Robert Downey Jr Weighs-In On BLACK WIDOW, HAWKEYE And HULK Movies

Robert Downey Jr. is in a cool position, as he's signed-on to reprise the role of Tony Stark one more time in Avengers 3. The third installment isn't due until 2018-2019. Meaning, the elder statesman of the Marvel cinematic universe isn't going anywhere for some time. Allowing him to be outspoken about Marvel chatter concerning rumors and future projects. Speaking to USAToday, Robert did just that addressing Marvel's delay in announcing a Black Widow spin-off film.

The delay has sparked a bit of criticism, not having a female superhero officially announced as part of Marvel's future releases. Even more so, in the wake of the female Spider-Man spin-off at Sony and unofficially Warner Bros. solo Wonder Woman movie. Robert simply states the obvious and rational question, "doesn't Scarlett deserve a break?"

“Look, I think that the interesting thing particularly after [Guardians of the Galaxy] with Zoe [Saldana], even from the first Iron Man where Pepper was kind of this really – to me the Iron Man franchise would never have taken off without [Gwyneth] Paltrow. There’s something about her that grounded the story. She’s not your typical lady in a superhero movie, and then by Iron Man 3 she’s swallowing serums and putting on suits and kicking [butt] and all that stuff. It would be kind of more appropriate for a character that already was like a Black Widow [to lead a movie]. It just seems like whatever Scarlett does people want to go see it.” 

He makes some valid-points. Scarlett has played Black Widow in four movies, and could be expected to be apart of future projects. We all understand the demand for her own solo adventure. But it's really up to her when she wants to go back to making films, as a new mother. I think we can all respect that, even if it might delay production on a solo outing for a couple of years.

Oddly enough, Robert continues the discussion by pondering solo movies for both Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). The latter we've been hearing for sometime development on a new Hulk film, going back to 2012. Indestructible Hulk and Planet Hulk story theories have been circling for a couple of years. Ruffalo and Joss Whedon teased in Avengers press tour, that two could work together on developing a new film (Whedon possibly writing the script).

“The funny thing is honestly at this point everyone deserves a franchise. I think Jeremy Renner is — when folks see the Avengers: Age of Ultron he’s just a rockstar, a badass. And Ruffalo is pumped. He does great (work). I’d like to hear them talk even more seriously about a Hulk franchise, because that’s been one of the toughest ones to get right. But I’m sure that my parent company is feeling expansive and and bold after the summer they’ve had.”

Again, we hear from RDJ how impressive Jeremy's role in Avengers: Age of Ultron will be, hyping-up the character even more. It's possible Clint Barton could have an equally strong role in Captain America 3 as well. Originally, filmmakers wanted and wrote Barton into The Winter Soldier. Renner had to decline due to other projects. I've been under the impression that Renner could lead a West Coast Avengers film. That's if Marvel indeed plans on splinting the main group into two teams. Which is already rumored for Age of Ultron, leading up to the events of Civil War. Finally, giving Hawkeye more of a main character role than previous movies.


SOURCE: USATODAY

Black Panther And Hawkeye Showing-Up In CAPTAIN AMERICA 3?

Collider's Frosty was taking to Twitter to see if anyone has questions for the Russo Brothers, and LatinoReview's El Mayimbe coyly took him up on that. Adding what very well could be his own scoop, that Black Panther is rumored for an appearance in Captain America 3. I truly hope this one turns out to be right on-the-money.

.@colliderfrosty Yes, please ask Russo bros if it is true THE BLACK PANTHER will be making an appearance in CAP 3? :)
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) August 27, 2014

There have been rumblings for years that T'Challa would have a cameo, before his own feature film. However, all we've had since those rumors have been easter eggs (Cap's shield/meta human map). It's said that Wakanda is actually going to mentioned and possibly even shown in Avengers: Age of Ultron, that also remains to be seen.

Kevin Feige has given an update recently during Comic-Con confirming Panther is back in active-development at the studio. We are expecting Black Panther to become one of the next new solo films announced by the studio. As the project was said to have competed against Guardians of The Galaxy for the August, 2014 release spot. There is even talk that Chadwick Boseman (Get On Up, 42, Gods of Egypt) is the top-pick for the role of T'Challa, another bit of information that originated from LR.

