Will Armie Hammer (The Social Network, The Lone Ranger) play Batman in a potential Justice League movie? Moviehole.net reports that Hammer is a top contender to play the caped crusader in a film about the DC Comics super group.
Hammer was cast as Batman in George Miller’s Justice League of America project that never got off the ground. Hammer’s star was skyrocketed since then and he’s reportedly on the radar to wear the Batsuit.
If this turns out to be true it likely means no potential Dark Knight continuation with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a new Batman or Nightwing.
This is speculation but Hammer is a good choice for Justice League but I just see him as Aquaman.
Uncanny Avengers leads the Marvel NOW relaunch this week. Rick Remender and John Cassaday kick off a new kind of team made of Avengers and X-Men to face a classic enemy. Captain America, Wolverine, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Rogue and Havok assemble to take on the threat of a reborn Red Skull – now with an anti-mutant agenda.
In the issue #3 preview Marvel teased the super-villain’s new power to incite anti-mutant violence around the world. In the teaser for issue #4 Thor appears to have turned against his friends. Is he under the influence of the Skull?
Could the Red Skull have been reborn as a mutant somehow? There’s nothing like self-loathing to fuel an insane criminal’s fury!
Uncanny Avengers is the publisher’s effort to lower the barriers between franchises. It makes sense that have Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the Children of the Atom working together – especially in light of new mutants being born in the aftermath of AvX.
What I enjoy even more is the fact that a villain doesn’t have to always fight the same heroes.
Brian Michael Bendis took the Spider-Man villain and elevated him to a major threat to Avengers. Norman Osborn eventually took control of the Avengers and SHIELD, attacked the X-Men and Asgard.
It appears Rick Remender is going to make the classic Captain America enemy the new number one enemy of the Marvel Now! Can Sin be far behind?
If the Red Skull’s new reign of terror is a hit with comic fans perhaps we’ll see Hugo Weaving reprise his role and be the big bad guy of an Avengers 3?
By Editor
I’m getting a sneak peek at Uncanny Avengers #1 tonight! Watch for a review soon!
Happy James Bond Day – the 50th Anniversary of the 007 film franchise. Here’s a scene courtesy Yahoo movies from the new Bond movie Skyfall. Daniel Craig’s 007 using a digger against a train to make an entrance!
Famke Janssen as Jean Grey/Phoenix in X-Men: The Last Stand courtesy 20th Century Fox
Famke Janssen holds a very special place in the heart of this devoted geek. The beautiful Dutch born actress beautifully played two roles in two genres that are very important to me. I’m thrilled to see her back on the big screen in Taken 2 out this week.
In Pierce Brosnan’s first 007 film Goldeneye, Janssen played my all time favorite James Bond villainess. Xenia Onnatop was a Russian femme fatale who could slink across a casino in an evening gown, pilot a military helicopter, get turned on while she’s killing and strangle a man with her thighs. Pure evil.
Janssen brought Jean Grey to life in X-Men, X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand. She was perfect as the good girl attracted to the bad boy and always holding her power and passion in check – until the final film.
Janssen reprises her role as Liam Neeson’s ex-wife in Taken 2 but will we see her as Jean Grey in a future X-Men role? Janssen talked about her directorial debut Bringing Up Bobby with MTV News and was asked about returning to the X-Men movies.
“One never knows,” she said coyly. “Jean Grey, the Phoenix … she finds a way to reincarnate herself constantly, so one never knows.”
“I have no idea,” she said. “Stay tuned.”
In the comic books – the original pre-Phoenix Jean Grey is returning to the Marvel Now in All-New X-Men.
The X-Men: First Class sequel is based in part onDays of Future Past. Patrick Stewart has hinted he may appear in that film. If the film follows the comic story Hugh Jackman could appear as a Wolverine of the future. I’d love to see Janssen and James Marsden return to erase the events of The Last Stand and restart the franchise. If all this talk is making you nostalgic let’s take a look at Famke as Dr. Jean Grey in the trailer for the first X-Men movie.
For giving us Jean and Xenia I will always love and welcome Famke Janssen on the big screen!
Kristin Bauer of True Blood at Fan Expo Vancouver, photo by ComicsBlend.com
I’m thrilled to share two big celebrity guest announcements for my hometown con!
