud enough about its most iconic and definitive superheroine icon.

While there have been recent efforts to get Wonder Woman onto the small screen, with the impending crossover between Superman and Batman in 2015’s Man of Steel sequel, it appears as though DCE is starting to get its ducks in a row for some kind of shared DC cinematic universe. If that’s indeed the case, I think it’d be excellent to have a film between DC’s “big three” before it inevitably launches into a Justice League film project. In the comics, the bond between Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman is a unique one of trust an understanding. It didn’t get to that point with any semblance of ease, though, and that seems like perfectly fertile territory for a feature film.

All you need to do is read Matt Wagner’s wonderful graphic novel Trinity. You’ll see what I mean.

2) Deadpool

With the inherent popularity of Deadpool at this moment in time, there really is no excuse why his film hasn’t been made yet. It seems that ever since he was somewhat of a breakout character in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, interest for Deadpool has been steadily growing. His ongoing comic book series has been a regular sellout for Marvel for several years now, he recently had his own video game released, and he’s showing up in practically all of its other animated shows as well as really odd, seemingly esoteric comics (like Deadpool Killustrated, where classic literature is reimagined with Deadpool’s influence. Or, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, which is exactly what it sounds like).

So, why hasn’t 20th Century Fox managed to get a Deadpool film in theaters? According to Ryan Reynolds, the man slated to embody the Merc With a Mouth once again, it’s part skittishness and part uncertainty. He recently told Total Film, “That movie is alive and kicking, and then it’s dead as a doornail. Then it’s alive and kicking and then it’s dead… it’s like the worst relationship I’ve ever had!”

He went onto say that Deadpool isn’t quite as commercial as studio heads would prefer, because the character is aware that he’s in a movie, and knows all the players involved. “It’s a property that is excessively popular and successful, just as a comic property. So you certainly don’t want to mess that up. And if you’re a studio you certainly don’t want to be put something out there that you can’t get back.”

1) The Flash

The character that I really think has no excuse for a lack of a feature film, though, is DC’s Scarlet Speedster, the Flash. Speed isn’t a concept that’s been explored in great depth in any superhero films (which is likely to change due to Quicksilver’s inclusion in both next year’s X-Men: Days of Future Past and 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron), but by all accounts the Flash is the best possible character to explore that theme.

Recent Flash stories featuring the Barry Allen iteration of the character (in stories like Geoff Johns' The Flash: Rebirth and the New 52's Move Forward) have had the advantage of giving the protagonist a clear niche to fill. Allen is a forensic scientist with the Central City Police Department, who always had a reputation for taking too much time with his cases. When his life kicked into high gear due to a late-night accident at his lab combined with a lightning bolt, the hero was born. The concept of the Flash is really very easy to explain: he's CSI, at super speed.

He also has one of the best rogues galleries in all of DC Comics, leading off with the group known as, well, the Rogues. Common members include Captain Cold, the Trickster, the Weather Wizard, Mirror Master, the Pied Piper and Captain Boomerang. In modern-age stories told particularly by the likes of Mark Waid, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul, the Rogues have proven to be some of DC’s most interesting characters. Without the money at their disposal like that of Lex Luthor, or the insanity like that of the Joker (though they have their eccentricities), the Rogues operate like “blue collar” supervillains, having trouble getting the right chemicals for the freeze gun. Or the trick weapons.

The Flash is commonly known as one of the most iconic members of the Justice League. While the current state of affairs look as though Flash may be headed for television soon, I know he deserves a bigger track to run on. Let’s hope that sooner rather than later, he gets it.

Alternate 'Amazing Spider-Man' Suits

We already know that a trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will arrive in theaters with The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on December 13th, but the first trailer for the comic book sequel will hit the web (no pun intended) before that. Sony Pictures has announced that the first trailer will arrive on December 5th, a full week before it debuts on the big screen. Be sure to come back to see that trailer when it's available. In addition, some cool alternate designs for Spidey's suit from the first film have made their way online. A couple of them are clearly too sci-fi to work, but one has a feature that fans would love to see.

