Final 'DARK KNIGHT RISES' Trailer

SPECULATION: Is Ashley Johnson Playing A Marvel Heroine?

There seems to our first Avengers casting conspiracy. You might remember the blond waitress that appears in the trailers. She's played by Ashley Johnson (The Killing, The Help) who was first seen on Growing Pains which also developed Leonardo DiCaprio's career. Could this character be something more than she seems? Rumblings online have begun that she is more than just a cameo.

The waitress who witnesses the heroics of Steve Rogers firsthand seems to be enthralled by him. While nothing leads me to believe her role is nothing more than Joss giving a one of his actresses screentime (she has roles in both Whedon's Dollhouse and Much Ado About Nothing). There is a bit of "what if" here since she could be hinted as a possible future love interest. Possibly being revealed as Sharon Carter the niece of Peggy and the eventual SHIELD agent or the second thought is that she could be Carol Danvers (who later becomes Ms. Marvel). Sadly when it comes to these rumors they never seem to become true but the speculation is fun.

Black Widow, Hawkeye And Maria Hill Showing Up In 'CAPTAIN AMERICA 2'?

It's starting to look like we're going to have to wait patiently for our Black Widow and Hawkeye solo spin-off films. As Marvel's Kevin Feige is cryptically giving some insight to where we'll be seeing the SHIELD agents again. First during a spoiler filled interview with CBM he hinted that Widow, Clint and Maria will be featured in Cap 2. There is further talk of this with Movieline during an interview confirming Black Widow spin-off is still awhile away. He also pretty much confirms she'll show up in Captain America 2.

"We have already planned her next appearances and where to take that character because we believe in it and we believe in her in a big, big way....We do like when some of the characters appear in other people’s movies...And that’s probably where you’ll see Black Widow next."

Captain America 2 set for April 14th 2014 and will start production next January. Neither Iron Man 3 or Thor 2 will include other heroes outside of their own film universe leaving them on their own. It also gives the SHIELD actors a large enough break between Avengers which seemed more psychically demanding for them. It's been confirmed that Captain America 2 will have a strong SHIELD presence leading us to believe their best agents will be along for the ride. Feige has also pointed out that the Cap sequel is the only one of the sequels to deal with the events after Avengers. Giving the impression that Nick Fury's clashes with the World Council could jeopardize  the loyalties within SHIELD.

Emma Watson, Jason Segel And David Krumholtz Join 'END OF THE WORLD', Michael Cera And Rhianna Also Might Be Cast

A slew of additions for Seth Rogen's directorial debut End of The World (formerly The Apocalypse) have been revealed today. HeatVision reports that Emma Watson (Harry Potter Series), Jason Segel and David Krumholtz (Addam's Family Values, Serenity, Walk Hard) will appear in the horror comedy playing themselves, not characters. ShowBlitz says that Rhianna (Battleship) and Michael Cera (Superbad, Scott Pilgrim) are also likely to join as well it's unknown if they'll be playing themselves or not. Rogen and Goldberg had teased that celebrities would be cameoing in the film that is set in Los Angeles after a apocalyptic event. It's unknown at this point which will play survivors and which ones will play corpses. I'm hoping that mutants ala Omega Man or zombies will be involved. The sheer amount of comedians is impressive as the cast includes Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Craig Robinson and James Franco.

Benedict Cumberbatch Indeed Playing Khan In 'STAR TREK 2' And Klingons Rumored Again?

It's been finally confirmed by AICN that Benedict Cumberbatch's (Hobbit, Sherlock Holmes) role in Star Trek 2 is Khan Noonien Singh, best known as the villain in Wrath of Khan. It had been rumored even before Cumberbatch was announced for the role that Khan would be the main antagonist for the sequel.

