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Tag: The Avengers

  • ‘Age Of Ultron’ Big Disappointment For Black Widow Fans

    ‘Age Of Ultron’ Big Disappointment For Black Widow Fans

    There’s no question that Avengers: Age of Ultron would smash records in the box office. There’s also no question that the latest Avengers movie would be jam packed with the action and funny one-liners that everyone knows and loves.

    But the question that’s on everyone’s minds since Age of Ultron was released was what the hell did they do to the Black Widow?

    The way that Natasha Romanoff’s character regressed from being a kickass heroine who could hold her own in any fight against anyone to a simpering superhero in love who just wants to settle down with the Hulk was awkward, annoying, disappointing and downright unacceptable.

    The resulting backlash was understandably huge and might have even prompted Joss Wheadon to quit Twitter.

    Admittedly, there were a lot of other things disappointing about the movie. There was the complete disregard of Hydra’s powers and might. There was also that weird sequence with Thor looking for that ancient lake.

    But what really got people’s goat was how forced Natasha and Banner’s relationship seemed to be and how it shoehorned a beloved, feisty heroine into an ordinary girlfriend role.

    Marvel had already scored a coup when they cast Scarlett Johansson for the role. The actress perfectly embodied the character and turned her into the “most popular female superhero of the decade.”

    She was great in the Avengers and she shined even more in Captain America: Winter Soldier. People were intrigued with the glimpses given to who she was and what she can do.

    And to suddenly see her as a two-dimensional character in this film was a bitter pill to swallow for all those who were waiting to see Natasha shine and become even more badass.

    Maybe even star in her own superhero movie.

    Luckily for all of us, SNL and Scarlett Johansson have gone ahead and did Marvel’s job for them in their own take of a Black Widow movie.

  • Avengers: Age Of Ultron Has Second Biggest Box Office Opening Ever

    Avengers: Age Of Ultron Has Second Biggest Box Office Opening Ever

     It’s a unique case of second-best still being great.

    Avengers: Age of Ultron smashed the box-office this weekend with a whopping $187.7 million opening sales, garnering the honor of having the second-best debut weekend of all time.

    The number one spot is still being held by its predecessor The Avengers, which set the bar impossibly high when it earned $207.4 million when it opened in 2012.

    Executives over at Disney are understandably still ecstatic with the way the follow-up to The Avengers has performed, especially since they went up against 3 major sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, game 7 between the Spurs and the Clippers and the highly-anticipated fight between Mayweather and Pacquaio.

    Dave Hollis, Disney’s head of distribution has acknowledged that “we’re in a rare air here.”

    “Having the second biggest opening weekend in the history of the movie business is always going to be something you walk away overwhelmingly happy with,” he added.

    But Age of Ultron does pick up the honor of having the biggest debut for a sequel. Its opening weekend has eclipsed Iron Man 3’s $174.1 million opening salvo in 2013.

    The Joss Whedon helmed movie sees superheroes Black Widow (Scarlett Johnasson), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner),  Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) go up against technological villain Ultron (voiced by the amazing James Spader). New characters Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, are also introduced. They’re played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson respectively.

    The latest offering from the House of the Mouse heralds the start of the summer season and insiders are hopeful that it’s a sign of good things to come.

    A robust summer offering that boast of movies like “Ant-Man,” “Jurassic World,” “Pitch Perfect 2”and “Magic Mike XXL” should come up with good numbers and help the industry recover from last year’s dismal performance.

  • Scarlett Johansson Starts Girl Band, Drops Single

    Scarlett Johansson is an actress, a mom, a wife, and a singer, too. The Lucy and Avengers star started her own girl band recently. Called The Singles, the group dropped their first single, dubbed ‘Candy, on Friday.

    This isn’t the first foray into the music world for Scarlett Johansson either. In fact, she has performed in a music video, ‘When the Deal Goes Down,’ with Bob Dylan. She also released a cover album of Tom Waits tunes back in 2006. On the Tom Waits album, one critic compared her voice to that of Blondie’s Debbie Harry.

    ‘Candy’ is a catchy dance track, reminiscent of songs from the 1980s. The Singles might remind some of The Go Go’s.

