Could Ultron's Cosmic Origin Be Explained In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Leading Into AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON?

People have been speculating for weeks now how Joss Whedon will introduce Ultron in the MCU. Whedon confirmed a new origin for the Marvel villain played by James Spader (Stargate, Less Than Zero, Lincoln) which wouldn't include Dr. Hank Pym (Ant-Man). A new quote from Iron Man 3 co-writer Drew Pearce to SciFiNow (via CBM) gives the impression most theories haven't hit the mark. Also, hinting that Ultron's origins might be cosmic having connections to Thor: The Dark World and Guardians of The Galaxy.

"There is a hell of a lot of rumors, though. Ultron may be something that appears in Guardians of the Galaxy, or it may appear in the Thor universe. I've read a lot of stuff online, and I don't think anyone has got close to the real plan yet."

I had been wondering how the hell Guardians would factor into Avengers: Age of Ultron, since the film leads right into the Avengers sequel. Having the film establish the cosmic side of the universe seemed like a legimate reason to make the film on it's own merit. However, if Ultron has a cosmic basis rather than being a robotic Frankenstein monster could give the character more depth. We've heard from Kevin Feige that Thanos would be the villain behind the scenes in Guardians of The Galaxy and won't be a major player in Age of Ultron. It could be that Thanos convinces Ultron to attack Earth (maybe giving it to him if he destroys The Avengers) and is an alien that is able to inhabit technology ala Ghost In The Shell's Puppet Master (which highly influenced The Matrix). Perhaps, to convert the planet to his own means or bend it to the will of Thanos.

Lady Gaga Has A Cameo In SIN CIY: A DAME TO KILL FOR

Apparently, Machete Kills won't be Lady Gaga's only acting gig for director Robert Rodriguez. It was revealed by Joseph Gordon-Levit (via CBM), the singer shot a scene alongside Joe in Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. By the sounds of things Robert might have found his new muse and those rumors of her working with Quentin Tarantino in the future could be reality.

BATMAN VS SUPERMAN Will Shoot In Toronto And Detroit

We have our new Batman with Ben Affleck, now comes the location of the production. Forbes reports that the film will shoot scenes in Toronto, I assume using stages at Pinewood Studios. Along with Zack Snyder confirming to Empire that Detroit/Michigan (stepping in for Vancouver) would be doubling for Gotham City and Metropolis. It's an exciting development with production expected to begin next year with a July 2015 release date.

“Detroit is a great example of a quintessential American city, and I know it will make the perfect backdrop for our movie,” says Snyder. “Detroit and the entire state of Michigan have been fantastic collaborators, and we are looking forward to working together on this film.”

Marvel Confirms Bradley Cooper Will Voice Rocket Raccoon In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Marvel today confirmed (LatinoReview's scoop) that Bradley Cooper (Hangover, Place Beyond The Pines, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle) will indeed be the voice of Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of The Galaxy. Cooper is an excellent addition to the cast and the press release calls for voice work only. Seeming the motion capture work for Rocket has been mostly done by animals and not an actor.

METAL GEAR SOLID Could Be Released In 2016-2017, Here's Hoping They Cast Christian Bale

With high-profiled video game adaptations geared towards an older audience already in the works, such as Assassin's Creed (starring Michael Fassbender) and Spinter Cell (starring Tom Hardy). It's not hard to see why a Metal Gear Solid film is in demand at Sony Pictures. Producer Avi Arad recently announced a partnership with Konami and Sony to put together a live-action film based on the popular video game franchise. He gives a bit of an update to VideoGameFilms which seems that the project is about three or more years away from being made. A decent assessment considering it's still without a script and director.

"The Metal Gear Solid movie is about three or more years away according to Arad who implied that negotiations between the film studio and Konami could take a bit of time. However, Arad said that he’s in close contact with ‘Metal Gear’ creator Hideo Kojima. Like Uncharted, the Metal Gear Solid movie is also currently set up at Sony."

There's been an online campaign to get actor Christian Bale in the role of Solid Snake. The Oscar winning actor has left the Batman franchise and likely has also severed ties to future Terminator films as well. Leaving him open to consider other projects such as Metal Gear Solid, which is a mix of espionage and science fiction. When asked by MTV he denied any talk of being involved with the film but mentioned an affection for the game. At the time of the interview Sony hadn't even announced the film was happening. Now that movie is actually happening it will be interesting to hear his response.