New information from TrekMovie is confirming another previous rumor that Khan won't be the only baddie of the film. As the mighty Klingons are yet again being linked to the sequel. How they figure into the film along with Khan is still unknown. You might remember that Nero and his crew spent several years in a Klingon prison before escaping in the original movie. The Klingons are my favorite of the Trek aliens so any inclusion of them in the new franchise is greatly anticipated. These are arguably the two greatest villains in the Star Trek franchise so to have them both in one movie is mind-blowing.

RDJ Will Keep Playing Stark If The Films Are Good

Kevin Feige recently compared the character of Tony Stark to James Bond as in the future other actors could come in and continue the franchise. Robert Downey Jr. doesn't seem likely to leave the role anytime soon with Iron Man 3 coming out one year from now and Avengers 2 coming down the line as well. MTV spoke to RDJ about someone replacing him and gives an interesting answer, leaving the impression he's keen on more films for years to come.

"I would really hate for someone else to think they could step into my shoes. I wonder who's playing Tony Stark next. Is it you? Is that what you're here to tell me? I know things are looking like that they could go on for a long while. As usual in my book, it's all about quality control and delivering a product that you can have this kind of reaction to. If they keep doing that, maybe I'll keep showing up."

I wouldn't rule out him at least coming back to finish the Avengers trilogy and possibly Iron Man 4 and Iron Man 5. These films gave Robert his giant comeback and has lead to massive international appeal. It helped give legs to his Sherlock Holmes franchise and his future projects will always have a demand from international audiences. Stark is now a beloved character and we can shockingly separate the actor from the superhero, a very difficult feat.

Mark Ruffalo Signed 6-Picture Deal With Marvel Studios

Collider  has an interview with Mark Ruffalo where he confirms he's signed a six picture deal with Marvel. This news helps support the talk today of a new Hulk film coming in 2015. The assumption is that he's committed to an Avengers trilogy and three possible new Hulk films. Kevin Feige had originally stated back during the release of Incredible Hulk they would only pursue a second Hulk film if there was a large demand for it. After Avengers, there will be certainly demand for it and Marvel will likely seize that moment to make their sequel. Joss Whedon could be involved in the writing process as Ruffalo has stated he wanted to pick his brain about a solo film.

'X-MEN FIRST CLASS' Sequel Coming Christmas 2013

20th Century's Tom Rothman is quickly becoming more a voice piece for the studio than ever before. During CinemaCon, Rothman had been talking up future films like The Wolverine (July 26th 2013), Daredevil and Fantastic Four reboots. He also talked to MTV about the X-Men First Class sequel which he confirms will shoot in January for a possible Christmas 2013 release date.

"We're going to start shooting January 2013 for [a release date of] either Christmas 2013, or Summer 2014,....The script is in development now. Matt, Simon Kinberg and Jane Goldman are working on it now."

Jennifer Lawrence's Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire will be shooting first. Since the studio has given Lionsgate enough time to make the sequel before sweeping Jennifer back for First Class 2. It would make sense to release the X-Men sequel right after Catching Fire (November 22nd 2013) to capture that exposure of Lawrence.They are also open to giving it more time for a summer 2014 release date if needed.

'INCREDIBLE HULK 2' Coming In 2015?

The Avengers will end up becoming Marvel's biggest hit as it made $178.4 million in 39 international markets over the weekend. These numbers don't even include huge markets like North America, Russia, China and Japan which will get the film this Friday. One of the biggest wins of the film was finally a great interpretation of both Dr. Bruce Banner and The Hulk played by Mark Ruffalo. Fans of the green hero and Avengers have been curious when we could expect a new Hulk film. There was talk from both Ruffalo and Kevin Feige that there were talks about a new film. Leading Mark to let slip that he wanted to get Joss Whedon involved.

Now word from Marvel's Paul Gitter in a new Forbes interview revealing that along with a new TV series on ABC produced by Guillermo del Toro (who is also directing the pilot) we could be seeing a new film in 2015. Having a new live-action TV series should gather up a new solid fanbase not to mention Hulk's appearance in the Disney cartoon series.

"If Hulk’s successful turnaround continues, Gitter says Marvel “will spin him off to a stand-alone program next year,” supported by a big budget franchise movie in 2015."

