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Tag: Marvel

  • Netflix’s Marvel Shows To Film In NYC

    Netflix’s Marvel Shows To Film In NYC

    Netflix, The Walt Disney Company, Marvel and NY Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday that Netflix’s upcoming live-action Marvel shows will be filmed in New York, beginning this summer. The projects are expected to create at least three thousand jobs in the state, including up to 400 full time jobs.

    The results will be sixty one-hour episodes focused on “Defenders” Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, as Netflix announced in November.

    Marvel shares some quotes:

    “New York is where the entertainment industry started, and this unprecedented commitment from Disney and Marvel is further evidence that we’re bringing it back bigger and better than ever before,” said Governor Cuomo. “And when the entertainment industry thrives, it fuels dozens of other industries and businesses. The competition for these projects is fierce and Disney could have chosen to film these shows anywhere, but they knew that shooting in New York means getting to work with the best in world. These shows bring New York’s super heroes home where they belong–along with hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in new business.”

    “Since 2008 Disney has directly contributed almost half a billion dollars to New York’s economy through television and film production, along with approximately 9,000 jobs for New Yorkers,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company. “The Governor’s policies make this great state a more affordable and attractive location, opening the door for even greater economic investment and job creation for New Yorkers. Our Marvel series for Netflix will inject millions directly into the local economy and create hundreds of new jobs.”

    “We thank the Governor and the great state of New York for helping us create the ultimate backdrop to this epic series. Setting our production in New York City truly underscores the authenticity and excitement we plan to bring to The Defenders and their ‘flawed heroes of Hell’s Kitchen’ stories,” said Alan Fine, President, Marvel Entertainment.

    In December, Marvel announced that writer/director Drew Goddard (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Lost,” “Cloverfield,” “Cabin in the Woods,” “World War Z”) will serve as showrunner on the Daredevil series, which will be the first to premiere.

    Image via Marvel

  • Captain America: Is Nick Fury Out of Here?

    Captain America: Is Nick Fury Out of Here?

    Going by Samuel L. Jackson’s usual pace, maybe one of the hardest working actors has forty more roles to play in the next two years and needed to bow out of the upcoming sequels– from the looks of the newest Captain America TV spot, Jackson’s character Nick Fury might be headed for that Great Eyepatch In the Sky in the new movie.

    Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the newest spin-off of Marvel’s wildly popular Avenger movie featuring Captain America, the Falcon and the Black Widow. The storyline focuses on Captain America adjusting to modern life while dealing with a reincarnated threat, a long-haired Soviet agent with a metal arm that goes by the name of the Winter Soldier. Due to Scarlett Johansson’s hotness and the overall awesomeness of the Black Widow character, she also comes back as Captain America’s teammate. The Falcon is the newcomer to the movie, a metal-winged Harlemite with an affection for birds who often helped Captain America and the Avengers in the comic books.

    The first feature was released earlier this month, and it showed someone covered with The Death Blanket,

    and now the recently released TV spot from Marvel Entertainment has fans abuzz– it was shown that Nick Fury was indeed in the car demolished by the Winter Soldier, and it also included Captain America referring to Nick Fury’s “last words.”

    What does it all mean? Marvel surely didn’t just release one of the Biggest Spoilers of All Time… We can’t be sure, of course. Either way, we’ll find out when the movie is released on April 4th. Can’t wait.


    Image via Youtube

  • ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Landing On Earth Soon

    Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy will soon leap out from print and into the big screen.

    It was in 1969 when Marvel first came out with the story of a team of superheroes in an alternate universe. A reboot of the comic series in 2008 introduced a modern version of the team, which is based in the mainstream Marvel Universe. The film will be based on the 2008 team.

    The main hero and head honcho of Guardians of the Galaxy is Peter Quill (superhero name: Star-Lord), who was taken from Earth when he was 9 years old and was raised in space ever since. He captains the spacecraft Milano, and has in his possession a mysterious orb, which turns out to be a powerful artifact that can blow up the galaxy into smithereens.

