Ant-Man and the Wasp

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Trailer Park–The “Marvel’s Future Past Deja Vu Reprise Here We Go Again” Edition

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February 12, 2021

It was only a year ago here at borg we were discussing some of the projects expected to arrive in 2020. That didn’t happen, but a pandemic later and some juggling by the execs at Disney and we seem to have a realistic schedule for the projects we’ll see in 2021. So let’s gather some excitement for Marvel superheroes heading our way, at least from the first looks at these shows we’ve seen via their movie and series trailers. What does it look like we’re going to actually see in 2021 via streaming Disney+ or Vudu streaming? As Phase IV of the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues with the final episodes of WandaVision on Disney+, next up will be The Falcon and the Winter Soldier starting on Disney+ March 19. Probably the most eagerly awaited of all Marvel projects since Spider-Man: Far from Home is Black Widow, delayed and delayed some more, now expected to arrive May 7, probably for a theater run and a pay version via Disney+. Which leaves the six episode mini-series Loki, also expected to arrive in May, via Disney+. The common link? All of these feature characters and storylines still heavily anchored to Phase III of the MCU, and all are an opportunity to tweak the past via time travel or a changed past to allow for new characters and new storylines.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is expected to arrive in theaters June 25, and Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings has a July 9 premiere date, but Disney hasn’t issued a trailer for either yet. As a bonus we’ll throw in the trailer below for the animated series What… If? which doesn’t have anything but a 2021 projected Disney+ series launch date, and the trailer for Morbius, a Sony production tying into the MCU–at least via a cameo by Michael Keaton as Vulture, the villain from Sony’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. It’s now slated for a January 2022 theatrical premiere. Although an Eternals movie is expected around Thanskgiving and another Spider-Man movie could slip in around Christmas, all the other Phase IV projects have been pushed out beyond 2021–the next movies featuring Doctor Strange, Thor, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man and The Wasp, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Fantastic Four, and TV series featuring a new Hawkeye, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Guardians of the Galaxy (a special), Secret Invasion, Ironheart, Armor Wars, and a Wakanda series.

Check out these trailers:

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All the Marvel Cinematic Universe news from SDCC 2019

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July 22, 2019

Instead of what has been done at past panels at San Diego Comic-Con–having a panel for each or just a few major projects–Marvel Studios exec Kevin Feige was on-hand to get several announcements out the door and as many key cast members in and out of his single panel as possible. For the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase IV, that means tying in Disney’s (pay) streaming service with the movies. The big takeaway? New logos are pretty much all there is so far to share, plus key casting and timing announcements. And although the last Phase had some changes along the way, it looks as if these ten projects will round out the entirety of Marvel over the next few years. The biggest frustration for fans of the X-Men and Fantastic Four is why nobody at Marvel has been getting a head start on these two massively popular teams of characters–money is definitely going to be left on the table for the duration of Phase IV by pushing out these projects. Why aren’t these Priority #1 with someone at Disney in light of the long lead-time the corporation had for the Fox acquisition?

The new time table is straightforward: Black Widow movie (May 1, 2020), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV series (Fall 2020), Eternals movie (November 6, 2020), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings movie (February 12, 2021), WandaVision TV series (Spring 2021), Loki TV series (Spring 2021), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness movie (May 7, 2021), What If…? animated series (Summer 2021), Hawkeye TV series (Fall 2021), and Thor: Love and Thunder movie (November 5, 2021). The most eagerly awaited film after this year’s Avengers: Endgame was the hinted-at Guardians of the Galaxy/Thor or Asgardians of the Galaxy team-up movie, but Marvel still has not confirmed that project, unless it’s tied into the 2021 film. Also relegated to “in development” status: Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and the next Tom Holland Spider-Man movie (Spider-Man is Iron Man’s replacement, right?). Silence seems to confirm the death of the Marvel Netflix universe of Luke Cage, The Punisher, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist, and maybe even Disney+ projects Runaways, Ghost Rider, and Helstrom. FX’s Legion was already announced as canceled, and we lost track of how many times The New Mutants movie has been pushed back. Even bigger unknowns are the next Ant-Man and The Wasp, which had Hank Pym actor Michael Douglas already discussing it as a prequel, and if anyone is thinking about Prince Namor the Submariner, nobody is talking. It begs the question: Does Disney have too much to handle now?

