Part I

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. largely dropped its Avengers-adjacent premise, but – with news of Coulson rejoining the MCU – it’s worth considering future plans. New reports suggest showrunners are considering a sixth season that follows up on Avengers: Infinity War, exploring a new corner of the Marvel universe.

As good as many of the Marvel movies have been  —  and they’ve been very, very good  —  perhaps my favorite part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is its complicated web of secrecy and lies. Each cast member has to be prepared to talk about Marvel movies at a moment’s notice, to speak to the entire design of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, without giving away proprietary information or giving entertainment reporters the wrong kind of soundbite. If Disney were smart, they would launch an Aaron Sorkin-produced television series about the politics of press junkets. I would watch the heck out of that.

Attention now turning from Civil War to Avengers: Infinity War (or whatever they end up calling it), time and time again Marvel brass have tempered expectations as to whether the climactic MCU event will finally bridge the gulf between movie and TV. Not likely, it seems, as writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely reveal the “nearly impossible” challenge in logistics.

No matter how great the divide between Marvel’s TV and movie universe, fans have always quietly banked on Avengers: Infinity War uniting all its live-action heroes in one universe-shattering showdown. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo don’t want to get your hopes up, however, noting “our focus is on telling the stories of the characters that currently exist on the movie side.”

Two deep into Marvel’s Netflix Defenders series, the separation between Marvel’s TV and movie characters has become clearer than ever. Many have hoped that the Phase 3 culmination of Avengers: Infinity War might finally bridge the gulf, including everyone from Agents of .S.H.I.E.L.D. to Daredevil and Jessica Jones in the fight against Thanos, but co-director Anthony Russo doesn’t seem terribly optimistic.

‘Mockingjay’ is the latest example of perhaps the single most frustrating trend in modern Hollywood: The part-ification of franchise finales. It’s no longer enough to make a successful movie, or even a successful series of movies; Hollywood now extends—or dilutes, really—these cash cows even further, by breaking their concluding installments in half. You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you absolutely can judge a movie by its title, at least when that title includes the phrase “Part 1.” If it does, get ready for a languid, uneventful film full of set-up and absolutely zero payoff.

Last night came the shocking announcement: Robert Downey, Jr. will star in 'Captain America 3' alongside Chris Evans, kicking off the Civil War storyline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, what exactly is the Civil War storyline and what does it mean for 'Captain America 3,' 'Avengers 3,' the Infinity Gauntlet plans, Spider-Man and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?! (Whew!)

One of the big cliffhangers teased at the end of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was the identity of Star-Lord's father. This left me slightly confused in the theater considering Quill's father in the comics - J'son - was widely known and largely uninteresting. But, director James Gunn is going on the record as saying that 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' will veer from comic book canon and create a new identity for Peter Quill, including a new dad. So, who is Star-Lord's father?

Since the end of 'Avengers,' fans have been teased with the notion that Thanos is the evil mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While he won't serve as the main protagonist in 'Avengers 2' (instead deferring to Ultron), multiple Marvel sources have said that Thanos is a big part of next summer's 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' With that cast announced and the film wrapped, we have to wonder