Emerald City Comicon is bringing Kristin Bauer (Pam of True Blood) and Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson of Stargate SG-1) to next year’s big event!
Bauer was recently cast as Maleficent on Once Upon a Time. I had the privilege of meeting her this year as Fan Expo Vancouver. She is even more gorgeous in person!
Both stars will be appearing Saturday and Sunday. Emerald City Comicon is March 1-3, 2013 in Seattle.
Lil Iron Man at Jet City Comic Show, photo by ComicsBlend.com
I was always a tall kid so I loved my Star Wars Darth Vader costume and wore it over and over as a kid for Halloween. How times have changed? At this weekend’s Jet City Comic Show I saw little Iron Men and Captains America!
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are now the inspiration for Halloween’s most heroic costumes. With the blockbuster success of The Avengers – expect a ton of Marvel heroes trick or treating in your neighborhood this season!
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #5 courtesy IDW Publishing
Warning: This review contains spoilers!
The unholy alliance of the Borg and Cybermen has shattered. The Federation’s greatest enemies are asking the Enterprise for help?
Can Doctor Who convince Captain Jean-Luc Picard to make the right decision that will save the Federation and entires universes?
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who Assimilation 2 #5 is a break in the action of the crossover but still every bit as enjoyable of previous chapters. You could call this a “show my yours and I’ll show you mine” chapter.
Guinan convinces Captain Picard to reveal his experience with the Borg taking us back to the classic “Best of Both Worlds” episodes giving the Time Lord context of why Picard refuses to aid the Borg. The Doctor presses on trying to convince the Captain of the greater evil.
The Doctor fails. It’s up to Amy Pond and it’s a great moment that you could just picture Karen Gillan saying on television. Soon Captain Picard is saying the classic line “it’s bigger on the inside. How it this possible?”
A trip in the Tardis shows Picard the future of the Federation and leads to a course correction.
I commend the writers for capturing the essences of each character from each franchise. Rory, Deanna Troi and Dr. Crusher share moments that make this crossover work. The Borg and Cybermen are battling each other. This issue was a battle of wills between Captain Picard and Doctor Who. The stage is set for an incredible alien encounter for the Doctor and an epic battle with universes at stake.
The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
Hoping you will see an Avengers team up with the X-Men or Fantastic Four on the big screen – think again. Looks like Twentieth Century Fox is looking to hold on to the film rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchise and they’ve hired a comic book powerhouse to guide those franchises forward.
Writer Mark Millar has been hired as a creative consultant on the studio’s upcoming projects: Director James Mangold is now shooting The Wolverine with Hugh Jackman in a story based on the classic Chris Claremont/Frank Miller story of Logan in Japan. Matthew Vaughn is directing the X:Men First Class sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past. Josh Trank (Chronicle) is attached to direct a reboot of Fantastic Four.
Mark Millar co-created Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. Millar’s The Ultimates were a modern take on the Avengers and he created that line’s version of Nick Fury based on Samuel L. Jackson. You could say Marvel’s The Avengers were more like Millar’s Ultimates than old school Avengers. Millar also created Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four.
The Ultimates #1 courtesy Marvel
In main Marvel Universe Millar wrote the epic Civil War and Old Man Logan, Enemy of the State arcs of Wolverine.
Millar went on to create Millarworld titles Kick-Ass and Wanted – both went to become box office hits.
“As someone who has spent his entire life obsessed with both comic books and movies, this is essentially my dream gig as it’s a unique combination of both,” said Millar. “I spent ten years working at Marvel and am really happy with the work I did on the comic side of things so the idea of working with these characters now in a brand new medium is enormously exciting for me. I really like the Fox team, love this bold new direction they have for their franchises and am proud to be working alongside some of modern cinema’s biggest talents. James Mangold is incredible, Matthew Vaughn’s one of my closest pals and Josh Trank gave us, in my opinion, one of the greatest superhero movies of the last decade with ‘Chronicle.’ The invitation to join this crew was maybe the coolest phone call I’ve ever had.”
Op/Ed: Before directing X-Men: First Class, Matthew Vaughn directed the big screen version of Kick-Ass so if Millar has that kind of creative relationship with Vaughn then I’m excited to see how they will develop the X-franchise. I think Millar will guide the Fantastic Four reboot into darker territory instead of the most comedic tone of the previous films.
