Sony Rumored To Have Allowed SPIDER-MAN To Be Apart Of AVENGERS INFINITY WAR

He's just your friendly intergalactic Spider-Man.

There's been some clear signs post-Amazing Spider-Man 2 that the franchise is in real creative trouble and Sony Japan the people who pay the bills at Sony Pictures want things fixed soon. The company has been losing billions in most divisions and the studio isn't making huge strides compared to competitors like 20th Century Fox, Paramount or Disney.

Before the Sony email hacking leaks there had been chatter of Marvel and Sony getting together for a Spidey summit in January. The studio division was being pressured by Sony Japan to work something out with Marvel to obviously help the dwindling franchise which is seeing it's box office decrease with each installment.

We since had been trying to figure-out what was legit and what was bullshit from the Sony email leaks as many stories/rumors started flooding the film news cycle.

Goodbye Andrew.

Stories started coming out like Sony wanting to reboot Spider-Man a second time without actor Andrew Garfield who would be seemingly recast. Talk of his firing become a heated topic but a likelihood considering of the piss-poor job the films had been doing.

This had been a story over at Badass Digest even before the leak, suggesting that Sinister Six would be the film Sony would reboot the franchise. I have to assume this is a serious possibility and might be the end of Garfield as Peter Parker.

There was even talk that the studio would want to bring Parker back to high school and would mean a much younger actor would be replacing Garfield in the role.

22 Jump Street directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were linked to three different Spider-Man film projects including an animated film, replacing Marc Webb for Amazing Spider-Man 3 and being on Sony producer's wish-list to direct the reboot. It looked very likely the pair could be taking over the franchise soon.

The Russo Brothers pitched producing this new film to Sony and was chatter of Marvel Studios stepping-in to handle it's production. The Russos just released Captain America: The Winter Soldier last year, are about to being production on Captain America: Civil War and are apparently set to direct Avengers Infinity War. If Spider-Man is apart of the latter film, it could make sense to see them produce solo films in the future.

All things I'm sure fans would love to see happen but most of these ideas haven't been exactly confirmed by any recent reports.

Game on!

According to Latin Review, Sony has reached some sort agreement with Marvel and Spidey could indeed be apart of the lineup in Avengers Infinity War Part 1.  It had been said earlier that Sony missed it's window to have Parker a major player in Captain America: Civil War.

I won't to go into detail about their reasoning why Spider-Man is in the film but there are some extensive spoilers for Phase Three films within that write-up. Be warned, most of the films will be spoiled if you click-on and read Latino Review's story.

However, I can add which characters Latino Review believe are possibilities to appear in the film. They include Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Black Panther, Doc Strange, Ant-Man, Wasp, Captain Marvel, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Old/New Inhumans, Guardians of The Galaxy and any other cosmic characters. Oh, and Spider-Man.

I assume in the films leading-up to Infinity War we'll see the rise of Thanos with him getting his hands on all the infinity stones along with the gauntlet. As seen in the teaser footage for the film at the Marvel event back in October he will end-up getting these cosmic weapons.

This is a good move on the part of Sony as it raises the profile of the character and makes him cohesive to the wildly successful Marvel cinematic universe. Having Marvel getting involved is a huge bonus since they've been able to figure-out how best to use their characters cinematically.

Marvel has already shown how they could incorporate this character into their universe via The Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series. Establishing the young hero as apart of the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. with Director Nick Fury as his mentor.

I'm curious if the cartoon will influence any of the direction Marvel will go with their take on Spider-Man.

The only draw-back I could see is that Sony asking Marvel to make their Spider-Man films in the future could slow-down the Marvel movie slate which we just saw bumped-up to three a year starting in 2017.

Then again, this is a rumor and could very well turn out not to be the case, so keep that in mind.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

Kevin Feige Rumored To Attend SPIDER-MAN Summit And Why I Don't Buy Russos Directing Reboot

Unproven site ScreenGonzo is claiming to have a "scoop" concerning Sony's Spider-Man reboot and the summit taking place in January. They go on to say that Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige will be there and will want to see Avi Arad removed from the franchise. Feige being there to workout a deal with Sony for shared rights to the character, and their help producing a new trilogy. Avi has been seen as the real problem creatively with the franchise, and his unwillingness to take suggestions from filmmakers. We've heard that Webb kept hitting walls with the producer, when his input was unwanted during production. Marvel coming into the picture would mean they get creative control and that would mean goodbye to Avi, this I believe is just a fact of doing business if Marvel is involved.

They also mention that the Russo Brothers are going to be writing and directing this new trilogy. A few things seem fishy about this one and we'll come back to that later.

It's sort of a case of an educated guessing here via the leaked emails. We know that Kevin Feige would be involved in any meeting between Sony and Marvel Studios, that's sort of a no-brainer. We actually haven't heard from other sources that Marvel will be in attendance. The thing we do know is that Sony is now open to the idea of working with Marvel, thanks to a nudge by Sony Corp. An invite to have Marvel attend is very likely.

They go on to mention that Kevin Feige wants Avi Arad out of the producing role. Again, another educated guess and something we've already seen hinted to in an email between Amy Pascal and The Russos. Where the brothers pitch to Pascal about producing the new trilogy (not directing or writing) and having "tough" talks with Arad. If this was their grand pitch to Sony, why not include the bit about the desire to direct the films?

