Marvel

Marvel Releases THE AVENGERS Movie Timeline

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 17th, 2012 at 4:38 pm

On the seventh day, Joss Whedon created The Avengers.  Marvel has released a new infographic movie timeline that highlights specific super-heroic instances in time and places them in the context of The Avengers and the individual movies that built up to it.  While The Avengers franchise no doubt revolves around Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, the new infographic has made him into a pseudo-Christ figure by demarcating the timeline with BIM (“Before Iron Man”) and AIM (“After Iron Man”).  While it’s true that Iron Man had more movies than the rest of The Avengers (excluding 2003′s Hulk, which the timeline wisely forgets), I’d much rather see the scenes relative to one Special Agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) or even the beloved Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg).  Hit the jump to check it out.

James Badge Dale Joins IRON MAN 3 as Eric Savin

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 16th, 2012 at 11:07 am

With production only a few weeks away, the cast is firming up for director Shane Black’s Iron Man 3.  Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Don Cheadle are all set to return for the third installment of the Iron Man franchise, with Sir Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, and Rebecca Hall rounding out the newcomers of the cast.  Now one more Marvel newbie has been added in a particularly interesting role, as Variety reports that James Badge Dale (The Pacific) has joined the cast as Eric Savin aka Coldblood.  Hit the jump for more.

Edgar Wright Talks Lengthy Development on ANT-MAN

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 15th, 2012 at 11:46 am

Fans have been curious about Marvel’s Ant-Man for quite some time.  Edgar Wright is attached to direct, and he’s been working on the script for the past few years alongside Attack the Block’s Joe Cornish.  The Avengers made an insane amount of money, so all eyes are on what Marvel Studios has coming up. Marvel president Kevin Feige recently revealed that there are two unannounced Marvel projects currently in development, in addition to Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America 2.  With word that Ant-Man was coming along nicely, many were hoping that the superhero pic would be Wright’s next film.  However, the director recently set a September start-date for a third film with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost called The World’s End.

Confirmation that The World’s End is finally happening was fantastic news, but fans were left wondering what that meant for Ant-Man.  Wright recently appeared on Empire’s podcast and he talked a bit about fans being impatient regarding Ant-Man.  Hit the jump for more.

Jon Favreau Talks THE AVENGERS Success and IRON MAN 3; Says He’ll Be “Very Involved” in the Production of IM3

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 14th, 2012 at 1:49 pm

After launching a series of Marvel Studios films that would eventually culminate in the biggest opening weekend of all time with The Avengers, director Jon Favreau decided not to return to helm Iron Man 3.  Favreau deserves a lot of credit for Marvel’s success, as he launched Iron Man as a superhero film that could be both grounded and fun, and planted the seed for the serialization and cross-pollinating of the future Marvel movies to come.  In an inspired choice, Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) was pegged to take the helm of Iron Man 3, and production is gearing up to begin in a few weeks with Ben Kingsley onboard as the villain and newcomers Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall added to the cast alongside Robert Downey Jr. and co.

Favreau recently spoke a bit about the success of The Avengers and the third Iron Man film, revealing that he’ll be producing Iron Man 3 and will actually have a very involved role in the production.  In addition, he teased what we can expect story and character-wise when Tony Stark graces our screens once again.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Marvel President Kevin Feige Talks Sequels; Reveals Two Unannounced Films in Development

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 14th, 2012 at 10:14 am

If smashing the opening weekend record by nearly $40 million wasn’t enough to convince you that The Avengers is a juggernaut hit, surely the film crossing the $1 billion mark worldwide in a mere 19 days sealed the deal.  Naturally, all eyes are now on what Marvel Studios has coming up.  Iron Man 3 begins production later this month, and we know that Thor 2 is set to shoot later this year followed by Captain America 2.  Obviously The Avengers 2 will be coming down the line at some point, but I’d imagine the earliest we could see it in theaters would be 2015.  There’s a May 2014 release date slotted for a currently unannounced Marvel pic, but Marvel Studios president recently revealed that there are actually two unnamed films currently in development.  Hit the jump for more.