As a beginning Disney’s Marvel side seems to be taking a lead from its Star Wars division, with its offerings targeting a mix of fans old, new, and in-between. For the fans of the MCU so far you have plenty, a Black Widow (presumably prequel) and Thor movie as bookends for Phase IV, and TV series to keep alive Falcon, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Loki, Doctor Strange, and Hawkeye. For new audiences (and possibly much older comic book readers) there is Shang-Chi and the Eternals to get to know, along with the announcement that Luke Cage’s Mahershala Ali will be playing Blade in a reboot movie at the beginning of Phase V, the vampire hunter who, like Spider-Man, has already seen an entire series of movies outside of the MCU.

The details are an eclectic mix of things you might want, things you didn’t know you want, and things you won’t know what to make of:

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Tags: Angelina Jolie, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Anthony Mackey, Awkwafina, Benedict Cumberbatch, Black Panther 2, Black Widow movie, Brian Tyree Henry, Captain Marvel 2, Cate Shortland, Chloé Zhao, Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Daredevil, Destin Daniel Cretton, Disney, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Don Lee, Donald Glut, Elizabeth Olsen, Eternals movie, Fantastic Four, FX's Legion, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Helstrom, Iron Fist, Jason Aaron, Jeffrey Wright, Jeremy Renner, Jessica Jones, Kevin Feige, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Loki TV series, Luke Cage, Mahershala Ali, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4, Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5, Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase IV, Marvel Cinematic Univese Phase V, Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, MCU, MCU Blade, MCU Fantastic Four, MCU X-Men, Natalie Portman, Paul Bettany, Prince Namor the Submariner movie, Richard Madden, Rick Hoberg, Runaways, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Scott Derrickson, SDCC 2019, Sebastian Stan, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man 3 Tom Holland, Taika Waititi, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV series, The New Mutants, The Punisher, Thor: Love and Thunder, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, WandaVision, What If…?, X-Men

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borg Hall of Fame 2018

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December 31, 2018

It’s been another long year of great entertainment. Before we wrap our coverage of 2018, it’s time for the sixth annual round of new honorees for the borg Hall of Fame. We have plenty of honorees from 2018 films and television, plus many from past years, and a peek at some from the future – 40 in all. You can always check out the updated borg Hall of Fame on our home page under “Know your borg.”

Some reminders about criteria. Borgs have technology integrated with biology. Wearing a technology-powered suit alone doesn’t qualify a new member. Tony Stark aka Iron Man was an inaugural honoree because the Arc Reactor kept him alive. The new Spider-Man suit worn by Tom Holland is similar to Tony’s, but as far as we can tell it’s not integrated with Peter Parker’s biology. Similarly Peni Parker, seen outside her high-tech SP//dr suit in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Black Manta from Aquaman (and decades of comics before), seem to be merely wearing tech suits. We’d love a reason for a Mandalorian to make the cut, like Boba Fett, or Jango Fett, since nobody has more intriguing armor. Maybe Jon Favreau’s new television series will give us something new to ponder next year.