    The other members of the team include Drax the Destroyer (unassuming human name: Arthur Douglas), who very much does what his name implies; aliens Groot and Rocket Raccoon, the indomitable tag team you’d want to have on your side at all times; and Gamora, who has “connections” to galactic bad boy Thanos.

    Director James Gunn says the film will not only be about the things sci-fi geeks will find worthwhile, but will also have some elements of romance, drama, and humor thrown in. After all, even Guardians of the Galaxy have emotions and complex relationships. Quill, who did retain some of the 1980s culture within him, is definitely someone to watch.

    Chris Pratt, who plays the lead role, says that Quill’s background makes for an odd mix of “youthful vibrancy and cluelessness in a childlike man.” He adds, “But he is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.”

    A 20-second trailer was released on Wednesday, showing four of the film’s characters: Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel; Peter Quill, played by Chris Pratt; Korath, acted out by Djimon Hounsou; and Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana. Also starring are Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, Bradley Cooper, and Dave Bautista.

    http://youtu.be/ZGmYYzPl71s

    Guardians of the Galaxy, the tenth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will join the ranks of the Avengers and Iron Man films, and premieres August 1.

    Image via YouTube

  • Hayley Atwell, Writers and EPs Confirmed For Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’ ABC Drama

    The rumors of a potential Agent Carter spin-off have been swarming since September of last year.

    Now, there’s concrete facts!  Captain America actress Hayley Atwell will indeed be reprising the role of Agent Carter in a new ABC drama series which bares her character’s namesake.

    On Friday, Jan. 17, ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee confirmed the news at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. 

    According to Hollywood Reporter, he stated that the new Agent Carter script – written and developed by Captain America scriptwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely – had come in.

    “That certainly has a good chance to be on the network,” Lee said from the stage of the new Agent Carter material.

    Following the Television Critics Association conference, he also confirmed that Atwell would be reprising her notable role in the potential series.

    It was also stated that Reaper creators Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas have also been enlisted as executive productions for the Captain America-inspired series.

    “She’s such a strong, wonderful character if you’ve seen the one-shot,” said Butters, at TCA to support ABC’s upcoming fantasy drama series Resurrection. “We’re happy to be involved, ” she said. The show-runner also revealed that she and Fazekas could ultimately collaborate on both Resurrection and Agent Carter should both shows excel for the 2014-15 television season.  

    (image)

    However, the ABC Studios/Marvel Entertainment project is only in the preliminary stages, as a pilot hasn’t even been ordered yet. The potential Agent Carter series comes highly regarded as the network has garnered substantial success with Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.

    The Agent Carter one-shot was released as a short on the Iron Man 3 Blu-Ray release September 24, 2013. The short captures Atwell along with Dominic Cooper and Neal McDonough as they reprise their roles as Howard Stark and Dum Dum Dugan.

    The short film picks up one year after all of the events that took place in Captain America: The First Avenger. The short was directed by Louis D’Esposito and written by Eric Pearson.

    Image via Facebook | Captain America (Agent Carter) (1) (2)

  • Marvel Skin Pack For Minecraft Out Now

    Activision’s Marvel games have vanished from digital storefronts as the publisher’s license with the comic book company has expired. What’s a Marvel fan who wants to play as their favorite heroes to do then? Well, there’s always the odd used physical copy hanging around in stores, or you could just play Minecraft as Iron Man. They’re both about the same thing, right?

    In mid-December, Microsoft and Marvel announced that a Marvel skin pack would be coming to Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition. This skin pack would allow players to dress up their players as members of The Avengers and other well-known Marvel heroes from both the comics and films.

    Well, now the skin pack has been released, and Microsoft has a new trailer out that shows what a Minecraft populated with blocky Marvel characters would look like. Spoiler: It’s the same Minecraft as before, but now you can pretend to be Loki as you build a fortress out of obsidian.

    You can grab the Marvel skin pack for Minecraft now for $2.99.

    Image via MS Launchworks/YouTube

  • ‘Star Wars’ Comics to be Published by Marvel

    ‘Star Wars’ Comics to be Published by Marvel

    In a move that was fairly inevitable, Disney and Lucasfilm today announced that Marvel Entertainment will be publishing Star Wars comics for the foreseeable future. Marvel is a subsidiary of Disney, as it Lucasfilm, which was purchased in 2012 from George Lucas for over $4 billion.

