Read original article here: https://www.pcgamesn.com/war-thunder/war-thunder-177-advancing-storm-update?prom

War Thunder continues to evolve half a decade on – here’s how the game’s shaking things up in the 1.77 Advancing Storm update

Gaijin Entertainment show no signs of letting up when it comes to refining and adding to their multiplayer vehicular warfare sim, War Thunder. Nearly five years on from its Early Access launch and well over a year since the colossal 1.0 update, the game is still being improved, with the latest update making huge changes to graphics, audio, and gameplay.

This dedication is all part of a promise to ensure War Thunder remains every bit as powerful and impressive as its name suggests. As part of that, a bevy of new tanks and aircraft join the fray as part of this new era for War Thunder, with a hefty emphasis on modern machines of war. So whether you are a devoted player, lapsed, or even if this is the first you have heard of War Thunder – here are four huge changes arriving with the 1.77 Advancing Storm update.

War Thunder Buy Now

MODERN-DAY BATTLE TANKS
Advancing Storm brings War Thunder’s Ground Forces mode well and truly into the modern era with the addition of seven main battle tanks from the ‘70s and ‘80s, some of which are still in active service around the world. Better still, nearly every research tree is getting a new tank to work towards and unlock.

For the USA, the legendary M1 Abrams takes its rightful place at the top of Rank VI. Realistic details such as its separate storage for ammo containers are present and accounted for in-game, meaning you can keep fighting even after a fire has broken out in your ammo racks. France gets the highly advanced AMX-30B2 Brenus, which stands out with its 112 reactive armour packages, ensuring all of your key areas are protected from HEAT projectiles. The T-64B modernises the Soviet research tree, improving on one of the best tanks in War Thunder with better frontal armour and the ability to fire Cobra guided missiles. Britain gets the beloved Challenger MBT as its new best-in-class Ground Forces vehicle – its massive armament and Chobham armour get the job done. Finally, the Leopard 2K joins Germany, offering prospective Rank VI tankers a big gun, high manoeuvrability, and one of the best stabilizers in the game for landing shots on the move.

If you don’t fancy earning your way to the top of each research tree then you can always pick up Advancing Storm’s two new premium tanks, the Magach 3 from USA or the AMX-30 from France.

War Thunder Dagor engine

IMPROVED VISUALS COURTESY OF DAGOR ENGINE 5.0
Volumetric fog and smoke, dynamic weather effects, realistic and detailed ground surfaces, reactive water and puddle reflections. War Thunder is more striking and lifelike than ever before thanks to Dagor Engine 5.0. These changes are most apparent in Ground Warfare, where every detail – from the smoke that plumes from your tank’s exhaust, right down to the water that pools up in tyre and track marks – brings a new level of visual fidelity to tank battles.

Whether rolling through the rain-soaked, cobblestone streets of Normandy, or cresting a hill and looking out onto a foggy valley in Mozdok, the visual enhancements of Dagor Engine 5.0 are noteworthy. But the graphical improvements are not just great for in-game war photographers, as changes such as new anti-aliasing technology should improve gameplay by making it easier to distinguish enemies in thick foliage.

War Thunder sound effects
BOOMING NEW SOUND EFFECTS
Dagor Engine 5.0 isn’t just about good looks as it also overhauls the sound of warfare. New sounds have been implemented to reflect minute differences in cannon calibres, helping experienced tank commanders glean useful information about the enemy they are facing off against. Bespoke loading mechanisms, the jangling of shell cases tumbling onto the floor, ultra-low frequencies for explosions, cannon shots, crumbling structures – the sound of combat is richer and deeper in Advancing Storm.

The realism goes so far that what you hear also differs based on what the tank commander’s perspective is. For example, when operating from a third-person-view tank, the sound of firing your main armament will linger for much longer, echoing across the map and rumbling through the ground. However, while firing from the first-person perspective, the roar of the cannon will reverberate many times over as it would in such a confined space. Gaijin Entertainment have taken this a step further, too, making it so the sound changes based on whether or not your tank crew are operating from a closed or open cabin.