Also, if the creators tell us the characters are merely robots, automatons, or androids, we take their word for it. Westworld continues to define its own characters as androids (like Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Lt. Commander Data throughout the TV series), and not cyborgs (going back to Michael Crichton’s original story), so we continue this year to hold off on their admittance unless something changes, like the incorporation of living biological (blood, cells, etc.) materials. Are we closing in on admitting individuals solely based on a breathing apparatus that may allow them to breathe to in non-native atmospheres? Only if integrated (surgically). Darth Vader has more borg parts than his breathing filter. We assume new honoree Saw Gerrera does as well. With more biological enhancements we’d allow Tusken Raiders, Moloch, and Two Tubes from the Star Wars universe, and Mordock the Benzite from Star Trek, but wouldn’t that also mean anyone in a deep sea suit or space suit is a cyborg? Again, integration is key. Ready Player One has humans interacting with a cyber-world with virtual reality goggles and other equipment, but like the Programs (as opposed to the Users) in the movie Tron, this doesn’t qualify as borg either, but we’re making an exception this year for the in-world Aech, who is a cyborg orc character, and two Tron universe characters.

Already admitted in 2017 were advance honorees that didn’t actually make it to the screen until 2018. This included Josh Brolin’s new take on Cable in Deadpool 2 and Simone Missick’s Misty Knight after her acquisition of a borg arm in Marvel’s Luke Cage. New versions of Robotman and Cyborg are coming in 2019 in the Doom Patrol series, but they are already members of the revered Hall of Fame. Above are the new looks for these two earlier honorees.

So who’s in for 2018?

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Tags: 2018 borg Hall of Fame honorees, Aaron Aikman, Adventure Time, Aech, Alien: Covenant, Alita, Alita: Battle Angel, Amanda Seyfried, AMC, Angela the cyborg hunter, Anon, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Aquaman, Augmented Cyborg Monster, Aurra Sing, Bala-Tik, Bellona, Black Manta, Black Panther, borg, Borg Hall of Fame, borg technology, borg.com Hall of Fame, Colr Iron Corruptor, Community season one, cybernetic organism, Cyborg, Cyborg Commando, cyborg hunter, Damaera Mills, Dan Harmon, David 8, Deadpool 2, Doc Ock, Don "The Demon" Donaldson, Dr Klaw, Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons, Edge of Spider-Verse, Extinction, Finn, Florn, Flynn, Frank Mentzer, Garren Kho, Gary Gygax, Ghost, Grewishka, Guavian Death Gang, Hannah John-Kamen, Honey Badger, Humans, Humans AMC, Inspector Gadget, Iron Man, James Cameron, Jim Mahfood, Johnny Mnemonic, Karen Voss, Kevin Flynn, Last Call at Zero Angle, Lobot, Long John Silver, Machinamancers, Marvel Comics, Marvel's Luke Cage, Marvel's Spider-Man PS4 PlayStation, Michael Peña, Misty Knight, Mohan, Molly Millions, Moloch, Mordock the Benzite, Mort, Netflix, Olivia Octavius, Peni Parker, Predator Killer, Ready Player One, Rhen-Orm biocomputer, Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Robotman, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Ruth Bradley, Sam Flynn, Saw Gerrera, Shane Black, Solo: A Star wars Story, Spider-Man, Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse, Star Wars, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars Legacy, Star Wars The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Rebels, Synth, The Borg Construct Aj^6, The Empire Strikes Back, The Girl, The Neuromancer, The Predator, Tom Holland, Treasure Planet, Tron, Two Tubes, Ulysses Klaue, Viloet Evergarden, Walter, Westworld, Wolverine, X-23, Zapan, Zelda

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borg’s Best of 2018–Kick-Ass Genre Heroines

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December 24, 2018

It’s time for borg′s annual look at the Best Kick-Ass Genre Heroines in film and television. This year we selected 25 characters that rose to the top. Again the studios gave us more to cheer about than ever. We’re highlighting the very best from a slate of fantastic heroines, with characteristics to learn from and cheer on. Determined, decisive, loyal, brave, smart, fierce, strong (and, okay, sometimes evil), you’ll find no one here timid or weepy, but all rely on their individual skills to beat the odds and overcome any obstacle that comes their way. Over the years we have expanded the list to include any tough, savvy, gritty character played by a woman, so villains are welcome here, too. Some may be frazzled, put-upon, war-weary, or human, but all have fought, some against difficult circumstances, others against personal demons (literally, figuratively, or both), and some against gun and laser fire. And they all showed what a tough, kick-ass character is about.