    Starting in 2015 Marvel will have exclusive rights to both create and publish Star Wars comics and graphic novels.

    Marvel will be taking the publishing rights to Star Wars back from Dark Horse Comics, which has created and published Star Wars comics since 1991. Before that, Marvel had published Star Wars comics, including the original Star Wars #1.

    “Dark Horse Comics published exceptional Star Wars comics for over 20 years, and we will always be grateful for their enormous contributions to the mythos, and the terrific partnership that we had,” said Carol Roeder, director of franchise publishing Lucasfilm. “In 2015, the cosmic adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewbacca will make the lightspeed jump back to Marvel, to begin a new age of adventures within the Star Wars universe.”

    Just this past fall Dark Horse was responsible for adapting one of George Lucas’ original Star Wars screenplay drafts into a short 8-issue comic series. Titled The Star Wars, the comics featured an older Luke Skywalker, a green alien Han solo, and a mask-less Darth Vader.

  • Guardians of the Galaxy Unveiled By Marvel

    Marvel offered a first look at the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie with a teaser image of the featured heroes. The image doesn’t reveal too much but does give us a glimpse at the make-up and special effects used on the cast. Zoe Saldana and Chris Pratt are perhaps the only openly recognizable persons, playing the roles of Gamora and Peter Quill. The raccoon Rocket is voiced by Bradley Cooper. Yes…there is a talking, pint-sized space raccoon in this film. Before you groan, apparently he’s of the trash-talking, gun-friendly variety of rodent. More visibly imposing are famed wrestling star Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer and Vin Diesel as Groot (who is a space tree and not a misplaced Lord of the Rings prop).

    This group of new heroes has a lot of work to do. Unlike other franchises such as X-Men, Avengers or DC staples Batman and Superman, there isn’t that much public familiarity with any of these characters. Only avid comic book fans may be likely to know who they are and care enough to see the movie on screen, at least if Marvel doesn’t do enough to draw in a wider audience.

    There are a couple of things working to the movie’s advantage. New characters means fresh blood into the reboot-happy comic book movie genre. There is also the possibility of tie-ins to other Marvel movies. If done well enough, this movie could strengthen enthusiasm for additional upcoming Marvel Studios efforts.

    The Disney-backed project released a synopsis for the film which opens on August 1st:

    “An action-packed epic space adventure, Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits — Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand — with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.”

    Sounds interesting, but it will probably take a trailer release to accurately gauge moviegoer enthusiasm.

    Image via Screen Slam

  • Marvel Characters Coming To Minecraft On Xbox 360

    Minecraft on consoles will always be considered the inferior experience thanks to a lack of mods. That doesn’t mean console players get no customization options though. In fact, the Xbox 360 version of the game has received plenty of DLC, and will be getting even more soon.

    Microsoft and Marvel jointly announced today that characters from the Marvel universe will be coming to Minecraft in the form of character skins. The announcement says that the DLC pack will add an additional 35 player skins for players to choose from, but it doesn’t list all of the available characters.

    At this time, we know that the Marvel DLC pack will contain the following characters:

  • Captain America
  • Iron Man
  • Hulk
  • Thor
  • Nick Fury
  • Black Widow
  • Hawkeye
  • Loki
  • Wasp
  • Falcon
  • Vision
  • Maria Hill
  • Agent Coulson

    • According to the announcement, Marvel is sticking strictly with characters from The Avengers universe as seen in the film and comics. Don’t expect any X-Men or Spider-Man at this point, but they will probably come soon enough.

    It should also be noted that this DLC looks to be exclusive to the Xbox 360. While Minecraft finally launched on the PS3 yesterday, there’s no DLC currently announced for that version of the game. It is coming, however, and it might even feature some Sony-specific skins. I myself would be totally fine with the Xbox 360 getting Marvel skins and the PS3 getting DC skins. After all, DC characters are already coming to LittleBigPlanet this week.

