Now Playing Presents: The Marvel Comics Movie Retrospective Series

Captain America: Brave New World

The Leader of the Package

Anthony Mackie still sports his Falcon wings as he steps into the role of Captain America, and navigates a Brave New World of political intrigue without first Avenger Chris Evans. Should he give a vote of confidence to new President Harrison Ford by helping the ailing politician soften the “Hulk Hunter” image earned when played by William Hurt? Or is everyone in Washington DC being led on by Tim Blake Nelson, whose musical mind-control threatens to destabilize global efforts to peacefully bring adamantium to the MCU? Listen Now to learn if Red Hulk’s a smash!

{Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Captain America Series} {Hulk Series}

Kraven the Hunter

The Lion, The Witch, and A Totally Fabulous Wardrobe

Aaron Taylor-Johnson stuffs and mounts his previous Marvel characters, Kick-Ass and Quicksilver, to make room on his mantle for the prized role of Kraven The Hunter. But before the expert tracker can find his way into a movie with nemesis Spider-Man, he’ll face off with a stampede of super-villains, including The Rhino (Alessandro Nivola), Chameleon (Fred Hechinger), and an angry lion definitely not voiced by Blue Ivy Carter. Find out if Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Ariana DeBose help salvage Sony’s radioactive Spider-Verse. Listen Now.

{Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Venom: The Last Dance

Knull in Void

Tom Hardy has a Last Dance with his shadow self Venom as the symbiotic pair hot step across the country evading Chewitel Ejiofer (Serenity) and alien enthusiast Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) in the trilogy’s 2024 conclusion. Is there something extra about the black ooze E.T. that makes him a target for both the US military and imprisoned space elf Andy Serkis? And are the bickering fugitives better off locked up in Area 51 rather than trying to get from a Mexican dive bar to a Lady Liberty photo op with a pack of monsters on their tail? Listen and Find Out Now!

{Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Venom Series}

Deadpool and Wolverine

At last, we get the live-action remake of Fox and the Hound.

Ryan Reynolds makes a big gambit to save the MCU from the Phase Four doldrums by reviving Hugh Jackman and the rest of 20th Century Fox’s stable of discarded superheroes for a 2024 blowout. But will Disney prune Deadpool & Wolverine from the sacred timeline once the vulgar assassin and his cranky man crush start letting blood and R-rated words fly? Maybe audiences are okay with Professor X’s twin sister Emma Corrin (The Crown) wiping out everything that’s happened since Endgame? Skate uphill with MFs Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie to find out now!

{X-Men Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Avengers Series} {Wolverine Series} {Fantastic Four Series} {Blade Series} {Deadpool Series} {Daredevil and Elektra}

Echo (2024)

Killers Of the Woodpecking Loon

Alaqua Cox leaves New York City to reinvent herself as a Native American superhero, but that won’t stop her bad deeds in Hawkeye from coming back on her like an Echo. Can Maya Lopez restore honor to her Choctaw ancestors by baiting her abusive surrogate father, Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), into a rematch on Oklahoma home soil? And does the deaf character’s preference to let action speak louder than words translate into the bloodiest Disney+ effort yet? Hear what Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart think about this 2024 MCU miniseries when you Listen Now!

{Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Daredevil and Elektra Series}

Loki: Season 2

Closing Time

Tom Hiddleston keeps on slippin’ slippin’ into the future (as well as 19th Century Chicago) in the concluding season of his Disney+ series Loki. Can Oscar winner Ke Huy Quon stop the Norse God from glitching everywhere all at once by making dramatic repairs to the space loom that weaves time together? And will Jonathan Majors remain an ongoing MCU presence after being convicted of offscreen villainy, or must Owen Wilson and the TVA Minutemen purge the actor from official Marvel canon? Don’t waste a second looking for the answers. Just listen now!

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Madame Web

Insects & The City

Dakota Johnson is clairvoyant EMT Madame Web, the only one who sees a future for marginal Spider-Man characters starring in their own Sony features. Can the fashionista paramedic protect a trio of teenage girls, including Sydney Sweeney (White Lotus), from toxic “ceiling guy” Tahar Rahim? And does the presence of Adam Scott (Severance) in this ambulance mean the actress is less than 50 Shades from Aunt May? Find out if Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart will perform the compressions to bring this DOA superhero flick back to life when you Listen Now!

