Marvel Movies Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The flurry that surrounded the casting of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston in Thor has abated, leaving us in a "So, what now?" kind of zone. No one really knows what to expect out of the actors or the story.

But CineFOOLS has a scoop on the latter, as they sat down with Thor co-writer Ashley Miller. He's such a fan of the series that he nearly pulled out his collection of bags and boards, so at least you know its in continuity-obessed hands. Miller hints that he's been heavily influenced by Walt Simonson's run (and possibly Ultimates 2), and is looking to make us really identify with the God of Thunder:

"You want to feel Thor's rage when he rages. You want to see him fight like hell, and take as much he dishes out -- maybe more. You want to have a visceral reaction to the guy, and what happens to him. You don't want his adventures to be clean and antiseptic. You want to see the dirt, and grime and blood. You want to feel every bone crunching moment of every fight. And when he unleashes the storm, you want to feel like you're seeing the power of a GOD at work ... But at the end of the day, he's a man. In the comics, Odin sends him to Earth because he's not perfect. He's brash, arrogant. Even over-confident. We all know that guy -- some of us have even been that guy. Stan Lee's genius was to give Thor-as-hero an emotional throughline we could all relate to, and knock him down a couple of pegs. So on that level, your question answers itself. The challenge is to dramatize that and make the audience see what the fans have known and believed about the character all along."

I was in the minority when it came to Samuel L. Jackson returning to the Marvel Universe. I know the Ultimate Nick Fury was based on him ... but the Marvel girl in me is traditional and boring.* I wanted to see someone like George Clooney sporting the eyepatch. I like Jackson (to dislike him is a sin) a lot, but he's just such a blatant fanboy choice nowadays ... and can anyone argue that he'll bring anything to Fury other than just being Jackson in an eyepatch? (Arguably, Clooney wouldn't either, but he'd bring that retro charm that non-Ultimate Fury swaggers with.)

But for the majority of fans, that's enough, and the following is news for you to rejoice over. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson has signed on for nine (count 'em, nine) films with Marvel Studios. He's set to play Nick Fury in the following: Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, The Avengers, and any sequel that they might spawn. A S.H.I.E.L.D / Nicky Fury movie is also a possibility.

So, there you go. Not only is Jackson returning as Fury for Iron Man 2, but he will be the head of S.H.I.E.L.D for as long as it lives and breaths on our cinema screens.

* I will, however, give Marvel Studios major props for not making its movie universe a white one.

If you believe the post-Oscars party talk, it's official: Emily Blunt is out as the Black Widow. According to The Playlist, Jon Favreau was cornered by E! at an aftershow party, and confirmed that Fox had exercised its option on Blunt, and pinned her into Guilliver's Travels.

Now, given that there's so little finalized on Iron Man 2, I think it's very possible that Blunt could still pop in. As it stands now, the cast consists of one Robert Downey Jr., Sam Rockwell, and Don Cheadle. Even Gwyneth Paltrow told MTV News has no idea if she's returning as Pepper Potts. They haven't even given me a script yet. They don't tell me anything. I could be, like, a costume assistant in it. I know nothing."

But, if Mickey Rourke decides to sign once and for all, they could have it before cameras pretty quickly, and that means they would need a new actress. Let's just hope that Favreau & Co aren't lured by the curves that are Scarlett Johansson, and either accept Eliza Dushku's very public offer (she can speak Russian, and she'd be better than Johansson) or wait around until Blunt can return. I'd prefer the latter. I mean, Favreau always did think that April 2010 release date was unrealistic.

Okay, so the Spider-Man 4 rumor mill is already old news, even if part three hasn't technically ... you know ... happened yet. Essentially, the argument boils down to two camps -- a few of the actors, who say they are tired of Spider-Man and ready to move on, and a few of the Marvel execs who say the franchise will live forever because there are endless Spider-Man stories already in existence just waiting for a chance to make the big screen.

But a new voice has just entered the discussion; one of the most important voices. Sam Raimi, the talented and beloved director of all three films in the franchise, has just offered his thoughts on the future of the franchise in a discussion with Premiere Magazine. You can read all his thoughts here, but the short version is, Raimi is interested in more movies provided he can keep Tobey Maguire on board. He admits it is possible he will tire of the franchise any day, but his mood right now is one of pure love.