    Image via Xbox Wire

  • Netflix’s Daredevil Series Gets A Showrunner

    Last month, Netflix announced a deal with Disney to bring at least four different shows from the Marvel Universe to Netflix starting in 2015. The first show will be about Daredevil, and it now has a showrunner.

    Marvel announced on its site:

    Marvel.com brought you the first news of the historic team-up between Marvel Television and Netflix, and now we’re proud to officially announce that award-winning writer/director Drew Goddard (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Lost,” “Cloverfield,” “Cabin in the Woods,” “World War Z”) will join Marvel’s “Daredevil”! Goddard will write and direct the “Daredevil” first episode, setting the tone and look for the show, while also serving as series Showrunner and Executive Producer for the 13-episode series premiering on Netflix in 2015.

    Goddard’s only directing credit to date is the film The Cabin in the Woods. His writing credits, however, include five episodes of Buffy, five episodes of Angel, five episodes of Alias, nine episodes of Lost, The Cabin in the Woods and World War Z. He also served as producer on various episodes of Alias and Lost.

    Following the Daredevil series, Netflix will also get shows about Marvel characters Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. These will all combine as one big “epic,” and culminate in a miniseries event, The Defenders. The whole thing will stretch over multiple years.

    The shows are being produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Television Studios.

    [via Collider]

    Image: YouTube

  • Official ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ Trailer Released

    Though Sony’s continuing ownership of the Spider-Man movie rights have kept the superhero out of Marvel’s expanding Avengers-related movie titles, last year’s The Amazing Spider-Man rebooted the franchise and was surprisingly well-received by fans. The series will continue next year with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

    At San Diego Comic Con this year the movie’s producers teased the main villain for the sequel, Electro. Jamie Foxx will play the Spider-Man villian with a heavily CG costume inspired by Electro from the “Ultimate Marvel” comics.

    Today Sony finally released the first full-length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Foxx’s Electro features prominently, though at least two other Spider-Man villains make an appearance. A mech-like Rhino will be a part of the movie, played by Paul Giamatti, and a version of the Green Goblin can also be glimpsed in the video.

    As for the rest of the cast, Andrew Garfield will be back in the title role as Peter Parker and Emma Stone will once again play doomed Spider-Man love interest Gwen Stacy. Denis Leary will be back as Stacy’s police Captain father and Martin Sheen is once again credited as Spider-Man motivation Uncle Ben. Sally Field will again play Aunt May, while Chris Cooper enters the franchise as the head of OsCorp, Norman Osborn. His son, Harry Osborn, will be played by Dane DeHaan of Chronicle fame.

  • Terrence Howard Blames Robert Downey Jr. for His Absence in the ‘Iron Man’ Series

    Terrence Howard’s honesty may get him in trouble some day, but according to him, “…who gives a f*ck.”

    On “Watch What Happens Live,” the topic came up about his cut from “Iron Man 2” and “Iron Man 3” in which actor, Don Cheadle, replaced him.

    When asked by a caller why he was booted from the latest sequels, his response was rather indirectly direct, if you catch my drift.

    “It turns out in order for – this is going to get me in a lot of trouble – it turns out that the person that I helped become Iron Man … when it was time to re-up for the second one, took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out,” he said.

    Well, of course Howard was referring to Mr. Robert Downey, Jr. himself.

    Howard went into detail how the three-picture deal was to be separated between him and Downey. For each sequel, they both would receive certain amounts. Thus, that wasn’t good enough for the “Iron Man” super hero and the studio ended up breaking Howard’s contract so that Downey could earn more money.

    “They came to me [for] the second and said, ‘We will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you, because we think the second one will be successful with or without you’,” he said. “And I called my friend that I helped get the first job, and he didn’t call me back for three months.”

    Downey’s salary for the Marvel movie trilogy has been treating him pretty well, earning him $50 million.

    However, Howard was the highest paying actor in the first “Iron Man” movie in 2008, profiting $4.5 million. So, it’s clear why Howard would feel a little disappointed about the whole ordeal.

    Oddly enough, in 2010, Howard shared with E! News a totally different response about the split.

    He claimed, “…it was a wonderful split…Robert Downey Jr. was born to play that part and it was wonderful that that part has given him the stature that he was supposed to hold before.”