    “The idea was to write super-pop dance music written and performed by girls,” Scarlett Johansson said during a recent interview with Rolling Stone, describing her group’s sound as “ultra-pop but also a little ironic, a little in on the joke.”

    You can listen to ‘Candy,’ and critique The Singles below.

    In addition to Johansson, The Singles includes Holly Miranda, Kendra Morris and Julia Haltigan. Este Haim, the oldest of the Haim sisters, is the group’s drummer.

    Scarlett Johansson married Romain Dauriac in October. A month earlier the couple welcomed daughter Rose Dorothy into the world.

    Where does Scarlett Johansson find time to be a wife, mother, actress, and singer? She no doubt has some able-bodied help in the form of a housekeeper and nanny–don’t you think?

    What’s your take on ‘Candy?’ Is there a future in the international music world for The Singles?

  • Avengers: Age Of Ultron Trailer Leaks: Marvel Is Furious, But Fans Are Elated

    How Marvel Studios managed to keep the trailer for Avengers: Age Of Ultron under wraps this long is anyone’s guess.

    Despite the company promising the trailer to viewers of the struggling Agents of Shield, it seems that someone felt that excited fans shouldn’t have to wait that long.

    The trailer has made its way to the internet via a leak. It has been noted that this is NOT the same trailer that was shown at Comic Con. The contents of that trailer remains a mystery to non-attendants.

    This trailer made its way to the internet Wednesday, and as excited fans share the two minute footage it becomes clear that it has only added to the hype surrounding the upcoming Avengers movie.

    Marvel cannot be happy about this…but at least the company put on a brave face with this hilarious tweet:

    UPDATE (10:26 PM)

    Marvel went ahead and uploaded the official HD trailer. Have a look!

    Takeaways From The Trailer

    1.) Explosions, destroyed city streets, and civilians running for their lives? Didn’t we see this in the FIRST Avengers? I suppose there are some things that must be repeated for the sake of a good popcorn action flick. Let’s hope that the movie proves to be something other than repetitive.

    2.) Iron Man is apparently confessing to being at least partially responsible for what we’re seeing. And seeing as Ultron at least partially resembles an Iron Man suit, we can only guess that the villain somehow his brain child. Is this the event that acts as the catalyst that will bring ups “Civil War” in the Marvel movie universe?

    3,.) HULK BUSTER VS. HULK! Ever since the suit was introduced in Iron Man 3, we’ve all been wondering if it would ever feature in a match-up against the Incredible Hulk. It looks like we finally have an answer.

    4,) Will we see the end of Captain America? It has been speculated for some time that we are on the threshold of the death of Cap. Seeing his shattered shield in this trailer is enough to make someone wonder if he’s really going to die.

    5.) “There Are No Strings On Me.” Everyone take a minute to clap for Disney. Not only were they flaunting their ownership of Marvel Studios, but taking a moment to plug one of their more beloved animations.

    What did you take away from the leaked trailer? What do you want to see in the movie?

  • The Avengers Sequel Will Have Record-Breaking Number Of Visual Effects

    The Avengers Sequel Will Have Record-Breaking Number Of Visual Effects

    Special visual effects were what made the fight scenes of the film The Avengers look amazing, and its sequel will reportedly be benefiting from a record-breaking number of them. Avengers: Age of Ultron will be featuring over 3,000 visual effects shots in it, employing the most number of such effects in one film.

    The news was revealed in a keynote speech given by Victoria Alonso, executive producer of Avengers: Age of Ultron, at the Visual Effects Society Production Summit at the W Hollywood on Saturday, October 18. Alonso reportedly said that she expected more than 3,000 VFX shots to be used in the Joss Whedon-helmed film. This number is greater than previous films on which Alonso also worked, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, which counted 2,500 and 2,750 VFX shots, respectively.

    Alonso further revealed in her speech that Avengers: Age of Ultron’s special effects will be made by seven to 12 different VFX companies around the world. One advantage to this global collaboration for the film’s production, she continued, was that people in other countries could contribute unique ideas that don’t occur to the main studio. Alonso added that Marvel is raring to adopt emerging technologies for the film’s special effects, such as high dynamic range.