I wouldn't be shocked to see Guillermo's (Hellboy) name on the list of possible directors when it finally moves forward. Del Toro has a tendency to switch up his projects on the spot. He went from The Hobbit to Mountains of Madness to settle on Pacific Rim. A project that wasn't even in his large waiting-list of films in development. He'll be directing the pilot for the Hulk television series previously working with Marvel on Blade 2 and had been lined up for a Doctor Strange film.

So we very well could end up getting Incredible Hulk 2 in 2015. Will it be Banner working for SHIELD, still on the run or a different direction like with Planet Hulk? Seeing Hulk facing off cosmic creatures that can give him a run for his money would be my personal choice. However, considering how baldy John Carter did Disney might be scared off to a film like that. I wouldn't be shocked to see the series developing a story that could lead into the new film.

New Trailer For 'PROMETHEUS' Shows Off A New Alien Threat

Joss Whedon Deserves Another Shot At The 'ALIEN' Franchise With 'PROMETHEUS' Sequel

It's a little more than month before Prometheus finally hits theaters answering questions raised by the original Alien film. Ridley Scott is back in the sci-fi genre after a 30 year absence. Blade Runner being his last movie in the genre that released back in 1982. The trailers and footage have wowed diehard fans (including myself) and even have created new ones in the process. While the outcome of these films usually don't leave much room for more than one or two cast members to return there is already talk of another film.

Originally, Fox and Ridley had planned a two-part Alien prequel before the studio quickly severed ties to Alien. This gave the impression the second film had been scrapped and this was going to be an original concept set in the Alien universe. I assume this stance was appease the fanbase before the trailers were released. As it's clear that the xenomorphs do play a small role in the latter part of the movie and it's indeed a prequel. There has been zero official announcements pertaining to this second film but it's expected an outline from screenwriter Damon Lindelof (Star Trek 2) could have been included with his rewrite duties.

While Damon Lindelof should return I'd love to see Joss Whedon also involved. Whedon had been brought in by 20th Century Fox to write the fourth film in the franchise Alien Resurrection. The studio hounded him to make several changes to the script leading to many scenes being created, cut and dismantled. Notes from studio executives apparently butchered his original visions for the film and many scenes he didn't even write were eventually added to the final draft. Things like the new born alien and underwater scene were studio/director creations. Whedon's aborted scenes had apparently been compiled into a new script for Alien 5 as a direct sequel. However, Sigourney Weaver was opposed to the idea of an Alien film set on Earth so the fifth film never saw the light of day.

I believe that Joss deserves another shot at the series since he is a true fan and has the goods. Two films that he wrote are gaining critical praise this year which includes the horror comedy hybrid Cabin In The Woods and the more commercial blockbuster Avengers. He's able to write witty banter just as well as thrilling action scenes and not to mention an ability to collaborate with other writers.

David Koepp Could Write 'HUNTSMAN' Sequel For Universal

Deadline reports that Universal is in current talks with screenwriter David Koepp to start working the sequel to Snow White And The Huntsman. Koepp is best known for writing and adapting scripts for Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park II: The Lost World, Mission: Impossible, Carlito's Way, Death Becomes Her, Stir of Echos, Panic Room and Spider-Man. Before we get too excited he also contributed to uneven films like The Shadow, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of The Crystal Skulls, War of The Worlds and Angels And Demons. His next project coming to theaters is Men In Black 3 which could go either way, so let's hope they get another writer in there just to be sure.

The film directed by newcomer Rupert Sanders won't be released until June but the studio is looking to fast track it's sequel. Sanders is wanted to helm the second film and it could be his next directorial effort. It's been said that the next film would focus on The Huntsman played by Chris Hemsworth. This gives the impression that Hemsworth had a stronger performance compared to Kristen Stewart's Snow White, who has little to zero dialog in the trailers and TV spots. It's also not surprising with the impending international success of Avengers and Thor 2 set to be released in November 2013. We shouldn't have to wait that long as turnaround on the first film was eight months which is very quick all things considered wouldn't be shocked to see this in theaters later 2013 or summer 2014.