The biggest problem I have with this "scoop" is the part about the Russo Brothers directing a new trilogy. First, Sony seems hellbent on pitching Phil Lord and Chris Miller for the directing dig. They've been connected to Amazing Spider-Man 3, this reboot and an animated film, Sony is going to pitch hard for them to make the trilogy.

Second, they are directing The Gray Man and then two intallments of Avengers: Infinity War , which will take-up their time until 2019. I highly doubt that Sony is willing going to wait until 2020 to release another solo Spider-Man film. That's going to be five years without the studio raking-in profits from an installment, something that sets-off alarm bells for me. Sony is having serious problems with losses and they aren't going to sit on their biggest property for five years. Only releasing Sinister Six in five years makes zero sense to me.

Another problem I have is why would Marvel allow the creatives who are spearheading Phase Three just leave for a shared venture like Spider-Man? I'm sure the Russos will have a huge role in Phase Four, factor in the possibility that Joss Whedon and James Gunn might be done after their two films. They won't have the people to head-up Phase Four is they are busy directing a new Spidey trilogy.

I'd also like to point-out that Sony's wish-list for reboot directors is from November, which is around the time of this exchange between Sony and the Russos. You'd think their names would be on the list, but they are not. I believe that they will only be providing services as producers, as I've already pointed-out that Kevin Feige is already too busy with his duties with in-house Marvel Studio projects. It's extremely unlikely he'll take a hands-on producing role here, beyond casting and shaping the vision for it. The Russo Brothers seem like in better shape to help godfather the interests of Marvel as producers of the new trilogy.

Again, we'll see what happens because I do believe a lot of ideas will be on the table at this summit.

SOURCE: SCREENGONZO

Emily Blunt Finally Talks About CAPTAIN MARVEL And How Likely Is Joss Whedon Directing?

While promoting her new Disney musical Into The Woods, Emily Blunt spoke to ScreenCrush who brought-up the Captain Marvel role. Seemingly unfamiliar with both the character and her fan-favorite status. This isn't a new phenomena, actors such as Paul Rudd and Benedict Cumberbatch have played dumb in-front of reporters. When questioned about the possibility of playing Marvel heroes. This is the first time Emily has ever been asked about the character directly, so she can very easily pretend to have no knowledge of her.

It might be a bit harder to come-off ignorant of the character the next time she is asked about her. I'm sure it'll end up start becoming "it's all, rumor man". That said, she could be generally unaware of the character. Yet, that feels off to me since her husband tested for Captain America and she was cast as Black Widow. You'd think she would have more of an awareness to what the studio is up to, even more so since the Phase Three news was in every trade and news outlet.




This is the entire interview with ScreenCrush, enjoy!

Are you aware of the Internet buzz surrounding you playing Captain Marvel?

Somebody told me about it this morning! I knew because my brother told me.

People want you to play Captain Marvel.

Which is kind of amazing.

You were in ‘Looper’ and ‘Edge of Tomorrow,’ you have that cred now.

I know. What’s she like, though? I don’t know anything about her. What’s it like, this character?

She’s great.

Cool. Is she fun? Or is she just like, straight…

No, she’s witty and strong. That’s why people keep bringing your name up. They don’t want a boring actor. A lot of personality.

Oh, cool.

I think people really liked what they saw in ‘Edge of Tomorrow.’

But it’s not the same type of character?

No. It’s weird I’m explaining this to you...

I know. Someone told me this morning, my brother, actually. They call it fan casting?

Yes.

Which is lovely. It’s my favorite kind of casting! I wish it was always like that.

Sometimes fan casting works.

Which would be cool.

Maybe they can make ‘Captain Marvel’ a musical now that you’ve done ‘Into the Woods.’

[Laughs] ‘Captain Musical Marvel.’ Let’s just call Marvel about that right now. We’ll call Kevin Feige about that. “Kevin Feige, we have one hell of an idea.” Yeah.

“Only if it’s a musical will you get your dream casting.”

Exactly.

But in seriousness, it does appeal to you?

I think, it’s always for me, it’s always about—and now, more so—what am I putting out there? What would be interesting for me and what would be interesting for people to see. So, if it’s an awesome part, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Marvel movie or a tiny movie, I’d be up for it.

You’d be a hero for every 10-year-old girl out there right now.

Really? Then that’s huge.

There’s no Marvel female superhero who has her own movie yet.

That’s huge. How awesome. I love this. No one has actually called me about it, so, we’ll hold our breath. [Laughs] I don’t know if I’ll get the call ever if I pitch it should be a musical.

Blunt talked to New York Magazine in March 2012 and her reluctancy to be involved with supporting Marvel roles like Peggy Carter. Sort of echoing what Jessica Chastain has said about passing on Iron Man 3. Perhaps, giving the impression what kind of comic book role she would be interested in playing.

"Usually the female parts in a superhero film feel thankless: She's the pill girlfriend while the guys are whizzing around saving the world," offered Blunt. "I didn't do the other ones because the part wasn't very good or the timing wasn't right, but I'm open to any kind of genre if the part is great and fun and different and a challenge in some way." 

"I would love to do a comic-book movie or a science-fiction film that would scare the bejesus out of me," she continued. "Maybe I need to be James Bond! I just did 'Looper,' because it's so original and breathtakingly cool. The time-travel aspect is just a backdrop to visit this heightened world, where you're atoning for something and attempting to be more than you've been."