In 2018 these characters broke new ground, and unlike last year’s great list, this year’s selections would not have worked as well had the characters been swapped for males. We had a former MI-5 agent, bounty hunters, assassins, doctors, defenders, advanced superhumans, superheroines, warriors, witches, and even a few cyborgs–with a roster evenly split between television and movie characters.

Better yet, here’s something we haven’t said before. Several of our selections this year were played by women over 50.

These are the Best Kick-Ass Genre Heroines of 2018:

Enfys Nest (Solo: A Star Wars Story). For the first half of Solo: A Star Wars Story, Enfys Nest was the leader of a band of pirates, a character as cool and ruthless as anyone Han Solo ever faced. But once she took off her mask, it became clear how important she was, how significant her mission was–even more so than Han Solo’s own pursuit of mere wealth. She foreshadowed what Han would later find with Leia, an early glimpse at a rogue and scoundrel who actually had some good in him. When they joined forces, it made their characters even better. And she became one of the best warriors in the Star Wars universe since the original trilogy. (Disney/Lucasfilm)

Okoye (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War). Is there any woman warrior as powerful and impressive in a fantasy movie this year as Danai Gurira’s Okoye? We can’t think of any. A smart commander, a brave soldier, a loyal ally. Stalwart, devoted, steadfast, strong physically, intimidating and wise, with a keen unwavering ferocity, she represented the best of Wakanda, and fought bravely to defend the world at the last stand against Thanos. (Disney/Marvel)

Higgins (Magnum PI). Few television characters are as beloved as Jonathan Higgins in the original Magnum, p.i. So it was going to be risky having any actor step into the role John Hillerman made famous. So when the show honored the original character and late actor with such a finely tuned, updated character and actor, we took notice. Perdita Weeks’s Juliet Higgins is everything Robin Masters was–the character we all thought Higgins was in secret. We don’t know whether we’ll learn the truth this time around and what that truth will be, but as an ex-British secret service agent, she’s a James Bond for Thomas Magnum to partner with–literally running alongside the show’s star and fighting and shooting her way as an equal. And the result? Every episode of the first season was full of great action and fun. (CBS)
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Tags: 20th Century Fox, Alexa Davalos, Alisa Jones, Altered Carbon, Amazon Studios, Amblin Entertainment, AMC, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Aquaman, Art3mis, Avengers: Infinity War, badass women of 2018, Baldwin, BBC America, best female character 2018, Black Panther, CBS, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Counterpart, CW Network, Danai Gurira, Deadpool 2, Doctor Who, Domino, Emilia Clarke, Enfys Nest, Erin Kellyman, Evangeline Lilly, Gemma Chan, Global Road Entertainment, Hailee Steinfeld, Halloween 2018, Hannah John-Kamen, Hannah John-Kamen movies, History Channel, Hotel Artemis, Humans AMC, iZombie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet McTeer, Jodie Foster, Jodie Foster movies, Jodie Whittaker, Jodie Whittaker 13th Doctor, Juliana Crain, Juliet Higgins, Kiernan Shipka, Kristin Ortega, Lagertha, Lara Croft, Laurie Strode, Lionsgate, Liv Moore, Liz Dudley, Lodge 49, Lucasfilm, Magnum PI, Martha Higareda, Marvel's Ghost, Marvel's Hellcat, Marvel's Jessica Jones, Mera, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Mia, Michelle Gomez, Miramax, Ms Wardwell, Netflix, Nice, Okoye, Olivia Cooke, Perdita Weeks, Qi-ra, Rachael Taylor, Ready Player One, Rose McIver, Sabrina Spellman, Sara Serraiocco, Sofia Boutella, Solo: A Star wars Story, Sony Pictures Animation, Sonya Cassidy, Spider-Gwen, Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse, Spider-Woman, Starz, The Man in the High Castle, The Wasp, Tomb Raider, Trish Walker, Universal Pictures, Vikings TV series, Vikings TV series History Channel, Warner Brothers, Zazie Beetz