UPDATE: Co-director Anthony Russo was asked by Movies.com, what new characters would be included in the third film? His answer is obscure but promising since fans would "freakout" with this addition. The only character I could think off making fans freakout, would be Black Panther. Rogers and T'Challa have crossed paths on more than a few occasions, with Cap's modern-day globetrotting he'd have to at one point bump into Wakanda. Of course a new threat of HYDRA would also put the population of Wakanda at risk as well.

"I can't divulge who is going to be in the film, but I think the fans are going to freak out when they hear about it." 

Speaking of Collider, Jeremy Renner mentioned Captain America 3 "rumblings" to the site. That's if he can find the time to shoot it, since he has Mission: Impossible 5 and Bourne 5 on-deck. We already mentioned what this could mean for Barton and the MCU, bulking-up his presence in the universe could lead to him getting his own superhero team to lead (Avengers West Coast).

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

SPECULATION: Marvel Studios Quietly Setting-Up AVENGERS WEST COAST?

Marvel has become the leader in finding new concepts and angles for the superhero film genre. It's a hard business to be in, but they've found their niche and it's not being predictable. The studio has taken some massive risks over their 10 film career. Mainly, releasing a film like Iron Man when a majority of the public had zero awareness or knowledge the character even existed. They took that success from Iron Man and ran full force. Releasing four more films, before making the giant-leap to an ultimate team-up film The Avengers. They went as far as tearing-down SHIELD in Captain America: The Winter Soldier to give us real stakes and prove nothing is safe in the MCU.

In Guardians of The Galaxy, the studio's most risky and ambitious project to date, they gave us our first real glimpse into the massive Marvel cosmic universe. Proving again, that even a talking tree and raccoon can be compelling if done right. The group of characters are way more obscure than previous characters explored on screen, the film becoming the biggest domestic hit of the summer is something of a miracle.

So, how does Marvel move forward without becoming stale? Shaking things-up is what seemingly the studio does best. The comics have a time-honored tradition of roster changes, guest-appearances and crossovers. We do expect The Guardians to cross-paths with The Avengers at some point in the films. However, what can we expect for our Earthbound heroes?

My theory isn't a new one, UnleashTheFanboy have already clued-in to the possibility of a second Avengers team coming in the future. UTF seemingly had word it will happen in Phase 4 (post-Avengers 3). I'm in the belief this has already been happening in-front of our eyes and Age of Ultron/Phase 3 will ultimately setup this new group. The team is being called The New Avengers by UTF, but I would bet that it ends-up being called the more established Avengers West Coast.

Ant-Man will be our first film in Phase Three, and convently enough includes two members of Avengers West Coast. Doctor Henry Pym, the mentor figure to Paul Rudd's Scott Lang and father to Evangeline Lily's Hope Van Dyne (likely Wasp). It's location of San Francisco is a bit telling as well, since we haven't really seen films other than Iron Man set in California. The second team's base of operations is L.A., but could be reworked to fit the more colorful city by the bay.

Another big clue, is that a majority of the team roster is pretty-much established, and there are enough actors to fill a new team. A bulk of them will be appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron. That lineup includes team-leader Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Doctor Henry Pym (Michael Douglas), Vision (Paul Bettany), Wasp (Evangeline Lily), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Quicksilver (Aaron Johnson) and newly added heroine Mockingbird (Adrianne Palicki former Gamora candidate).

Pym in particular could become the Nick Fury/Stark of the new team, since we might be seeing his origins with SHIELD explored in Ant-Man. Having Pym heading-up Avengers West Coast (like Nick Fury) with Hawkeye/Captain America leading the team could be a very cool way to go about it. We've heard rumblings that RDJ's role as Stark in MCU would eventually become more Fury-like as well.

Joss Whedon has talked about his destain for Wonder Man and wish to include Tigra into the film universe. These characters are also well-known West Coast Avengers heroes. He's changed his tune already concerning Carol Danvers, maybe he'll come-around concerning Wonder Man.

Another West Coaster we all love and are dying to see show-up is the complex supernatural vigliante Moon Knight, who just happens to live multiple personas (besides his superhero one). A TV show was in development for ages, but couldn't come together. The character might be a bit too dark and violent to get his own movie, but we've been rooting for Moon Knight to become apart of the second wave of Netflix's Marvel series (aka Midnight Sons).