Here are the alternate The Amazing Spider-Man 2 suit designs from Film Paint (via JoBlo):

As you can see in the images, a couple of the suits made some serious aesthetic changes to Spidey's eyes, but we think the final suit did it right, and the sequel gives him some buggier ones. But the coolest suit is the one that actually uses the webbing under the armpits, a staple of some of the designs in the comic books. In the end, the new suit wasn't much different, though it did have the texture of a basketball. These other designs look like a futuristic Spider-Man from space. We're not sure if all the designs are metallic because that's how they originally wanted the suit to appear, or if that's just how the computer renderings look.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is directed by Marc Webb and written by Jeff Pinker, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finds, life is busy between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high schoolgraduation can't come quickly enough. Peter hasn't forgotten the promise he made to Gwen's father to protect her by staying away, but that's a promise he just can't keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past. Sony will release Amazing Spider-Man 2 in theaters next summer on May 2nd, 2014. Excited?

Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Star Trek

Did you know that the famous Vulcan salute was invented by Leonard Nimoy and based on a priestly blessing performed by Jewish Kohanim? Also, if you’re looking for an amazing Gift for a Star Trek fan, be sure to check out Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years, a hardcover book documenting the first 150 years of the intergalactic democracy up until the year 2311.

plot details on the Fight Club sequel revealed

Over the summer, Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk announced his intentions to write a sequel to the novel/film of the same name… as a graphic novel. The details involved Tyler Durden resurfacing from out of Jack’s subconscious as Jack and Marla’s doldrums from their stale marriage begin to grow larger. Recently, Palahniuk spoke with Hustler about some more specifics about the plot itself:

The sequel will be told from the– at first– submerged perspective of Tyler Durden as he observes the day-to-day tedium of the narrator’s life.  Because 20th Century-Fox created the convention of calling the protagonist Jack, I’m calling him Cornelius.  He’s living a compromised life with a failing marriage, unsure about his passion for his wife.  The typical midlife bullshit.  Likewise, Marla is unsatisfied and dreams of accessing the wild man she’d once fallen in love with.  She tampers with the small pharmacy of drugs that her husband needs to suppress Tyler, and– go figure– Tyler reemerges to terrorize their lives.”

As someone who doesn’t really like Palahniuk’s novels (outside of Survivor, of course), I’m interested to see what he can do with the graphic novel format. Graphic novels have slowly been replacing video games in my heart, and with all of the creative ways modern graphic novel artists/writers have shown the medium is capable of, having someone with Palahniuk’s popularity/notoriety trying his hand should be great.

Obviously, fans of the film will want to read more about Jack/Cornelius and Tyler Durden, but I’m not sure how receptive they’ll be over the prospects of them being confined to a different style. More importantly, writing comprises only half of the graphic novel, and his choice for an illustrator will carry as much weight as the story itself. Personally, I think somebody like Steve McNiven(Marvel’s Civil War) or Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates) would fit the tone the Fight Club film established.

5 Actors that would make a goof Riddler

Top 5 Casting Choices For The Riddler

Since it's the opinion of many that Edward Nigma will be somehow involved in the Batman Reboot, I thought I'd give opinion on who should play him.

5. Giancarlo Esposito

Obviously Nigma would have a race change and be Eduardo Nigma but if the fans can get past this then it could be awesome.

4.Giovanni Ribisi

A tragically underrated actor who I believe could put in an awesome performance if given the chance.

3. Johnny Depp

If they were going to go A-list this would definately be the way to go.

2. David Tennant

David Tennant is a guy who knows how to play ridiculous intelligence paired with great charisma, which is a trait anyone playing The Riddler should posses.

1. Matt Smith

When I first saw the rumours of who the main villain was likely to be Matt Smith was the first name that came to mind. Although each of the men on this list are more than capable of giving a great performance as the Riddler, I believe Smith can bring that little bit more to the part.

Thank you for reading, please post your opinion on who you think should portray Edward Nigma.