Wolverine’s Metal Claws Explained in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
At the end of The Wolverine, the title character was left with only bone claws after his metal ones were sliced off by The Silver Samurai. For those of you who have been paying attention to the footage and photos from X-Men: Days of Future Past, you may have noticed that modern-day/future Wolverine appears to have regained his adamantium claws. In case you were wondering how that happened, Bryan Singer gives a possible explanation in his interview with Empire.
Director Bryan Singer explains that Magneto’s ability to manipulate metal might have something to do with it. The Master Of Magnetism could, perhaps, “reconstitute the adamantium claws… [Wolverine] has a different relationship with Magneto, and perhaps Magneto could forge them.”
I hope they give a solid explanation of all this in the movie, and not some thoughtless piece of dialogue about Magneto fixing them. I think the audience and fans deserve to see how it all happens, and maybe Singer will actually give that to us!
Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons Cast in the Superman/Batman Film!
Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Jesse Eisenberg has been set to star as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons will play Alfred in the upcoming Zack Snyder untitled Superman/Batman film. The dual announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
Snyder stated, “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940. What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”
The director added, “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure. He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”
Eisenberg received Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and BAFTA Award nominations for his starring role as Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network. He also starred in Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love and Louis Letterier’s Now You See Me. He next appears in The Double and NightMoves.
Irons won the Academy Award for his portrayal of Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune. His work in the film also garnered him a Golden Globe Award. He won an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for his performance in the TV miniseries “Elizabeth I,” opposite Helen Mirren, and recently starred on the small screen as Rodrigo Borgia in Neil Jordan’s highly acclaimed Showtime series “The Borgias,” for which Irons earned a Golden Globe nomination. He was recently nominated for a SAG Award for the PBS Great Performances television miniseries “The Hollow Crown,” for his performance as Henry IV.
Snyder’s film stars Henry Cavill, reprising his role as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince. The film also reunites Man of Steel stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.
The new film is currently being written by Chris Terrio, from a screenplay by David S. Goyer. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Wesley Coller, David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.
The film is set to open worldwide on May 6, 2016, and is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel &Joe Shuster, Batman characters created by Bob Kane, and Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment.
Han Solo Goes Podracing in LEGO STAR WARS Commercial
LEGO is releasing a new line of Star Wars sets called Microfighters. They are basically mini-versions of characters and vehicles like the Millennium Falcon and Star Destroyers. They’ve released a great animated commercial promoting the new sets, and it features Han Solo challenging some nobody imperial scum to a podrace. The commercial is really entertaining so I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to io9 for the heads up!
J.J. Abrams Explains How STAR WARS is All About the Mystery Box about a year ago
Here’s a great TED talk from 2007 in which director J.J. Abrams talks about storytelling and the power of The Mystery Box. In it he explains how Star Wars is all about The Mystery Box. So what is this Mystery Box that he speaks of? It’s key information that’s withheld in a story that helps make the story intriguing and compelling. He says, “The intentional withholding of information is much more engaging.” Not sure if you need anymore proof that Abrams is the right man for the job for Star Wars: Episode VII. But in case you do, watch this…
LEGO Announces GHOSTBUSTERS 30th Anniversary Ecto-1
LEGO will be bringing us the Ghostbuster Ecto-1 set for the film’s 30th anniversary. The project was part of the Lego Cuusoo program last year, and it got the 10,000 votes it needed to be considered. LEGO approved the project, but there are no specific date on when it will be released. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, check out the photos from the original Cuusoo project.
Marvel Ready to Move Forward on CAPTAIN AMERICA 3
We all know that Avengers: Age of Ultron won’t be the last time we see Captain America, or any of the other characters for that matter! But according to Variety, Marvel is already prepping for Captain America 3, and they want directors Anthony and Joe Russo back on board to bring it to life.
According to the report, “Negotiations wouldn’t begin till after Winter Soldier bows but sources say Marvel has been so impressed with the production of Winter Soldier, as well as with strong results from recent test screenings, that the studio has moved fast to attach the brothers to the next installment.”
