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.

IRON MAN 3 IMAX Poster

Empire Reveals Their IRON MAN 3 Cover

Empire Reveals Bigger And Untitled Mandarin Poster

IRON MAN 3 Villain Mandarin Center Stage In New Poster

New Image Of The Mandarin With The Ten Rings From IRON MAN 3

SPOILER SPECULATION: Plot Theories Of IRON MAN 3

The new trailer for Iron Man 3 seems to have given fans a lot to speculate over not to mention confirming some of the rumors as well. Here are a couple of my thoughts on what may or may not be in the film from previous rumors, rumblings, set photos and now this footage. Be warned this could very well spoil the film for you if you read any further.

THE TEN RINGS RETURN: Similar to The Dark Knight Rises, Iron Man 3 looks to close the circle of a trilogy by bringing back old villains. The terrorist group The Ten Rings headed by The Mandarin (self-proclaimed terrorist) looks to get very personal by blowing up Tony's home. We should assume they are very well armed this time-around and will be a force to be feared.

MANDARIN UPDATED AND RINGS COSMIC POWERED: It's looking like Ben Kingsley's Mandarin will be less a Fu Manchu and more terrorist guru. Previously, it had been rumored that the Chinese version of the film would have to change the villains because of the sensitivity of Chinese audiences. By sound of Ben's voice he might end up becoming more of an Eastern European baddie (possibly Chechnyan). His rings look like they may or may not be cosmic relics, could Mandarin be yet another pawn of Thanos?

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS GETTING BUMPED-OFF: In the image above things aren't looking so good for Happy Hogan (Favreau). After the death scene in Avengers it looks like anyone is fair-game to get the ol' axe, even Pepper. Notice Happy's chest which looks like his own chest-reactor. My previous speculation of The Iron Legion could be at play here. Where friends of Stark come together and don their own suits to save the day. Perhaps, Hogan isn't so lucky fighting the new threat.

WHITNEY FROST/MADAME MASQUE: Nothing confirmed here but it's looking very likely that French actress Stephanie Sozstak (seen above in the screengrab) has been at least cast in a similar role. Frost has been both friend and enemy of Stark so she could help or try to hurt him within the entire film. There is also talk this is just a random hook-up scene but Stephanie seems a little too aggressive.

PEPPER BECOMING RESCUE: This image gives the impression that Pepper is in a bad place from the look on her face. Possibly getting her own chest reactor like Tony, leading her to get her own suit with the nickname Rescue. It's been mentioned before that Feige and Shane Black would love to see Potts in her own suit. Finally, giving Pepper equal footing with Tony as one of the stronger female characters in the Marvel universe.

NO S.H.I.E.L.D. OR AVENGERS HELPING TONY: While there had been talk of replacing Agent Coulson with Maria Hill as Tony's new assigned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. The organization along with fellow Avengers won't be there to help Stark in his darkest hour. It's pretty obvious that he might have to go off-the-grid to keep himself and others alive.

NEW ARMOR AN ANDROID: In Avengers we heard Tony refer to life-model decoy which is reference to androids. The new suit seems to be piloting itself in a few spot unless a villain or someone else is actually in there. If anyone would be able to create the technology that would lead to Ultron/Vision it would be Stark. It seems like there are some glitches if that's the case.

KILLIAN A BRIDGE TO WINTER SOLDIER: Killian (Pearce) seems to be heading up Advanced Idea Mechanics if the set photos are to be believed. Another group linked to HYDRA and started by Baron Strucker. It wouldn't be shocking to see him revealed as indeed Strucker leading to a resurrection of HYDRA or at the very least planting seeds for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

FIRST LOOK: Ben Kingsley As The Mandarin In IRON MAN 3

'IRON MAN 3' Gets First Official Set Photo

Guy Pearce The Main Villain Of 'IRON MAN 3' And Kingsley Confirmed As The Mandarin

LatinoReview is confirming that Ben Kingsley is indeed playing The Mandarin (Gene Khan?) in Iron Man 3. However, he won't be the main villain of the film which will be scientist Aldrich Killian played by Guy Pearce (Memento, Lockout, Hurt Locker, Lawless, Prometheus). Mandarin will be more of a silent partner to Killian who develops the Extremis virus and creates a group of his own Extremis soldiers. It's very possible that Eric Savin/Coldblood (James Badge Dale) and Jack Taggert/Firepower (Ashely Hamilton) will be apart of this army and they will be greatly changed from their original incarnations in the comics.

