Who Can Be the Next Wolverine?

Who Can Be the Next Wolverine?

One of the most popular Marvel superheros of all time is The Wolverine. A native of Canada with a foggy past, Logan has been around for a very very long time. With the added Adamantium to his bones, a healing factor, and the retractable claws, nothing is even getting close to killing him either. So it's sad to say the same thing cannot be said for Hugh Jackman, the actor who has become the archetype of Wolverine. The X-Men movie franchise is the longest running Marvel movie to date. Starting at the year 2000 with more additions to the franchise in May 2016. But the franchise is coming to a close. It's rumored that Hugh Jackman's contract is up after this movie, (and possibly another stand-alone Wolverine movie). So what then? Who can play this amazing superhero after Hugh Jackman is gone? Here is a list of just a few that I think could fit the bill, (Let me know in the comments if you have any others).

Mark Wahlberg:
Marky Mark Wahlberg seems like a pretty good choice as The Wolverine. He is a fairly muscular guy and has similar features to the comic book character (jawline, eyes, hair). The thing is that he is just as old as Hugh Jackman, so he might not be in the running for a long while. But it would interesting to see Wolverine Wahlberg.

Tom Hardy:

Tom Hardy has had a taste of the superhero role in The Dark Knight Rises as Bane. If he wanted though, he is definitely as brawny as Wolverine and with the right hair and makeup could play a convincing Wolverine. If all else failed, they could make a mask, (like in the comics), and it would fit the role suitably.

Richard Armitage:

Richard Armitage, (known most from The Hobbit), has shown a gruff side of acting and looks like he could be a fairly good Wolverine. As mentioned with Marky Mark, he has a convincing jawline, scruff, hair and eyes. He even kind of looks like Hugh Jackman.

Liam Hemsworth:

Lastly, I'd like to mention Liam Hemsworth, he is slightly related to the world of comic book hero's, (with his brother playing Thor). If any X-men reboot wanted a younger cast, then Hemsworth is the man for Wolverine. It would be very interesting to see, and my personal pick for the next Wolverine.

The Lantern Corps

Photo Credit: http://genius.com/Dc-comics-lantern-oaths-annotated

The Lantern Corps:

Everybody knows who the Green Lantern is, (For the most part at least), but it's the very committed fans that know each and every color on the emotional spectrum, their lantern corps, and what they mean. For this post, we shall review what the colors mean, their oaths, and where they align themselves on the side of Good vs. Evil. (And maybe you can tell which corps would choose you based upon your values and actions).

Within the emotional spectrum on the rainbow it is important to remember that there are the lanterns representing the negative emotions (Red, Orange, Yellow) and the ones representing the good (Blue, Indigo, Violet). Green is the neutral color, designed to keep the two in balance. (There are also the Black and White lanterns, which we will get into at the end.) Each corps has a distinct Emotional Association, Insignia, Oath, Base of Operation, and Entity, (the embodiment of the emotion).

The Red Lantern Corps:

Emotional Association:
The Red Lanterns associate themselves with Rage. They are a brutal and frankly violent corps, using Rage to fuel the power they possess.

Oath:

"With blood and rage of crimson red,

Ripped from a corpse so freshly dead,

Together with our hellish hate,

We'll burn you all--That is your fate!"

Entity:

The Butcher

Leader:

Atrocitus

Credit: 52review.blogspot.com

The Orange Lantern Corps:

Emotional Association:

The Orange Lanterns associate themselves with Averice, (or Greed). Because of this there is only one Orange Lantern. There have been temporary additions, but there isn't essentially a corp, just one alien.

Oath:

"What's mine is mine

and mine and mine,

And mine, and mine, and mine!

Not yours!"

Entity:

Ophidian the Tempter

Leader:

Larfleeze

Credit: en.wikipedia.org

The Yellow Lantern Corp, (or Sinestro Corps):

Emotional Association:

The Yellow Lanterns associate themselves with Fear. They are a consistent thorn in the side of the Green Lanterns and are thought of as the opposite Green Lanterns. The Sinestro Corps, named after their leader, (Who was a former Green Lantern), have a sizable army and continue to corrupt the hearts of those good. (Many attempts have been to conscript Batman).  

Oath:

"In blackest day, in brightest night,

Beware your fears made into light

Let those who try to stop what's right,

Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!"

Entity:

Parallax

Leader:

Thaal Sinestro

Credit: greenlantern.wikia.com

Green Lantern Corps:

Emotional Association:

The Green Lantern Corps are associated with Will. They are the neutral color in the emotional spectrum. They are meant to keep the balance in the universe and work sort of like an intergalactic Police Corps. They are the most well known among comic book fans, as the first Earth-dwelling member of the Corps, (Hal Jordan), is a member of the Justice League.

Oath:

"In brightest day, in blackest night,

No evil shall escape my sight.