Kurt Russell, Tony Jaa And Ronda Rousey Joining FAST AND FURIOUS 7

Variety has word that Universal and director James Wan (Conjuring, Saw) are looking to cast cult film legend Kurt Russell (Death Proof, Escape From New York, The Thing) in Fast And Furious 7. Apparently, the role was originally offered to Denzel Washington who passed on it. The seventh installment already has Jason Statham playing the baddie with previous cast members Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and unlikely Dwayne Johnson (might be busy with filming Hercules). Another addition includes Thai action star Tony Jaa, who is set to make his Hollywood debut in the flick ala Jackie Chan/Jet Li. There is also talk MMA Figher Ronda Rousey will have a role as well. It's shaping up that Universal might end up with a PG-13 Expendables film they can sell to kids.

FIRST LOOK: Arnold Schwarzenegger And Harrison Ford On The Set Of EXPENDABLES 3

FIRST LOOK: Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Topher Grace And John Lithgow On The Set Of Christopher Nolan's INTERSTELLAR

FIRST LOOK: Wesley Snipes And Others On The Set Of EXPENDABLES 3, Plus Mel Gibson Looking Jacked

Aaron Paul Coud Join The Growing Cast Of Ridley Scott's Bible Epic EXODUS Starring Christian Bale And Joel Edgerton

TheWrap reports that Breaking Bad actor has in talks for a high-profile role in Ridley Scott's Exodus which focuses on the tale of Moses. The rest of new the additions include Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver and John Turturro. Paul would play Joshua, the Hebrew slave who led Jews to the promised land and kept a close watch on his friend Moses. Bale will play Moses while Joel Edgerton in the role of Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II.

Matt Damon Joins Christopher Nolan's INTERSTELLAR And Irrfan Khan Turns Down Large Role

ThePlaylist reveals that actor Matt Damon will have an unknown cameo in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. It's just another stunning addition to the cast which includes Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Topher Grace and Michael Caine.

The site also picked up on Indian actor Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi, Amazing Spider-Man ) telling TheTimesOfIndia he was in talks for a major role in the film but had to decline because of other projects. Khan was absolutely magical in Life of Pi, so it's a shame we won't be seeing him in the film. Fingers crossed he'll end up in future Nolan films.

"I was in talks with them for an important role. It had a great compact cast, but I can't divulge much about that. They expected a huge commitment from my end. I had to stay in the U.S. for four months at a stretch. I tried to work out my schedule and suggested if I could shuttle between India and the U.S. as it wouldn't have been possible for me to be there for that long," he told The Times Of India. "I wanted to be here for 'The Lunchbox' and 'D-Day.' They couldn't allow that. I don't have a tendency to regret what I do, but knowing it's a Christopher Nolan film, I can say that this has been one of the most difficult decisions I've made."

James Spader Confirmed As Villain Ultron In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Marvel today via Twitter has announced that character actor James Spader (Stargate, Lincoln, Pretty In Pink, Wall Street, Supernova) will play the villainous Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It had been assumed that Paul Bettany would play the villain but it seems like that has been debunked. However, the angle of Tony Stark building Ultron or transforming from JARVIS remains to be seen. Spader is an seasoned actor and I'm excited to see what he can do with the character. No confirmation concerning Aaron Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen joining the cast has been announced.

DREAM CAST: Could Casting Bradley Cooper And Benedict Cumberbatch In ANT-MAN Give The Project The Attention It Deserves?

Ant-Man will be released and will begin pre-production in October, which means that casting will be happening between then and the new year. While I've had my own speculations about Benedict Cumberbatch's legitimate candidacy for one of the main roles. An old article from DailySuperhero leads me again to think that Bradley Cooper could actually be wanted for one of two Ant-Man roles as well. Before this story was posted I had heard rumblings that Cooper was in the mix for Ant-Man too. We've seen misdirections before by Marvel when it comes to casting, plus nothing has been officially announced concerning his involvement in Guardians of The Galaxy (Rocket Raccoon). What seems to be confirmed at this point is that Cooper has met with Marvel concerning a lead role in one of their films.