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Twenty-movie Marvel festival coming to AMC theaters for Labor Day weekend

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August 16, 2018

As part of the continuing celebration of 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that kickstarted filmdom’s modern superhero blockbuster chapter, AMC Theaters are getting the entire team back together for an eight-day movie marathon nationwide beginning Thursday, August 30. Get ready for the Marvel Studios 10th Anniversary Film Festival. Marvel has converted three early films in the series to IMAX for the first time: Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Incredible Hulk. So the entire 20 film series will be screened in IMAX, plus many of the films will also be screened in 3D.

The announcement arrives with the home video release of Avengers: Infinity War, now available on Blu-ray and Digital HD, 4K, and DVD. If you missed Infinity War, check out our review here (and catch all our Marvel Cinematic Universe reviews below). This is your chance to catch up any or all of the films you might have missed in the theater, including the three 2018 releases Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and The Wasp. And it will give many younger viewers the opportunity to see some great superhero movies from the early days of the MCU on the big screen for the first time.

The big day of the festival appears to be September 3, with a great single-day line-up: Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and The Wasp. The series will run over Labor Day weekend, with four films per day from August 30 through September 5. On September 6, AMC will screen two fan-favorite films, to be selected by a fan vote. See the Marvel Studios 10th Anniversary Film Festival website for more details. It also seems likely based on past screenings that AMC may offer some kind of bundled purchase price for multiple shows. Check back to the website as the end of August nears for any additional promotions.

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SDCC 2018–Women costume designers and superheroine costumes take center stage at Comic-Con

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July 25, 2018

Last weekend San Diego Comic-Con spotlighted women costume designers and the creations of more than a dozen women designers created for actresses for some of the decade’s biggest genre films. The Costume Designers Guild presented a panel Saturday featuring members Sanja Hays (costume designer, Captain Marvel, Star Trek: Beyond, Star Trek: Insurrection), Amanda Riley (costume designer, Supergirl, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), and Laura Jean Shannon (costume designer, Iron Man, Titans, Black Lightning, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) who provided highlights and anecdotes about their careers designing costumes for some of the most popular current and recent productions on television and in film. A big high point for attendees was Hayes, whose new Captain Marvel costume will be the next benchmark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to be worn next year by Brie Larson in Captain Marvel–the first Marvel film with a woman in the title role. Hayes commented that she found working on Marvel movies different from past projects in that many details of design and even minor changes require extra levels of approval from Marvel’s continuity side. Each of the designers stated they have arrived at a stage in their careers where they now have the power to cherry pick costumes to personally dive into from their projects and assign other production team members for the rest. They also stressed the value of having close-knit and exceptional artists on their teams that can work together to meet the requirements of production.

At the giant Marvel Studios area on the convention floor, attendees could get up close to several key screen-used superheroine costumes from the past ten years, from Anna B. Sheppard‘s World War II Agent Carter uniform worn by Hayley Atwell from the beginning of the franchise to Evangeline Lilly‘s armor from The Wasp from this summer’s Ant-Man and The Wasp, created by Louise Frogley. Eight other costumes bookended one side of the Marvel stage, including another four costumes opposite them in glass display cases–twelve heroines in all: Lupita Nyong’o‘s Nakia, Danai Gurira‘s Okoye, and Letitia Wright‘s Shuri costumes from Black Panther, created by Ruth E. Carter, Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie armor created by Mayes C. Rubeo for Thor: Ragnarok, Scarlett Johansson‘s Black Widow costume from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Zoe Saldana‘s Gamora costume, Karen Gillan‘s Nebula costume, and Pom Klementieff‘s Mantis costume from Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, all created by Judianna Makovsky, Elizabeth Olsen‘s Scarlet Witch costume from Avengers: Age of Ultron, created by Alexandra Byrne, and Jaimie Alexander‘s Sif armor from Thor: The Dark World, created by Wendy Partridge.

