Marvel
expands with Dr. Strange, female Captain Marvel films
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[October 29, 2014]
By Piya Sinha-Roy
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The
Marvel cinematic universe is expanding with new
characters Doctor Strange, Black Panther and Captain
Marvel, who will be the first female superhero to anchor
her own Marvel film, the Walt Disney Co-owned studio
said on Tuesday.
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Marvel's new slate of eight superhero films announced at a
fan event includes both sequels to its stream of box office hits
and new franchises, with "Doctor Strange" kicking off the
newcomers in 2016.
Doctor Strange is a former neurosurgeon who loses the ability to
perform surgery and turns to magic. Despite widespread reports
that he would be played by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch,
Marvel did not confirm casting.
"We are excited to tap into what excites us the most, which is
the supernatural," Marvel studio president Kevin Feige said.
"If (casting) were confirmed, we would have introduced him
today. Every single actor of a certain age has been rumored to
be Doctor Strange," he added.
Feige also said there is plenty of time to find an actress to
play Captain Marvel, the alter-ego of a character named Carol
Danvers, for the film that will be released in July 2018.
While Marvel has female superheroes like Black Widow played by
Scarlett Johansson, this is the first time a woman will anchor a
film in what is widely seen as an effort to bring more women and
girls to the fanboy heavy Marvel universe.
Feige said there are no plans for a stand-alone Black Widow
film, but that Johansson's character will continue to be
featured prominently in the other Marvel films.
Black Panther, the superhero alter-ego of T'Challa, will
premiere in 2017 and will be played by "42" actor Chadwick
Boseman, who will also appear in "Captain America: Civil War,"
the third installment of the "Captain America" franchise
starring Chris Evans.
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Boseman and Evans were joined by "Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. at the
event held where fans erupted in screams and cheers while the actors
bantered on stage for a few minutes.
Disney has had a succession of blockbuster hits from its recently
acquired Marvel Studios, from Downey Jr's "Iron Man," Evans'
"Captain America" and Chris Hemsworth's "Thor."
Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, who plays popular supervillain Loki,
will return in "Thor: Ragnarok" in July 2017, and Feige said the
film will set a new timeline of events that will be followed in
future Marvel films, which are often interconnected.
"Avengers: Infinity War," the third installment of the ensemble
superhero franchise, will be split into two parts, with part one
released in May 2018 and part two in May 2019.
With Disney Animation releasing its first Marvel-inspired movie "Big
Hero 6" next week and "Ant-Man" and "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
scheduled for next year, Marvel is pushing ahead with new characters
and franchises.
In addition to new solo superheroes, Marvel will unveil the ensemble
cast of "Inhumans" in 2018 for its 20th film, with Feige saying he
hopes it will lead to numerous spin-off franchises.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Mary Milliken, Steve
Orlofsky and Cynthia Osterman)
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