Sony Developing A CAPTAIN PLANET AND THE PLANETEERS Film

THR reports that Sony Pictures is looking to turn the 90's Saturday morning cartoon series Captain Planet and The Planeteers into a feature film. The show focused on an international group of teens who used the powers of the Earth to combat evil polluters.

Recently, FunnyOrDie put out a video starring Don Cheadle as broken version of Captain Planet. Here's hoping Sony is smart enough to sign up Cheadle for the title role to capture some of that heat. The real question is, will Cap still sport his green mullet?

IRON MAN 3 IMAX Poster

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First Official Stills For IRON MAN 3 Featuring Iron Patriot

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FAN MADE: 'IRON MAN 3' Poster

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

'IRON MAN 3' Production Heading To China This Summer

Marvel Studios has been catering to their international audiences which has been very smart on their part. Iron Man 2 got a lot of press in Russia when Mickey Rourke visited a prison there to do some research for Vanko. Captain America was shot in England helping the early promotion of the film overseas. Avengers had scenes shot in Germany and India, Marvel doing their best to promote the brand in India. They developed India's own Comic-Con and already have an Avengers music video playing on TV there from an Indian rock band.

There is now word that Iron Man 3 will be co-financing with a Chinese company and will be shooting scenes in China during the summer. Marvel/Disney are really set on making the Marvel Universe accessible to the global markets. The bulk of the box office profits for these films come from international audiences. So it makes sense to see their respected countries represented in the films. It also gets the film into Chinese theaters as the country limits the amount of foreign films allowed into the country per year.

This news fuels previous talk of the Mandarin being the main villain of the third installment. I think this could be more about Stark Industries doing business with the growing Chinese market. There could also be a Stark Industries plant in the country as well which leads to the nanbot-technology being developed. Marvel has become smart when keeping their projects somewhat secretive so it's anyone's guess.

Tony Stark Won't Have Avengers Backup In 'IRON MAN 3'

In yet another tidbit of information dropped by Kevin Feige during his informative interview with Collider he revealed a key plot point of Iron Man 3. Tony won't have any of his Avenger pals or even SHIELD to help him out. He'll have to use his wits to get himself out of trouble this time. I'm curious to see what this means for both War Machine and Black Widow since they're still involved in the film. It looks like Marvel's response to the overall mismanagement of Iron Man 2, which was more about everyone else getting screentime while Tony spent half the film doing shit-all. This isn't Avengers 2 excluding a massive amount of new heroes for the sake of Easter Eggs and setting up new films. They honestly sound like they're aiming for a solid action film. Bringing back some of the elements of the first film which included the tension of a powerless Stark in a life-threatening situation surviving only by his charm and engineering skills. There also wasn't much "risk" in the second film which seems like will also be remedied in this movie as well. I hope to see the action set pieces amped up a bit considering the scale was lacking in both final battle scenes.

"Iron Man 3 is a full-on Tony Stark-centric movie—and I’ll tell you because you’re a good guy—is very much inspired by the first half of Iron Man 1. Metaphorically, we’re not going back to the cave there’s nothing like that, but we’ve always said let’s get Tony back to the cave, which is he’s stripped of everything, he’s backed up against a wall, and he’s gotta use his intelligence to get out of it. He can’t call Thor, he can’t call Cap, he can’t call Nick Fury, and he can’t look for the Helicarrier in the sky."

Ben Kingsley To Play Villain in 'IRON MAN 3'

Variety reports the first new casting addition to Iron Man 3 focusing on the villain of the film. Ben Kingsley (Hugo, Sexy Beast) is in final talks to play the film's unnamed baddie. Robert Downey Jr. is of course returning along with Iron Man 2 co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Scarlett Johansson. Variety adds that the film will be influenced by the Extremis storyline and he won't be playing the Mandarin.

The role Kingsley is unknown at this point but I wouldn't count out Baron Strucker the original leader and creator of A.I.M. the villainous arms group. There is also the possibility he could be the real face of the terrorist group The Ten Rings. I'm sure we'll be hearing more casting news in the coming weeks. You might remember that Ben had been cast as Spidey villain the Vulture in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 which ended up being shut down by Sony days before production.

IRON MAN 3: Rumors And Possible Villains

With Avengers on it's way next month and Iron Man 3 starting up it's production around the same time I figured I'd go over what we should expect from the third installment. We know that Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle (War Machine), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) are returning for the sequel but heroes like Thor, Hulk and Cap will be on the sidelines. There is also speculation from recent comments by Kevin Feige that S.H.I.E.L.D. won't have a major role in the film either. Even though Black Widow has been confirmed to be involved in someway.

"So the story that Shane is developing now on "Iron Man 3," while it does not avoid any references to "The Avengers," is very much Tony is back in his world with his players dealing with his issues and is not going to pick up the phone and call Thor or Captain America or anything like that, necessarily. It's not that won't happen down the line. It could. But particularly with "Iron Man 3," year after "The Avengers," it's more about getting Tony back into his world."

Action comedy veteran Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) is directing along with co-writing the script with Drew Pearce (Runaways). Black is known for large action set pieces matched with strong witty dialog so it's expected that Iron Man 3 could have more action than we've seen previously. Not to mention hopefully bringing back the humor and down to earth moments that made the original film so popular. One of the biggest flaws of the second film is that the set designs seemed to take over the story and lacked any real global threat. The film will be centered on Tony Stark as the hero in a Tom Clancy type story, think Patriot Games and The Hunt For Red Red October.

