A 2, A 3, No 4...

Artwork: HD Wallpapers. 

So negotiations for the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark are ongoing...

But with a twist.  It appears, as of now, that his agents are negotiating for him to play a role in "Avengers 2" and "Avengers 3" as part of an ensemble.  But no plans yet for an "Iron Man 4" are being discussed.  It could be that RDJ feels like all that can be said, has been said in solo adventures.  Does this mean there will be no fourth adventure of Shell Head?

Not necessarily, but it could be that Downey feels it's time for other characters to have their part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Plus, being a part of a movie means he doesn't have to carry the entire load of the film.  Should it happen, fans would still get to see Stark played by the actor through the end of Phase Three.  He might even negotiate a cameo in one of the other films so as to make him feel a part of the universe still.

But a fourth Iron Man may not appear till Phase Four if current talks are the direction the actor/studio is heading in.  And if that is the case you can expect someone else with the goatee and mustache by then.

Now that is a part in need of a hero...

Third Time's The Charm...

He is Iron Man, again... 

So we finally have the first trailer for next year's last film for Marvel Studios...

And it looks great, awesome even.  "Iron Man 3" has been highly anticipated by me, mainly because of the director/writer attached to helm it.  Shane Black has been around Hollywood for three decades, but only recently got into directing.  Primarily a writer (creator of the "Lethal Weapon," etc.), Black made his directorial debut with Robert Downey Jr.'s comeback film, "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang," which I loved.

The announcement that he was directing the film, as well as co-writing the screenplay was what perked up for me.  I believe that this film could be the best of all three of Tony Stark's adventures in celluloid, but that's just me.

It appears that this, along with "Thor: The Dark World" are both offering more grandiose adventures that will expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Success has a way of making one bolder, and this trailer makes the film feel like a larger take on the superhero world.

Now, if they want Downey back for another film(s), then they should back the Brinks truck up to his house...

Marvel Month...

Avengers Attack, Avenger Assemble Again, Avengers Avenger...






It appears that Marvel Studios is staking out early summer as their territory...

Next years May 3rd is penciled in for "Iron Man 3" despite a filming delay because of Robert Downey Jr.'s injured ankle. Iron Man, indeed.

Now, Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios have staked out another May day, almost two years to that date for the big follow up to the biggest movie of the year.

May 1, 2015.

The untitled "Avengers 2" film has now put a flag down claiming that day. All other studios beware. When it comes to May the superhero film company is making a statement.

Make mine Marvel...

Willing Hostage...

Wheldon's World, we just occupy space on it...








So the details are finally starting to come out...

Marvel has issued a statement regarding the services of Joss Whedon:

Joss Whedon has signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios for film and television through the end of June 2015. As part of that deal, Whedon will write and direct Marvel’s The Avengers 2 as well as help develop a new live-action series for Marvel Television at ABC. He will also contribute creatively to the next phase of Marvel’s cinematic universe.

This is uncharacteristic of Marvel. They've shown little loyalty to the directors/writers of their projects. Jon Faveau is the only director to come back more than once and no writer other than Whedon, I believe has worked on multiple films for them. This shows an enormous amount of respect for Joss and his vision for the MCU P2 as it goes forward.

The statement also lets you know that "Avengers 2" will be out before June 2015 since that is when the deal expires. It also talks about how he'll help out on the rest of the upcoming slate of Marvel films. So we could see him contribute to rewrites/polishes on several of the upcoming scripts. Which is great news for fans of the films. I can imagine that he'll be involved in "Captain America: Winter Soldier" because of his past association with it, but "Guardians of the Galaxy" could be something of interest as well since his "Serenity" work.

But the future of Marvel Studios just became a whole lot more positive...

Hat Tip to /Film.

Artwork designed for/by Forbidden Planet.

MCU2TV...

Excelsiorvision...






Nikki Finke's website has a nice little rumor...

I don't link to Deadline anymore (if you want it, you can google it), but they had a small blurb about what Marvel Television's plans are in the future. While a series like the Guillermo del Toro produced "Hulk" series is not set in the MCU, the Superhero Studio and the ABC Network are working on a series that will be set in the movie universe: read that it'll be canon.

