Deadpool(2016)
Deadpool was intended to be a breather film after the intensity of
Days of Future Past Ryan Reynolds returned as the title character. Olivia Munn was cast as Vanessa Carlyle. Daniel Cudmore reprised his role as Colossus. The film was directed by Robert Rodriquez. Several X-Men appeared including Hugh Jackman, but the focus was on Colossus, the straight man Cannonball and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. The film's antagonists are Ajax and his enforcers Garrison Kane, Wyre and Sluggo. The film begins with Deadpool fighting on a highway and flashes back to tell his origin, which happened to him recently, him having been shown to be a normal human in previous X-Men films. The film was Rated R and poked fun at Superhero movies, for example Deadpool's mask was revealed to be a turned inside out Spider-Man mask. It also included a joke about Wade and the bar patrons betting on how Amy Whinehouse would die(OTL this was almost included but then she did die). Patch also appears only to be killed by Ajax's gang when they break into the bar looking for Wade. Another Deadpool character to appear was Bob, who is a member of HYDRA, which is allied with Ajax.
The film had a Sequel Hook revealing that Ajax was just a puppet working for the real mastermind, Dr.Killbrew. Another gag is inserted as a stinger where Deadpool finds Beast shitting on his lawn and chases him off. Actor Nicholas Hoult, absolutely loved the idea and was brought in to play Beast for the brief scene. Other end credits scenes include an 80's Knight Ride parody and an Official Honest Trailers episode of Deadpool itself.
Captain America: Civil War(2016)
The film begins with the New Warriors, from the Freeform TV series of the same name, being killed while trying to apprehend a villain named Nitro, with only Speedball and Squirrel Girl surviving. The town of Stanford, Connecticut is devastated. This leads to the passing of the Superhuman Registration Act despite Tony Stark's attempts to stop it. Cap also apprehends the Winter Soldier. Baron Zemo, imprisoned as well, escapes and takes control of the Winter Soldier. After Cap defends the Winter Soldier, a battle between the superheroes with the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Daredevil and Spider-Man also included. Due to requirements, Peter Parker is forced to unmask himself, leading to a scene of J.K. Simmons as J.Jonah Jameson, gasping, causing his cigar to fall from his mouth before fainting. Spider-Man appears in his Iron Spider outfit as well, though he eventually turns against Team Iron Man after the airport battle. Vision subdues Iron Man to help Cap escape by phasing his hand partly through Iron Man's armor. Spider-Man flees into the sewers but is attacked by villains before the Punisher saves him and brings him to Captain America's side. Cap and Bucky then depart to a facility in Siberia, leading to a fight with Iron Man, Bucky is able to subdue Baron Zemo while Cap and Iron Man fight, stopping himself from being controlled by Zemo again.
Promotional image of Idris Elba in part of the Apocalypse costume
X-Men: Apocalypse(2016)
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse was the intended resolution for the Future X-Men storyline. The film alternated between Present and Future. In the Future of
Days of Future Past. It is revealed that Legion, a member of the resistance and the son of Charles Xavier, went back in time and triggered the bomb that originally caused the dark future the characters now live in. Legion was captured and raised by Hydra. Realizing there's now a chance to avert the future they now live in, this time successfully, the resistance sends Bishop back in time once more. However, the future leader, Apocalypse(played by Idris Elba), sends an assassin known as Cable back in time to kill Bishop. Cable is eventually able to break free of his brainwashing and is revealed to be the son of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Legion, having realized his bomb plot failed, goes further back in time to attempt to kill Xavier in the 70's, during the time of the original X-Men team(bringing the
X-Men: First Class Actors back). Fortunately this is averted and Legion is ultimately mercy killed by his own father. The threat is not over as the present day X-Men are then forced to deal with the awakening of Apocalypse in their own time. Apocalypse quickly brainwashes Beast, Angel, Cyclops's brother Havoc, and Wolverine, forcing the X-Men to battle their own teammates to stop him as he begins to decimate the world. the Cyclops-Havoc fight is particularly interesting as its revealed due to both brothers having energy abilities, they cannot harm each other with their powers., leading to a fist fight instead. Due to the time travel involved, the teams split up to take on different threats. The presence of a young Jean Grey brings the Phoenix force back to Earth, where it battles and ultimately destroys Apocalypse. In the future, Magneto and the survivors lead a last stand against Apocalypse in the Dark timeline, with Magneto finally winning, tearing Apocalypse apart just as the Timeline is erased from existence in a white light. Or at least this was what was implied as prior to this event. It was revealed that the other nations of the world were planning to nuke North America, something mentioned in
X-Men: Days of Future Past and carried over into this film. This leads to the alternate interpretation that the white enveloping everything is the nukes. The Film also features a cameo from Dazzler on the cover of a record album, on which she is played by Taylor Swift.