    The 3,000 VFX shots in Avengers: Age of Ultron will reportedly be used in action scenes as well as in characterizing each superhero with their powers. Effects will be used for Paul Bettany’s look in the film, supported with makeup, and the all-important shape of The Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo.

    Meanwhile, the successful film The Avengers still remains fresh in the minds and hearts of its fans, including actor Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man. Because of an offhand comment he made on the set, he now owns the 30-foot-tall “A” prop used in the film to decorate the Avengers Tower. “So now we have a massive Avengers ‘A’ that will be prominently placed,” said Downey of the prop.

  • Iron Man 4: Downey May Sign On If Mel Gibson Directs

    Iron Man 4: Downey May Sign On If Mel Gibson Directs

    Robert Downey Jr. is a man who has lived off of second chances. After multiple arrests and several stints in rehab, the 49-year-old actor finally pulled himself together to become not only one of the most revered artists working in film today but also the highest paid actor in Hollywood. He reportedly earned $50 million for his role in the film The Avengers, even though the movie featured an ensemble cast filled with big name movie stars.

    It’s clear that Downey wants to give his friend Mel Gibson the opportunity to enjoy one of the many second chances that were given to him. There are currently no plans for a fourth Iron Man. However, Downey is contractually obligated to appear as Iron Man in the upcoming The Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers 3 movies.

    The financial bottom line is going to be a big deciding factor on whether Downey straps on the Iron Man suit again. However, Shane Black, who directed Iron Man 3, thinks that Downey could be swayed to play Tony Stark once again if Mel Gibson was given the opportunity to direct Iron Man 4.

    Remember Mel Gibson? He was one the biggest movie stars in the 80s and 90s. He also won an Academy Award for directing Braveheart in 1995. However, a drunken arrest coupled with a well-publicized anti-Semitic and sexist tirade, combined with a rage-filled alcohol-fueled recording left on his girlfriend’s answering machine and leaked for the whole world to hear, has put the the 58-year-old actor on the outs with both the Hollywood crowd and the fans who used to adore him.

    So would Downey make another Iron Man with Gibson at the helm? The actor was asked during a recent interview, “Marvel badly wants Iron Man 4 and you’ve said you aren’t doing it. How about the idea you’ll do that movie if Mel directs it?” Downey responded, “Why not? That movie would be bananas.”

    Downey recently spoke of Gibson to Deadline, “Nobody should make a case for somebody who just wants forgiveness but hasn’t changed, but he’s a fundamentally different guy. I think it was just the very worst aspects of somebody’s psyche being treated as though they were the blanket statement about a person.”

    It’s been reported that when Downey was at rock bottom, Gibson was there to help. “Unless you are without sin — and if you are, you are in the wrong [expletive] industry — you should forgive him and let him work … This is my [expletive] time,” Downey said about Gibson during his acceptance speech for The American Cinematheque Award. “Mel and I have the same lawyer, same publicist and same shrink. I couldn’t get hired and he cast me. He said that if I accepted responsibility—he called it hugging the cactus—long enough, my life would take meaning,” Downey continued. “And if he helped me, I would help the next guy. But it was not reasonable to assume the next guy would be him.”

    If it’s true and Downey would commit to another Iron Man with Gibson as director, Disney and Marvel would have a hard time turning down the deal. According to Box Office Mojo, the three Iron Man movies have combined to make over $2.4 billion worldwide.

    What do you think? Does Mel Gibson deserve a second chance?

  • Scarlett Johansson Plans to Marry Fiancé Romain Dauriac in August

    Scarlett Johansson is apparently planning on getting married next month.

    The 29-year-old actress was overheard telling fellow guests at a dinner thrown by Martha Stewart on Saturday that she and French journalist Romain Dauriac — with whom she is expecting her first child — will marry in four weeks, the New York Post’s Page Six reports.

    The wedding venue is still unknown at this time, but The Avengers star will likely either marry in her fiance’s native Paris, or in the Hamptons, where they have been hanging out this summer.

