Culture Junkie report...
Jan. 2nd, 2025 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. So, it's been announced that Marvel/Disney decided to change the title of their upcoming Avenger's film from "The Avengers: Kang Dynasty" to...
Avengers: Doomsday, which is due to be released in May 2026, and a further instalment titled Secret Wars a year later.
And guess who has been officially cast as Victor Von Doom? (I didn't know until I read my correspondence list this morning.) Robert Downy Jr is cast as Dr. Victor Von Doom
Speaking to reporters, he said: "I like playing complicated characters."
I don't know. I'm not at all surprised that they switched out Kang for Doom, there were rumblings about that happening as early as 2020, before Quantummania was released. And long before Jonathon Major (who played Kang) got himself into trouble. Mainly because Kang is a difficult villain to explain to a movie audience and not all that popular in the comics. (He's kind of explained in Loki - but Loki is a television series on Disney Plus, and you don't want to base a film series on a villain initially introduced on a convoluted time-travel cult television series. Also the introduction was even more convoluted than the series. Their explanation gave me a headache. Nor is he that popular or well-known a comic book villain - since he was more regulated to the lesser known series comics. ) But those were mainly rumors by fans (mainly because most Marvel comics fans and fans of the MCU knew Kang was a problematic villain.) They got louder and more official around 2023, when Quantummania tanked at the box office - Kang was the villain in that one, and it was his introduction. (And he was not an interesting villain, both the actor and the character lacked charisma.) Loki and Doctor Strange - Multiverse of Madness also didn't do quite as well as expected. The only multiverse films that did well - didn't mention Kang at all. Those were Spiderman: No Way Home and Deadpool and Wolverine.
Marvel was beginning to figure out that multiverse stories weren't grabbing the audience.
And whisperings of Victor Von Doom as a villain became more prominent. He's a great Marvel villain. Up there with Magneto, Namor, Thanos, Loki - although I'd say he's a better villain than Thanos in some respects. Charming, diabolical, with a sympathetic back story. Also, he's connected to two of Marvel's tent-pole franchises: Fantastic Four and the X-men. Marvel couldn't use him until the bought Fox. (Fox had film rights to the Fantastic Four and the X-men and all their characters.) So, yes, Doom is a much more exciting villain for the franchise. Far more interesting.
But, is Downy Jr the best casting choice? The fandom at comic con seemed happy about it. But I don't know? I tend to think of Doom as "big" as in six feet tall and muscular. Also, Downy Jr is kind of easy to spot and made a name for himself in the verse as well, Iron Man. However? Doom is never seen without his mask, his face is burned beyond recognition for the most part, and Downy Jr was almost unrecognizable in the Sympathizer and Oppenheimer - where he played villains with accents. And the role is less center stage than Tony Stark would be. Villains are usually just in a handful of films.
2. Almost through Rings of Power s2 on Amazon Prime. It's much better than expected. It probably helps that I've not read anything but the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, and did that in the 1980s, so can't remember it clearly enough to know what has been changed. I'm not a purist.
I don't think I'm a purist about anything? I read and watch serials that are kind of similar to published fanfiction - in that there is so much turnover between writers and editors that consistency is actually less than it would be for fanfiction sometimes. I'm nit-picky about some things, but not that.
I rather like RoP's take on Gladerial, who is both fierce and kind. I adore the character and how she's been fleshed out from her all-too-brief appearances in the books. I also love the Har-Foots and Stoors - precursors to the Hobbits, and their backstory. Along with the Wizard (who is to be Gandalf) and various others. The characters are compelling. Even Sauron, who is a charismatic and interesting villain.
It makes me want to re-watch the Lord of the Rings. (I saw it in theaters when it was first released, and have since seen it three or four times past that. It's among those handful of films I'll pause on and watch whenever I stumble across them on television.)
After I finish this, I may watch S2 of Wheel of Time. And possibly plunge back into The Witcher. I appear to be on a fantasy kick at the moment.
