The Marvel Cinematic Universe 80s Style...Part One!

It's January 2nd, 1984 and Terms of Endearment is the number one movie at the US Box Office. Return of the Jedi was the biggest movie of the last year and the rest of the year will see movies like Ghostbusters, The Terminator,Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom & Beverly Hills Cop hit theaters.

For weeks, an exciting rumor has been floating that the first week of the year will bring a big announcement that will astonish movie and comic fans, and it landed in today's Variety.

"20th Century Fox have announced that they have purchased comics giant Marvel and their entire library of characters. They will produce movies beginning this year featuring some of the biggest names in the comic canon in what promises to be the most ambitious movie undertaking in history.

Lucasfilm, Amblin Entertainment, & New Line Cinema have all signed on as producing partners for a number of movies over the next ten years. The first movie, due to hit theaters for Summer 1985 is Iron Man, with The Incredible Hulk following for the Christmas period. Captain America & Thor will follow in 1986 with a potential team-up movie the following year.

No castings have been announced as of yet, but it has been confirmed that Steven Spielberg will direct Captain America and Ridley Scott will helm the opening movie, Iron Man.

We've learned that there are several names in discussion to play Tony Stark A.K.A Iron Man and a decision is due imminently from the studio. One exciting rumor is that Bill Bixby is being tapped to transition into the movies along with Lou Ferrigno, bringing their iconic TV version of The Incredible Hulk to the big screen."

Over the coming articles, we look at how this alternate version of the MCU takes shape... first off is the opening gambit.

Iron Man (1985) Directed By Ridley Scott

Cast

Jeff Bridges as Tony Stark

Kim Basinger as Virginia "Pepper" Potts

Robert Duval as Happy Hogan

Steve James as Col. James Rhodes

Mandy Patinkin as Obadiah Stane

David Bowie as Justin Hammer

James Hong as The Mandarin

Laurence Fishburne as Philip Coulson - Agent Of SHIELD

Lloyd Bridges as Howard Stark

Dorothy Bridges as Maria Stark

Beau Bridges as Major Glen Talbot

Joanna Cassidy as Natalie Romain/Natasha Romanov/Black Widow

Edward James Olmos as Ho Yinsen

Professor Toru Tanaka as Fat Cobra

The Story...

Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy who builds weapons, lives fast, and epitomizes the "American Dream". His genius is aided by his adoptive brother Obadiah Stane, who runs the company while Tony womanizes and gets into scrapes that less brilliant men would be incarcerated for.

Tony's parents were killed several years before and Stane's father had been trusted with the company and raised Tony as a son until his death the previous year, forcing Tony to finally take the reins of Stark Industries.

After a trip to Afghanistan to "get the lie of the land" goes wrong, Tony is taken hostage by the Ten Rings after suffering a catastrophic injury, which leaves shrapnel buried near his heart. A fellow prisoner, Yinsen saves his life and helps Tony build a suit to help him escape, thus becoming Iron Man.

On his return to America, Tony is profoundly changed by the sacrifice his friend made, and the unseen danger the world is facing from The Mandarin who operates in a grey area that the US is missing thanks to its obsession with the Russians. Concerned with his newfound mortality, Tony turns to drink and creativity to find the courage needed to face the danger.

In his absence, Stane has become embroiled in a bitter arms war with Justin Hammer and cannot fathom Tony's decision to steer away from weapons manufacturing while the Cold War is still alive, however, he agrees to run the company this way while Tony recovers on understanding his own project, the Arc Reactor can continue.

Unknown to Obadiah, Tony has secretly completed this project and now builds it into a new Iron Man suit powered by it in order to go to war with the Mandarin while still finding time to romance new employees Pepper Potts and Natalie Romain who is Stane's girlfriend. His ever-loyal bodyguard and father figure, Happy Hogan mentors him and keeps his secret, but warns of a cost when Stane inevitably finds out about the arc reactor and his dalliance with Natalie.