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The Marvels

Charlie’s Bangles

Brie Larson mixes it up for the sequel to her 2019 Captain Marvel debut by bringing estranged niece Teyonah Parris (WandaVision) and gushing fangirl Iman Vellani (Ms Marvel) into her 2023 Marvels adventure. Can the trio stop trading places long enough to thwart a hammer-wielding Kree (Zawe Ashton) from disrupting the Skrull peace negotiations? And have the years Sam Jackson spent assembling the Avengers prepared him for a mother-Flerken job herding cats in space? Listen to find out if Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob are annihilators of the MCU’s 33rd movie.

{Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Captain Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Nick Fury Series} {X-Men Series}

Secret Invasion

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Sam Jackson returns from the far corners of the cosmos to help extra-terrestrial bud Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) stop a Secret Invasion of Earth by shape-shifting Skrulls. Are White House envoy Don Cheadle and MI-6 agent Olivia Colman smart to discount the aged Avenger after he broke his promise to find these radicalized aliens a new planet to inhabit? And is Nick Fury keeping other surprises about his personal life, and his time in space, tucked underneath that eye patch? Listen Now as Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart expose the truth about this 2023 Disney+ miniseries!

{Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Nick Fury Series}

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Law & Order: MCU

Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) sees her dreams of headlining a fun lawyer show get contaminated after cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) accidentally turns her into She-Hulk. Does being a giant green hothead help the Attorney At Law win high profile cases for celebrity clients like Megan Thee Stallion and Abomination (Tim Roth)? Or will the super-prosecutor be convicted in the court of popular opinion after haters launch a nasty social media campaign against her? Learn how angry Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob get about the 2022 Disney+ series now!

{Avengers Series} {Hulk Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Daredevil and Elektra Series}

Ms. Marvel

16-year-old cosplayer Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) fulfills her ambition to be like idol Brie Larson after she straps on her great-grandmother’s magic bracelet, and becomes Ms. Marvel in a 2022 Disney+ miniseries. Can the fledgling superhero heal generational trauma dating back to Pakistan’s split from India by stopping supernatural family members from opening The Veil of Noor, and wiping out life on Earth? And how will the self-described “brown girl from Jersey City” honor Muslim tradition while following her cosmic dreams? Listen and find out.

{Avengers Series} {Captain Marvel Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Miles Morales swings Across The Spider-Verse to reconnect with best friend Gwen Stacey five years after collecting the Oscar for his first animated adventure. Has the superhero jeopardized the structural integrity of everything by refusing to be the self-sacrificing Spider-Man we’ve seen in so many previous comic books and movies? And do new friends Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) and Spider-Man India (Karan Soni) widen this story’s appeal? Find out if the sequel hits The Spot for Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob when you Listen Now!

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

James Gunn gives his Guardians of the Galaxy an epic send-off before he abadons Marvel for a suicidal mission to save the DCU. Volume 3 has the lovable A-holes reuniting to save Rocket (Bradley Cooper) after he’s mortally injured by Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Can Drax, Mantis, and Nebula stop bickering long enough to find answers at the biotech company that created the wise-cracking racoon? And will Star Lord Chris Pratt get a second chance at love with his green girl Gamora (Zoe Saldana)? Find out when you take the road to Knowhere with Now Playing.

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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Anthony Mackie shields himself from the pressure of becoming the next Captain America by taking to the sky as The Falcon for Marvel’s second Disney+ miniseries, and it’s made Sebastian Stan angry enough to relapse back into The Winter Soldier. Can these two set aside their differences long enough to save the world from a group of political extremists enhanced by super-soldier serum? And do these six episodes go by in a Blip, or is the MCU better suited to the big screen? Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart smash a lot more than flags when you Listen Now.

{Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Captain America Series}

Avengers: Endgame

It was inevitable that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would reach an Endgame after producing 21 blockbusters over the course of 11 years. Can Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye undo the devastation of Thanos’ Infinity War by implementing Ant-Man’s crazy "time heist" plot? And are IMAX screens big enough to contain the hordes of superheroes fighting for the spotlight in the sprawling final battle? Hosts Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart aim for the heart and the head as they assemble once more for a gigantic, in-depth review. Hear it now!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series}

Captain Marvel

Before they reach their End Game, Marvel Studios takes audiences back to where it all began for S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury (Samuel “Mother-Flurken” Jackson) - a 1995 close encounter with Captain Marvel. Can Brie Larson’s space invader rectify where her loyalties lie when warring factions of Kree and Skrulls descend upon Earth to claim Annette Bening’s lightspeed technology? And when will the femalien be ready to use her flaming fist power? Find out if Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob had a Mar-Velous time revisiting the Grunge Era when you Listen Now!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Captain Marvel Series}

Ant-Man And The Wasp

The box office for 2015’s Ant-Man might be considered small in comparison to other Avengers films, but Marvel banks that the second Paul Rudd adventure will make a bigger impact on the big screen thanks to The Wasp. Are the two pint-sized superheroes simply chasing a Ghost when they shrink to a subatomic level and hunt for long lost scientist Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer)? Podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob don’t need truth serum to tell listeners what they really think of the 20th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Listen now!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Ant-Man Series}

Avengers: Infinity War

Ten years ago Marvel Comics gambled their entire existence, using all their remaining IP as collateral, on the idea that they could make superhero films better than anyone else. 18 movies later, Marvel Studios makes their biggest bet yet - a billion dollars that audiences will love “the most ambitious crossover event in history” and one gaudy gold glove! Is more the merrier when it comes to superheroes on screen, or are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes set up for an epic fail? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob now as they review Avengers: Infinity War!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series}

Thor: Ragnarok

The God of Thunder was ready to change his image after Now Playing and so many others hammered his solo films as the silliest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Third effort Ragnarok not only puts Thor in the arena with longtime frenemies Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), but pits him against powerful new characters Hela (Cate Blanchett), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Should the studly superhero have been so quick to chop off his golden hair, or would those shears have been better served cutting out some jokes in this 130 minute epic? Find out if hosts Arnie, Jakob and Stuart rain on Marvel's latest parade by listening now!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Thor Series}

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

James Gunn defied all expectations. 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy was the first Marvel studios film to go cosmic, and with stars like a raccoon and a talking tree, it could have easily crashed. Instead it has become many fans' favorite entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now Gunn is back, as are all the Guardians. The stakes are higher. Does this movie rock as much as the first? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Guardians Series}

Doctor Strange

Fourteen movies into the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes the Strangest movie yet -- Doctor Strange. This film eschews all the other movies' science fiction basis to bring that magic feeling to the franchise. Can lauded actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Tilda Swinton cast their spell on our reviewers? Listen now to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Dr Strange Series}

Captain America: Civil War

Is this movie Captain America 3 or Avengers 3? Cap is back and he's brought the whole team. Iron Man, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and half a dozen other costumed heroes appear--to fight! At issue is the UN wanting to control The Avengers

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Captain America Series}

Ant-Man

The second phase of Marvel Studios' Cinematic Universe is going out small. Compared to their other Phase 2 films, the hero is smaller, the budget is smaller, the box office is smaller. But it's a big moment as comics' final founding Avenger arrives on the big screen. The film was fraught with production delays and creative changes, but can Marvel prove good things come with small packages? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Ant-Man Series}

Avengers: Age of Ultron

The 2015 summer movie season kicks off in a big way with the next Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Age of Ultron. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye are back in front of the camera, all again under the direction of geek god Joss Whedon. But with three super-powered baddies and a new Vision for these heroes there is more Avengers to assemble than ever before. Now join Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob to find out how super these heroes were!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series}

Guardians of the Galaxy

When teased at the end of Thor: The Dark World, the Guardians of the Galaxy looked like a bunch of a-holes. But this past weekend Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot proved their worth with a heroic opening weekend at the box office. More than just money, the film has been a hit with audiences and critics alike. What is the magic that made this film blow up like a ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb, and were the hosts of Now Playing won over by this charming band of outlaws? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob in this review to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Guardians Series}

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The First Avenger is back in the latest film from the unstoppable Marvel Cinematic Universe. With a mysterious new assassin out to kill Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. turning on him, it's up to the Star Spangled man along with his friends Black Widow and new hero The Falcon to save the day. Is this a good installment in Marvel's Avengers series or just a stalling tactic until we get The Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Captain America Series}