    Howard may seem a little TOO bitter being that he blames “Iron Man” for “killing his career,” but at least he’s making another debut with his latest project “The Best Man Holiday.”

    When asked how his current relationship is with Downey, Howard responded, “Oh, I love him. God’s gonna bless him.”

    Well, we surely hope things do work out for Howard and his ‘friend’.

    In the video below is an interview with Cheadle sharing his views on the matter.

    Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

  • Thor: The Dark World Destroys Box Office, #1 Movie

    The box office has seen the emergence of a new film at the top this week, as Thor: The Dark World came in with an incredibly powerful weekend, and crushed all of the competition. The sequel to the popular Thor from 2011 featuring Chris Hemsworth playing Thor proves to put the film on the fast track to success once again.

    Superhero films have been popular for a long time, and it seems that it would be almost impossible for a movie to beat out a superhero film on opening weekend, while this weekend was no different.

    Even when big films such as 12 Years A Slave are given a wide release on the same day, they are no match for a film like Thor: The Dark World, simply because the audience that would see it is much larger. The film has a supporting cast that includes Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Hopkins.

    The latest film from the Jackass crew, Bad Grandpa, came in second place, with last week’s top contender Ender’s Game coming in at fifth, and 12 Years A Slave only made seventh place.

    The character of Thor, through the previous film, has come to be known by his good looks, and also the fact that he is a God who wields a hammer. Chris Hemsworth gained the attention of women everywhere in the role, and looks to do that once again in Thor: The Dark World.

    Not only is Thor: The Dark World the #1 movie in America, but the hit film earned over $86 million in its opening weekend, crushing all competition. The $86.1 million also came from 3,841 theaters, earning the film $22, 418 per theater on average.

    This film also introduced Thor’s nemesis Loki, and the marketing campaign behind his character and the rising star, Tom Hiddleston, resulted in Disney’s best ever November opening ahead of The Incredibles, which grossed $70.5 million on opening weekend. The film also had the ninth-best November start overall.

    There is no doubt that the Marvel films are generating a great buzz, especially with the success of The Avengers, with work already being done on two sequels. The next X-Men film, X-Men: Days Of Future Past is due out next year, and the trailer was released recently in order to get all the fans excited for the new film.

    Thor: The Dark World had a wildly successful opening weekend, and will certainly continue that success in the coming weeks. The question is, what film will be able to de-throne the superhero hit?

    Image via Youtube

  • Netflix Is Getting Live Action Marvel Shows (Starting With Daredevil)

    Netflix Is Getting Live Action Marvel Shows (Starting With Daredevil)

    Netflix and Disney just announced a new deal that will see the Marvel Universe making its way to the realm of the Netflix original series. There will be at least four different shows and a mini-series.

    Marvel will develop a series focused on Daredevil first, followed by shows about the characters Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. These will combine as one big “epic,” and culminate in a miniseries event, The Defenders. The endeavor will stretch over multiple years, and as the announcement says, take Netflix members “deep into the gritty world of heroes and villains of Hell’s Kitchen, New York.”

    The shows will make their way to the streaming service beginning in 2015. They’re being produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Television Studios.

    Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos said, “Marvel’s movies, such as ‘Iron Man’ and Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’, are huge favorites on our service around the world. Like Disney, Marvel is a known and loved brand that travels. With ‘House of Cards’ and our other original series, we have pioneered new approaches to storytelling and to global distribution and we’re thrilled to be working with Disney and Marvel to take our brand of television to new levels with a creative project of this magnitude.”

    “This deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel’s brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling. Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel’s specialty,” said Alan Fine, President of Marvel Entertainment. “This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and when they want in what’s sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure.”

    Netflix and Disney made a big movie distribution deal last year, which will see theatrically released feature films from Disney appear on Netflix starting in 2016. Netflix will be the exclusive U.S. subscription TV service for first run movies from the company, and that includes Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Disneynature and Lucasfilm.

    Even more recently, Netflix and Disney made a similar deal for content in the Netherlands.