    Johansson and Dauriac were joined at the dinner held at Stewart’s East Hampton estate with fellow guests and Hampton regulars — Howard Stern, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Barbara Walters, Rachel Zoe and Harvey Weinstein. The dinner was held to celebrate the launch of Dom Pérignon’s P2-1998 champagne — a vintage that retails for $400 a bottle.

    The nuptials will likely be rather simple — the actress has admitted she would probably “wing it” on her wedding day.

    “I don’t plan anything. I’m terrible at planning. Yeah, I’m not gonna plan anything – I like to wing it!,” Johansson told Access Hollywood.

    This will be the second marriage for the Lucy star. She was married to Ryan Reynolds from 2008 until 2011 and has admitted she finds it “easier” to date someone who is not a celebrity.

    “It is [easier to be with someone who isn’t famous], but it’s more than that. We do different things. He’s [Romain] in the whole art-scene world. So it’s nice, because we can enjoy each other’s worlds, but we don’t have our crazy conflicting schedules and all that other stuff to contend with,” she said in Vanity Fair’s May issue.

    Image via YouTube

  • Scarlett Johansson Wins Lawsuit Against Author Using Her as ‘Sex Object’ in Book

    Scarlett Johansson, 29, won a defamation lawsuit against an author who wrote a book featuring a character based on the Avengers actress.

    In the lawsuit, the Captain America star accused French writer Gregoire Delacourt of making “fraudulent use of her name, fame and image” in his book La premiere Chose Qu’on Regarde (The First Thing We Look At).

    The character in the book is described as Johansson’s “exact double” who is treated as a “sex object” because of her looks.

    Delacourt claims he only used her image as a way of giving Johansson a compliment.

    “It was meant as the highest praise. She is an archetypal beauty of our times, very human with a touching fragility. She is a wonderful, iconic actress. I was hoping that she might send me flowers because this book is, in a way, a declaration of love. If I had known she was going to kick up such a racket, I would have picked another actress,” said Delacourt.

    The actress, who is currently expecting a baby with French fiancé Romain Dauraic, sued for $69,302, accusing the novelist of using her likeness to promote the story.

    Delacourt has sold more than 100,000 copies of his novel and was surprised when the actress brought the lawsuit against him.

    “I wrote a work of fiction. My character is not Scarlett Johansson,” he told the French newspaper Le Figaro. “I’m not sure she’s even read the book. It’s not been translated.”

    A court in Paris, France, ruled in Johansson’s favor, but she was awarded only $3,397. The Lucy actress also sought an injunction to stop the novel from being translated into other languages or adapted for a movie, but the court threw the request out.

    Delacourt’s publisher said that now that the suit is settled, the publishing house is open to offers for an English translation.

    Image via YouTube

  • Indio Downey, Son of Robert Downey Jr., Arrested For Coke Possession, Dad Responds

    Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In the case of Robert Downey Jr. and his son, Indio, it’s sad to hear.

    The younger Downey was arrested for possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia in West Hollywood, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said Monday.

    The 20-year-old was taken into custody Sunday afternoon after police noticed narcotics activity (a.k.a. they were firing it up) in a car in which the actor’s son was a passenger off Santa Monica Boulevard, authorities said.

    “He was smoking something and it wasn’t a cigarette,” a police official told ABC News.

    Indio was released on $10,000 bail Sunday night around 9 p.m., authorities said.

    This isn’t the first time Indio has made headlines for addiction problems. In October, Indio entered rehab for pill addiction, according to statements by his mother, actress and singer Deborah Falconer.

    Downey Jr., 49, has had his own addiction problems and run-ins with the law. His troubles and multiple stints in rehab were well publicized throughout the 1980s and 90s. He finally sobered up after spending a year in the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison.

    “Unfortunately there’s a genetic component to addiction and Indio has likely inherited it,” Downey, Jr. told ABC News. “Also, there is a lot of family support and understanding, and we’re all determined to rally behind him and help him become the man he’s capable of being. We’re grateful to the Sheriff’s department for their intervention, and believe Indio can be another recovery success story instead of a cautionary tale.”

    Hopefully, Robert Downey Jr.’s own experiences will lend some guidance to his son.

