Empire Reveals Their IRON MAN 3 Cover

BIG RUMOR: Could Jon Favreau Direct JURASSIC PARK 4?

This one isn't very solid but according to an exchange (over the phone) between a Jurassic Park forum poster and the Universal Canada office confirmed that Jon Favreau is directing Jurassic Park 4. It sounds like a incredible goof on the person answering the phone but could be completely false as well. Then again I'm not so sure the Canadian offices would be getting many calls like that in the first place and know how to handle it. Allowing information like that to accidentally slip out could be a possibility. Frank Marshall denied the rumor via Twitter but denials don't always mean an actual no these days. Take with a grain of salt because a director should be announced anytime now. The movie has a release date of June 2014 and should begin production by Summer.



I don't entirely believe the source of the rumor but Favreau could be a strong contender now that Matt Reeves, Duncan Jones and J.J. Abrams are busy with other projects. Jon Favreau has been working on his Magic Kingdom film for ages and even threw his hat into the ring for Star Wars. He sounds like he wants another crack at a franchise and Jurassic Park seems oddly perfect for him. Elf became an instant family friendly Christmas classic. While Iron Man is still considered one the best Marvel action flicks. If he could do for dinos that he did for Tony Stark we could be in for a real treat. Favreau does have a bit of connection to Spielberg having him as a producer on Cowboys And Aliens which was also setup at Universal. Jon had been attached to direct John Carter during it's days setup at Paramount before exiting to focus on Iron Man (Carter's rights reverted back to Disney).

J.J. Abrams Still Producing STAR TREK 3 And MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5

According to Variety Paramount has confirmed that Bad Robot and J.J. Abrams will be involved with both Star Trek 3 and Mission: Impossible 5. While his role as director for Star Trek 3 is unlikely it hasn't been mentioned that a search for a new director has begun. Christopher McQuarrie is being looked for MI5 while Star Trek 3 is only in development phase without a completed script.

THR adds that Abrams can move Disney's purposed Summer 2015 release date for Episode VII. Which means depending on the project's development it could be released earlier or later. I have to assume that a new Star Wars film would need at least a year for artists to put together set designs, action sequences and alien concepts. We should be expecting a little more than just a green-screen production this time around.

In theory, he could choose to hold off the release of the next Star Wars until 2016. Perhaps, giving him all the time needed to be involved with pre-production on Episode VII along with a small window to make Star Trek 3. At the very least helping Paramount find a new director and continue creative choices as producer. It wouldn't be shocking to see a director like Jon Favreau (Iron Man) or Drew Goddard (Cabin In The Woods) coming in to pickup the baton.

Chris Pine Open To Joining STAR WARS EPISODE VII?

In January, LucasFilm will make an announcement concerning Star Wars Episode VII (director). However, while we've heard about old cast memebers like Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Samuel L. Jackson and Ewan McGregor open to returning. We haven't heard much in the way of new faces for the film. Actor Chris Pine was asked by Empire (via CBM) if he'd be interested in having a role in the new Star Wars franchise. Pine states he's already committed to three Star Trek films but says there is room for both. Abrams in the same interview says there were early talks to direct the new films and confirms again he ultimately bowed out.

"I'm committed to three. That's the contract I signed. And as far as I know, everyone else is in the same situation. But there's obviously room for both Star Trek and Star Wars," he added. "We both have plenty of things to offer sci-fi. But I'm not saying any more that that! There are more than enough Star Wars stories around at the moment!" 

It's possible he could do both considering Star Trek 3 is still currently only in early development stages with it's script. Reports claim that pre-production on Episode VII will begin in the Spring, so casting will likely we starting soon. The writers for Star Trek 3 are currently busy with other scripts, so it's possible Pine could shoot Episode VII before Trek 3 even has a finished script. Chris has previously been linked for post-Star Trek leads in Akira (now dead) and was a contender for Captain America (Joe Johnston, a rumored candidate to direct Ep. VII). Most recently taking up the Jack Ryan mantel in the new untitled Kenneth Branagh (Thor) directed movie. We've seen actors take on multiple franchise roles most famously Harrison Ford who took on iconic parts as Jack Ryan (Pine plays him in the new film), Han Solo and Indiana Jones. So having Pine play a bunch of roles in high-profile projects isn't exactly a stretch.

