WebProNews

Tag: x-men

  • Hugh Jackman Will Return To Broadway This Fall

    Hugh Jackman, the famous Aussie actor currently on a round of X-Men promotion, has already announced his next acting gig: Broadway. Jackman, 45, will return to Broadway this fall in “The River,” a play by Jez Butterworth that tells the story of a fisherman (Jackman) and a missing woman, set in a remote cabin by the water. The play is moving over to Broadway after a successful run at the Royal Court in London, which opened in 2012.

    The play starts previews on October 31st, with opening night slated for November 16th at the Circle in the Square theatre. One of the smallest Broadway theaters, Circle in the Square has only 775 seats, which will probably sell out nightly, due to Jackman. In addition, there’ll be at least 40 seats a night priced at only $35, making it more accessible. Sonia Friedman, Broadway producer for “The River,” understands that the smaller theatre and cheaper ticket prices limit the financial success of the play. She says, “I have seen plays and stars in theaters that are too big. It’s my job to protect Jez’s play. We could have easily gone to a 1,000-seat theater, but the work is too delicate. You need to feel you can touch the characters. You need to see the whites of their eyes. I know it sounds weird, but it’s the truth.”

    “The River” will be Hugh’s fourth time on Broadway; previously he’s appeared in “A Steady Rain,” “The Boy From Oz,” and in 2011, a special concert entitled “Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway.” Jackman won the Tony Award from “The Boy From Oz” back in 2003, and returns to the Tonys again this summer as the award show’s host on June 8th. On hosting the awards, Jackman says, “I’ve done it three times, and for me it’s one of the best shows out there. It is one of the most accepting, generous audiences you can ever get; I never take for granted how lucky I am to be embraced by that community.”

    In the meantime, we can catch Hugh in X-Men: Days of Future Past when it opens in theaters on May 23rd. Hugh reprises his famous role as Wolverine, but don’t expect his X-Men character to cross over onto the Tony stage: “I’m not sure Fox will be thrilled if Wolverine came out singing and dancing.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Hugh Jackman Treated Again For Skin Cancer

    Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman revealed Thursday on Instagram that he has received skin cancer treatment once again.

    Diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma — a cancer that is curable if detected early — the 45-year-old Australian entertainer first announced that he was being treated for the cancer in November and urged fans to wear sunscreen and “not to be foolish like me.”

    At the time, he credited his wife, Deborah-Lee Furness, for noticing the mark on his nose and talking him into seeing a doctor. On his Instagram, he captioned a picture he posted following the procedure with “Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right!”

    In other Jackman news, the X-Men star said in an interview Friday with the International Business Times magazine that he believed Hollywood stars are overpaid.

    When asked if Hollywood stars make too much he responded, “Oh yeah. But I understand why, how it’s being measured. As a brand, as a small business, really.

    “But if we were born 100 years ago, you could be the most famous actor and you wouldn’t get all that. Even 50 years ago in the studio contract, a lot of those actors died penniless. But somehow, since the 1980s, this happened.”

    Jackman, whose net worth is estimated at $100 million, said he flies economy class when he travels with his children and receives a lot less attention for it because fans assume he’d travel first class.

    Jackman said he is still like a little kid when encountering the perks of fame and fortune.

    “Staying in a [luxury] place like this? Flying first class? I still jump up and down on the beds. I go on to a plane, I turn left, I’m like ‘Yes!’” he said.

    Jackman said fame was never a motive in pursuing acting and remembers the difficulties of being a struggling actor.

    “I was a student for seven years and I remember thinking: ‘If I ever have money, I am going to just eat’. Just to be able to walk in without looking at the menu in the window. I remember it was basically 120 bucks a week for everything. My rent was 55 bucks a week, food was probably 50 bucks, so then I had 15 bucks.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Channing Tatum Celebrates His 34th Birthday

    Channing Tatum, the hunky actor and recent father, celebrates his 34th birthday today! It’s been a big year for Channing, as he’s been working on two sequels for mega movies 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike. He and wife Jenna Dewan (his Step Up costar) welcomed daughter Everly last year (she turns one just a month after daddy). He also took home the Trailblazer Award at this year’s MTV Movie Awards. As the award suggests, Channing’s on fire!