TOP 5: James Cameron Only Making AVATAR Movies, GANGSTER SQUAD Trailer, PROMETHEUS Is Rated R, Joss Whedon Editorial, DARK SHADOWS

by Jason Barr    Posted: May 12th, 2012 at 2:29 pm

In last week’s opening paragraph I welcomed the summer movie season into the fold by way of The Avengers. Earlier this week it dawned on me that another season is upon us as well. One that is nearly as costly as a summer blockbuster, albeit far less anticipated by yours truly: wedding season. Over the course of the next few months, I’ll attend no fewer than four ceremonies/receptions (not including my own) and, while I’ll be honored to have been invited to share a special moment with friends new and old, I’ll likely fall behind on my summer movie checklist. So, if you start noticing Top 5 opening paragraphs having less to do with film than what type of dessert was served at the reception, you have my most sincere advance apology.

Wedding disclaimers aside, awaiting you on the other side of this week’s Top 5 is James Cameron saying he only wants to make Avatar movies from now on, the first trailer for director Ruben Fleischer‘s Gangster Squad, Prometheus‘ R-rating, Matt’s letter of recommendation for Joss Whedon, and Dark Shadows coverage including interviews with Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, and Seth Grahame-Smith. A brief recap and link to each ensues after the jump.

Editorial: Marvel Needs to Re-Hire Joss Whedon for THE AVENGERS 2

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 11th, 2012 at 9:21 am

“Marvel needs to re-hire Joss Whedon for The Avengers 2.”  How does this require an editorial?  It’s such an obvious statement.  Not only did the movie have the most successful opening-weekend gross of all-time, but it was also successful among critics.  Why would you risk losing a single piece?  Why jeopardize a formula that delivered such a resounding commercial and critical success?  What studio would do such a thing?

Marvel would.  Their hit-it-and-quit-it relationship with directors has served them well in terms of keeping costs down and making the productions run smoothly.  No one rocks the boat, no one gets a pay bump for the sequel, and no director becomes bigger than the property he is directing.  From a business standpoint, it’s a sensible trend.  But it’s a trend that shouldn’t continue when it comes to The Avengers franchise.  Hit the jump for my explanation of what Marvel stands to gain from hanging on to Joss Whedon.

THE AVENGERS Earns $18.7 Million in Midnight Showings; Breaks Superhero Movie Record

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 4th, 2012 at 11:09 am

Hulk smash records, indeed.  After a long, long, long wait for many fans, The Avengers has finally been unleashed on screens across the world.  As with most highly anticipated properties, a considerable number of fans took the opportunity to catch the film at midnight last night—some brave souls even sat through the 13-hour Marvel Movie Marathon leading up to the midnight screening.  I don’t think my body could withstand the latter, but I did catch a midnight showing and I wholeheartedly loved nearly every second of writer/director Joss Whedon‘s “mother of all superhero movies.”  The film raked in an impressive $18.7 million in midnight tickets, making it the highest grossing midnight showing for a superhero title thus far, besting The Dark Knight’s $18.5 million take in 2008 (your move, The Dark Knight Rises).  Hit the jump for more.

THE AVENGERS Ending Explained [SPOILERS]

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 4th, 2012 at 10:11 am

If you stayed seated during the credits of The Avengers (and by this point, you know you should for a Marvel movie), you may have had some questions about what you saw.  It’s a scene, or rather, a moment that plays strictly to the comic geeks in the audience.  But what about everyone else?  If you were left confused by what you saw, hit the jump for an explanation.  [WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD (Obviously)]

Is Marvel Planning a Standalone Hulk Movie for 2015 After All?

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 30th, 2012 at 11:10 am

It’s officially Avengers week, and fans aplenty are counting down the hours until the midnight reveal of Joss Whedon’s superhero team-up pic on Thursday/Friday at midnight.  Not only is this the first time fans get to see all their favorite Marvel superheroes come together onscreen, but we’ll get our first look at Mark Ruffalo’s iteration of the Hulk.  Early word on the film has had many singling out Ruffalo’s performance, and the Hulk character in general, as one of the highlights of the film.