When Pepper is kidnapped, Tony is forced to take on the Mandarin and his Ten Rings. While impaired by inexperience and booze, he is able to overcome Fat Cobra but the Mandarin escapes when he unleashes Crimson Dynamo, showing that he has a link to the Russians after all, Tony barely survives the encounter.

On his return home, Tony has to begin an elaborate charade, that Iron Man is in fact just a bodyguard. He has to keep the secret not only from the public but also Obadiah and Justin Hammer who both want his tech.

In a post-credits sequence, it is revealed that Natalie is a spy and reporting back to a figure who tells her it's time to live up to her name of Black Widow and is revealed to be Justin Hammer.

Why It Would Work...

Giving Ridley Scott the reigns might seem risky with this cast, but it would have allowed him to make a stylish techno-thriller, with some fun in there as well.

Of all the Marvel movies, this would be the least "kid friendly" and an R rating so a more adult director makes sense. Ironically, Scott recently stated he would "never do a superhero movie" but back then I'm not so sure had this scale of budget and scope been open to him, he'd have made this and NOT Legend.

In 1985, there was no one better than Jeff Bridges at playing the affable, but unreliable hero. Kevin Flynn of Tron was basically Tony Stark writing games, not building tech and his leading man charm, along with being able to cast his father as Howard would help to fill out the story.

Having Stane as a younger man and "equal" would also be a smart move, allowing his jealousy, resentment, and anger to grow over several movies rather than the outright double-dealing of the 2008 movie. Mandy Patinkin became really famous as Inigo Montoya and this Stane would have similar motives to that character. Rather than killing his father, he would feel him dishonored and betrayed by Tony's decisions and lies, leading to a violent breakup but not as early as this movie. He would basically take the roles of Anton Vanko AND Aldrich Killian (who wasn't invented for another 20 years) in the real MCU.

Basinger is the perfect Pepper Potts for the time and she and Bridges showed good chemistry in Nadine. In essence, her character would be the same as Vicki Vale in Batman, just earlier while Joanna Cassidy who was best known as Zorha in Blade Runner is exactly how Widow would have been in that era, sexy, older, and with real charisma, this works when you see who becomes Hawkeye later.

Making Happy Hogan older is a deliberate choice, Duvall is renowned for his mentor type roles, and this would be a perfect match for Bridges. Supportive but concerned and not above a stinging put down. He'd be Alfred to Tony's Batman AND his bodyguard, giving some plausibility to Tony needing Iron Man as his bodyguard as Happy is getting on a bit in years.

The rest of the cast is based on acting ability but are mainly extended cameos, David Bowie looked exactly like Justin Hammer of the comics and could put across that cold air of menace, he and Patinkin would be great working off each other while Tony simply ignores or derides Hammer as you could imagine Bridges doing.

The crossover characters are important going forward. Laurence Fishburne was a different type of actor back in 1985 and could have played a Phil Coulson style role to perfection. Less humor than the modern version, more intimidating. If you saw him in Red Heat, you get the idea.

Rhodey is used here but not a major character yet. Steve James, had the right look, skills to portray a combat pilot and be the "straight" man to Bridges when needed.

Carl Weathers would be too flashy and Billy Dee Williams a little too smooth.

Glen Talbot appears as the military's link between Stane/Stark, Hammer, and the US Government and has a bigger role in the next movie. Beau Bridges played these kinds of roles his whole career and would be a good choice.

The Outcome...

Iron Man stormed the box office and won unexpected positive reviews for its mix of intrigue, action, and engaging performances.

Releasing on June 14th, 1985, it smashed the record weekend opening of an R for the second time in a month, knocking Rambo: First Blood Part 2 off the top and taking 28.2m at the box office in its opening weekend. It remained number one until Back To The Future took the spot three weeks later but remained in the top three for the rest of the summer.

Roger Ebert praised the movie, giving it four stars and stating "This is comic book entertainment for grown-ups, these aren't boy scouts with underwear on the outside or Boy Wonder sidekicks, just real, flawed guys trying to do the right thing and it's riveting. They tease more, and I want more..."

