by Kim Rilchak, Reporter

Hey there! It’s the midweek round up edition of Rampant Speculation, here to cover all the stuff that has broken since Monday. And boy, did a lot of stuff happen this week. Let’s dig in shall we?

Avengers: Age of Ultron- The Latino Review has a whole mess of possible spoilers for Avengers: Age of Ultron which need to be taken with a boulder sized grain of salt but are worth checking out if only to get an idea of what sort of rumors are out there.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice- As previously mentioned, LexCorp is going to be more Facebook/Google than Massive Dynamic/Umbrella Cooperation in Batman V Superman. Screen Rant has a bit more about that as well as pictures of the building.

A split-second glimpse of a LexCorp building in Man of Steel established that the “young and edgy” company run by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) did have some headquarters in Metropolis, though it’s highly possible that this LexCorp building was damaged – if not completely destroyed – during the battle between Superman and General Zod. If that’s the case then this new building could be where Lex moved his central operations to in the wake of the fight, or it could be some kind of lab or factory.

Also in B V S news Superman seems to be getting the full “Metro-Man” treatment by Metropolis if the pictures that have surfaced of a giant stature of our favorite kryptonian are anything to go by.

Sadly there is no further news on Wonder Woman’s outfit to report, but if we get any late breaking news on either her shoes or purse I will be sure to update!

Guardians of the Galaxy- The people behind everyone’s third favorite groups of space pirates (Team’s Serenity and Moya came in first & second respectively) released some fairly awesome new posters featuring Gamora, Drax and Star Lord (who?).

Jurassic World- Thanks to the folks over at The Onion’s A.V. Club we now have some photos of Jurassic World which I will now share with you in hopes of making up for any terror I may have inadvertently caused with the last Jurassic World photos I shared. Sorry about that!

Marvel Studios: So this is sorta, kinda, old-ish news but I feel that it merits some attention and as I am a power mad despot with a laptop and too much time on her hands it is attention it will receive. Moviepilot has previously reported that Marvel has licensed nine different properties for use in The Marvel Cinematic Universe. They are Age Of Ultron, Alpha Flight, Black Panther, Guardians Of The Galaxy, New Warriors, Rocket Raccoon, Strikeforce Morituri, Journey Into Mystery, and  the Irredeemable Ant Man, and these are my best guess as to where they may end up fitting in with the ongoing creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

*Please note there be SPOILERS here, big-ish ones, for not only the comics but also the movies and the television show. Full stop.

It’s an interesting mix to say the least. I mean, Alpha Flight? I was certain they would go with the Inhumans first, if only to fill the mutant shaped hole in their hearts and lineup, but these are their picks. I believe the best articulation of my thoughts on the selection is, “huh”. While I may inclined to be jugy, as I would if any of my girlfriends started dating someone I could not at first see the merit of, I will give them a closer look and see if I can spot the potential of some of these fixer uppers. (I will be leaving Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket Raccoon, and the Irredeemable Ant-Man off the list since we all pretty much know what they plan on doing with them.)

Black-Panther- This one even I can see. T’challa is basically Batman only with super science and a crown. He slots right in with the Avengers, is very good friends with Cap, is a member of the Illuminati along with Tony if Marvel Studios wants to go there (Please don’t) and giving him a movie would help to alleviate The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) diversity problem, what with their attachment to hiring all hot white guys names Chris. Now give me a Carol Danvers movie dammit.

Alpha Flight- I may knock Alpha Flight, mostly because I am mean person, but I can see why Marvel would bring them in as a secondary team for the MCU. With the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D and fraging of the World Security Council the political landscape of the MCU is in a highly charged and precarious state. Without Big Brother watching countries are going to have to field their own teams and with the devastating news about S.H.I.E.L.D’s link to H.Y.D.R.A. I can see where trusting an American based security hegemony would not be an option for anyone at this point. Not even America. (Phil, you have your work cut out for you.)

The New Warriors- So, full disclosure, I read the very first run of the “New Warriors” comic written by Fabian Nicieza (“Thunder Bolts”, “X-Force”, “Nightwing”) when it first came out and loved the heck out of it (Firestar FTW!) but I stopped reading it long before they became the hot mess they ended up being before they literally blew up. The New Warriors is an interesting choice for Marvel Studios because while in the comics they never really amounted to much more than second stringers, at best, the idea behind them actually works perfectly for the MCU. In a world where there are suddenly superheros dropping from the sky, often literally (hey Thor), I could very well see a group of people with unusual abilities coming together to emulate the Avengers. Especially in the wake of the events that took place in Captain America: The Winter Solider, with Cap setting an example for a group of idealistic young heroes by taking down a corrupt system with vigilante style justice and them wanting to do the same with other bad guys who see themselves above the law (Why hello there built in Occupy Movement allegory). With their diverse power levels, varied backgrounds (hey Nova) and lack of big name status the New Warriors could fit in well anywhere Marvel would want to slot them in, not only in the movies the but also in the upcoming “street level heroes” Netflix series’ or even on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

Plus, if Marvel Studios ever intends to do some sort of take on “Civil War: Steve & Tony Break Up In the Single Worst Way Possible” (again, please don’t), they are going to need the New Warriors because they played a pivotal role in why the war started.

Strikeforce Morituri- My best guess? It’s another Big hero 6 here. Take a very unknown property and give it the Full Miyazaki. 

