STACK Aug #154

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a new robotic arm that doubles as an energy weapon. As to forthcoming Marvel projects, the costume for Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel was unveiled as well as the latest on Ant Man and the Wasp , which has added Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne and Walton Goggins to the cast. We’ll also see more of the tiny hero’s Giant-Man incarnation, as seen in Civil War . And the one that every Marvel fan was hoping for, Avengers: Infinity War was saved until last, with the footage screened at Disney’s recent D23 Expo presented to the ecstatic crowd. “There’s no way in hell we’re not going to show you some footage,” said co-director Joe Russo. Featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos, Thor, Loki, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and of course the Avengers team, the MCU simply doesn’t get any bigger than this! Thor: Ragnarok is in cinemas on October 26, with Black Panther to follow on 15 February 2018, and Avengers: Infinity War due 25 April 2018.

MARVEL Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok panels headlined the super studio’s presentation this year.

S aturday night is the main event new footage and trailers, hint at what’s in store for the next phase of their expansion, and assemble a star- studded line-up of special guests. Hall H is the place to be! The Thor: Ragnarok panel included Chris for Comic-Con attendees; it’s the moment that Marvel Studios reveal

the most vibrant looking Thor film to date, and also the most comedic; did we really expect anything else with Taika Waititi in control? When asked about the challenge in crossing over from indie comedies to a big tentpole

blockbuster, the amiable Kiwi simply shrugged it off as business as usual. “At the end of the day, whatever is inside the rectangle is all that matters,” he said. “It may be 500 more people on the crew, but as long as the actors learn their lines and are convincing saying them, that’s all that matters. And most of these people did not learn their lines.” Black Panther looks to be shaping up

Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum and director Taika Waititi, and the crowd was treated to a new trailer that gave them a first look at Sakaar, a world surrounded by cosmic gateways. This is where the Hulk’s been hanging out for the last two years, and “he'll be damned if he’s gonna go back to Banner,” said Mark Ruffalo. The green one can also say more than “Hulk smash” this time around, although “don’t expect Shakespeare,” he added. Of the newcomers to the MCU, Jeff Goldblum

Black Panther

as another unique entry in the MCU, with its distinct African tribal

There’s no way in hell we’re not going to show you some footage...

culture and high tech. Moreover, director Ryan Coogler ( Creed, Fruitvale Station )

is another interesting choice to bring the world of T’Challa and Wakanda to the screen. “Bringing this comic wanted to find a comic book with a hero that looked like me,” he said. A new trailer and an extended clip were exclusive to the presentation (so don’t go book to life means everything to me. I

revealed his character, the Grandmaster, is brother to The Collector, while Cate Blanchett noted, “Marvel is a universe I’ve been happily dragged into because of my kids.” Then of course there is Loki. Last seen impersonating Odin in Thor: The Dark World , Tom Hiddleston wasn’t about to say where the trickster’s allegiance lies in Ragnaro k, but did offer that he’s since “directed his energy into narcissistic self-glorification and not governance.” That sounds about right. As for the God of Thunder, Hemsworth not only got a new haircut, but also “wanted to push Thor into something unique for the Marvel Universe – he gets his arse kicked in this one!” The new trailer suggests that this will be

looking online) and received a standing ovation. The latter featured a casino brawl and Andy Serkis’s Ulysses Klaue – last seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron – sporting

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