No word yet on what it'll be about other than it won't be about the characters in the film, but will be in the universe of the film. So it could be about everyday people dealing with a world with super powered heroes, or a special unit of S.H.I.E.L.D. perhaps? There has been talk of a rumored animated series, but it was nowhere near being green lit. Then again, this sounds barely out of that realm as well.

All we know it that they're looking for a writer for the show. May I suggest J. Michael Straczynski? He's a great writer that's worked in comics/tv/movies and knows how to travel between those worlds. He's written entire seasons of shows, so why not let him help them build this bridge from the MCU films to the MCU tv?

Heck, maybe even get Joss Whedon since he's talked so much about his love of tv lately...

Inside The Universe...

Coolness never seemed needed...





If you've seen the list/photos of Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One, then you know how cool it is...

Now, Marvel Studios/Disney's home entertainment division even got a trailer for it. Yes, that's right. A Trailer for a Blu-Ray box set.

But to be fair, it's a really, really cool box set...

Marvel Mayhem...

I'm sitting on top of the world...





I know, all Marvel, all the time...

But Marvel's panel the other day really capped off a weekend filled with pop-cultury goodness. Much of it having to do with the iconic House that Stan Built. Those that weren't there missed out on some amazing visuals, and sneak peeks at the future of Phase Two.

That being said, here are some of the things you missed that I'm sure you'll love:

First off, THE INTRO of Robert Downey Jr. was classic and funny as you can imagine. Take a look at how he owns the crowd.

There were many questions asked at the panel and here are a collection of some of the most interesting ones.

Or this incredibly sweet surprise drop by that Downey did for an Iron Man costume competition at the Con.

And then there was the footage, but that you'd have to have been there for. The Warner panel was big and bombastic and filled with amazing projects that will likely prove a blockbuster year for Warner Bros. But Marvel knows how to get a crowd going, and have having RDJ as your master of ceremony is the ringmaster. It was the most pure fun of any of the panels. It was the one which was pure of heart. And it was the one that showed Marvel's game plan is very smart.

Your move DC...

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Revealed (Almost)...

And a one, and a two...



Sorry for the delay, but it was a long day...

I thought since every website had pretty much covered the footage, discussions and teases that were revealed in the Marvel Panel yesterday, I'd try something different. With the films that Marvel President, Kevin Feige introduced we now have a very clear direction of what leads up to "The Avengers 2" with one tiny blank spot. Let's look at the path that is spread before us.

2013:

May 3

We will get the last of an "Iron Man" trilogy starring Robert Downey Jr. possibly. It's going to take some serious negotiations on Feige and Marvel's part to get him to return. I hope that they do, but they've already mentioned that the part will be like James Bond. No actor is bigger than the character, but Downey inhabits Tony Stark like no one, and it'll be hard to replace him.


November 8

The continuation of the God of Thunder, but this time we're promised a lot, if not most of the adventure will take place off of earth and in the other realms of the universe. We can look forward to more dealings with Thor's brother, Loki and another mysterious villain that has yet to be revealed, and now recast. This will be Marvel taking another chance with people having to not only believe in a race of Asgardians, but a world along the lines of "Lord of the Rings" in terms of scope. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

2014

April 4



The return of the original Marvel Boy Scout comes back to tell the story of "Winter Soldier." With the reveal of the title we can expect to see Bucky back in part two. And it also explains how we'll have some of the flashbacks. If you remember the first film, they glossed over the fighting with a montage of scenes. It looks like now we're going to see some of the battles that made up the relationship between Steve Rogers and his best friend. It will also be interesting how they fit Bucky in the modern world as well.

August 1




Marvel takes its biggest gamble yes as it goes for the stars. This is a title not as well known to audiences as others, but it promises to be a much larger scale than where we've gone before. Also with the addition of this film, it appears that Thanos will likely be seen in this film before/instead of "The Avengers 2"

Now that is what is solidly confirmed. Everything else is speculation, but based on what we've seen in the past, and what has been announced/teased in the past few days.

2015

Unless something happens that we don't know about, this will be the year that "The Avengers 2" comes out. And it's the type of film that will be a summer release. So in all likelihood it's going to be their summer release that year. Now, the main question is when will it release its other film that year? Spring, as in something like April, or fall as in something like November? That is what we don't know.