Thor: The Dark World

It will be 2015 before the Avengers assemble on the big screen again, but Disney and Marvel will fill that time with films focusing on individual Avengers and their disassembled heroics. Earlier this year we had Iron Man 3, and now Disney hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again with the help of a thunder god in Thor: The Dark World. The mighty Avenger must once again fighting an ancient enemy of Asgard, continue arguing with Odin over how best to rule the kingdom, and all the while try to romance his human love interest Jane Foster. Are the Now Playing hosts excited for Thor's return, or just glad to have Loki back on screen? Listen to our review to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Thor Series}

Iron Man 3

The Avengers broke box office records taking in more at the US box office in the opening weekend than any other film. With such popularity the world was primed for a follow-up. Now, almost one year to the day later, Marvel Studios' next film Iron Man 3 has been delivered, and came in second only to The Avengers in its opening weekend. The new film features a Tony Stark solo mission against his comic book nemesis The Mandarin in a storyline taken from the Warren Ellis Extremis comic arc. But without Jon Favreau directing and without a Hulk can the armored Avenger still shine? Listen to Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart's review to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Iron Man Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Series}

Spider-Man 3

It was to be the biggest Spider-Man movie yet! 3 villains! Green Goblin 2! Sandman! Venom!! If that's not enough trouble for Peter Parker, Mary Jane is also jealous of the new girl Gwen Stacy. It had fanboys squealing with anticipation, and then crying in anguish, as Arnie did in Now Playing's first-ever movie review. Now Arnie revisits Raimi's third Spider-Man film, joined this time by Jakob and Stuart. Has time changed Arnie's view of this film? Listen to find out!

{Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

The Avengers

THE AVENGERS! Breaking worldwide box office records this super-hero team-up is a film that seems impossible to make, and yet they did! After a year of reviewing movies based on Marvel Comics characters, listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review of this blockbuster film! Did it make a year's worth of viewing worth it, or did it fail to come together? Listen to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series}

Captain America: The First Avenger

By the summer of 2011 fans were ready for Avengers, but Marvel Studios still had some groundwork to lay before they could assemble. And in July the final character, the First Avenger, was introduced to audiences. But the fifth film in Marvel's series might be the hardest sell yet, a World War II period piece with a goody-goody hero. With Fantastic Four's Chris Evans donning the red, white, and blue outfit, did Captain America: The First Avenger stand alone, or was it just biding the time for ten more months until The Avengers was released? Listen to hear Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie's review of this film as well as the short A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer.

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Captain America Series}

Thor (2011)

In three films Marvel had created a cinematic universe based on science. Iron Man used advanced technology to power an armored suit; Bruce Banner used genetic manipulation and medicine to create The Incredible Hulk. But in their fourth film leading up to The Avengers they brought in a new element straight out of Norse mythology--Thor, the god of thunder. With a mighty hammer, a winged helmet, and a flowing red cape, Thor and his fellow Asgardians fought off the evil Ice Giants, but for his cocky war-mongering Thor was banished to earth, stripped of his powers. Can a thunder god fit in with an otherwise science based Cinematic Universe, and is his story a compelling one? Listen to Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob to find out as they review Thor, and the Blu Ray bonus short The Consultant!

{Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Thor Series}

Iron Man 2

The first Iron Man film set the gold (and red) standard for Marvel superheroes in movies, but Marvel Studios knew the pressure was high to build up to The Avengers so just two years later Iron Man 2 was released. Jon Favreau was back behind the camera, and Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow were still starring, but now Don Cheadle dons the War Machine suit, Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke team up as villains, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has a much larger presence in the form of Nick Fury, Agent Coulson, and Scarlett Johansson's Natalie "Black Widow" Romanoff. The film is certainly bigger than the first, but is it better? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out!

{Marvel Series} {Iron Man Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Series}

The Incredible Hulk

Mere months after Iron Man went supersonic at the box office Marvel's second issue of its Avengers movie series smashed its way into theaters--The Incredible Hulk! But after Ang Lee's film disappointed just a few years earlier Hulk's biggest enemy was audience expectations. Behind-the-scenes strife between producer/star Edward Norton and Marvel Studios only helped to add to audience superhero fatigue in a summer that also included The Dark Knight, and Hulk went on to be the lowest grossing Marvel studio film to date. Is Hulk truly Incredible, or is it as toxic as Bruce Banner's blood? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!