Here's my case that Marvel wants Blunt for the role of Danvers.

We've been hearing Emily Blunt's name rumored for Carol Danvers since TheDailyMail (known for breaking Bond news) first linked her and actress Ruth Wilson for the role in Avengers 2. That happened to be back in October 2012, around the same time the studio was putting together ideas for the sequel. Before it's ultimate announcement next July at SDCC13 as Avengers: Age of Ultron. This is also around the same time that talk of a Black Widow spin-off slowly winded-down.

Funny, since we've been hearing from trusted sites and sources that there was a Ms Marvel cameo in the final Age of Ultron script. Which could still play-out at the end of Age of Ultron, unless Marvel axes the nod completely, seemingly the practice when these things leak. Basically, it was predicted back in 2012 that Danvers could be showing-up in Avengers 2, and it might actually happen. Shocking!

To those naysayers, this might be the reason why we never heard other names in the mix since that original rumor. It's extremely possible that Marvel took in consideration that Blunt was forced out of the Black Widow role by 20th Century Fox. Emily also tested for the role of Peggy Carter but passed on the character. We assume because the role wasn't meaty enough for her at the time, and it's quite possible in late 2012 Marvel put her on a candidate list for Carol Danvers. The studio is known to put actors on wish-lists without their knowledge.

A trade report in 2013 confirmed that a draft for Captain Marvel existed. It's possible that Marvel's screenwriting program developed an outline in-house and it's perhaps how they've been able to keep the development hush-hush. Kevin Feige stated that a Captain Marvel film had been in development at the studio almost as long as Doctor Strange, which could be true. Since the in-house script program wouldn't have revealed writers and what scripts they were working on. There are a pile of these scripts with unnamed titles and writers in their offices.

Some claim it was way too early for Marvel to consider casting for the role, which is kind of stupid if you ask me. Marvel is known for introducing characters in other installments, other than their solo adventures. Black Panther being a prime example, as he'll be first seen in costume in Captain America: Civil War and will get his own film in 2017. Marvel had been looking at actors for Panther for years before they announced Chadwick Boseman. I have a suspicion that Danvers might also have a role to play in Civil War as well.

Why would Marvel cast an actor before a director is even attached? It's likely a simple answer, they have a director already lined-up (Feige said we'll hear a director before casting) or they always knew they wanted Emily for the role (hence name on the top of their list). Due to her previous casting as Black Widow in Iron Man 2. I'm sure this was done without the awareness of Blunt, but they could have promised her another role in the future.

So who could they have in mind to direct? A bit of speculation on my part, but I have a sneaking feeling that Joss Whedon might be person behind this film. Clearly, early development took place behind closed-doors and Kevin Feige seemingly hints a director might be already chosen. We already know that The Russo Brothers are apparently wanted to direct the two Infinity War installments. Where does this leave Whedon if he's not making Avengers anymore?

That's a question a lot of people haven't been asking, automatically thinking he's done with Marvel (even though he has talked about writing a new Hulk film). Joss did show-up to that Phase Three announcement at the El Capitan, odd since none of his films are apart of that slate. I think it would be sort of odd that he would show-up just for his sneak peek. I'm sure he wanted to hear the fan reaction just as much as Feige did. What if he was directing one of those announced films?


Joss is known for writing strong female characters and already has a working relationship with Kevin Feige/Marvel. It wouldn't be hard to imagine Marvel insisting Whedon develop the film. He did plan on writing-directing Wonder Woman for Warner Bros. It would eventually get killed, and he would move on to Avengers instead. That potential for a female-driven superhero story could be refocused with a film like Captain Marvel. We've heard some interesting things from Whedon about the character. However, a recent interview with HeyUGuys gave some insight he or Marvel may have cracked the character. This eventually became true as the solo film is expected to come out July 2018. Whedon is known for keeping his mouth shut about scripts, and is the kind of writer to keep a secret Marvel script from scoopers.

If Joss Whedon is making Captain Marvel why are they waiting until 2018 to release it? I think we know the answer to this as well, he's going to be fucking exhausted once he's completed with the press rounds for Age of Ultron. It also might have to do with the overall release plans of Marvel and not just Joss possibly wanting to make more indie films. Whedon went straight into shooting A Much Ado About Nothing right after the Avengers release, that could happen again taking up a good chunk of his time. Having him tackle a smaller production would also give him enough time to put together the best script possible. I'm not excluding the idea that we'll see her possibly in both Age of Ultron and Civil War too.



SOURCE: SCREENCRUSH

JOHN WICK Actress Bridget Regan Joins Marvel's AGENT CARTER

Marvel has announced that actress Bridget Regan (John Wick, White Collar) will have a reoccurring role in the eight episode run of Agent Carter. Bridget will play Peggy's next-door neighbor in the show. The mini-series will air in January 2015 on ABC.


SOURCE: MARVEL

Marvel Studios Also Confirms INHUMANS Movie Coming In 2018

Another big announcement of a massive Marvel film franchise was made at the Marvel Event this afternoon. We'll see the entire race of Inhumans finally join the cinematic universe in November 2018. Collider was the first site to scoop it's development at Marvel, and added a script was being written by newcomer writer Joe Robert Cole (Amber Lake). I'm not entirely sure about Cole's script being used, but we'll hear more in the coming months I'm sure.

