Marvel Update: The latest on Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers
Iron Man 2 Marvel's president of production, Kevin Feige, said at the “Produced By” 2009 conference that they really wanted to carry over the sense of humor and the tone from the first movie. It was that tone that was so hard to achieve the first time, but it turned out great. In the second movie they want to add more characters and see if they can up the action without losing the tone already set. The majority of the dialogue has already been shot and the next six weeks will be devoted to upping the action.
Thor Feige also said that Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are officially in the cast of Thor. He said that Hiddleston, who plays the villain Loki, will be portraying a classic villain that could be in many films to come and provide the hero a challenge while also being a mirror of that hero himself. He also confirmed that Thor will take place on both modern Earth and other worlds like Asgard. Feige also relieved the minds of many when he said that director Kenneth Branagh wouldn’t let them use classic Shakespearian dialogue like that used in the comics.
The release of the films, Iron Man 2, then Thor, then Captain America, then The Avengers (in the summer of 2012) is “ordered this way for a reason,” Feige said. He confirmed that Samuel Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are signed on for multiple movies. Feige hinted that he wants audiences to feel the excitement of the comic book readers – ‘where characters make surprise appearances almost out of nowhere.’
The First Avenger: Captain America All comic fanatics know that Captain America takes place during WWII, and the movie will stay true to this. Feige said they want to make Captain America the “same level of fun” as Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was also set during that time period. And for all you Cap fans – it looks like Bucky will indeed be onboard. First thoughts were to make The Avengers animated because it involved so many characters, then they decided to introduce each hero in his own movie, then have them all come together in a big Avengers movie.
Its an exciting film to watch a film with these super heroes present!
source:
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Iron man lives
Iron man lives
The summer movie season of 2009 is not even half over, and yet, here we are, already speculating on next year's, and waxing nostalgic about last year’s. 2008 was a good year, wasn’t it? Erm, maybe not, but there was a stand out: Marvel Comics’ Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. Before you turn up your nose and scamper away thinking this is just another comic book adaptation, let me remind you the critics and fans loved it. In fact, they loved it so much, Marvel happily, has decided that the highly-acclaimed Iron Man of 2008 warrants a sequel.
Yes, Iron Man fans, there’s news that a new film is not very far away! Well, ok, actually Iron Man 2 won’t be out until May 2010, and rumors persist whether Samuel L. Jackson will be joining the confirmed cast, along with newcomer to the series Mickey Rourke, but enough is finished and confirmed that some teasers are already making the internet rounds: for instance, still shots have just been released.
But for those of you have not seen the movie, and if you're considering it, the next time you're perusing your video stores, (or Amazon, NetFlix or whatever)I heartily recommend you do check it out. Now, it's true; I had my doubts about it too, at first, and it took some arm-twisting to get me to sit down and watch it.
But boy am I glad I did! Let me give you some details. Yes, this movie was adapted from a comic book, yes, it has all the little comic book clichés: 1) dame with the silly name, who becomes the damsel in distress, 2) evil nemesis, 3) hero brooding over his fate as a sad little rich boy. 4) acquisition of special tools to help save the world ™ including a silly suit and cape, which makes you wonder if they don’t need a session with Incredibles seamstress Edna Mode….
OK, strike the cape. Marvel's Iron Man apparently learned that lesson, but! That’s about where the similarities between your average comic movie, and Iron Man ends. Billionaire businessman/playboy Tony Stark doesn’t simply start chasing down bad guys because he lost someone close to him, no. He starts out by negotiating with the American military over the sale of some high-powered Stark Industries smart bombs. To do so, he takes a shipload of his pride and joys over to Afghanistan to demonstrate their usefulness. That’s right, he voluntarily waltzes into a war zone, to make the sale. What an idiot, you say? I’m so with you, brothers and sisters! He shoulda listened to Boromir’s advice:
“One does not simply walk into Mordor…”
Wait, sorry. Wrong movie.
Ok, so, here’s Tony Stark, in the middle of blazing nowhere, getting the military to sign on the multi-million dollar dotted line, and downing a martini on the way back to his plane, when bang! A roadside bomb sidetracks his travel plans, sending him running for the shelter of any friendly sand dune when…. bang again! He steps on his own Stark Industries landmine. Shrapnel goes flying, he’s knocked silly and we start to wonder if this is Curtains for Our Hero.