War Thunder aircraft
NEW FIGHTER AIRCRAFT FOR EVERY NATION
If you prefer to spend your time in War Thunder dogfighting high above the battlefield then there’s good news: update 1.77 adds a suite of new jet fighters for aerial aces to unlock. All seven War Thunder nations are getting new aircraft with the launch of Advancing Storm.

USSR, for example, get an unusual interceptor called the La-200, which boasts twin jet engineers placed in tandem, one behind the other. The M.D.452 Mystere IIC joins France, its thick armour and wide range of armament options providing you with a versatile jet fighter that is as good against ground targets as it is against other pilots. Japan might not get a jet fighter, but the Ki-108 makes up for it with pressurized cabin for high altitude flying and powerful cannons – it was designed for taking down US superfortresses and should serve you exceptionally well against such foes.

Perhaps the most interesting new aircraft of update 1.77 is actually the one made by a War Thunder player as part of the Revenue Share Partner Program. The He 177A-5 Greif is a deceptively fast long-range heavy bomber with a huge selection of bombs and cockpit-controlled remote gun turrets for fending off heavy fighters.

Read original article here: https://www.pcgamesn.com/blade-shadow-the-last-gaming-pc?prom

We love the PC. It’s the best gaming platform around, with such a back catalogue of absolute classics it would take many lifetimes to play through them all. But it’s not a platform without its problems, though a lot of those issues might just be solved by Shadow, the innovative PC streaming service.

Now, the mere mention of a ‘streaming service’ might already have your hackles raised; there have been a host of companies all promising the ‘Netflix of gaming’ experience, and none have been able to really deliver on it. But that’s not what the Shadow is about – it’s not set up just to give you limited streaming access to a few games a company has deigned to add to its service. No, this is a full, high-performance gaming PC for you to use however you please, it’s just one that happens to live in the cloud.

And it’s also the last PC you’ll ever need to buy because this is a gaming rig that you can access no matter where you are. It’s also one that will never be obsolete because it upgrades itself without you ever having to worry which ultra-expensive graphics card should be on your shopping list next.

The innovation of the Shadow’s service lies in its incredible simplicity. The other streaming options out there are shot through with restrictions, such as what games you can play, which game stores are available to use, how much you pay, and on what devices you can access them. But your Shadow PC is just that – it’s a PC in exactly the same way as the physical machine on your desktop is. Exactly the same, except that it’s practically omnipresent.

Fortnite on a MacBook Pro

Wherever you are, on practically whatever device you have, as long as you have a screen and an internet connection, you can connect seamlessly to your Shadow. Whether you’re talking about using Shadow Ghost, a phone, a tablet, a TV set-top box, or weakheart thin-and-light laptop, you can get onto your octa-core Windows 10 gaming machine on wi-fi or a robust mobile network.

CONTINUALLY UPDATES ITS HARDWARE AT NO EXTRA COST

It’s then a full PC, even down to that annoying Windows intro screen that asks you lots of questions about what ads you want to see and how much you want Microsoft snooping into what you do with your PC, just like when you first boot up any new gaming rig. From there you simply install Steam, Origin, Battle.net, or the Epic Game Store and get all your favourite games up and running in no time.

In terms of the overall spec, the current tech inside of Shadow is a quad-core Intel Xeon with eight dedicated threads of processing power, and comes with its own Nvidia GTX 1080, or equivalent, graphics card. And while we’re talking about a cloud-based system, you’re not going to be sharing hardware with other Shadow users. That GTX 1080-level graphics card is yours, and yours alone, so long as you’re logged into your Shadow.

Along with that you get 12GB of DDR4 memory and a 256GB storage drive. That’s a relatively small amount of space if you have a large Steam library you want constant access to, but you can also upgrade your account to add a supplementary 1TB drive to your system too.

Blade Shadow Data Centre

But given the fact that Shadow connects you to a 1Gbps internet connection from the data centre you can download games at lightning speeds. And it doesn’t matter what connection you’re using to dial into your Shadow either – all that connection needs to do is transmit your inputs and send you the video – the link between the cloud-based Shadow and the internet remains a solid 1Gbps.