Here's what Feige had to say about their 20th feature film. Confirming that this could be Marvel's version of the X-Men franchise, will dozens of characters being able to play-around in this film universe.

“November 3, 2018 will introduce dozens of characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe," promised Feige. "We really do believe the Inhumans can be a franchise or a series of franchise unto themselves. They have dozens of powers and an amazing social structure. With our 20th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we wanted to continue to refine what that universe is about."

The amount of characters from the comics is staggering and could potentially spawn spin-offs. They include Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal and the current Ms Marvel Kamala Khan. Plenty of female roles to be filled, which should make a lot of people happy. Since we have seen a limited amount of women in Marvel group lineups.

SOURCE: MARVEL

Marvel Announces BLACK PANTHER Movie For 2017 And Confirms Chadwick Boseman For The Role

Today was Marvel's huge event at the El Capitan Theatre. They made some massive announcements, which we'll go over in a little bit. The biggest one being, that they've greenlit a Black Panther movie. Setting the release for November 2017 and confirming actor Chadwick Boseman (42, Get On Up) for the role. LatinoReview was the first site to stand-firm Chad was set for the role. They have been proven right, yet again.

We also have a piece of official concept art, which gives a mix of the traditional costume with some modern sleekness attributed to the cinematic universe. T'Challa will also have a big role in Captain America: Civil War, which will lead to the hero getting his own solo outing. Mark Bailey's script might still be the blueprint, but a new writer or director wasn't announced at the event. This also begs the question, is Andy Serkis indeed playing Klaw in Age of Ultron? Exciting times for Marvel fans indeed!

SOURCE: MARVEL

Marvel Echoes Fan Demand..Benedict Cumberbatch In Final Talks For DOCTOR STRANGE

It's looks like Marvel's exhausting search is over. Variety is confirming that Benedict Cumberbatch is in final talks for the role of Doctor Strange. While his commitments to the next series of Sherlock and a play in London seemingly put him out of the running. The studio apparently is trying to work something out with him. Benedict had always been in the running, ever since the first group of candidates was reported on by trades. Having connections to both Star Trek and Hobbit franchises greatly helped his chances with awareness to international audiences. Not to mention the current awards buzz for his performance in The Intimidation Game, as legendary computer pioneer/code breaker Alan Turing. Fans have been asking for Cumberbatch to be consider way before the casting process even started. So, I'm sure that had some impact on who Marvel went after.

Production was expected to begin in the spring, around the same time as Captain America 3. However, since Cap 3 is shooting stateside Strange would be heading to the UK. The official date for Strange hasn't been announced, but it's expected to be July 2016. Marvel is setting up some sort of event for Tuesday, it's possible this will be the announcement made there. Scott Derrickson is directing with a new script from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).

Strange is expected to be a huge role for the Marvel universe, chatter suggests that Stephen Strange will eventually replace Tony Stark as the face of the franchise.

SOURCE: VARIETY 

Kevin Feige Shows-Up To Watch DOCTOR STRANGE Frontrunner Keanu Reeve Kick-Ass In JOHN WICK

We've seen a huge list of names attributed to Marvel's massive casting search for Doctor Strange. Names such as Ewan McGregor, Joaquin Phoenix, Jared Leto, Oscar Isaac, Keanu Reeves, Ethan Hawke, and the heat-magnet Matthew McConaughey (True Detective, Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar). While this might seem like an overload of actors circling for one role, this was the same case for Marvel finding an actor to play both Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Peter Quill (Star-Lord).

They are being extremely tough with their casting, and are likely trying to find someone good enough to take on the the important role. It's been said that Stephen Strange will eventually replace Tony Stark as the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A huge feat and Marvel needs to make this casting choice perfect, or this concept might not work as they planned.

TheWrap is now stating the search might be two three frontrunners with a couple still in the race for the lead role. Colin Farrell fresh-off landing the lead in HBO's True Detective is the newest name added to the mix. Previously linked actor Benedict Cumberbatch makes comeback and newly resurrected action star Keanu Reeves is apart the group as well. However, it might seem like one of these gentleman is wooing Marvel a bit more.




Marvel's Kevin Feige actually showed-up to a screening of Keanu's latest flick John Wick, with the actor and director in attendance. Which is being strongly compared to the action-level of the original Matrix, earning a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from early reviews. While it says a lot that Kevin would make such a public appearance to the film of an active casting candidate. It should be noted that Adrianne Palicki is also in the film, who takes the role of Avenger Mockingbird in the Agents of SHIELD series.

Palicki has confirmed there are plans for Bobbi to make the leap to films, which could mean she's already filmed scenes. It could be just the case of Kevin sporting one of his Marvel alumni. Another theory is that Keanu is actually the main frontrunner, and Feige wanted to see audience reaction to the film first-hand. Ever since it's screening at SXSW the buzz has been huge, and it continues to impress critics and moviegoers alike. This new life given to Reeve's recent foggy action career, could be the final bit of heat needed for him to land the role.

I've already suggested that Marvel work fast to get Wick director Chad Stahelski on a project, before other studios try to lock him into a franchise. This could also be the case of Feige trying to figure out if Chad would be a good fit at Marvel as well. Chad has gone from stuntman to second-unit director to feature director in such a small span of time, this kind of talent will be noticed by a major studio very soon. It's said that excellent word-of-mouth could see Wick earning a lot more than originally projected for it's opening weekend.