Their source also says that the Russos are already working with Marvel to put together an outline of what the third film’s story arc could be.
Marvel is obviously confident in what this directing team is capable of. I love everything that I’ve seen from the film, and I’m already convinced that it will be one of the best Marvel movies to date. Captain America: the Winter Soldier is set to be released on April 4th.
Marvel Hires Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost to Write THOR 3
We’ve recently reported that Marvel is looking to move forward on Captain America 3, and they want The Winter Soldier directors Anthony and Joe Russo to come back to develop it. Now Variety is reporting that Marvel is starting to put together a team of people to bring Thor 3 to life. The studio has hired Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost to write the next installment of the franchise.
Kyle has been a producer on the Thor movies, but has also worked on the story development for some of the Marvel animated films such as Planet Hulk, Hulk Vs., Doctor Strange, and The Invincible Iron Man. He worked on several of the Marvel animated TV series as well. Yost isn’t new to the world of Marvel either. He was one of the writers on Thor: The Dark World, and also worked with Kyle on Marvel animated series such as Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Wolverine and the X-Men, Hulk Vs., and he also worked on The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
There’s obviously no information on what the third Thor film will be about, but I’m sure Thor, Loki and the rest of the gang will be back for another adventure. I seriously hope that this time around they finally bring in Enchantress. That’s a character I’m really excited about eventually seeing on the big screen.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige had this to say in a statement,
“I am proud of Craig and have enjoyed working with him over these past years. His creative instincts have helped shape Thor and Thor: The Dark World at every level of the filmmaking process. The entire team at Marvel is very happy to continue collaborating with Craig as he continues as a screenwriter working with Christopher on the forthcoming chapter of Thor’s adventure.”
Ben Affleck Addresses Batman Casting Backlash
Love him or hate him, Ben Affleck is going to be Batman in Zack Snyder‘s Batman Vs. Superman. It seems that over time people have been warming up to the idea of Affleck playing Batman, but there are still some fans out there that aren’t sold on it. I predict that they will be as soon as they see him in the awesome suit that we’ve been hearing about. In a recent interview with Playboy, the actor talks about understanding the backlash of the fans, as well as the parts of Snyder’s vision that made him want to take the role.
“I understand I’m at a disadvantage with the internet. If I thought the result would be another Daredevil, I’d be out there picketing myself. [laughs] Why would I make the movie if I didn’t think it was going to be good and that I could be good in it?… [But] I’ve learned it doesn’t matter what people think before a movie comes out; what matters is what people think when they see the movie. There’s a lot of noise in the world, and the internet magnifies that energy. My focus is on the actual execution of the movie. Would I have had that perspective 10 years ago? I don’t know. The world was different then.
“It seems odd to me to criticize casting if you haven’t read the script and don’t know the tone or the take. But the casting of high-profile projects seems to generate negative attention; it’s fun to give your thumbs-up or thumbs-down. I’ve had the luxury recently of doing Argo, The Town and The Company Men, films that didn’t have a high profile. You have the luxury of waiting until the movie is released before being judged. I’ve learned to think, I may succeed or fail, but I’m going to do so on the merit of my own instincts. It’s a great business in that way. You do a movie that’s successful, you get a little victory lap, and then you start at the beginning; you have to prove yourself all over again. I like that because it motivates you to work harder.”
Affleck then admits that he passed on the role initially, but was eventually swayed by Snyder’s approach to the character.
“The stuff was incredible. … It was a unique take on Batman that was still consistent with the mythology. It made me excited. All of a sudden I had a reading of the character. When people see it, it will make more sense than it does now or even than it did to me initially.”
Affleck goes on to say that that his one true regret in his acting career is Daredevil, because he does love the character and just wishes his attempt at playing Matt Murdoch turned out better. You know what though, Daredevil wasn’t his fault, it was the writing and directing that made that movie suck. I think Affleck would have been fine in the role had he been surrounded by better talent.
I just can’t wait to see what Snyder has in store for fans with this Man of Steal sequel! I’m thinking the first time we see Affleck in his costume will be at San Diego Comic-Con in July.