'NEW MUTANTS' Next Superhero Film For Fox?

On the heels of Marvel's highly anticipated Avengers projected to be one of the biggest films of 2012 and possibly among some of the biggest of all time. Fox is about to start production on their own Marvel franchises with The Wolverine shooting in a couple of months, the X-Men First Class sequel filming in early 2013 and Deadpool just about to get greenlit with Ryan Reynolds starring. It had been announced by X-Men franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner earlier in 2012 that the studio was developing a film based on The New Mutants, an X-Men spin-off comic featuring a new lineup of young mutants. Collider was able to speak with Fox's Tom Rothman at CinemaCon which led to the New Mutants. Tom was slightly cryptic in his answer but states a new project from the X-Men universe will be announced this summer.


Steve: I know you guys have like The New Mutants and a lot of characters in the X-Men universe.  Obviously you guys are moving forward on an X-Men sequel, you’re moving forward on Wolverine, do you envision New Mutants or some of these other characters as franchises that the door can be open to?  It does seem to me that the superhero genre is bigger than it’s ever been, and you guys have some of the crown jewels.


Rothman: (smiles) Yes.


When can fans expect an announcement on some of these other properties?  Before Comic-Con, after Comic-Con, at Comic-Con?


Rothman:  In the summer.


Are you talking to filmmakers right now?


Rothman: Let me just say this.  All I have to say is, I agree with you in your assessment of the potential in a lot of these characters.

'THE WOLVERINE' Will Shoot On Location In Japan With Japanese Cast

Recently it was announced that production on The Wolverine will be heading to Sydney, Australia. It seemed like the Australia would be doubling the land of the rising run. The new film is based on the famous Japanese-saga where Logan discovers the samurai warrior code along with his signature fighting skills. Fox's Tom Rothman confirms to MTV that's not the case. As the expensive stage work will be done in Australia while location scenes will be filmed in Japan. Not to mention confirming the cast will include many Japanese actors. Not much is known about the character lineup but it's been confirmed that Silver Samurai and Viper will appear.

"It’s set in Japan. A great number of Japanese actors will be in it and it’s based on the very famous run of the comics… I can just tell you on behalf of [Jackman], his goal is to make the ultimate, bad ass, berserker rage Wolverine."

This makes sense considering how close the two countries are and seemly makes more sense than have stages in Canada or the states. Japan is a notoriously expensive country to shoot a movie so to have the entire production done there I'm sure isn't in the budget. Australia offers tax breaks and incentives to productions filmed in the country while Japan doesn't offer the same incentives to foreign projects.

RUMOR: 'DAREDEVIL' Reboot Stalled Over Terrible Script?

There has been little to zero development on 20th Century Fox's Daredevil reboot with David Slade attached to direct. It doesn't bowd well for the project that went into high gear to avoid the film rights reverting back to Marvel in the first place. Fox had set Fringe writer Brad Caleb Kane to pen the script. Word from LatinoReview that Fox looking for a new writer, giving the impression the studio is unhappy with the script from Kane. Previously Slade updated stating that the reason the film wasn't moving forward was a "boring" one. This leads me to believe that the script was horrible enough for the studio to scrap the whole thing and start from scratch with a new screenwriter.

"The script for DAREDEVIL is wack. So wack that guess what kids, it's now an open writing assignment! They're looking for a new writer."

A Slew Of New 'EXPENDABLES 2' Posters

'BOND 24' Heading To Theaters In 2014

While Skyfall, the twenty third Bond film is being released on this November it looks like MGM/Sony is already working on the next installment. ComingSoon reports Sony has revealed at CinemaCon that Bond 24 is being aimed for 2014, Daniel Craig is expected to return as Bond. It's unlikely that director Sam Mendes will be returning for next movie but anything is possible.