As such you only need internet bandwidth between 5 and 25Mbps to get a decent Shadow experience. Though for the best gaming performance you want a low ping, stable connection, with low packet loss. That’s why fibre and cable connections are preferred for the best gaming experience.

But why would you want Shadow instead of your own dedicated gaming PC? As much as we love our gaming rigs we can’t deny there’s one significant barrier to entering the high-performance PC game, and that’s money. It costs a huge amount of cash to build yourself a serious gaming rig, even if you get your hands dirty, carefully source all the parts, and build it all yourself.

High Performance Gaming PC

The Shadow, however, costs just £26.95 per month, which works out to £323 each year. With the cost of an equivalent PC being around £1,000 it would take you more than three years to spend the same amount on your Shadow account. Here’s the big kicker though, all that time later the physical gaming rig you would have spent £1,000 on three years ago will have become increasingly behind the times in performance terms and that’s about the time when you’d have to start seriously thinking about some expensive CPU or GPU upgrades.

Shadow, however, would need nothing extra spent on it over and above the subscription – it will continually update its hardware to keep you at the forefront of PC gaming at no extra cost.

The upgrade cycle becomes a thing of the past, the feeling that you’re behind the times on PC gaming hardware is gone, and all you need to worry about is what game you want to play next.

Read original article here: https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/minecraft-sculpture

The incredible sculpture you see above was indeed built in Minecraft. It’s a now-rare personal project for Dr_Bond, who makes a living creating content for the official Minecraft Marketplace. This piece, titled Aquasomnia, is “based on the concept of a mind-palace, a castle of thoughts and memories. She surrounds herself in an aquatic dreamscape as she drifts peacefully to rest.”

You can see a full rotating image of the sculpture on Imgur, and it’s astounding – both for detail and artistry. Dr_Bond says this project took shape over three our four “20+ hour” days. It was built principally using a combination of WorldEdit and Voxel Sniper, but “a lot of work is actually hand placed” to help construct the finer detail. The version rendered here was converted through Blender.

Dr_Bond has plenty of other work out there for you to enjoy, too – whether on Twitter or through Planet Minecraft. You can also see that work through Cyclone Designs, a group that builds and sells Minecraft creations through the official Marketplace. “I earn living money through Minecraft,” Dr_Bond says. “Microsoft pays my bills.”

This project, however, is a personal one, built for a community contest.

Related: Get creative on the best Minecraft servers

Check out some of the best Minecraft cities if you’re looking for more cool creations. Minecraft’s got one of the biggest communities in gaming, and the creations that community has provided continue to impress even after all these years.

Read original article here: https://miamimorningstar.com/2018/11/09/gta-6-the-latest-news-regarding-the-upcoming-game/

So far, the only things we base the existence of GTA 6 on are rumors. Grand Theft Auto represents an action-adventure video game series which was first launched back in 1997 and it was developed by DMA Design. Right now, it is being developed by Rockstar North and published by another division, Rockstar Games.

GTA gained popularity as an open-world game that focuses on driving all kinds of vehicles and third-person shooting in the criminal underbelly. Grand Theft Auto is one of the critically acclaimed and best-selling series of all time and it also gathered a massive fan-base. Until now, we came across 11 stand-alone games and four expansion packs.

What we know so far

Despite the fact that Rockstar Games must be probably knee-deep in all the things involved with Red Dead Redemption 2, there is still a large chance that we could see a new GTA down the pipeline. It would make sense since GTA 5 represented one of the most successful game releases in the whole world, so there is already a massive fan-base for it.

Moving on, this is just guesswork and rumors for now since Rockstar Games didn’t dropped any concrete hints yet. During an interview with Develop Magazine, Rockstar President Leslie Benzies did all but confirm the game in 2013. She said that “we don’t know what GTA 6 will be, but we’ve got some ideas. We’ve got about 45 years’ worth of ideas we want to do. We’ll pick the right ones.”