David Fincher And Jon Favreau Contenders To Direct STAR WARS EPISODE VII?

Deadline seems to have put a bit of wrench in the recent comments from actor Jason Flemyng teasing that Matthew Vaughn had landed the job of directing a new Star Wars film. They say that David Fincher (Fight Club, Alien 3, Social Network, Seven) is "game" to make the film along with Jon Favreau (Iron Man) "panting after this job". It will be interesting to see if this effects the two large projects the directors have already setup with Disney. Fincher is developing a remake of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea with Brad Pitt possibly being looked at for the lead. Favreau is also trying to put together a larger than life live-action film based on the Magic Kingdom theme park which would be similar to Night At The Museum.

We already know that Favreau has links to ILM working them on both Iron Man films and Cowboys And Aliens. He also voiced a character for ILM's Clone Wars cartoon and is a die-hard Star Wars fan. ThePlaylist points out that LucasFilm head Kathleen Kennedy produced Fincher's Benjamin Button which means he's had a working relationship with Kathy. Not to mention Fincher worked on Return of The Jedi and Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom. Kennedy has previously stated that they were looking at people they've worked previously and Fincher seems like a candidate having similar roots that Joe Johnston has.

Shea Whigham Joins THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Deadline reports that character actor Shea Whigham has joined Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. Shea is best known for his role in HBO's Boardwalk Empire but has had roles in films such as Sliver Linings Playbook, Savages, Take Shelter, Knight of Cups and Machete. The thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Kyle Chandler (Zero Dark Thirty), Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bernthal (Walking Dead), Jon Favreau and Margot Robbie (Pan Am).

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

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

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

Jon Favreau Joins 'IDENTITY THEFT'

ShowBlitz reports that actor turned director Jon Favreau (Swingers, Iron Man) will join the cast of Identity Theft. It seems that pre-production on Jon's next directorial effort Disney's Magic Kingdom has stalled allowing him to take a supporting role. The comedy from director Seth Gordon which stars Jason Bateman and Oscar nominated comedian Melissa McCarthy. Gordon's first fray into feature films was last year's comedy hit Horrible Bosses which seemed to be the first funny performance from Jason Bateman in years. It should be interesting to see who else will fill out the cast. Oddly enough, the very unfunny Amanda Peet (known for box office comedy bombs) is also involved, so this movie could go either way.

Kevin Feige Says Marvel Can Use Scarlet Witch In 'AVENGERS' Films

We've previously heard from Iron Man Jon Favreau that he originally wanted Scarlett Johansson to play the magical powered Avengers character Scarlet Witch in Iron Man 2. However, issues arose that had Scarlett placed in the role of Black Widow instead. This seemed enough presidency to give the folks over at Marvel Studios the right to use the character in their films considering she had been a loyal member of the Avengers team for decades. Not to mention her love interest Vision is also apart of the Avengers. There had been questions if Fox indeed owned Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver outright because of their mutant origin and the fact they are the children of Magneto. Marvel's Kevin Feige cleared things up a bit to HeyUGuys during the UK promotion of Avengers. He also sighted the ownership of the Skrulls, where Fox owns the Super Skrull while the rest race belongs to Marvel. What  these characters would look like in a Marvel Studios film is another story.

"If they want to use them in an X-Men movie they could, if we want to use them in an Avengers movie we could."

Shane Black Talks Villains & Casting For Iron Man 3

Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Lethal Weapon) the director and co-writer of Iron Man 3 was speaking at the Long Beach Comic-Con (via ComicBookResources). He gave up brief details on the third installment which included one villain that won't be included along with who will be returning.

Mandarin is a villain Black doesn't want to see included as he's "a racist caricature". Which might be a shock to Jon Faverau who originally wanted to use him. Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle are expected to reprise their supporting roles. He also stated the film won't be focused on The Avengers or Easter eggs.

Could Scarlet Witch Become An Asgardian In Thor 2?

We've been hearing a bit on the progress of Thor 2 but nothing concerning villains or new characters. It's been reported that we could see the cast of Asgardians double. So that means we could see at least six new characters in the sequel. One character that's been knocked around since Iron Man 2 is Scarlet Witch.