Keanu Reeves is actually one of the only actors candid about the process. Talking with Collider it actually sounded like this was the first time he had heard about being a fan-favorite for the role. This could have led to him getting his agent to talk to Marvel about the idea. Reeves is famously known for being against sequels, and a Marvel contract could scare him away. However, he recently mentioned on the Jimmy Kimmel Show that his favorite film experience was making the Matrix trilogy. Could this mean he's a bit more open to a franchise role, if he's sort of clued-in to the overall plan?

Let's not forget that Keanu Reeves has worked with Doctor Strange's director Scott Derrickson on The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Marvel Studios Needs To Consider Jane Goldman For CAPTAIN MARVEL

While Marvel is still playing the marketing-game of when to announce the rest of their Phase 3 and Phase 4 lineups. Warner Bros. and Sony have planted release dates for their female-led superhero projects. Warners aiming to release Wonder Woman in July 2017 and Sony giving their in-development Spider-Man spin-off (Spider-Woman/Black Cat?) a to-be-determined slot sometime in 2016.

Marvel's Kevin Feige has insisted in recent interviews there is active development on a Captain Marvel movie. The studio isn't seemingly ready to commit or announce this to the public officially. Behind closed doors we know that Marvel is developing the film, but it's unknown when they'll reveal their plans for it. Bloggers who have got a hold of the shooting script for Age of Ultron, have mentioned a cameo for her in the final scenes. It's possible the leak may cause the studio to cut the scene entirely, but rumor is it hasn't even been shot yet. I assume because they haven't hired/announced the actress for the role.

We know at the moment the Black Widow film is in limbo, and Scarlett Johansson might agree to join Warner Bros./Dreamworks Ghost In The Shell franchise. The project would spawn sequels if successful, the material lends itself to be serialized. Not giving Marvel much room if they did decide to make the Widow film happen. As her contract with Marvel expires soon, and her new contract with Shell (a reported $10M offer) could be a problem. This adds further fuel to the talk Marvel is going with Captain Marvel instead of a Black Widow movie.

I suggested earlier this week that Marvel would be smart to release Captain Marvel in their slot for November 2017. Mainly, because that month has served well for the Hunger Games franchise and could support a bigger film before the holiday event films in December. This would give over a year of room between Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel, should Marvel decide to make this a priority.

While I've been giving out many casting suggestions for the film. Emily Blunt being previously linked for the role and sounds like a safe bet. Blunt was original cast as Black Widow, exited Iron Man 2 and ever since Marvel has been trying to find a role for her.

In all the casting talk and bitching about the lack of announcements from Marvel. I don't think many are actually talking about who should actually write or direct this project. When Lexi Alexander suggested Jane Goldman to direct WB's Wonder Woman, I totally agreed. I've mentioned Jane for smaller comic book projects, but never for the big ones. Shockingly, it dawned on me that Jane could very well make an amazing Captain Marvel film too.

Jane Goldman (Stardust, The Woman In Black, The Debt, Pinocchio, Nonplayer, Miss Peregrine, Dan Leno And The Lighthouse Golem) is best known as a screenwriter, and the sometimes writing partner of director Matthew Vaughn. Her comic book writing credits include Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past. I have to assume she might also get involved with scripting for other comic film projects such as Superior, Golden Age and Bloodshot. A seasoned writer of genre material, and has written some excellent female characters. The only thing that makes me lean toward Danvers over Diana, is Jane's humor and playful action scenes. I'm not actually sure the serious tone of the new DC Comics cinematic universe would be a good fit for her.

Besides writing a ton of scripts for comic book movies she lives with a comic book writer/creator. British television host Jonathan Ross is Jane's husband, and is well-known in the comic book community. He's created comics such as The Revenger,  Golden Age and Turf. I'm this shared interest is what's helped them both stay so creative. Ross' amazing BBC documentary Searching For Steve Ditko is still one of my favorite things ever covered about the community. With Doctor Strange about shoot at Marvel, I recommend learning a bit about one of the character's co-creators.

Goldman actually has a love and passion for comic book material. This is one of the key reasons why Joss Whedon's Avengers and James Gunn's Guardians of The Galaxy have made such splashes with audiences. They respect and also understand the original material. This is sort of why I believe she's a solid fit for a project at Marvel Studios. Sometimes when hired-guns are brought-in you can tell they don't really get the characters or even the world they are set in. Moving forward it would be nice to see Marvel tapping more people who are actually obsessed with their comics to make their movies.

We've seen that the better Marvel films have the directors also contributing as writers as well. I've been hearing for a while that Marvel is keen on having future directors being able to juggle both getting behind the camera, and also contributing to the script. Doctor Strange's Scott Derrickson might not end-up with writing credits on the film, but is an accomplished screenwriter and will have likely been working closely with Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, The Mummy). The Russo Brothers are also working hard with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to get Captain America 3 on the level of Winter Soldier and Avengers installments. Having Jane work together with another talented writer could echo her relationship with Matthew Vaughn.

The trades have reported that a Captain Marvel script exits over at Marvel, but we don't know who actually wrote it. It's rumored Guardians' Nicole Perlman may have written an early Captain Marvel outline for Marvel at some point. Marvel is known for using their writer's program to get early outlines, and then sending these off to potential directors/writers. The thought of a collaboration between Jane Goldman and Nicole Perlman is too good not to consider. Plus, having two female writers on one project would correct a lot of potential blunders, before they even happen.