Leaks

According to what The Know said, Grand Theft Auto 6 is definitely in the works as it apparently goes under the code name Project Americas. However, this is still a single source report, so you should take it all with a pinch of all.

Read original article here: https://miamimorningstar.com/2018/11/14/minecraft-pocket-edition-1-8-0-14-comes-with-innovative-features/

Minecraft Pocket Edition enables you the possibility of dreaming about something and then the chance to build it. That’s what makes Minecraft Pocket Edition a game with endless possibilities because it really is a fun game which will allow you to build anything, anytime and anywhere.

By downloading and installing this game you will have a chance to step into a unique and magical world where the possibilities are without limits. You will turn your smartphone into a virtual construction site while you will use blocks to create wonderful masterpieces on the go. You can do all this while still being able to chat with your friends in parks or any place you find yourself.

Download this game to get the chance to explore bizarre new worlds and build just about everything that runs through your head – from the humblest of homes to the greatest of castles. You will see that there are basically two different modes to make the gameplay experience more fun and exciting than you ever thought it could be possible.

You can access the creative mode to play and learn how to use those unlimited resources in such a way that you will benefit the most. On the other hand we have the survival mode where you will have to mine deep into the world as you craft weapons and pieces of armoury which will help you with remaining protected from dangerous mobs.

A side note for the users of the Samsung Galaxy Tab who wish to play this game on their devices: if you encounter any problem with running Minecraft Pocket Edition, then you may need to update your Android system software version.

Read original article here: https://screenrant.com/norman-osborn-mcu-villain-phase-3/

Has Marvel already set up Norman Osborn as the villain of the MCU’s Phase 4? Next year’s Avengers: Endgame will bring the first three phases of the MCU to an end. Although Marvel is currently attempting to keep discussion of their future plans to a minimum, it hasn’t stopped anyone speculating about just who could be the next “big bad” in the shared universe.

We’ve already suggested that the next major villain could be Norman Osborn. As any comic book reader will know, there’s a lot more to Osborn than just his insane Green Goblin persona, which Sony has already brought to the big screen twice before. In the comics, Osborn is a genius scientist and industrialist; although he’s traditionally associated with Spider-Man, the truth is that over the last 20 years or so he’s become a mainstream Marvel villain and even a nemesis for Iron Man and the Avengers. In the 2007-2008 “Dark Reign” era, for example, Osborn successfully manipulated himself into a position where he became the new Nick Fury in the Marvel Universe, the man in charge of the world’s superheroes. Needless to say, it didn’t go well for the heroes.

But has Marvel already prepared the grounds for Norman Osborn to appear in the MCU? Right now, there are four unanswered questions in the MCU, mysteries that have so far been unresolved. And every one of them could be answered by Norman Osborn.

This Page: Spider-Man: Homecoming & The Vulture
Page 2: Stark Tower and Ant-Man & The Wasp
SPIDER-MAN’S MYSTERIOUS ORIGIN

When Marvel introduced Spider-Man into the MCU, they deliberately decided to skip the origin story. It was an understandable decision; after all, that had been brought to the big screen twice since the year 2000. Just how many times would audiences tune in to watch Uncle Ben get shot? Interestingly, though, Marvel Studios has studiously avoided telling the origin story in any of the tie-in media. It was initially assumed that the Spider-Man: Homecoming Prelude comic would fill this gap, but instead it settled for retelling the events of Captain America: Civil War.

Everybody assumes they know the story of how Peter Parker became Spider-Man, but a few simple questions reveal just how much wriggle-room Marvel has left themselves. Where did the radioactive spider come from in the MCU? In the original comics, a spider happened to dangle on a web in front of a science experiment; its body was subjected to powerful radiation, and it fell from its web on to Peter’s hand, reflexively biting him. In the modernized Ultimate Universe – which has often served as an inspiration for the MCU – the spider was part of experiments being conducted by OsCorp. One of the specimens escaped, just the day before Peter attended OsCorp on a school trip – and the outcome was never really in doubt. Clearly, then, if the MCU origin of Spider-Man is lifted from the Ultimate Universe, Norman Osborn could well be an important part of it.