Scott, however, made clear that he would not be directing any sequels, but suggested his brother Tony would be the right man to take things forward should they want to make more Iron Man solo movies.

One criticism was that the movie was not "child-friendly" yet toys were made. However, Marvel promised that its next movie would re-introduce a beloved character in a way that children and adults could enjoy, one where one of rock's most popular stars would be a villain and that Empire Strikes Back director Irving Kirshner would be in the chair for...

The Incredible Hulk (1986)

Cast

Bill Bixby as David Banner

Lou Ferrigno as The Hulk

Sam Elliot as Col. Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross

Cher as Dr. Elizabeth "Betty" Ross

John Lithgow as Samuel Sterns/The Leader

Emilio Estevez as Rick Jones

Kelly Preston as Jane Foster

Sting as Emil Blonsky/The Abomination

Beau Bridges as Major Glen Talbot

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Thor

Lance Henricksen as "Doc" Samson

Vernon Wells as Buck Rumelow

Jack Colvin as Jack McGee

Lara Parker as Lara Banner (Flashback)

Susan Sullivan as Elaina Marks (Flashback)

Marriette Hartley Dr, Carolyn Fields (Flashback)

Rebecca Shaeffer as Jessie Ross

The Story...

The movie picks up several years after the TV show, with David Banner closer than ever to the cure that he has been seeking. He is working with Dr. Samuel Sterns and the two have become friends. It's been several years since the last Hulk-out and Banner has allowed himself an element of freedom as he feels he is more in control than ever.

Little does he know he is a pawn in a wider game and that Sterns is secretly working with Col. Thunderbolt Ross to harvest Banner's genetic material with a view on creating an army of super soldiers.

He is stunned to realize that Ross is not only after his DNA but that he is married to his college sweetheart Betty who had suddenly left him while studying and knows both his first wife and Elaina Markus.

Banner is told in no uncertain terms by Thunderbolt he works for the government now and that any attempt to escape or Hulk-out will lead to his death. Betty is put to work on the team and they become close again, making David nervous due to the loss of both his wives and Elaina who all died because of him. Betty makes clear that her marriage is all but over but there is a reason Ross hates him so much that isn't to do with the Hulk.

To reassure David, Betty introduces him to her daughter Jessie, who she reveals is David's rather than Ross's child. Betty fell pregnant while they were at college and while she loved David, she knew his work was too important to give up for a child. Ross came on the scene and she allowed him to believe Jessie was his daughter. David is tentative and shocked by the revelation, but for the first time in years feels that he has a future and a reason to press ahead with the cure so he can, at last, have a family life.

Jessie is dating a young man named Rick Jones who is reckless and funny who David likes immensely, despite this conflicting with his feelings as a "new" father. He sees a lot of himself in his younger days in Rick, but Thunderbolt again tries to have Rick banned from the base and from seeing Jesse, yet somehow he always manages to get in.

After an argument with Ross, Banner finds that Jessie and Rick have strayed out into a testing zone for the gamma weapon that Ross and Stern are developing. Their car crashes as they try to escape leaving Jesse seriously injured and Jones trapped right in the blast zone.

David and Thunderbolt are forced to work together to rescue them and the weapon causes the first Hulk-out of the movie. The Hulk saves Rick but absorbs some of the Gamma, this has a surprising effect in raising the Hulk's intelligence and altering his appearance slightly (to account for the bigger budget) going forward. While he can't talk, it is clear more of Banner's personality is now part of The Hulk, he has a definite enmity of Ross and a protective nature towards Rick, Betty, and Jesse.

Jones is grateful to Banner for saving him and tells him he has a secret he needs to share, only for a medical emergency with Jessie to interrupt.

She needs a blood transfusion, which forces Betty to admit Jesse's true parentage to Ross and she advises only David's freshly irradiated blood will work (Yes, she becomes She Hulk...but not for some time) David does this does despite his and Ross's reservations.