A separate giant display elsewhere was created for Karl Urban‘s Skurge armor created by Mayes C. Rubio for Thor: Ragnarok. DC Entertainment displayed Leah Butler‘s Shazam! costumes for Asher Angel‘s Billy Batson and his superhero alter ego, played by Zachary Levi. And Lucasfilm presented David Crossman and Glyn Dillon‘s costumes from Solo: A Star Wars Story (a little more out of reach than the rest, posed high at the top of their exhibit), including screen-used costumes from Alden Ehrenreich‘s Han Solo, Joonas Soutomo‘s Chewbacca, Emilia Clarke‘s Qi’ra, Donald Glover‘s Lando, Erin Kellyman‘s Enfys Nest, and Paul Bettany‘s Dryden Vos. And it wasn’t just about costumes, as many displays included the corresponding screen-used prop weaponry for the character.

Costume designers Laura Jean Shannon, Sanja Hays, and Amanda Riley at the costume designers panel at San Diego Comic-Con Saturday, July 21, 2018.

The following are photographs of all 22 costumes. The lighting and glass displays limited the clarity of some of the images, and the Star Wars display was too high for our equipment to get any detail. Yet some of the detail is better than you find in many behind the scenes books on the market today showing the costumes of DC, Marvel, or the Star Wars films–nothing beats seeing these close-up. Take a look:

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Tags: Alden Ehrenreich, Alexandra Byrne, Amanda Riley, Anna B. Sheppard, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Asher Angel, Black Panther costumes, Captain Marvel, Comic-Con, costume design, costume designer, Costume Designers Guild, Danai Gurira, David Crossman, DC Entertainment, Donald Glover, Elizabeth Olsen, Emilia Clarke, Erin Kellyman, Evangeline Lilly, Glyn Dillon, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Hayley Atwell, Jaimie Alexander, John Muto, Joonas Suotamo, Judianna Makovsky, Karen Gillan, Karl Urban, Laura Jean Shannon, Leah Butler, Letitia Wright, Louise Frogley, Lupita Nyong'o, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mayes C. Rubeo, Paul Bettany, Pom Klementieff, production design, production designers, Production Designers Guild, Richard Bridgland, Sanja Milkovich Hays, Scarlett Johansson, Scott Chambliss, screen used costumes, screen-used props, SDCC 2018, Shazam, Star Wars, Star Wars costumes, Supergirl, Tessa Thompson, Wendy Partridge, Zachary Levi, Zoe Saldana

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Ant-Man and the Wasp–Ant-Man sequel brings the fun, laughs, and heart back to the MCU

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July 7, 2018

Review by C.J. Bunce

Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk haven’t done it. Along with Captain America and Thor, now Ant-Man adds another Marvel Cinematic universe film that matches the spirit of its first solo film. That’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, premiering this weekend in theaters across the U.S. If you count Ant-Man as one of your favorite films of the MCU, you won’t be disappointed in the sequel. As with the original, Ant-Man and the Wasp is the rare superhero movie that will appeal to all ages of moviegoers–not a single scene will pollute the minds of the littlest kid, and for the older generation that loved that classic sci-fi trope from The Incredible Shrinking Man, moviegoers don’t need to follow the MCU to jump right into this film. Better yet, Ant-Man and the Wasp has heart like nothing else on the big screen from Marvel, except for Paul Rudd’s first adventure as Ant-Man only three years ago.