FIRST LOOK: Official Stills From 'DJANGO UNCHAINED'

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.

Mark Ruffalo Wants Joss Whedon Involved With New "HULK" Film

During UK press via CBM for an Avengers panel interview with Marvel's Kevin Feige and actor Mark Ruffalo revealed a possibility of seeing a solo Hulk return to the screen. Mark seems to be one of the biggest standouts in Avengers and it's sparked new interested in a sequel to The Incredible Hulk film. Ruffalo seems intent on getting Joss Whedon involved with a new film whether that's just from a contributing standpoint as a writer or shepherding the project from the sidelines. Kevin seems interested in it but cautious not to oversell the possibility. Considering the studio's bloated development backlog it seems like we'll have to wait until Avengers 2 to see Hulk again.

RUFFALO: "I'm going to try and get Joss Whedon in a room and work out what would be a Hulk movie, with Kevin's blessings hopefully."

FEIGE: "In between the many red carpets and interviews over the last few days Mark and I say what is a standalone Hulk movie? How do we take all this goodwill, all this forward momentum from Avengers into a solo Hulk movie? When that will be, who knows? The conversations have definitely started."

Scarlett Johansson Talks 'BLACK WIDOW' Spin-Off, Won't Appear In 'IRON MAN 3'

ScreenRant was able to talk to Scarlett Johansson on her future in the Marvel universe as Black Widow. Right off the bat she confirmed that she won't be showing up in Iron Man 3. While her name appeared on a casting call sheet included with the returning cast it looks like Stark will indeed be going solo. Scarlett did talk about her vision for a Black Widow film. That vision seems to be a woman-on-the-run type of film similar to Haywire or the Bourne franchise. The spin-off has been mentioned to be in the works for about two years now but nothing official has been announced. I think it could be interesting to see a non-superpower focused Marvel film since the studio is keen on branching out into different genres.

"I don't know, I hope so...You build this character with the hopes the fans are like "we want more"..I personally think there's an awesome Black Widow movie in there, that's a kind of a Bourne-type of film. That could take this whole comic genre in a completely different direction...I've spoken to Marvel and Kevin Fegie there's so much stories to draw from."

'FIRE AND ICE' Live-Action Reboot Next For Robert Rodriguez

HeatVision has word from Robert Rodriguez himself that his live-action reboot of Fire And Ice is moving forward quickly. It will be his next directoral effort after Robert completes production on Machete Kills this spring and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For this summer/fall. Fire And Ice is based on the fantasy themed from legendary animation director Ralph Baskhi (Fritz The Cat, Lord of Thr Rings, Cool World) and artist Frank Frazetta. Robert will be using similar visual technigues that were used to create the world of Sin City to bring this fantasy world to life.

“That’s in the works to go right into after Sin City, Frank Frazetta’s Fire and Ice,” Rodriguez said during a telephone interview in conjunction with the Blu-ray release of his 1994 telefilm Roadracers. “We’re almost done with the script; we’ve got it pretty much 70 percent there. I’m really excited about that one.”

“I think the timing is going to work out just right, and we’ll have a finished script in the next month or so,” he said. “So we can start lengthier preproduction and we can go right into preproduction -- well, we’re actually in preproduction, sort of, or we’ve been doing a lot of the previsualization. But that would be the next thing after Sin City.”

'DREDD' Reboot Gets An R-Rating

Judge Dredd fans should be pleased that the new film Dredd has earned a R-rating for strong bloody violence, language, drug use and some sexual content. It's not surprising considering the gory stills that appeared online a few months back. Yet, it screams faithful compared to the Sly Stallone film from the 90's. The film has a September 21st 2012 release date so a trailer should be around the corner.

Jack White To Score 'THE LONE RANGER'

Variety reports that former White Stripes frontman Jack White has been hired by Disney to score The Lone Ranger. The film directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates 1-3, Rango) stars Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and Ruth Wilson. It will be interesting to hear what direction the film's score will end up considering the Spanish guitars that were used in the western themed Rango. I would assume that we'll end up getting some traditional Navajo music mixed in there.