    Image via YouTube

  • Cobie Smulders Talks About Her Beloved Series Ending

    Currently at age 31, Cobie Smulders started working on the long running CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother when she was just 22 years old, and with the series ending on Monday, she’s trying to keep a stiff upper lip, she says, and appreciate how long the show has been on.

    “No, it’s still airing,” replied Smulders when she was asked if she was sad about the series ending.

    “And I wonder if when it’s stopped airing, I will feel like it’s over….I’ve landed in this place of just sublime gratitude, truly, because any time I start to get sad about our show, I think about just how long we have been on the air.”

    Playing the character of Robin Scherbatsky has been a blast, said the Vancouver native, but she’s a little scared of what the future holds, because although she’ll be busy with the Captain America and Avengers franchises, she’s not sure where work will come after that, which is a new experience for her.

    “And now I’m just walking out there into the unknown, and I just start weeping,” she said. “I don’t know when I’m going to work next.”

    Before she starting rehearsing lines and going on auditions, Smulders was a pretty successful model, but she eventually gave it up because she didn’t really like it.

    Plus, posing for the camera isn’t really her thing, she says, and despite her gorgeous looks, Smulders admits that she’s not the most confident person.

    “I don’t find myself a very confident person, about my looks or my body,” she said. “But it did allow me to, you know, walk into a room and just start talking to people, because so much of that time I was alone. I was alone in another country where I didn’t speak the language.”

    But here’s where the irony lies: Smulders is posing for the camera again as a famous actress, especially now since How I Met Your Mother is in its final days. However, she puts up with it, she says, and hopes that being on magazine covers will eventually lead to more work.

    “I still don’t really enjoy having my picture taken,” she stated. “But I do it because I know that through that maybe I’ll get that little indie film, and I’ll be a big enough name that they’ll take a chance on me and I’ll be able to play that role that I’ve always wanted to play.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Agents Of SHIELD Enlists Amy Acker As A Guest Star

    While the average film and television viewer may have no idea who Amy Acker is, anyone who is familiar with Joss Whedon’s previous work will be delighted to know that she will be appearing on at least one episode of Agents Of SHIELD.

    Amy Acker will guest star as Agent Coulson’s former girlfriend, the one that has appeared in his dreams over the course of the season. Her character has never been seen on screen before, but she has been mentioned both in Agents Of SHIELD, and in The Avengers.

    After its initial popularity, and being one of the most anticipated shows of the fall, Agents Of SHIELD was picked up for a full season in October.

    The show has been known for its guest stars, and in a way to attract more viewers, has incorporated elements of Captain America and Thor, while even including Jaimie Alexander in a recent episode, who plays Lady Sif in Thor and Thor: The Dark World.

    Agents Of SHIELD‘s regular cast members consist of Clark Gregg, Chloe Bennet, Ming-Na Wen, Elizabeth Henstridge and Lain De Caestecker. Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson, two of the smaller parts in The Avengers, have also appeared in the show’s first season.

    Amy Acker would be playing the role of Audrey, and up until the casting, she had simply been referred to as “The Cellist.” Her character has been mentioned throughout the season, and is a woman that Agent Coulson had dated before dying, and being brought back to life.

    TV Line describes Amy Acker’s character as “a talented musician turning heads in Portland, Audrey believes Coulson to be dead and has no idea that he’s guarding her from a distance as a super-powered threat from her past re-emerges.”

    There are a handful of actors who Joss Whedon likes to use over and over that fans have been wanting to see on Agents Of SHIELD, and Amy Acker was certainly high on the list. She has previously been seen in Dollhouse, Angel, and two of Whedon’s films-Cabin In The Woods and Much Ado About Nothing.

    With the casting of Amy Acker on Agents Of SHIELD, it will reunite her with Clark Gregg, and the pair have previously appeared together in the 2012 film Much Ado About Nothing.

    Agents Of SHIELD was off this week, but will return with a new episode on April 1st. The episode featuring Amy Acker will air on April 22nd at 8 p.m.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier Has Good Early Reviews

    Surprise, surprise! Marvel has made yet another fantastic superhero film in the form of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger. Critics have been raving about the latest installment in the Marvel movie-verse after getting a taste of the film in early showings. Disney allowed critics to take to Twitter and share their opinions on the film about three weeks before it is scheduled to release, and the results have been in their favor; the critics are loving this film.

