To paraphrase Mr. Tarantino - Warner Bros., you had my curiosity...now you have my attention.
Watch this new trailer for Man of Steel and tell me how fast you'll throw your money at the ticket booth and beg to be let in the theater! Holy frack can it get any better? OK, OK, must settle down, just breathe...breathe.
Really, though, this thing looks truly epic ...and what about Michael Shannon as General Zod? I'm loving this new take on a character who could come across as cartoonish in the wrong hands. Shannon himself has talked about Zod and how he isn't a "villain" in the usual sense of the word. The actor spoke to the Chicago Sun-Times and explained the mindset of Zod.
"Our director Zack [Snyder] asked me to make Zod less like a villain and more like a general. He’s trying to protect the place where he rules."
Let me know what you think of this latest trailer!
Check out the latest trailer for the much anticipated movie that sees Logan / Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) meeting a mysterious person from his past. The trailer features Logan's only true love - Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) in a sequence that shows the tormented warrior facing his inner demons. In addition to the psychological elements on display we get a great sense of the scope and scale of the action.
How pumped are you to see this movie? I can't wait to experience it when it opens on July 26!
Synopsis:
"Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before." - 20th Century Fox
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Famke Janssen, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto, Brian Tee, Will Yun Lee, and Hal Yamanouchi.
The Marvel Universe will soon return to prime time TV after a 30 year absence, with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
The world got its first look at the show recently thanks to a badass trailer - you saw it, right? If you somehow missed it, no worries - the newest, extended version is below for your viewing pleasure. Plus, I pulled together a bunch of S.H.I.E.L.D.-related goodies that'll catch you up on everything we know about the show.
Granted, there's still a lot we don't know, such as how Phil Coulson is alive and well after apparently "dying" in The Avengers movie, but hey - we'll take what we can get.
Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson
If you haven't seen it yet, here's the official synopsis from ABC -
"Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel's feature films, as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange and the unknown around the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson's team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage; Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), expert pilot and martial artist; Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), brilliant engineer; and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet)."
Can I See Some I.D.?
First up - check out these "declassified" I.D. badges for the agents who'll be fighting to keep the world safe this fall.
Now, how about that extended trailer? Every time I watch this, I'm more impressed by how this show looks.
Joss Whedon Speaks!
Last week, the ABC television network held "upfronts" (a chance for advertisers to see shows before they purchase commercial time), and that's when a lot of new info on the show came to light. Writer/director Joss Whedon talked about how the show isn't just an action spectacle.
"Everything has to push 'character' forward, including action. We don't want 'spectacle' characters, we want some spectacle that addresses character. We always want the two to mix."
If you're worried that the show won't include any aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, don't. Whedon promised that the events in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. won't conflict with anything in the Marvel movies.
"We're absolutely on top of all the movies. We never contradict, replicate -- we will be flowing in between them, maybe occasionally we'll throw something in that foreshadows [or] echoes but we're very much beholden to the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
One of the biggest unanswered questions about the show concerns the character that J. August Richards is playing. The trailer shows him doing some superhuman stuff, so rumors flew that he was playing either fan favorite Luke Cage or maybe a character known as Rage. Despite the best efforts of internet sleuths, as of today (5-21-13) there's still no official word on who Richards is playing. However, Jefferey Bell, one of the producers of the show, spoke to IGN and had this to say on the matter -
"[J. August Richards] killed it! He's so good. He's so good, because we were looking for this character M-- I almost said his name. It's not the one people are talking about..."
Is He Luke Cage?
When asked about Luke Cage, Bell said -
"I'm going to say that's an interesting Marvel character, but no. But he (Richards) came in and killed it. Honestly, we were looking for this part, and we just said, 'look, all our parts are open to all diversity.' So the fact that we have a black dude who is awesome and it's J, was just because he was the best actor. It wasn't like, 'You know who...!'"
Hmm, the mystery deepens. I wonder if Marvel/ABC will be able to keep the name of the character secret until the show debuts in September?