As for what that other film is? In truth, it'll probably be "Ant-Man" with all the information that has been put out there. Of course, Marvel could decide to release three films in 2014, which means this one could have a fall/winter release during the year. That way it would come out before Avengers, leaving room for one more property the following year. That property could be the one reportedly being put on the front burner, which is "Black Panther" according to Latino Review.



So if Ant-Man doesn't make it, we may get a trip to Africa. And then there is the possibility that Marvel may release three films in one year. They've talked about that as an option, but they don't want to over saturate the market with superheroes and destroy their own branding. I don't think that this will happen. Which ever one of these doesn't make it in to 2015, will likely be the first one we see in 2016. And you know what that is?

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Phase Three...

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase OMG...

The power of the Tessaract...






Now this is incredibly enticing...

The first series of films produced by Marvel Studios is coming out soon in its own geekly inspired, awesomely done boxed set and it's a sight to behold.

"Iron Man"

"The Incredible Hulk"

"Iron Man 2"

"Thor"

"Captain America: The First Avenger"

"Marvel's The Avengers"

All comprise the "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One" that you can pre-order here. I have some of these films and I still want one of these sets. It's a shrewed move by Disney/Marvel producing this collection and it'll be interesting to see how many people will be willing to put down the $219.00 (on sale for $139.96) for it. I have a feeling that even in these financially troubled times there will be a great deal of people that are still willing to pay for dreams. And these are very pretty dreams.

And being forward thinking like I am, it makes me wonder what Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two will consist of. We know a good deal already: "Iron Man 3," "Thor 2," "Captain America 2," and "Avengers 2," which adds up to four films. If the second box set consists of the same number of films, then there are two other films that will be part of it. Will we find out this week if "Guardians of the Galaxy" is one of them? Or maybe "Ant-Man" or "Black Panther" will be announced at Comic Con? We'll know soon enough. But until then, you can just salivate over these lovely little discs boxed up in pretty packaging.

Packaged dreams...

Luxo In Tights...

With "The Avengers" ready to pass a billion dollars by the end of the weekend Marvel Studios has become an amazingly successful studio...

The only other current studio with that track record is the Lamp. Pixar, is similar and different at the same time, but the success model of control, and the autonomy to create their own projects is something that they share. To be fair, they both have different content: Pixar creates original properties that become pop-culture stories and Marvel takes pop-culture properties and creates original stories. Both are well written and follow a focused plan for success.

The many division of Walt Disney Studios operate almost as separate kingdoms (no pun intended) within a larger kingdom. The irony of this is the crown jewel, Walt Disney Pictures (the live-action division) is the one division that is run by the old Hollywood model. It's also the one which is the least successful in terms of hits, both critically and financially. And it's lead by... no one really. As of right now, it's a rudderless ship adrift in a sea of high concept confusion. The failed experiment that was Rich Ross is now gone. Hopefully, Sean Bailey will get the nod to take over in the near future if Iger wants to make a smart move. He's a smart guy and with the right amount of autonomy could generate some positive creativity at the Mouse.

While at the other divisions, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar have John Lasseter to guide it, Marvel Studios has Kevin Feige to lead it to the current state the comic book company finds itself in. I'm not saying that Feige is as creative as Lasseter, but he is as business smart and as deeply concerned about the characters and stories that he tries to bring to the silver screen. Disney's last division, Touchstone Pictures is essentially a label used to distribute DreamWorks films, and those are controlled by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider respectively.

All this has come about with what are many of Marvel's second tier characters. Since the heavy hitters like "Spider-Man," "X-Men," "Fantastic Four" and "Daredevil" are controlled by other studios, the studio has been limited in the direction they can take their stories, but that direction has followed a laser like focus. I try and imagine how films of the Web-Head, Mutants and Super-powered Misfits would be handled if Marvel actually controlled their presence on the screen.