Let those who worship evil's might,

Beware my power...

Green Lantern's Light!"

Entity:

Ion

Leader:

Although there is an Honor Guard who act as the leaders of the corps, they all answer to the Guardians on Oa.

Credit: greenlantern.wikia.com

The Blue Lantern Corps:

Emotional Associations:

The Blue Lantern Corps harness the emotional power of Hope. They are the first of the Positive emotional spectrum. Founded by the guardians Ganthet and Sayd, they bring hope to the galaxy. The first actual member who obtained a blue ring is Saint Bro'Dee Walker.

Oath:

"In fearful day, in raging night,
With strong hearts full, our souls ignite,
When all seems lost in the War of Light,
Look to the stars-- For hope burns bright!"

Entity:

Adara

Leader:

Saint Bro'Dee Walker

Credit: greenlantern.wikia.com

The Indigo Lantern Tribe:

Emotional Association:

The Indigo Tribe harnesses the power of Compassion. They are not necessarily a corps. They were founded when Abin Sur (former Green Lantern) came to the the distressed planet Nok where he helped a tribe there combat the villains with the Indigo light of Compassion. Unlike traditional Corps, they use staves instead of rings, (though they still have rings).

Oath:

"Tor lorek san, bor nakka mur,

Natromo faan tornek wot ur.

Ter Lantern ker lo Abin Sur,

Taan lek lek nok--Formorrow Sur!"

TRANSLATION:

"In sorrowful day in misfortunate night
We help those who need our might
with the lantern power of Abin Sur
we rid your misery with compassion of might."

Entity:

Proselyte

Leader:

Indigo-1

Credit: greenlantern.wikia.com

The Violet Lantern Corps:

Emotional Association:

The Violet Lanterns harness the power of Love, (Huey Lewis is probably a Violet Lantern). They are more alternatively known as the Star Sapphire Corps, taking upon the name of their leader Star Sapphire.

Oath:

"For hearts long lost and full of fright,

For those alone in blackest night,

Accept our ring and join our fight,

Love conquers all-- with violet light!"

Entity:

Predator

Leader:

Star Sapphire

Credit: greenlantern.wikia.com

Black Lantern Corps:

Emotional Association:

The Black Lanterns are associated with Death. In The Blackest Night comic series, they play a major role amongst all the lantern corps, even so much as to turn the Justice League Undead. In all reality, they are zombies that want to destroy all life. It's really just the entity that infects people.

Oath:

"The Blackest Night falls from the skies,

The darkness grows as all light dies,

We crave your hearts and your demise,

By my black hand, the dead shall rise!"

Entity:

Nekron

Leader:

Nekron

Credit: dc.wikia.com

The White Lanterns:

Emotional Association:

The White Lanterns control the Power of Life. And like the Black Lanterns, it is the entity that takes a host. In order for the justice league to combat the forces of the Black Lanterns, they take upon them the Life Entity and destroy the Black Lanterns.

Oath:

"In Brightest day, there will be light
To Cleanse the soul and set wrongs right

When Darkness Falls, look to the Skies

A new dawn comes, Let there be Light!"

Entity:

The Life Entity

Leader:

Kyle Rayner

Credit: dc.wikia.com

Batcap

Batcap:

What if Earth's two most powerful men teamed up?
I would propose that out of all the superhero teams that have come about this one would be the most influential and powerful. Doling out "Justice for all" in one super-powered punch and a toss of their weapons they would become a force not to be reckoned with. Let us explore just how effective a duo like this would be and how they could be a force of good.

Origins:
This wouldn't be the first time that Batman and Captain America have met before, in the Amalgamation between DC and Marvel in the 1990s, Batman was pitted against Captain America and it was decided by vote of the fans of who would win, (Batman won). But the duo was so popular that a spinoff was created where Batman and Captain America were teamed up to face the Joker and the Red Skull together. When Captain America is sent stateside to Gotham he uncovers a horrible plan of the Red Skull who has teamed up with the Joker. He meets Batman and they team up for the fight, (Bucky also teams up with Robin). So them teaming up isn't as far fetched as it might seem, it's technically canon.


Why It Works:
Batman and Captain America both stand for Justice above all else. They both do what the normal people cannot and will not do. We see Batman constantly going against the government or the policemen to do what actually needs to be done, and we see Captain America doing the same, (Cap 2: Winter Soldier). I believe that if the cause was great, they would agree to fight along side each other. They also believe in getting what is best at all costs. How many times in cinema have we seen Batman and Cap being as stubborn as can be in the name of what is right, (then it causes a major rift in whatever team they are on), but in the end it is inevitably what needed to be done. They are no nonsense.