For those not paying close attention, this film takes place before the events of Avengers: Infinity War, and two years following the events of Captain America: Civil War. Each of the character-led superhero films have those elements special to that character. The trademarks of Ant-Man return for this sequel: a slightly daft and bumbling hero (played by Rudd) enjoying his superpowers, a friend whose rapid-fire banter steals every scene (played by Michael Peña), a romantic co-lead ready to bust out and make her own name (played by Evangeline Lilly), even more cutting edge special effects that show today’s actors playing scenes looking just as they did 20 years ago, and the return of the great Michael Douglas with every bit the acting chops he had back in his The China Syndrome, Coma, and Romancing the Stone days as the incomparable Dr. Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man. Rudd’s Scott Lang has only three days left under house arrest before regaining his freedom, as Dr. Pym and daughter Hope (Lilly) attempt to secure the last piece of technology required to try to reach Pym’s wife, long ago left in the quantum realm. But they aren’t the only ones after this new technology.

The film doesn’t stop at mere fan service, bringing in three new characters that take the quantum universe story arc from the first film into new territory. That’s Michelle Pfeiffer as Dr. Janet Van Dyne–the original Wasp, Laurence Fishburne as former Pym colleague Dr. Bill Foster, and a stunningly good MCU debut by Hannah John-Kamen–at last in a major big screen role after playing supporting characters this year in Tomb Raider and Ready Player One. John-Kamen’s character has the same fierce grit and badass determination as Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, and like Valkyrie, we hope she’s back in the sequel to Avengers: Infinity War next year. As with Thor: Ragnarok, Ant-Man and the Wasp brings the comic book page to life, and like Black Panther, the film has an antagonist you may find yourself rooting for. And make no mistake, Lilly’s Wasp could take over the reins from Black Widow as Marvel’s lead superheroine.

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First look–New poster and trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp

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May 1, 2018

One more Marvel Studios film is still on its way in 2018, and with the success of Avengers: Infinity War breaking the best weekend opening box office record, moviegoers will be ready to dive back in for more. Ant-Man and The Wasp will take a step back, at least in part, before the events in Infinity War, with Ant-Man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) on house arrest after damaging the airport as Giant Man during that spectacular action sequence in Captain America: Civil War. Lang was enlisted to help Team Cap by The Falcon (Anthony Mackey) after his run-in with The Falcon in 2015’s Ant-Man. That movie is also where we last saw Michael Douglas’s original Ant-Man, Dr. Hank Pym, and his daughter, Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne.

The first full trailer (previewed here) gave us a look at Ghost, portrayed by Hannah John-Kamen (Ready Player One, Tomb Raider), but with her mask, and we now see her without the mask in the official movie poster (above), just released. We also now have our first look at Michelle Pfeiffer (Murder on the Orient Express, Wolf, Batman Returns) as Hank Pym’s wife, Dr. Janet van Dyne, the original superheroine who was lost in the Quantum Realm decades ago.

And Marvel Studios just released a second trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp, and all signs point to another hit for Marvel. We met the characters in the first film and now, origin story behind us, audiences will get to watch them take off. So with no more ado, check out the new trailer (plus the teaser) for Ant-Man and The Wasp:

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First look at Rudd, Lilly, Douglas, and John-Kamen’s Ghost in awesome first trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp

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January 31, 2018

Marvel’s unique approach in 2015’s Ant-Man rejuvenated the superhero franchise with something truly fresh. Skipping all the anger and drama of superheroes in conflict, it went for laughs and expanded the potential of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, allowing for a new take on superhero films beginning with that humor-filled romp, November’s Thor: Ragnarok. Add in the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies and you’d have the most fun superhero marathon you could put together this century. If comic books and superheroes are about escapist fun, no better superhero illustrates that theme than the underdog played so believably by Paul Rudd. Rudd also appeared as Ant-Man (and Giant Man) in Captain America: Civil War, and along with Tom Holland’s new Spider-man, Kevin Feige & Co. amped up what was becoming a ho-hum Avengers storyline.