What happens when these Avengers leave for California? Others will take their place of course. Characters like Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Doctor Strange (?), Black Panther (?), Ms Marvel (?) and others getting their own solo adventures on screen (Daredevil, Fist, Cage, Jones) could easily fill the gaps moving forward. Marvel could expand their Earthbound heroes doing it this way, and can interchange the lineups. This is where we might also see a rebranding of the Avengers name aka The New Avengers.

Why setup a second Avengers team? Well, the Civil War storyline has been mentioned before as a possibility by Kevin Feige. The storyline was slightly teased with the forest-fight in the film first. However, for it to even happen you'd need to established two groups, before the clash could start. That is a lot of Marvel characters to introduce and explore. Netflix characters like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage could also come into play here (there have been possible hints they could make the jump to movies). Civil War could also be the entry-point for Thanos, and his minions to invade Earth, perfect timing for the Mad Titan.

A set photo from Age of Ultron seemingly reveals that Stark and Rogers are recruiting candidates. Perhaps, developing a new version of SHIELD together (HAMMER/SWORD?). The extras are unlikely Ultron bot stand-ins, mainly because they aren't wearing motion-capture suits. But, more like warm-up/active wear, I assume Rogers is training them.

Having Hawkeye taking-charge of his own team might sound like something out of left-field, but we've been hearing his role in Age of Ultron is getting bulked-up from the last one. Not to mention Jeremy Renner's own teases he'll show-up in Captain America 3. If Marvel is able to develop Clint Barton into a capable leader of a splinter Avengers team, I think they might be unstoppable. Turning-around public opinion of the least-liked team member, would be a giant leap-forward.

Renner himself is an established action star, he is about to begin shooting Mission: Impossible 5 and his sequel to Bourne Legacy. Having him in a more active-role in the MCU sounds like a no-brainer. We've seen what the Russo Brothers can do for these action-based spy characters, so hopefully they're able to amp-up the character to the point we want to see him lead a film (even if it's not a solo one). We also haven't seen his other superhero personas come into play, since Barton has become alternate heroes in the comics (mainly, Goliath and Ronin).



What do you think? Is Marvel prepping for a second Avengers team, or will they keep adding-on to the existing group?

Hawkeye Has Sleeves! First Look At Jeremy Renner's Updated Costume In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

It looks like Joss Whedon is taking more costume cues from The Ultimates, as Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye was spotted on set in Italy with a new costume. It's also sort of his Ultimate look combined with his classic costume, I think fans will be happy that Renner will have sleeves at some point in the film. Someone also pointed-out that Barton's usual costume was missing the usual SHIELD patch. This could mean he's gone rogue or that the Avengers have separated themselves from SHIELD in the sequel.

SOURCE: LASTAMPA

SPECULATION: Could Len Wiseman End Up Directing A Marvel Film?

Director Len Wiseman (Total Recall, Underworld 1-2) talked to CBM about leaving Iron Man and reveals he's still in contact with Marvel. This gives the impression that Len could be able to make an action film like Die Hard 4 without massive amounts of blood and gore, could end up getting at one of their budding franchises in development. So, what Marvel films could Wiseman be a perfect fit for?

"Oh man, superheroes... You know, I think a lot of the superheroes that I would be interested in, a lot of them have been done. I was involved with Iron Man for about seven months after Underworld 2. I was involved with Marvel and Iron Man, and I was really excited about that one and honestly, I think at that time, there was a concern that I was too dark of a director because I had only directed a few movies, and at that time, I'd only directed Underworld and Underworld 2. And Underworld 2 was very violent, very gory, very dark and I think it freaked them out a little bit that I was too dark of a director. It wasn't until after Die Hard 4.0 came out, which is a much lighter tone, much more fun, that Marvel called me up again..."

BLACK WIDOW: Wiseman's Underworld franchise which he co-created has cranked four successful installments with no end in sight. All of his films feature strong female characters that aren't just eye candy but can kick some ass and take a punch. A perfect combo for a Black Widow solo movie since a script has been in place for years which was recently re-written by Nicole Perlman (Guardians of The Galaxy). Considering they have a lead and a script in place, adding a director for a possible 2015 release date following Avengers 2 isn't hard to imagine. We already got a hint to Natasha's violent past with Loki's speech about her. It could be interesting to see her past coming back to haunt her or just have her going on smaller scaled adventures. 2014 is looking to be become the first year that Marvel might just be able to start rolling out three films a year. Phase Three will likely involve Widow, Panther, Strange and Inhumans.

