guardians of the galaxy

There have already been whisperings that a large chunk of the park surrounding the soon-to-be-gone Tower of Terror ride will eventually be replaced with Marvel-themed rides.

Can we make sure to include Groot in all this business somewhere, please?

James Gunn wrapped the Marvel Studios Comic-Con discussion by revealing a release date for Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (which he will return to direct) set for July 28th 2017. No word on Doctor Strange or any of the other six dates Marvel has optioned, but I guess we'll just have to wait.

Waiting sucks.

Oh wait, that's not Cooper, it's Oreo and Podge, his stunt raccoons.

To put it lightly, all hell broke loose the other day when Zendaya was announced as the new Mary Jane for Spider-Man: Homecoming. James Gunn (Director of Guardians of the Galaxy) got on his Facebook and offered up his comprehensive take on the matter:

People get upset when something they consider intrinsic to a comic book character changes when adapted for a film. I get this. There are movies I dislike because I think there's a basic misunderstanding of the story or the character when the comic is transferred to film (I still hate how in the first Batman movie the Joker was revealed as the murderer of Bruce Wayne's parents, for instance.)That said, I do not believe a character is the color of his or her skin. When Michael B Jordan was cast as Johnny Storm I didn't understand the uproar. The primary characteristic of Johnny was not, to me, that he was white, or that he had blonde hair, but that he was a fiery, funny, big-mouthed braggart of a hero. I was happy that he was going to be played by one of the finest and most charming young actors out there.Yesterday, a rumor broke out that the character of Mary Jane was being played by a young black woman, Zendaya, and all hell broke out on the Internet (again). I tweeted that if people find themselves complaining about Mary Jane's ethnicity they have lives that are too good. (For those of you who think this means I'm confirming that Zendaya IS playing MJ, realize that although I've read the Spidey script, and I've met the actress in question, I have no idea what her role is. There's a good chance someone told me at one time or another, but, if so, I can't remember. I'm going to find out when I go into Marvel this afternoon, but I feel free to speak until that time because it's about the concept about a black woman playing Mary Jane, not the actuality or hypothesis of it.)I got a thousand or so responses to my tweet. Most of them were positive. Some folks disagreed - they thought the character should look like what she looks like in the comics - but were thoughtful. And a handful were flat out racist.I can't respond to the racists - I'm not ever going to change their minds. But for the thoughtful majority of you out there:For me, if a character's primary attribute - the thing that makes them iconic - is the color of their skin, or their hair color, frankly, that character is shallow and sucks. For me, what makes MJ MJ is her alpha female playfulness, and if the actress captures that, then she'll work. And, for the record, I think Zendaya even matches what I think of as MJ's primary physical characteristics - she's a tall, thin model - much more so than actresses have in the past.Whatever the case, if we're going to continue to make movies based on the almost all white heroes and supporting characters from the comics of the last century, we're going to have to get used to them being more reflective of our diverse present world. Perhaps we can be open to the idea that, although someone may not initially match how we personally conceive a character, we can be - and often are - happily surprised.

Marvel's newest movie franchise, The Guardians of the Galaxy is set to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer thanks largely in part to Rocket, a cybernetic raccoon set to be the breakout star of the superhero movie. Unfortunately the man behind the character, Bill Mantlo, will not see a cent from the film's success, but fans and creators in the comics industry are looking to help him out.

You see, Bill Mantlo, was the victim of a hit-and-run driver back in 1992. Since that tragedy, the man behind, Rocket, Lady Deathstrike, and many others, has suffered irreparable injuries and currently resides in an assisted living home. His injuries were such, that he relies, daily, on the dedication of the staff and his brother, which doesn't come cheap.

So writer Greg Pak and fans at sites like Geeks of Doom have been using the film's hype to bring Bill's tragedy back to the fore front and raise whatever money they can to help he and his brother, Mike Mantlo. If you'd like to donate, visit their Paypal.

Hodor and Groot have it out in the ultimate rap battle to prove who is the true lyrical genius.