Journey into Mystery- Asgardian based TV show. They have already brought in the Lady Sif into the verse with her appearance on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and lets face it Asgardian’s are amazing and awesome. Who would not LOVE the heck out of a Warriors 3 with Lady Sif buddy cop show? Only horrible people, that’s who.

Snowpiercer- So, as we all know by now, I have loved this movie ever since I heard it was a thing but I am not alone in giving the film some love. Comic Book Resources just wrote a great interview with screenwriter Kelly Masterson (Before the Devil Knows Your Dead) about the fight to keep the directors cut in the american release and also about why this movie is amazing and awesome and why everyone should go see it when it finally comes out in the states. 

“CBR News: After “Snowpiercer” premiered in South Korea last August, how does it feel to finally have a North American release date?

Kelly Masterson: I’m absolutely thrilled to finally be getting a release date. I started on it about two and a half years ago, so it’s been quite a long process. The most frustrating thing was the rollout did so well in Korea and France, and then getting rave reviews everywhere. Of course, we had the frustration over the uncertainty of what cut was going to be released in the United States. All’s well that ends well. It’s director Bong’s cut. The United States and the U.K. are finally going to get to see this terrific movie.

To clarify, theaters will be showing Bong’s original cut, and not the trimmed version that Harvey Weinstein requested?

It’s the full director’s cut. Director [Joon-ho] Bong stuck to his guns. I know Bong spent a lot of time talking to Harvey and talking about ideas. I know Bong came to me and asked me to write some voiceover, to see if we could mitigate some of Harvey’s concerns. In the end, Bong really wanted the movie seen the way he intended it to be seen. Thank goodness Harvey is giving him that opportunity.”

With so many post-apocalyptic movies and television series, what really hooked you about this take on that genre?

Revolution. That was the big hook for me. It’s so timeless. We’ve been doing this since the Jews leaving Egypt. We throw off our oppressors. It’s common in human nature. There’s a great story in the graphic novel of revolution. People trapped in a train. They cannot leave the train; they have to survive within this closed world, and yet they are oppressed, so they must overthrow their oppressors. It’s such a terrific, heart-pounding linear story that you read in the graphic novel of coming from the back of the train to take over the engine. It has such force to it. That’s what really excited me.The post-apocalyptic element was less interesting to me, although fascinating. The writers of this graphic novel created this whole world within this train that is beyond our time.

I highly recommend checking it out the full article here.

Star Wars: Episode VII– More so than ever before I am prefacing this with “This is a rumor. Full stop.” This has not been confirmed or even remotely hinted at by ANYONE in the know. Okay?

So, there are some reports that Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Star Trek) was spotted in Abu Dhabi and that he may be there filming a super-secret role for Episode VII.

Remember to breath! This is just a rumor right now! It could be total bupkis and at this moment, instead of reenacting all of Kim Cattrall’s scenes from Sex in the City 2 for the amusement of a bored and jaded crew to keep them from shaving his head in some sort of weird movie set hazing ritual (They do that right? In between the orgies?), Mr. Pegg could be down at the Winchester having a pint and waiting for this whole thing to blow over.

ING Middle East were the first to report on the possible Pegging of Episode VII:

“According to our source, actor Simon Pegg, previously seen in JJ Abram’s ‘Star Trek’ series and ‘Mission Impossible 3’, is in fact playing a secret role in the film and was present on set to shoot scenes in Abu Dhabi.”

As stated many times above this is a rumor and even ING Middle East, the ones who reported it in the first place, are hedging their bets by adding that this possible appearance would fly in the face of what Simon Pegg himself has previously said on the matter.

“I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to be in it, to be honest. I think J.J. should cast new faces with no stunt casting.”

Plus he is a HUGE Star Wars geek, so this could just be him using his friendship with J.J. Abrams to get access to Carrie Fisher so he can propose marriage. Because who wouldn’t?

More Star Wars News: The dudes over at Schmoesknows are reporting that the Boba Fet movie is a go. Their sources are saying that not only is the film happening but that Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back) has been called upon to write the screen play.

And Finally In Star Wars News: The Latino Review has posted some possible spoilers and speculation which is definitely worth a look. It’s mostly bits and pieces, buried beneath a ton of stuff about the X-Files but as they have the rep for digging up actual dirt it pays to see what they have to say. Along with a pretty good break down of the rumor-sphere as it stands thus far, they also offered a bullet point list of a few other items that they say are legit enough to report. As always, go get your salt, you will need it.

”

• There will be a female villain. Over 50% sure she’s a Sith. I’ll follow up on this in later weeks.
• Despite having 30 Years after Jedi to set one up, there is NO New Republic at the start of Episode VII.
• Boba-Fett-similar armor is around. Probably not for the man himself.Mandalorians? Clone drama? Still unclear on a plot/character connection.
• John Boyega isn’t a Jedi or a Padawan at the beginning of the movie, he’s the one that has the story arc that brings him into Star Wars’ greater universe. It has echoes of Luke’s arc in A New Hope.”

I honestly do not know what to make of the Star War: Episode VII rumors this week. This all feels like some sort of elaborate trolling on the part of Lucasfilm’s. It’s like they went a got a list of every single fan dream and are releasing fake rumors based on them to draw attention away from their actual plans. It is downright Machiavellian! Or it could just be my super villain brain has been dialed up to eleven for too long while writing this and I have gone full plaid with paranoia.

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