Yes, in the comics she is a mutant and the daughter of Magneto. However, she's been more active in The Avengers and West Coast Avengers comics and has magic based powers. This might exclude her from the X-Men/Fox deal and that she very well show up in Marvel Studios' films. Previously director Jon Favreau had Scarlett Johansson in mind for the part when Witch was originally included in Iron Man 2.  Emily Blunt vacated the Black Widow role which was filled by Johansson leading to the character to be cut from the film. I don't think Kevin Feige would have even allowed Jon to play with the idea unless they actually have control of the character. I could see the studio making Witch an Asgardian since it's a good way to reinvent the character for the screen.

It wouldn't be the first time Marvel has reinvented a character to fit their Cinematic Universe. Bucky Barnes, Black Widow, Whiplash, Justin Hammer, Jane Foster and Thor have all had their characters retooled to fit the films so it wouldn't be shocking to see it happen again. My thought is that Scarlet could end up being one of the many new Asgardians in Thor 2. Thor's rogues gallery is full and colorful his group of cohorts is somewhat unbalanced. The amount of villains out weights the group of allies and friends, considering the scale of this fantasy world. We should expect characters like Balder (The Brave), Amora (The Enchantress), Skurge (The Executioner) and Brunhilde (Valkyrie) but the impression I get is that we could see the studio give us even more. Scarlet is also a prolific member of the Avengers so she could make an excellent addition to the mostly male lineup.

If I had to choose someone to play the heroine it would be Ruth Wilson who is best known from the BBC series Luther and The Prisoner mini-series. She's also attached for the female lead in Disney's The Lone Ranger alongside Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer.

Jon Favreau Wants Happy Hogan To Become The Freak In Iron Man 3

During the HeroComplex (via ComicBookMovie) film festival over the weekend there was a Q&A with Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. Robert was jokingly vocal about the biggest sticking point for Iron Man 3 being Jon Faverau's date rate to reprise Happy Hogan. Jon didn't sound opposed to the idea and wanted to see Happy exlpore his own impact on both Tony Stark and Iron Man. Hogan eventually marries Pepper and for a time becomes a villain known as The Freak.
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RDJ: Here’s the first thing I want to say. The most difficult part of making Iron Man 3 is going to be negotiating Jon Favreau’s acting deal.

Favreau: If The Freak isn’t in it, I’m not doing it. If Happy Hogan doesn’t turn into The Freak, I’m not doing it. Here’s what happens to Happy Hogan, he marries Pepper Potts…

RDJ: Wait a minute, you want both?

Favreau: I want a love scene with Pepper Potts with my shirt on and I want to transform into The Freak.

Favreau also revealed his thoughts on writer/director Shane Black continuing the franchise. Shane actually gave advise a few times in past to both Robert and Jon.

RDJ: - The negotiations have begun and so far I’m in agreement on every point. Well Shane, interestingly enough, there was a point when Jon and I were stuck on an idea [with a previous film]. We were just in an exploratory phase. So I said, ‘We should talk to Shane.’ And I was like, ‘Shane, we can’t really pay.’ And he was like, ‘Bring me some salmon and some blueberries.’ And we went to Yoda’s house in Miracle Mile and it wound up coming in handy, particularly for a couple scenes. So what I can say about this kind of circle of life thing is Shane, as he’s getting into the process [to direct Iron Man 3] and getting his sea legs and stuff, he goes, ‘When can we talk to Jon?’ So there’s going to be this kind of conglomerate of efforts.

 

Favreau: And I love the franchise and I’m a big fan of Shane’s as well so hopefully I can be helpful because I want to see this thing grow and transform. And actually, when it finally landed on Shane, it was like, ‘All right, that’s gonna be something interesting.’ Especially because it’s gonna be so difficult for whoever does that one because although it’s Iron Man 3, the whole Avengers thing…I guess in comics you can say that it’s an individual storyline and you can break it off into a group. But in movies, it’s hard not to take into consideration what just happened. What are you gonna say? ‘They all just lost their cell phones and you can’t get help?’ So it’s going to take a lot of ingenuity to make it make sense to a mainstream film audience as well as a comic book audience.