The leading man is at a career high and has previously wanted a shot a comic book franchise. Originally, in place to play Hal Jordan in Green Lantern before WB hired Ryan Reynolds instead. He's also been linked for The Flash and Supercrooks. Cooper was on Marvel's radar over a year ago (along with Joel Edgerton who was linked for Quill and Strange) and had been thought to be pursuing the Peter Quill role in Guardians of The Galaxy. More recently he's been linked for Rocket Raccoon but is a very odd choice. Granted, playing Rocket would be cool but does seem like a bit of a waste just to use his voice. The only guiding factor is that this is the second time he's been linked to Guardians and has a personal/working relationship with leading lady Zoe Saldana (Gamora). It's possible that Ant-Man is also a strong property that could use both Bradley's talent and high-profile. The studio would need well-known actors for the film to be taken more seriously. Case in fact, when Marvel hired Robert Downey Jr. to play Iron Man audiences/outlets took notice. Even though at the time Stark was the most obscure Marvel hero to hit the screen since Blade in 1998. Ant-Man is sort of in the same boat as Iron Man was, but could have that high-profile actor to give the character it's exposure.

One of biggest problems with making a film based on Ant-Man is that he's an extremely unknown Marvel hero and a hard film to sell. It's new high-tech spy angle could get end up being Marvel's take on Bond meets Mission: Impossible. When you think of those two franchises you think A-list leads. One way Edgar Wright and Marvel could fix this issue is by hiring two actors with massively large fan-bases, since the film will focus on both Hank Pym and Scott Lang. Cooper has become the new American heartthrob thanks to Oscar nominated performance in Silver Linings Playbook. Simon Pegg previously said Wright/Marvel were going after an American for the lead. Giving the impression that Pym would actually be played by an American actor. However, since Scott Lang has been confirmed to be apart of the film it's possible that casting could be more openminded. Benedict Cumberbatch has fandom and ladies alike swooning for him due to his roles in Sherlock, Star Trek Into Darkness (Marvel loves casting Trek alumni) and unseen roles in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug/The Hobbit: There And Back Again. Benedict could give  the Lang (Ant-Man II) the depth needed to hate and also care for. I can't be the only one who was rooting for Khan in Into Darkness.

Rachel Hurd-Wood And Alex Pettyfer Being Eyed For Roles In STAR WARS: EPISODE VII?

LatinoReview seems to have a casting update concerning J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII. They say that British actress Rachel Hurd-Wood (Perfume, Peter Pan) is currently reading (along with other actresses) for the role of Jania Solo, who is rumored to be one of the main characters of the new trilogy. It also looks like Alex Pettyfer could be in the mix as well possibly for the role of Ben Skywalker, son of Luke Skywalker. The role had been previously linked to Ryan Gosling who is currently now out of the mix. The site also claims that we'll see the return of Emperor Palpatine and Obi Wan as force ghosts.

RUMOR: Paul Bettany Playing Ultron In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON?

A new rumor is giving more credit to a little speculation that Tony Stark would have a hand in building the new Avengers villain. UnleashTheFanboy says that actor Paul Bettany who has voiced J.A.R.V.I.S. in four Marvel films will be getting a bigger role in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Paul could see his loveable Jarvis transformed into the ominous villain Ultron. As the site claims that Bettany is set to play Ultron in the sequel. Joss Whedon stated recently that Ultron's origin would be changed to exclude Hank Pym from it (giving Edgar Wright more wiggle-room for his Ant-Man origin). Hinting that Stark, not Pym would be the robotic-monster's father. If true, this seemingly confirms that Stark will indeed set things in motion for Jarvis to become Ultron.

Seeds were already planted in Iron Man 3 with Jarvis' "malfunctions" and the suits having their own combat A.I. during the final battle scenes. It will be interesting if they have Bettany use his actual face for the film (ala life model decoy/Terminator) or will instead use the classic robotic look. We're still waiting on the studio to confirm new additions Aaron Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen as the film's other villains (Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver).