    Image: YouTube

  • Ms. Marvel Revamp Features a Muslim Lead Character

    In a move which proves the relevancy and usefulness of the comic book world, Marvel has revealed that they will be running a new series in which Ms. Marvel will be a teenage Muslim girl growing up in New Jersey.

    The new character, named Kamala Khan, is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants. The idea for the new series was originally conceived by Sana Amanat and Steve Wacker, two Marvel editors. Amanat and Wacker were discussing the issues that Amanat faced growing up as a Muslim-American, and the two then thought about the real lack of female superheros with their own series and also the absence of cultural lenses for comic book characters.

    Typically, people have a tendency to try to be “politically correct” and avoid discussing religion or other cultural factors. However, Amanat wants readers to empathize and sympathize with the struggles that Kamala faces on a day to day basis: “Her brother is extremely conservative. Her mom is paranoid that she’s going to touch a boy and get pregnant. Her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor.” Kamala’s Muslim heritage will play a large part in her personal development, and as such is a perfect opportunity to explore the plights that minorities in the United States currently face.

    Amanat and Wacker have brought G. Willow Wilson on board to write the series. Wilson was the 2013 World Fantasy Awards winner for best novel for her Alif the Unseen and has worked extensively on comic books. Wilson is also a converted Muslim and has spent much time in the Middle East as a journalist.

    With two Muslim, female members executing this project, it is hard to imagine something going wrong. Amanat is not naive, though: “I do expect some negativity, not only from people who are anti-Muslim, but people who are Muslim and might want the character portrayed in a particular light.”

    As Wilson sees it, this is her chance to attract unconventional readers, especially younger females, to the comic book world: “I wanted Ms. Marvel to be true-to-life, something real people could relate to, particularly young women. High school was a very vivid time in my life, so I drew heavily on those experiences — impending adulthood, dealing with school, emotionally charged friendships that are such a huge part of being a teenager.” She adds that “It’s for all the geek girls out there and everybody else who’s ever looked at life from the fringe.”

    (image)

    Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the story for avid comic book readers will be how Wilson decides to incorporate the original Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers. After Kamala realizes that she has obtained special powers, she adopts the name of her childhood hero, Ms. Marvel: “Captain Marvel represents an ideal that Kamala pines for. She’s strong, beautiful and doesn’t have any of the baggage of being Pakistani and ‘different’.”

    The new “Ms. Marvel” series is part of an ongoing effort of Marvel to rebrand many of their series, a project called Marvel NOW! After the finale of the “Avengers vs. X-Men” storyline, Marvel decided it was time to change the game and make an attempt to appeal to an ever-expanding and diverse audience. While Kamala may be the first ever Muslim character with her own series, she will not be the only female lead in Marvel NOW! – Both Elektra and She-Hulk are receiving new runs.

    Comic books have often been criticized by the community writ-large as championing violence, delusional fantasies, and social ineptitude. However, the relatability and pertinent nature of comic books make them a fantastic medium to get children interested in reading and to comfortably explore topics generally deemed “off-limits”. Children experience a multitude of pressures and stresses on a daily basis. Comic books provide children with an opportunity to read about characters experiencing the same issues and allows them to see said characters rising above their difficulties in order to achieve greatness. Ms. Marvel will be an excellent opportunity for young female and Muslim readers to find that role-model all children need, and could also serve as a great vehicle for young males to understand the challenges of living in a patriarchal society.

    [Images via Marvel and Twitter]

  • First ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ Trailer Released

    Fans of Marvel comics and movies are only two weeks away from hitting theaters for Thor: The Dark World. Marvel Studios, though, isn’t resting on the success of just the Thor and Avengers movies. The production company is already gearing up for the 2014 release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

    The first trailer for Winter Soldier was released today, teasing yet another big-budget Marvel superhero movie. The villain of the movie, Winter Soldier, is prominently featured throughout the trailer. Without spoiling the movie for newer fans of the Marvel movies, the origins of the villain are quite personal for both the Captain and Black Widow.

    The trailer also touches on the Captain’s staunch values. It appears that the hero might have to confront some hard decisions about loyalty and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s place in the world. Decisions that could lead to the fate of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, which is spoiled at the end of the video.