3. Books
I've gotten embroiled in Illona Andrews latest Kate Daniels Book - Magic Claims (which I think is one of the books that they independently published). What I love about these writers is they aren't wedded to the traditional publishing industry. Oh they do write for it - and get deals - they have to - to survive. But they also publish books independent of it.
The writers who publish independently are more interesting - and less formulaic or "commercial". They tend to take more risks with narrative and characters. And often have more to say.
Courtney Milan also independently publishes her work. As did Anthony Weir, and I think T Kingfisher. I like to read the lesser known writers. Although Illona Andrews has hit the best-seller lists as have Weir and Kingfisher. Ah, the other one was Wells who did the Murderbot series.
Claims is more interesting than Magic Tides - which felt like it was just setting the stage. Claims gets series and evolves the characters and moves things closer to where they were in Blood Heir.
If you are new to the Kate Daniels series? Don't start here. I'd start with either Magic Strikes, or the one just before it. Magic Bites tends to turn folks off - it's rather dark, and the writers hadn't hit their groove and were attempting a kind of dark urban fantasy procedural. Magic Strikes is much better.
That's on audio. Audio books are a mixed bag - you got to hit the right narrators and series. Some books work on audio, some don't. I have a subscription - so I pay about $9.99 a month, and it's kind of part of a bundle, and with that I get a free book and discounted books. If I save up credits or listen to a lot of books - I get lots of free ones.
The other one that I'm currently reading is Rules of Redemption: Firebird #1 by T.A. White - it's a sci-fi. It's okay, has some good banter. Not far enough in - to get a feel for it one way or the other.
Avengers: Doomsday, which is due to be released in May 2026, and a further instalment titled Secret Wars a year later.
And guess who has been officially cast as Victor Von Doom? (I didn't know until I read my correspondence list this morning.) Robert Downy Jr is cast as Dr. Victor Von Doom
Speaking to reporters, he said: "I like playing complicated characters."
I don't know. I'm not at all surprised that they switched out Kang for Doom, there were rumblings about that happening as early as 2020, before Quantummania was released. And long before Jonathon Major (who played Kang) got himself into trouble. Mainly because Kang is a difficult villain to explain to a movie audience and not all that popular in the comics. (He's kind of explained in Loki - but Loki is a television series on Disney Plus, and you don't want to base a film series on a villain initially introduced on a convoluted time-travel cult television series. Also the introduction was even more convoluted than the series. Their explanation gave me a headache. Nor is he that popular or well-known a comic book villain - since he was more regulated to the lesser known series comics. ) But those were mainly rumors by fans (mainly because most Marvel comics fans and fans of the MCU knew Kang was a problematic villain.) They got louder and more official around 2023, when Quantummania tanked at the box office - Kang was the villain in that one, and it was his introduction. (And he was not an interesting villain, both the actor and the character lacked charisma.) Loki and Doctor Strange - Multiverse of Madness also didn't do quite as well as expected. The only multiverse films that did well - didn't mention Kang at all. Those were Spiderman: No Way Home and Deadpool and Wolverine.
Marvel was beginning to figure out that multiverse stories weren't grabbing the audience.
And whisperings of Victor Von Doom as a villain became more prominent. He's a great Marvel villain. Up there with Magneto, Namor, Thanos, Loki - although I'd say he's a better villain than Thanos in some respects. Charming, diabolical, with a sympathetic back story. Also, he's connected to two of Marvel's tent-pole franchises: Fantastic Four and the X-men. Marvel couldn't use him until the bought Fox. (Fox had film rights to the Fantastic Four and the X-men and all their characters.) So, yes, Doom is a much more exciting villain for the franchise. Far more interesting.
But, is Downy Jr the best casting choice? The fandom at comic con seemed happy about it. But I don't know? I tend to think of Doom as "big" as in six feet tall and muscular. Also, Downy Jr is kind of easy to spot and made a name for himself in the verse as well, Iron Man. However? Doom is never seen without his mask, his face is burned beyond recognition for the most part, and Downy Jr was almost unrecognizable in the Sympathizer and Oppenheimer - where he played villains with accents. And the role is less center stage than Tony Stark would be. Villains are usually just in a handful of films.