SHIELD: This one has been in development for a while as well. The only thing is that the events concerning SHIELD in Avengers would be continued in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It's possible that that they might shelve the project completely and just keep it the connective tissue of the Marvel Cinematic Universe having SHIELD as a background player in the films.

HAWKEYE: Jeremy Renner is on the minds of audiences thanks to the successes of Avengers, Mission Impossible and Bourne Legacy. A Hawkeye film seems more likely than SHIELD as Renner could bring out audiences. Not to mention the character was only slightly explored in Avengers as he was a supporting villain for the majority of the movie. Barton is also a master in most weapons and highly skilled fighter leading up to him to take on the persona of Ronin. It could be interesting to see him partner up with Mockingbird, who becomes something of a love interest as well.

DREAM CAST: CAPTAIN AMERICA 2

We've already been given hints that Captain America 2 will likely include Nick Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Maria Hill as supporting characters. However, I feel like we could see a couple more staple characters from the Cap comics join the ranks of SHIELD possibly creating a new unit The Invaders. Not to mention some iconic villains that were supposed to be included in First Avenger. Those villains may or may not end up as wranglers of Winter Soldier.

RALPH FIENNES AS BARON WOLFGANG VAN STRUCKER

DANIEL BRUHL AS BARON ZEMO

RUTH WILSON AS MADAME HYDRA

MICHAEL EALY AS SAM WILSON/FALCON

ALICE EVE AS SHARON CARTER/AGENT 13

SULLIVAN STAPLETON AS JOEY CHAPMAN/UNION JACK

MARVEL'S EXTENSIVE POST-AVENGERS PLANS: Release Dates And Other Films In Development

With Avengers breaking a decent amount of box office records it's apparent that the market for well-made superhero films is stronger than ever before. Now it seems like the studio that Iron Man built can finally make the films they've been developing for years (some of them decades) featuring new heroes and the worldwide audiences will flock to them. Thanks in-part to the goodwill done by the Avengers and the previous movies from Marvel Studios. I've put together a brief rundown of upcoming projects and ones currently still in developmental stages. So fans have a solid idea of what to expect in the next couple of years.


COMING SOON


IRON MAN 3 (MAY 3RD 2013): It's apparent that none of Stark's friends at SHIELD or his Avengers pals will be coming to save him when things go bad. The Extremis storyline will be the main influence for the film written and directed by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Last Boy Scout). A bulk of the production will be shot on location in China, the first Marvel film to be shot in the country. It's possible that Stark will be teaming-up with Chinese superheroes to fight this new threat. New actors could include Guy Pearce (Lawless, Memento, Hurt Locker), Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast) and Rebecca Hall (The Town, The Prestige). A main villain hasn't been named but rumors have pointed to Mallen, Mandarin, Ten Rings, Ghost or Whitney Frost (Madame Masque).

THOR 2 (NOVEMBER 15th 2013): Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) is directing the sequel which will be set in a more grounded Norse-based Asgard. While Loki is back he'll be taking a backseat as the film's main baddie. The rest of the original cast will be returning as well. Jane Foster and her friends will be taken to Asgard and possibly to other realms/worlds. The main villain hasn't been announcement but there is a likelihood that Thanos will show up at one point to collect Loki's head and maybe even the infinity gauntlet. The cast of Asgardians will be doubled which could lead to infighting among the immortals and question the leadership/reign of Odin might bring about civil war amongst the Asgardians.

CAPTAIN AMERICA 2 (APRIL 4TH 2014): The Cap sequel is currently without a director as a few candidates are being considered. What we do known about the film is that it will directly follow the events of Avengers including Steve's role in SHIELD and integrating as a man-out-of-time. Kevin Feige confirmed that the film will be for the most part set in present day with possible flashbacks. There had been talk of the reunion of Peggy and Steve being in Avengers but Whedon wisely axed it out of the film. It's emotional scene best saved for Captain America 2. No word on new additions but Sam Wilson aka The Falcon is a strong possibility along with Sharon Carter. As SHIELD will be in film cast members such as Sam Jackson (Fury), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Scarlett Johansson (Widow) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) should be appearing in the film. A baddie or villain organization hasn't been named but Baron Zemo and Baron Strucker were included in original drafts of the script for First Avenger. It's possible A.I.M. or a resurrected HYDRA could be trying to take out SHIELD and the World Counsel.

