With Avengers: Endgame having opened in cinemas around the world this weekend, it has quickly become an international hit, collecting $1.2 billion over the last 7 days, since its release on Thursday 25th April. And with analysts forecasting that Endgame will become the highest grossing film of all time, fans are speculating what can come next, especially now that Marvel once again owns the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four and other comic books held by Fox properties.
One member of the cast who is particularly happy that she likely won’t be playing the only blue character for the foreseeable future is Karen Gillan, who in recent years has rocketed to stardom for her portrayal of Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers franchises.
When asked who she would be most excited to see appear next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, her answer was Mystique, the blue-skinned shape-shifting mutant from the X-Men. She particularly wants to talk to someone else about the prosthetics process.
Over at Fox, Mystique was made famous from 2000-2006 by Rebecca Romijn and in more recent years, Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence has never kept it secret about the fact she doesn’t like being in blue, complaining about the fumes and discomfort. And Gillan told Variety in a recent interview that hearing about the struggles Lawrence goes through made her feel a little better about her less arduous process in becoming Nebula:
“I truthfully would watch behind-the-scenes of her getting her makeup done while I was getting my makeup done to make me feel like it wasn’t so bad.”.
We’re pretty certain Lawrence is stepping away from the role – indeed, it sounds like Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is the only character in his current form to make the transition to the MCU – so questions begin as to who will replace her and who can sit down and chat with Gillan in the next massive crossover!
Fans have also been sharing their support for Bill Mantlo, the creator of Rocket Raccoon (another Guardian).
In 1992, the comic book author suffered irreparable brain-damage following a hit-and-run of which the culprit was never caught. Since then, Bill has been cared for by the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Nursing Home where Marvel organised a special screening of Guardians so that Bill could see his creation, Rocket on the big screen. And while Marvel have taken pride in how they have cared for their creators, Mike (Bill’s brother) has sadly admitted that he is $100,000 in debt caring for Bill. But that is where us fans come in.
Bill created not only Rocket Raccoon but also popular characters like Cloak and Dagger, who are enjoying a popular stint on television. Bill also enjoyed lengthy runs on other titles including: The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, Marvel 2-in-One, Marvel Team-Up, Alpha Flight, The Champions, The Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu, Captain America, Jack of Hearts, Luke Cage: Power Man, Swords of the Swashbucklers, Micronauts, Rom: Spaceknight, and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man.
So if you have ever read a comic from Bill, laughed and cried at Rocket on the silver screen, or felt the plight of Cloak and Dagger on the television – or if you just want to help a fellow human who has fallen on hard times – then you can help.
Mike has a page up at GoFundMe and if you want to post a comment telling them how much Bill’s comics and contributions mean to you, remember you don’t have to have superpowers to be a hero. Mike wrote in a recent Facebook post:
“You guys, (ALL OF YOU), have been a godsend to Bill. By keeping his name and reputation alive and by continuing to champion my cause of giving him a better quality of life in whatever way I can, and I thank you all for that. Please, lets try some positive energy for the future, so that BILL MANTLO WILL RULE FOREVER!”
Avengers: Endgame is in cinemas now with X-Men: Dark Phoenix set for release on 5th June 2019.
