Benedict will be seen as Stephen Strange in the upcoming Doctor Strange. PHOTO: FILE
The 6,500-plus Comic-Con audience — which had queued overnight to attend the annual event — was introduced to the cast of Black Panther, being directed by Ryan Coogler. Actor Chadwick Boseman plays the titular hero while Michael B Jordan will essay his arch nemesis Erik Killmonger. Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o will be seen as the female warrior Nakia. Similarly, another Oscar-winning actor Brie Larson was revealed as Captain Marvel but no details were given on the 2018 film.
Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch came forth to reveal a scene from Doctor Strange, out in November, wherein neurosurgeon Stephen Strange meets the Ancient One to harness some magic and alternate dimensions. “It’s very, very different and the scale is something else,” Cumberbatch said. The casting of Tilda Swinton as a Celtic Ancient One has caused an uproar among some fans, as the character is of Asian origin in the comics. However, Marvel has been showcasing some diverse casts for its upcoming films after facing criticism for being a superhero franchise dominated by white male actors.
Also revealed was Spider Man: Homecoming, starring Tom Holland — a comedy following a 15-year-old Peter Parker struggling through homework, girls and the adolescent life. Finally, the cast of 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2 entered, alongside new footage of Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russel.
But it wasn’t just Marvel that enjoyed the limelight at this year’s Comic-Con. The creator of the wildly popular Pokemon Go app, John Hanke, also received celebrity treatment, as he discussed the success and future of the game. According to John, the global popularity of the game — which incorporates colourful creatures from Nintendo’s Pokemon universe into the real world using augmented reality (AR) and Google mapping — had been “mind-blowing.”
Pokemon Go has captivated fans around the world, garnering 21 million active US users in just two weeks. Stock prices for Nintendo soared after the game’s launch. Hanke said updates and new features will be rolled out in the coming months and years, to include more creatures and elements of the vast Pokemon universe.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2016.
Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