Finally, if you want to meet some of the actors who'll play the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., check out the video below via Access Hollywood. Interviewed are - Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Ming-Na Wen (Agent May), and Elizabeth Henstridge (Agent Simmons).
Did I neglect to mention any news about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or have you heard any rumors you want to share? Hit me up in the comments.
As usual, I've been scouring the internetz in my never-ending quest for more info on Marvel movies, and this week I found a treasure trove.
Wanna know which Marvel characters will be joining Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Captain America on the big screen?
Thanks to Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly, we've got a much better sense of what to expect in the next five years. Anthony posted a fact-filled article on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and I wanted to touch on a few highlights. As I'm sure you know, Phase Oneof Marvel's master plan for its big screen heroes culminated in The Avengers, and Iron Man 3 kicked off Phase Two with spectacular success.
In addition to Iron Man 3, Marvel has already announced opening dates for all of its Phase Two movies -
Now, the big question is - Which characters can we expect to see in the slate of movies afterThe Avengers 2?
The EW article does a great job of outlining what's known as of today (5-19-13). Just keep in mind that nothing is written in stone in Hollywood, and sometimes the studios don't want to divulge info about movies in the works.
Which Characters Will Appear In The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Three?
Ant-Man - YES - An opening date of November 6, 2015 has already been set for Ant-Man's debut. According to Marvel boss Kevin Feige, the planning for the Ant-Man movie goes back to at least 2006. Director Edgar Wright will begin filming in early 2014.
Doctor Strange - YES - A movie has been announced starring Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme, but it's still very early in the planning stage. At this point, there's not even so much as a rumor about who would star. FYI - Patrick Dempsey has stated he'd love to play Stephen Strange.
Iron Man - MAYBE - You'd think with Iron Man 3 making a billion dollars Marvel would already be at work on number 4, right? Well, it's complicated. Robert Downey Jr. has fulfilled his contract with Marvel, as far as the Iron Man franchise goes, but he's not ruling out playing Tony Stark again in a solo movie. If there's an Iron Man 4, it would probably be at least five years away. A lot can happen in five years, and RDJ has already said he's looking to start a new movie franchise. We'll definitely see RDJ play Iron Man in The Avengers 2, but many factors might prevent an Iron Man 4 movie starring Downey from being made. Can you say "reboot"?
Black Panther -MAYBE - There's still no definitive word on whether the African king, T'Challa, aka Black Panther, will get his own solo movie anytime in the near future. Anthony speculates that we'll see the character in a supporting role in one of the upcoming Marvel movies or maybe in the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
NOTE: On May 17, 2013, a report surfaced that Marvel is interested in filming part of The Avengers 2 in South Africa, which fueled speculation that Black Panther would appear in the movie.
Daredevil - NO - Matt Murdock aka Daredevil, is one of those lower tier characters that Marvel Studios recently acquired the movie rights to - along with The Punisher, Blade, and Ghost Rider. While it's very cool that Marvel has creative control over these characters, don't look for a movie starring any of them anytime soon. When asked about these characters, Marvel boss Kevin Feige told EW -
“So Punisher, Ghost Rider, … Blade, all those characters are back. They all have potential, but I think we need to find the right time.”
The Punisher - NO - same as Daredevil
Blade - NO - same as Daredevil
Ghost Rider - NO - same as Daredevil
Mark Ruffalo as Hulk in The Avengers - via Marvel
Hulk - MAYBE - Mark Ruffalo has said that he's ready to play Bruce Banner / Hulk again in a solo movie, but Marvel insists that there's nothing in development, yet. Like Iron Man, Hulk will definitely be in The Avengers 2, but beyond that - who knows? This is one of the biggest mysteries surrounding Marvel's future plans - How big of a role will Hulk play?