What and have the movie end in the first fifteen minutes? Surely you jest!
Tony comes to in fits and starts, to the sounds of a foreign language being spoken all around him, and ultimately find himself tied to a chair between several armed men, staring straight into a video camera as they tell the world they’re holding the Great Tony Stark hostage and demanding that he build his smart bombs for them; furthermore, Tony is not quite himself anymore thanks to injuries that require him to have a battery/magnetic device implanted in his chest to keep the shrapnel inside him from finding its way to his heart. Boy, I would not like his life, would you?
So, the poor man has no choice; he’s got to build this bomb, or the baddies will kill him one way or another (turn off the battery protecting his heart, or just by shooting him). So he sets to work, with the help of another hostage, and eventually they hit on a way to escape their plight. Under the watchful eye of these terrorists, they build a dummy bomb, and a rather snazzy suit of armor that allows Tony to walk out of the cave, and to safety, despite the guns blazing all around him—guns which inevitably take out his companion. But out Tony goes and soon finds his way home, to think about his life and what he’s going to do with the family business: the thing that saw him in that predicament in the desert, in the first place. Will he continue to fund the building of weapons, or do something better with his life?
My God. A weapons manufacturer actually wrestling with a moral dilemma. What’s the world coming to?
So what happens?
Other than the fact that Tony builds a whole bunch of nifty little toys over the course of his transformation, a whole heck of a lot happens. Ultimately, Iron Man is less about saving the woman pushed off a building by the Big Bad Guy and more about the struggle of a creative genius, and personal (and indeed corporate) responsibility. But that’s just boiling it down to a little nutshell. You'll have to go rent Iron Man now to see how it all works out.
To both those who’ve seen the 2008 movie, and those who have not, I hope you enjoy these tidbits, and remember:
"No capes!"
Source
The summer movie season of 2009 is not even half over, and yet, here we are, already speculating on next year's, and waxing nostalgic about last year’s. 2008 was a good year, wasn’t it? Erm, maybe not, but there was a stand out: Marvel Comics’ Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. Before you turn up your nose and scamper away thinking this is just another comic book adaptation, let me remind you the critics and fans loved it. In fact, they loved it so much, Marvel happily, has decided that the highly-acclaimed Iron Man of 2008 warrants a sequel.
Yes, Iron Man fans, there’s news that a new film is not very far away! Well, ok, actually Iron Man 2 won’t be out until May 2010, and rumors persist whether Samuel L. Jackson will be joining the confirmed cast, along with newcomer to the series Mickey Rourke, but enough is finished and confirmed that some teasers are already making the internet rounds: for instance, still shots have just been released.
But for those of you have not seen the movie, and if you're considering it, the next time you're perusing your video stores, (or Amazon, NetFlix or whatever)I heartily recommend you do check it out. Now, it's true; I had my doubts about it too, at first, and it took some arm-twisting to get me to sit down and watch it.
But boy am I glad I did! Let me give you some details. Yes, this movie was adapted from a comic book, yes, it has all the little comic book clichés: 1) dame with the silly name, who becomes the damsel in distress, 2) evil nemesis, 3) hero brooding over his fate as a sad little rich boy. 4) acquisition of special tools to help save the world ™ including a silly suit and cape, which makes you wonder if they don’t need a session with Incredibles seamstress Edna Mode….
OK, strike the cape. Marvel's Iron Man apparently learned that lesson, but! That’s about where the similarities between your average comic movie, and Iron Man ends. Billionaire businessman/playboy Tony Stark doesn’t simply start chasing down bad guys because he lost someone close to him, no. He starts out by negotiating with the American military over the sale of some high-powered Stark Industries smart bombs. To do so, he takes a shipload of his pride and joys over to Afghanistan to demonstrate their usefulness. That’s right, he voluntarily waltzes into a war zone, to make the sale. What an idiot, you say? I’m so with you, brothers and sisters! He shoulda listened to Boromir’s advice:
“One does not simply walk into Mordor…”
Wait, sorry. Wrong movie.