ANT-MAN (2014-2015): While the film doesn't have an official release date it has a solid script and a director confirmed. Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz) and Joe Cornish (Attack The Block) co-wrote the film with Wright set to direct. First we'll be seeing World's End go into production in September with a Spring 2013 released. It's assumed production on Ant-Man will move forward seemly as soon as Cap 2 wraps.

INCREDIBLE HULK 2 (2015): Mark Ruffalo is confident that he'll be able to convince Joss Whedon to help develop a solo adventure for Hulk. Giving the impression that Joss could end up tackling the film's script. Kevin Feige revealed that Hulk could appear as a supporting character but won't be showing up in Iron Man 3 or Thor 2. Another Marvel executive recently mentioned plans to bring a new Hulk film to screens in 2015 following a new television series on ABC.

AVENGERS 2 (2015-2016): Disney officially announced the sequel to Avengers but have yet to confirm that writer/director Joss Whedon will be returning. It would be odd not to bring him back as he's now seen as the Christopher Nolan of the Avengers franchise. Even thought the film is already a massive success they won't be rushing to make the sequel just yet. Feige wants to see Civil War used it won't be until the third film. Thanos was teased as a possible villain for the sequel which would be a bigger and better threat than Loki and his army.

IN DEVELOPMENT

THE RUNAWAYS: Brian K. Vaughan and Drew Pearce were writing the script with with Peter Sollett (Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist) hired to direct. Casting was underway when it was eventually put on hold so the studio could focus on Avengers' large production budget. Drew would keep the Marvel train running and signed on to help Shane Black write Iron Man 3. It's unknown if the project will ever get made as it seems Marvel is focused on other team-based projects like Inhumans and Guardians of The Galaxy.

DOCTOR STRANGE: Wes Craven, David S. Goyer and Neil Gaiman were involved or asked to work on scripts. Craven (Scream 1-4, Nightmare On Elm Street), Stephen Norrington (Blade) and Guillermo del Toro (Blade 2, Pacific Rim, Hellboy) were in talks or attached to direct at some point. Johnny Depp's name had been bounded around as a possible lead wanted by del Toro. Recently Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, War Horse, Star Trek 2, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Javier Bardem have been linked for the project. Marvel hired Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer (Cowboys And Aliens, Conan The Barbarian) who seemly developed a screenplay the studio was happy with. The film is without a director but back in August the studio put the script out to prospective directors. It was also reported that Strange could be apart of Marvel's small-budget experiment ($20-40 million range). There had a been a hint to Strange with an item in Odin's Vault. It would be interesting to see Marvel move into the mystical world which somewhat similar to the cosmic world of Thor. A character like Scarlet Witch could easily slide into a movie like this.

BLACK PANTHER: Years ago John Singleton had been approached to direct. Documentarian Mark Bailey was hired by Marvel to pen a script. Wesley Snipes (pre-Blade/jail), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Idris Elba have been linked for the role of T'Challa. In Iron Man 2, a small Easter Egg pointed to Panther's fictional African country Wakanda on a SHIELD map pointing out the locations of "Meta-Humans". I think that along with Strange, Black Panther could be so different from the other movies they'd be worth making. Considering Panther would be set in a futuristic and technically advanced mysterious country steeped in tribal traditions on Earth. Wakanda is technologically superior to most developed nations rich in natural resources, particularly the rare metal vibranium which Cap's shield is made up of. T’Challa is a rigorously trained gymnast and acrobat, showing mastery in various African martial arts as well as contemporary ones and fighting styles that belong to no known disciplines. Not to mention an superior intelligence equal to Reed Richards or Tony Stark.

IRON FIST: Ray Park (X-Men, G.I. Joe 1-2) had been wanted for the lead when the film was originally announced. A year or so ago Richard Wilkes (xXx) was hired to write a script. It's possible that the film will take influence from The Immortal Iron Fist series which had two Iron Fists (Daniel Rand and Orson Randall). Plunging his fists into the molten heart of the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying infused the dragon’s superhuman energy into Rand; this along with training by Lei Kung the Thunderer gave Rand the power of the Iron Fist, allowing him to summon and focus his chi (or natural energy) and enhance his natural abilities to extraordinary levels. His strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes and senses can all be astronomically intensified, making his already formidable martial arts skills even more so.