5 Candidates To Take Over Iron Man 3

Now that it's been confirmed by Jon Favreau himself that he is not returning for Iron Man 3 to focus on Disney's Magic Kingdom. Could Disney favorites Andrew Stanton (John Carter of Mars) and Joseph Kosinski (Tron Legacy) be hired to replace him? Other possibilities could include Marvel directors on the current payroll like Edgar Wright or Joss Whedon. To bring a new vision and blood to the franchise Marvel might want to look at some of the following directors.

MY TOP CHOICES

Ruben Fleischer is my personal choice to enter the world of Iron Man and re-tool it. If the studio is serious in bringing in new blood they'll get Ruben to bring the perfect balance of comedy and action. His smash hit Zombieland has lead to studios like Warner Bros. to offer him their big period crime film Tales From The Gangster Squad . If Marvel is looking to get this guy on the cheap now is the time. Ruben is currently finishing up on the adrenaline fueled comedy 30 Minutes Or Less. Production on Zombieland 2 is expect to start shooting sometime this fall/winter.






Ben Affleck is gaining praise for his recent work on The Town and it's rightly deserved. Affleck proved himself as an excellent director back when he made Gone Baby Gone. He's been offered high profile directing gigs over at Warner Bros. with the Superman reboot and Gangster Squad. While he's directed mostly dramatic films he got his start in comedy. Starring in such classics like Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy and Mallrats. He  played a comic book artist in Chasing Amy so I think that's enough geek credit. Including his decent portrayal of Daredevil (in a sloppy written/directed film) opposite Jon Favreau.

Another Ben that comes to mind is Ben Stiller, yes that Ben. Stiller has come into his own with directorial efforts Zoolander and Tropic Thunder. The latter which earned Robert Downey Jr.'s recent Oscar nomination. Ben like Edgar could double as writer and director saving Marvel some money on a screenwriter. Hopefully Stiller would stay behind the camera a mistake Favreau made during Iron Man 2. His character Happy Hogan was charming in the first film but became a large distraction in the sequel.

Matt Reeves best known for his work on Cloverfield could very well be another excellent candidate. He's been in contention for directing duties on both Wolverine 2 and Superman: Man of Steel. He's been able to impress a lot of people with his remake of Let The Right One In (Let Me In). Ending up a compliment to the original rather than a horrible mistake. Reeves visual style screams Marvel if he doesn't get the gig Kevin Feige needs to consider him for other properties.





David Gordon Green might not seem like a likely choice but he's been able to double as director talented in both comedy and drama. One of his first films Snow Angels was a deep dramatic piece. It wasn't until he jumped into directing the Seth Rogen comedy Pineapple Express that we really got see his wild side. I believe like Ruben, David would be able to bring that different vision to the Iron Man world and give it the much needed face-lift. He's putting the finishing touches on his epic stoner fantasy/comedy Your Highness which uses lots of practical and digital effects. So he wouldn't be new to the world of the green-screen and pre-visualization.

MARVEL UPDATES: Jon Favreau Not Directing Iron Man 3 & Pepper Not In Avengers

Vulture has learned that Jon Favreau has passed on directing Iron Man 3 for Marvel Studios. The site claims that Jon was frustrated over the studios' insistence to cram more of their heroes into the next film. One of the biggest hindrance of Iron Man 2 was the fact audiences has to endure over saturation of Marvel Easter eggs. From the pointless Captain America shield scene to the one to many Nick Fury appearances. While I doubt Iron Man 2 will be his last Marvel property I do expect him never to do another Iron Man. Of course this has yet to be confirmed by either Marvel/Disney or the director himself.

Jon is now branching out his genre brush with Cowboys & Aliens mixing science fiction with the classic western.  I'd love to see Jon tackle some hybrid Marvel heroes like Iron Fist, Black Panther and even Dr. Strange in the future. Now that Iron Man 3 is without a director I'm curious if they'll still be aiming for the May 2013 release date.

As expected Gwyneth Paltrow has confirmed that her character Pepper Potts will not be appearing in The Avengers. It's been mentioned previously that neither Jim Rhodes (War Machine) or Pepper Potts would be included in the Avengers films. Making perfect sense as not to over crowd the budding new franchise and to leave the Iron Man films somewhat separate.