    Channing is also an Aries, also has an interesting horoscope for April: “Nobody would know from looking at you that you have grown a whole year older. Many must be noticing how much wiser and more mature you have become in your outlook. You will rise to your challenges brilliantly and will turn them all into opportunities.”

    Could one of those challenges be landing the role of Gambit in a new X-Men movie? Channing’s been in talks with X-Men producer Shuler Donner about playing the New Orleans-based mutant: “Gambit is really the only X-Man I’ve ever loved,” Channing admits. “I guess being down south – I just related to him. He’s not even a hero. He’s kind of walking the line of grey. He loves women and drinking and smoking and stuff so he’s just a cool guy.” Channing seems hopeful, but it’s still up in the air. “I hope it [comes together]. You never know. I would die to play it. I’m already working on the accent.”

    Channing started his career back in 2000 as he was a dancer in music videos, which led to his breakthrough role in 2006’s Step Up. Since then he’s starred in dozen of movies, and has five more movies in this works this year alone. Here’s to a happy 34th Channing, and many more!

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘X-Men’ Director Named in Teen Sex Abuse Lawsuit

    A lawsuit filed on Wednesday has accused X-Men film franchise director Bryan Singer of sexually abusing a teenage male 15 years ago. According to a civil suit filed in U.S. District Court in Hawaii, Singer had offered the 17-year-old aspiring actor a role in an X-Men film, and likewise threatened to destroy his career, if the teen failed to acknowledge the director’s sexual advances.

    Jeff Herman, the attorney who filed the suit, chose Hawaii, as that state had enacted legislature allowing for old sex abuse cases to be filed. Though, the window for these claims closes next week, right in time for Singer’s upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past, which hits theaters in May.

    The lawsuit details alleged sex abuse incidents that occurred in 1998 and 1999, mostly during parties at a California mansion, when the plaintiff was 17. The suit alleges that other casting couch scenarios occurred during two visits to Hawaii, adding that Singer “manipulated his power, wealth, and position in the entertainment industry to sexually abuse and exploit the underage Plaintiff through the use of drugs, alcohol, threats and inducements which resulted in Plaintiff suffering catastrophic psychological and emotional injuries.”

    Here is the final trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past:

    The lawsuit adds that Singer “promised acting roles to Plaintiff in an X-Men movie, in commercials, and in other of his projects, and professed that he would arrange for Plaintiff to audition for roles and projects in others’ productions.”

    A representative for Singer commented, “We are very confident that Bryan will be vindicated in this absurd and defamatory lawsuit. It is obvious that this case was filed in an attempt to get publicity at the time when Bryan’ s new movie is about to open in a few weeks.” The representative added that the accusations were “completely without merit.”

    The $250 million X-Men: Days of Future Past has an all-star cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Peter Dinklage and Michael Fassbender, and opens on May 23.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Anna Paquin’s Rogue WILL Appear in ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’

    Before Anna Paquin became Sookie Stackhoue in the popular HBO melodrama True Blood, the actress made a name for herself playing Rogue in Marvel’s X-Men movie adaptations. Now it appears that Paquin will be back in action as Rogue next month in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

    After spotting Paquin’s name in the credits of the recently released final Days of Future Past trailer, BuzzFeed has confirmed that Paquin’s Rogue will appear in the film. The publication confirmed what is being called “a cameo” with a 20th Century Fox representative.

    Paquin’s appearance in the film is noteworthy because it was reported last December that her character had been cut from Days of Future Past. The film’s director, Bryan Singer, told Entertainment Weekly at the time that Paquin’s only scene had been cut. Singer stated that the scene was “extraneous,” but comforted fans by assuring them that the scene will likely be seen in the movie’s eventual DVD and Blu-ray release.

    News of Paquin’s re-inclusion spread quickly through social media. Fans on Twitter voiced both joy and outrage at the new decision:

    In addition to the confirmation that Rogue is back, a Vulture report today provided even more details about Days of Future Past. In addition to big names such as Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier and Halle Berry’s Storm, the report claims that three more mutants from the original movies will make an appearance, but that naming them would constitute a major spoiler for the new movie.

