We’ve already been privy to two explosive trailers for Marvel’s upcoming superhero flick Captain America: The First Avenger. Well, now here’s one more video for you to ogle before Cap comes to theatres on July 22. In this “Meet Captain America” featurette you’ll see flashes of new footage from the movie and get some insight into the making of it from director Joe Johnston and actors Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell.
Tag Archives: Marvel
Marvel & Disney confirm ‘Thor 2’ for summer 2013 release
It’s official: a sequel to this summer’s blockbuster Thor is in the works. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise: the Marvel superhero flick has grossed $437.5 million thus far. Chris Hemsworth will reprise as the God of Thunder, but Kenneth Branagh will not return to helm. He is expected to remain on the team as a producer, though. The search for a new director is currently underway. Obviously a plot has yet to be fully mapped out, but if you waited until after the credits rolled at Thor (spoiler alert) then you’ll know that Loki is still around and I’m sure his existence will factor into the new story. In that same scene, Dr. Selvig is introduced to Samuel L. Jackson’s omnipresent Nick Fury so there’s plenty of material to expand upon in the future. Here’s some solid news: Disney confirms a July 26, 2013 release. The summer of ’13 is certainly one to anticipate; Robert Downey Jr. returns to the big screen in Iron Man 3 on May 3.
[Via Deadline; The-Numbers]
Trailer 2: Captain America: The First Avenger
Check out this shiny new trailer for Marvel’s upcoming summer flick Captain America: The First Avenger. This one expands upon the original trailer, and it’s definitely more bad-ass. Again we get to watch a scrawny Steve Rogers transform into the super solider Captain America and this time we get a better look at Red Skull’s army HYDRA. As much as I enjoyed Thor and Green Lantern, Cap is going to blow those away. The First Avenger makes his way to the big screen July 22.
Production begins on The Avengers
Here is the very first image from the set of the upcoming super hero epic The Avengers, released by Marvel. Not that exciting, I know; but when you really think about it, it kinda is. Director Joss Whedon has broken ground on the movie that will bring together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and oh so many more Marvel favorites.
On April 24, the day before principal photography for the film began, Whedon marked the occasion with a short but sweet blog post on the fansite Whedonesque. Here’s an excerpt:
Hi Pumpkins, joss here. Tomorrow we start shooting (I THINK I’m legally permitted to say that). Day one. That’s right. We’ll be shooting the pivotal death/betrayal/product placement/setting up the sequel/coming out scene, at the following address: [Marvel Lawyers rush in, take Joss’s keyboard, blowtorch a picture of his family like in “Stormy Monday”, drink his milkshake, leave the seat up, fluff his pillows, violently unfluff his pillows, leave]
Oh, Joss. You’re going to want to read the rest here. Right! The Avengers assemble in theatres May 4, 2012.
Jon Favreau steps away from Iron Man franchise
Sources confirm that Jon Favreau will not direct Iron Man 3. But why? Vulture broke the news and they speculate: A) Creative differences: Favreau is “frustrated with Marvel’s urge to stuff more of their in-house heroes into the next film in the wake of The Avengers.” B) Financial reasons: Favreau is said to have made $10 million for the Iron Man 2 and a hefty raise would likely be necessary to keep him on board. C) A mix of both A & B. Vulture goes on to say that a source close to “Marvel’s playbook” think that “the company had been pushing a confusing and packed vision of the third film as a tactic to provoke Favreau into leaving the project.” Whatever the reason, Favreau is out and apparently he left the team under amicable terms. Shortly after this news hit the web he tweeted, “It’s true, I’m directing Magic Kingdom, not Iron Man 3. I’ve had a great run with Marvel and wish them the best.” Marvel is currently in the process of finding a new helmer, and it’s worthy to note that star Robert Downey Jr. has contractual approval over the director of the film so he’ll have a hand in the decision. Iron Man 3 is still on track for a May 3, 2013. Favreau is putting the final touches on Cowboys and Aliens and he’s still signed on as a producer for The Avengers.
Trailer: Thor
Here’s the first official trailer for Thor, the next Marvel movie set to release May 6. In it we witness Chris Hemsworth as the Norse God of Thunder get cast off his home planet of Asgard by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). He’s forced to live among humans on Earth and there his brute force gets questioned by Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and he meets a young scientist (Natalie Portman) who has a profound effect on him. Thor wields the powerful Mjolnir hammer as he fights to save Earth from impending destruction. The trailer is visually splendid and features some awesome action sequences–I’m pretty psyched for this superhero flick. Mash play and enjoy.
‘Iron Man 3’ gets a 2013 release date, Disney will distribute the film
Comic book fans and movie-goers, mark down your calendars. Iron Man 3 will hit theatres May 3, 2013. Let the countdown begin, right?
In related news, Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Marvel Studios announced in a joint press release that Disney will handle the worldwide marketing and distribution rights for The Avengers and Iron Man 3. Under the new deal, Disney will pay Paramount $115 million for the transfer of the distribution rights to the two upcoming Marvel movies. Paramount will remain the worldwide distributor of Thor and Captain America, and the first two Iron Man films.
Brad Grey, Chairman & CEO of Paramount Pictures: “Five years ago, when Paramount and Marvel made our initial deal, both our businesses were in very different places,” said Brad Grey, Chairman & CEO of Paramount Pictures. “We are grateful for the partnership we have had with the terrific Marvel team over these years and proud of the work we have done together. Today, this new agreement is the right deal for Paramount, for Marvel and for Disney. We look forward to working together on Thor and Captain America, and we wish Disney and Marvel the utmost success, in what we know will be a very productive and wide-ranging partnership.”
Reminder: Thor releases May 6, 2011, followed by a July 22, 2011 Captain America theatrical release. The Avengers is due out in 2012.