This is a fantastic endorsement for fans who hope to see the franchise live on. I have no doubt Marvel would hit up a new director if Raimi should quit -- or cast a new Peter Parker if Maguire moves on -- but we all know the dangers of a revolving door of directors, and losing the talent of Raimi would be a big blow. Not necessarily a death blow, because franchises like Harry Potter have passed through many a director, but I think we can all agree that Spider-Man is far better off with Sam Raimi than without him.

It is no secret for regular readers that I wasn't particularly impressed with Ang Lee's version of The Hulk. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the flick -- far from it, actually. I found it to be a decent effort with truly inspired moments; I just thought it was lackluster overall. The character of The Hulk has a lot of movie potential, and you've got to credit Ang Lee for trying to go beyond the basic "Hulk Smash!" mentality, but there's only so much character study we want to see on The Hulk before we get antsy for him to start breaking things in cheesy action-movie fashion. Why did we invent action movies if not to showcase characters like Hulk?

Apparently, current Marvel favorite Zak Penn was at one point asked to write up a script treatment for the film which was eventually handed to Lee. Penn's initial draft was rejected in favor of a more introspective piece, but when Marvel realized fans seemed to want more action, they went knocking on Penn's door again. Penn, who has since proved his worth to Marvel by putting together other successful movie scripts, was willing and eager to give it another try. According to Penn, Marvel went back to his original script and said "this is more of the tone we wanted," so he'll be lifting some of his original ideas for his second try.

I'll admit to being initially skeptical of a remake this quickly after an original, but at this point I'm one hundred percent fanboy geeked for a new Hulk film. What are your thoughts on going back to the Zak Penn well?

We're not going to spend a lot of time rehashing the basic points of this argument, because we've been over it many times before. Essentially, it boils down to one simple argument: Marvel makes a lot of money on their big title movies, and wants to continue doing so, while actors and studios eventually tire of the increasing commitments. While everyone from Hugh Jackman and Sam Raimi to the parking attendant guy at the Fox Studios lot may think they know for certain the future of their franchises, we all know the truth is very basic: if they feel the monetary benefits are great enough, they will roll out more movies. If they don't, then the movies are done.

So what do Marvel, Fox Studios, and Sony Pictures think about the monetary prospects of more films? Well, according to X-Men Film News, the opinion is different depending on who you ask. Marvel, of course, is hot to sell as much superhero as they possibly can. Times are very good for the company, and their properties are as hot as ever. Nobody knows when the hero movie trend will die down again, and Marvel needs to strike while the iron is hot. Sony, it seems, is in complete agreement, and thoroughly expects to make bazillions of dollars on the third installment of the successful Spider-Man film franchise. This naturally leaves them very open to the possibility of more movies, because hey ... who doesn't like making a bazillion dollars? Fox, on the other hand, wasn't so confident in their third installment, hence the "this is the last film ever" talk from the studio. But then the movie raked in some serious cash, and suddenly Fox might want to reconsider.

Even should Fox decide they are done with Professor X and his gifted youngsters, this won't necessarily mean the end of the X-Men on film. A Marvel insider reminds X-Men Film News that Marvel is aggressively pursuing their own business interests these days, and certainly has plans in place for the team if Fox bails. Tipster says to expect a "pleasant surprise," but what else would an employee say?

Ready for your lessons from geek movies? Following up on last week's Ten Things I Learned From the Fantastic Four, we're going to pick out a few general pointers for life from the X-Men film trilogy. Without further ado, I give you: The Geek Beat -- Eight Things I Learned From the X-Men (again, movies only, not the comics):

1. Wear hats frequently, particularly ones crafted from special materials. If you are an evil villain, all you need to do to escape the dangers of Charles Xavier, leader of the X-Men and most powerful telepathy on earth, is wear a nice hat. Not only will it keep Professor X out of your brain, it will also keep your head warm during the winter months and dry during unexpected rainfall. If you design it well, it can even be a fantastic addition to your villain ensemble. Nothing says super powers like a matching cape, costume and helmet.

2. Avoid city living, as it is far too complicated and laden with troublesome people. Again, a good note for evil villains -- if you want to conquer the world, try starting someplace other than New York. The crazy city is home to half of the known superheroes in America. I know there are a lot of cool buildings around to serve as labs/headquarters/hanger bays, but country living has a lot to offer you as well. For starters, you won't find the X-Men chilling out in Montana. Granted, your enormous headquarters will probably stand out a bit, but that's why we invented underground bunkers, right?