In 2017, a pitch for an Exiles film was proposed but rejected. However plans to form the Exiles were being made at this time by Fox. Other ideas thrown around include James Franco(who play's Xerox) getting his own movie.
Thunderbolts(2016)
A film which James Gunn had an interest in doing OTL. The film is basically Marvel's
Suicide Squad. Depicting a group of villains led by Baron Helmut Zemo. The group initially pretend to be heroes but find that they enjoy it and became to become genuine heroes while clashing with the members of the team who wish to remain villains. Because of this film
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is pushed back.
Black Panther(2016)
Directed by Ava DuVernay. The long awaited solo Black Panther film, starring Djimon Hounsou. The plot is closer to the "Who is Black Panther?" Story Arc. The film begins with Everett Ross briefing the newly elected President Stanley Lieber on the secret history of Wakanda, including a short scenes of Captain America going into Wakanda and fighting the Black Panther at the time very briefly. Its explained that while the Black Panther is passed on from father to son, there is a contest held where anyone can challenge the Black Panther. We then cut to T'Challa fighting in such a contest as seen in OTL's Black Panther movie with M'Baku but in a more extravagant event like a Championship boxing match with commentators. Shuri also appears in the film played as OTL by Letitia Wright(justified as the casters realized she had the darkest skin complexion of all the candidates). Ernie Hudson is shown as "T'Chaka in flashbacks, where he is assassinated by Ulysses Klaue, though not before costing Klaue his eye and his hand. T'Challa spends his childhood training to become Black Panther and find his father's killing. He even runs away at one point and meets a young woman named Ororo Monroe, who is shown to have grown up to become Storm. Klaue meanwhile gathers a team of mercenaries including Batroc the Leaper, Radioactive Man(a radioactive Russian Superhuman), The Black Knight(a knight riding on a black pegasus), the Rhino, and a mysterious man named Erik Killmonger(played by Chadwick Boseman). While Klaue launches his attack, many of the supervillains are captured, though Radioactive Man is killed by Shuri in self defense. Klau is killed by T'Challa. However, the movie does not end there. Instead, Killmonger reveals his origins as an heir of Wakanda and challenges T'Challa without the panther powers, winning and seemingly killing T'Challa, though he recovers and attempt to take back the throne, leading to a Wakandan Civil War that ends with T'Challa wounding Killmonger, who refuses medical attention. This experience convinces T'Challa to open Wakanda to the world. Among the added scenes are one of T'Challa and T'Chaka in the catacombs and a conversation similar to a deleted scene of the council discussing Killmonger.
Old Man Logan(2017)
Old Man Logan was not another breather between X-Men films. To many it ended an era as Hugh Jackman was leaving the role of Wolverine, with Tom Hardy being his appointed successor.
Old Man Logan was his last hurrah(though he would return to the role on certain occasions). The film took place after the dark future in
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse(sort of...Apocalypse is only seen on a ruined poster in one scene, otherwise it is open to interpretation if this is the same timeline)
. It was based off the comic story of the same name. After Apocalypse's Death, several former villains that had worked for him had risen up and seized land. Wolverine was now going by Logan and had a family. The wasteland of the United States had been carved up among four Supervillains. The first of these was the Hulk and his family. The Hulk had gone mad from the Nuclear weapons uses and now called himself the Maestro, ruling over the territory where Logan and his family lived. Other territories were controlled by a New Kingpin of crime, who had taken over part of the country previously led by Magneto after his death. Another territory was taken by Doctor Doom another by the Red Skull. Logan needed to pay rent to the Hulk's children, and in order to do so took up a job from an old and now blind Hawkeye to bring a young mutant named Laura(played by Millie Bobbie Brown) from California to Washington across the entire country. Logan mentions that he wants to die, and carries with him an Adamantium bullet and a gun, yet is held back from doing the deed by his family needing him.
