The Hollywood Reboot.

Has Hollywood trained us to look back as opposed to looking forward?

If you happen to be a member of the CanGeek Community Page on Facebook then you know we've talked a lot about Hollywood reboots, more specifically films that we'd like to see given the reboot treatment.

However over the past few days, as I've been re-watching classic films including HIGHLANDER and Tim Burton's BATMAN, I've found myself wondering if, due to the lack of creativity within their writing community, Hollywood has somehow trained consumers to welcome reboots as opposed to expecting fresh material.

From TOTAL RECALL and Stephen King's IT, to The FANTASTIC FOUR and TOMB RAIDER, there just seems to be no end to what Hollywood will remake, and with films like Hellboy and The Crow getting the reboot treatment there seems to be no end in sight either.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not opposed to reboots if they make sense, but there is no confusing the fact that some of these films are being remade due to a lack of inspiration and a need to grow a movie studios bank account.

However what's more offensive then a reboot is a sequel to a film that hasn't seen a franchise release in more then twenty years, films like Blade Runner 2049 and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull immediately come to mind.

What's next, a re-release of Batteries Not Included? 

It's just my opinion but as much as directors including Ridley Scott have been critical of the Superhero film genre in the past year, Marvel Studios seems to be one of the few Hollywood film companies offering up semi-original content that is keeping the movie-going public entertained.

The success of Marvels Black Panther earlier this year is, at least in part, proof of that...after-all keeping the public entertained is their job.

So with very few films beyond the Superhero genre on my radar this year, I'll be in line next Saturday, ready to throw away my movie-going money, for the release of Avengers: Infinity War. As for Hollywood and their need to revisit the past, if they want to continue to earn my money then they need to step forward into the future.

Thanks for reading.

Suffering loss to continue the story.

Apparently all you have to do to get kicked out of some Facebook groups is point out that, all be it unfortunate, loss is a natural part of life....... And lets be honest here, that's where most superhero themed stories begin, with loss.

Earlier today I weighed in on a conversation in one such group, someone had pointed out that many Marvel fans were upset over the possibility that Robert Downey Jr. might depart the Marvel Cinematic universe as part of the Infinity War story arc.

Many people weighed in with some interesting responses ranging from I don't care if he dies to I'll never watch another Marvel film if he dies, a multitude of opinions regarding the possible departure of the actor in question.

Needing to have my voice heard I pointed out that no-one can question Downey Jr's contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his character being the corner stone of said universe. With his first outing as billionaire Tony Stark in the 2008 release of Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr got the ball rolling, and has appeared in a total of eight Marvel films to date - truly a fan favorite. 

I then went on to point out that like any good story, sooner or later the tale of Tony Stark will have to come to an end, after all endings create new beginnings - that it the natural order of life.

Finally I stated that not only do I expect to see the death of Tony Stark in Infinity war, I also expect to see the departure of Steve Rogers in infinity war - Chris Evans has made it abundantly clear that he has had enough of portraying Captain America.

Fifteen minutes later I could no longer access that particular Facebook group, I guess the truth hurts.

The reality is, at least in my opinion, that in the real world heroes sadly die in the service of others. From emergency service workers to members of the military, being a hero is a dangerous profession at the best of times - but the world desperately needs its heroes!

Within the world of comics the same is true, heroes suffer personal loss and many pay the ultimate price in the service of others.... But through that loss new story-arcs are created which help to keep the universe fresh for fans both old and new.

As the Marvel Cinematic universe introduces new characters such as Black Panther, or begins to develop the story of characters like Bucky Barns it only makes sense that older characters will slowly be written out - again the natural order of things.

But that's just my opinion.

Let me know what your thoughts are on the possible exit of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. from the Marvel Cinematic Universe by leaving a comment below OR by joining the conversation on our Facebook Community Page.

Thanks for reading and remember to follow us at cangeek.com 

Ragnarok and Infinity War: What is the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Although this is speculation taken from the leaked Infinity War trailer and an interview with Mark Ruffalo, beware of possible SPOILERS ahead....

One thing I really love about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, like the threads of a spiderweb, they do a fantastic job of connecting their story-lines together from one film to the next.

With that in mind I can't help but think that there was a reason Disney and Marvel decided NOT to release the teaser trailer for The Avengers: Infinity War Part One, which was recently shown at both D23 and San Diego Comic-Con.

However as I'm sure they expected, multiple cellphones were used and now bootleg recordings are available via YouTube - so long as you can find them BEFORE Google removes them for copyright infringement.

It was widely speculated that this trailer would be released alongside or shortly after Thor: Ragnarak in November, which makes sense given that the Infinity War trailer finds Rocket Raccoon screaming

"Wipers! Wipers! GET IT OFF!"  

When the seemingly lifeless body of The God Of Thunder slams into the Guardians spacecraft in deep space, it's now fair to assume that Thor's time spent on Sakaar doesn't end well for him or his "Friend From Work", The Incredible Hulk.

Further to that point, during an interview at D23 Mark Ruffalo jokingly stated:

"Wait until you see the next one, like every other Marvel movie it doesn't end well for the superheroes, wait till you see this next one, everybody dies"

So now the question becomes was he joking?

We know that at the very least Thor survives, it appears his meeting with the Guardians will play a hand in both his and Peter Quill's eventual return to Earth as the events of Infinity War Part One begin to play out.

But the problem with bootleg copies is they're usually distorted and people's heads are always bobbing up and down, so maybe I missed both The Hulk and Loki, maybe they were in that trailer after all....

As stated at the beginning, this is all speculation until the release of THOR: Ragnarak in November, but it makes you wonder just how much the MCU will change post Ragnarak and Infinity War?