Man-Thing (Film)

Man-Thing is a 2022 superhero film released by Marvel Studios, based on the comic book and character by the same name. It is a reboot of the 2005 SyFy channel movie.

Plot
The film is set in 1970s, and takes place in Citrusville, Florida and the Florida Everglades. In this film, we learn about a biochemist named Dr. Theodore “Ted” Sallis. He is working on a project with Dr. Wilma Cavin, along with Dr. Barbara Morse and her fiance, Dr. Paul Allen, as well as the last and second most important member of this group, Dr. Joesph Timms, who is kind of jerk, and him and Ted Sallis don’t get along very well, they have a petty rivalry, of some sort.

This project is called Project: Gladiator Team, and is an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum.

The team is alerted that A.I.M is been operating in their working area, as it turns out Joesph Timms was a secret A.I.M agent. A.I.M now is aware of their location and what they are doing, and A.I.M wants access to their project. Ted Sallis flees with the only sample of the serum, and injects himself with it. However, he crashes his car into the swamp where scientific and magical forces combine, causing him to instantly transform him into a slow plant matter creature with large, red eyes. He remerges from the swamp in his new form, then slowly walks over and attacks lDr. Timms and burns a part of his face with his fear burning touch. Man-Thing slowly walks away into the swamp.

Dr. Timms, who is on another side of the swamp, is confronted by Dr. Wilma Calvin, Dr. Paul Allen, and Dr. Barbara Morse. Timms is upset about the confrontation and fatally shoots Dr. Wilma Calvin. He attempts to shoot Barbara Morse, but she is quickly able to stop him and kicks him into the swamp water. He drowns, and both Morse and Allen flee the scene. It’s revealed that the swamp water he’s drowning in is radioactive, turning him into his comic book counterpart, the Glob.

The mindless creature known as Man-Thing strolls through the Everglades, where he is attacked by alligators. He burns the alligators with his touch, and the noise and splashing catches the attention of two hunters. They try to kill them with hunting rifles, but the bullet holes go through it and immediately heals. Man-Thing slowly approaches them and senses fear in them, as he grabs their hands.The hunters manage to escape, but their hands have been burned badly.

The two hunters, although badly injured, manage to prove to the town of Citrusville that there is a swamp creature. A monster hunter named Ulysses Bloodstone manages to find information about the creature, such as his past identity and current location (the part of the swamp he’s in).

This catches the attention of Ellen Brandt, a former girlfriend of Ted Sallis. Before joining Project: Gladiator Team, Ted and Ellen were a couple, but he left her to join Project: Gladiator Team. Ellen manages to chase Man-Thing down and makes contact with him. Man-Thing feels her hand and she isn’t burned because she’s not afraid. Man-Thing is chased down by AIM as they believe he might have an idea where Dr. Joesph Timms could be.

Ellen Brandt and Man-Thing tour around the swamp, Man-Thing fights off against swamp animals that try to attack her. They seem to be in love, but that changes quickly.

It’s revealed that’s not the case here. Ellen Brandt sells out Man-Thing to AIM. Man-Thing isn’t captured, but he feels an emotion for the first time....anger! He’s angry at Ellen Brandt for what’s she’s done, he grabs her by the face and badly burns it, giving her a nasty burn mark, then she is captured by AIM.

Man-Thing manages to outrun the AIM soldiers, but the Glob appears, and the two start fighting. Glob is not afraid of The Man-Thing, so the burning touch does not work, but after Man-Thing gets the upper hand, Man-Thing burns off The Glob, and another push into radioactive water causes him to turn back into Joesph Timms. Joesph Timms runs out of the swamp as fast as he can. He tries to run back to Citrusville, but he’s stopped by Barbara Morse, ready to take him into custody...into SHIELD custody.

Man-Thing strolls alone in the swamp, but hears a voice, of a talking duck... A talking duck that goes by the name Howard...

Post Credit Scene 1: What did AIM do with Ellen Brandt? They take her to an AIM chamber, where she is turned into Ms. MODOK.

Post Credit Scene 2: Present day, we see what happened to Joesph Timms. He’s now a member of SHIELD’s Paramormal Containment Unit.

Trivia
~The plot synopsis was written by Vulture345, under his reddit account, Shane__amazing. He posted it to the r/movieideas subreddit.

~He had the idea for the film after viewing the 2005 Man-Thing TV movie. He felt that the movie wasn’t “comic accurate” and wanted them to do a film more based on the source material.