But here’s another key question: Was there only one spider? In the Ultimate Universe, it didn’t take Osborn any time at all to realize that Peter Parker was developing superhuman abilities. He became convinced that these genetically engineered spiders were “the key that unlocks the next step of human evolution,” and continued experimenting upon the spiders. That allowed Marvel to have other characters bitten by them, meaning there could be other Spiders in the Ultimate Universe. The most prominent of these, Miles Morales, took over as Spider-Man when Peter Parker was killed. Significantly, Miles has already been established as part of the MCU, so there’s already potential for him to become another wall-crawling superhero. All Marvel need is another spider – and if Norman Osborn and OsCorp are involved in Spider-Man’s MCU origin, then that’s not a problem at all.

WHO WAS ORIGINALLY BUYING VULTURE TECH?

The plot of Spider-Man: Homecoming actually left a lot more unanswered questions. For one thing – who was originally buying the Vulture’s tech? Back in 2012, in the aftermath of the Chitauri invasion of New York, Adrian Toomes began obtaining illegal tech and selling it on the black market. Curiously, though, it’s only four years later that the businessman starts selling advanced weapons on the streets, to criminals like Aaron Davis. So who were the Vulture’s first customers?

Toomes is a smart businessman, so it’s safe to assume he initially approached technology companies and weapons manufacturers. Perhaps he’s the reason Hammer Industries developed the Judas Bullet, as seen in Luke Cage season 1 and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4. If that’s the case, it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where Norman Osborn – genius industrialist and weapons developer par excellence – would be another of his clients. Osborn would find Chitauri weapons alluring, would be fascinated with Ultron tech, and would love to get his hands on Dark Elf gravity bombs. Over the years, though, presumably that market would dry up; these companies would acquire enough Chitauri tech to be confident they didn’t need any more, for example, and they’d only be interested in so many samples of the same equipment. Thus by the time of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Toomes has been forced to find new customers.

STARK TOWER UP FOR SALE
In the aftermath of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avengers moved out of Stark Tower; by the time of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tony Stark was selling it and moving out himself. But who was buying Stark Tower? At the time of the film’s release, a lot of viewers speculated that it could be Reed Richards, preparing the way for the MCU to introduce the Fantastic Four. While that’s still possible, it could also be Norman Osborn. The idea of basing himself in a former Avengers base would appeal to Osborn’s ego, and the purchase would indicate his ambition of replacing Tony Stark in every way possible.

It’s important to note that it was probably impossible for Stark to extract all of his tech from the building. The tower was intended to be revolutionary, the first completely clean energy-powered skyscraper in New York. It’s powered by one of Stark’s pioneering Arc Reactors, which means the tower can run itself for over a year. It seems reasonable to assume whoever bought Stark Tower would also acquire the Arc Reactor – and that would most certainly be of interest to Norman Osborn. In the “Dark Reign” era, Osborn quite enjoyed experimenting with creating his own version of the Iron Man armor.

SONNY BURCH’S BUYER IN ANT-MAN & THE WASP

The final unanswered question is the mystery of Sonny Burch’s employer in Ant-Man & the Wasp. When Burch learned the potential of Pym Particles, it didn’t take him long to find a buyer, and he then proceeded to attempt to get his hands on as much Pym-Tech as possible. The film was careful to avoid revealing just who Burch was working for, but there was one notable hint; the criminal offered Hope $1 billion for the tech, suggesting he was expecting to receive a far healthier paycheck himself. Whoever Burch was working for, then, is interested in advanced tech – and extremely wealthy. Norman Osborn definitely ticks those boxes.