Hawkeye, Logan and Laura set out. The group encounter many dangers such as a gang based off the Ghost Rider, Moleman's monsters, and a few villains. The three help the rescue the granddaughter of Spider-Man from the new Kingpin, killing him in the process. On their journey, Logan reveals that he was transformed into a Horseman of Apocalypse and killed several of the X-Men, before breaking free of Apocalypse's control, something which he has never revealed before and still carries the guilt of as it led to Apocalypse's takeover. The group finally make it but it is revealed the SHIELD agents they went to meet actually work for the Red Skull. Hawkeye is killed and Logan and Laura are gunned down. They awake in a trophy room full of the costumes and weapon of various heroes remains and the Red Skull garbed in Captain America's costume. The Red Skull promises to let Laura go if Logan beats him in a fight. Since Logam. Logan is severely beaten and thrown into the trophy case. In a Cinematic scene, he grabs Captain America's shield from the Trophy case and overpowers the Red Skull, using it to decapitate him. He then takes money from the Red Skull's safe, find Laura and is able to fly out of there with her after getting Iron Man's armor, another object in the trophy room, to work. He crashes just outside of his home announces that he has enough money to pay off rent. He has made it just in time. Only to be told be his neighbor that the Hulks got bored and kill his family anyway. he is silent for a moment as his neighbor explains it to him and then calls him Logan. He responds that his name is Wolverine. He then pops his claws. The next few scenes are of Wolverine quickly killing the Hulks like a horror movie monster, along with Laura. Sabertooth, who has been on Logan's trial also arrives and attacks him just as he is about to fight the Hulk. Laura ends up using Wolverine's own Adamantium bullet to kill Sabertooth to save him. Wolverine then crashes the remains of the Fantasticar laced with explosives into the Hulk's home to drag out Bruce Banner. The Hulk and Wolverine fight for a final time, ending with the hulk ripping apart and eating Wolverine. While it appears to be over, the Hulk goes and sits down inside a cave as Laura follows, intent on avenging Wolverine. A single other Hulk, a baby version, is shown to be the only other one still alive. Just then the Hulk feels a great pain and Wolverine bursts out of him, naked and covered in stomach acids. He looks over the corpse and comments "You don't look too good Banner. Musta been something you ate."
In the aftermath, Wolverine buries his family and tells the other neighbors that he is going to take the world back from the villains. They tell him it will be difficult to do alone. He replies he's not doing it alone. He is joined by Laura and then turns around to reveal he is carrying the baby Hulk on his back. He then leaves on his mission Lone Wolf and Cub style.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2(2017)
Largely same as OTL. the film features a cameo from David Bowie as was intended OTL. Bug appears in the film in the place of Mantis. Stan Lee's cameo mentions his other cameo in Deadpool, further tying in the broader Marvel universe. Rocket has a different outfit.
Thor: Ragnarok(2017)
Cate Blanchett plays Hela as OTL(the other option was Charlize Theron but ITTL she plays Susan Storm). Lady Sif returns in the film as does Balder the Brave and Beta Ray Bill(as a gladiator). Taika Waititi asked Freddie Mercury to do the score for the film, giving it a Flash Gordon vibe. Instead of Valkyrie, the film features Angela from the Spawn series, who is stuck on Sakaar but helps Thor and Loki escape. While Hela is defeated and Asgard destroyed though evacuated, the Hulk chooses to return to Sakaar where he has grown comfortable living.
ROM(2017)
Hasbro and Marvel stuck a deal to produce a film based on ROM Space Knight. The "Space Knight" part of the title was removed as the film began in a way that implied that ROM was an enemy, with the possibility of Space Knight being a sequel title . Due to the similarities between the Dire Wraiths and the Skrulls. The Skrulls were made into the archenemy of ROM's people. The plot being about ROM landing on Earth and finding out, thanks to being able to detect Skrulls with his devices, that the Skrulls have been infiltrating Earth in the aftermath of their failed invasion in
The Avengers. The public believe ROM is an out of control alien robot, as he battles the Dire Wraiths presence on Earth before departing to his home world. The success of the film led Hasbro to make plans to crossover their own cinematic universe with Marvel's. A crossover universe which currently included Transformers and G.I.Joe. The film features a scene where ROM destroys a cardboard standee of Jim Carrey's the Mask, mistaking it for a Skrull.
JLA/Avengers(2017)
A mysterious entity is destroying universes in manner that alludes to the Crisis on Infinite Earths. The Crime Syndicate Earth and the "Days of Future Past" Earths are shown being confronted by a being who asks them what the meaning of life is(one person jokingly says..."42?"). Not finding an answer that satisfies him the universe is destroyed, though the Superhumans from both universes are able to help their people escape in arks. The Crime Syndicate even comments on the irony that they enslaved the world and are now fighting to save it before they are destroyed.