    According to the information and trailers released to the public (one of which is shown below), the new film will feature Captain America (also known by his civilian name, Steve Rogers) as well as Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) as they go on various missions and escapades for S.H.I.E.L.D. Chris Evans, the actor who portrays Steve, has revealed that his character will not just be grappling with old-friends-turned-enemies and baddies like those shown in the action-packed trailers, but with the “moral ambiguities of the modern age.”

    In an interview with Hero Complex, Chris was quoted as saying, “For Steve, it’s about what is right. He’s relatively acclimated to the modern day — it’s not tech shock anymore, he’s not just like, ‘What’s a cellphone?’ It’s more about, given his situation, given the company he works for, what are we doing that’s the right thing? How much privacy, civil liberties are we willing to compromise for security? It’s pretty crazy how relevant it is right now.”

    This take on Steve and the direction it takes the film has, apparently, been a huge hit with the critics who have gotten a sneak peek at the film. As mentioned above, they took to Twitter to express their thoughts, and an overwhelming majority expressed that the film was superb in one way or another.

    Those are just a few of the multitude of awesome snippets that can be found all over Twitter. Here’s to hoping that the film lives up to the hype and is just as successful with general audiences. It definitely sounds like a fantastic film that no one will want to miss! Be sure to mark your calendars for April 4th, when it releases to theaters.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Avengers: Age Of Ultron Casts New Villian

    One of the most anticipated films of 2015, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, has just cast another villain in the film that already has a handful of stars.

    The Avengers was one of the most popular and biggest box-office films of all time when it was released in 2012, and the sequel will look to be even more successful.

    The anticipation continues to build for Avengers: Age Of Ultron, and while the original film had a host of stars brought in to play the avengers, the sequel continues to bring in new cast members, and build up the already star-studded cast.

    The latest actor to be added to the ensemble cast is Thomas Kretschmann, who currently plays Abraham Van Helsing on NBC’s Dracula.

    Kretschmann has also appeared in King Kong and Wanted, in addition to the upcoming Stalingrad, the acclaimed Russian war movie that will be released on IMAX domestically in February.

    In addition to the original cast, Elizabeth Olsen has been added as the Scarlet Witch, James Spader as Ultron, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver, and the new addition of Thomas Kretschmann, who will be playing Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.

    In the comics, Von Strucker was a Nazi officer who becomes one of the heads of HYDRA, a terrorist organization. He is also one of the main antagonists for Captain America and Nick Fury.

    The Avengers: Age Of Ultron is the second in the Avengers film series, and it will be written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is based on the Marvel comics that were written by Stan Lee.

    Some of the actors in the series are reprising their roles from earlier superhero films where they were the star of the film. The plot of The Avengers: Age Of Ultron will see the avengers reassemble to battle the sentient robot known as Ultron, played by James Spader.

    The Avengers: Age Of Ultron is host to many big name stars including several who are returning from the first film with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

    Avengers: Age Of Ultron is set to be released on May 1st, 2015.

    Image via Youtube

  • 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

  • Scarlett Johansson Sets Sights on Directing

    Scarlett Johansson has bought the rights to a few books she found intriguing, in hopes of directing their screenplays in the future. The actress has set her sights on becoming a film director. Presently on the big screen in voice only as the character of Her in the new Spike Jonze movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix, it’s obvious her talents run the gamut from behind-the-scenes to front-and-center. How will she do behind the camera?

    ”I want to get into directing and I will at some point. I already bought the rights to some books. I’m in a point at my life where I’m sure of my choices and I’m interested in so many different things. I love art and galleries and music,” she said during a recent interview.

    Before she becomes a director, however, she is trying her hand at the leader of an all girl band.

    ”I formed an all-girl band The One and Only Singles, it’s something that I’ve always loved. I had so many different interests growing up, I used to go around Greenwich Village, back when it wasn’t popular or cool, and just browse around in libraries and theatres, and then I started acting. The only thing I regret is not having gone to college. The reason I live in New York, far from Hollywood, is because I need to feel a city around me.”