All this may simply be a coincidence, of course, but the fact remains that right now there is a distinctly Norman-Osborn-shaped hole in the MCU. Assuming all these do indeed point to Norman Osborn, then the MCU’s version of the villain is an up-and-coming industrialist and weapons manufacturing who’s been conducting illegal deals to acquire advanced technology that will give him a competitive edge. He’s greedy and ambitious, not afraid to cut corners, and he’s already very wealthy indeed. Looking forward to Phase 4, that would perfectly position him to become a terrifying new threat for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Read original article here:https://bgr.com/2018/12/30/captain-marvel-spoilers-leak-reveals-the-name-of-jude-laws-character/

Launching on March 8th, Captain Marvel will be Marvel’s first new movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe next year, and it’s meant to introduce a brand new hero who’s going to have a pivotal role later in Avengers: Endgame. That’s Captain Marvel, of course, played by Brie Larson in the film. But there is one major Hollywood star in Captain Marvel whose role is still something of a mystery. For months now, we’ve been waiting to see who Jude Law will play in the movie, as Marvel and Disney tried to keep it a secret. Earlier this week, Disney mistakenly let the name of Law’s character slip out. And now we have a different leak that seems to shed even more light on his role.

In a Captain Marvel description on its website this week, Disney captioned an image showing Jude Law and Brie Larson in Captain Marvel attire this way: “Jude Law as Mar-Vell, the leader of Starforce.” The caption was soon corrected to remove the name, and now reads “Leader of the Starforce.”

It’s clear that Disney and Marvel, known for their secrecy surrounding MCU movies, want to keep Law’s character a mystery for as long as possible. It’s been long speculated that he’ll either play Mar-Vell in the film, or Yon-Rogg, the villain. Following the slip-up, some speculated that Law may play both roles and that Disney is trying to prevent a potentially huge twist from leaking.

With that in mind, now check out the following image that was recently posted on Twitter (via MCU Cosmic):

YON ROGG!!!! I wish they would have kept this more secret but it’s our fault for knowing comic book counterparts! Lol pic.twitter.com/h3J5I4xaJo

— ︽✵︽ han yolo ︽✵︽ (@thejedijunkyard) December 28, 2018

Here’s what the explanation on the back reads:

Leader of the Starforce team, Yon-Rogg is a hero among the Kree and a key asset to the Supreme Intelligence in the war against the Skrulls.

So, Yon-Ronn is the leader of Starforce. Combine that with Disney’s revelation that Jude Law plays said Starforce leader, and it seems clear that Law’s character will be Yon-Rogg. Comics fans probably suspected this all along, and we won’t go too deep into the history of either Yon-Rogg or Mar-Vell. But, as hard as Disney and Marvel may want to hide the identity of Law’s character, it sure looks like we’ve got our answer(s).

If you want more Captain Marvel content, don’t forget to watch the brand new clip from the film that was released just a few days ago.

Read original article here:https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/man-behind-marvel-studios-teased-biggest-change-mcu-yet-653309

Fans have been waiting 10 years for this to happen.
Anyone familiar with superheroes movies knows that while Disney owns Marvel Studios, it doesn’t actually own the rights to all the characters created by Marvel throughout its history.

Most notably, the entire X-Men world is currently owned by Fox — and all X-Men, Deadpool and Wolverine films have so far had nothing to do with the same Marvel Cinematic Universe where Iron Man, Spider-Man and Captain America live.

But Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has began to publicly tease the introduction of the X-Men into the MCU.

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Speaking to Variety magazine, Feige said: “We’ve been told it’s looking very, very good and could happen in the first six months of next year. The notion of the characters coming back is great. It’s nice when a company that created all these characters can have access to all those characters. It’s unusual not to. But in terms of actually thinking about it and actually planning things, we haven’t started that yet.”

The development has been made possible by a merger that will see Disney absorb 21st Century Fox and its Marvel-licensed properties, notably the aforementioned X-Men and Fantastic Four (and Silver Surfer).

Obviously, Professor X and the gang won’t be arriving in enough time to save the universe from Thanos, but it’s certainly looking like the MCU is about to get a lot bigger.

Read more here: https://www.cbr.com/black-knight-mcu-quantum-realm-rumor/

A new rumor suggests that Marvel Studios is working on bringing Black Knight to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In a post on Twitter, Jeremy Conrad, who often leaks information about the cinematic superhero universe, suggested that Marvel is working on introducing the character, writing, “There’s been some hinting and talk about Black Knight recently. Apparently Marvel does have a plan for him in the MCU, and they already know how he’ll be introduced.”

