The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
Michael Fassbender is the indie prince of Hollywood right now but to the geeks he’s the Master of Magnetism. While talking about his work on Shame with The Hollywood Reporter Fassbender did talk about X-Men: First Class in which he played a young Magneto.
“I’m very proud that were able to pare it down and make it about relationships and the characters. The action sequences were there to support those relationships, as opposed to the other way around.”
For the full interview and his revealing cover click here.
Hope is at the center of the battle on the cover Avengers Versus X-Men #2. Marvel revealed the amazing cover by superstar Jim Cheung today.
Iron Man and Magneto are in the foreground. It appears Wolverine (with claws ready to slash) is leaping for Hope (who appears to be in a fiery light, is she hosting the Phoenix?)
This cover fuels the fan fire to many points raised so far:
– Which will Wolverine choose? On AVX #1Logan appears to be on the Avengers team going into battle against the X-Men. In this image Logan is clearly going in for the kill – aiming for Hope.
– The Phoenix Force is heading to Earth in search of a human host. Emma Frost has seen the Phoenix image surround Hope before and some call Hope the mutant messiah so she seems to be the likely candidate for the entity.
Marvel included this description along with the image:
“With the opening salvo fired, the time for talking is over and in Avengers Vs. X-Men #2, allegiances are decided upon as quickly as they are broken. What side does Wolverine choose and what decision will Hope make that may turn the tide of the war… just as it begins?”
Comics Newsarama made more interesting points based on the cover.
The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
Michael Fassbender was the Master of Magnetism in X-Men: First Class and the focus of George Clooney’s show stealing joke at the Golden Globe Awards for his performance in Shame. The actor’s hot streak continues with Haywire. While promoting that new film Fassbender talked about filming Prometheus with Ridley Scott to In Style.
“The first thing that struck me was a good script. Really intelligent script. A real thriller. Real anticipation. The first alien had that. The atmosphere was thick. You knew that something was going to happen. Which is very rare that you can read that in a script. And also, Ridley Scott is the master. He’s amazing. Really something else to watch him work. His attention to detail. And also his mischievousness, his playfulness. And again, no idea is stupid for him. He’ll let you bring it to the floor and have a go at it. I really, really enjoyed working with him. And of course the cast.”
Fassbender confirmed he will be playing an android named David. Thanks to Comic Book Resources for finding the story.
Because you can’t get enough of this trailer here it is again!
Kieron Gillen has resurrected old villains on the new Uncanny X-Men title featuring Cyclops and his Utopia based Extinction Team.
In a new interview by Comic Book Resources featuring fan questions – the British writer tackled classic villains and upcoming events.
Why did Gillen kick off the relaunched title with Mister Sinister?
“I wanted a classic heavyweight X-Men villain and Sinister was simply the only one with the appropriate level of gravitas who wasn’t already elsewhere in play. Magneto is with the team. Apocalypse is busy over in “X-Force.” Sabretooth was already involved in plans you’ll be aware of now (and would be annihilated in a millisecond if he went up against the Extinction team, to be honest). Who else but Sinister? No one, that’s who. So I tried to work how I could do something that was entirely new yet true to what I sawa as the core of the character (mutants as research material, Victoriana, scheming and manipulating, upgrading of self, sinister-ness), and ended up with Sinister is a System — Sinister is a species and someone whose idea of an escape route is to blow off his own head.”
On Cyclops becoming the Magneto of the 21st century?
“I think his current position is that he’s willing to pretend to be more like Magneto to get what he wants — which is no one to fight and kill each other. It’s a specific tactic for a specific situation for a specific timeframe. From Cyclops’ position, it’s a case of keeping mutants alive until Hope does whatever Messiah-y things she’s born to do — if embracing the fact they are feared is a short-term compromise he thinks is the best solution. Cyclops is synthesizing various philosophies. There may be more Magneto in there than previous, but it’s not the dominant strand by any means.”
This is an excellent question: Would Cyclops recruit Daken to replace Wolverine?