LatinoReview has a decent enough track record with the Marvel exclusives, as they previously reported that Loki was going to be the villain of Avengers before it was announced. Seemingly this confirms that Marvel is combining Extremis and Armor Wars. It's possible they are moving slowly with amount of The Mandarin to leave room to use him as a main villain in Iron Man 4 or even Avengers 2. Marvel might be hopeful to get a couple more Iron Man films out of Robert Downey Jr. so they're holding back on a few villains (popular ones like Ghost and Whitney Frost). I wouldn't be surprised to see Crimson Dynamo (another version), Kearson DeWitt, Titanium Man and Cobalt included in Killian's Extremis army.

Ben Kingsley Indeed Playing The Mandarin In 'IRON MAN 3' ?

We've been hearing lots of talk that Ben Kingsley is playing the villain The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. When it was first revealed Kingsley was in talks for the film it was immediately denied he was playing Stark's most recognizable baddie. Even when asked about his involvement during a red carpet event for The Dictator, Ben had no idea who his character was. Sources from Hong Kong and Singapore have been listing Kingsley as the Mandarin. It would make sense that Marvel's Chinese production partners could be less tight-lipped about the Iron Man 3 than Marvel and have been talking to the press to promote the movie. There is talk via ComicBookMovie coming from the set that Ben is indeed playing the ringed villain and will have twin henchmen who do most of his dirty work.

If Kingsley is playing The Mandarin he won't be straight out of the original comics. John Favreau had wanted to use him as the villain in Iron Man 2 but that was ultimately rejected by Marvel. He still held out hope that he'd be able to include him in the third film before he was replaced. Shane Black has stated that the villain was racist and had no plans to include him. However, they could always just use the name and completely change the character to fit the Extremis plot. It's possible he could make him a leader of the terrorist group Ten Rings which itself is a tease to the ten power rings Mandarin uses as weapons. Rings has been active in both of films, in the second they arranged Vanko's passport to get him to Monaco to face off with Stark on the race track.

A bulk of the production will be shooting in China (will be the setting for some of the film) which also gives the impression that he'll be involved. Yet, it's been reported by a Hong Kong paper that Mandarin won't have a Chinese background not insult the Asian audience. Marvel would also be including heroic Chinese characters including one played by Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs) as a scientist friend of Tony. In Extremis, Mandarin plots to unleash the virus on the world population to even the playing-field. There are already two other villains (Coldblood/Firepower) in the film so it wouldn't hurt to see him without a suit/powers at least in this film.

FAN MADE: 'IRON MAN 3' Poster

Ashely Hamilton To Play Villain Firepower In 'IRON MAN 3', Jon Favreau Back As Happy Hogan

ShowBlitz reports Ashley Hamilton could play villain Firepower in Iron Man 3. Pilot Jack Taggart is given a government built armored suit from a secret program which ends up with clashes with Iron Man. Nothing is confirmed but it's possible that Firepower could end up a cyborg like Coldblood (James Badge Dale) or given the Extremis virus. Fans have tired of the man-in-suit villain so there is hope they'll be going in a different direction. The rest of the new cast includes James Badge Dale, Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall, Guy Pearce and Andy Lau.

Jon Favreau confirmed via a Twitter pic that he'll will be back as the ever loyal Happy Hogan. It's also the first image from the set as production is underway this week. Considering Robert, Shane and Jon have been good friends for years I'm sure there is no bad blood over the directorial shake-up. Like with Avengers, Favreau will earn a producing credit.

Andy Lau Confirmed For 'IRON MAN 3'

CBM has picked up on a story from Hong Kong paper AppleDaily that confirms actor Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs) has landed a supporting role in Iron Man 3. It had been reported that Lau would play a scientist friend of Stark's, who ultimately helps him along with Chinese superheroes to battle a global threat. Fan Bingbing and Yang Mi have also joined the production which will shoot a bunch of footage on location in China sometime during the summer. Fan will play Lau's wife while Yang his secretary. It's expected that Lau's role will have more screentime than the two actresses, but nothing is for sure. AppleDaily also reports that Kingsley is playing the Mandarin and somewhat explains the change to the villain's background as not to offend Asian audiences. The rest of the cast includes Robert Downey Jr., James Badge Dale, Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce.

James Badge Dale Joins 'IRON MAN 3' Will Play Cyborg Villain Coldblood

Variety reports that James Badge Dale has joined the cast of Iron Man 3. He'll will play Lt. Eric Savin a soldier who is brutally injured after stepping on a landmine. Savin transforms from soldier to a villainous cyborg named Coldblood. James is best known for his role on HBO's The Pacific along with supporting roles in The Departed, The Grey, Shame and Disney's upcoming adaptation of The Lone Ranger. They also confirm that Rebecca Hall (The Town, Prestige), Guy Pearce (Lawless, Prometheus, Hurt Locker) and Ben Kingsley are all set for the sequel. Shane Black will be co-writing/directing the film with Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle returning.