I wonder if Bob Iger is somehow trying to work out deals to end all, or at least most of the agreements made with other studios for Marvel properties? If the buyout of Paramount Pictures was worth the investment, after the Avengers is it worth it to attempt to take back control of other properties? I can only imagine how a "Fantastic Four" film under the Marvel Studios banner would look compared to the weak attempt that Fox tried to make. With the disappointment of the latest "Ghost Rider" film, that property will likely fall back to Marvel just as the Punisher has now done. Spider-Man and X-Men could take a decade or more unless Iger is able to pull together a business deal that will make sense both financially and legally.

But with at least two Marvel films a year for the foreseeable future, it looks like we're going to get used to seeing men in tights for a long, long time. We have "Iron Man 3" and "Thor 2" in 2013 and "Captain America 2" and an untitled Marvel film (Uhhhant-man!! Excuse me) in 2014. The first film that will be coming out in 2015 will likely be "Avengers 2" and at least one other film later in the year. Maybe after the success of this superhero team, the Hulk will get another chance to shine in his own film again? And may I ask that Joss Whedon write the script since he seems to get the character better than previous versions. But the future looks bright for the Marvel way.

And being a DC Guy, that says a lot...

Blu-American...

The first on the twenty-fifth...







You can always tell if I liked a film based on if I'll get the Blu-Ray...

And as many of you know, I absolutely loved "Captain America" when it came out. So there should be no doubt that when October 25th. It was a great adaption with depth and heart that should show any studio how to faithfully take a comic and create something everyone can have accessibility to. The Blu-Ray also features a ton of extras:

• 00:03:44:01 MARVEL ONE-SHOT: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THOR’S HAMMER
• 00:01:08:17 THE AVENGERS – EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES!
• 00:03:40:16 (CAPTAIN AMERICA’S ORIGIN)
• 00:10:20:20 (OUTFITTING A HERO)
• 00:05:47:02 (HOWLING COMMANDOS)
• 00:11:41:07 (HEIGHTENED TECHNOLOGY)
• 00:09:53:15 (BEHIND THE SKULL)
• 00:08:23:13 (THE TRANSFORMATION)
• 00:02:13:15 CAPTAIN AMERICA – SUPER SOLDIER
• 00:01:37:13 THE AVENGERS
• 00:00:38:06 (DELETED SCENES: NORWAY TANK ATTACK)
• 00:01:29:22 (DELETED SCENES: BUCKY’S BATTLE)
• 00:00:57:23 (DELETED SCENES: YOU DESERVE A MEDAL)
• 00:02:02:22 (DELETED SCENES: THERE’S A PLACE FOR YOU HERE)
• 00:00:39:08 (DELETED SCENES: NORWAY TANK ATTACK W/COMMENTARY) 00:01:29:24 (DELETED SCENES: BUCKY’S BATTLE W/COMMENTARY)
• 00:00:57:23 (DELETED SCENES: YOU DESERVE A MEDAL W/COMMENTARY) 00:02:18:05 CAPTAIN AMERICA – THE FIRST AVENGER (THEATRICAL TRAILER #1) 00:02:17:19 CAPTAIN AMERICA – THE FIRST AVENGER (THEATRICAL TRAILER #2)

Come October, I am there...

The Marvel Age...

Film making: The Mighty Marvel Way...



It's interesting to look at the body of work Marvel Studios has built up in less than half a decade...


Iron Man (2008)

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Thor (2011)

Captain America (2011)


Next year is the culmination of the comic book company's and many geek fans dream with the release of "The Avengers." It also marks a turn for Marvel Studios, in that it will be finally be working as an independent entity within the Mouse, a lot like Pixar. They won't be relying on an outside partner (Paramount) to distribute their films for a small percentage of the take. The Walt Disney Studios will take the reins of distributing and marketing them, but the Marvel executives will be the ones making the decisions; a semi-form of autonomy, with exceptions only when budgets start to go beyond a certain point.

But think of what they've accomplished. Marvel has essentially in less than a decade, become a live-action Lamp. They're the live-action Pixar. Now, this is not to say I don't have problems with "Iron Man 2," but I didn't hate it. It had it's moments and much of it was compelling. But it was very uneven to me, and much too much of just a calling card for Avengers. This is something that "Captain America" was accused of, but totally off base. That film works as a story until itself. If anything it only adds/accentuates the idea of seeing the spin off. I could easily live without any Avengers film so long as I got a couple more Cap films of the same quality. So far, no film Marvel has made has turned out to have been a dude, a bomb or truly bad. They've taken great care to make sure the adaptations that reach the screen are authentic and assessable to the public at large. And they clearly have a plan that reaches out for the next few years.