This chain of events sets Ross on a vendetta that leads to him administering Banner's blood to Emil Blonsky, a British/Russian Elite Soldier (Sting) with a penchant for cruelty. As there is no DNA connection, Blonsky has a violent allergic reaction which mutates him. On seeing the results Ross is horrified and hit with a double whammy when Sterns unleashes his own masterplan, using a secret serum he had derived from the blood to become The Leader.

Having unleashed two monsters onto the world, Ross is forced to ask Betty to find David and for her to convince him to take down this new threat as The Hulk. Angry at what he sees as her betrayal, David initially refuses but Betty reveals the reason Jessie needed the transfusion is that there is a hereditary illness she carries/ Betty is dying from it but the transfusion David gave her will prevent Jessie dying from it, even if there are other side effects. The Ross's marriage crumbled when he learned of her fatal prognosis and that his "daughter" would quite likely suffer the same fate.

This resonates with David as his second wife died of a terminal illness and Betty argues she needs David to take care of Jessie and show her a path because Ross won't—she fears he'll see her as much a freak as her parents and lock her away or worse. The only chance both have is for The Hulk to stop the Abomination and The Leader and use the leverage of Ross's crimes to call a truce.

Banner returns and Hulks-out/faces The Abomination, while the Leader exercises his new skills, including mind control—turning much of Ross's force against him AND the Hulk.

The Hulk is able to break The Leader's concentration long enough for Ross to incapacitate him but Abomination is more than a match for "the other guy."

Rick Jones reappears and draws Abomination away, right into a trap which quickly snares The Hulk too. Later on, Rick reveals himself as a rookie Agent of SHIELD who had infiltrated the base to monitor Sterns and that he'd been sent to try and prevent all this... but he fell for Jessie and ended up causing it.

David is rightly concerned about his future, and Ross states he will lock he and Jessie away for the rest of their lives, however, in a cameo, Nick Fury, Agent Of SHIELD arrives (played by Robert Redford) along with Buck Rumelow and tells Ross that the Banners and Blonsky are now in the custody of SHIELD and if he has a problem, take it up with Reagan.

The movie ends a few months later at Betty's funeral, David and Jessie finally get to embrace as father and daughter as Ross looks on seething, listening via a bug.

David reveals he has been recruited to SHIELD as a "free man" and it's his choice to work on a cure for them both. Jessie wants to live with him and get to know him better while being with Rick.

David replies that Rick was sorry he couldn't be there as SHIELD had found something in the Arctic (Captain America) and declines her wish say that while he's not perfect, Ross has been her dad her whole life, that he loves her. He adds that both her mom and he trust Ross to take care of her as he always did, because she is all he has left.

He ends with telling her when she needs him, she can call. Jessie tearfully embraces him and Ross gives a tiny nod of thanks/respect to Banner as the "Lonely Man Theme" begins and they all walk away from each other. Zoom out... Credits

Post Credits & Why It Would Work...

In a post-credits scene, we see a Frost Giant (Brian Thompson) running through an unusual looking forest. He is seemingly being chased as thunder rolls behind him. A Bolt of Lightning makes him fall. He looks up and defiantly says...

"We told you this would happen...You're too late...YOU are too late...Son of Odin!"

The camera cuts to show a lightning storm behind Arnold Schwarzenegger as Thor lifts Mjölnir aloft and says menacingly "...And I told you... I'll be back!"

Why would it work?

On paper it's a risk to use the TV Show as the basis of the movie, however, in that era, for a project SO ambitious, some degree of familiarity would be needed to convince the public to buy in.

By using the Hulk TV show as canon and keeping Bixby and Ferrigno, with an SFX and budget upgrade, there is an instant link to the fans of that show who would be curious to see what Hollywood would do with it. If done well, that alone would generate massive word of mouth and popularity.

