It was a huge surprise yesterday when Bryan Singer announced that Evan Peters will be playing Quicksilver in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST considering Joss Whedon was already planning on using the character in THE AVENGERS 2. Many wondered if this was the first step towards a mega union between the two studios or if FOX is just trying to piss all over Marvel's bonfire.
Well according to HitFix's sources don't expect to see Wolverine teaming up with The Avengers or Thor battling a Sentinel anytime soon…if ever.
This is not a situation where the two different companies are working together to try and create a sense of a larger shared world. In fact, if either of them could get the other to back off, they would. The thing is, Bryan Singer has designed a sequence that he feels only works with Quicksilver, and Joss Whedon feels that there is a pressing reason for Quicksilver to show up in "The Avengers 2," and so what we're going to see is a legally-negotiated stand-off in which we'll get two totally different versions of one character. While they may act like things are amicable in public, HitFix sources say otherwise.
So while it looks like Whedon might have big plans for Quicksilver the character may only be really used in one sequence for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. Singer will also have the opportunity to define the character first since the new movie will be out next year and THE AVENGERS 2 doesn't hit theaters until 2015.
Because of the arrangement between the two studios, Marvel can't call Quicksilver a mutant and Magneto can't even be mentioned while FOX isn't allowed to to make any references to The Avengers. This will mean that the source of Quicksilver's powers in THE AVENGERS 2 will probably be changed or not explained. Borys Kit from THR did a little bit of research as well and found out that that FOX can use the names Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch and Marvel can use their real names, Pietro and Wanda.
The big thing to take away from all this though is how FOX decision to add Quicksilver to X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST could seriously damage the studio's relationship with Marvel, which isn't that great to begin with:
If they push forward and allow Singer to include the character, there's a chance they're burning down any future cooperation with Marvel, who have proven themselves to be hard negotiators who aren't afraid to flex whatever muscle they have.
This isn't good news for anyone in my opinion. To me it looks like FOX is a little jealous of how much attention Marvel's films have received lately. Adding Quicksilver after Whedon had already announced the character was going to be used AND knowing fully well that they'll be able to get "their" version of the character into theaters before THE AVENGERS 2 just smells rotten.
When X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST was first announced I was excited as hell but this Quicksilver business has turned me off from the film very quickly. I might still end up watching it but FOX should realize that what they've done looks incredibly shifty and in a battle between Whedon/Marvel and Singer/FOX I think we all know who the comic geeks are going to side with on this one.
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST will be released on July 18th, 2014 while THE AVENGERS 2 won't be out until May 1st, 2015.
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