Ok, so, here’s Tony Stark, in the middle of blazing nowhere, getting the military to sign on the multi-million dollar dotted line, and downing a martini on the way back to his plane, when bang! A roadside bomb sidetracks his travel plans, sending him running for the shelter of any friendly sand dune when…. bang again! He steps on his own Stark Industries landmine. Shrapnel goes flying, he’s knocked silly and we start to wonder if this is Curtains for Our Hero.
What and have the movie end in the first fifteen minutes? Surely you jest!
Tony comes to in fits and starts, to the sounds of a foreign language being spoken all around him, and ultimately find himself tied to a chair between several armed men, staring straight into a video camera as they tell the world they’re holding the Great Tony Stark hostage and demanding that he build his smart bombs for them; furthermore, Tony is not quite himself anymore thanks to injuries that require him to have a battery/magnetic device implanted in his chest to keep the shrapnel inside him from finding its way to his heart. Boy, I would not like his life, would you?
So, the poor man has no choice; he’s got to build this bomb, or the baddies will kill him one way or another (turn off the battery protecting his heart, or just by shooting him). So he sets to work, with the help of another hostage, and eventually they hit on a way to escape their plight. Under the watchful eye of these terrorists, they build a dummy bomb, and a rather snazzy suit of armor that allows Tony to walk out of the cave, and to safety, despite the guns blazing all around him—guns which inevitably take out his companion. But out Tony goes and soon finds his way home, to think about his life and what he’s going to do with the family business: the thing that saw him in that predicament in the desert, in the first place. Will he continue to fund the building of weapons, or do something better with his life?
My God. A weapons manufacturer actually wrestling with a moral dilemma. What’s the world coming to?
So what happens?
Other than the fact that Tony builds a whole bunch of nifty little toys over the course of his transformation, a whole heck of a lot happens. Ultimately, Iron Man is less about saving the woman pushed off a building by the Big Bad Guy and more about the struggle of a creative genius, and personal (and indeed corporate) responsibility. But that’s just boiling it down to a little nutshell. You'll have to go rent Iron Man now to see how it all works out.
To both those who’ve seen the 2008 movie, and those who have not, I hope you enjoy these tidbits, and remember:
"No capes!"
Source
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
First look: Mickey Rourke suits up as Whiplash for 'Iron Man 2'
First look: Mickey Rourke suits up as Whiplash for 'Iron Man 2'
In Iron Man 2, the scarlet and golden-metaled hero must face an adversary with some amazing gadgets of his own.
Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) sports a power pack on his chest that looks similar to the one that Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) uses.
"The technologies are definitely related," says director Jon Favreau. "That's part of the core theme of the film."
The villain's alter ego, Ivan Vanko, is a Russian who "has constructed his own version of a suit," Favreau says. Among the creative innovations: a pair of whips, powered by the suit's glowing chest piece, that are expected to keep Iron Man cracking.
Whiplash "is going to light them up," Rourke quips.
This first image of the character shows Whiplash making an appearance at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Favreau as usual is tight-lipped about plot points and declines to discuss whether the big-screen Whiplash is, as in the Marvel Comics, a weapons designer who works for Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a competitor of Tony Stark/Iron Man.
"We like to play into and against the expectations that people might have, so we mixed it up a bit," Favreau says.
Rourke's performances in Sin City and The Wrestler helped convince the director that the actor was the best candidate to face Downey in his sequel to last spring's blockbuster that grossed $318.4 million.
"It was very important that the villain be as compelling as can be. … Once I thought of Mickey in that role, it made me understand how to shape the story."
A very pretty upcoming movie indeed.
Source:
Click here for more fresh Infos
In Iron Man 2, the scarlet and golden-metaled hero must face an adversary with some amazing gadgets of his own.
Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) sports a power pack on his chest that looks similar to the one that Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) uses.
"The technologies are definitely related," says director Jon Favreau. "That's part of the core theme of the film."
The villain's alter ego, Ivan Vanko, is a Russian who "has constructed his own version of a suit," Favreau says. Among the creative innovations: a pair of whips, powered by the suit's glowing chest piece, that are expected to keep Iron Man cracking.
Whiplash "is going to light them up," Rourke quips.
This first image of the character shows Whiplash making an appearance at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Favreau as usual is tight-lipped about plot points and declines to discuss whether the big-screen Whiplash is, as in the Marvel Comics, a weapons designer who works for Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a competitor of Tony Stark/Iron Man.