LUKE CAGE: Originally the film had a script from Ben Ramsey (The Big Hit) with John Singleton set to direct. Singleton wanted Diamondback, Chemistro and The Wrecking Crew as the film's villains. Actors Jamie Foxx, Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne Johnson, Isaiah Mustafa and Idris Elba were all linked for the lead role with Terrance Howard once wanted for the villain Diamondback. Wrongly sent to prison and in order to get early parole, Luke submitted himself to an experiment that gave him superhuman strength and impervious skin.

NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER: At one point Namor was about to get his own film with Universal Pictures hiring Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3, Surrogates, U-571) to write and direct. The studio would later hire screenwriter David Self (Road To Perdition, Wolf Man, God of War) to pen a script. Self was also involved with Captain America: The First Avenger and an adaptation of Deathlok. Prince Namor is half-human and half-Atlantiean along with being the first mutant in the Marvel universe. He's best known for his war-time comics alongside Captain America in The Invaders and his solo adventures against the Germans/Japanese during WWII. Actors such as ex-professional diver Jason Statham (Expendables 1-2), Dwayne Johnson (G.I. Joe 2, Pain And Gain, Fast Five/Six), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, Hulk, Angel, 24, Hawaii Five-0) and David Boreanaz (Buffy, Angel, Bones) have been linked for the role. It was rumored that he would show up in Captain America (didn't) along with the upcoming Iron Man 3 (likely not). Kevin Feige hasn't mentioned that Namor is back at Marvel but I assume that the rights have or will revert because the film was never made. However, Namor with Black Panther was teased in Iron Man 2 as apart of the "Meta-Human" map.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: Guardians could very well end up becoming Marvel's first completely cosmic focused feature with the entire film set entirely in outer space and on alien planets. The lineup has been confirmed as Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Groot and Rocket Racoon. Nova and Adam Warlock are likely apart of the team as well or supporting heroes. While a writer hasn't been named I wouldn't be surprised to see J. Michael Straczynski involved in some way. Straczynski wrote the two Fantastic Four films, credited on Thor (also had a cameo), created Babylon 5 and helped adapt Word War Z.

INHUMANS: The Inhumans has been talked up as a potential new X-Men-like franchise for Marvel Studios. The lineup would likely include Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, Crystal, Gorgon and Triton. The comic tells the story of a group of beings who were the result of experiments by the alien species Kree to create a race of super soldiers. The aliens abandoned their test subjects, and the “inhuman” mutants formed their own society.

BLADE: Since the Blade rights (that New Line Cinema held) reverted back to Marvel there have been rumblings that the studio had been searching for a new actor to play the Day Walker. Nothing has been officially announced and since the graphic nature of the series they'd have to create an R-rated shingle for the new film to be even possible. The Marvel Studios brand is attributed to family friendly features so a new company might be needed. I would assume they would bring back the Marvel Knights company name to release adult geared films like Blade and Punisher (also back with Marvel). Idris Elba (Thor, Prometheus, Pacific Rim) has mentioned that he'd love a shot at playing the anti-hero.

BLACK WIDOW: David Hayter (Watchmen, X-Men 1-2) wrote a Black Widow film that he was expected to direct back when the rights were at Lionsgate. A bunch of female driven action films bombed which put the final nail in the project's coffin. The rights reverted back to Marvel and they decided she would better suited as the female member of the Avengers. In the film her backstory was slightly touched upon including her relationship with Hawkeye. There seems to be enough richness to her background as an assassin giving reason a film of her origin would be worthwhile. Johansson has stated she'd want a Black Widow movie similar to the Bourne franchise.

NICK FURY/SHIELD: Andrew W. Marlowe (Air Force One) wrote a treatment for a SHIELD film a while back but nothing come of it. Captain America actor Neal McDonough (Dum Dum Dugan) stated that he would be reprising his role in a 70's set SHIELD film alongside Samuel L. Jackson (Fury). However, without an official announcement from Marvel it's hard to take the actor on his word. He very well could be talking about Captain America 2 which will have a large SHIELD presence and will hopefully answer some questions with flashbacks. Like what happened to the Howling Commandos, Bucky and Peggy.

WAR MACHINE: Since January 2011 there has been talk of a War Machine spin-off which actor Don Cheadle confirmed. It's expected that after Iron Man 3 Robert will be taking a rather lengthy break from Iron Man. It would allow War Machine pick up the slack in a solo film between Iron Man 3 and Iron Man 4. War Machine did lead the Iron Legion which was a group of suited loyal Stark employees and friends.