Foiling:
They don't have everything in common, but they foil each other nicely. Captain America can be the face of America, he can take the public eye nicely whereas Batman likes to remain in the shadows. And likewise, Captain America can't do the things Batman can when it comes to making the enemy pay. Essentially Captain America is a good man, and Batman, (though he has a good cause), will literally stop at nothing other than killing to get what he wants. If the Batcap team wants information from a villain they have an excellent "good cop/bad cop" routine. Batman can be more brutal than Captain America, and Captain America can complete the 'good guy' look for the team. They would share a similar relationship that Batman and Harvey Dent have in The Dark Knight, as well as a relationship like Cap and Black Widow.

They Are Really Just Men:
Besides Cap being super-soldiered, he has the same ego and mentality as Batman (minus the complete self-righteousness). They relate to being the sense of reason in their respective teams and I feel would get along pretty well through this. Not that Batman is one to show much emotion, Captain America would sympathize with him. (I feel their relationship would be akin to Sherlock and Watson, but on more equal terms). They keep a level enough head and know what needs to be done, without the sarcasm or egotistical problems that other members of their team may have. They both personify some tendency to be a loner, rather than deal with the squabbles of whatever is going on in the Justice League of the Avengers.

Conclusion:
In the ongoing quest for Justice these two would be the driving force in bringing Justice to all. With Batman's peak human strength and Captain America's peak superhuman strength they would be a force for good that no villain would soon mess with. With Batman's master detective skills and Cap's utilization of them, they would become the greatest tacticians the world has seen. Batcap would rid the country of injustice and inspire others to help their cause creating a worldwide phenomenon and bridging the bitter gap between Marvel and DC, (so please please please, Disney buy DC and do a movie with them!)

The Truly Amazing Spiderman

The Truly Amazing Spiderman:

"Superman and Batman are arguably the most beloved and revered superheroes of all them, Spiderman is up there with those guys. . .it's those three and then everyone else."
~Cinemasins

Spiderman has remained a fan favorite of every child who ever lived. Throughout our lives we become fans of much darker and more powerful heroes and forget the sarcastic and witty superhero that so encapsulated our childhood. So with a new Spiderman reboot on it's way, I invite you all to take a look back to your childhood and review what made Spiderman so Amazing, and why he should remain one of our favorites today.

Why so Appealing:

Why on earth would a guy with the power of spiders be so popular amongst little children? That just sounds like nightmare fuel, (I mean, Ron Weasley was a child once, can you imagine if he knew what Spiderman was?). Regardless, we all had the Spiderman pajamas, played the games, played with some action figures and we all knew who he was. I can't recall just exactly where I heard of Spiderman for the first time, he was just kind of there in my life, (same goes for both Batman and Superman). What I do remember fondly was the Spiderman animated series that aired on television at the time when I was growing up. Not only was it the only accessible animated superhero movie I could get my hands on at the time, it portrayed a likable character with just cheesy enough dialogue and flashy action to keep my interest as a kid. When I heard there were live action films I was immediately hooked, no matter how bad the film could have been, I would have enjoyed it as a kid. That is why Spiderman is so heavily marketed, for some reason kids love him! There is something about sticking to walls, swinging through buildings and quipping sarcastic remarks that really captures kids attention. Because of this, no matter how awful of a movie Spiderman makes (Like that third one!), no matter how obscure the franchise becomes, there will still be Spiderman party decorations and Spiderman toys, (Yes, I'm talking about the Spiderman silly string sprayer that attaches to ones wrist, my six year old brother bought one the other day...I didn't even know they made those anymore.)

Rogues Gallery:

Like Batman, Spiderman has such an expansive Rogues Gallery that I remember getting into as a kid. He had so many well known bad guys to fight, which isn't as common in Marvel anymore. It's so expansive that it rivals Batman's own collection of villains. Because of this, it kept Spiderman interesting. He wasn't always just fighting the Green Goblin the entire time. One time he's fighting Dr. Octopus, then Venom and so on. It made for some fairly entertaining origin stories and a lot to expand upon. A large Rogues Gallery also led to Spiderman frequently needing to team up with a villain in order stop another villain with a little more dastardly plan.

Side Characters:

As well as the villains he had a very nice friend group. Not only were we interested on what Spiderman/Peter Parker were doing, there were side stories/struggles with Aunt May, the Daily Bugle, whichever girl he was dating (Gwen or Mary Jane), and his foibles as a schoolboy struggling with the powers he had obtained. It caused for some interesting dynamics, and enough motivation to protect his city as well as his friends.

He's A Nice Guy:

I think that the number one thing that really made Spiderman an appealing superhero to us a little children was that he was such a nice guy. We wasn't as complicated as characters like Wolverine, and not a complete bloodthirsty maniac like Deadpool. Spiderman was kind to everyone he came in contact with and didn't kill his enemies. We enjoyed to see him save people and watch how he treated the them afterwards with either a snappy remark or a reassuring message. It also created a good dynamic with his job at the Daily Bugle because his boss, J. Jonah Jameson, would treat Peter like garbage and bash on Spiderman when really they both had the best intentions possible.

