Will the upcoming Justice League movie go old school with a classic storyline as source material? Latino Review reports that Will Beall’s script is inspired by a 3-part Justice League of America story by Gerry Conway and George Perez in which heroes of Earth unite to stop Darkseid from having our world destroyed and replaced by Darkseid’s homeworld, Apokolips.
The story was published in Justice League of America #183-#185 in 1980. The storyline featured a JLA roster including Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern and Firestorm, Justice Society members like Doctor Fate and Power Girl. If producers introduce Darkseid – does this mean the on-screen introductions of other Jack Kirby Fourth World heroes like Mister Miracle and Big Barda?
No director has been named yet. The film is scheduled for 2015.
Fox and Marvel revealed the new international poster for The Wolverine. This Summer Hugh Jackman plays the X-Man in a story based on the classic limited series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Logan journeys to Japan in search of peace and honor but finds love and violence! This story will introduce Lady Mariko, Yukio the Ronin, Viper and Silver Samurai. James Mangold directed.
This film could really be Jackman’s greatest performance as Logan. The original story is one of the best combinations of action and drama.
I spy a brand new Secret Avengers series in February 2013. A top-secret team even the Avengers won’t know about! New writer Nick Spencer, Editors Tom Brevoort and Lauren Sankovitch opened up the files on the espionage themed series on Marvel.com.
“There’s a new S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Marvel Universe under the watch of Daisy Johnson and Maria Hill with Nick Fury Jr. and Phil Coulson as the top agents. One of the initiatives they’ve undertaken is building their own Avengers team. Maria Hill has direct supervision. They’re using tech first seen in Brian Bendis’ Secret War: memory implants so members of the team will not remember the missions. That’s how secret these missions are,” revealed Spencer.
“Hawkeye and Black Widow will be front and center in the first issue, Taskmaster shows up in issue #2, Hulk, Mockingbird and a new Iron Patriot are coming down the line, plus the Winter Soldier, who will be featured, but not a member of the team.”
Agent Phil Coulson on The Avengers movie will be part of the team. He’s just one of the many different voices Spencer will tackle.
“I love writing Coulson, trying to bring that amazing voice Clark Gregg established in the films over to comics. I found Taskmaster to be a lot of fun to write. Hawkeye and Black Widow have always been two of my favorite Avengers. Just being a part of introducing this new Nick Fury and new S.H.I.E.L.D. into the Marvel Universe is a big honor.”
“Part of the thrill of this new Nick Fury is that he’s on the field, he’s on the missions, he’s with the team. It’s a contrast from what we saw from the old Fury over the last couple decades, giving intel then fading into the shadows. It’s fun having a Fury who’s in the thick of things and also who this is all new to. He’s got a lot to learn. Getting to write that journey is a blast.”
Secret Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
“Nick Fury is the Captain America of the Secret Avengers. He’s the lead guy on the field. He’s different from Cap, he’s got a different approach, but he’s the first guy on the ground leading the charge,” Editor Brevoort
“One of the things I’m learning my way through is finding the balance between a good black ops spy book that’s also an Avengers book. I think you’ll like the mix. We’re trying to make it feel like Mission: Impossible, but at the same time it takes place in the Marvel Universe. The mix and match has been really cool for me to play with,” said Spencer.
“Every adventure these characters have is a caper, it’s a Bond movie, but it takes places within the Marvel Universe, and there’s no mission you can pull out of that context,” said Brevoort.
Norman Osborn wore the Iron Patriot armor in Dark Reign. The Iron Patriot will appear in Iron Man 3. Who wears the armor in this new series?
“I think we came up with a pretty cool way to introduce this new Iron Patriot. There have been a lot of questions about who is in the suit, but how they end up in the role is what I think will be really interesting.”
Secret Avengers #2 courtesy Marvel
SHIELD will use mindwiping techniques on the team – we saw what happened with that in Secret War.
“Every member of this team signed up for this of their own volition. They agreed this was the way to go. Of course then they forget that they agreed to it, and when they’re on missions, they don’t know about it. The S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m writing works in gray areas, but it’s important to me at the end of the day we understand why they do the things that they do, which is for a safer better world. That doesn’t start with forcibly brainwashing people if they can help it. Why these people signed up for this won’t always be known, and we’ll have fun with this.”
“They’re not starting over every mission. When they have the keyword, they remember that they’re on the team and what they need to from previous missions. They’re not strangers every time they meet up.”
“The Avengers don’t know about this. Nobody outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. knows about this initiative.”
Secret Avengers #2 courtesy Marvel
How does an Avengers villain like Taskmaster fit with this team?
“Taskmaster has a pretty unique role in the book. I’m having a lot of fun writing him. When we were coming up with the roster, he was the last addition. I kept feeling like something was missing. As soon as he came up, it was so perfect. He’s got some history already with Nick Fury, which is a big draw for me. The chemistry between the two of them has been fun for me to write. I like throwing the wrench in there, and Taskmaster does that. He’s there for the paycheck and that makes for some fun story turns.” “I’m a huge fan of Indestructible Hulk already. It all connects. It’s all part of Maria’s vision for what S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to become to adapt to new threats in the Marvel Universe. She’s such a huge part of this book. In Avengers, Cap and Iron Man are saying they need to become bigger, and here, S.H.I.E.L.D. is saying the same thing.”
Bruce Banner is working with Maria Hill and SHIELD in Mark Waid’s Indestructible Hulk. How does a weapon of mass destruction fit in an undercover spy book?
“The use of the Hulk here is judicious. He’s the bomb. How is he on a stealth team? He’s not deployed until it’s time to blow stuff up.”