There’s been some hinting and talk about Black Knight recently. Apparently Marvel does have a plan for him in the MCU, and they already know how he’ll be introduced.

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Although Conrad doesn’t directly mention how Marvel is planning on introducing Black Knight, the image he shared seems to indicate that his introduction might have something to do with the Quantum Realm, which will likely play a major role in Avengers: Endgame.

One of the responses to Conrad’s post pointed out that Black Knight’s helmet has already appeared as an Easter egg in Doctor Strange.

As this is not official information from Marvel Studios, it’s entirely possible that this rumor will prove untrue. Black Knight isn’t a particularly big name among those unfamiliar with the comics, so it would likely take a fair amount of work to successfully incorporate the character into the MCU. Also, as Marvel Studios expects to regain the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four within the next six months, it seems a little odd to focus on a hero without the name recognition of those groups. Still, Marvel Studios has had success with making lesser-known heroes popular in the past, so it’s possible the studio is aiming to do the same thing here.

First appearing in 1955’s Black Knight #1, there have been numerous versions of the character throughout the years, and there’s no indication of which version the MCU might be bringing in. The original Black Knight was Sir Percy of Scandia, who was created by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely.

If the MCU does bring the character into the fold, it’s likely Marvel Studios will either use one of the supervillain versions of the character or Dane Whitman. Created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, Whitman was the third Black Knight and has served as a member of the Avengers and several other important superhero groups.

Captain Marvel will be the next film in the MCU. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck from a script they wrote with Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch, Meg LeFauve, Nicole Perlman and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Captain Marvel stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jude Law as Starforce Commander, Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser, Djimon Hounsou as Korath the Pursuer, Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva, Ben Mendelsohn as Talos and Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau. The film arrives March 8, 2019.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is truly a cinematic marvel. Never before has the film industry witnessed a universe shared by so many characters, storylines, and consistent record-breaking box office successes. It’s been a huge year for Marvel Studios due to the achievements of “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” But it’s also been a sad one due to the passing of Marvel patriarch and creator Stan Lee. Still, the Marvel train shows no signs of slowing; and we may have only seen the beginning of what MCU can do with a slate of new films and some new characters in the near future. So in honor of the new “Captain Marvel” trailer, “Black Panther’s” groundbreaking Golden Globes nomination, and the much-anticipated “Avengers: Endgame” trailer, here’s my top 5 favorite Marvel Movies (so far…)

Disclaimer (& Invitation!): If you’re a fan, I know you have ranked the Marvel movies too. That’s part of the fun of being a fan! This is my personal list based on my own thoughts and critiques, but I want to hear yours. Maybe you can persuade me to change mine? Comment with your own top 5 favorite list and let’s discuss!

5. Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)

Directed by the Russo Brothers, “Captain America: Winter Soldier” is my favorite Captain America film. Yes, I like it even more than “Captain America: Civil War”. Change my mind. Anyway, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is struggling with how to live in our current day and with the new direction of S.H.I.E.L.D. But when the past presents new threats, Rogers and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) have to go on the run to uncover a conspiracy.

Why It’s Great: Sequels are challenging. However, “Winter Soldier” manages to build upon “Captain America: The First Avenger” without repeating it. It also serves to further enhance the character of Captain America, as well as remind the audience why he truly is a hero worth believing in. The style of “Winter Soldier” is different as well. It’s more realistic at times than the comic book, with fantastic stunt choreography that’s a lot more believable. Finally, I appreciate the twists and mostly unexpected surprises, but I’m even more a fan of its theme of freedom versus security. In a genre where they could’ve gotten by with simply good guy versus bad guy, “Winter Soldier” tackled a complex and incredibly relevant issue.

4. Black Panther (2018)

Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” tells the story of how T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) takes the throne as the new king of Wakanda and must decide whether to keep the kingdom a secret or use its technology to help others around the world. This dilemma becomes personal and impossible to ignore in the form of Erik Killmonger, who’s determined to take the throne and mantle of Black Panther and to do what the kings of the past have not.