    Known recently for her roles in The Avengers and Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson may live in New York, but she is definitely no stranger to the Hollywood scene. It will certainly be interesting to see how she does behind the camera in her prospective role as film director.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Brings Brick Building Action To Retailers Today

    LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Brings Brick Building Action To Retailers Today

    Earlier this year, Warner Bros. and Traveler’s Tales announced that it was finally bringing Marvel to the LEGO universe with LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. Since then, a number of previews and trailers have confirmed that it will be the most complete Marvel game to date with over 100 heroes to choose from. Now you, the player, can finally take all these classic heroes out for a spin.

    Warner Bros. Games announced that LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is now available at North American retailers for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, 3DS, PS Vita and PC. The game will also be coming to the PS4 and Xbox One on November 15 and 22 respectively.

    “We are excited to finally bring LEGO gamers and Marvel fans the action-packed game they have all been waiting for with LEGO Marvel Super Heroes,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games Publishing. “LEGO Marvel delivers an original story told in classic LEGO humor and with more than 100 playable characters, the game also includes an impressive roster featuring some of the most iconic fan favorites, such as the Hulk and Spider-Man, spanning the entire Marvel Universe, including Stan Lee!”

    Marvel fans will be happy to know that LEGO Marvel Super Heroes not only features all their favorite heroes, but the most iconic locations from the Marvel universe as well. Some of the areas players will explore include Stark Tower, the Daily Bugle, the Baxter Building, the X-Mansion, Asgard, Doctor Doom’s Castle and more.

    As for the story, players can expect something along the lines of what they saw in The Avengers but amplified to include the entire Marvel universe. Also, Loki appears to only be a bit player this time around as Galactus returns as the central antagonist.

    “The collaboration with LEGO and TT Games, an uninhibited creative process, has resulted into an outstanding execution that will delight children and adults alike,” said Andreea Enache-Thune, Senior Vice President, Games & Digital Distribution, Marvel Entertainment. “LEGO Marvel Super Heroes reaffirms our commitment to quality. With every game build and every trailer that brought us closer to the finish line, our enthusiasm has grown exponentially and to say that we are excited to see this game come to life is an understatement.”

    So, how much is this game going to cost? Well, that’s the funny part as LEGO Marvel Super Heroes may have the strangest pricing of any game I’ve ever seen. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will cost $50 on Xbox 360 and PS3, $40 on Wii U, 3DS and PS Vita, $30 on PC and $60 on PS4 and Xbox One. Given that LEGO games generally cost $50 on current gen platforms, it’s kind of surprising to see them raise the price to $60 on next-gen platforms. With the extra month of development time, there may be more content in those versions, but I doubt it.

    [Image: Machinima/YouTube]

  • Tom Hiddleston Shows Off His Mad Skills

    Tom Hiddleston, the famous thespian who portrayed Thor’s dark-haired villainous brother, Loki, in The Avengers and the upcoming November 2013 Thor: The Dark World has a funnier, goofier side. The London-born actor is well-known for his impressive academic studies including time spent at Eton College, the University of Cambridge, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; however, he has recently become known for his talented dance moves.

    Thirty-two-year-old Hiddleston recently made the appearance while touring abroad to promote the sequel to the popular 2011 Thor.

    The devilishly handsome Brit proved that he was completely capable of making hearts swoon, when he decided that dancing was not going to be enough, but that he had to also sing as well. Dressed sharply in a suit, Tom began by humbly lowering himself to the song’s original singer, Michael Jackson, before singing “Man in the Mirror” to the many fans hovering around to see him.

    “This is what I sing when I go to karaoke bars,” Tom explained before continuing, “I apologize if it’s not as good as Michael.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKGRevjzHZo

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrS9kKzQ0_g

    Tom Hiddleston was spending time in Seoul as part of a promotional tour for the release of Thor: The Dark World, which is scheduled for release a week earlier in Asia than in the United States. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the movie. The movie promises to provide a unique paradoxical battle between good and evil where Thor is “faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand,” according to promotions.

    [Image Via Tom Hiddleston’s Facebook Page]

  • 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)