    Image via 20th Century Fox

  • Final ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ Trailer Released

    Captain America: The Winter Soldier has already broken box office records this spring, kicking off yet another early summer blockbuster season. By all accounts the movie is quite good, too.

    Now Marvel Comics fans are preparing for the second big Marvel movie of the summer, X-Men: Days of Future Past. This week 20th Century Fox revealed even more of the latest X-Men movie in the third and final trailer for Days of Future Past.

    Where previous trailers for the movie had focused on action an intrigue, this latest one focuses more on story beats and showing nearly every mutant that appears in the film. As such, the new trailer could very well be considered to contain spoilers.

    X-Men: Days of Future Past is based on a classic Uncanny X-Men storyline from the early 80s. In the comics, mutants in the future are hunted and rounded up in a dystopian holocaust-analogy future that comics fans are all too familiar with. Unable to battle the human-created Sentinels head-on, Kitty Pryde is sent back through time to stop a key assassination that sets that disappointing future into motion.

    Though Ellen Page’s Kitty Pryde will be featured in the X-Men: Days of Future Past, the movie version of the tale will focus more heavily on Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Other returning cast members from the original X-Men movies include Halle Berry as Storm, Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier, and Ian McKellen as Magneto.

    X-Men: Days of Future Past is being directed by Bryan Singer, the man who helmed X-Men and X2: X-Men United before stepping aside. Without Singer leading the franchise the series’ quality quickly plummeted with movie such as X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In addition to Days of Future Past, Singer will also be directing X-Men: Apocalypse, a movie scheduled for release sometime in 2016.

    X-Men: Days of Future Past will be released in the U.S. on May 20.

  • Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique Could Get Own ‘X-Men’ Spinoff

    Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique could be the next X-Men character to have a spin-off film in the franchise.

    The 23-year-old Oscar winning actress reprises her role as the shapeshifter Mystique in the 20th Century Fox film, X-Men: Days of Future Past, which does not release in theaters until May 23. However, there is already talk of a spin-off film with Mystique as the central character, much like the successful Wolverine series, starring Hugh Jackman.

    “There was a regime [at the studio] that didn’t see the worth in [spin-offs], and the current people who run Fox understand, embrace it, and we’re going to do right by it,” says producer Lauren Shuler Donner, who has produced all of the X-Men films.

    “I’d like to do Gambit. I’d like to do Deadpool. We’ll see. There’s a lot of really great characters,” Donner said.

    She also said she would be interested in making a film with Mystique as the focus.

    “I love what Jen Lawrence has done with her, and I feel like because she is in such a crowded ensemble, there’s so much more opportunity if you were to follow her solo,” said Simon Kinberg, writer and producer of X-Men: First Class.

    Lawrence has two more Hunger Gamesfilms scheduled to be released in the next 18 months, and possibly the next X-Men film in the spring of 2016. Harvey Weinstein, producer of Silver Linings Playbook, said in February that Lawrence might take a year off after filming for the  final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy wraps.

    The next movie in the franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse, is scheduled for release on May 27, 2016. A third Wolverine standalone movie is schedule to hit theaters on March 3, 2017.

    Image via YouTube

  • New ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ Trailer Released

    For months now 20th Century Fox has been marketing the next X-Men movie in slow teases.

    The JFK conspiracy viral ad was clever, but may have gone over the heads of mainstream moviegoers. This, followed by other short teases, has left X-Men: Days of Future Past in an odd place for a summer movie. The flick will appear just a few weeks from the release of Marvel’s other big summer blockbuster, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This combined with the early marketing push for Guardians of the Galaxy and the fact that Bryan Singer is already tweeting details from the next X-Men movie makes it unclear whether the studio has much confidence in Days of Future Past.

    Despite the odd marketing, though, the movie is almost certain to be a success at the box office. Fox today release the second full-length trailer for the move, previewing exactly the type of big summer movie that comic movie fans are expecting.

    As seen in the trailer, characters from Bryan Singer’s X-Men movies are set to meet their younger selves introduced in 2011’s X-Men: First Class. The story that unfolds is a cult-classic story arc in the Marvel comic universe involving a dystopian future, mind/time travel, and, of course, a fight to stop the Brotherhood of Mutants’ evil plans.

    Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will both reprise their roles as Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto. Halle Berry will also be returning from previous movies as Storm, and Ellen Page will once again play Kitty Pryde. Other actors from the previous X-Men movies will also step back into their roles, though it was recently revealed that Anna Paquin’s Rogue will not appear in the movie – her part was cut due to time constraints.

    X-Men: Days of Future Past will hit theaters on May 23, one week after Godzilla.

  • New X-Men Images: Empire Covers Show Off Characters

    Okay, I admit it.

    I am one of those people that has suffered from a “Wolverine” overdose in recent years. I respect Hugh Jackman’s interpretation of the character (especially in the very first X-Men movie). Still, I feel like the stand alone movies and X-Men 3 had disappointed me to the point where I couldn’t even be cautiously optimistic.

    Now Wolverine is meant to have an important role to play in the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past movie. A role that will once again put him front and center. I won’t spoil what that role is for any non-comic fans who have no idea what’s going to happen. I will say that my expectations aren’t as high as others.

    However, when I saw the covers that Empire magazine began to roll out and glimpsed a take on the classic Wolverine costume, I might have gasped. And I might have become a tiny bit more excited for this film than I want to admit.

    Empire has released a total of 25 covers on the movie for fans to get excited about. In addition to familiar characters such as Magneto, Mystique, and Storm, the covers feature some new faces.

    Quicksilver is introduced (the first of two separate interpretations of the character). Does this mean we’ll be getting the Scarlet Witch at some point? Will the character be connected to Magneto? No idea, but what is known is that the redesign isn’t unanimously popular.

    Blink is introduced to these movies as well. This is a character to keep your eye on as well. Not only does she have a part to play in this film, but with the announcement of an X-Men: Apocalypse movie, she may have an even bigger role to play in the next film, should they go the “Age of Apocalypse” route.

    There are a couple of “re-introductions” as well.

    The Sentinels may have been glimpsed in the Danger Room in the past, but now it looks like we’ll be seeing the infamous giant robots of X-Men lore in action.

    Toad’s character has been rebooted, and even features a new actor. I have to say the goggles do make him look a bit more toad-like. It will be interesting to see what is done with this character.

    There are many other covers and characters to see. Check them out and feel free to share which ones are your favorites!

    Image via ComicBookCast2

  • X-Men: Days Of Future Past Teases Short Video On Instagram

    As if the buzz for the upcoming X-Men film couldn’t get any bigger, the makers of X-Men: Days Of Future Past have released a short video, and it teases all sorts of surprises.

    Fans of the X-Men franchise will be going crazy in anticipation after seeing the new teaser video.

    Some footage from the video may look familiar, but there are also a handful of surprises present in the new X-Men: Days Of Future Past short video that director Bryan Singer and his production team have just shown fans.

    The video is only about five seconds long, but it gives a glimpse of a large number of characters as they all flash on the screen for a brief moment.

    It has already been revealed that Anna Paquin’s Rogue will not be included in the new film, despite filming one scene for the film.

    Following brief moments with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and the young Magneto (Michael Fassbender), fans are greeted with a few new faces in the future when new X-Men members Warpath (Booboo Stewart), Sunspot (Adan Canto) and Blink (Fan Bingbing) are shown fighting an unknown enemy, with their backs against each other.

    In addition to the new characters, fans are greeted with shots of both the young and old versions of Magneto, one that is joined by Bobby “Iceman” Drake, with Shawn Ashmore reprising his role from the original X-Men film.

    Jennifer Lawrence is also shown as Mystique in two different shots in the past, one with Magneto, and another with her dressed in plain clothes while staring ahead, and people seem to be running around like crazy in the background. James McAvoy is later showed as Professor Charles Xavier to close out the video.

    For those that missed it, the trailer for X-Men: Days Of Future Past was also released in October.

    With all of these things packed into such a short video in order to get fans excited, there is no telling what the upcoming trailer for the film will show. In addition to X-Men: Days Of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse has already been announced with a release date of May 27th, 2016.

    According to the video, something big is also set to debut on Monday, while fans are left waiting in anticipation until then. The upcoming X-Men: Days Of Future Past film will be released on May 23, 2014.