Now we have the first preview for Ant-Man and The Wasp, and all signs point to another hit for Marvel, delivering exactly what fans want, our favorite characters looking cool and being cool: Michael Douglas back as Dr. Hank Pym, Rudd as the well-meaning but slightly befuddled Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, and–at last–Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne donning the The Wasp supersuit. We met the characters in the first film and now, origin story behind us, audiences will get to watch them take off. And, of course, we have a perfectly appropriate poster showcasing the new team-up:

We get a first glimpse of Ghost in this trailer, played by Hannah John-Kamen, who if audiences don’t know her already from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Killjoys, The Hour, Game of Thrones, and Black Mirror, you’ll know her from starring roles in Ready Player One, Tomb Raider, and Ant-Man and The Wasp.

How will Marvel handle the character? As the villain, or maybe not, with Walton Goggins also appearing as the comic book villain Sonny Burch? Laurence Fishburne is also coming our way in the film as the 1960s-1970s character Dr. Bill Foster aka Goliath.

Wait no further, check out this great trailer for this summer’s Ant-Man and The Wasp:

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Tags: Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ant-Man and the Wasp costumes, Ant-Man and The Wasp official movie poster, Ant-Man and The Wasp trailer, Evangeline Lilly, Goliath, Hannah John-Kamen, Hannah John-Kamen movies, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Comics, Marvel's Ghost, Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd, Sonny Burch, Walton Goggins

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All the movies you’ll want to see in 2018

Filed under: Backstage Pass, Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, Superheroes — 3 Comments

December 25, 2017

Merry Christmas!

It’s that time of year again, time to take a look forward at what movies should be on your radar for 2018. Are you going to see them all? Heck no. These are the genre films we think borg.com readers will want to know about to make their own checklists for the coming year. We pulled 55 of the hundreds of films that have been finalized or are in varying stages of final production for next year’s movie calendar.

What looks that it may top the list of most fanboys and fangirls? How about Ready Player One in March? Solo: A Star Wars Story and Avengers: Infinity War in May? Sequels to Deadpool and The Incredibles in June? X-Men: Dark Phoenix in November? But don’t over look other films that look promising, like Winchester in February, Tomb Raider in March, and The Predator and The Equalizer sequels in August.

So grab your calendar and start making your plans for next year–here is the list of the movies you’ll want to see in 2018:

The Commuter – January 12 — Liam Neeson’s next action thriller finds him on a train with an offer he can’t refuse. Co-starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.

Proud Mary – January 12 — A hitwoman played by Teraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures, Empire) has her life go sideways when a mob hit goes bad. With Neal McDonough and Danny Glover.

Ophelia – January 22 — Daisy Ridley stars as Ophelia in a twist on Shakepseare’s Hamlet told from her perspective. Co-starring Naomi Watts and Tom Felton.

Please Stand By – January 26 — Dakota Fanning, Toni Collette, and Alice Eve star in a story about a young woman with autism who sets her sights on winning a Star Trek writing competition.

Winchester – February 2 — Inspired by true events, the story of the heir to the Winchester firearms fortune finds herself haunted by the deaths of all killed by the weapons, leaving her to try to avoid them in an incredible mansion. Starring Helen Mirren and Jason Clarke.

Cloverfield 3 (yet to be titled) – February 2 — A crew of astronauts fight for survival on a space station. Starring Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Brühl, and David Oyelowo.

Peter Rabbit – February 9 — Fox Studios brings a great cast of voice talent to their adaptation of the classic Beatrix Potter story. With Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, Rose Byrne, and Domhnall Gleeson.

Monster Family – February 9 — A family is turned into monsters in this animated romp. Starring the voices of Jason Isaacs, Emily Watson, Nick Frost, and Catherine Tate.

Black Panther – February 16 — Ryan Coogler directs Marvel Comics’ king cat superhero Black Panther in his own standalone movie. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, with a reunion of The Hobbit’s Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis.

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