In the DC Universe, Galactus attacks Earth, with the Justice League defeating him by sending him into the Phantom Zone. In the Marvel universe, the Avengers battle Starro the Conqueror, which they defeat when Vision conceived of an idea for Scarlet Witch to use her powers on one of Starro's starfish, leading the creature to flee in fear. In space, the being destroying universes arrives in the Marvel universe and is confronted by a group including the Collector, the Grandmaster and the Watcher, who are revealed to be brothers. The Grandmaster fight this new being, revealed to be Krona. His backstory is revealed. He is a guardian of the Universe who was exiled for attempting to discovery the origin of the universe. He saw a large blue hand holding a galaxy before the experiment causes an explosion that devastated the planet Oa. Krona was exiled to another universe and has been making his way back. The Collector, Grandmaster and the Watcher fight Krona but are defeated, just as they are about to be killed, the Grandmaster makes a deal, claiming he can take Krona to a being who saw the universe be made. They make a bet. If the Heroes of Krona's universe win(The Justice League) then the Grandmaster will take Krona to Galactus. if the heroes of the Grandmaster's universe(The Avengers), win than Krona will not destroy it.
The Watcher appears before the Justice League and Metron appears before the Avengers, both revealing the game and that the loser will have their universe destroyed. The game involves retrieving six items from each universe. In the DC Universe, this includes the Spear of Destiny, the Book of Eternity, the Orb of Ra, the Medusa Mask, the Bell, the Helm of Nabu, and the Green Lantern Power Battery of Oa. From the Marvel Universe the items are the Ultimate Nullifier, the Eye of Agamotto, the Wand of Watoomb, the Casket of Ancient Winters, the Cosmic Cube, and the Infinity Gauntlet. With the entire universe being threatened, both the Avengers and the Justice League inform the other Superheroes teams in their respective universes, effectively bringing in every single Hero in each universe into the conflict.
The Justice League travel to the Marvel Universe. Batman tells them to spy but not interfere. However each member of the Justice League violates this. The Hulk goes on a rampage, which Superman intervenes in, leading to a fight in which the Hulk is defeated. Batman breaks the rule himself to save mobsters from the Punisher, defeating him. The Flash finds that his powers don't work due to the Speed Force not existing in the Marvel universe, when he tries to save a mutant from a mob and is confused for one himself. While he makes it out, he is given a suit that stores the Speed Force energy within him. These experiences leads Superman, to view the Marvel heroes as failures, though he is shown to be manipulated by the villain the Psycho Pirate, who is wielding the Medusa Mask.
The Avengers arrive in the DC Universe and easily defeat a group of villains and are hailed as heroes. They notice that the DC Heroes are revered and the prejudice and distrust the Marvel Heroes has for mutants doesn't exist. They also research and find that the DC Earth appears to be bigger and has more locations. Psycho Pirate uses his abilities to make Captain America believe that the Justice League are dictators that force the people to worship them. Hawkeye makes a meta joke, trying to guess the name of their opponents. He guesses "Squadron Supreme". When the Justice League arrive, several fan favorite fights occur. Hawkeye tries to take the Flash out with a Boomerang arrow but he easily catches it, commenting he's used to fighting people with Boomerangs. Captain America and Batman fight before both agreeing to work behind the scenes, believing there is more going on than they were told. The Flahs also competes against Quicksilver, who becomes distraught when he realizes he's not fast enough to access the Speed Force in the DC Universe, vowing to find a way to reach it. Hawkeye and Green Arrow also have an amusing banter.
GA: Great I'm stuck with the guy in purple.
H:It's magenta.
GA: What's that? I can't hear you. you're purple's too loud.
........
GA: You have failed this city.
H: I don't even live here.
.............
There is also this exchange.
"I'm Batman."
"And I...am...Iron Man."
After their first battle, the heroes split up to gather the elements. It is revealed that the two Universes now occupy one space with the two Earths visible to each other and they will begin to merge into one world, threatening to destroy both unless one universe is destroyed according to the Grandmaster.
Of the items in the DC Universe, Doctor Doom invades the Legion of Doom headquarters where a group of villains are attempting to reform it as Lex Luthor, has cleared his name of his involvement with the Legion and is now running for President. Doom takes control of the Legion. An attack from the Avengers to get the Spear leads to Doom's time machine sending it back to World War II. Thanks to the merging, and the team sent back including World War 2 era characters and one psychic member. The Justice Society of America and the Invaders are both brought into the conflict before the Avengers side retrieves the Spear of Destiny and return to their own time.
Thor and Doctor Strange search for the Book of Eternity after using magic to find the Rock of Eternity. Strange is attacked by Doctor Fate and a battle ensues. Thor battles Captain Marvel, who grabs Thor and shouts "Shazam!" to try and use the lightning to shock Thor. This only makes Thor stronger and when he jokingly says "Shazam back while firing the lightning, he ends up turning Captain Marvel back into Billy Batson before covering his mouth to prevent him from saying the word again. Strange tries astral projection and enters into Fate's helmet, only to be overwhelmed as it houses the god Nabu. Strange is forced to tap into dark powers, leading to Fate exploding. This allows the opposite teams to obtain the Fate's helm of Nabu and Strange's Eye of Agamotto. Thor is also able to retrieve the Book of Eternity.