    Image via Instagram

  • Patrick Stewart: Best Christmas Gift if in NYC

    A Christmas dream come true…

    A double-dose of X-men‘s Sir Patrick Stewart and Lord of the Ring‘s Sir Ian McKellen on Broadway!

    The always elegant and dapper British actors are performing in not just one, but in two alternating plays on Broadway this season: Harold Pinter’s “No Man’s Land” and Samuel Beckett’s classic “Waiting for Godot,”

    Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart sat down with “Power Players” to discuss how they manage to keep from mixing up their alternating characters.

    In an interview with “Power Players” the actors discussed how they keep from mixing up their alternating characters.

    “If you’re a teacher and you’re teaching geography from 10:00 to 11:00, but at 11:00 to 12:00, you start to teach math, you don’t get them mixed up,” McKellen said. “They’re different.”

    McKellen and Stewart have been running around NYC in bowler caps, calling themselves “Gogo” and “Didi,” their characters’ nicknames in “Waiting for Godot, enjoying local fare at Coney Island, peering out on the city from the top of the Empire State Building, and even meeting Elmo on “Sesame Street.”

    “It’s just been, for them, a time of their lives,” Stewart said.

    This is not the first time the two have acted on Broadway and they agree that the city has changed a bit.

    “In 1967, when I first came here and saw a man urinating on the statue of George M. Cohan in Times Square,” McKellen said. “Do that today and you’d be locked up in Bloomberg’s cellar, wouldn’t you?”

    “I worked in ’70, and for a three month, four month season, 41st Street, 42nd Street, Broadway, Times Square was our world. And it is almost unrecognizable now from how it was,” Stewart said.

    They love the fans in NYC and say they compare to no other.

    “The audiences are a constant — in my experience — for the last 40 years when I’ve been coming,” McKellen explained.

    “They are more enthusiastic about going out and enjoying themselves in front of a live performance than anywhere else in the world.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Anna Paquin’s Rogue Will Not Appear In The Next “X-Men” Film

    Several of the actors from the original X-Men trilogy will be returning in the upcoming X-Men film, but after the recent announcement, Anna Paquin will not be seen in the new film.

    Anna Paquin played Rogue in the first three films, and while the reboot is now being used to combine the two generations of casts, her character is being left out. In a decision that the director made during the editing stage, she was removed from the film.

    For those fans who already saw the trailer for the much anticipated X-Men: Days Of Future Past, this might come as a complete shock, since the footage of Anna Paquin was already made available to people.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past will combine the cast of the X-Men: First Class film with the first trilogy in a Back To The Future type of plot, sending the older actors to the past in order to change something in the future.

    Anna Paquin had returned in order to reprise her role as Rogue, but will unfortunately not be seen by audiences when the upcoming film comes out. She was originally supposed to be a part of a rescue sequence, shot early in the film’s production. The scene also featured Magneto, Professor Xavier and Iceman, although it was her only scene in the film.

    However, sometimes things happen, and it was not something that was planned in the early stages of filming. As director Bryan Singer said in relation to the decision, “Through the editing process, the sequence became extraneous. It’s a really good sequence and it will probably end up on the DVD so people can see it. But like many things in the editing process, it was an embarrassment of riches and it was just one of the things that had to go.”

    Bryan Singer simply made the decision due to the constraint in time, and it had nothing to do with Anna Paquin’s performance.

    There seem to be mixed reactions from fans…

    He praised her, and after working with her previously, he would be happy to do it again. In the statement, Singer also mentioned “She was awesome in the sequence. She’s a brilliant actress. I would work with her in a heartbeat.”

    Anna Paquin understands that she was cut from the film for professional reasons, and although it will be disappointing to not see Rogue return in X-Men:Days Of Future Past, perhaps she will return in the next sequel, X-Men: Apocalypse, which will be released in 2016.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past hits theaters on May 23, 2014.

    Image via Youtube

  • Anna Paquin Axed from ‘X-Men’ Film

    Anna Paquin has been cut from the upcoming film, X-Men: Days of Future Past. Known for her role as Marie–and her alter-ego Rogue–Paquin was featured in just one sequence in the not-yet-released film. When editing took place, however, that sequence had to be cut. Director Bryan Singer spoke recently about the decision.