Thrilling New Trailer For Gangster Epic 'LAWLESS' Starring Tom Hardy

Edgar Wright And Simon Pegg Complete Second Draft Of 'WORLD'S END'

Simon Pegg has revealed via his Twitter page proof that he and Edgar Wright have completed a second draft of World's End. He added "I know we took our sweet time but as soon as I get back from outer space, we can finish this thing once and for all". It's really unknown if this will go first or Ant-Man. Marvel Studios is expected to finally announce the fate of Ant-Man in the coming weeks. There have been rumblings that Edgar has already begun pre-production on one of these two films. Details on third film in the Wright/Pegg trilogy (Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) are slim but since the color green is the theme of the film it's expected it could end up an alien invasion or Godzilla type monster movie.

Alex Kurtzman And Roberto Orci Hired To Rewrite 'AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2'

Deadline reports that Sony Pictures have hired writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to do some rewrites on The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Director Marc Webb is set to return for the sequel along with cast members Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), who wrote the first film had been writing the sequel but it looks like Sony wants more development on it. The screenwriting duo are best known for writing the two new Star Trek films along with actions films like The Island, Cowboys And Aliens and MI3. That said, they also contributed to trainwrecks like the first Transformers films. It will be interesting to see what direction the second film will go. Amazing Spider-Man 2 is expected to start shooting in the first quarter of 2013 with a May 2nd 2014 release date.

Their involvement gives me the impression that sequel will be bigger and more action packed than this first film. I have to believe that they'll continue giving us Spidey villains we haven't seen. Spencer Smythe and his robotic Spider-Slayers could very well be antagonists of the sequel. Considering the screenwriters background is in science fiction and robots focused films. The slayers were funded by J. Jonah Jameson and created by Smythe a robotic scientist. There were many different versions of the robots so it could be interesting to see these drones alongside another Spidey baddie perhaps Kraven or Green Goblin.

Gina Carano In Talks For 'FAST SIX'

HeatVision reports that MMA fighter turned action star Gina Carano (Haywire) is in talks to take a role alongside Dwayne Johnson in Fast Six. The sixth film in the Fast And The Furious franchise is said to be shooting in London and Berlin. Previously the last film has gone in a more serious/gritty direction so it will be interesting to see how adding more "real" action stars to the cast plays out. Jason Statham had been rumored for a role but has since shot down the project.

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.

CAST EM': Gemma Arterton As Whitney Frost In 'IRON MAN 3'

So it looks like Jessica Chastain has pretty been offered the role of Maya Henson in Iron Man 3 as the character is apart of the Extremis comics which the film is based on. The studio has already had meetings with actresses Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds), Gemma Arterton and Isla Fisher (Burke And Hare, Wedding Crashers) for the part before Jessica came back into the picture. My hope is that there is more than just one new female role in this film. Considering we know that the film will have multiple villains as previously reported by the trades. Currently Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce are in talks to talk two of these roles, unknown how large they will end up being. Rumblings that Ben could be playing The Mandarin while Guy is confirmed to be up for the role of Killian. A scientist that sells the nanobot-tech to terrorists.

Whitney Frost has been teased ever since the announcement of third installment. Emily Blunt had been rumored for the role but seems to have moved on from Marvel films. She recently signed on for the science fiction actioner All You Need Is Kill. Frost who is better known as Madame Masque has been both villain and lover to Tony Stark being as complex/conflicted as Loki. I've been quite critical that Marvel Studios has yet to include a female villain into the Marvel Universe. Frost could be at the very least a supporting villain that could develop into a main baddie for future films.

