July 29, 2008 - Samuel L. Jackson wants his Nick Fury to be more than a cameo in Iron Man and hopes to appear in all four of Marvel Studios' upcoming movies.

Jackson spoke with MTV over the weekend, where the Pulp Fiction and Star Wars star said, "Yeah, I'm looking forward to making that character a bit more integral, in terms of the other stories that are happening."

He continued, "Iron Man 2, Captain America, Thor, and hopefully the big one [The Avengers] that's coming in 2011, when they put everybody together."

Iron Man 2 will hit theaters on April 30, 2010. Thor will follow on June 4, 2010. Then, on May 6, 2011, Marvel will release First Avenger: Captain America, followed by The Avengers in July 2011.

September 8, 2008


With Marvel Studios gearing up to produce The First Avenger: Captain America for a May 6, 2011 release, the rumor mill has been busy speculating who might be in the running to don the red, white and blue duds.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey and Sex and the City's Jason Lewis have all been mentioned at different points, but today brings the news that Marvel may be eyeing a certain multihyphenate with proven box office prowess to play its Sentinel of Liberty.

In an interview with MTV, actor Derek Luke let it slip, "I heard they offered Will Smith Captain America," adding that it "just shows you how times have changed."

Smith previously played a superhero (albeit not a very good one) in this summer's Hancock.

MTV is quick to categorize Luke's claim as rumor, mind you.

If true, though, would that mean that Marvel might use the Truth: Red, White & Black storyline about Isaiah Bradley as the basis for the film version? Or would a different origin story be concocted?

It is expected that the character of Captain America will also appear in Marvel's Avengers movie that's slated for a July 2011 release, which means whomever plays Cap will have to sign on for at least two films.


UPDATE! - Websites have received confirmation that Will Smith is NOT under consideration to play Steve Rogers in "Captain America". Sorry for that brief bit of sparkle, Will Smith fans.

September 16, 2008


It's not official, but there are signs that point to Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria being up for a role in the upcoming Avengers movie.

It all started when celeb gossip sites posted recently-snapped pictures of Longoria leaving the Marvel offices clutching (she's practically holding them up for the camera) a stack of what are clearly Avengers comics.

So, who would she play? Comics2Film and the LA Times Blog are both speculating that Longoria is up for the role of the winsome Wasp -- not too hard to connect those dots as the character has been a standout member of the superhero team since the beginning.

Janet van Dyne/Wasp is a mutant who can deliver a deadly sting through her hands, and has the capability to shrink her body to insect-size. She flies with a set of retractable wings. In the comics, Janet has been married to volatile scientist Hank Pym (Ant-Man/Giant-Man), and has been close with Captain America.

The Wasp, it's also interesting to note, is one of Marvel's most diva-ish female characters, with her sense of entitlement and penchant for shopping. Point being that it's not that big of a stretch from characters Longoria has played in the past -- except for the superpowers.

While we're not spending our free time tracking celebrity hairstyles, we have noted that the lovely Longoria has been sporting a significantly shorter hairdo of late -- a cut perfectly fitting for that Wasp wardrobe fitting or screen test.

Finally, let's not forget that Edgar Wright is making the Ant-Man movie, so she could presumably appear in that as well as Avengers.

I'm not crazy about Wasp to begin with, but this is just sad...so much for sticking with A-list talent, eh?

Luke Wilson as Hank Pym.

simon baker for hank pym

September 28, 2008


Kenneth Branagh is negotiating to direct "Thor," the next Marvel Comics property that will be turned into a live-action film by Marvel Studios. Pic will be released in 2010.

Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige's choice of Branagh is surprising, as Branagh hasn't really directed an action-heavy film since his debut on "Henry V," a bloody telling of the British king's conquest of France.

Branagh is the latest in a string of directors -- such as Jon Favreau ("Iron Man"), Christopher Nolan (the Batman franchise) and Gavin Hood ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine") -- with arthouse roots taking on big-budget comicbook fare.

Marvel will set a distributor for "Thor" shortly.

"Thor" comicbook adaptation, penned by Mark Protosevich, follows disabled medical student Donald Blake, who has an alter ego as the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor.

Marvel will self-finance the film via its $500 million credit facility through Merrill Lynch. Marvel used that coin to fund both "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" and will do the same for the "Iron Man" sequel that has director Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. returning.

The "Thor" negotiations come during a resurgence for Branagh. He's currently drawing raves on the London stage in the title role of "Ivanov," and he'll next be seen acting in the Richard Curtis-directed "The Boat That Rocked" and the Bryan Singer-helmed "Valkyrie."

Now that is a strange choice.

i cant wait till they start doing crossovers, like with the punisher and spider-man.

with all these Marvel adapations, and the trend of putting in a stan lee cameo in each one .... stan lee is getting more screen time than many legit actors these days.