The Avengers (2012)

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Thor 2 (2013)

Possible film projects:

Doctor Strange (2013)

Ant Man (2013/14)

The Runaways (2013/14)

Captain America 2 (2014)

Iron Fist (2014)

Luke Cage (2014)

S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014)


While I'm a DC Guy, I begrudgingly have to acknowledge that Marvel is kicking their butts right now. With the exception of video games where DC is better represented, and home video where they have a slight lead with the quality of their DVD films. Marvel is clearly the company making the better decisions. Other than Batman and Superman, DC just hasn't been able to make any traction in adaptations. While "Green Lantern" may have not been a bomb, it was a huge disappointment. The didn't fully get what the character was about. Let's cross our fingers if a sequel is made that they realize the errors from the first film and rectify it. And any future adaptation had better be handled with care. Perhaps they should try the Marvel Way? Even in comics, DC's latest moves strike me as gimmicky and desperate (rebooting all your titles back to #1? Superman wearing pants? Really???). Warner Suits, please pay attention to what you're doing. You have the potential to make a great deal of money, or possibly alienate anyone you wish to see your films.

Even on television where "Batman the Animated Series" represents the pinnacle of great tv animation, Marvel is now leading the way. "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" is an example of an excellent show that is very well written, and the upcoming "Ultimate Spider-Man" looks promising too with the writing staff that has been hired for the first season. Not to mention that Paul Dini is now involved in the new "Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H."and that is a monstrously positive note as well. Now, when they finally get around to that Hulk television show from Guillermo del Toro I'll definitely be interested in seeing how they've handled it. And if they'd only green light that S.H.I.E.L.D. animated series I'd be really, really happy.

One of the ways they've accomplished this difficult feat of becoming a major Hollywood player, is to recreate a variation of the old studio system that was disbanded in the late Sixties. This was a system within the entertainment industry where talent was controlled, educated and trained, and most importantly, marketed by the moguls of Hollywood. Marvel has created a system where they lock up talent for long periods of time with multiple film commitments. This is something that hasn't been done to this level in decades. Most of the contracts for actors run 7 to 9 films. Samuel Jackson is signed for nine pictures total. The same contract was offered to Chris Evans, but he didn't want such a long commitment and was able to negotiate one for just six pictures. That's still a lot of films. Scarlett Johansson also has a similar contract. These deals, many of which are not for great amounts of cash, create a stable group of talent from which to draw from for their stories. One of the main reasons Marvel is able to do this is because of the cache value that superhero films have right now. They can turn a very good actor into a super star who can command and control his/her own destiny outside of Marvel's films. It's a small price to pay for benefits that would come from such a success.

Another reason that is even more important that the talent is the story. And Marvel doesn't have groups of committees that pore over scripts offering suggestions as to how to make it better. They have a small group of executives lead by Kevin Feign that actually knows the properties they're trying to get made. Somewhat like Pixar and the small group of film makers that John Lasseter relies on, this group is the one charged with choosing the characters, hiring the directors and green lighting the film for production. They typical Hollywood high concept assembly line that turns out one after another soulless films has been avoided.

It will be interesting to see what happens after 2013, because that is when most of the brand characters will have run their cycle and a new collection of stories and heroes will have to arrive on the silver screen.

We will then see if they can save the day...

American Awakening...

Take that, Hydra...




I know I said I don't do reviews anymore, so I'm labeling this a commentary...

First off:

Go.

See.

This.

Film.

Follow that with a hundred exclamation points. I am absolutely in love with it. It's fun, earnest and filled with everything I had hoped it would contain. The script by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely with an uncredited polish by Joss Whedon, is great and the characters are real, interesting and you care for them. Something that doesn't always happen when watching a film these days. This is Joe Johnston's best film, by far. This puts him in a whole new league in my opinion. He's always had potential, but there seemed to be something holding him back in each of his films. Usually it's the script. It is no surprise then that this is the best script he's had to film and it shows.