Gemma Arterton would be an excellent casting choice for the role of Whitney. She's been able to raise the quality in mindless films like Quantum of Solace, Prince of Persia and Clash of The Titans so imagine what Gemma could do with a film from Shane Black. The British actress has been able to balance dramatic, comedy and action focused roles all seemingly needed for a Marvel Studios production. In the film The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Gemma showed off a tough-side that had previously been unseen. This led to a meeting with Ridley Scott for a possible part in Prometheus and a leading role alongside Jeremy "Hawkeye" Renner in Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters. Gemma seems like an actress perfect for the Marvel cinematic universe and Frost is just one solid character she could portray.

Mel Gibson Set For Role In 'MACHETE KILLS'

A new Deadline report clarifies an earlier casting scoop that Mel Gibson is wanted for a large role in Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills the sequel to Machete. There had been some confusion on which of the two budding projects (Sin City 2/Machete Kills) the writer/director wanted both Gibson and actress Michelle Williams for. Gibson has done some serious damage to his career in the last couple of years. Yet, stuff like this can blow over for an actor with the right role. I have to assume that Mel's new Mexico set action film Get The Gringo had something to do with getting the attention of Robert. Danny Trejo is back as the Mexican badass with Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez set to return as well. Machete is drafted by the U.S. government to track a cartel leader and an arms dealer who have a weapon in space.

Jessica Chastain Could Join 'IRON MAN 3'

The cast of Iron Man 3 just keeps growing and the actors involved are beyond impressive. Deadline reports that newcomer Jessica Chastain could land a role as a a sexy scientist every bit as smart as Tony Stark. Apparently the studio had also met with actresses that included Diane Kruger, Gemma Arterton and Isla Fisher for the part. However, when the original scheduling conflict with another film wasn't an issue anymore, Jessica could be a shoe-in for the role. Chastain has blown up in the last year with a rather large amount of films being released last year. Those included The Help, The Debt, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, Texas Killing Fields and Coriolanus. The former earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. She also has prohibition thriller Lawless (Wettest County) coming out later this year along with a role in Kathryn Bigelow's (Hurt Locker) Zero Dark Thirty (Kill Bin Laden).

They aren't naming the part like they did with Ben Kingsley's possible role. It 'could' be big enough to keep it quiet, as Kevin Feige loved how secretive the casting for Star Trek 2 has been. My impression is that it could be Whitney Frost (Madame Masque) who has been rumored for months now. I also wouldn't rule out Scarlet Witch who had been wanted for the last Iron Man film. Considering this from the Extremis storyline Maya Henson is a large possibility. Anyways, it will be interesting to see the true intentions of this new character be her friend or foe.

'LOBO' Gets A New Director

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver have tasked Brad Peyton to direct and rewrite their adaptation of Lobo. An odd choice considering he's best known for filming movies for children. Lobo being a rough talking and gritty bounty hunting biker doesn't seem to fit with Peyton's previous experiences. I should take it easy since they haven't really even released a new synopsis. Until then I'll be quietly concerned on the direction of this film.

Before the stellar success of Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie had been attached to the project. That apparently went pretty far into development as actors like Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) were testing for the title role. One of the biggest issues fans and critics had with the original draft was that the interstellar bounty hunter happened to be stuck on Earth. Along with a apparent PG-13 rating which seemed out of place for the villain turned anti-hero. An odd choice also to set it on Earth considering the amazing Star Wars meets Riddick possibilities this potential franchise holds. Hopefully these new rewrites include more than just the inclusion of a 3D gimmick. I also hope the terrible handling of Green Lantern doesn't scare off the studio from using the Star Wars-like aliens and worlds.

Guy Pearce Joins 'IRON MAN 3'

Variety reports that Australian actor Guy Pearce (Lockout, Prometheus) is currently in final talks to play Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3. In the comics he co-created the Extremis technology that Iron Man adopts after Killian sells it to terrorists. A likely clue to a return of the Ten Rings lead by Mandarin? Pearce is best known for a string of character driven roles in films like Memento, L.A. Confidential, The Propostion Animal Kingdom, The Hurt Locker, Count of Monte Cristo, The King's Speech and the upcoming film Lawless (Wettest County). His pedigree as an actor gives the impression he very well could end up a main villain in the film.