Irving Kershner had directed for TV and big scale action with Empire Strikes Back. Bixby himself was accomplished behind the camera. Together, they'd make sure the story and blend of action was right and true to the original show's sensibilities. There's no need for Hulk Dogs or moody versions of Banner when the definitive "Lonely Man" is there, faced with new challenges, including fatherhood and being forced to work with enemies for the greater good.

Using Cher and Sam Elliot costs the world Mask, which is a fantastic movie—and the reason for their pairing, but updating the story of Banner, Ross, and indeed She-Hulk in such a way would help bring Banner's life full circle and give real gravitas to the movie. Elliot to me remains the definitive version of Ross, and he could easily have played him earlier...or later in the real MCU.

This movie closes with "running" part of Banner/Hulk's life now over. He is accepted and safe at SHIELD, he has a daughter and a "son" figure in Rick Jones—it closes the story of the TV show and sets the character up for the big screen, bigger adventures, and team-ups and all retaining that charm that Bill Bixby brought. They did make real team-ups with him, and only budget really stopped it working. Bixby was someone who never crossed over to movies due to the show's success but really should have.

Somewhere in the future, the She-Hulk could be a character and, yes it's a change from the comic canon. Making Jennifer Banner's daughter gives scope for some really good scenes as she becomes a woman and hero, inheriting her father's "gifts" but using them in a different way.

In the real world, Rebecca Schaeffer was taken way too soon but in 1985 she'd be a perfect future She-Hulk.

From the villain perspective, John Lithgow of 1985 WAS The Leader, just add a 'tash and larger forehead. He was also an accomplished villain, able to play both sympathetic and evil. For The Abomination, the idea of Sting is near perfect, a clearly beautiful but ruthless man who becomes a monster.

Fresh off playing Feyd Harkonnen in Dune, he was well equipped to play an SAS Soldier gone very bad and with some effects work form the basis for The Abomination, whose strength would be increased without muscles being massive in the same way Hulk was. He'd be leaner, meaner, and faster than the Hulk, making the battle far more interesting than the slower paced ones of the TV show.

Rounding the cast out is Emilio Estevez, perfect "kid" agent at that time, viable as a love interest for Jessie and as someone who has more to them than "just" a dumb kid. Estevez was playing a married cop just two years later for Stakeout...and, of course, the benefit of this casting is he'd NEVER have made Maximum Overdrive!

"Doc" Samson is another cameo role, he is a psychologist who works with Banner while under Ross. Lance Henriksen seemed born for that role and again, filmed before he shipped off to England to shoot Aliens. Kelly Preston's Jane Foster is one of the young scientists at Sterns and Ross's compound and again, a small role that pays off later.

The Outcome...

The movie released on November 31st, 1985 and was number one for four weeks.

Critics praised the upscaling of the TV show while keeping true to its roots and the performances but felt the action was a little light for the big screen, as the Hulk didn't show up until halfway through.

Bixby and Sam Elliot were both Golden Globe-nominated for their roles while Cher narrowly missed out to Whoopi Goldberg for The Color Purple.

Many felt the movie was unfairly denied Oscar nominations and Globe wins due to its subject matter, with Bixby, in particular, being given kudos for stepping a TV character up to the big screen, with some going so far as to rue the missed movie opportunities he lost by taking the TV role for so long.

Arnold's cameo was a massive hit, fresh off The Terminator and with Commando shooting, he and Wells both took days out of their schedules to film their cameos for future films. Thor's look was very exciting for the fans and his movie was highly anticipated.

While not quite as well received as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk was a PG movie that satisfied fans of the show, kids, and proved to critics that this idea could actually work.

Coming Soon - Part 2 Featuring...

"This Summer, the director who made you believe a man could fly... will make you believe in the GOD OF THUNDER...THOR!"

"Steven Spielberg brings you the story of the FIRST Avenger...an American Icon... Captain America..."

"When the world is under threat like never before, Earth's Mightiest Heroes come together...The Avengers...."