Although "The Dark Knight" is my favorite superhero film, this is my favorite adaptation. It's the closest thing I've seen to a perfect adaptation of the material. In a word, it is authentic. It takes things from many periods and many storytellers. There's the familiar Joe Simon & Jack Kirby stuff as well as the classic reboot by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby. But they also left room to use plot lines from the likes of Ed Brubacker and Mark Millar. You can tell where they leave off, and more than others, I can see how you could spin off several properties in the film. Bucky for "Winter Soldier," "The Howling Commandos," and even a glimpse of what a "S.H.I.E.L.D." film could be.

But this is a film that lives on its own. Unlike "Iron Man 2," where two thirds of the film felt like a set-up for "The Avengers," this film is totally self contained. There is no need to see or have seen another Marvel film. I was even fascinated by the closing credits and the way Johnston used them. Pure brilliance. If you waited around after the credits then you saw the teaser trailer for next summer's big offering, but I want to see a sequel to this film. And I hope at least part of it stays in the past that Steve Rogers longs to be in.

Because I know how he feels...

A-Game...

Saving the world, one film at a time...







A teaser poster was released for Marvel Studios' "The Avengers" film...

With the last piece of the set up for this film opening tomorrow, the Mouse and Marvel are going to start heating up the marketing of this big, superhero film. The official website of the film and this minimalist poster were released today.

Expect more reveals at Comic-Con, but nothing like last year. As the weeks and months pass the marketing burn should increase until no one is in the dark about this film coming out next summer.

Slowly assembling...

Poster Propaganda...

American Poster, ##(@$ yeah...







Purty...

Another poster has been released for Marvel Studios upcoming "Captain America" film over at Hitfix. Very love with some classic Drew Struzan qualities to it. My only complaint is a consistent one with all the posters so far. Why they aren't showing him with the mask? Anyway, the buzz on this one is way good and I'm going to have fun sitting down and watching this with friends in a week.

I just hope they have Hydra in the sequel...

The Mighty Returns...

By Odin's beard...


Marvel Studios has announced the release of the next adventures of a temperamental Asgardian...

Well, they've made the general time they're going to be releasing it, not the actual date. "Thor 2" will be released in summer 2013. This will also see the debut of Shane Black's "Iron Man 3," which I am anxiously awaiting. Now, since Shellhead's third outing is coming May 3, it's very likely that the Nordic sequel will come out in June or July, but the studio is going to wait until they see what other films start to line up around that time.

This makes one wonder if that is all that will be released in 2013? Perhaps there will be a spring release? Or more likely, a Christmas release? Can we say "The Runaways" or another property in that large catalog? S.H.I.E.L.D. 2014!!!

Time will tell...

Out Of The Past, Into The Future...

Red, white and blue turning into green...







So Marvel Studios has released the new poster and trailer for the First Avenger...

Actually, that's the only think I can say negative about this. The reliance on using that tag line is all I don't like about this. The poster is great, although I would like to see one with him wearing his mask. But the poster with its washed out color is a throw back to those propaganda posters you would have seen during World War 2.

And that trailer? Don't get me started. This only validates my reasons for this being my number one movie to see this summer. It looks great, authentic and is getting great reviews from those that have screened it.

Counting down the days...

An Avenging Start...

Avengers Assemble...







So Joss Whedon yelled action for the first time on a super-hero film today...

Marvel Studios' "The Avengers" began principle photography this morning. The culmination of years of planning and hundreds of millions of dollars will roll into theaters on May 4, 2012. It's the biggest gamble the formerly independent studio that is now a self running entity of the Mouse. I would say that if Whedon was given the clearance to do with these characters what he did on Astonishing X-Men, then we're in for a treat and the cost of this film is a safe bet.