2. Almost through Rings of Power s2 on Amazon Prime. It's much better than expected. It probably helps that I've not read anything but the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, and did that in the 1980s, so can't remember it clearly enough to know what has been changed. I'm not a purist.
I don't think I'm a purist about anything? I read and watch serials that are kind of similar to published fanfiction - in that there is so much turnover between writers and editors that consistency is actually less than it would be for fanfiction sometimes. I'm nit-picky about some things, but not that.
I rather like RoP's take on Gladerial, who is both fierce and kind. I adore the character and how she's been fleshed out from her all-too-brief appearances in the books. I also love the Har-Foots and Stoors - precursors to the Hobbits, and their backstory. Along with the Wizard (who is to be Gandalf) and various others. The characters are compelling. Even Sauron, who is a charismatic and interesting villain.
It makes me want to re-watch the Lord of the Rings. (I saw it in theaters when it was first released, and have since seen it three or four times past that. It's among those handful of films I'll pause on and watch whenever I stumble across them on television.)
After I finish this, I may watch S2 of Wheel of Time. And possibly plunge back into The Witcher. I appear to be on a fantasy kick at the moment.
3. Books
I've gotten embroiled in Illona Andrews latest Kate Daniels Book - Magic Claims (which I think is one of the books that they independently published). What I love about these writers is they aren't wedded to the traditional publishing industry. Oh they do write for it - and get deals - they have to - to survive. But they also publish books independent of it.
The writers who publish independently are more interesting - and less formulaic or "commercial". They tend to take more risks with narrative and characters. And often have more to say.
Courtney Milan also independently publishes her work. As did Anthony Weir, and I think T Kingfisher. I like to read the lesser known writers. Although Illona Andrews has hit the best-seller lists as have Weir and Kingfisher. Ah, the other one was Wells who did the Murderbot series.
Claims is more interesting than Magic Tides - which felt like it was just setting the stage. Claims gets series and evolves the characters and moves things closer to where they were in Blood Heir.
If you are new to the Kate Daniels series? Don't start here. I'd start with either Magic Strikes, or the one just before it. Magic Bites tends to turn folks off - it's rather dark, and the writers hadn't hit their groove and were attempting a kind of dark urban fantasy procedural. Magic Strikes is much better.
That's on audio. Audio books are a mixed bag - you got to hit the right narrators and series. Some books work on audio, some don't. I have a subscription - so I pay about $9.99 a month, and it's kind of part of a bundle, and with that I get a free book and discounted books. If I save up credits or listen to a lot of books - I get lots of free ones.
The other one that I'm currently reading is Rules of Redemption: Firebird #1 by T.A. White - it's a sci-fi. It's okay, has some good banter. Not far enough in - to get a feel for it one way or the other.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-03 02:40 am (UTC)Marvel can tie this into the whole multiversal mishegoss by having Doom be a Stark variant from an alternate reality... specifally, the one containing the Fantastic Four. I'm fairly sure Downey's Doom will be part of the FF movie. My guess? He steals Galactus' power at the end, which leads into the breakdown of multiversal barriers and (tada!) Doomsday!
The other option? He's classic Victor Von Doom, and Downey pulls it off because he's JUST THAT GOOD. We saw Oppenheimer. Would you bet against him?
no subject
Date: 2025-01-03 03:13 pm (UTC)My guess is that he will most likely be in the Fantastic Four film as well. And that film will lead into Avengers: Doom. The Fantastic Four film is supposed to be airing in 2025, with Avengers: Doom airing in 2026 with Secret Wars thereafter. I kind of figured Doom would be a villain in Secret Wars (he was in the comics).
It could work. And they do need a good actor for Doom, with the cast they have for the Fantastic Four.