    “Through the editing process, the sequence became extraneous. It’s a really good sequence and it will probably end up on the DVD so people can see it. But like many things in the editing process, it was an embarrassment of riches and it was just one of the things that had to go,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was the one and only sequence Anna Paquin was in, the Rogue character was in. Even though she’s in the materials and part of the process of making the film, she won’t appear in it.”

    This is certainly disappointing to fans of Anna Paquin and her character–and likely to the actor herself. X-Men: Days of Future Past also stars Hugh Jackman, Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen. It will hit theaters some time in 2014.

    Anna Paquin is also known for her role as Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series True Blood. She won a Golden Globe for the role back in 2009.

    Is X-Men: Days of Future Past on your list of must-see films for 2014? Are you disappointed to learn that Anna Paquin won’t grace the big screen in her reprised role?

    Image via Wikimedia

  • New Terminator TV Show Is Coming, Connected To Film Reboot

    Fans of the Terminator series can all get ready to get excited, because a new television series will be coming out in relation to the reboot of the film franchise. The show is still in the early stages of development, and without a title as of yet, but will be done in conjunction with the upcoming film in 2015.

    The Terminator television show will be written and executive produced by Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller, who have previously worked on X-Men: First Class and Thor. A television show has been done before, as fans of the franchise are well aware, but it did not enjoy the success that the previous films had.

    The Sarah Connor Chronicles starred Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, and Thomas Dekker played the role of John Connor. Since then, Lena Headey has been on the popular series Game Of Thrones, and coincidentally her co-star Emilia Clarke is one of the top two front-runners to be cast as Sarah Connor in the next film, along with Brie Larson.

    The new Terminator film is set to be released in 2015, and it has been reported that much like how Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD has merged with the plots of The Avengers and Thor, the new Terminator television series would work the same way, operating in conjunction with the new film reboot.

    The plot details are very scarce for both the film reboot and the Terminator television series, however, both are set to have a connection with the original Terminator film that was released in 1984. One thing that has been determined is that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be making a return as the title character. After the role of Sarah Connor is cast, the next big job will be the casting of John Connor.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JidcqhZY-Yg

    The first Terminator television series ultimately failed, but did have a niche set of fans when it was on, much like a Joss Whedon show. The idea of a television show based on the Arnold Schwarzenegger franchise is now being brought back to the small screen from Skydance Productions and Annapurna Pictures, with the hopes that it can work as a side project with the films.

    The Terminator show is set to follow a critical moment from The Terminator film, only the show will take the story in a completely different direction than that of what the film did. Since James Cameron created the franchise in 1984, Terminator films have earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office, and have been very popular for many years.

    Image via Youtube

  • X-Men: Apocalypse Will Feature Major Marvel Villain

    More than a decade after the first X-Men movie made its way to theaters, comic fans were treated to a pleasant surprise via Bryan Singer’s twitter. The director has informed fans that the next X-Men installment will be named “X-Men Apocalypse” and we now know there are plans for it to be released in the summer of 2016:

    This is particularly exciting news because the title seems to suggest that there will finally be an introduction to a major X-Men villain who has mysteriously been lacking screen time: Apocalypse. So far, Magneto has been the mainstay villain and Phoenix….was a flop. But the diabolical and ancient mutant brings with him the promise of a fresh direction for the franchise.

    Apocalypse is largely known for his connection to popular story arcs “Mutant Massacre”, involving his genetically twisted Four Horseman (including previously introduced X-Man, Angel) and “Age of Apocalypse”. Many speculate that it is in fact the Age of Apocalypse storyline that will be the basis for the upcoming movie. This is likely due to the introduction of the character Blink in the “Days of Future Past” movie. Blink had a pivotal role in AOA. Aside from the Twitter announcement, not much else has been leaked about the movie. At this point aside from the name, the direction is anyone’s guess.