During this time the Grandmaster offers to switch teams with Krona so that if the Justice League wins the Grandmaster wins. The Orb of Ra is tracked down to Egypt with several Egyptian heroes such as Hawkman and Hawkgirl and Black Adam. Cheating, Krona revives the dead foe En Sabah Nur, who attacks the heroes, allowing the Orb of Ra to be taken in the distraction. With the Medusa Mask belonging to Krona's servant Psycho Pirate and he now having switched teams. Krona kills Psycho pirate and throws the Mask to the Avengers. Krona also arrives on Oa, devastating the Green Lantern Corps and exchanging words with Ganthet before destroying Oa, leaving the Green Lantern Power Battery to be found by the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Nova Corps. Darkseid and Thanos confront each other. In a metajoke, Darkseid called Thanos "a pale imitation of (himself)". The two fight, ending when Thanos appears to kill Darkseid only to discover that the true Darkseid is in reality na entity living in another universe. Leading Thanos to realize. He is not the most dangerous threat in the universe. Darkseid is. Thanos vows to return with greater power.
With Galactus defeated, the League obtain the Ultimate Nullifier from his ship, the Wand of Watoomb from the Sanctum Sanctorum due to Strange being absent. They also obtain the Casket of Ancient Winters and the Infinity Gauntlet from the remains of Asgard. However Darkseid attacks the League and obtains the Infinity Gauntlet. The Grandmaster decides to hide the fact that the Infinity Gauntlet the League found is fake. Darkseid discovers this when he tries using the Gauntlet and throws it aside. The Flash obtains it as Darkseid fires his Omega Beams at him. Flash is able to teleport away, though Darkseid believes the beams vaporized the Flash.
The last artifact is the Cosmic Cube, which is in Loki's possession. Loki is told of the bet from the Grandmaster and hands it over to him. All the Heroes are brought to the Savage Land to fight over the final item. In one instant, Thor begins to come down on Superman with his hammer only for Superman to catch it with his fist before knocking Thor out. Batman and Captain America's interference at a crucial time leads to the Justice League being declared the winner. Krona refuses to accept the item and attacks the Grandmaster, wounding him. The Grandmaster then sends Krona to Galactus. Krona angrily demands Galactus tell him about the origin of the universe. Galactus attacks Krona. Krona however easily kills him. There is a bright flash. The Justice League and Avengers awaken in a world that is a combination of both worlds. The Justice League have just defeated a scheme from Doctor Doom that led to him being merged with the Source Wall while the Avengers have recently defeated Brainiac. Other differences include Black Canary dating Hawkeye. The heroes begin to realize something is wrong before the Watcher finds them and brings them to the dying Grandmaster, explaining that the worlds were merged to spare them and they must defeat Krona. They are shown by the Watcher the worlds they will return to and decide to restore things despite all the hardships they will endure. The heroes attack Krona in a fortress built from the corpse of Galactus. Krona, summons an army of various villains. Superman at one point wields both Mjolnir and Captain America's shield. Waves beign sent across the universe alters the heroes and villains present leading to different costumes, alternate versions and of course cameos(Christopher Reeves Superman, Michael Keaton and Christian Bale Batman, DiCaprio Spider-Man, Japanese Spider-Man, and so on). Once Krona is defeated, the universes are split again and restored to normal. As the worlds separate, the Avengers and the Justice League say goodbye for a final time as they return to their own universes.
There are two end credit scenes. The first is Thanos finding the Infinity Gauntlet and vowing to retrieve the Stones, pledging to do so for his love: Death, who is represented by a stone statue of Death, specifically the version from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.
In the second, Batman is interrupted by Barry Allen's Flash, appearing before him, trying to tell him something.. A lightning bolt strikes a wall of the Batcave. Flash tries to tell him that a being has been manipulating everything since the beginning before disappearing. Batman approaches the wall struck by lightning. Commenting. "I don't know what's going on...but I have a feeling...like we're being watched". Batman then picks up something from lightning bolt that struck the wall. It's a smiling face pin with a red drop of blood on it. Another quick scene reveals that Krona survived and now vows that he will destroy everything as he uses his abilities to assemble himself an armor. Comic fans will recognize this armor as that worn by the Anti-Monitor.