Neill Blomkamp's Sci-Fi Comedy CHAPPIE Will Star Musicians Ninja And Yolandi Visser (Die Antwoord)

LATimes (via ThePlaylist) talked to writer/director Neill Blomkamp about his next original film Chappie. The sci-fi comedy is being described as a funny mix of Robocop and E.T. It will be shooting in South Africa, where Blomkamp is from and shot District 9. An interesting addition concerns the casting of the film which will see Die Antwoord playing the two human characters (gangsters who steal the robot with artificial intelligence for their own means). While Shatlo Copley will be the voicing the robot Chappie, who the film will be the focus of. Ninja and Yolandi Visser are best known as the shocking South African group Die Antwoord but have maintained a long standing relationship with Blomkamp. Ninja and Eminem were actually set at one point for the lead role in Elysium which would eventually go to Matt Damon.

Judd Apatow Producing Untitled Amy Schumer Starring-Vehicle

Deadline reports that Judd Apatow will be producing a script written by comedian Amy Schumer with Universal Pictures also involved in the deal. The film will be written by Schumer with Apatow helping shape it's story. This is has potential written all over it. While Apatow's own features seem to be lengthy self-indulgent love letters to his family. His work as a producer and eye for comedic talent is close to that of Mel Brooks. Discovering such talents as Steve Carrell, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Bill Hader and Aubrey Plaza. Judd produced the Oscar winning Bridesmaids which saw both Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy breakout on the national stage as well. He's also behind the massive success of Lena Dunham's Girls which gives a view of the younger generation of 20 something women (something we rarely see in comedic form). I'm beyond excited to see Ms. Schumer move on from a luke-warm TV series and repetitive Comedy Central Roasts.

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII To Start Shooting In January And Is Expected To Be Released Christmas 2015

It looks like things are finally being put together for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII. As LatinoReview has just reported that production on the film will begin in January of next year. Along with that news the site also confirms news via BadassDigest that the release date is being moved from Summer 2015 to Christmas 2015.

Gareth Evans Is Open To Making Marvel Film In The Future, Let's Hope It's HEROES FOR HIRE

Indonesian director Gareth Evans is clearly making a name for himself in the action world. His debut feature The Raid captured everyone in love with both action and martial arts films. He's currently filming it's sequel and was recently asked by FlicksAndTheCity if he'd consider making a superhero film. More specifically a Marvel one and his answer is interesting.

"It's tough. The thing is right now, where I am, the kind of things that I'm doing, I don't know if I fit the superhero mold yet. It's something I need to learn at some point but I don't know if I can deliver a PG-13 movie. I don't know how to do that yet. I should learn but yeah, I'm not sure. Maybe a darker, superhero [film] from Marvel."

The one Marvel project that comes to mind that would be perfect for Evans would be Heroes For Hire. A while back Marvel's Joseph Loeb let slip they were developing a Heroes For Hire film. Likely, setting up a ground level Marvel team that would include Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Two characters that have had their own solo films in development for ages. Combining them into one movie would solve issues of their crowded release rollout.

"Just like we just announced Guardians of the Galaxy, we are certainly looking at the Heroes for Hire franchise which is Luke Cage and Iron Fist."

The film should also include characters such as Moon Knight and The Punisher. Which could finally solve the problem of how to make a movie with Frank Castle that people will actually pay to see. Along with the possibility of throwing rebooted versions of Blade and Daredevil into the mix as well. All of them street level heroes based in New York City and since the rights are back at Marvel they might as well use them.

While they could be decent solo features a bigger team-up adventure would be a great way to introduce a great deal of Marvel heroes leading up the rumored Civil War/Thanos battle in Avengers 3. We have some idea of what the Phase Three lineup will look like. Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and possibly features such as Black Panther, Inhumans and a new Hulk film. A Heroes For Hire film would seemingly grab the attention of the action driven audiences who fork all of their money to see films like Fast And The Furious. Imagine setting a Marvel team film in the world crime and throwing in actual superheroes and super villains in there, it could be something very unique. Gareth brings a lot of style and validity to the table. Similar to when Marvel hired Game of Thrones' Alan Taylor to make Thor: The Dark World. So having him involved could also help gain a little more attention to the project.