Why Like Spiderman? Even If You Are Grown Up?

If him being a positive role model for anybody didn't convince you, hopefully this will. Spiderman is, for the most part, the only Superhero from small beginnings and humble backgrounds. He is an average guy who is making a difference in the world and not asking for the fame that comes with it, (Like some iron-clad superhero). If Captain America represents this great country we live in, Spiderman should represent the people who are living in it. Even as Spiderman he deals with similar problems that we face in our daily lives: Struggling to get people to like us, juggling many different priorities, swinging through the day while keeping tabs on what's going on around us, and making sure that those we love are kept safe. Spiderman may not be the most powerful superhero in the entire comic book universe, but he has remained closest to our hearts for a long time and I don't think he's leaving anytime soon.

Batman v. Superman: HOPE for Justice

The Trailer!

Today a new trailer was released for Batman v. Superman at the San Diego Comic Con. And. . . . .

I was pleasantly surprised. Of course there are things I disagree with still, but I feel like it could be headed in a good direction, if it plays the way I hope it does, (or it might just be a whole let down like Man of Steel, not too bad, just not that impressive either). Regardless, here are some things I'm excited about and what I'd like to see in this movie.

Lex Luthor:
I had thought Jesse Eisenberg as a terrible choice for the Man of Steel's number one nemesis, he was nothing like the one portrayed in previous movies and in the comics. But Zack Snyder may succeed in creating something new and imaginative that isn't completely awful. From the looks of the new trailer he isn't necessarily playing as the stoic business man, but more of a witty genius that owns his own company, (but there is no denying that Jesse makes Luthor look like he shouldn't be running a company, he should be finishing college). But his voice over within the trailer as well as his last lines: "The Red Capes are coming, the Red Capes are coming" spoken in a chillingly humorish manner makes me excited to see Jesse Eisenberg on screen.

Batfleck:

I still don't condone the casting of Ben Affleck, but after the trailer I can say that he plays a convincing Bruce Wayne. He looks like the billionaire that we've seen in previous iterations and even more so if I may add. If his acting holds up to this standard than I can see it working, (assuming he doesn't go over the top like I've seen done in other Zack Snyder films). Despite this, I still take much issue with the suit he will be wearing. Lets clear up something here, Batman wears two suits in this movie. Both are inspired by The Dark Knight Returns suit. There is the suit he uses to patrol the streets, and the armor used to fight superman. The armor is bearable. But the normal suit is particularly odd looking and doesn't really translate to the screen from the original comic. Thankfully it is better than George Clooney's Bat-nipple suit.

Wonder Woman:

Wonder Woman was given a little bit of screen time in the trailer. Wonder Woman, or Diana Prince is a warrior from the island of Themyscira, the Greek island of all female Amazons. will be portrayed by Gal Gadot, and that's all we know about her involvement in the movie. I don't know what she's doing in the movie, and I don't think she needs to be here this early in the DC cinematic universe, but it will be interesting to see how she plays into the story. From the looks of the trailer she causes some explosion. . .so yeah.

Aquaman:

He wasn't shown in the trailer, but we know he'll be in this movie. His purpose is not sure and like Wonder Woman, I don't think he needs to even be in this. (frankly I don't think Batman should be in this without a proper reboot in a solo movie). Anyways, this post is supposed to be the good things about the movie, so here is Aquaman's epic new look, of which I'm totally on board with.

Batmobile:

It's pretty much the awesome car we've seen in previous movies, though it isn't a complete tank, as portrayed in The Dark Knight Returns, but in that story it was overhauled, so maybe we will see the Bat-Tank in later movies. In the trailer we the car driving down the streets and we see Superman rip the top of to expose Batman.

Alfred:

We saw a bit of Alfred in the trailer, just a little bit. Alfred Pennyworth will be portrayed by Jeremy Irons, who seems a bit too young to play Alfred, but regardless it's an exciting new development. It could be that Iron's is portraying a gruffer looking Alfred that we have seen a little in the comics.

Joker Cameo Confirmed:
He wasn't seen in the trailer, only winked at when we saw the graffiti on what looks to be a Robin suit, (possibly teasing the Death in the Family, storyline), but it will be interesting to see if Jared Leto will make an appearance before we see him in The Suicide Squad.

 Conclusion:
All in all, I'm definitely more excited for this movie now that I've seen the new trailer. I'm not completely on board with it, but I'd like to see where Snyder takes it. There is Hope for Justice I think and maybe the DC Universe won't be completely ruined after all. Only time will tell as we get closer to the release for this movie in March of 2016. Until then, I will cautiously await this movie. Snyder has earned my shaky trust, we'll see if he can deliver.