“This S.H.I.E.L.D. is smaller and scrappier than they were back in the day, but the problems aren’t any smaller. It’s a big job for people just starting out. They know they need operatives who can function on the level the world and the universe is at now,” says Brevoort.
Secret Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
Luke Ross (The Ultimates) will be the artist on the series.
“Luke Ross has a realistic style with a lot of energy. His enthusiasm brings a lot to the book,” says Lauren Sankovitch.
Spies, dark heroes, mindwipes and Taskmaster! The new Secret Avengers declassified!
Paramount Pictures revealed this new photo today with the caption stating Cumberbatch is playing…John Harrison?
Fascinating.
The villain is locked in what appears to be a brig. Is Harrison a human? Could the new Trek film explore genetic cloning – is he a super human? an alien hybrid?
Thanks to the excellent and thorough StarTrek.com – a great source for all things Trek.
Iron Man 3 will blast into theaters on May 2, 2013. Marvel announced the team is now filming in China and welcomed acclaimed actor Wang Xueqi to the cast as Dr. Wu.
The Chinese actor joins Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Rebecca Hall and Guy Pearce as new actors in the latest chapter. Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle and Gwynneth Paltrow reprise their roles in the third film.
Iron Man 3 features the attack of the Mandarin, the debut of the Iron Patriot armor and Extremis nanotechnolgy.
The Force is strong with Brian Wood. The acclaimed writer (The Massive, Northlanders, X-Men, Ultimate Comics X-Men, Conan) will take on a new comic book series set during the original trilogy for Dark Horse Comics. Check out the cover to Star Wars #1 by Alex Ross!
Being a huge Star Wars and Brian Wood fan I wanted to share some of his exclusive interview with The Nerdist about writing in the galaxy far, far away.
“The biggest challenge is actually writing it under the shadow of reader expectation. And doing right by Randy Stradley, my editor, who has written a fair share of Star Wars himself, and that can be intimidating. When I started the job, I had this idea that Star Wars fans would be really hardcore and nitpicky and, to be frank, ready to challenge my work. Then I went to Star WarsCelebration, this convention, and I had one of the most positive experiences of my professional life. Everyone was super nice, very receptive to what I’m doing, and I felt like I belonged in a way that comic book conventions don’t. I came home from that show determined to write 10x on this title.
And I’m more of a fan of Star Wars than I was aware. Thirty-five years of exposure to it, I guess, creates an impression as well as a huge about of information stored in my brain that is only just now proving its worth.”
For the entire interview and a first look inside here’s the link on the always enjoyable Nerdist.
Watch out for the collection of Wood’s X-Men run with artist David Lopez – one of my favorite storylines of the year and the BEST portrayal of Storm since Claremont – yes I just said that!
Director Bryan Singer really is getting the old gang back together for X-Men: Days of Future Past. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman will reprise their roles in the sequel. Movieweb reports that 20th Century Fox wants Halle Berry and James Marsden back for the next movie. I had predicted Halle Berry could be next to reprise her role as Storm but Marsden is a welcome surprise.
In the comic book version of Days of Future Past:
In a future ruled by Sentinels – Storm, Magneto, Colossus, Kate “Kitty” Pryde, Rachel Summers (daughter of Scott and Jean) and Franklin Richards (son of Reed and Sue of the Fantastic Four) are in a concentration camp. Logan leads the resistance movement. Rachel (has telepathic powers like her mother) sends Kitty’s mind into the past to warn the X-Men of the past about an upcoming act of terrorism by evil mutants that will start a chain of events leading to the dark future. While the past X-Men try to stop the assassination – the future Logan, Storm, Magneto and Colossus lead an assault on Sentinel Headquarters. The final battle of the older X-Men is epic!
Could this mean Daniel Cudmore and Ellen Page could return as Colossus and Kitty since those characters are critical to the storyline? Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) could have a cameo too.
Cyclops was killed by Jean (in Dark Phoenix mode) and Jean was killed by Wolverine in The Last Stand but if producers decide to use Rachel in the movie this could be a way to erase those deaths (and Professor X’s death.)
I’ve been hoping this film could serve as a reboot for the entire franchise (like Star Trek) and you can start over.
Here’s what I love about reading Jonathan Hickman. His storytelling is packed with big, bold, ambitious ideas that you find in the most epic science fiction novels. It’s smart but lean storytelling that still moves you. He challenges you while entertaining you. I was thrilled when I learn Hickman would take over based on his previous (SHIELD, Fantastic Four, FF) and current work (Manhattan Projects.) Marvel chose well.
In Avengers #1 Hickman throws Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into an epic new conflict with high level cosmic stakes and high drama. I didn’t just feel like I was reading a relaunch of a superhero book. This is the creation of a new mythology.
Imagine our heroes up against the “Space Gods” from Prometheus blended with Jack Kirby’s “New Gods.” A squadron of favorites (the movie Avengers if you will ) go on a mission to Mars in which we encounter the new threats to Earth and learn why the roster will explode with 18 or more members.
Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
This premiere issue is built on big ideas but still packed with action, fights and heart and humor. Hickman and Opena craft a pitch perfect series of moments in the Avengers showdown on Mars. Some characters barely speak in the issue but when they do it has impact. It shows how Hickman is careful with his dialogue and lets Opena’s pencils carry the story.
You can’t tell me you didn’t feel a chill when Cap “waked the world” and in that final panel we saw the future of the Avengers. Marvel has chosen well – I’m excited for the Avengers World Hickman and Opena have created.