CASTING AND PLOT RUMORS: Story rumors have recently been leaked but have yet to be confirmed. Usually these type of reports are on the money or at least have some truth to them. LatinoReview revealed a couple of a plot rumors and I've also added some of the older ones as well.

-The story may revolve around nanobot technology that can turn regular men into supervillains and Tony Stark into more than just a man in a suit.


-The nanobot idea is supposed to appear in The Avengers, since there is a link between the nanobot technology and the super-soldier serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America.


- It was suggested that there will be multiple villains, but no word on which characters might make an appearance.


- Speculation has lead to a rumor that Namor the Sub-Mariner could either be a villain or supporting hero.


- Marvel writer Bob Layton who created War Machine and the villain Ghost would love to see the latter character included in the sequel. Stating last year he was going to speak with Shane Black about including him. 


- Michelle Monahan (MI3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Source Code) has stated in an interview for Source Code she would love a role in Iron Man 3 and a chance to work with with director Shane Black Again. 

- British actress Emily Blunt had been reported to be wanted by Marvel for a villain role in the third film. She mentioned during an interview for Adjustment Bureau that she'd only do a Marvel film if the role was a one-off. Not interested in a multiple film contact that actors like Scarlett Johansson and Sam Jackson have signed. Blunt had originally been set for the Black Widow role before exiting to focus on another project. When Marvel was casting the role of Peggy Carter in Captain America Blunt teased but would loose the part to Hayley Atwell. It seems like a role like Madame Masque would be perfect for Blunt. 

POSSIBLE VILLAINS

THE MANDARIN: While The Mandarin has been in Jon Favreau's to-do list since Iron Man, teasing popular villain with naming the terrorist group The Ten Rings. A que to the fact Mandarin wears ten power rings as his main weapons. There have been a few statements from writer/director Shane Black crushing the idea of his involvement because of the negative trend of using Asian stereotypical villains. The Fu-Manchu villain type archetype is now considered a racist caricature so I wouldn't hold my breathe that the Mandarin makes the film. That said, if he's involved somehow with The Ten Rings it could work.

WHITNEY FROST/MADAME MASQUE: Whitney Frost has been an enemy and lover of Tony Stark in the comics, so her inclusion would be interesting and complex to say the least. One minute trying to kill him the other to kiss him. If included Frost would be the first female villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She's worked for Stark Industries, The Masters of Evil and even the Avengers so it could be fun to see a character play both sides.

GHOST: This corporate espionage thief has been a fan favorite since his addition to the Ultimate universe and joining the Thunderbolts. Ghost's co-creator Bob Layton wants to see Ghost as a villain in the film and has met with Shane Black to discuss it. If one villain is created by nanobots it's likely he's going to be one of them. Since it's his suit that gives him power move threw walls it would be interesting to see the nanobots create similar abilities.

TEN RINGS: The terrorist organization that originally kidnapped Tony Stark which wounded him leading Stark to build the Iron Man suit to escape his captors. They popped up in Russia during Iron Man 2 putting together the papers for Vanko to get his revenge on Tony in France. I feel like the Ten Rings are the most likely to be the villains when considering a Tom Clancy-like Iron Man film. That doesn't mean that they'll be the only villains involved since they likely have investors, arms suppliers (A.I.M.?) and allies.

NAMOR: He is the first mutant created in Marvel comics and far superior to DC's Aquaman. The Sub-Mariner had been rumored for Captain America as a supporting hero and was teased by Jon Faverau in Iron Man 2 in an Easter Egg. Rumblings that a large water tank being built for the film has lead to new rumors that Namor could be involved in someway. At one put he was a villain so it's possible he could end up exchanging blows with Stark. A Namor film has been in development for years and his inclusion in Iron Man 3 could grow interest in the film to be finally made.

Black Widow Confirmed For Iron Man 3?

Production is about to begin in the next couple of months on Iron Man 3 but we really haven't heard any solid details about the third installment. You'd think at this point they'd start revealing the villain and the new cast members but nothing yet. There had been rumors of nanobots being involved. That hasn't been confirmed and sounds like someone starting rumors while watching G.I. Joe: Rise of The Cobra.

However, there is now a legit casting call sheet from FeatureFilmCasting (via DenOfGeek) that lists returning supporting cast members Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Don Cheadle (Rhodey/War Machine) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow). The former two had been previously confirmed but this is the first time we've heard Johansson's name attached to the sequel. Of course currently it's unknown the extent of Black Widow's role in the film it could end up just a cameo. Yet with writer/director Shane Black comparing this installment to a Tom Clancy-thriller it would make sense to see a SHIELD presence.

“The storyline is being described by writer-director Shane Black as being a Tom Clancy-thriller, with Iron Man fighting real world villains. Black stated, “the studio wasn't happy with the result of Iron Man 2, as a result that pretty much came about due to a rushed production schedule in an attempt to hit a release date rather than simply make a good film, but I digress. Iron Man 3 will not be another, 'two men in iron suits fighting each other’”.