[Via Deadline]
Extended Thor trailer leaks online
Earlier today the extended trailer for Thor that was shown to thousands of fans at the Marvel panel at this year’s Comic Con leaked onto the ‘Net. Quickly “Thor” became a trending topic on Twitter and people could not stop talking about how great it looked! It definitely feels very Lord of the Rings, but the superhero spin works mighty well. Director Kenneth Branagh, who has a background in Shakespearean tales, has created a believable and extraordinary world in Asgard, and the costume design for Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Anthony Hopkins’ Odin (ruler of Asgard) are top notch. The Mjolnir, Thor’s powerful hammer teased during the credits of Iron Man 2, makes a notable appearence, as does IM2‘s Agent Coulsen. Thor (May 20, 2011) and the utlimate followup The Avengers cannot hit theaters soon enough.
Oh, what’s that? You want to watch the 5+ minute trailer? Hours after its leak the studio has been making its rounds to disable the streaming of it on all popular web sites, including YouTube and TrailerAddict. I was able to find a clean stream at Moviefone, but who knows how long it’ll stay up there. If/when Marvel decides to officially release the trailer I will certainly embed it here for you.
Say hello to your 2011 Avengers
They are: Robert Downey Jr. — Tony Stark; Clark Gregg — Agent Coulson; Scarlett Johansson — Black Widow; Chris Hemsworth — Thor; Chris Evans — Captain America; Samuel L. Jackson — Nick Fury; Jeremy Renner — Hawkeye; Mark Ruffalo — Hulk. Director Joss Whedon and Marvel head Kevin Feige are up there, too.
Marvel killed it at Comic Con this year. They literally slaughtered the competition. After unveiling new footage of Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor (in 3D), the official ensemble cast of The Avengers was announced. The biggest surprises? Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) is set in stone as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island, The Kids Are Alright) replaces Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk. Marvel head Kevin Feige on the Ruffalo decision: “Ruffalo is Joss Whedon’s Banner. He is the Banner that is going to be in that [Bill] Bixby type, wants to help people and is somewhat ashamed of what he goes through but isn’t as strong and angry in his Banner form as he is in his Hulk form, which is something we haven’t really seen in the past films. .. Something like how he was portrayed in the Ultimates, a guy who just wants to be left alone and wear his glasses and do his science.” Feige also shares that he “hope[s] to develop a standalone franchise” for Renner’s Hawkeye post-Avengers.
During the panel Downey Jr. worked the crowd, naturally. He invoked the success of Inception, saying it was “just about the most ambitious movie I’ve ever seen.” He continued, “And then thought wait a goddamn second. Marvel Studios is going to take all of their top super heros and they’re gonna put them all together in The Avengers? That’s the most ambitious movie I’ve ever seen.” He concluded, “If we’re going to make a movie this ambitious [then] the most important thing is that we had to find a person to helm it to get your [the fans’] approval”. Enter Joss Whedon: “I have had a dream all my life and it was not this good…This cast is more than I could have ever of dreamed of working with. And I am going to blow it…I need your love, I need your support.” Joss, you got it.
The Avengers is slated for a May 4, 2011 release. Whet your appetite with Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger on May 6, 2011 and July 22, 2011 respectively. Bonus! Look in the gallery below for newly released mini-one-sheets featuring Thor and Cap concept art. Peek after the break to watch your 2011 Avengers assemble at Comic Con in video form.
[Via IGN, here, here, here & here; Marvel]
‘The Avengers’ will move on without Edward Norton as Hulk
Hollywood is good at some things and bad at others. Filling the role of The Hulk falls in the latter category. Ang Lee’s Hulk (2003) starred Eric Bana as the genetically-enhanced superhero. People didn’t like that movie so they started from scratch. Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk (2008) introduced us to a new Hulk played by Edward Norton. This reboot was better received by the fans and critics. After it broke that Joss Whedon would direct the dream team consisting of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Edward Norton, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johannson, fans ’round the world were ready and willing to accept this group as The Avengers. Then this hit the ‘Net: Edward Norton is out. Entertainment site HitFlix got the exclusive scoop, and this is the statement they received from Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige:
“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.”
What I’m getting from this statement is that the production team, including Whedon, did not get along so well with Norton, this led to creative differences, and utlimately to Norton’s exit. But shortly this statement was released, Norton’s agent Brian Swardstrom of WME retaliated by calling Feige’s statement “offensive” and his comments “unprofessional, disingenuous and clearly defamatory.” Apparently Norton met with Whedon and “several weeks of civil, uncontentious discussions” resulted. In the end, though, Marvel “had decided to go in another direction with the part.” Whatever the reason may be the fact remains so–Ed Norton will not play Hulk in The Avengers and Hollywood is back to the drawing board yet again with this apparent impossible to cast character. The movie is still set for a summer 2012 release.
Joss Whedon set to direct Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’
OK, did you take that all in? Good.
According to Deadline, Buffy the Vampire Slayer–Dollhouse–Firefly–Serenity–Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog creator Joss Whedon is in “final negotiations” to direct Marvel Studio’s mega-sequel The Avengers! Whedon has been rumored to helm the massive superhero flick for some time now, and I can’t believe the stars are aligning. The Avengers will bring together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Hulk (Edward Norton), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), SHIELD leader. Others are expected to join, too. Thor and Captain America will be introduced in their own movies sometime next year. The Avengers is on track to hit theatres May 2012.
[Via Deadline]
Video: PSP Minis, Digital (comics) Reader revealed
Shortly after being announced today at GamesCon, the two most exciting new software ventures on the PSP (and the upcoming PSP go!) have revealed themselves in video form. Take a look for yourself above; the 100MB bitsize digital download-only games look great, and the Marvel comics reader with the “Autoflow” panel changer looks promising.
[Via Joystiq]