Seeing Jane make the jump to director feels more natural than Roberto Orci, Frank Miller, Mark Millar or David S. Goyer. If, we're going to talk about writers who deserve shots to become features directors, Jane is good place to start. Working closely with director Matthew Vaughn on Stardust, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class and Kingsman. Obviously, she has the vision and passion needed to handle such a task, which you can clearly see with her writing. Jane's also been able to adapt novels into solid screenplays, so another reason why she would be a great choice.

RUMOR: Marvel Looking At Ewan McGregor For DOCTOR STRANGE Role?

Marvel might have their ducks-in-a-row for Captain America 3's spring production. However, the same can't be said for Doctor Strange which is expected to be shooting in spring as well. Joaquin Phoenix recently exited talks to play Stephen Strange, and Marvel had to go back to searching for an actor. While it seems like director Scott Derrickson (Sinister) is ready to begin shooting the new script from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).

Names like Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy and Jared Leto had been linked by trades previously. ThisIsInfamous has been trying to link actors like Ethan Hawke, Jon Hamm, and Jack Huston as "sure-bets" for the role, but are obviously making stories up. Considering none of these names have ever been brought-up by any of the usual scoopers. Interviewers are trying to get Keanu Reeves cast in the role, that isn't going to happen either.

Trusted/reputable site BadassDigest is giving us a real name to get behind. They are suggesting a rumor that Scottish actor Ewan McGregor (Star Wars Prequels, Trainspotting, Haywire, The Island) is preparing for the role and the studio is looking at him. Ewan was actually a fan-favorite for the Hank Pym role, which went to Michael Douglas. McGregor has international awareness thanks to Star Wars, he also has had a varied amount of action, comedic, dramatic and dark roles throughout his career.

He's previously worked with plenty of Marvel alumni. Those names include Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Gwenth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Bill Paxton, Josh Brolin, Djimon Hounsou, Stanley Tucci and Christopher Eccleston. Marvel likes to cast actors familiar to them, and that have connections to existing cast members. He also has the same amount of "heat" Chris Pratt and Paul Rudd had when they were tapped to play Marvel leads. It wouldn't be entirely out of place for Marvel to consider Ewan for the part.











SOURCE: BADASSDIGEST

Keanu Reeves Talks DOCTOR STRANGE..Would This Casting Help Marvel's Diversity Problem?

While speaking with Collider's Frosty, actor Keanu Reeves was asked if he was interested in Marvel or DC roles. Bringing-up the fan demand to see him take-on the Doctor Strange role, now vacated by Joaquin Phoenix. His statements are genuinely interesting, but as we well know Keanu isn't a champion of sequels. You can see his reaction in the video, when Frosty explains how many Marvel films are involved with their contract.



"From a practical standpoint the idea of a longtime contract is sort of “errr” because you want to make sure the material is up to a certain level. Like the good or great level. I like the idea. I go to those kinds of movies. I grew up on them and comics and graphic novels. [But] I didn’t know Doctor Strange as a character, I didn’t read that as a kid. I’m gonna have to read it. I remember reading something… who’s going to play Doctor Strange? Would I be good for the role?"

Reeves' new film John Wick is apparently a beast and will be making quite the impact later this month. As we've heard many times Marvel chases heat, and Keanu might be on fire again with this action flick. It doesn't hurt that movies like Point Break, The Matrix and Speed have proven that in the right action film, he can shine pretty damn brightly.

After hearing this suggestion, I don't actual mind the idea of Keanu Reeves in the role. We've supported him in even odder pictures with The Matrix sequels and Constantine. I also think having an actor with an asian and polynesian background might actually change things up a bit in the Marvel lineup. There are actually a lot of asian elements to Strange's origins, so it would make sense to at least consider hiring an Asian actor. I

I've ranted about the need for Black Panther and Captain Marvel movies getting made to help diversify the Marvel cinematic universe lineup. Perhaps, hiring actors with different backgrounds might also be the key here. Marvel was piss-scared of hiring an Asian actor even for The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. You'd think with China, Japan and other Asian countries being huge box office markets they'd want to represent that demographic a bit more. It's actually disturbing the amount of white-guys leading these films. When we live in a very diverse world, the Western world is a giant melting-pot of different cultures. Sad these films ignore that point of reality, even in fantasy films. Casting Keanu Reeves won't change the problem, but at least it would be the start of it.

Doctor Strange includes two major Asian characters Doc's pal Wong and his teacher The Ancient One. There could be sensitivity issues brought-up here as Wong might be seen as an outdated stereotype. I'm hopeful they'll reinvent the role to a modern standard, making him more of a partner to Stephen. Seeing him fighting alongside Strange, during mystical/occult battles. It would actually be easy to mess-up the Ancient One as well, but it's unknown if he'll even be in the film. There's chatter that he might only show-up in flashbacks, as Strange might be already setup as the Sorcerer Supreme in the opening of the film.

We've actually seen this done well with Fox's X-Men franchise (The Wolverine, Days of Future Past), which for the most part has respected the cultures and actors. I know to some that Iron Fist is the property that might best suit Asian casting, but this goes back to stereotyping and racist thinking (only roles Asian can get are martial arts experts or villains). Then again, Fist is a television property and not film.

