And now, some not quite Monday Movie news...

I know it isn't Monday, but I just love using this pic.

So I found out a couple of interesting things:

X-Men: Apocalypse...or whatever the hell they call it...will take place in the '80's.

I've always been on the fence with the X-Men film franchise. There's a feel to it that's unique, and separate, from the Marvel Studios Avengers stuff. I get that. The books were the same way back when they were written by Mutant Guru and Soap Opera Aficionado Chris Claremont. Most of the casting has been dead-on, and a few I deemed "okay". X-Men: The Last Stand and Origins: Wolverine looked great on paper, but we all know how they turned out. I can get past a misstep, an attempt to tell a story that fell short of execution. I can even get past two missteps. Then X-Men: First Class came out, and I felt like I was watching a Dr. Who series with all this wibbly-wobbly. It looks like Singer et al. have chosen a direction and are going down that path. Fine. Just give all of us fans the opportunity to understand just where the f**k we're headed! Is that too much? I mean, do X-Men and X2 still count? Are they the On Her Majesty's Secret Service of the X-Franchise? Or are they more like Superman: The Motion Picture and Superman II? I don't have a preference one way or the other, I just wanna know.

Having said that,

I like the idea of an X-film set in the '80's. I'll see it, no question. And I'll drag Adorkette with me and geek out over all the references.

The other bit of movie news I heard was that Man of Steel will be released the same day as Captain America 3. (Can I just say how awesome it is to hear news about comic films coming out two years from now?) I'm all for this, and can't wait for other publishers (Valiant) to come out with their own film franchises (X-O Manowar) someday. 

Also - Sebastian Stan has signed a nine picture deal. I'm not sure if that includes what he's done so far, or any appearances on AoS, but either way - this is fantastic news. Why?

* It means Marvel Studios has big plans for more movies beyond 'Phase 3'.

* It opens up the possibility that they'll do a variation on the storyline where Steve abandons the Captain America persona and roams the country as 'The Captain', leaving Barnes to take up the mantle. (Yeah, I know there's been a more recent story about Steve getting "killed" and Barnes becoming this all-new, all-different Cap, but that's just silly.)

* It proves that Marvel Studios knows that while actors will come and go as time moves on, their characters will be around for a helluva long time.

In Marvel Studios I Trust