    As for Apocalypse, also known as En Sabah Nur, he has long been one of the X-Men’s toughest foes. The lengthy list of the mutant supervillain’s powers include flight, the ability to shapeshift into various forms, and superstrength said to match or surpass that of the Hulk. In addition to virtual immunity to aging, he has had access to advanced alien technologies that has severely augmented his powers and abilities. Of course, how much of comic book canon will make it into the movie is unknown. Will Apocalypse be an all-powerful ancient Egyptian villain? Will the selection of Age of Apocalypse storyline introduce the legendary M’kraan Crystal (thereby opening the door to a true Phoenix Saga)? There’s nothing to do for now but look forward to the “Days of Future Past” movie and hope for the best.

    Image: Bryan Singer’s Twitter

  • X-Men: Apocalypse Is Coming In 2016

    With all of the excitement and anticipation surrounding the next X-Men sequel, the film’s director has already come out and announced the release of the next film. X-Men: Apocalypse will be third film in the reboot of the X-Men franchise from director Bryan Singer.

    X-Men: Apocalypse is set for a release date of May 27, 2016. The announcement is a big deal for fans, and of course seems like a long time from now for most people. There have not been too many details regarding the film that have been released yet in addition to the release date, and its title.

    Bryan Singer has been active with his Twitter account in the past year updating fans on the new film, X-Men: Days Of Future Past, but his tweet yesterday certainly threw fans for a surprise.

    While the average superhero film watcher would not catch on to any potential plot points, Entertainment Weekly mentions that the big nerds who are familiar with the comics would have recognized that Apocalypse is one of the X-Men’s greatest enemies. Apocalypse was born thousands of years ago and in his years on Earth, he transformed himself into a superpowered cyborg using alien technology. He wants to conquer the world, and in one plot arc, he does, ruling for a couple thousand years.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past is the next film in the franchise, and is set to be released on May 23, 2014. The trailer for the new film debuted about a month ago, and introduced fans to a whole new set of characters.

    The first film in the reboot of the superhero franchise was X-Men: First Class, and was released in 2011. The film starred all of the hot young stars right now including Jenifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, and several others.

    While no cast or characters have been made available for X-Men: Apocalypse and what generation of the X-Men it will pull from, X-Men: Days Of Future Past will have a Back To The Future type of plot, and show the characters of the original trilogy meeting their younger selves in the past.

    Image via Facebook

  • JFK Conspiracy: “X-Men: Days of Future Past” Viral Video

    With the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death this past Friday we’ve all seen our fair share of conspiracy theories. With that in mind, let me introduce you to one of the more odd theories you may come across. It appears as though Magneto, of X-Men fame, was in Dallas on the day of JFK’s death and may have played an intrigule part in what transpired.

    This is of course an interesting viral marketing campaign for next year’s sequel “X-Men Days of the Future Past”. You can dive a little deeper by visiting TheBentBullet.com. If you’d like a little more information about the film, you can check out the official synopsis below:

    “The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The beloved characters from the original “X-Men” film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from “X-Men: First Class,” in an epic battle that must change the past — to save our future.”

    “X-Men: Days of Future Past” will release nationwide on May 23, 2014. You can checkout the trailer for the film below:

    Image: (YouTube)

  • Hugh Jackman Reveals He Has Skin Cancer Via Instagram Photo

    Hugh Jackman recently had a serious scare, and got treated shortly afterward. It appeared that he had skin cancer after his wife, Deborah-Lee Furness, noticed an odd looking mark on his nose.

    He was treated, and after having a bandage on his nose, he posted a picture to Instagram for everyone to see, and he took the opportunity to warn others. The power of social media has struck again, and allowed him to share the scary news with all of his fans.

    The actor who is known primarily for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise, had skin cancer, and if he had not been checked out at the time that he was, it is likely that it could have gotten much worse.

    The facial mark that his wife noticed was recently treated for cancer cells, and he was diagnosed with basil cell carcinoma, which is a common form of skin cancer.

    The malignant tissue seems to have been removed through a simple procedure, but Hugh Jackman will be forever grateful to his wife for noticing the mark, otherwise it could have been much more serious.

    He is certainly thankful to his wife for noticing the mark, and on his Instagram, he captioned the picture with “Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right!” He also urged all of his fans to get checked, and to use sunscreen.

    It can certainly be a problem for people, and especially people that live in places such as Los Angeles where they go to the beach, and it is sunny a lot of the time.