HAWKEYE: Oddly enough a Hawkeye film has been in development before he was even added to the Avengers lineup and placed in Thor as a cameo. It's doubtful Hawkeye will be anymore than just a supporting character in the Marvel film universe. Since he is slightly more useful as a secondary character in a SHIELD franchise or the partner of Black Widow in her film. That said, Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker, MI4, The Town) is slowly building himself up as a franchise actor. He'll be starring in the Bourne spin-off The Bourne Legacy, the fairy tale action comedy Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters and possibly Mission: Impossible 5.

Other possible future projects include Ka-Zar, Power Pack, Dazzler, Vision, Nighthawk and Killraven.

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.

Fantastic New Avengers Poster Finally Puts The Team Together

Marvel Studios To Make Three Films A Year?

Marvel Studios has always stated their mantra would be one film at a time. It looks like the studio could end up making three superhero films in 2012 which includes Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and Captain America 2. Thor 2 and Iron Man 3 being the first in the studio's history to have overlapping productions. Having a juggernaut like Disney behind them they can finance films quicker than previously.

If this process is indeed going to be Marvel's new model. I wouldn't be shocked to see Nicky Fury, Doctor Strange and Ant-Man end up in the 2013 shooting block for the studio. Of course nothing is set in stone here and the Captain America sequel hasn't even been officially announced. Other Marvel movies currently in development include Black Widow, Hawkeye, Inhumans, Black Panther and Iron Fist.

Thor 2 Production Moved Up To This Spring

Marvel has a slew of projects about to go into production in 2012. Reportedly Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and Captain America 2 are all shooting within the year. The production start for Thor 2 has been sort of a mystery since it's gone from fall to early/late summer. Tom Hiddleston now tells the BelfastTelegraph that it will begin shooting in London this spring. It's going to be an interesting experiment for both Iron Man and Thor sequels to be shooting at the same time. 

New Avengers Image Scans From Empire

Clear Look At Hawkeye & New Black Widow Costumes

JustJared has posted new Avengers set images. I haven't been posting many of the Avengers set photos mainly because a majority of them are spoiler filled. These new ones are more costume based and show off the looks of Hawkeye and Black Widow.

Screengrabs From Avengers Teaser Trailer

A Better Look At Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye Costume In Avengers

Avengers Promo Poster Features Hawkeye & Modern Cap Costume

Someone was able to nab this cellphone pic of an Avengers promotional poster at the Licencing Expo. It's likely artwork for the Hasbro toyline as it's similar to the Thor and Captain America art that leaked last year. It does however give us a first look at Hawkeye in his Avengers costume. Along with updated looks for both Captain America and Iron Man. I'm unclear if the Iron Man armor seen in the image will actually be on screen. It's interesting to see the group together even if it's only toy promotional artwork.

The Comic-Con presence for Marvel Studios is said to be muted this year. As there will not be a promotion for Avengers. I would like to think the studio could put together a second teaser trailer just in time for Captain America.

Origins Of Black Widow & Hawkeye

While we've seen brief scenes with Black Widow (Johansson) and Hawkeye (Renner) in recent Marvel films most don't know their origins. WatchMojo has put together two interesting origin videos for both Natasha and Clint giving us a bit of insight of their back stories which could be seen in Avengers or their solo films.

I personally hope they expand Widow's gadgets and her fighting abilities. Since we won't be seeing Hawkeye's classic costume I'd like that they give him his sky-cycle. It would make sense since the helicarrier is making Avengers and is similar tech from Stark Industries.

Marvel's Kevin Feige Talks Black Widow, Hawkeye & S.H.I.E.L.D Films

During a Thor interview with ThePlaylist Kevin Feige gives a bit more insight into Marvel Studios' spin-offs in development. The long talked about S.H.I.E.L.D film is mentioned along with bigger talk of Black Widow and Hawkeye solo films. I still think Widow and Hawkeye should be a team-up film instead of solo movies but you never know with Marvel.

"There’s no definitive plans, but we have started talking and talking with Scarlett about what a Widow movie could be. Internally we’ve also started thinking what a ‘Hawkeye’ movie could be, how we could continue to explore the organization [which Samuel Jackson‘s Nick Fury leads] S.H.I.E.L.D, which has a pretty big part in ‘Thor,’ smaller parts in the two ‘Iron Man’ films and has a giant part in ‘The Avengers.’ [So it’s like], what would a stand-alone “S.H.I.E.L.D.” be like? It all goes back to the comics. Sometimes the answer is—when looking at a certain run of issues— ‘no way’ and sometimes the answer is ‘maybe, let’s continue to explore it’ and certainly with Hawkeye and Black Widow those are two that we’re exploring."