    Captain America: Winter Soldier is scheduled to premiere on April 4, 2014.

  • Thor: The Dark World Gets A Mobile Game Tie-In

    Since the beginning of the games industry, the console market has been flooded every summer with cheap movie tie-ins. That all changed a few years ago as the market for those kind of games collapsed. Movie studios ever eager to make a quick buck off of clueless parents then turned to mobile, and almost every major Hollywood blockbuster now has its very own mobile game.

    I open with that only to warn you that Marvel’s latest cinematic effort – Thor: The Dark World – will be getting its own mobile game from Gameloft. In a perfect world, a character like Thor would receive a near perfect game that plays like Batman: Arkham Asylum in which he beats down baddies left and right with his mighty hammer. Instead, we get this:

    What is going on in that trailer? Is it an action RPG like Diablo, or is it a MOBA like League of Legends? The Gameloft press release doesn’t really say. All we know is that players will take on the role of Thor and lead a group of warriors against the invading dark elf forces in over 100 missions.

    Oh, and the game will incorporate social elements as well as microtransactions. In other words, you’ll have to beg friends for help if you want to progress, or you can buy your way to victory. The only real redeeming feature here is that the game was apparently written by Thor: The Dark World screenwriter Christopher Yost.

    If you want to give it a shot, the mobile tie-in to this November’s Thor: The Dark World will be available on iOS and Android alongside the theatrical debut.

    [Image: GamesNewsOfficial/YouTube]

  • “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” Cast Member Leaked

    “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” Cast Member Leaked

    Elizabeth Olsen–the younger sister of those Olsens–may not seem like the first choice for an action role after her critically-acclaimed turn in the quiet little movie that took audiences by storm, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”, but her acting range has continued to surprise us in the past year or so, and now it looks like she’ll be branching out into the world of superhero/action flicks.

    Olsen was accidentally confirmed as a character in “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” by none other than Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Nick Fury in the Marvel universe.

    “I don’t think we begin shooting before March of next year, I know we’re shooting in London, that James Spader is Ultron and going to be the bad guy, and that we added Ms. Olsen, but I don’t know what she’s doing, if she’s on the inside or the outside. I haven’t seen a script,” Jackson said.

    Jackson didn’t reveal who Olsen would be playing, but she’s being rumored for the role of Scarlet Witch. As for Olsen herself, she hasn’t confirmed anything (and likely won’t until Marvel makes an official announcement on their site) but has said in the past that she’d love to be in an Avengers film.

    “I’ve been rumored about lots of things [so] I don’t know… To be part of [The Avengers]? Sure. I grew up loving comic books and sci-fi… I think those movies are great. I would love to do something like that,” she said.

    Image via MTV

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  • Iron Man JARVIS App Comes to iOS

    Iron Man JARVIS App Comes to iOS

    Hardware manufacturers and content creators have been touting “second screen experiences” for quite a while now, but nothing so far has surpassed the interactivity of Twitter and chat apps. Now, Marvel has tried its hand at making a second screen experience, leveraging the popular Iron Man franchise to do it.

    Marvel this week released a JARVIS app for iPhone and iPad. The app simulates J.A.R.V.I.S., Iron Man Tony Stark’s artificially intelligent butler in the Iron Man and Avengers movies. The voice is the same as the one from the movies, being voiced by actor Paul Bettany. The app can recognize voice commands to check the weather, post to social media, set alarms, read the time, and set appointments.

    The app also has an “interactive” gallery of Iron Man armors for fans to peruse. It will also somehow be able to “sync” with Blu-ray players to be used as a voice remote. Doing so with Iron Man 3 on Blu-ray will unlock some type of exclusive content. A short trailer for the app created by Marvel previews the look of the software and a few of its capabilities:

  • James Spader Cast as Next ‘Avengers’ Villain

    After the Joss Whedon-directed The Avengers proved a hit with audiences, all eyes have been focused on Marvel for details on what fans can expect from the next Avengers movie. At Comic-Con this year Whedon revealed the title for the next movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron.