    The use of social media has become very useful for celebrities, and everyone else, as it allows them to quickly announce big news like this to everyone at once. It also allows for many people to comment and show their sympathy for the person in one place.

    Hugh Jackman was diagnosed with the most frequently occurring form of all types of cancer, but luckily for him, it seems to have been able to be taken care of easily. It was certainly a scare for him and his wife, and this should make him more aware of what he is doing in the future, as he takes the time to advise all of his Insagram followers to do the same.

    Image via Instagram

  • 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]

  • X-Men: Days Of Future Past Trailer Out Now [Video]

    The X-Men comics have been very popular for several decades and have already inspired several very big-budget films. X-Men: Days Of Future Past is the next film in the series, and fans of the franchise have more reason to get excited with the highly anticipated trailer being released this morning.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past is set to present fans a new type of X-Men film, which will combine the outstanding cast of the original trilogy with the cast of the 2011 prequel, X-Men: First Class.

    Bryan Singer, who directed the original trilogy will return to direct this film. It will also see the return of big name stars such as Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian Mckellen, and more.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past will feature a Back To The Future-type plot, where the mutants are forced to go back in time, and as a result they meet their younger selves, played by the actors who appeared in the previous film, including Michael Fassbender as Magneto, James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, and Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique.

    When the mutants are faced with their unfortunate fates in the present-day, Xavier is forced to join forces once again with his enemy Magneto, enlisting Wolverine to help them go back in time, and save the mutant species in the future. The mutant bunch returns to the mid-1960s, following the events that occurred in X-Men: First Class.

    Everyone’s favorite X-Men characters will be returning including Storm, Rogue, and Beast. In addition, they will be joined by Peter Dinklage, who will play a military scientist, creating robots called Sentinels. He will play the villain in the film who is tasked with hunting down and killing the mutants.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past is set to be released on May 23, 2014.

    A total of four new mutants to the film franchise can be seen in the trailer, which should be exciting for fans of the comic books. Can you spot them all?

    Image via Youtube

  • Viral Marketing Push for ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ Begins

    Whatever words that will be written about Marvel’s viral marketing push for the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past, the only thing people are going to take from the content are the Sentinels, which is understandable, because, well, this is the freaking Sentinels we are talking about. Now, if you aren’t that familiar with the X-Men beyond the movies, you may not be as excited as others are about the inclusion of the Sentinels. If that’s the case, just enjoy the quality behind the “commercials” for these non-existent products and companies like the one shown in the lead video, Trask Industries.

    If you haven’t been keeping tabs on Bryan Singer’s return to the X-Men universe, and you enjoyed the previous movies (save the third one), you may be excited to find out this particular continuation of X-Men storyline stars pretty much everybody. That is, just about everyone who’s appeared as an X-Man in the previous entries. A quick look at the cast/panel photo from the recent Comic-Con confirms this:

    (image)
    Enlarge

    For those counting at home, that’s just about everybody (both Charles Xaviers and both Magnetos) with the exception of the actor who played Cyclops, James Mardsen. He is, however, listed as a rumored star over at the movie’s IMDB page. With that in mind, it’s pretty easy to see that X-Men: Days of Future Past will be one of the biggest summer movies of 2014. While it may be a little early to get the marketing push started, it’s clear Marvel intention is to build the hype as high as it can, and introducing the freaking Sentinels is one brilliant way of going about that. Aside from the lead video, which highlights the company that develops these mutant-hunting robots, there’s also a Trask Industries website that features additional images, like the following:

    (image)
    Enlarge

    There’s also an about page that features some information about the company’s founder, Bolivar Trask:

    Founded by Bolivar Trask in 1967, Trask Industries was built on the philosophy of advancing human progress through technology and genetics. Our early research led to the revolutionary development of DNA-Generated Prosthetics. Since then, Trask Industries has taken the lead in genetics-based defense technology with our Mutant Detection Device and Sentinel program. We’ve partnered with international governments to ensure that any threat to human extinction is preemptively neutralized. With Trask Industries, you can rest assured that the future of humanity is in safe hands.

    X-Men: Days of Future Past is scheduled for release on May 23, 2014.