Neil Marshall Replaces David Slade As Director Of 'THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER'

HeatVision reports that The Last Voyage of The Demeter is finally moving forward as a new director has been named. Genre director Neil Marshall has been hired but it's unknown if any of the original cast members will stay on. Previously, David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night) had been attached to helm the untold Dracula tale which focuses on the voyage to London where the crew of the Demeter are picked-off one by one. Actors such as Noomi Rapace, Jude Law and Ben Kingsley had been involved but seemingly have left the project. Marsall is best know for his cult-hits Dog Soldiers and The Descent but his recent films such as Centurion and Doomsday didn't impress anyone. Neil might get a little buzz later this year as he's been hired by HBO to direct an episode of Game of Thrones that will air this season.

Rebecca Hall Replacing Jessica Chastain In 'IRON MAN 3'

Variety is reporting that British actress Rebecca Hall is now currently in talks for the Iron Man 3 role vacated by Jessica Chastain. Hall is equally as talented with roles in films such as Vicky Christina Barcelona, The Town, The Prestige, Red Riding 1974 and the upcoming Lay The Favorite. She was also recently linked to the new Robocop reboot. Ben Kingsley has commented on his involvement while Guy Pearce has yet to be confirmed.

Jessica Chastain Passes On 'IRON MAN 3' With Gemma Arterton And Others In The Running

Oscar nominated actress Jessica Chastain (Help, Debt, Lawless) had been linked for a supporting role in Iron Man 3 but has confirmed via Facebook she has passed. Jessica doesn't rule out appearing in future Marvel films (Scarlet Witch *fingers crossed). Her role in Iron Man 3 had been rumor to be that of scientist who has had a past romance with Tony Stark. Actresses such as Gemma Arterton (Witch Hunters, Quantum of Solace, RockNRolla), Diane Kruger (Troy, Inglourious Basterds) and Isla Fisher (Burke And Hare) had also tested for the role. British actress Arterton seems the best bet since Robert Downey Jr. had mentioned a "British invasion" when asked about the casting. Ben Kingsley recently confirmed he's signed on though his role hasn't been revealed.


“Sorry to say that Iron Man 3 isn’t going to work out. My schedule is jammed packed and I can’t fit anything else in. The press announced my possible attachment far too soon. I know many of you wanted me to be involved, and I’m so sorry to disappoint you. Hopefully there’ll be another Marvel film in my future. Shane Black and everyone on the IM3 team are really wonderful. I’m very excited to see the film when it comes out. xx”

RUMOR: Mandarin To Be Terror Group In 'IRON MAN 3'?

There is rumor that comes from NeonPunch the site that originally reported on Andy Lau being in the mix for a supporting role in Iron Man 3. The rumor centers on the reinvention of the classic Iron Man villain The Mandarin. They state in an update that the Mandarin won't be played by an actor (rumored to be played by Ben Kingsley) but rather the name of a terrorist group aiming to start a full scale worldwide attack using this new technology. Becoming an enemy of both China and the U.S. bringing the two countries together to fight the threat.

Andy Lau’s character will be an OLD FRIEND OF TONY STARK’S that represents China’s technology sector – and will use China’s armored heroes to HELP Iron Man defeat “The Mandarin” who is seen as a terrorist against both the US and China.

I would have to assume this group will have ties with the Ten Rings and Ben Kingsley will be it's leader. Previously we've heard writer/director Shane Black state the villain was a terribly racist Asian caricature. Originally the villain had played into stereotypes that were grown from conflicts with the Japanese (WWII), China (Cold War), Koreans and Vietnamese during war time. So a new take on the character would be really needed to be able to translate into a Disney film that is backed by Chinese fanciers.

RUMOR: Andy Lau Also In The Mix For 'IRON MAN 3'

So we've previously heard that impressive actors such as Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley have been in talks for roles in Iron Man 3. Now there is word from Twitch that Hong Kong actor Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs, House of Flying Daggers) is wanted by Disney's Chinese production partners. It would make sense considering production is heading to China and the film should include some talented Chinese actors. Twitch says that the role isn't The Mandarin but a scientist who outfits his friend Stark with tech that could help him fight Kingsley's character and the Extremis tech. They aren't too sure that the role will end up with Lau but the part is there and could be filled by a Chinese actor. I'm beyond excited by the sheer amount of characters that are going to be involved here, as Shane Black is excellent at ensembles.