“It’s certainly something that could happen — but I don’t think Scott would trust Daken. He’s got a lot of reformed villains on his team, but he’s more convinced by their reasons for being there than the ever-sociopathically manipulative Daken.”
Uncanny X-Men preview art courtesy Marvel.com
Gillen says Storm and Namor will play big roles in the Avengers Versus X-Men tie-in issues and Magic “comes under hard focus in my AvX issues.”
China Miéville is part of DC Comics The New 52 Second Wave. The Best Selling Fantasy Novelist is taking on the cult classic title Dial H for Hero.
DC’s The Source asked Miéville about the transition to writing his first comic book series and his inspiration.
“Pretty much, I suspect, as people would imagine. Lots of nerves – because comic fans are appropriately passionate and unforgiving, and because it’s a very different kind of writing. I have tended to write at length, I’m a person who likes descriptions and rococo prose, so having to strip that out, or rely on dialogue and so on, has been something I’ve been very nervous about getting right. All of which said, it’s also been an unremitting delight to learn a new way of working. I like doing stuff that’s collaborative, too – writing comics, involving very direct and ongoing editing, more than novels (which save it up for the end), working with cover artists, interior artists, bearing in mind everyone else writing in the universe, the history of the world you’re writing in, and so on, is much more like being part of a gang than my usual stuff. I think it’s gone well. I guess ultimately you have to ask the readers, though.”
“The initial joy that title always gave me was because making up superheroes is so ridiculously enjoyable, it’s a basic game that all of us into comics play, it was always part of our draw for the world of capes. I doubt there’s many comics geeks who didn’t have scraps of papers covered in garish designs and ‘cool’ superhero names. Dial H is the title above all other that is the celebration of the superherogenerative drive – it’s a superhero comic, and a metasuperhero comic at the same time.
Combine that, when I was a little older, with ongoing excitement at how little of the backstory and the universe of Dial H was ever explained, and I find that combination of child-geeky ludic delight and unusually opaque foundations unique in the DC universe, and indeed in any other comic universe of which I know. What I’d like to do is indulge that mystery but also prod at it, explore it, shine a few lights in crevices, without ruining everything by overexplaining. I remain convinced cakes are to be both had and eaten.”
Avengers Versus X-Men #1 variant courtesy Marvel.com
Fists are flying in the latest AVX reveal from Marvel. Ryan Stegman created this Avengers Versus X-Men #1 variant showing the two team leaders in battle.
This is the press release with the image – which includes a big clue*:
“This April, the biggest names in the industry pit the largest super hero franchises against one another for the biggest war in comics history in Avengers Vs. X-Men! To celebrate this blockbuster event, Marvel has your first look at the Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 Stegman Variant by red-hot artist Ryan Stegman! The Phoenix Force is headed towards Earth and Captain America is determined to prevent the destruction of the whole world by stopping it. But when word gets to the X-Men that the Phoenix is returning, Cyclops will do anything he can to save it…including going up against Earth’s Mightiest! But who is right? Will mutantkind be saved or will the world be annihilated? Don’t miss out on all the action in Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 in comic shops worldwide and on the Marvel Comics app this April!”
AvX #1 cover by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel.com
When AVX was unveiled we learned that “a shocking decision related to the return of the Phoenix Force” is what triggers the conflict.
*I could be wrong but isn’t this the first time we’ve been told that Captain America is determined to stop it and Cyclops will do anything to save it? Scott has demonstrated he’s willing to make sacrifices and take drastic steps to protect his fellow mutants so could this mean the Phoenix is targetting Hope?
Wolverine – the peacemaker? Marvel reveals a gripping image of the X-Man/Avenger caught in the middle of his leaders. Logan is seen reaching out as Cyclops and Captain America fight on the cover of New Avengers #24 a tie-in to the Avengers Versus X-Men Event debuting April.
The official press release:
“This April, as the flames of war are stoked by the impending arrival of the Phoenix Force, the New Avengers have received the call to arms by Captain America to go to war against the X-Men. Except where does the loyalty of Wolverine lie? Find out in New Avengers #24 from the blockbuster creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato!”
