Iron Man

After failing to capture audiences with their last Spider-Man reboot, Sony found a surefire way to win us back by teaming up with Marvel. Thanks to that deal, not only do we get to see Tom Holland’s Peter Parker swing over to the MCU to play with the Avengers, we also get to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark pal around with everyone’s favorite high school hero in this summer’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. And, as teased at the end of Civil War, being friends with a billionaire inventor / superhero has some serious benefits, like a free super-suit upgrade.

No bubble can last forever — it must eventually pop, as is the nature of bubbles. Marvel has built a vast media empire on the strength of such stars as Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Hemsworth, but no actor would be content with playing and re-playing the same role forever. All good (and obscenely lucrative) things must come to an end, and Evans has begun the long and painful process of consciously uncoupling from Captain America’s star-spangled shield and cowl. But a new quote from the actor suggests that he may not be the first big name to make a departure from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hong Kong Disneyland sounds like a blast, but the years to come will most likely make it increasingly difficult for American tourists to access. American visa laws with China could very well change radically under our new President-elect, and beyond that, the whole smog situation in Hong Kong could completely eradicate life any day now. But the good news is that denizens of the glorious nation that is the internet don’t have to get up off our futons to take in the latest and perhaps greatest attraction at the Happiest Place on (the other side of the) Earth.

When you ask Marvel fans what their favorite Marvel movies are, more often than not, 2008’s Iron Man will be on their list somewhere. Even those who don’t consider themselves superhero movie aficionados will agree that Iron Man is still one of Marvel’s best, if not the best. Jeff Bridges’ Obadiah Stane is also one of the best MCU villains, but apparently he was more of a hero during the movie’s production. Bridges revealed that he, Robert Downey Jr, and Jon Favreau actually reworked parts of the script days before shooting started.

On January 17 of next year, Hong Kong Disneyland will finally pull back the curtain on their newest attraction, the Iron Man Experience. The immersive virtual simulation puts visitors right in Tony Stark’s jet-powered shoes, offering mere mortals the chance to live like the first breakout Avenger. The ride begins as you wake up, a nasty hangover pounding like a bass drum inside your skull. You roll over in bed, where three messy-haired models peacefully slumber. Look down, and oh no — your failing heart is in danger of conking out yet again, better drag yourself across the floor to get a replacement before cardiovascular stress ends your life. What fun!

It’s been a persistent question for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans: What will Marvel do when Robert Downey Jr. decides to retire as Iron Man, either because he gets too old to play a superhero or too bored with the character or too rich to be wooed from his Tony Stark-esque mansion with promises of tens of millions of dollars? A new storyline in the pages of Marvel Comics suggests one possible solution.

In other words, this movie is crowded. Maybe overcrowded. Marvel and Sony’s new Spider-Man (Tom Holland) steals the show with his wisecracks and web-swinging, but serves almost no narrative purpose. Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) is only slightly more important to the story; his main function is to introduce the character to a broader audience before he gets spun off into his own standalone movie in 2018. The subplot involving the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) ties up some loose ends from the last Captain America movie, but it’s not really crucial to the film’s central conflict between Cap (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) over governmental control of the Avengers. (The Winter Soldier barely appears in the original Civil War comics.)

He’d already majorly hinted that it would happen on Jimmy Kimmel Live, but now Sony’s official Twitter account says it’s confirmed: Robert Downey Jr. will appear in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot from Sony, Spider-Man: Homecoming.

If yesterday’s flood of Captain America: Civil War posters weren’t enough for you, I have some good news: here’s another flood of Captain America: Civil War posters! Whereas yesterday’s posters focused on Team Cap (Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier, Ant-Man, Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch if you weren’t paying attention), today’s posters focuses on Team Iron Man (Iron Man, War Machine, Black Widow, Vision and Black Panther).

There were a lot of Captain America: Civil War fans who were waiting for another full trailer after the Super Bowl 50 commercial. That trailer has yet to arrive, but Empire Magazine has just debuted the cover for their Captain America: Civil War issue, which features a pretty rad new image of Cap and Iron Man going face-to-face...