Why It’s Great: The cast! Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Shuri (Letitia Wright), and Okoye (Danai Gurira) are arguably the most compelling characters on screen. They’re brilliant, entertaining, and each has their own unique stories and motivations. They illustrate how female characters should be depicted without screaming at the audience that they’re relevant and progressive. Also, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) is one of the best villains in the MCU. He’s a legitimate threat, ruthless, yet the audience can’t help but relate and sympathize with him.

While T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) had a lot of competition on screen, his story is the centerpiece of the film. Our hero is wrestling with the fact his own hero, his father, has made mistakes which he now must handle. Only when he makes decisions for Wakanda based on what he believes is right is when he truly becomes king. Finally, it’s the worldbuilding! Wakanda managed to balance a futuristic look with history and culture. You don’t just believe it existed, you want to go there yourself. Wakanda forever!

Lastly, “Black Panther” recently received Marvel’s first nomination for Best Picture at the Golden Globes, hopefully paving the way for future nominations of superhero films.

3. The Avengers (2012)

Joss Whedon had the challenge of bringing all the heroes together in one film for the first time. Ironically, that’s exactly what the movie was about: the individual heroes learning to come together. The threat is Loki, Thor’s brother, and the Tesseract which will continue to play a role in the Marvel Universe.

Why It’s Great: It’s so fun without being too lazy. It’s all about relationships and interactions, which is why you care despite the unbelievable circumstances of the film. “The Avengers” also does a great job highlighting each of the characters. If you’re a fan of only one of the Avengers, you’ll still enjoy the film. Basically, this is the comic book movie you’ve always wanted and paved the way for where we are now in the MCU.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” throws you off from the start; but once you recover, you’ll realize you’re loving the ride. “Guardians of the Galaxy” leaves Earth to the Avengers and takes the action to outer space. Here, a gang of misfits become their own sort of family to save the galaxy from yet another mysterious object which will play a significant role in the Marvel Universe.

Why It’s Great: It’s hilarious, it’s irreverent, yet it has so much heart. The casting is spectacular; and yes, while there is a plot, this film is about the characters first and foremost. One of the most unique aspects of “Guardians of the Galaxy” is its soundtrack. It’s tied to main character Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) story, and it both influences and reflects other moments in the film while offering that dash of nostalgic, oddball flavor. Lastly, a dance-off saved the universe. Yep, it’s true.

1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The Russo Brothers’ “Avengers: Infinity War” is the culmination and climax of ten years of MCU films. Thanos is bent on collecting the Infinity Stones and using them to eliminate half of the universe. Fortunately, he doesn’t have them all yet; and all of our Marvel heroes are being called upon to stop him.

Why It’s Great: This film has a massive cast. I’m talking seventy plus characters here, each with their own storylines and motivations. Somehow, the Russo Brothers made it work seamlessly. Plus, it’s a blast seeing so many of your favorite characters interacting with one another. Basically, “Infinity War” is a cinematic symphony where each character has their own moment which contributes to the overall story without ever losing steam and with the highest of stakes.

The film is also a huge payoff for fans of the MCU, as details and plot points from films past are addressed without losing or confusing casual fans or even those seeing a Marvel film for the first time. “Infinity War” also took bold risks and managed to surprise audiences in a time where spoilers, leaks, and fan theories are a part of the landscape. Finally, “Infinity War” is a stand-alone film with an ending. Yes, we always knew there would be a sequel, which we now know is “Avengers: Endgame”. But “Infinity War” didn’t take the easy way out, cheaply cutting to black at the climax only to generate ticket sales for the next film. In a time where franchises are shamelessly stretched into multiple films for box office wins, “Infinity War” doesn’t beg.

So that’s my top 5 favorite Marvel movies so far, but I want to know yours! What’s your top 5 favorite Marvel movies? Did any of mine make your list? Let us know!

Read more here: https://wdwnt.com/2018/12/top-5-favorite-marvel-movies-so-far/