~Unlike the 2005 SYFY channel movie, Man-Thing isn’t portrayed as a stone-cold villain,but more as a reluctant hero.

~Marvel Studios had to purchase the rights to The Glob since he is primarily a Hulk foe, and debuted in the pages of the Incredible Hulk. Despite the fact that he’s battled Man-Thing on occasions.

~The Glob in this film is based on both incarnations of the character. The character is more like the Samuel Beckwith version, both being scientists. Despite this, he’s named after Joesph Timms, who in the comic, was a petty criminal and escaped convict. Joesph Timms also is turned into The Glob the same way he’s turned into him in the comic.

~Third canonically oldest film after The Eternals (2021) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) with it being set in the 1970s. The fourth being Captain Marvel (2019)

~Dr. Wilma Calvin‘s firearm related death is taken directly from the comic.

~The alligators the Man-Thing fights are a mix of computer effects and puppets. Real alligators would be dangerous and costly.

~The director of this film teased that the future of the franchise will ”get crazier from there”. ~Ms. MODOK predates the original MODOK, which is different in the comic. In the comic, a love interest of The Hulk named Kate Beckwith was transformed into Ms. MODOK, who MODOK fell head over heels for.

~In the comic, Ellen Brandt was the one who betrayed Ted Sallis to AIM, not Joesph Timms. However, Ellen Brandt ends up selling Man-Thing out to AIM again, so it’s still comic accurate.

~Kevin Fiege confirmed that the Ellen Brandt in this film, and the Ellen Brandt in Iron Man 3 (2013) are NOT the same person.

~The animals in the swamp scenes, besides the alligators (example, the Flamingos, the frogs, and boas) are all real animals.

~One of the only Marvel Movies to be connected to the TV series, with this being connected to Agents of S.H.I.E.LD. One other example being Luke Cage taking place on the street of the final battle in the Incredible Hulk (2008)

~Captain America was still in sleep during the events of the film, which is why Project: Gladiator Team wanted to recreate the super soldier serum.

~The reason AIM was out for the Man-Thing was because they believed he could have information about the location of Joesph Timms, despite the fact that the Man-Thing is unable to speak. It’s possible if they were aware of this, they wouldn’t have gone searching for him, and Ellen Brandt wouldn’t have had to sell him out.

~Marvel teased the idea of a monster movie for Phase 5. Many fans believed it would be Werewolf by Night.

~Heavily rumored to be rated R, but it ended being a hard PG-13. The reason it’s not rated R, unlike the 2005 SYFY film, is that the kills in the movie aren’t very graphic.

~The Nexus of All Realities is name dropped in the film, which could set up the future of the Man-Thing movies.

~Joesph Timms was in his mid 20s during the events of the film, which makes him in his 40s in the current state of the Marvel Universe.

~The film’s use of the Everglades sparked popularity of the actual location for tourists.

~ The Man-Thing is planned to be a trilogy, with the last film ending with him on Sakaar, explaining why his face was a on a statue there.

~Man-Thing is rumored to fight the Hulk in a future film. Many fans believe he and the Thing could battle, like the famous comic, Marvel Two in One #1

~K’ad-Mon was originally going to appear in the film. He’s confirmed to appear in the sequel, with it tapping into the Nexus of All Realities.

~Man-Thing‘s age in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline is unknown. Since he’s in a vegetative state, he‘ll probably stay the same age, or just not age at all.

~Man-Thing’s touch only burns if one is afraid of him. The reason The Glob is able to be burned as he was loosing and was scared of being finished off. Ellen Brandt was able to be burned the second time because he was angry, which was unusual as the Man-Thing is normally emotionless.

~Both Howard the Duck and Man-Thing were in space at the same time, so in the future they could reunite.

~The earliest depiction of SHIELD is in this film, may it be very brief.

~ Mockingbird’s alter-ego is in this film, despite it taking place in the 1970s. It’s confirmed that she will be transported into current time, explaining her age in the current universe.

~ It’s a reoccurring theme that after a villain is badly burned by Man-Thing’s touch, they transformed into a hideous monster. The only exception being the two hunters that tried to shoot the Man-Thing.

~Second Marvel Horror film after Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

~ Ulysses Bloodstone’s on-screen debut. A TV show based on him was planned to be released in 2001, but never came out. This is the first time he‘s seen outside of a comic book.

~Since Ulysses Bloodstone is immortal, he is still alive during the current Marvel Cinematic Universe.

~ Howard the Duck’s second speaking appearance since Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Seth Green reprised his role.