    In the months that have followed, speculation has run rampant about how Ultron, a super-powerful megalomaniac robot, will be depicted on the big screen. Joss Whedon earlier this month revealed that Ultron’s powers in comic books will be scaled down for the movie, which is scheduled for a May 1, 2015 release. This week, the casting information for the infamous villain has been revealed.

    Marvel studios announced that actor James Spader has been cast as Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It is unknown whether Spader will simply voice a fully-realized computer-generated Ultron, or whether the actor will have a greater role in the character’s performance. Spader is best-known for movies such as Stargate and Secretary, as well as network TV shows such as Boston Legal, The Practice, and The Office.

    In addition to Ultron, it has been announced that Marvel heroes Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver will be joining the avengers in the sequel. Recent casting rumors pin younger Olsen sibling Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch and Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been cast as Quicksilver.

    (Image courtesy Marvel Comics)

  • Scarlet Witch Close To Being Cast

    Scarlet Witch Close To Being Cast

    If you aren’t exactly sure who might be selected to play the Scarlet Witch in Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, then you’re not alone. In fact, the actress who could potentially be slated to fill the role isn’t sure herself. Joss Whedon’s adaptation of the immensely popular Marvel hit franchise has taken some recent twists with finding the perfect candidate to fill these big shoes. Original whispers for who would fill the part for Wanda Maximoff (AKA the Scarlet Witch) concentrated on Saoirse Ronan until the talented actress refused the part. Now, other rumors are circulating concerning another incredibly talented actress, Elizabeth Olsen. Initially known as the younger sister of the adorable Full House twins, Mary Kate and Ashley, Lizzie (her Twitter persona) has also garnered recognition on her own.

    She has established herself as a uniquely talented actress in such films as Liberal Arts and Martha Marcy May Marlene. It’s no wonder the rumors are spreading like wildfire. However, the actress has yet to officially claim any connection with the upcoming film, even when directly confronted about the possibilities by her fans through Twitter.

    Lizzie Olsen said that she will be devoting some of her future endeavors toward work on Broadway even though she will not definitively comment on the possibility of playing the Scarlet Witch.

    The Scarlet Witch, an infamous character within the X-Men Marvel Mutant world, is responsible for the destruction wrought from M-Day. Her evil ancestry includes Magneto for a father as well as being sister to Polaris and Quicksilver. Now, the only thing left to ponder is who could play Quicksilver? If rumors are to be believed that could be Aaron Taylor-Johnson of Kick-Ass fame and fellow Elizabeth Olsen costar for the 2014 yet-to-be-released Godzilla.

  • ‘Avengers 2’ Update: Ultron To Differ From Comics

    A super powerful, self-aware robot does not exactly sound like the easiest character for audiences to relate to. It’s the classic problem that many fans, including this writer, have with Superman: how is a being that is capable of anything and is virtually indestructible interesting and fun to watch?

    “Avengers 2” writer Joss Whedon has recently revealed that he is keenly aware of this problem, and he will reportedly be taking measures to make sure that Ultron will be a little more entertaining when he makes his big screen debut.

    For those unfamiliar with the comic version of Ultron, he has a list of superpowers that is more than a little ridiculous, even by comic standards. Along with the standard super strength and flight, he also possesses the abilities of mind-control, super speed, super stamina, a coma ray (you read that correctly), not to mention his super intellect that allows him to rise to basically any challenge. Such a being outmatches most individual superheroes, and might even compare favorably with the Avengers when fully assembled.

    Whedon, in order to give the group a fighting chance, has said that he will remove a few of the abilities and make the bot seem a bit more human. Whedon had the following to say about his changes:

    “I knew right away what I wanted to do with him. He’s always trying to destroy the Avengers, goddamn it, he’s got a bee in his bonnet. He’s not a happy guy, which means he’s an interesting guy. He’s got pain. And the way that manifests is not going to be standard robot stuff. So we’ll take away some of those powers because at some point everybody becomes magic, and I already have someone [a new character, Scarlet Witch] who’s a witch.”

    Hopefully the changes will allow the next Avengers film to provide action and excitement while avoiding the trap of having a character that is simply too powerful.

    For you Whedon fans out there you can find him on the cover of this week’s Entertainment Weekly.