Jon Favreau Says Iron Man 3 Is Sequel To Other Marvel Films

We know in the Marvel time-line that Iron Man 2 is set just before the events of The Incredible Hulk then comes Thor, Captain America and Avengers. Jon Favreau admits to MTV that Iron Man 3 will be sequel to ll those films essentially expanding the world setup in Avengers.

 The Marvel film universe is expansive where all the characters owned by Marvel/Disney can interact and share villains. I assume this means we could see other "meta-humans" involved in the third film like Cap, Hulk or Thor.



"In theory, 'Iron Man 3' is going to be a sequel or continuation of 'Thor,' 'Hulk,' 'Captain America' and 'Avengers,'" he said. "This whole world... I have no idea what it is. I don't think they do either, from conversations I've had with those guys." 


MY THOUGHTS:

The only other tidbits of information we know is that Favreau is keen on using the Mandarin which would include the Ten Rings as the film's villains. Hopefully this means we could see Mandarin developing his own suits like Fing Fang Foom. Having a villainous group similar to Hydra for Iron Man could be great for the series. An established group of villains would be better than scrambling like they did with Justin Hammer and Whiplash.

If they were to include one other villain I'd love to see Ghost. He's an interesting character that could be very visually stunning if done properly. Plus it doesn't hurt that the character's suit is super-stealthy which could help him gather Stark's blueprints for the Iron Man technology and new power source.


Emily Blunt, who was originally in line to play Black Widow might have a role in the film. It would be expected she'd play either Whitey Frost or Scarlet Witch. Favreau was going to cast Scarlett Johansson in the Witch role before Blunt left the film. I wouldn't be surprised to see the two switch roles. I'm not sure if Witch is under the control of Fox considering her extensive appearances in Avengers and West Coast Avengers comics.


While I like the idea of seeing Cap and Thor in an Iron Man film they don't really need to be in it. I expect we'll end up seeing the Iron Legion which could be Stark's own personal branch of SHIELD/Avengers. Rhodey put together a group of trusted Stark employees and friends to pilot old Iron Man suits. I wouldn't be surprised to see Pepper's Rescue along with Bethany Cabe representing the female side of the group.

POSTER: Cowboys & Aliens

Iron Man 3 Coming May 3rd 2013

Disney, Marvel and Paramount have announced the release date of Iron Man 3. It will hit theaters on May 3rd 2013 and is the first official confirmation of the third film. It's expected we'll see the return of both Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau. I hope they end up focusing on Stark and not cameos/easter eggs and setups for future films. There has been talk of Emily Blunt taking role in the film since she had been originally cast in the Black Widow role.

RUMOR: Emily Blunt A Villain In Iron Man 3?

TheDailyMail reports that Marvel Studios is trying to land British star Emily Blunt to play the villain in Iron Man 3. While it's being reported by a gossip magazine from Britain it's not that impossible. Blunt had to jump ship on Iron Man 2 when Fox called up her contract and left the role of Black Widow. Emily has always been vocal on wanting to be involved in the Iron Man/Marvel universe in the future. She also tested for the role of Peggy Carter in Captain America.

Iron Man 3 is on Marvel's to-do-list but it seems like it won't be priority until both Avengers and Runaways are done production. Yet it's expected the studio will move quickly on the third film in the billion dollar franchise. While they don't name the villainous role here is a rundown of possible candidates.




Madame Masque: Whitney Frost (Giulietta Nefaria) the daughter of Avengers super villain Count Nefaria. She often has conflicted loyalties between her father and her lover, Iron Man. Frost seems the the best bet out of the bunch since she's been rumored since Iron Man 2.

Spider-Woman: Jessica Drew is a Hydra assassin who becomes reformed and joins SHIELD, later becoming a member of the Avengers.

Madame Hydra/Viper: Ophelia Sarkissian is one of the leading members of Hydra. While originally a Captain America villain she could be introduced in Iron Man. It's unknown if Fox owns the character since her involvement with the Hellfire Club (X-Men) and being the ex-wife of Wolverine.

Crimson Cowl: Justine Hammer the daughter of Justin Hammer. The least likely of the bunch but Whiplash was used while he was very obscure as well.

First Look: Daniel Craig In Cowboys & Aliens

Abigail Spencer Joins Cowboys & Aliens

Abigail Spencer from Mad Men has officially joined Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens. The impressive cast already includes Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell and Paul Dano.