Most critics and fans have been singing high praises of Whedon’s take on the character, yet when Steve asked Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige if a new standalone Hulk movie was in the cards, Feige claimed there were no plans at the moment.  However, it appears the overwhelmingly positive reaction may have convinced Marvel to change their tune, because another studio exec recently said we might see a standalone Hulk flick as soon as 2015.  Hit the jump for more.

THE AVENGERS Breaks Records with $178.4 Million International Debut

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 29th, 2012 at 10:21 am

Director Joss Whedon‘s The Avengers doesn’t open stateside until next weekend, but the film debuted this past week in a number of international markets and it’s already taken in nearly $200 million.  In other words, Disney and Marvel are in for a very good May.  The pic totaled $178.4 million as it opened in 39 territories, breaking records for the largest opening weekend in Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.  In the UK it took the title of the biggest opening for a superhero film with a $24.7 million debut, and earned $19.7 million in Australia for the country’s second highest opening ever.  Hit the jump for more.

Kevin Feige Says IRON MAN Could Go the James Bond Route and Change Actors If Necessary

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 27th, 2012 at 11:08 am

The release of The Avengers is now only a week away, but Marvel and Co. are already busy prepping for the beginning of production on Iron Man 3 later next month.  It’s no secret that much of the first Iron Man’s success is due to the charisma and talent of lead actor Robert Downey Jr., but as these things go, Downey most likely won’t be donning the suit for Iron Man 9.  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently addressed the issue of what the studio would do should Downey decide to bow out of the role in the near future.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

News Flash: THE AVENGERS Has Already Sold a Lot of Tickets

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 26th, 2012 at 2:41 pm

In super shocking news, a lot of people want to see The Avengers.  We reported last night that Joss Whedon’s all-star superhero pic is breaking records at the international box office (it’s already open in Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan), and today MovieTickets.com announced that more pre-sale tickets have been sold for The Avengers than the pre-sale numbers for Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger combined at this same point in the sales cycle for each film.  In a related story, water is wet.

Though this pre-sale statistic is in no way surprising, one interesting tidbit that MovieTickets.com released is that 56% of pre-sales for The Avengers is for 3D showings.  Hit the jump for more.

THE AVENGERS Premieres Early and Strong at International Box Office; Second Highest Opening of All Time in Australia

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 25th, 2012 at 8:28 pm

Marvel is experimenting with the typical release pattern for their giant tentpole movies.  Thor premiered in dozens of foreign markets before the American release on May 2.  We got Captain America first for obvious reasons, but Marvel is heading back overseas to unveil The Avengers before the U.S. gets a hold of it.  The Avengers debuted in Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan this Wednesday with a great $8 million start.  Per THR, most of that was grossed in Australia, where $6 million makes it the second highest opening day behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.  Marvel will release The Avengers in over 40 international territories this weekend.  Expect more stellar results, since the all-star cast—Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson—and the colorful action bust the language barrier.  By the time it finally makes its way back to the States on May 4, The Avengers is expected to surpass $150 million domestic in the opening weekend.  This is far from our last report on the Avengers box office—while you wait for the next, hit the jump for a synopsis and links to recent coverage.

First Reviews of THE AVENGERS Hit; Reactions Enthusiastically Positive

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 20th, 2012 at 9:01 am

Though we still have a couple of weeks to go before the highly anticipated release of The Avengers, the film has already screened for a number of audiences.  Given the fact that Marvel has to corral a number of busy schedules for its actors to appear at the film’s premieres across the globe, they got a head start a few weeks ago with the U.S. premiere in Los Angeles.  The cast is now making its way across the globe for the films various premieres, and we’re now starting to see the first full reviews of the film (we previously brought you Twitter reactions to the U.S. premiere).

So what’s the verdict?  Well, early reaction is extremely positive.  Though we only have a handful of reviews to sift through at the moment, the top trades like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have very nice things to say about Joss Whedon’s all-star superhero movie, with many outlets calling it the best Marvel movie yet and one of the best superhero movies ever.  Hit the jump for a roundup of some quotes.

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