Marvel was smart enough to give us a Japanese-American Howling Commando with Jim Morita in Captain America: The First Avenger. Representing the many Japanese-American soldiers who bravely served during the war. Even though there was mistreatment of the Japanese population with those awful internment camps back home. It was actually one of the few times Marvel got the casting right everywhere, even Peggy Carter had some great scenes. Her fan support was so great she's getting her own series on ABC with Agent Carter. We might actually be seeing the return of Kenneth Choi in that series, but that remains to be seen.

Marvel has switched-up perceived ideals of what actors should play what roles, based on background. It might be nice to see the studio considering this moving forward with their future plans, that include Doctor Strange and other major lead heroes. Not just supporting roles. Women and visible minorities deserve a place at the Marvel table.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Chad Stahelski Needs To Direct The HAWKEYE Movie!

What could Marvel's Hawkeye movie look like? Well that remains to be seen, as people have some theories of what direction Marvel should go with a spin-off. Some think parring Clint with Black Widow to explore their shared adventures in Budapest is a good idea. My personal assumption is that Hawkeye could become a major lead in a West Coast Avengers/New Avengers splinter film. We've been hearing rumblings that Marvel is considering on using another team in a feature film, but unsure what that could be (Avengers West Coast, New Avengers, Secret Wars?).

With that said, there are plenty of awesome action filmmakers making their mark in the last couple of years. Who I think could make a pretty damn fine Hawkeye movie, whatever direction Marvel takes him. One in particular I believe could make the biggest impact for a badass solo Hawkeye movie, that would be John Wick director Chad Stahelski.



Chad is a director, 2nd unit director and stunt coordinator that has been making a name for himself with his company 87 Eleven. They are responsible for some of the best stunt/action sequences in Hollywood. He even did some stunt work on Iron Man 2, so there is a tiny connection to Marvel Studios. Some of the company's stunt credits include The Crow, Point Break, The Matrix Trilogy, Spider-Man 2, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Serenity, V For Vendetta, 300, Die Hard 4, Rambo, Killer Elite, The Wolverine, Hunger Games 1-2, and Expendables 1-2.

One of the biggest concerns of Marvel fans is how to make a film compelling with a powerless hero. We don't seem to ask those questions when it comes to massively entertaining franchises like Bond or Bourne. I'm a bit curious why fans don't cut Hawkeye and Black Widow some goddamn slack. I believe there is some middle-ground where you could allow them to have some powers eventually. Barton does become both Ronin and Goliath, two alter-egos that have yet to be explored in the cinematic universe. There are plenty of stories to explore with both these characters, and Stahelski is the director to give fans a thrilling ride.

Below is the trailer for John Wick, a film which currently holds a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Along with his second unit work on movies like Hunger Games, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Expendables 2, and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. While a script likely doesn't exist for this possible spin-off, at least we have an idea of who should bring it to life.





Chad Stahleski Vehicle Reel from 87eleven on Vimeo.

Should Marvel Studios give Chad Stahleski a shot at giving fans an action-packed Hawkeye movie?

Joaquin Phoenix Finalizing Deal To Lead Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE?

Collider reports that Marvel Studio is currently in final talks with Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix (Her, The Master, Gladiator, Inherent Vice) to take the lead role in Doctor Strange. I guess we'll hear actually confirmation soon, since pre-production is expected to begin this fall/winter. There are a few skeptics in the community that believe that Phoenix could still turn-down the role. LatinoReview has word that deal isn't quite finalized, but still in-the-works.

I'm curious if we'll see any of the other "linked" actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Jack Huston, Tom Hardy and Jared Leto join the project in villainous/supporting roles.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

WTF? Marvel Considering Removing Captain Marvel Cameo In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON?

Marvel's unwillingness to include a lead female superhero, is going even further than we originally thought. BadassDigest is hearing from a source, that Marvel Studios is getting "cold-feet" concerning the long-rumored Captain Marvel cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Reliable bloggers had confirmed her appearance in the final script, was only a brief cameo. Now it seems that the studio is re-thinking how they want to introduce audiences to the character. Believing a cold cameo (I expect a cameo similar to Hawkeye's in Thor) might not be in their best interest, or the best way to approach her.

MCU update: sources tell me Marvel is getting cold feet about Captain Marvel in AGE OF ULTRON. They're not sure they want to intro her cold.
— Devin Faraci (@devincf) August 28, 2014

I can understand the problem with a forced-cameo, fans want whatever we can get our hands-on. However, the problem could be that Marvel hasn't locked-down an actress for the role. Contracts are a tricky thing and the studio has become a little more secretive concerning their casting. We know that actresses such as Emily Blunt (Looper, Edge of Tomorrow) and Ruth Wilson (Luther, Lone Ranger) have been linked, but nothing says they're still in the mix. Devin from BAD confirms that the scene in question hasn't been shot. They have until May to decide what to do, but it's likely the entire cameo could be cut from the film.

Rumblings from inside Marvel, point to them developing a Captain Marvel feature film. Kevin Feige recently confirmed to IGN that active development on both Black Panther and Captain Marvel is currently underway at the studio. He also mentioned the reasoning behind this development, was massive fan interest in seeing these characters get their own films, a major understatement.

