Last week, Ben Kingsley let slip that he recently completed a “secret Marvel job,” leading to speculation that he had filmed one of Marvel Studios “One Shot” short films that appear on the studio’s DVD and Blu-ray releases. A new rumor purports to know exactly what that One Shot will entail, but even before factor in its source, the idea is pretty ridiculous. Latino Review (surprise) is alleging that the plot for the short film will turn the reveal about Kingsley’s character in Iron Man 3 on its head. (Spoilers for Iron Man 3.)
According to sources, Marvel wants to make it up to fans so in the one shot, the REAL Mandarin is furious with Aldrich Killian and Ben Kingsley’s character Trevor Slattery for the mockery they made of the real Mandarin’s identity and legacy. The real Mandarin wants to set the record straight.
Yes, the REAL Mandarin.
This one doesn’t even pass the smell test and just feels more like some irritated fanboy wish fulfillment than anything else. Sure, some fans were upset with the radical departure that Iron Man 3 took from the comics for its portrayal of the villain the Mandarin. Personally, while I was a bit disappointed that the character wasn’t much like the comics, writer/director Shane Black’s twist was clever and fit well within the world that Marvel has been building up over the years. If Marvel thought that it was a bad idea, they wouldn’t have let Black go ahead with it, and I don’t see that the whining of a few vocal fanboys who make up a very small amount of the $1.2 billion in ticket sales that the film earned will make them change their minds.
Besides, If Marvel was looking to do a double reversal of that twist, I don’t see them doing it in a One Shot film. This would be the type of thing they would do in a post-credits tag scene, particularly in the Iron Man 3 post credits as a tease towards further films.
I’m putting this one in the same pile as Latino Review’s discredited but hilarious “Avengers 2/Phase 3/Avengers 3 will be an adaptation of the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk storylines” rumor.
Ridiculous Rumor About Ben Kingsley’s “Secret Marvel Project” http://t.co/Ub2OIeQMmS
The reason why Latino Review’s rumors get so much play because they are fanboy wish fulfillment fantasies. To be honest, though, I did think of this as a possibility, but not as a likely one, for the reasons you mentioned.
I think you put your finger on it: they know what the fans want and they give it to them. Of course those rumors bring lots of web traffic, which translates into increased advertising revenue, so they have realized they are onto a good thing.
Maybe we should do that, Rich. “Marvel Source: George Clooney cast as Doctor Strange.” Think of the hits!
I was on a set visit not that long ago where some of the other online journalists were making note of the fact that these outrageous rumors were increasing web traffic. They weren’t happy about it, but I also caught a note of ‘Why didn’t we think of that?’
I’m of the same mind, at least in not being happy in the fact that such stories increase traffic. But at some point, people are going to catch on that they’re the website that cried “Wolf!” and stop clicking through to their stories, right?