"We like to play into and against the expectations that people might have, so we mixed it up a bit," Favreau says.
Rourke's performances in Sin City and The Wrestler helped convince the director that the actor was the best candidate to face Downey in his sequel to last spring's blockbuster that grossed $318.4 million.
"It was very important that the villain be as compelling as can be. … Once I thought of Mickey in that role, it made me understand how to shape the story."
A very pretty upcoming movie indeed.
Source:
Click here for more fresh Infos
Friday, April 24, 2009
'Iron Man 2' Recruits an Officer and a Lady
'Iron Man 2' Recruits an Officer and a Lady
Two more have been added to the ever large Iron Man 2 roster, according to The Hollywood Reporter and with production all nice, quiet and secret save for Jon Favreau's Tweets, we can speculate endlessly on what their additions might mean.
The first is a no-brainer, as Clark Gregg is returning as Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. Having hammered out the acronym, he gets to come back and try to keep Tony on the straight, narrow, and heroic. I think that's nice. You could just have any old agent, but they're keeping Gregg.
The female addition is what's really interesting. Kate Mara has joined the cast in an unspecified role. I'm going to just throw out a random guess (based largely on her looks) that she's playing Bethany Cabe. I can't believe they'd throw another love interest or action chick into the mix, but Cabe helps to defend Tony against Whiplash and Justin Hammer. She also suits up in some old Iron Man armor alongside Rhodes' War Machine to battle the giant robot Ultimo. The groundwork is there, but it's an awful lot of action and romance for one film. Perhaps Cabe will simply show up as Stark Industries' Head of Security, ready to do her part later on? Maybe she's just a love interest for Hammer? We'll know soon enough.
But wow, three redheads in one Marvel film? I thought it was Wolverine who had that particular fetish. Go Tony!
IT will be an interesting chemistry on screen.
Two more have been added to the ever large Iron Man 2 roster, according to The Hollywood Reporter and with production all nice, quiet and secret save for Jon Favreau's Tweets, we can speculate endlessly on what their additions might mean.
The first is a no-brainer, as Clark Gregg is returning as Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. Having hammered out the acronym, he gets to come back and try to keep Tony on the straight, narrow, and heroic. I think that's nice. You could just have any old agent, but they're keeping Gregg.
The female addition is what's really interesting. Kate Mara has joined the cast in an unspecified role. I'm going to just throw out a random guess (based largely on her looks) that she's playing Bethany Cabe. I can't believe they'd throw another love interest or action chick into the mix, but Cabe helps to defend Tony against Whiplash and Justin Hammer. She also suits up in some old Iron Man armor alongside Rhodes' War Machine to battle the giant robot Ultimo. The groundwork is there, but it's an awful lot of action and romance for one film. Perhaps Cabe will simply show up as Stark Industries' Head of Security, ready to do her part later on? Maybe she's just a love interest for Hammer? We'll know soon enough.
But wow, three redheads in one Marvel film? I thought it was Wolverine who had that particular fetish. Go Tony!
IT will be an interesting chemistry on screen.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Joining the Marvel Universe takes a lot of commitment — and we’re not just talking about those 9-movie contract deals, either. We’re talking about the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to assume a superhero physique, which is a requirement whether you’re laced with adamantium or hidden in an Iron Man suit. The endless crunches and strict diets is what separates the men from the boys — and the men from the women, as “Iron Man 2” actress Scarlett Johansson discovered.
“While training for an upcoming film, I’ve come to this conclusion: chin ups are near impossible and lunges suck,” Johansson wrote in a recent Huffington Post column. “There is no magic wand to wave over oneself to look good in a latex catsuit.”
While extreme workouts are a necessity for any new superhero or heroine, Marvel’s newest member found that her workouts are regarded in a much more critical light than those performed by Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr.
“Since dedicating myself to getting into ’superhero shape,’ several articles regarding my weight have been brought to my attention,” wrote Johansson. “Claims have been made that I’ve been on a strict workout routine regulated by co-stars, whipped into shape by trainers I’ve never met, eating sprouted grains I can’t pronounce and ultimately losing 14 pounds off my 5′3″ frame … If I were to lose 14 pounds, I’d have to part with both arms. And a foot. I’m frustrated with the irresponsibility of tabloid media who sell the public ideas about what we should look like and how we should get there.”