It's hard to understand why Marvel wouldn't want to include Danvers' origin, considering the new rumored mantra currently at Marvel is "no origins" for their solo films. Setting her up for own film via Age of Ultron, still seems like a smart move to gather awareness for the heroine. Although, zero awareness prior to the marketing blitz for Guardians of The Galaxy, didn't hurt it's box office numbers.

SOURCE: BADASSDIGEST

Marvel's Kevin Feige Finally Confirms Active Development On CAPTAIN MARVEL And BLACK PANTHER Movies

It looks like we all missed-out on the coolest tidbit of information about Marvel's upcoming projects, that Marvel's Kevin Feige briefly mentioned to IGN at SDCC. He was asked point-blank about Black Panther and Captain Marvel movies. In which Kevin replied in a much more positive way, than previously when asked about the projects. It's the first time Feige has confirmed development on a Captain Marvel film, which I've been talking about being in development for months now.

"There both characters that we like..development work has been done on it, and it continues to be done on...and certainly the public.. It's the question I get asked more than anything else...More than Iron Man 4, more than Avengers 3, and that's sort of the first-time that's ever happened to us...So I think that makes a difference, I think that's something we have to pay attention to."

He was asked if public opinion or online demands fuel Marvel's choices to what to make next. Kevin reaffirmed that they have their plans set out in advanced (likely by phases), and that fans attitudes change frequently. While stating Black Panther and Captain Marvel might be exceptions to this. It's also extremely possible that Marvel has been keeping plans in-house for the moment, and wanted to see Guardians success before moving forward with similar "risky" projects.

"But in this particular case, I think it's a groundswell, and I think it means something substantial." 

It's sort of a big-deal for this to happen, considering we have Marvel about to release their 11th film in May. None of the films have included female or non-white solo leads. Having Marvel's most recognizable female and black superheroes in theatres is something fans have been demanding since Avengers. It could change the landscape of the genre, and open-doors to actors/characters which might have been ignored for tentpole potential.

I have a feeling we'll see a bit of diversity casting when it comes to Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. However, making the jump to the big-screen, might ruffle the feathers of the studio dinosaurs, who have been blocking the change-up. Warner Bros. has both Aquaman and possible Wonder Woman films in development, which won't have the typical white-male lead. Sony is actually the first of the new wave to announce development on a female-driven Spider-Man spin-off coming in 2017. The likelyhood is that film will focus on Felicia Hardy aka Black Cat. Kevin might be saying it's fan demand, but it's also pressure coming from competing studios.

As it stands now Marvel has two in-house scripts for both Panther and Captain Marvel. Both characters are expected to be hinted-to in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Not unlike Doctor Strange's Stephen Strange in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The former project has a draft by Mark Bailey, which Marvel seemingly likes but could eventually get extensive rewrites. The latter has a script, which is rumored to have been written by Guardians of The Galaxy co-writer Nicole Perlman.

It was told to me that the Captain Marvel script was written in-house (as usual), and by someone who has already produced scripts for the studio. Nicole also wrote an updated draft for the Black Widow script while being apart of Marvel's screenwriting program. It's actually unknown how many scripts Marvel had her working on, because Marvel hasn't made that information public. Considering both Guardians and Widow are female-heavy scripts, it would make sense that Perlman would at least get a shot at Captain Marvel. Perlman is also one of the best known writers from the program, and one of the few that has actually earned writing credit for her work.

Speaking of casting, we haven't heard much in the way of T'Challa, since LatinoReview first revealed Chadwick Boseman (Gods of Egypt, 42, Get On Up) as a strong candidate back in May 2013. Boseman himself has been coy, but recently stated.."Ahhh, I don’t know anything about that…Until the contract is signed, I don’t know". It's not definitive, but sounds like the usual runaround answers actors talking with Marvel would be expected to say. Chadwick is charismatic and charming as hell, and would make one hell of a Black Panther.

The only source concerning the casting of Captain Marvel goes all the back to October 2012, which comes from the DailyMail (usually right when it comes to Bond news). They said that both Emily Blunt (Looper, Edge of Tomorrow) and Ruth Wilson (Lone Ranger, Luther) were the main candidates for the role of Ms Marvel, at the time was linked for Avengers 2. Since then, we've got confirmation that Ms Marvel indeed appears in the Age of Ultron script, and could make a cameo in the sequel. Interesting enough, Joss Whedon confirmed to HeyUGuys a fourth major female lead in Age of Ultron, which some have assume is actually Ms Marvel/Captain Marvel.

It would make sense that Emily Blunt would be in the mix for this role, considering she was forced out of the Black Widow role in Iron Man 2, because of a contract with 20th Century Fox. She's been since linked to a few other Marvel roles including Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger. I assume that she could become Marvel's go-to actress to head-up this franchise. We've seen her play badasses in both Looper and Edge of Tomorrow, which the latter seemed like a test-reel for a campaign to play Captain Marvel. I wouldn't rule out Ruth Wilson considering she's closely worked with both Thor alumni Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba, but Blunt is currently my favorite for the role.



If I had to guess release dates, I would place Black Panther for either May or November 2017 (since we don't have a non-sequel announced for 2017, but have a cosmic one with GOTG2 and Thor 3 will take the Avengers-era spot), and Captain Marvel for a release in 2018 (since that year doesn't have either a cosmic film or new character). We can't be sure what Marvel's ultimate plan is until they make it official, but it sounds like Captain Marvel could be our next cosmic franchise and Panther our next new Earthbound hero.



SOURCE: IGN