Irdis Elba has been meeting with Marvel for a while now about playing a second role in the MCU. His wish-list of roles includes Black Panther, Blade and Luke Cage. Considering Marvel's interest in Legendary Pictures' Godzilla main cast Aaron Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen for Avengers: Age of Ultron. It wouldn't be a stretch to see them also looking at cast members in Legendary international smash Pacific Rim as well. Elba as Luke Cage makes a whole lot of sense with his gritty roles on shows such as The Wire and Luther. Charlie Hunnam has equally as much background in street level themes with his series Sons of Anarchy. Plus, he showed off some impressive fighting abilities in Pacific Rim. Which could be amped up ten-fold by Gareth's stunt team and fight trainers. Hunnam was actually in the mix for Thor and Captain America at one point. So having him play Danny Rand could be just as exciting.

Edgar Wright Confirms ANT-MAN Starts Pre-Production In October And Shoots In 2014, Plus Simon Pegg Teases Role

Collider sat down with Edgar Wright and got a few interesting tidbits about the production of Ant-Man. He confirms that pre-production will begin in October which could include casting the lead roles and location scouting. Along with confirmation that the film will shoot in 2014. No word if they'll be shooting the same time as The Avengers: Age of Ultron said to be shooting in March or after.

Simon Pegg visited the Marvel offices for their podcast only to take this photo, where he is pointing at Ant-Man. He would later squash rumors he was alluding to role in the film. Pegg is known for messing around with fandom, being a nerd himself knows the buttons he's pushing when he makes jokes like these. We've heard previously from Simon that he would only want a villain role in Ant-Man if it was offered. Nothing is for sure casting wise but it sounds like we'll know who Ant-Man (Hank Pym/Scott Lang) will be by the end of year.

Kevin Feige Confirms Ronan The Accuser Is The Main Villain Of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY And Gamora To Start Off As Antagonist

Marvel's Kevin Feige has talked to Empire (via CBM) and revealed the rest of the villain lineup in Guardians of The Galaxy. The film is full of baddies which already includes Nebula, Yondu, Korath The Pursuer, The Collector and Thanos. Kevin confirmed that Thanos would be behind the scenes and not front-in-centre. Stating Lee Pace's Ronan The Accuser (Kree Empire) will be the main villain the Guardians will have to go up against. How both The Collector and Thanos fit into the film have yet to be revealed. He also dropped the new tidbit of news that Gamora will indeed be a villain in the beginning as well. The Nova Corps are expected to be up against the group as well.

Bradley Cooper Offered The Role Of Rocket Raccoon In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

THR also confirms the recent casting news from LatinoReview that Bradley Cooper is wanted to voice Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of The Galaxy. Cooper had been linked for talks with Marvel for an undisclosed role for months but LR was the first to crack it. Vin Diesel has also covertly confirmed that he is also in the mix for the role of Groot. Neither have been confirmed by Marvel but with shooting already underway they should be very soon. Oddly enough, having high profile actors voice cosmic characters doesn't rule them out for future in camera parts. We've been hearing that Idris Elba (Thor, Thor: The Dark World) wants a shot at other Marvel hero roles such as Blade, Black Panther and Luke Cage. So having Cooper or Diesel play a second MCU role wouldn't be hard to imagine.

Elizabeth Olsen In Final Talks To Play Scarlet Witch In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

BleedingCool recently reported on rumblings that Marvel was keen on having Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) take on the role of Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age of Ultron. THR is supporting the story that early talks with Olsen are indeed true. She recently wrapped production on Godzilla which co-stars Aaron Johnson, who is currently the front-runner for the Quicksilver role. Olsen and Johnson are basically the same age which would be needed since the siblings are twins. There is also word that the pair will be using British accents instead of having a rumored Eastern European background (ala Black Widow).

Ben Affleck Officially The New Bruce Wayne/Batman For SUPERMAN VS BATMAN, Will He Direct The New BATMAN Films?

WB has officially announced that Ben Affleck (The Town, Argo, Runner Runner) will be taking over the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman for Zack Snyder's Superman Vs. Batman (World's Finest?) which has the release date of July 17th 2015. The deal will likely include Ben being apart of the Justice League film and his own string of Batman films. It's currently unknown if Affleck will be writing or directing the new Batman films along with starring.

FIRST LOOK: Reveal Of The Cast Of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY In Leaked Images