Marvel has issued an official press release:

Production has commenced today in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Marvel Studios' highly anticipated movie "Marvel's The Avengers," directed by Joss Whedon ("Serenity") from a screenplay by Whedon. The film will continue principal photography in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Robert Downey, Jr. ("Iron Man," "Iron Man 2") returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") as Thor, Chris Evans ("Captain America: The First Avenger") as Captain America, Jeremy Renner ("Thor," "The Hurt Locker") as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo ("The Kids Are Alright") as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson ("Iron Man 2") as Black Widow, Clark Gregg ("Iron Man," "Thor") as Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson ("Iron Man," "Iron Man 2") as Nick Fury. Set for release in the US on May 4, 2012, "Marvel's The Avengers" is the first feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk," "Iron Man 2," "Thor," and "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Marvel's The Avengers" is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, "Marvel's The Avengers" brings together the mightiest super hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. The star studded cast of super heroes will be joined by Cobie Smulders ("How I Met Your Mother) as Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Tom Hiddleston ("Wallander") and Stellan Skarsgård ("Angels & Demons," "Mamma Mia!") who will both reprise their respective roles as Loki and Professor Erik Selvig from the upcoming Marvel Studios' feature "Thor."

"Marvel's The Avengers" is being produced by Marvel Studios' President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Louis D'Esposito, Patty Whitcher, and Jon Favreau. Marvel Studios' Jeremy Latcham and Victoria Alonso will co-produce.

The creative production team also includes Oscar nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey ("Atonement"), production designer James Chinlund ("25th Hour"), Oscar winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age"), Oscar winning visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs ("Iron Man 2," "The Matrix"), visual effects producer Susan Pickett ("Iron Man," "Iron Man 2"), stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell ("Superman Returns"), and four-time Oscar nominated special effects supervisor Dan Sudick ("Iron Man," "War of the Worlds"). The editors include Oscar nominated Paul Rubell ("Collateral") and Jeffrey Ford ("Crazy Heart").

Marvel Studios most recently produced "Iron Man 2" which was released in theatres on May 7, 2010. The sequel to "Iron Man," starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the number one spot its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million. To date the film has earned over $620 million in worldwide box office receipts.

In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies, "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk." "Iron Man," in which Robert Downey, Jr. originally dons the super hero's powerful armor alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008 and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million its opening weekend and grossed over $571 million worldwide. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released "The Incredible Hulk" marking its second number one opener of that summer. The spectacular revival of the iconic green goliath grossed over $250 million in worldwide box office receipts.

Now if they can just get that S.H.I.E.L.D. spin-off out the door by 2013/14...

Marvelous World...

Excelsior...



Earlier in the week Kevin Feige let slip his desires for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...

In an article between the pages of the newest issue of D23 he gave a few nuggets as to where he hoped to go:

"We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. — all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films."

This along with the other projects in development (Dr. Strange, Runaways, ect.) mean that as the young upstart studio moves further into the decade, we can look forward to a wider and greater expanded collection of stories. This also helps buttress some of the reports that I was getting concerning a desire to develop a S.H.I.E.L.D. franchise sans the men-in-tights. I'm still trying to find out if that proposed animated series has gotten any further along the line than just a broad concept. An animated S.H.I.E.L.D. series on Disney XD featuring the right cast of characters could/would be awesome.

I know that a "Dr. Strange" film would be quite interesting, but the person best suited to direct it is too busy at this time. Guillermo del Toro you need to offer yourself up for a cloning experiment. Hopefully they can get him to at least write the screenplay with his writing partner like he's doing for "Haunted Mansion."

"The Runaways" could work as an interesting piece that moves toward a lower demographic, age-wise, I mean. It's got a very healthy cult following and with the right script, cast and director, would be an interesting departure for the Marvel universe.

As for "Black Widow," I will admit that she's a character I don't know as much about or really follow. Scripting chores should not go out to the people that gave us "Electra." "Hawkeye?" I'm game for anything with Jeremy Renner(Uncharted, anyone?).

Hopefully this expanded universe will continue expanding and expanding and expanding...

America Unleased...

I believe in my country, I want to fight for my country...








The new "Captain America" trailer was released today...

Looks pretty sweeeeeet to me. I can't wait to see this in front of Zack Snyder's film this weekend. I think it has a very authentic appearance to the comic book, but carries mass appeal to those that have never even turned a page of this pop-culture historical piece.

I certainly hope that Hydra will play a great part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not just a menace in the Forties...