For every review praising the fun and artistry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are three more thinkpieces bemoaning the fact that we still haven’t gotten our Black Widow movie. And for good reason: She’s a character with a fascinating history whose arcs in the comics are always dynamic and interesting and grounded in current events, plus she’s the only one on the core team who hasn’t had her own movie yet. Every time the prospect is brought up, the folks at Marvel are usually neutral-to-positive about the idea — even her costar Chris Evans thinks she should get her own.
So far, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a beautiful tapestry of heroism, intricate plotting, and Spandex. 14 movies and over two “phases” in, things are going swimmingly. Hardcore fans are happy, the movies make billions of dollars, and the web of characters and their adventures is getting ever larger.
Near the end of every year, Forbes releases their rankings of the top actors in Hollywood based on their box-office value and earnings (along with a list of the most overpaid actors, which is always interesting). This year, Scarlett Johansson tops the list of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood, followed closely by Marvel co-stars Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., who tied for second place. What makes Johansson’s ranking even more notable, however, is her earnings — while RDJr. placed ninth on this year’s list of the highest-paid actors with $33 million, Johansson ranked third on the actress list with $25 million.
Of the many bonus features included in each new Marvel Blu-ray / DVD release, the gag reels are always the most special of the bunch, especially when the whole MCU gang gets together. You won’t be able to purchase Captain America: Civil War for another couple of weeks, but thanks to Marvel, you can watch the hilarious outtakes featuring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and the rest of the Avengers crew right now.
We’re approaching that point in the ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ marketing campaign where it can start to feel like we’ve already seen every big stunt and setpiece in the film before the movie’s even opened. But the new ‘Avengers’ trailer reveals yet another amazingly cool beat that’s never been seen before: Chris Evans’ Captain America loses his shield in battle with James Spader’s Ultron, so Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow snatches it while trailing the fight on a motorcycle, then slides under a semi-truck Fast & Furious-style and tosses it up to Cap so he can continue the battle. Awesome awesome awesome. (Marvel’s going to try to use that as a pull-quote on the poster, aren’t they?)
Now here are some true heroes in action. Chris Evans won his Super Bowl bet with Chris Pratt last month, resulting in Pratt paying a visit to a children’s hospital dressed as Star-Lord. Be that as it may, Evans still decided to don his Captain America costume and visit a children’s hospital, too. That’s just the Captain America way.