And though the actress stresses the need to be fit, eat right, and stay healthy, she worries that many young women might read such irresponsible articles, and go on desperate and dangerous diets.
Johansson brings up an important and unhappy fact. No one suggested that Christian Bale wasn’t buff enough to play Batman or argued that Samuel L. Jackson needed a few crunches for Nick Fury, or called out the 300 ex-Spartans for not keeping up the regime. So, why does the Black Widow immediately come under the fitness microscope? Why should a superheroine be held as a standard for all women to emulate?
While we should all try to follow a heroic fitness regime, it’s important to remember that comic book characters are larger than life, and sketched into perfection. Expecting all mortals to look as good in latex is as impossible as surviving a radioactive spider bite.
and people should not dicate or control other people's lives if they can't control theirs.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Have We Already Met Iron Man's Arch-Enemy?
Have We Already Met Iron Man's Arch-Enemy?
The first Iron Man movie hinted that his ultimate foe would be the Mandarin, the Fu Manchu-esque villain who's long tormented Tony in the comics. But maybe we've already met the movie Mandarin? Spoilers below.
The Iron Man movie signaled it would avoid some of the more embarrassing/troubling aspects of The Mandarin by putting his organization, the Ten Rings, in Afghanistan rather than China or Vietnam. It was hinted that Ten Rings was some sort of criminal organization that sought regional geopolitical dominance. But the main member of Ten Rings we met in the first movie was Raza, the thug who kept Tony prisoner in that cave with the improbably self-sacrificing scientist.
But now Faran Tahir, who played Raza in the first movie (and who plays a Starship captain in the new Star Trek movie) says he might be back for Iron Man 3:
The character didn't die in the first one, and it is part of a larger story. Iron Man's biggest nemesis is Mandarin, and my character is the only reference to Mandarin. So we're still trying to figure out how it's going to fit. The things to consider, I think, are that if it is a bigger story, how much of it is exposed [and] when...
Is he the conduit to Mandarin? Does he become Mandarin? Is it just another leader of the Ten Rings, you know, thing? All the allusions [in] my first speech was all about Genghis Khan and all that, which is Mandarin's thing, you know?
And not surprisingly, Tahir says he'd be delighted if his character turned out to be the Mandarin, the Big Bad of the Iron Man saga. But of course, the movies could also bring him back to serve as the real Mandarin's henchman. Just, please, keep the Sax Rohmer overtones to a minimum.
It seems that The Mandarin will give a hard time to our great heroic character. BUt we will see how the story goes.
The first Iron Man movie hinted that his ultimate foe would be the Mandarin, the Fu Manchu-esque villain who's long tormented Tony in the comics. But maybe we've already met the movie Mandarin? Spoilers below.
The Iron Man movie signaled it would avoid some of the more embarrassing/troubling aspects of The Mandarin by putting his organization, the Ten Rings, in Afghanistan rather than China or Vietnam. It was hinted that Ten Rings was some sort of criminal organization that sought regional geopolitical dominance. But the main member of Ten Rings we met in the first movie was Raza, the thug who kept Tony prisoner in that cave with the improbably self-sacrificing scientist.
But now Faran Tahir, who played Raza in the first movie (and who plays a Starship captain in the new Star Trek movie) says he might be back for Iron Man 3:
The character didn't die in the first one, and it is part of a larger story. Iron Man's biggest nemesis is Mandarin, and my character is the only reference to Mandarin. So we're still trying to figure out how it's going to fit. The things to consider, I think, are that if it is a bigger story, how much of it is exposed [and] when...
Is he the conduit to Mandarin? Does he become Mandarin? Is it just another leader of the Ten Rings, you know, thing? All the allusions [in] my first speech was all about Genghis Khan and all that, which is Mandarin's thing, you know?
And not surprisingly, Tahir says he'd be delighted if his character turned out to be the Mandarin, the Big Bad of the Iron Man saga. But of course, the movies could also bring him back to serve as the real Mandarin's henchman. Just, please, keep the Sax Rohmer overtones to a minimum.
It seems that The Mandarin will give a hard time to our great heroic character. BUt we will see how the story goes.
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