Kevin also said that the next lineup for the 2013-2014 schedule will be announced later this summer which could mean Comic-Con in July. It's unknown if Marvel will have a second film released in 2012. However it's known that Iron Man 3 is set for May 3rd 2013. The list of possible films include Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Iron Fist and Luke Cage (Power Man). Sequels and spin-offs could also be candidates.

Kevin Feige Talks Post-Avengers Plans, Confirms Thor & Cap Sequels

It won't be until Comic-Con that we'll actually get the actually next line up of films but Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige is talking post-Avengers plans with IGN. It sounds like Kevin and Marvel have enough films in the works to keep fans happy for the next ten years.


CAPTAIN AMERICA 2: The film will be set in modern times but very well could have WWII flashback scenes. As writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus have talked about including a few more WWII scenes in the sequel. Hydra is likely to be back with possible villains Baron von Strucker, Madame Hydra and Zemo. With Sebastian Stans' contract to be in bunch of Marvel films I expect we will see a transformation from Bucky to Winter Soldier. Zemo being a mantle villain it would be nice to see a mantle hero like Union Jack also involved with the sequel.


THOR 2: Not much known here as it was just confirmed the sequel is happening. Hopefully it will be more realm focused as there a bunch of villains and mythology to explore off-Midgard (Earth). Fellow Asgardians Balder and Valkyrie have yet to be introduced along with Dark Elves, Rock Trolls and other villainous creatures. The world of Thor is rich and might be the first step for Marvel to expand our concepts of the superhero genre.

BLACK WIDOW: David Hayter (X-Men, X2) wrote a Black Widow script and was aiming to direct when it was setup at Lionsgate but was eventually scrapped. It's unknown where the project is at the moment but there is more talk of this spin-off than the others. Johansson is game as mentioned at last year's Comic-Con.

HAWKEYE: There have been plans for a Hawkeye film for years and now that Jeremy Renner is in place for the role they can finally move forward with it. I'm not sure if there was ever a script developed but I wouldn't be shocked. Personally I'd rather see a Widow/Hawkeye team-up film as they'd work better as team than in solo projects.

S.H.I.E.L.D: This one has been teased since we first got a glimpse of Nick Fury in Iron Man. It seemed that with a script by Andrew W. Marlowe (Air Force One) kicking around for years it would go soon. While it's expected Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg and Cobie Smulders will be in this it's unknown if other currently cast Marvel heroes will also appear.


IRON FIST: Unlike Strange and Panther which have been in development for almost the same amount of time they actually have someone in mind for the lead. Ray Park had been attached and is still interested in the role. He's currently getting ready to return as Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe 2. Marvel recently set Rich Wilkes (xXx) to work on the film's script and is likely to be based on The Immortal run of the character being more of a martial arts film.

DOCTOR STRANGE: The only real news on this front is that Marvel has hired Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to start writing the script. The two are responsible for the Conan reboot and likely involved with it's sequel. While Patrick Dempsey (Scream 3, Transformers 3) has been campaigning to play mystical hero.


BLACK PANTHER: Wesley Snipes had been in talks with Marvel for the role but with his troubles it's unlikely that will happen. Actors like Michael Jai White (Spawn, Dark Knight), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (G.I. Joe, The Thing) and Idris Elba (Thor, Ghost Rider 2) have been in the mix for T'Challa. Mark Bailey is currently writing the script. 


ANT-MAN: This one wasn't called out by Kevin but it's assumed with a script and director in place it will be down the production line sooner than later. There was also zero talk of Luke Cage, War Machine or Sub-Mariner.

UKNOWN-COSMIC FILM: There hasn't been a full on confirmation of which one of the cosmic epics Marvel could be working on. I would love to think this is a Silver Surfer movie but it's more than likely Killraven or World War Hulk.

FIRST LOOK: Jeremy Renner As Hawkeye In Thor

While some may assume this a spoiler we don't get a great look at his face and it's expected Clint Barton (Hawkeye) played by Jeremy Renner actually has a larger role in Thor than was previously expected.