Inhumans - MAYBE - Marvel's mentioned the possibility of a movie starring its group of characters known as Inhumans for a few years, but the studio won't say if it's gone beyond the early planning stage. Feige seems to be a huge fan of the mutated super-beings, telling EW they're "...really great characters." and "...incredibly compelling...", so it's a safe bet that we'll eventually see them on the big screen. Right now, no one can say if they'll be in Phase Three.
Allow me to go way out on a limb and speculate here. I think Marvel is saving its Inhumans for Phase 4 of their Cinematic Universe. Five years from now, The Avengers franchise will have run its course and Marvel will still not have creative control over Spider-Man, X-Men, or Fantastic Four. Imagine - The year is 2018 and Marvel needs a new, fresh wave of superheroes to establish as its next blockbuster franchise. In order to build a multi-movie universe, they need a large group of characters with interesting origin stories, a rich history, and inter-connected stories. Who does Marvel have remaining in the stable that fits that description? Inhumans.
Runaways - NO - This lesser known comic book series almost got a movie in 2011, but it was shelved because it didn't fit in with Marvel's other Phase One movies. At this point, it looks unlikely that we'll see a Runaways movie in Phase Three.
Marvel Zombies - NO - Breznican threw this idea out there as sort of a "What if?" He points out that the 2005/2006 "Marvel Zombies" comic series was ultra-popular and zombies are a pop culture craze, so maybe Marvel would consider a movie version. However, it's safe to say that the studio wouldn't risk damaging the brand with a freaky concept in which its superheroes turn into flesh-eating ghouls.
Okay, that's a quick rundown of some of the interesting points that Anthony Breznican posted on EW. After you check out the full article, jump back over here and let me know what you think. Were there any glaring omissions from this list of possible Marvel movies? Just remember that we're talking about characters that Marvel Studios owns the movie rights to.
Wanna see Man of Steel a day before everybody else? Thanks to a unique partnership with Warner Bros., Walmart will sell 1 million tickets to fans in the USA for a special screening on June 13.
Your only chance to purchase these special advance tickets is Saturday, May 18.
According to the official announcement -
"Tickets for the exclusive screening of “Man of Steel,” will go on sale in more than 3,700 Walmart stores starting at 8 a.m. on May 18. Customers will be able to purchase up to four tickets per visit, and have the option to choose between 2D or 3D showings, where applicable. The advance screening will take place in selected local theaters nationwide at 7 p.m. on June 13."
Man of Steel poster - Warner Bros.
Check out the special offers you get along with the tickets -
Priority Purchase of Blu-ray Combo Pack or HD Digital Download: Each ticket bought at Walmart will feature a code on the back that allows customers to pre-order their own Blu-ray Combo Pack or HD Digital Download of “Man of Steel,” which will contain exclusive film content.
Official “Man of Steel Experience” Mobile App: Fans can bring Superman to life with the official “Man of Steel Experience” augmented reality app. The app allows customers to take photos with the superhero, as well as unlock special photo frames by pointing their phone at “Man of Steel” signage in their local Walmart. To download the app please visit: Apple App Store or Google Play.
Exclusive Original Digital Comic Book: Customers will receive a free original Digital Comic Book written by “Man of Steel” screenwriter David Goyer with every ticket.
“Man of Steel” Merchandise: Beginning April 28, a variety of “Man of Steel” merchandise such as t-shirts, electronics, posters and more from top brands will be available at Walmart stores and at Walmart.com.
Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures president of domestic distribution, explained why this promotion is so special -
“We are extremely pleased to partner with Walmart on this unprecedented initiative, which will allow devoted fans to be among the first to see ‘Man of Steel.’ We know the movie delivers and believe this unique partnership will kick off strong word of mouth that, thanks to the reach and immediacy of social media, will propel moviegoers to theaters nationwide.”
If you're in the USA and want to take advantage of this offer, go to walmart.com/manofsteel and see if a Walmart store in your area is participating in this promotion.
Do you plan on being at your local Walmart on May 18 to get your tickets? Let me know if you do!
